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The Accidental Bestseller
From the USA Today bestselling author of While We Were Watching Downton Abbey... 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 bestsellers 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 no one would ever guess her explosive secret. Kendall Aims's 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 bestseller. But with success comes scrutiny and scandal...as these four best friends suddenly realize how little they've truly known each other.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2009
269 people are currently reading
2443 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Wax
22 books1,579 followersI write novels that explore friendship, self-discovery and the challenges life brings us, leavened with a touch of humor. I'm proud of all my books and perhaps best known for my "Ten Beach Road" titles including the USA Today bestsellers, Ten Beach Road and The House on Mermaid Point, and for While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.
I was born in St.Petersburg, Florida and grew up on St. Pete Beach within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. I went, appropriately enough, to Sunshine Elementary School where recess and art class sometimes took place on the beach, and the highlight of every school year was the annual fish broil.
It’s hard to be a type-A personality when you grow up in such a laid back environment, but I managed. Convinced that you were expected to know how to read BEFORE you showed up for school, I forced a neighbor friend to teach me to read at the age of five. I’ve been reading ever since.
Books, in all forms, are one of my greatest pleasures and best forms of escape. And they’ve had a major impact on my life.
I went to the University of Georgia after reading Gone with the Wind one too many times. For a while I re-read Margaret Mitchell’s classic yearly, saw the movie whenever it played within twenty miles, and could quote large passages from memory. Today I have a growing GWTW collection, and the time I spoke at he Margaret Mitchell House was an incredible thrill.last
After college I worked in radio, television, and film. Like Olivia in 7 DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS, I’ve done live talk radio. I hosted a show in the eighties called Desperate & Dateless, and while I was never locked in an apartment for a week with a webcam rolling as she was, I did fall in love. Happily, the man who swept me off my feet consults with financial types and understands the bottom line. Unlike Olivia’s nemesis, Matt Ransom, my husband has never, to my knowledge, advised anyone to ‘love the one they’re with.’ We live in Atlanta with our two sons.
I was born in St.Petersburg, Florida and grew up on St. Pete Beach within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. I went, appropriately enough, to Sunshine Elementary School where recess and art class sometimes took place on the beach, and the highlight of every school year was the annual fish broil.
It’s hard to be a type-A personality when you grow up in such a laid back environment, but I managed. Convinced that you were expected to know how to read BEFORE you showed up for school, I forced a neighbor friend to teach me to read at the age of five. I’ve been reading ever since.
Books, in all forms, are one of my greatest pleasures and best forms of escape. And they’ve had a major impact on my life.
I went to the University of Georgia after reading Gone with the Wind one too many times. For a while I re-read Margaret Mitchell’s classic yearly, saw the movie whenever it played within twenty miles, and could quote large passages from memory. Today I have a growing GWTW collection, and the time I spoke at he Margaret Mitchell House was an incredible thrill.last
After college I worked in radio, television, and film. Like Olivia in 7 DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS, I’ve done live talk radio. I hosted a show in the eighties called Desperate & Dateless, and while I was never locked in an apartment for a week with a webcam rolling as she was, I did fall in love. Happily, the man who swept me off my feet consults with financial types and understands the bottom line. Unlike Olivia’s nemesis, Matt Ransom, my husband has never, to my knowledge, advised anyone to ‘love the one they’re with.’ We live in Atlanta with our two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews
December 23, 2012
I did not love this book. I felt the characters were very weak willed and used avoidance as a way to deal with unpleasantness. I spent most of the book saying "get a grip!" The story had potential as a friendship tome, but the spineless ness of the women was distasteful. I finished it, but felt myself skimming some parts
August 21, 2012
Ada satu aura misterius dalam kehidupan penulis, walaupun ini mungkin profesi yang paling sederhana di dunia. Berjam-jam menghabiskan waktu di depan komputer sendirian; keraguan yang menyelip; dan naik turunnya bisnis itu sendiri. (hal. 246)
Profesi penulis dan kehidupan para penulis tampaknya selalu menarik untuk disimak. Terlihat dari acara temu penulis terkenal yang selalu ramai, juga workshop-workshop penulisan yang pesertanya membludak. Sebuah bukti bahwa banyak orang yang menyimpan impian untuk menjadi penulis, walaupun hanya beberapa yang benar-benar bekerja dan mewujudkannya. Mungkin karena para penulis mampu menciptakan sesuatu dari ketiadaan, dan dalam prosesnya mengajak pembaca ikut menyelami karakter sang tokoh, bahkan mengidentifikasi diri mereka dengan tokoh-tokoh tersebut.
Walaupun sudah tahu bahwa bisnis penerbitan novel bukan hal yang mudah dan pasti, namun saat membaca buku ini saya takjub juga menyadari 'kebrutalan' bisnis ini di AS sana. Ketika penulis dan karyanya seolah menjadi barang dagangan di mata penerbit, bukan manusia yang mungkin merasa telah mencicipi surga saat diberitahu bahwa bukunya akan diterbitkan.
Seperti kata Kendall Aims, tokoh dalam buku ini, novel yang mengulas pandangan orang dalam tentang dunia penerbitan, juga proses kreatif para penulis, akan sangat menarik bagi pembaca. Dan yang paling saya sukai dari novel ini memang dua hal tersebut. Walaupun kisah empat perempuan penulis yang bersahabat dan saling membantu mendukung karir satu sama lain di tengah persaingan yang gila-gilaan, juga tidak kalah menarik.
The Accidental Bestseller berkisah tentang Kendall yang karirnya berada di ujung tanduk karena penjualan novelnya kurang memuaskan, dan penerbit yang selama ini menaunginya bersiap membuang dia karena dianggap tidak menguntungkan. Ditambah problem keluarga yang datang beruntun, Kendall pun kehilangan gairah untuk menulis, padahal dia masih punya kontrak satu buku dengan penerbitnya, sebelum mereka 'bercerai'.
