While We Were Watching Downton Abbeyby Wendy Wax
Published by Berkley Books
Published on April, 2013
Genres: chick-lit, Fiction
Pages: 384
Source: complimentary review copy
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Are you anxiously waiting for Sunday, January 5th like I am? I must admit it was not til this past summer that I watched the first season. . .and the second. . .and the third. . .gotta love a Roku and Amazon Prime!
Of course over the past couple of years I’ve heard the Downton Abbey craze but never got around to watching it ~ thanks to weeks and weeks of required bed rest I had plenty of time to watch all three seasons and become completely addicted to Downton Abbey! Soooo, when offered the chance to read and review While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax, I, of course, jumped at the chance.
A story of three women brought together by weekly screenings of Season 1 of Downton Abbey in their exclusive apartment building in downtown Atlanta. The hunk of a concierge with impeccable British manners creates a weekly viewing of the popular show in order to bring the building neighbors together.
Samantha married young for all the wrong reasons, and with her husband, owns the Alexander ~ historic and exclusive Atlanta apartment building. Claire is a writer and empty nester, and finally there’s Brooke, single mom with ex + the new wife moving INto the Alexander just above Brooke’s place! The women become friends although each are on very different life paths.
I typically love Wendy Wax’s novels. The last one I read Ten Beach Road made me crave the female friendships Wax portrayed so well. And in While We Were Watching Downton Abbey I found the friendships developed to be sweet and supportive, but the characters felt a bit flat to me. I wanted to know what inspired Edward; how the three women really came to know one another to the point of watching Brooke’s children; cajoling Samantha out of a depression and bullying Claire into finishing her book. I mean the friendship was lovely but the development aspect was lacking.
The Downton Abbey segments were engaging but brief, and I felt like I was talking with a good friend over the major plot points of the show. . .like the Titanic sinking, Lady Mary’s interest in politics and women’s rights, Lady Edith’s conniving and contriving, Upstairs, Downstairs. . .Bates, Anna, Thomas. . .etc.
But unlike the characters of Downton Abbey who were dealing with major life issues, Samantha, Claire and even Brooke did not share in those issues ~ they had a roof over their head, food on the table and decent lives. Yes they had problems, just not ones I connected with. The plot was predictable and I’m one easily swayed by an engaging plot. While We Were Watching Downton Abbey definitely qualifies as chick-lit. And not one that draws the reader into an emotional connection. Have you read While We Were Watching Downton Abbey? What did you think?
I’d love to know ~ will you be watching ”Downton Abbey” Sunday evening or are you one of those really cool British citizens who has already seen Season 4?!?
