While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

March 1, 2014

I love the TV series Downton Abbey, so of course I couldn’t resist this title when I saw it in the bookstore. In While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, four people going through difficult times bond with one another during viewings of Downton Abbey.

Edward Parker, a UK native, is the concierge of one of the most beautiful, historic apartment buildings in the heart of Atlanta. When Edward notices that a few residents seem lonely and troubled, he organizes a weekly viewing party of Downton Abbey. At these parties, Samantha, Claire, and Brooke meet one another and become an unlikely group of best friends.

Each of the women initially attend the Downton Abbey screening in an effort to escape stress. Samantha is trying to determine how she really feels about her husband, a rich man she married at a young age to pull her and her siblings out of poverty. Aspiring author Claire is faced with writer’s block as she copes with being alone after her only daughter goes off to college. Divorced and single-mom Brooke is constantly fighting with her condescending ex-husband about money and his role in their daughters’ lives.

Throughout the novel, the trio of women develop doting and healthy relationships with one another and pull each other out of their slumps. Edward also helps each of the women see their lives from a fresh perspective thanks to his elite skills as a quality and caring concierge.

You don’t have to be familiar with Downton Abbey to enjoy this book, because Downtown Abbey isn’t the point.

What I really loved about While We Were Watching Downton Abbey was how each woman started out in a difficult place and managed to pull themselves out of the dark with help from loving and encouraging friends. It’s a great story, and a good pick-me-up if you need one.

Other books by Wendy Wax include:

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Last Updated on November 25, 2025 by Sarah Ann

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