Tiga sahabat Kendall, Faye, Mallory dan Tanya yang sukses sebagai penulis di genre masing-masing, memutuskan untuk membantu Kendall keluar dari keterpurukan dengan menulis novel bersama-sama atas nama Kendall. Dan dari sana masalah bergulir semakin rumit...
Sebenarnya menurut pendapat saya, kayaknya nekat banget ya empat penulis yang sudah sepuluh tahun lebih berkutat dengan dunia penulisan dan penerbitan, sudah cukup punya nama dan tahu seluk beluk hak cipta yang tidak sederhana, bisa memutuskan menulis novel sama-sama tanpa memikirkan konsekuensinya. Memang sih, niat awal mereka benar-benar tulus untuk membantu sahabat yang kesusahan. Tapi ya nekat juga...walaupun mungkin memang benar kata pepatah 'That's what friends are for'. Susah senang ya ditanggung sama-sama, meski harus berkorban demi sahabat terbaik.
Meski begitu, saya tetap menikmati The Accidental Bestseller. Buku ringan dengan tema hangat yang nyaman untuk dibaca, terutama bagi para penulis wannabe seperti saya ^_^
Profesi penulis dan kehidupan para penulis tampaknya selalu menarik untuk disimak. Terlihat dari acara temu penulis terkenal yang selalu ramai, juga workshop-workshop penulisan yang pesertanya membludak. Sebuah bukti bahwa banyak orang yang menyimpan impian untuk menjadi penulis, walaupun hanya beberapa yang benar-benar bekerja dan mewujudkannya. Mungkin karena para penulis mampu menciptakan sesuatu dari ketiadaan, dan dalam prosesnya mengajak pembaca ikut menyelami karakter sang tokoh, bahkan mengidentifikasi diri mereka dengan tokoh-tokoh tersebut.
Walaupun sudah tahu bahwa bisnis penerbitan novel bukan hal yang mudah dan pasti, namun saat membaca buku ini saya takjub juga menyadari 'kebrutalan' bisnis ini di AS sana. Ketika penulis dan karyanya seolah menjadi barang dagangan di mata penerbit, bukan manusia yang mungkin merasa telah mencicipi surga saat diberitahu bahwa bukunya akan diterbitkan.
Seperti kata Kendall Aims, tokoh dalam buku ini, novel yang mengulas pandangan orang dalam tentang dunia penerbitan, juga proses kreatif para penulis, akan sangat menarik bagi pembaca. Dan yang paling saya sukai dari novel ini memang dua hal tersebut. Walaupun kisah empat perempuan penulis yang bersahabat dan saling membantu mendukung karir satu sama lain di tengah persaingan yang gila-gilaan, juga tidak kalah menarik.
The Accidental Bestseller berkisah tentang Kendall yang karirnya berada di ujung tanduk karena penjualan novelnya kurang memuaskan, dan penerbit yang selama ini menaunginya bersiap membuang dia karena dianggap tidak menguntungkan. Ditambah problem keluarga yang datang beruntun, Kendall pun kehilangan gairah untuk menulis, padahal dia masih punya kontrak satu buku dengan penerbitnya, sebelum mereka 'bercerai'.
Tiga sahabat Kendall, Faye, Mallory dan Tanya yang sukses sebagai penulis di genre masing-masing, memutuskan untuk membantu Kendall keluar dari keterpurukan dengan menulis novel bersama-sama atas nama Kendall. Dan dari sana masalah bergulir semakin rumit...
Sebenarnya menurut pendapat saya, kayaknya nekat banget ya empat penulis yang sudah sepuluh tahun lebih berkutat dengan dunia penulisan dan penerbitan, sudah cukup punya nama dan tahu seluk beluk hak cipta yang tidak sederhana, bisa memutuskan menulis novel sama-sama tanpa memikirkan konsekuensinya. Memang sih, niat awal mereka benar-benar tulus untuk membantu sahabat yang kesusahan. Tapi ya nekat juga...walaupun mungkin memang benar kata pepatah 'That's what friends are for'. Susah senang ya ditanggung sama-sama, meski harus berkorban demi sahabat terbaik.
Meski begitu, saya tetap menikmati The Accidental Bestseller. Buku ringan dengan tema hangat yang nyaman untuk dibaca, terutama bagi para penulis wannabe seperti saya ^_^
November 29, 2009
Four aspiring writers who met at a writers' conference maintain their friendship several years later. Their individual writing careers are varied, but problems of one kind or another plague each of them.
Mallory St. James has "bestseller" status, but she has hit a glitch. Writer's block. Kendall Aims has failed to win an award that would have made a difference, and her publisher is dumping her. And so is her husband. But she has to write one more book, in the midst of the chaos of her life. Tanya Mason, single mother, juggles two jobs, two kids, and a difficult mother. Faye Truett is the wife of a famous televangelist and writes inspirational romances, but beneath this pristine exterior is an explosive secret.
Imagine the furor that arises when the four collaborate on Kendall's final novel for her publisher, and then the secret of this effort ( and so much more!) is unveiled in a most unfortunate way. And the fallout extends throughout all of their lives.
One of the most captivating aspects of this novel is the author's ability to rein the reader into the lives of the characters, detailing every moment and unfolding snippets of backstory and motivation at just the right junctures. When we are totally invested in events, she drops each bomb for maximum impact. Reading late at night and waking up early each morning, I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Winding down to a very satisfying conclusion, I was poised for more. There has to be a sequel!
For The Accidental Bestseller, I vote five stars—definitely!
