Archive for April, 2010

Title: The Accidental Bestseller
Author: Wendy Wax
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2009
Acquired via the lovely Santa Clara University Library

My Thoughts

Is it really a lie when you just happen to “forget” to mention the truth?  Are lies of omission really as painful as more blatant twists of the truth?  In this novel, four best friends work their way through a novel that attempts in some twisted way to discover the painful answer to this question.

At first, a book about four writers was a little uncanny.  I got a little lost in between the lives of the four writer/best friends that was also intermixed with the story of an assistant at a publishing house.  This story is definitely ambitious in creating so many main characters.  Still, I found each of the characters to emerge as independent with their own lives and secrets.  Each woman had a piece to play in the friendship as well as her own life and journey.

Kendall is the closest thing to a main character that this novel has.  The story begins with her hitting rock bottom.  Her career is in serious danger and her family life is not looking much better.  She desperately needs her friends’ help but doesn’t really seem to know how to go out and ask for it.  But that never really stops a good friend, does it?

Mallory is a best selling author but that doesn’t mean that she has it all.  She might be rich and famous, but has she devoted too much time to her career and not enough time to her husband who happily dotes on her every whim?  Honestly, at first, Mallory’s husband reminded me so much of my boyfriend, Brian: supportive and willing to sacrifice almost anything to make her happy.  But sometimes, even the best guys have their limits.

Tanya is a Southern belle barely scraping by.  She works two jobs and somehow still manages to write.  When a mysteriously handsome chef enters her life, she has to reexamine her worldview of skepticism toward people offering a helping hand.  Can she open her heart and learn how to take a chance?

Faye is married to the infamous Pastor Steve but she has a secret that could ruin everything that they have built together.  Granted, Faye was a little more difficult for me to relate to because she was so much older and had a very different set of hurdles to overcome than the other ladies, I did enjoy her perspective.

And lastly, there is Lacey, the assistant to the devil of the editorial world, Jane Jensen.  Lacey wants nothing more than to make it in the publishing business, but her boss is making every day a challenge.  Why does Jane Jensen despise the authors that she edits so ferociously and how is Lacey going to survive when it feels like Jane is doing everything possible to destroy her?

This was a really fun read.  I really enjoyed the insider’s look at the publishing world.  Each chapter begins with quotes about the writing process, which I really enjoyed.  Unexpectedly, this book definitely refueled the passion inside me for writing.  It’s something I dabble in from time to time.  I must admit, I do have a dream of one day becoming a published author but I am no where near having the discipline to actually finish a manuscript any time soon.  Still, it’s the passion for the story that I believe gets every good novel started.  I’d say if you’re interested in strong protagonists, the power of friendship, and have any interested in ever writing a novel yourself this would be a great read for you.