Book Review: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

A story of life changes, new discoveries and friendships fills the pages of While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax.

In a brilliant move, Wax wove a story of four lives that intersect at an historic apartment building in Atlanta around the insanely popular Downton Abbey television series. Published near the height of the series' popularity, this novel tells the story of three women from different backgrounds and in different stages of their lives who become fast friends thanks to the concierge's decision to air weekly episodes of Downton Abbey.

Not only are Wax's characters likable, complex, and realistic, the secondary characters provide some comic relief to balance out the unfolding drama. I found a little bit of me in each of the women, which is always nice. Claire, Brooke, and Samantha almost became like my friends and I was sad to see them go; though getting to the end was worth it. There aren't many books that make me stay up past two in the morning to finish these days--busy realtors need their sleep--but While We Were Watching Downton Abbey is definitely one I couldn't put down until I read it to the satisfying end. Wax has a ton of other books to check out, which I definitely plan to do.

This is women's fiction at its finest. Pick up While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax and discover it for yourself.


Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley; 1 edition (April 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425263312
ISBN-13: 978-0425263310

I received a copy of this book from the publicist. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenge:

Musing Monday - July 10

Musing Monday is hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM QUESTION:   Are you able to read when you're in pain or do you find it hard to focus?

Well, this morning started off with a violent thunderstorm and a tornado warning about three minutes away from us, so Monday is sure coming in with a bang.

It's our second week of vacation and, as you can see, I've been doing some reading. So glad to get some overdue book reviews out of the way. It's such a blessing that authors are understanding when you fall behind. Supporting other authors is very important to me; having worked in book promotion and needing to promote my own books makes me very sympathetic.

I'm starting While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax today. Then I have two books I need to read for book tours. I also have to finish the cozy mystery I am providing an endorsement for.

As for this week's question: depends on the pain. If I have a migraine there is no way I am reading through it. Thankfully, I don't get them very often these days. Other than that I can read through just about anything. How about you?

Enjoy your week. By next Monday we will be home and I'll be back to work. Blah.....:)

Musing Mondays - June 27

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What is/are your favorite book cover(s)?

It's been a while since I've done one of these and it's about high time I got back to it. I've missed blogging now that work has taken over my life.

I'm currently reading:

My review was due weeks ago, but I haven't been reading much lately. Our annual trip to North Carolina is coming up, so I will be reading it then. What I have read so far is really good.

Here's the line up of paperback books I am taking on vacation with me. I'm also taking both of my Kindles. 

• Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman
• Anna's Healing by Vannetta Chapman
• Joshua's Mission by Vannetta Chapman
• A Loaded Gun by Jerome Charyn
• The Strangers on Montague Street by Karen White
• When Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little
• Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown
• While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?

Musing Mondays - May 2

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION:  Name any 5 books from your “to be read” pile (even if it’s a “virtual” pile).

Happy Monday, everyone! Trying so hard to get back into the swing of things. Way too much real estate work these days.

Here are some of the oldest books (meaning the ones I've had the longest) in my TBR pile.

When the concierge of The Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other…

Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike.

An epic fairy tale with surprising twists, embracing the enduring power of love and faith.

There's always something to gossip about in Savannah, Georgia, and Reagan Summerside always seems to be in the middle of it. She's busy enough running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, with her vivacious auntie, KiKi, but now the gossip--and the sales--are about to pick up, after a gruesome discovery...

Eighteen years after the infants Kai and Mahri DuBois were separated and taken from La Foret de Chenes for their own protection, they are called to return. Appointed as Paladins, they receive their first charges from the Elders. The twins must overcome the devastating act of treachery that tore their family apart, restore the integrity of the treasure they guard, and beat back the encroaching evil of La Famille DeMauvaise.

What are some of the books in your TBR pile?

First Chapter Review: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

It's been a while since I wrote a first chapter review. While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax is scheduled for release on December 31. As a fan of Downton Abbey, I requested to review this book through the author's publicist.

BLURB:  When the concierge of the Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other...

Samantha Davis married young and for the wrong reason: the security of old Atlanta money for herself and her orphaned brother and sister. She never expected her marriage to be complicated by love and compromised by a shattering family betrayal.

Claire Walker is now an empty nester and struggling author who left her home in the suburbs for the old-world charm of the Alexander, and for a new and productive life. But she soon wonders if clinging to old dreams can be more destructive than having no dreams at all.

And then there’s Brooke MacKenzie, a woman in constant battle with her faithless ex-husband. She’s just starting to realize that it’s time to take a deep breath and come to terms with the fact that her life is not the fairy tale she thought it would be.

For Samantha, Claire, Brooke, and Edward, who arranges the weekly gatherings, it will be a season of surprises as they forge a bond that will sustain them through some of life’s hardest moments—all of it reflected in the unfolding drama, comedy, and convergent lives of Downton Abbey.

COVER: Perfect. Just what I would expect of the genre. I also like how we can see parts of the women's faces, but not their entire faces; making it seem like these women could be any women at all struggling with similar issues.

FIRST CHAPTER: The book opens by introducing the reader to Samantha Davis. Married for twenty-five years, her life is a series of commitments and "maintenance" for her middle-aged body, complicated by a tense relationship with her mother-in-law.

KEEP READING:  Definitely. Wax has a gift for painting a wonderful picture for her readers. Though I've never been to Atlanta, the setting details she drops make me feel like I've seen the inside of the Alexander and already have a feel for some of the neighborhoods. Samantha is an intriguing character. Because of her affluent life, it's tough to feel too sorry for her, but the fact that she is stuck in an unhappy marriage because she had to find a way to support herself and her orphaned siblings after the sudden death of her parents makes her more sympathetic. In addition, she's got this nagging mother-in-law who doesn't accept her--definitely tough to deal with for a quarter of a century. I'm eager to meet the other women in this novel and see how Downton Abbey brings everyone together.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (December 31, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0425263310



I received a copy of this book from the author's publicist. This first chapter review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.