Mallory St. James has "bestseller" status, but she has hit a glitch. Writer's block. Kendall Aims has failed to win an award that would have made a difference, and her publisher is dumping her. And so is her husband. But she has to write one more book, in the midst of the chaos of her life. Tanya Mason, single mother, juggles two jobs, two kids, and a difficult mother. Faye Truett is the wife of a famous televangelist and writes inspirational romances, but beneath this pristine exterior is an explosive secret.
Imagine the furor that arises when the four collaborate on Kendall's final novel for her publisher, and then the secret of this effort ( and so much more!) is unveiled in a most unfortunate way. And the fallout extends throughout all of their lives.
One of the most captivating aspects of this novel is the author's ability to rein the reader into the lives of the characters, detailing every moment and unfolding snippets of backstory and motivation at just the right junctures. When we are totally invested in events, she drops each bomb for maximum impact. Reading late at night and waking up early each morning, I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Winding down to a very satisfying conclusion, I was poised for more. There has to be a sequel!
For The Accidental Bestseller, I vote five stars—definitely!
February 8, 2010
Wendy Wax's "The Accidental Bestseller" is a novel about friendship and the craft of writing. It is the story of four writers: Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya who met a decade ago at a writers' conference. They become fast friends over their common goals and watch each achieve various levels of writing success: Tanya still works as a waitress at a diner and as a laundromat attendant while churning out pages at night for her agent while Mallory produced 13 books in ten years and is a New York Times' Best Seller.
Kendall is the main character of the group. Her life spiraled out of control within days: she lost an important award, her publishing house dumps her but still requires her to write the last contractually obligated novel, and her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Faced with the looming deadline for her manuscript and an unhealthy desire to strap a tool belt around her waist and fix everything in her mountain home that she fled to to avoid her husband, her friends come to her rescue and get the crazy idea to write parts of the book for her.
You guessed it: Kendall's book would be loosely based on their friendships and each woman would write the chapters about "herself." Here is where the novel, as well as Kendall's novel, goes down the proverbial drain for me. Kendall's novel is about four friends, one of whom has a looming deadline and a life in shambles so the three other friends write parts of the book for her.
And they didn't think anyone would figure it out! *facepalm*
I enjoyed the character and plot development Wendy Wax intricately weaved together over the course of the 400 page novel. She is a talented writer who can create deep characters and maintain several subplots without losing the reader. This type of book is a feat in and of itself and I believe that Wendy Wax deserves kudos for maintaining a the five points of view (the four aforementioned friends and Lucy, the editorial assistant at Kendall's publishing house). But, I think she could have done a much better job at coming up with the plot for the book they collectively wrote. It made the whole book predictable and automatically guaranteed to wrap up nicely with a happily ever after at the end. Sure, most mainstream fiction geared toward women will end up happily ever after, but it's nice to feel uncertain about that for a good portion of the book. The conflict was too cliched and contrived to not end up happily ever after. That is the only issue with the book, but it is a big issue and is why I only rated it two stars.
Kendall is the main character of the group. Her life spiraled out of control within days: she lost an important award, her publishing house dumps her but still requires her to write the last contractually obligated novel, and her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Faced with the looming deadline for her manuscript and an unhealthy desire to strap a tool belt around her waist and fix everything in her mountain home that she fled to to avoid her husband, her friends come to her rescue and get the crazy idea to write parts of the book for her.
You guessed it: Kendall's book would be loosely based on their friendships and each woman would write the chapters about "herself." Here is where the novel, as well as Kendall's novel, goes down the proverbial drain for me. Kendall's novel is about four friends, one of whom has a looming deadline and a life in shambles so the three other friends write parts of the book for her.
And they didn't think anyone would figure it out! *facepalm*
I enjoyed the character and plot development Wendy Wax intricately weaved together over the course of the 400 page novel. She is a talented writer who can create deep characters and maintain several subplots without losing the reader. This type of book is a feat in and of itself and I believe that Wendy Wax deserves kudos for maintaining a the five points of view (the four aforementioned friends and Lucy, the editorial assistant at Kendall's publishing house). But, I think she could have done a much better job at coming up with the plot for the book they collectively wrote. It made the whole book predictable and automatically guaranteed to wrap up nicely with a happily ever after at the end. Sure, most mainstream fiction geared toward women will end up happily ever after, but it's nice to feel uncertain about that for a good portion of the book. The conflict was too cliched and contrived to not end up happily ever after. That is the only issue with the book, but it is a big issue and is why I only rated it two stars.
August 1, 2010
Just after she fails to win an award, the publisher of midlist author Kendall Aims informs her they're dropping her, and her husband announces he's leaving her for another woman. With her career and marriage on the skids, she goes into a tailspin, unable to face producing an entire manuscript she's still contracted to produce. Her three friends rally to the rescue, each volunteering to ghostwrite a portion of the manuscript, knowing that the publisher will bury it and it will die in obscurity. Feeling safe, they each write their autobiographies, revealing deep, dark secrets disquised as fiction. Unfortunately, they hadn't counted on a lowly editorial assistant who champions the book. when the novel hits the New York Times bestseller list, the shit hits the fan and the women are outed in the most publicly humiliating way.
The Accidental Bestseller is a good solid, enjoyable read about women's friendships, relationaships with their significant others and the machinations of the publishing industry. Wendy Wax is an excellent writer and reading this book made me want to read her others. While I didn't buy the notion that four professional, savvy writers would risk their careers and reputations in such a blatant manner, the individual stories were intriguing. With the exception of "bad guy" editor Jane Jensen, the characters were well-developed and multi-faceted.
