Julsbookdiaries

My friends and I started a book exchange after a new romance bookshop opened up around us last year. So, continuing our tradition, we swapped again back in February, and I left with “Archer’s Voice” by Mia Sheridan.

I’ve been meaning to pick this one up for a while after my friend mentioned it. She told me the love interest was a man who couldn’t speak, which piqued my interest. I tried to pry with more questions, but luckily, she didn’t spoil it for me.

The two main characters in “Archer’s Voice” are Archer Hale and Bree Prescott. Bree moves to a small town, fleeing from a tragedy she left behind at home. She first runs into Archer when she’s running around, grabbing some groceries. She spills some of her things on the ground, and he helps her grab them. She fills the silence, talking quickly, and thanking him for his help, but he says nothing.

Archer Hale, the boy who does not speak, lives on his own property, alone. He does not have any friends and is left without any immediate family after a tragic accident that took place when he was seven. Archer lived with his uncle as he grew up, but after he died, Archer was left to fend for himself and survive in complete solitude.

As the story unfolds, Archer and Bree cross paths quite a bit. She rides past his property on a bike, and after a while, Archer starts leaving his gate open just a crack to let Bree know that she can come in. Archer and Bree communicate through sign language. The author writes all of the non-verbal words in italics for the readers to understand when sign language is being used and when it’s not.

As the story progresses, so does their relationship. It takes a little while to find out what truly happened to Archer all those years ago, but that’s what kept me wanting more. There’s drama, tragedy, and romance – a perfect mix to get someone out of a reading slump.