Book Review: The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

The Actor and the Housewife aka Felix Callahan and Becky Jack, meet in LA when Becky sells her first screenplay. From there, Becky and Felix form a unique and crazy relationship - a purely platonic relationship (both are married) that is brim full of humor and poignancy. But, not everything is easy when your best friend is someone else's husband.

This book was very unique - at least in its story. While some details of Becky and Felix's relationship did seem far-fetched, I didn't have a hard time believing it. The dialog between the two has got to be the best part - by far some of the wittiest and most humorous I have ever read. It reminded me of dialog between Lorelei and Rory in the Gilmore Girls TV show. However, this book was more than humorous back-and-forth - it had an interesting plot. It was full of feeling and purpose. I really loved how Becky seemed to grow and change and learn throughout - but not in obvious ways. Hale has done something very clever with this book - it appears fluffy and fun, but is really a thought-provoking and moral story. And despite everyone saying it didn't turn out how they expected - I thought it was very much as I expected. I thought Hale built it all up to end in that particular way.

Read-alike:
so unique, but similar in humor to Austenlandby Shannon Hale
(Any you could think of?)

RATINGS:
s-factor: !
A few.

mrg-factor: X
There are "married couple" parts, but action is off-stage.

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****