The Accidental Bestseller is a good solid, enjoyable read about women's friendships, relationaships with their significant others and the machinations of the publishing industry. Wendy Wax is an excellent writer and reading this book made me want to read her others. While I didn't buy the notion that four professional, savvy writers would risk their careers and reputations in such a blatant manner, the individual stories were intriguing. With the exception of "bad guy" editor Jane Jensen, the characters were well-developed and multi-faceted.
July 22, 2016
This was a cute story (within a story within a story)! It was a fun and easy read with four strong female characters. Well written, with an interesting glimpse into the writing/publishing world.
September 11, 2012
I like any books that are about the lives of writers, particularly women writers. Books that deal all about both the process and the struggles of being a writer. This book had an interesting premise because it was not only about one writer, but about four who agree to write a book together so that the lead character, Kendall, can fulfill her book contract before hopefully moving on to another publisher that will treat her better and stand behind her books more. Much to their surprise, the book becomes a bestseller, and now they have to own up to the fact that not only did they write the book together and pretend that Kendall wrote it on their own, but all four women also included extremely personal details of their pasts and private lives and now there is the danger of the public and even their loved ones figuring out who the supposedly fictious characters are really based on.
Due to this very intriguing and unique premise, I thought the book would be more of a page-turner for me than it was. I found myself just muddling through it at points, yet it did pick up again during the last 50 pages or so. My main complaint of this book is that it read too much like a TV-movie. I felt that the author may have had selling the TV or film rights to it in mind during the writing which to me just seems wrong. Maybe it is how the business is supposed to work, that you must consider these things in order to earn a living as a published author of commercial fiction, but I dislike reading books that "feel" like the author was trying to make sure the book would work on screen rather than just letting the words flow and stand on their own in book format.
I do believe Wendy Wax had a few flashes of literary brilliance though. One part that stands in mind is when the lead character is so in the dumps that she watches a squirrel climb down the trunk of a tree from her window and laments: "What did it say about your life that you envied a four-legged rodent with a bushy tail?" I loved that line! I also felt that she wrote four very believable female characters who all stood on their own and would never be confused with each other. They were all interesting characters and you wanted to know more about about them. The females in the book are given the best dialog. Writer Tanya has one of the best lines when she says: "I'm right in the middle of my very own reality edition of 'Survivor', Mama, and I can't figure out how in the hell to get myself voted off,"
The male characters, however, were not written quite so well in my opinion. Again, every time one of them spoke, all I could picture was a hero from a Lifetime Romance Movie trying to win the strong female heroine over. I found a lot of their dialog to be cheesy and unrealistic like the overly amorous Home Depot employee who admires Kendall from afar and can't wait to get a date with her even though she's still technically married. He is constantly excited around her, bursting into dialog such as: "There's my best customer!" and "You must know I've been wanting to ask you out since the first day I met you." She all but snubs him yet he still comes back with "It's not a problem. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Yet he's never dated her or even seen her outside of the Home Depot. Character Tanya also has trust issues due to a divorce, and when she begins dating studly Brett whom EVERYONE at the diner she works for lusts after, it takes her many months to finally agree to have a serious relationship with him. When she does, he makes her raise her right hand and repeat after him: "I, Tanya Mason...do solemnly swear...that Brett Adams is allowed to...do the occasional nice thing, make the occasional nice meal...," etc., etc. Personally, I've never trusted any man who speaks so contrived like that, but I know they win big in the Romance categories at the bookstores or on TV.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to women who want a fast and fun read. From my past experiences with books similar to this, I find them lukewarm while reading but outstanding once I get to see the version of them made for TV!
Due to this very intriguing and unique premise, I thought the book would be more of a page-turner for me than it was. I found myself just muddling through it at points, yet it did pick up again during the last 50 pages or so. My main complaint of this book is that it read too much like a TV-movie. I felt that the author may have had selling the TV or film rights to it in mind during the writing which to me just seems wrong. Maybe it is how the business is supposed to work, that you must consider these things in order to earn a living as a published author of commercial fiction, but I dislike reading books that "feel" like the author was trying to make sure the book would work on screen rather than just letting the words flow and stand on their own in book format.
I do believe Wendy Wax had a few flashes of literary brilliance though. One part that stands in mind is when the lead character is so in the dumps that she watches a squirrel climb down the trunk of a tree from her window and laments: "What did it say about your life that you envied a four-legged rodent with a bushy tail?" I loved that line! I also felt that she wrote four very believable female characters who all stood on their own and would never be confused with each other. They were all interesting characters and you wanted to know more about about them. The females in the book are given the best dialog. Writer Tanya has one of the best lines when she says: "I'm right in the middle of my very own reality edition of 'Survivor', Mama, and I can't figure out how in the hell to get myself voted off,"
The male characters, however, were not written quite so well in my opinion. Again, every time one of them spoke, all I could picture was a hero from a Lifetime Romance Movie trying to win the strong female heroine over. I found a lot of their dialog to be cheesy and unrealistic like the overly amorous Home Depot employee who admires Kendall from afar and can't wait to get a date with her even though she's still technically married. He is constantly excited around her, bursting into dialog such as: "There's my best customer!" and "You must know I've been wanting to ask you out since the first day I met you." She all but snubs him yet he still comes back with "It's not a problem. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Yet he's never dated her or even seen her outside of the Home Depot. Character Tanya also has trust issues due to a divorce, and when she begins dating studly Brett whom EVERYONE at the diner she works for lusts after, it takes her many months to finally agree to have a serious relationship with him. When she does, he makes her raise her right hand and repeat after him: "I, Tanya Mason...do solemnly swear...that Brett Adams is allowed to...do the occasional nice thing, make the occasional nice meal...," etc., etc. Personally, I've never trusted any man who speaks so contrived like that, but I know they win big in the Romance categories at the bookstores or on TV.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to women who want a fast and fun read. From my past experiences with books similar to this, I find them lukewarm while reading but outstanding once I get to see the version of them made for TV!
