The Accidental Bestseller

By: Wendy Wax

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Once upon a time four aspiring authors met at their very first writers' conference. Ten years later they're still friends, survivors of the ultra-competitive New York publishing world. Mallory St. James is a workaholic whose best sellers support a lavish lifestyle. Tanya Mason is a single mother juggling two jobs, two kids, and too many deadlines. Faye Truett is the wife of a famous televangelist and the author of inspirational romances: No one would ever guess her explosive secret.

Kendall Aims' once-promising career is on the skids - and so is her marriage. Her sales are dismal, her new editor detests her work - and her husband is cheating. Barely able to think, let alone meet her final deadline, Kendall holes up in a mountain cabin to confront a blank page and a blanker future.

But her friends won't let her face this trial alone. Together they collaborate on a novel using their own lives as fodder, assuming no one will ever discover the truth behind their words.

No one is more surprised than they are when the book becomes a runaway best seller. But with success comes scrutiny and scandal...as these four best friends suddenly realize how little they've truly known each other.

©2009 Wendy Wax (P)2012 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Wax sheds insight on the writer/reader relationship and nurtures this invisible bond throughout. Sure to appeal to fans of women's fiction and aspiring writers." ( Library Journal)

Meh....just okay.

Any additional comments?

this is another one of those "middle of the road" books. Nothing actually bad and not exactly boring, but....not much happens. A group of women that are friends, help one of them out, have problems that each are struggling with individually, get caught for helping the friend, get in a fight and then make up. The End.

At times, I felt that the author just skimmed over each character and didn't make their struggles interesting enough to engage me.

It passed the time, but is not memorable. Narration was probably the best part of the whole experience.

Eh.

More like "the accidental use of my credit."

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If it was marginally good.

What was most disappointing about Wendy Wax’s story?

It just spent too much time describing fairly unlikable women. I found it difficult to empathize with these self involved, self important, boring women. I'm usually not so critical of books. But I was really disappointed after reading such favorable recommendations. I couldn't even finish it.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was the only redeeming quality.

If You're A Fan

If you're a fan of writer Wendy Wax then you already know the major components of this story. First we have three women who are very good friends. One of whom lacks financial resources; one of whom has a husband with at least one foot out the door; and finally one who is well-to-do and in a sensitive marital situation. In this case one of the principal characters has a bad case of writer's block and has not only lost her husband but her publishing deal as well. In order to get out her final book for her old publisher her friends decide that they will pitch in and get this one done.
There is unfortunately the small issue that all three of these ladies are under contract to different publishing houses. Then there is the nasty New York rep, determined to ignore whatever book the writer puts out.
So will these ladies overcome the obstacles before them? Well of course they will.
Like a great many of the writers in this genre the inability to come up with a creative plot line is compensated for by the knack for creating three dimensional characters that people can relate to and care about. In addition the narrator is an excellent reader and seems to have found the voice of each character. Though Ms. Wendy doesn't seem too creative when it comes to different story lines, her characters are universally likable and her books leave you feeling happy.

I'm a guy and I enjoyed it!!

I liked it it a lot listen to a lot of war books. And this was great for a change. My wife will love it!!

Book within a Book

This is not your ordinary "triumph over adversity" book. Wendy Wax has created a story about writing a book and the publishing industry into a believable story about the lives of four diverse female authors. I really loved the insights into writing and publishing, but most of all I enjoyed the individual voices of each character. You can almost believe that this is something that really happened. You won't regret the credit or the time you spend on this book.

Best Audible Book

Best audible book I have heard. Listened in 2 days. Great story about real lives and friendship. loved it!

Cute, fun, fluff

Cute, predictable book that went great with housecleaning and before-bed reading.

Good narration - with only a few exceptions. It’s nit-picky, but her pronunciation of the name “Sara” bothered me throughout the book, and she said, “na na na na na na” in flat monotone when I think the author intended it to be read in the singsongy kid way kids say it when antagonizing someone. There were a few other irritations, but they are, again, nit-picky

The author uses *a lot* of idioms and popular sayings (eg. “cheek to jowl”) throughout the book. It was a bit distracting to the point where I wondered if she was doing it on purpose.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable, clean, fluffy read - just what I wanted.

nuanced and unpredictable

I enjoyed the meta quality of the narrative. the characters are believable and complex. Very enjoyable.

Good book, but not quite as good as the Ocean Book

If you could sum up The Accidental Bestseller in three words, what would they be?

A group of women that all have writing in common come together for a writing awards ceremony. They are all facing difficult situations and possible failing writing careers. These women become supportive of each other as they come to understand the challenges that each other face.

What other book might you compare The Accidental Bestseller to and why?

Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach just because it discussed the lives of four completely diffferent people.

Which scene was your favorite?

Perhaps looking into the life of the character that lived with her mother and children.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not as much as I did the other books.

Any additional comments?

I was slightly disappointed in this book. Perhaps because I had high hopes compared to the other two books I'd read. It is still a good read and I would recommend it, just not as highly as the other ones.

Easy and enjoyable Chick Lit

As per the summary this book is about 4 writer friends. 1 of the friends has hit hard times and owes 1 more book to her publishing house before they drop her for good. For several reasons she has trouble writing the book so her 3 friends join forces with her to help her write it. This story is told from the POV of all 4 characters which I always like. Each woman has her own set of life issues she is dealing with which all come to a head when the book they write becomes a bestseller.
I found this book thoroughly entertaining, though it is pretty predictable chick lit. But, it's aways motivating to see women find their own inner strength and sense of self and this book does not disappoint in that aspect.