diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResourcesFixture.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResourcesFixture.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8650674ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResourcesFixture.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+using System;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using FluentAssertions;
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using NzbDrone.Core.MetadataSource.Goodreads;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Test.Framework;
+using NzbDrone.Test.Common;
+
+namespace NzbDrone.Core.Test.MetadataSource.Goodreads.Resources
+{
+    [TestFixture]
+    public class WorkResourceFixture : CoreTest<WorkResource>
+    {
+        [Test]
+        public void parse_non_work()
+        {
+            XElement element = new XElement("Dummy", "entry");
+            WorkResource work = new WorkResource();
+
+            Assert.Throws<NullReferenceException>(() => work.Parse(element));
+
+            work.OriginalTitle.Should().Be(null);
+
+            ExceptionVerification.IgnoreWarns();
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void parse_minimal_work()
+        {
+            XElement element = new XElement("work",
+                new XElement("original_title", "Book Title"),
+                new XElement("id", "123456789"));
+
+            WorkResource work = new WorkResource();
+
+            work.Parse(element);
+
+            work.OriginalTitle.Should().Be("Book Title");
+            work.Id.Should().Be(123456789);
+
+            ExceptionVerification.IgnoreWarns();
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void parse_minimal_work_with_surrounding_tags()
+        {
+            XElement element = new XElement("series_works",
+                new XElement("work",
+                    new XElement("original_title", "Book Title"),
+                    new XElement("id", "123456789")));
+
+            WorkResource work = new WorkResource();
+
+            work.Parse(element);
+
+            work.OriginalTitle.Should().Be("Book Title");
+            work.Id.Should().Be(123456789);
+
+            ExceptionVerification.IgnoreWarns();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResource.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResource.cs
index 15d0a98b3..a521bbb8a 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResource.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/MetadataSource/Goodreads/Resources/WorkResource.cs
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ public sealed class WorkResource : GoodreadsResource
 
         public override void Parse(XElement element)
         {
+            if (element.AncestorsAndSelf().First().Name != "work")
+            {
+                element = element.Element("work");
+            }
+
             Id = element.ElementAsLong("id");
 
             var bestBookElement = element.Element("best_book");