October 10, 2010
The Accidental Bestseller tells the story of four writers and best friends. The story opens in NYC at a writers conference where author Kendall Aim’s is up for the prestigious Zelda award. She is counting on this award to boost her career and give her a renewed sense of purpose in writing.
by Mallory St. James, a NY Times best selling author, is secretly struggling with writing her next book and her relationship with her husband. Faye Truett, an inspirational writer with a televangelist husband has a secret that she can’t share with anyone– especially her husband. Tanya Mason, a single mother of two works two jobs, plus writing just to make ends meet.
Their unlikely friendships blossomed years earlier at a similar writers conference. Since then, the four women have been there for each other through thick and thin, writing struggles and personal crises.
They once again come together when Kendall loses the prestigious writing award, is faced with a looming deadline from a publishing house that can’t wait to drop her and to make matters even worse- she has just found out her husband is cheating on her. Mallory, Faye and Tanya join Kendall at her mountain house to brainstorm the novel that she desperately doesn’t want to write. They come up with the brilliant idea to help Kendall by collaborating and writing the book together. Little do they know, the book is about to become a bestseller creating lots of trouble for each of the women along the way.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ve been reading a lot of YA lately and while I love YA, it was nice and refreshing to pick up this women’s fiction book and jump into the world of grown women and their struggles.
The friendship between these four women is dynamic. Each woman is different, but their friendship is strong. I loved learning about each woman’s life and how they got to where they are in their careers. I especially liked seeing them come together to help Kendall and I enjoyed scenes where they brainstormed ideas and collaborated on writing.
This book gives you an insiders peek at the cutthroat world of publishing. Several scenes depict Kendall’s evil and grump editor and her young wide-eyed and hopeful assistant. Readers will get to hear a little more about how a publishing house runs and how only the popular authors get a choice in their book covers or how their book is marketed. A board room scene of an editor presenting a book she wants the house to take on proves extremely interesting as we hear how and why a book will be chosen, what creates excitement at a publishing house and the process from idea to bookshelf.
While this book is fiction, it sheds a lot of light on the publishing industry. While I’d like to hope that the world of publishing is a little bit nicer than what Wendy Wax portrays in this book, I can’t be sure until I get there, right?
Author Wendy Wax will be the first person to tell you that this is the ideal beach read. In fact, she is having a little contest- take a picture of yourself reading the book on the beach and send it in to win a beach bag of books.
by Mallory St. James, a NY Times best selling author, is secretly struggling with writing her next book and her relationship with her husband. Faye Truett, an inspirational writer with a televangelist husband has a secret that she can’t share with anyone– especially her husband. Tanya Mason, a single mother of two works two jobs, plus writing just to make ends meet.
Their unlikely friendships blossomed years earlier at a similar writers conference. Since then, the four women have been there for each other through thick and thin, writing struggles and personal crises.
They once again come together when Kendall loses the prestigious writing award, is faced with a looming deadline from a publishing house that can’t wait to drop her and to make matters even worse- she has just found out her husband is cheating on her. Mallory, Faye and Tanya join Kendall at her mountain house to brainstorm the novel that she desperately doesn’t want to write. They come up with the brilliant idea to help Kendall by collaborating and writing the book together. Little do they know, the book is about to become a bestseller creating lots of trouble for each of the women along the way.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ve been reading a lot of YA lately and while I love YA, it was nice and refreshing to pick up this women’s fiction book and jump into the world of grown women and their struggles.
The friendship between these four women is dynamic. Each woman is different, but their friendship is strong. I loved learning about each woman’s life and how they got to where they are in their careers. I especially liked seeing them come together to help Kendall and I enjoyed scenes where they brainstormed ideas and collaborated on writing.
This book gives you an insiders peek at the cutthroat world of publishing. Several scenes depict Kendall’s evil and grump editor and her young wide-eyed and hopeful assistant. Readers will get to hear a little more about how a publishing house runs and how only the popular authors get a choice in their book covers or how their book is marketed. A board room scene of an editor presenting a book she wants the house to take on proves extremely interesting as we hear how and why a book will be chosen, what creates excitement at a publishing house and the process from idea to bookshelf.
While this book is fiction, it sheds a lot of light on the publishing industry. While I’d like to hope that the world of publishing is a little bit nicer than what Wendy Wax portrays in this book, I can’t be sure until I get there, right?
Author Wendy Wax will be the first person to tell you that this is the ideal beach read. In fact, she is having a little contest- take a picture of yourself reading the book on the beach and send it in to win a beach bag of books.
September 14, 2022
The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax 419 pages Paperback
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Books About Books, Family, Writing
Featuring: Epigraphs, Authors, Marital Problems, Publishing, Friendships, Writing, Sex - Fade Out, Celebrities, Christianity
Rating as a movie: R for adult content and situations
Songs for the soundtrack: "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson, "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: 📖 Page 17 of 419 Ch. 3 - I'm surprised, this is actually a bit monotonous.
📖 81 Ch. 9 - Much better but the ball isn't rolling yet.
📖 105 Ch. 12 - Now we're cooking, with a crockpot unfortunately, but I'll take anything at this point. I would continue but I'm sleepy.
📖 136 Ch. 15 - I'm only stopping to ponder why a girl who's 16 in 2009 knows about country singers Loretta and Crystal being sisters when my old butt didn't know and as teen few of my peers even knew Lorretta Lynn. I only knew her then, because I saw Coal Miner's Daughter, and while not familiar with Crystal Gayle by name they played Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue on VH1's 8-Track Flashback. I'm just saying I don't think someone born in '93 is going to hear Lorretta and Crystal and think, "like the country singers?" Me personally it would have had to be Lorretta and Tammy for me to think country.
