Book Reviews

Book Blurb

I’m about to sing you the saddest song in the universe, and it’s called “The Man of My Dreams Married My Sister.” 

 

It’s kinda my theme song. And trust me when I tell you, it’s heavy on the violins.

 

Because the man in question? He’s not just any guy, he’s Rafe freakin’ Goodman. 

 

My former best friend. 

 

The boy who made my summers on Whispering Key magical. The guy who inspired every love song that led to the chart-topping music career I have today. The man I always sort of figured would wait for me, while I pursued my dreams and finally found a way to tell the world I was gay…

 

But instead of waiting, he married Aimee.

 

Rafe and Aimee’s marriage has been over for a while now, but it doesn’t really matter. He doesn’t love me even though I feel like I’ll love him until the day I die. Trying to be “just friends” would tear me apart.

 

We’re a broken chord. A blue note. Hopelessly out of tune.

 

Or so I thought. 

 

But when circumstances throw us back together on a crazy cross-country road trip, suddenly all kinds of secrets come to light that make it seem like maybe our show’s not over yet. 

 

If I want a life with the man of my dreams, though, I’ll have to be honest--with Rafe and the rest of the world, too--and find the courage to write us a new song. 

 

One that’s exactly like us: perfectly imperfect… and a little off key. 

 

Book Review

Friends to enemies to lovers is a common trope, but in ‘Off Key’, the third book in May Archer’s ‘Whispering Key’ series, the author takes it to the limit and had me feeling it all the way. Rafe and Jay have a long history of being best friends until three years ago when Jay’s musical career took off, Rafe married his little sister, Aimee, and their friendship exploded. There’s a lot of miscommunication and secrets at the heart of it all, but believe me when I say their pain is real and it oozed off the pages.

 

Rafe is the oldest Goodman brother and has had the most fractious relationship with his father, Big Rafe. Growing up, the only thing Rafe ever had to look forward to were the three summer months when the Rollins family, including Jay and his little sister, Aimee, would come to the island to stay. Ah, those were the days. Roaming the island, swimming, sharing all of their secrets, and watching the stars. Rafe came out as bisexual to Jay when he was fifteen, and even though he crushed hard on his best friend, he knew Jay was straight because he would’ve said something otherwise. Right?

 

Jay always knew he was going to work his hardest to have a career in music, so why come out as gay as a teenager and potentially ruin any opportunity he might have to make it big? Life and the future look a whole lot different at fifteen than they do as an adult with too many years of secrets and hiding behind you. Regardless, everything catches up to Jay and Rafe, not to mention a few other family members when the secrets spill all over the place and make it impossible to ignore the feelings that have been building since childhood.

 

I really loved returning to this wacky island with its crazy residents. May Archer has a unique way of writing these individuals and I’ve enjoyed May’s character depictions in more than one series. Rafe and Jay are perfect together and even though it was tough watching them work through their issues, the end result is a beautiful happy-ever-after I am so thrilled that I got to experience. Thank you, May, for introducing me to Whispering Key and all of its zaniness!

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 318 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-May-2021
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Off-Key-Whispering-May-Archer-ebook/dp/B0921X6NG4