A review by lilmooniex
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Spoiler filled review / summary: 

Archer seems to have a rough home life, his dad is abusive to both him and his mom as he was a drunk. Uncle Connor is frustrated that his mom Alyssa is tolerating the abuse because she thinks she deserves it. He wanted to take them both away from there, away from the abuse if she would let him. Connor is married to Tori but he says they never had an actual relationship. Bree is out moving to a brand new place. She just up and left to Maine without even telling her friend Natalie. Bree is clearly running from something. Her mom had died from breast cancer. She met this mysterious man in a parking lot and all of her things including tampons ended up in the middle of the street. He's weird for not saying anything after helping her pick everything up. Bree has gone through some trauma being held at gun point and seeing her dad bleed out. The one gossiping woman at the diner (Melanie and Liza) said the man that helped her must have been Archer because of his strange behavior and that he's speculated to he deaf. DOUBT. Archer was in an accident when he was younger and his parents were killed on the highway. It's cute she's trying to learn sign language because she thinks she offended him and her dad had also been deaf. Connor's uncle is chief of police and town owner. Archer went to live with his other uncle Nathan before he died of cancer. Her dad died because he couldn't hear the gunman telling him to put his hands down and he was signing for Bree to hide because he was deaf before he was shot. Bree runs over to Archer's house because her dog Phoebe had run into his home and they ended up "speaking." He explained to her on paper that he was NOT deaf and that he just didn't talk. She asked if they could hang out sometime and he declined heavily, multiple times. It hurt to see Archer's perspective in a flashback of him hoping and pleading that his mom is safe and she is not on the road after the car accident. Travis is weird as hell and he's too touchy knowing they are not that close in the slightest. I'm not sure who tf I'm supposed to root for since no one can get him to settle down but Travis makes me uncomfortable with his flirting advances. Archer and Bree ran into eachother at the store and Bree did not have enough money, she was missing about 2 dollars while at the store and he paid for her whole 62 dollar order. She could have gave him the 60 but didn't give him shit and just told him she would pay him back. Travis in Archer's flashback is a douche. He seems like a sex offender. Uncle Nate made him into who he is I think, he told him that no one deserves to know who he is basically because everyone's shit and not to let anyone hurt him. I'm over here kicking my feet and all, Bree is the only one that makes Archer smile or even grin it seems. Bree agreed to go on a date with Travis even though she's catching feelings for Archer and their friendship is blossoming. They have a good time and touchy mcgee is touching again by the end of the date before she tells him to take it slow, I think she has past trauma with SA. Bree is teaching Archer how to cook (I'm sure he knows how, he does everything else himself) in return for teaching her to skip rocks. She opens up to him about her almost being raped by the gunman that had shot her father. Her dad died instantly because the bullet hit him in the heart. Bree is terrified of thunder and storms ever since that night as it was storming when all the trauma happened. The person who shot her dad was never found. Archer was shot at 7 by his uncle Connor and he has a scar on his throat from it. Travis keeps inviting himself to Bree's house while she is clearly infatuated with Archer. Archer keeps her nightmares at bay. Victoria Hale (Travis' mother) meets Bree and she acts like everyone should know who she is and is very uppidy. She states that Archer is abusive and that he has violence issues. Limited time for his voice box to be repaired at the time of Archer's accident but Victoria influenced his uncle and he waited too long ensuring that he couldn't speak or tell any of her secrets. Travis is pissed Bree declined going out and that she likes Archer more. Archer and Bree get closer and she begins to fall for her. Him gulping instead of moaning when they do anything sexual kills me but it is very sad the reasoning. Travis invited Archer out to hang bc of Bree but Archer doesn't have a good feeling about it. Travis takes him to a strip club and they drink with some of his friends. Travis convinces him (since he kissed Bree) that he cannot simply satisfy her and that's why she looks for something on the side half the time. Archer is too easily manipulated, I'd be so pissed that's why Bree needed to communicate and tell him about the kiss before it escalated. He TOO QUICKLY ended up with another girl wtf and at a strip club. Archer ended up sleeping with Amber because he was manipulated by Travis. That's what Bree gets for pushing him to go out with his own cousin. They eventually make up. Amanda was Archer's mom's friend and she was scared of going into his home because of all the bomb and booby trap warnings his uncle had left around the place but still offered to see him at a later time because his mom was so special to him. Travis is a master manipulator, honestly. The next day it thunders and Archer walks a mile in the rain to reach her because of her fear of it. Archer didn't sleep with the stripper he was embarrassed with how his own body had reacted and that they had kissed. Later, They slept together finally and Archer eventually wants to learn to drive during the driving lesson Bree pleasures herself and causes a primal Archer to take what's his (HOT HOT HOT) while outside in the Truck. Travis catches them and says Archer doesn't have his permit so they need to cut the shit. Travis later talks to Archer trying to be "nice" to him and he basically fucks with Archer's head one more time and tells him that basically even though he won Bree for now - she has to go home at sometime so he is not her forever. Meanwhile Bree already decided to stay for Archer. Travis about to mess everything up, manipulating man. Bree is going home with her friend Natalie and Jordan because they may have found the killer and she needs to pick him out of a line up. Bree stopped responding while coming back from her home town after successfully identifying the guy who had shot her father. Got me a little shook up my damn self. Archer's back story gets sadder, his mom was about to put on her seatbelt before Connor, her, and Archer were hit almost off the road. His mom Alyssa flew through the window shield while Archer's father Marcus was the culprit. He was carrying a gun, drunk and angry waving it toward Connor. Connor is Archer's dad so Travis would be his brother. Marcus was the one that shot Archer because the little boy was rushing after the man who had gotten his mom killed. Bree got involved too much and blurted out that Travis was Archer's brother and had everyone in town watching. The one time he trusted someone she told his secret to everyone. After the incident Archer fled town trying to work on becoming a better man and hoping she didn't hate him in the process, he's shit cause he's been gone for three months, such a sorry excuse for a guy. Without so much as a "I'm okay" or anything. Later they make up after a yelling match (one yelling , the other signing for the obvious.) and make love. They head out to the diner Bree works at and the man that she pointed out of a line up since he was out on bail he followed her back to her job. He ends up threatening her with a gun waving it around the place and eventually shot Archer because he jumped in front of Bree. He ended up surviving and taking over the town as he was Connor's oldest child and he was meant to take over. Travis became chief of police. They had twins and named them after both of their parents Connor and Charlie and Bree was pregnant once again. I thought he'd get his actual voice sometime during this book but everything was completely metaphorical. It all just made sense and was a beautiful book.  Sad we never found out the gender of that last baby but all the other kids sign. That was very sweet to me, even at 3 years old.

 

• Loved the book, It was such a sweet love story around Bree and Archer. I wasn't sure what direction this book would go in but I'm pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely read another book by this creator. It was a easy read and got me out of my book slump.