📖 163 Ch. 18 - I think I'm falling into the story now. It took a long while to get going.
This is my third Wax book and it was a slow cooker but worth it. It took a while for me to get invested in the characters but the last half was good and the beginning was necessary for the outcome.
Recommend to others?: Yes. This is a great book for those who like stories about the book industry.
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Books About Books, Family, Writing
Featuring: Epigraphs, Authors, Marital Problems, Publishing, Friendships, Writing, Sex - Fade Out, Celebrities, Christianity
Rating as a movie: R for adult content and situations
Songs for the soundtrack: "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson, "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: 📖 Page 17 of 419 Ch. 3 - I'm surprised, this is actually a bit monotonous.
📖 81 Ch. 9 - Much better but the ball isn't rolling yet.
📖 105 Ch. 12 - Now we're cooking, with a crockpot unfortunately, but I'll take anything at this point. I would continue but I'm sleepy.
📖 136 Ch. 15 - I'm only stopping to ponder why a girl who's 16 in 2009 knows about country singers Loretta and Crystal being sisters when my old butt didn't know and as teen few of my peers even knew Lorretta Lynn. I only knew her then, because I saw Coal Miner's Daughter, and while not familiar with Crystal Gayle by name they played Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue on VH1's 8-Track Flashback. I'm just saying I don't think someone born in '93 is going to hear Lorretta and Crystal and think, "like the country singers?" Me personally it would have had to be Lorretta and Tammy for me to think country.
📖 163 Ch. 18 - I think I'm falling into the story now. It took a long while to get going.
This is my third Wax book and it was a slow cooker but worth it. It took a while for me to get invested in the characters but the last half was good and the beginning was necessary for the outcome.
Recommend to others?: Yes. This is a great book for those who like stories about the book industry.
October 9, 2010
My mom recommended this one so I read the whole thing. Otherwise, I definitely would have quit on this one. The problem for me is that it is a writer writing about the book just like the one in your hands that she is touting as a work of brilliance that makes the NY Times Best seller list. The self-promotion was completely annoying to me.
August 17, 2009
I loved reading about the book publishing industry and writers. I did not like the storyline. I did not connect to the characters. The relationships did not go far enough. I will not read this author again.
February 1, 2019
As a best-selling author of over a dozen novels myself, I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read a book that showed without all the idealistic bells and whistles what the publishing world is really like. Before becoming an author I viewed the publishing world in a dreamworld sense ... with those naive illusions soon shattered. The stories of the four friends in the story making their way as authors was a well-written, fascinating one, each author made vividly real for the reader. ...The only things I didn't like in the story was that although one of the author friends struggled financially, living in a trailer and working harsh hours as a waitress, her "friends" did nothing to help her financially (some friends) ... Also the story of the minister's wife, who secretly wrote smutty books, being later embraced for it by her congregation, with no suggestion that she might want to put that sort of writing away, I found rather unbelievable. ... For a happy final ending, every author ends up getting the "Miss Piggy rich and famous contract" at the end - which is a little unlikely as well, but probably what the reader wants to find.
August 4, 2024
Unexpectedly compelling
I chose a 5 star rating because I couldn't put this book down. I'm not a fast reader any longer, however I finished this book in about 2 /2 days. Each character was so well written, I wished they were real! I am a lover of a happy ending, and in spite of the twists and turns, I was not at all disappointed. Thank you, Wendy Wax
I chose a 5 star rating because I couldn't put this book down. I'm not a fast reader any longer, however I finished this book in about 2 /2 days. Each character was so well written, I wished they were real! I am a lover of a happy ending, and in spite of the twists and turns, I was not at all disappointed. Thank you, Wendy Wax
December 8, 2021
I just finished this book. It was a gift from a friend because she knows I write. It was FABULOUS. The author knows the publishing industry inside and out. I loved it. It's kind of a thick book, but it never once dragged. I sped right through it. Loved, loved, loved the characters.
October 15, 2020
Two-haiku review:
Her life's a hot mess
Her publisher's dropping her
Husband wants divorce
Power of friendship
Sympathetic characters
Really enjoyed it
Her life's a hot mess
Her publisher's dropping her
Husband wants divorce
Power of friendship
Sympathetic characters
Really enjoyed it
June 16, 2009
The Accidental Bestseller is a great book from start to finish. Wendy Wax’s novel is a light and enjoyable read that focuses deeply on four writer friends. While some authors struggle with giving one main character depth, Wax is able to get up close and intimate with her four, strong female heroines.
Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya are all published authors in different locations, with varying degrees of success. Above all else, the four are close friends. The book begins with Kendall’s faltering career and leads into to the demise of her marriage. As all of these piles up, Kendall decides to flee to her mountain home and shut off reality. Luckily for Kendall, her friends all decide to come to her aid. In the mountain, they devise an outlandish plan to save Kendall’s career. No one expected their plan to work, but when it did the results are truly amazing.
Unlike her friends, Kendall’s writing career is faltering, about to be dropped by her publisher, she owes them one more novel. The problem is, Kendall is avoiding writing out of the fear that she has lost her gift and out of the fear about what she has to face in her own life. Kendall’s friends agree to act as ghostwriters and help her meet her deadline. Each will write chapters for their respective characters. Characters that they choose to model after themselves. Secrets and all. When the news breaks about the collaboration, their worlds are torn apart, considering Kendall is the only one listed as the author and Mallory, Faye, and Tanya all work for different publishing houses. Not to mention that potential marriage ending and personal revelations that are exposed as a result of the novels astonishing success. The four fictional characters are quickly matched to their respective very real authors. Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya must fight through bad press, hurt spouses, and angry agents. As a result of the unwanted attention and success the four women learn much about each other and themselves.
