The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

I don't know exactly what I was expecting when I began reading this novel, but it certainly was not what I got.  This novel was written by a Mormon author about a Mormon housewife, Becky who sells her screenplay to a hollywood producer and while in hollywood bumps into her big screen crush actor, Felix. Through a series of fumbles and coincidences (quite charming and comical) they end up having dinner together and sharing the evening shooting barbs and insults back and forth playfully and agreeing (though both not really believing it) to be friends forever as they parted ways. Becky goes back to her incredibly strong marriage (understanding beyond words husband Mike) and 4 children believing the chance encounter was just a fluke. But Felix calls and so begins and lifelong friendship between the housewife and the actor.
     Although things remain totally platonic, Becky never having a wayword thought away from her husband, I still felt uncomfortable reading much of the book.  I though about how I would feel if it were my husband spending hours on the phone with another woman. Becky sells another screenplay that is bought and she is chosen to play the part of Felix's love interest in the movie.  At this point, I did something I have never done in my whole life of devouring books..... I started reading another book.  I just had to absorb what was happening in this book and distract myself by getting involved in another fantasy for awhile.  I read both simultaneously.
    The author is an incredible story teller and I definitely had to keep reading.  The story takes you into some dark places (the part I didn't expect), which I really did not see coming!!! But just when I thought I was really going to get angry and hate the author.... she redeemed herself and the story ends exactly the way i felt it should. It was a really interesting novel and definitely clean! Just be ready for a definite ride.  This is not a fluff piece!
Rating : PG
Sex-kissing, a little bit of talking about how good Becky's marriage is including intimacy, but nothing graphic
Violence-zero
Profanity-D-mn 4, H-ll 4

Loose Ends (A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery) by Terri Reid

I just finished reading this book and I have to say I haven't enjoyed a book as much as this in a very long time. As you know, I normally read soft, cozy murder mysteries.  This book pulls you in from the first chapter, a flashback to the 1980's, the murder of a young political intern.  Then flashforward to present day and you are introduced to Mary O'Reilly a private investagator who is very serious about her profession, and as an added bonus happens to be able to see dead people.  It is kind of a "Ghost whisperer meets murder she wrote" two of my favorite tv shows.  But this is far from a cozy murder mystery.  This book has much more of a crime novel feel to it. Mary is asked to investigate the murder of the intern from the '80s.  She not only "sees" the murder (ala ghost whisperer) but in the course of the investigation she stumbles upon the murders of 6 little girls from the same time that are begging to be solved and put to rest.  There are very serious parts of this book where I was so tense I actually jumped, and one scene that had me gripped to the point I couldn't put the book down! The author has a great way that she plays with words, not only keeping you glued to the story, but also making you smile and sometimes even chuckle.  My favorite line in the whole book was her give-away wink to an old favorite primary song "choose the right, she sang softly, repeating the words from a childhood sunday school song."  That's right, the author is LDS! You would not guess, as this is NOT a Christian Mystery.  This is a mainstream novel.  There is a bit more profanity than I normally read (see below for exact) but still nothing more than I would recommend.  I still loved the book and highly recommend it if you can overlook that.  One of my favorite books in the last year and I plan to read more Mary O'Reilly Mysteries!!

PG-13
Sex-mild: It does talk about little girls being abducted by a very bad guy who has bad thoughts about them but it doesn't get graphic
Violence-mild: Talks about the little girls who went missing 20 years ago, the main murder is very simple, no graphic violence
Profanity-H-ll 26, D-mn 39, B-tch 4, Bstd-1, G-d 2, Sh-t 2

Aunt Dimity Down Under by Nancy Atherton

This is my Very Favorite Mystery series!! Unfortunately I don't have all of the books and they aren't all available on Kindle for me to re-read to review them all so I can't review them from the first book but the series starts with Lori Shepherd learning that the loveable "fictional" Aunt Dimity that her mother used to make up bedtime stories about was in fact a real person.  Not only that, she left an extremely large amount of money and a lovely little cottage in England to Lori when she died. So Lori packs up and moves to England to live in the cottage. She finds a journal on a shelf in the cottage. When she opens it and begins to write, Aunt Dimity answers back in beautiful, flowing script.  Thus begins a long and beautiful relationship. Aunt Dimity speaks to Lori from beyond and helps her solve many problems, murders, and enjoys the ups and downs of Lori's life in England. So there is a little "supernatural" eliment to the cozy mystery series.
   This book finds Lori sad to find that two of the main characters of the series, her sweet neighbors the Pym systers (very old typical english ladies) are dying.  They ask a favor of her, sending her to New Zealand to find their long lost brother who was cast out of the family in disgrace. With the help of Aunt Dimity, Lori tries to heal a broken family and brings a new character into the village of Finch.  Also a long awaited wedding finally occurs!  There are some Tolkien nods in this as well! Fun book! Fun, Clean Series! Although I can't tell you exactly what is in all of them, I can atest to you that they are Clean! The First in the series is Aunt Dimity Dies.
 Rating : PG
Sex-zero
Violence-mild
Profanity-H-ll 3

Highland Games by Annis Ward Jackson

The fourth book of the Rachel Myers mystery series set in the Appalachian Mountains finds our amateur sleuth not hunting down a murderer, but trying to figure out if she is going insane or facing demensia.  Strange things are happening in her own home, things disappearing, moving around.... Her policeman/boyfriend Robby comes to her aid to help figure out exactly what is going on. It was a departure from the normal series but I really liked it. Definitely another one to put on your clean reads list, and for those Kindle owners only $2.99!
 Rating: PG
Sex-mild kissing
Violence-mild
Profanity-H-ll 5, D-mn 3, G-d 5 exclamations

I Love a Parade by Gayle Wigglesworth

This short novella by our Author of the month was a fun, quick read. It finds our latest friend in her newest series from "Glenda at large" on her rambling, meandering way toward the rest of her life.  She has car trouble near a small town in Texas and has to stay a few days, so she finds a quaint little bed and breakfast and starts making temporary, but sweet and colorful friends.  It just so happens they are having their annual parade the next day and it sounds like a fun time with a local bar-b-que at the end.  Glenda makes plans to join in the fun.  She buddies up with a man who is auditing the local bank who loves a good bar-b-que and they make plans to meet up to watch the parade and enjoy a good meal but when he doesn't show, Glenda get that old feeling that something is amiss. I love this character and can't wait for the next Glenda at large mystery!

  Rating: PG
Sex-zero
Violence-mild
Profanity-H-ll 1, G-d exclamation 2, Sh-t 1