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.

Listening Length

14 hours and 15 minutes
Author

Wendy Wax
Narrator

Khristine Hvam
Audible release date

November 28, 2012
Language

English
Publisher

Tantor Audio
ASIN

B00AEK8R9M
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	14 hours and 15 minutes
Author	Wendy Wax
Narrator	Khristine Hvam
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	November 28, 2012
Publisher	Tantor Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00AEK8R9M
Best Sellers Rank	#69,328 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #859 in Humorous Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #1,523 in Family Life Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #2,945 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)

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5 star		65%
4 star		24%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Slow, low stakes, 1D characters, a book within a book... A real bore

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

As a Wendy Wax fan I was inclined to not review this book at all but I would hate new readers to start with this one -- they'd never pick up another of her books and that would be a shame; many of them are fun and witty and leave you feeling good. The Accidental Bestseller does not. Frankly, I think it is a book by a writer for other writers who are in on the joke that is the inner workings of the publishing business. If that is not your thing, give this one a miss. Seriously, it is very hard going, and I skimmed a lot to get to the end.
The characters are one-dimensional, the "secrets" that come out weren't even worth a raised eyebrow, there is lots about how books get promoted, and there is no chemistry or real humor or depth or anything that makes one want to continue turning the page.
Wendy Wax's early work was fun and witty and satisfying to read. This one was not.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

C J. M.

about writers, publishers, and the surprises fate can bring

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2021

Verified Purchase

I’m a professional writer and the friendship of these women through writers’ block, struggles with hostile editors, sudden fame, sudden wealth and the changes that makes in these women’s strong friendship, their marriages, even their children feel authentic. I haven’t achieved wealth with my novels — few writers can give up their day job — but my first novel sold out as a hardcover (doesn’t happen with first novels much) and was nominated for best first novel award of the Western Writers Association. Years after it was published, I still feel pleasure and pride in it. This gave me a small taste, SMALL TASTE, of what these four friends experienced. This book got 5 stars because of the powerful friendship it depicts so well and the feels-authentic depiction of the book publishing industry.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

SouthernGal820

One review said it gets better when they get to the cabin so around page ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

In reading this book I finally got to about page 80 and it was a struggle getting there. The book is slow and just not that interesting. I came to Amazon to read reviews to see if it was just me having a problem with the book. One review said it gets better when they get to the cabin so around page 80 Kendall had gotten to the cabin - I decided to trudge on. My advice on this book is, if you haven't bought it, don't unless you are getting it for a song, if you have, trudge on, although unfortunately it just doesn't get any better. The character that had the potential for a good story was Lacy who was the assistant to Kendall's editor but she was not one of the main characters so didn't get a lot of play. I didn't care for any of the main characters, they just weren't realistic and fleshed out enough to care. The secrets were of course revealed and weren't even interesting enough to make you go...hummmm...!!!! To me from beginning to end this book was as boring and poorly put together as the characters. I have read other books by Ms. Wax and know she is capable of writing a good book so I'm going to just chalk this one up to a big flop.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kimberly Weiss

Wish I'd Read "Sticks and Stones"

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a very odd book. It's about a book within a book, called "Sticks and Stones". "Sticks and Stones" was such a great book that it flew up the charts after a mousy editorial assistant risked her career to promote it. Nobody who picked it up could put it down. I just wish "The Accidental Bestseller" was as compelling.

The real book was not bad by any means; I enjoyed it, and the inside look at the publishing industry was interesting. I never knew how books were chosen, how some were promoted over others, etc. In that aspect it reminded me of my favorite rock biography "Something So Strong" about Crowded House and why their first album was a hit in the US but not the later ones. The record industry and the publishing industry has much in common, it seems.

There were a few problems with the book when it came to fleshing out the characters and the conflict. There were five subplots, one for each female lead, and the other characters in each plot (especially the male characters) were not fleshed out. We knew nothing of the three husbands except that they were judgmental, selfish boors. The kids were no better, especially the grown ones. The best-written characters were the female antagonists, Trudy and Jane. They weren't admirable, but they stole every scene they were in. I wish there were more scenes with them, and more scenes in general; there was a lot of "telling instead of showing" and a lot of "stating the obvious." There'd be lines like "She was guilty because she only wrote a fourth of the book, but her friends loved her and they were the best friends in the world." Of course, anyone who had read up to that point would know both of those things!

The main problem was that the central conflict was lacking in a little drama. Will the writers' publishing companies sue another publishing company? Will the writers' fans get mad if they ghost wrote a novel? Would fans stop buying books because an author's parent's committed suicide years before (I hope not, in real life!). It's not really life or death situations we're dealing with here.

Overall, though, I did like the book, though. I would give Wendy Wax another look, maybe in a more chick-lit type of book. I just wish there was an evil editor like Jane to tighten up some of the prose and plot points.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

J. Jamison

Having trouble staying with it......

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an OK book, but I'm wondering if it is worth finishing. I don't care for the characters, who, so far, seem to be rather immature and self-centered. Kendall falls apart because she didn't win an award, instead of working harder, she collapses into self-pity, especially when she learns her husband is planning a divorce. Mallory, Tanya and Faye, her best friends and fellow authors, circle the wagons and come to her aid.

Mallory is so busy enabling Kendall she cancels a long-planned trip with her husband Chris. I haven't got past the half-way point of the book, but I see trouble coming. Tanya is too busy at work to talk over 5 seconds to her children when they call for help, but she drops everything and heads to the mountain cabin where Kendall is sulking. Tanya leaves her children in the care of her drunken mother, who seldom leaves the trailer all 5 of them live in. All her mother wants to do is drink. It is never explained who shops and buys the booze that Mother drinks, since she stays home all the time. Tanya? So far, Faye is OK, but that's not going to be enough to keep me with this long, much too drawn out book. Save your money.

Helpful

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