Wendy Wax does a marvelous job of keeping the four women’s stories separate, yet fluidly interchanged. By giving each their own respective chapters, Wax is able to keep their lives and the various people in them, clear and relatable. There is no story confusion even after new people are introduced in. I have read plenty of books before with multiple main characters that were impossible to keep story lines straight. This is not the case here. Kendall, Mallory, Faye and Tanya, all maintain their individuality, and their dignity, even when deep dark secrets are revealed as a result of their brilliant plan. This is a great story about writing, friendship, knowing who you are, and adapting to change.
Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya are all published authors in different locations, with varying degrees of success. Above all else, the four are close friends. The book begins with Kendall’s faltering career and leads into to the demise of her marriage. As all of these piles up, Kendall decides to flee to her mountain home and shut off reality. Luckily for Kendall, her friends all decide to come to her aid. In the mountain, they devise an outlandish plan to save Kendall’s career. No one expected their plan to work, but when it did the results are truly amazing.
Unlike her friends, Kendall’s writing career is faltering, about to be dropped by her publisher, she owes them one more novel. The problem is, Kendall is avoiding writing out of the fear that she has lost her gift and out of the fear about what she has to face in her own life. Kendall’s friends agree to act as ghostwriters and help her meet her deadline. Each will write chapters for their respective characters. Characters that they choose to model after themselves. Secrets and all. When the news breaks about the collaboration, their worlds are torn apart, considering Kendall is the only one listed as the author and Mallory, Faye, and Tanya all work for different publishing houses. Not to mention that potential marriage ending and personal revelations that are exposed as a result of the novels astonishing success. The four fictional characters are quickly matched to their respective very real authors. Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya must fight through bad press, hurt spouses, and angry agents. As a result of the unwanted attention and success the four women learn much about each other and themselves.
Wendy Wax does a marvelous job of keeping the four women’s stories separate, yet fluidly interchanged. By giving each their own respective chapters, Wax is able to keep their lives and the various people in them, clear and relatable. There is no story confusion even after new people are introduced in. I have read plenty of books before with multiple main characters that were impossible to keep story lines straight. This is not the case here. Kendall, Mallory, Faye and Tanya, all maintain their individuality, and their dignity, even when deep dark secrets are revealed as a result of their brilliant plan. This is a great story about writing, friendship, knowing who you are, and adapting to change.
June 20, 2011
I read this book for a chick lit book club. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I started the book and even was hesitant about the story a few chapters in. The book tells the story of four friends and a book editor, all through third person narration. As someone who generally reads first person narration stories - this was confusing at first for me.
As the story progressed, I found myself more and more interested in reading the book. With most books that I cannot put down, there is some aspect of the story that usually draws me in as a reader. This book was different. It was pleasant to read, I was interested in the character's lives and I wanted to keep reading because I enjoyed the story. I didn't feel propelled to read through the story as fast as possible to see what happened, as I do with many other books I really enjoy, yet I still felt compelled to read any free chance I had.
I also enjoyed the honest inside look this provided to the publishing industry and what it's really like to be an author signed to a major publishing house. I had no idea some of the things that authors and editors go through until reading this book!
The last 30 pages or so gave me chills and had my eyes filling with tears. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about friendship or is interested in the story of how friends can lift you up when it doesn't seem possible to you. I really wish there was a sequel to this book. I would love to read it!
As the story progressed, I found myself more and more interested in reading the book. With most books that I cannot put down, there is some aspect of the story that usually draws me in as a reader. This book was different. It was pleasant to read, I was interested in the character's lives and I wanted to keep reading because I enjoyed the story. I didn't feel propelled to read through the story as fast as possible to see what happened, as I do with many other books I really enjoy, yet I still felt compelled to read any free chance I had.
I also enjoyed the honest inside look this provided to the publishing industry and what it's really like to be an author signed to a major publishing house. I had no idea some of the things that authors and editors go through until reading this book!
The last 30 pages or so gave me chills and had my eyes filling with tears. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about friendship or is interested in the story of how friends can lift you up when it doesn't seem possible to you. I really wish there was a sequel to this book. I would love to read it!
December 14, 2014
So meta it hurts. The book is about a group of authors who get together to write a book...about a group of authors writing a book. What makes it especially awkward is the author goes on and on and on about how the book in the book (which closely mirrors the actual book) is so amazing. It's a bit like listening to someone toot their own horn when you know the horn is really rusty and can't play worth a damn.
The book is supposed to focus strongly on female friendships, yet I couldn't identify with any of the characters. They were annoying and whiny and terrible to each other, leaving me grateful that none of the friendships in my life could compare to this supposed ideal.
The twists were trite and predictable, the characters' challenges and secrets all having been done a million times before. Skip the book and read something else, anything else, instead.
The book is supposed to focus strongly on female friendships, yet I couldn't identify with any of the characters. They were annoying and whiny and terrible to each other, leaving me grateful that none of the friendships in my life could compare to this supposed ideal.
The twists were trite and predictable, the characters' challenges and secrets all having been done a million times before. Skip the book and read something else, anything else, instead.
January 10, 2017
The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax was a cute story but not one of my favorite's by this author. It is about the lives of four writers, who happen to be good friends, and the struggles all of them encounter not just in their professional lives but in their personal lives. It also gives just a glimpse into the workings of the publishing world. I must admit, though, that the story tend to drag when the four of them were together and there was just too much whining. In this case the sum of the parts wasn't as interesting as the parts. I like the author so I do look forward to reading more by her.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
April 8, 2019
I am so torn about this book. The concept was great. There were 3 places it could have ended, and I wished it would have ended. Other times I wished it would have continued on forever...until it did.
Btw, I listened to this book.
I really did enjoy how the women came together to help each other. They didn’t really seem to have a firm grasp on what was going on in THEIR actual lives though. Also, who hides a full on divorce from their college aged children?
I loved the moxy of Lucy, Lacy? Whatever the name
of the publisher’s assistant was (there were a ton of names for the same person in this book. Please forgive me, I can’t remember names to save myself anyway). Anyway, this young lady was fun. Who would have thought this little mouse would rock the publishing world so much?
Btw, I listened to this book.
I really did enjoy how the women came together to help each other. They didn’t really seem to have a firm grasp on what was going on in THEIR actual lives though. Also, who hides a full on divorce from their college aged children?
I loved the moxy of Lucy, Lacy? Whatever the name
of the publisher’s assistant was (there were a ton of names for the same person in this book. Please forgive me, I can’t remember names to save myself anyway). Anyway, this young lady was fun. Who would have thought this little mouse would rock the publishing world so much?
February 24, 2015
The story of 4 authors who help one of the group who has a deadline due but no story. Each takes from her own life and puts it in the one's book and it becomes a best seller. The fallout begins between them and their families. I loved the support that they gave each other. Each woman was well defined. The others in their lives were also well defined. What I most especially loved was that each woman became stronger through this experience. They all needed to learn to communicate with each other and the others in their lives. Each also had to do soul searching as the fallout alienates them in so many ways. I liked that some stuck to their guns and did not break and give in. Others had to soften their positions and try new ways of living. I enjoyed this very much.
May 23, 2015
4.5 stars. The Accidental Bestseller tells the story of four writers who first met ten years ago at a writing conference and became best friends. They come together again as one's life begins to suddenly fall apart with the ending of her marriage and fast approach of an impossible deadline. However, all the friends have different types of problems in their lives.
I found this story to be a heartwarming tale of friends helping each other face adversity. Because the chapters alternated between the lives of the four friends, I thought the pace stayed steady. I looked forward to each chapter and enjoyed this book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. My opinion is my own and not influenced by anyone.
I found this story to be a heartwarming tale of friends helping each other face adversity. Because the chapters alternated between the lives of the four friends, I thought the pace stayed steady. I looked forward to each chapter and enjoyed this book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. My opinion is my own and not influenced by anyone.
January 20, 2019
I like Wendy's writing generally, and this was good. There were a few things that I found annoying: That all the aliases were just like the "real" names of the characters, and that it took so long for anyone to figure out what was going on, especially the friends. A cute premise, maybe a little too cute for me.
One thing I like about Wendy's books is that you can count on a happy ending. I sometimes find happy endings extremely comforting. Given that I have a broken toe that I am nursing, this was a good read for a time when comfort was needed.
One thing I like about Wendy's books is that you can count on a happy ending. I sometimes find happy endings extremely comforting. Given that I have a broken toe that I am nursing, this was a good read for a time when comfort was needed.
July 25, 2011
Am I the only person who didn't really like this book. It was like a watered down eighties women's fiction book by Jackie Collins, but without the sex, or the intrigue. Sure the thin veneer of fiction placed over RWA or Harlequin or editor Brenda Chin was sort of cute, but I couldn't muster up a care in the world for these characters. I wanted to yell, 'get over yourself,' time and again. Fortunately there's much weekend left for better stories.
June 16, 2015
The book is truly a work of art to me. This book is about four friends that have maintained a decade of friendship and work hard in their careers in life. I loved reading it and the secrets can be dangerous and they can sometimes hurt. A wonderful well-written book. In this story Kendall is on a deadline but she has some serious writer's block. Her friends help her to complete the book by adding each their way of writing into the book which ends up a best seller.
May 17, 2020
Meh. Again with the unrealistic kidspeak, which drives me insane. There was only one instance in this book, but it was noticeable since it seems to be a pet peeve. Also, I have never known 4 females who can maintain an adult friendship like the one portrayed here. Perhaps that is just me, and I'm sorely lacking in that department because I know lots of women, and none of them are capable of that kind of sorority. Oh, well. Not my favorite Wax novel.
June 10, 2022
The Accidental Bestseller is the quintessential example of women's fiction, and I loved it. Everything you expect is in there: female friendships, romance, betrayal, hidden agendas, mysterious backstory, and mother/daughter conflict. Backstage looks into the publishing industry and how writers write are thrown into the mix, and what reader of women's fiction doesn't want that? Wendy Wax hit a home run with this book for me.
November 8, 2016
I read almost 100 pages of this book and just didn't like it. All of the characters felt like clichés. I kept finding mistakes in the writing, too. Like Kendall is one of 5 nominees for this award, but then there is 1 winner and 5 "losers," so there were really 6 nominees? What? I'm fine with leaving this one unread, even though I liked another book by this author.
January 15, 2019
So the description of this book takes you to about page 325 of a 400 page book. And the ending is so quickly done and neatly tied, that it feels like you knew the whole book going in.
The beginning was a lot of fun, but the ending was far too dramatic for my taste and you never saw the resolution, just a one-line from the narrative that this happened.
Overall it was okay.
The beginning was a lot of fun, but the ending was far too dramatic for my taste and you never saw the resolution, just a one-line from the narrative that this happened.
Overall it was okay.
August 15, 2022
a book about 4 women writers, sadly in need of editing. Both them and this book. As for the book, the build up was long and a bit boring. The ending could have been fleshed out more. As for the women, when will we end the "Lucy and Ethel do something stupid for a good reason" plot line? It was okay, and I will try something else by this author, but I really hope it will be better.
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