Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Off Key
SERIES: Whispering Key Book 3
AUTHOR: May Archer
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 10 hours and 21 minutes
RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2021
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.
REVIEW:
May Archer’s Off Key is the third entry in her terrific Whispering Key series and it may be the best one yet. While I have a soft spot for the loveable Beale and Toby from Book 2 On the Run, there’s something about the best friends to enemies to lovers story arc between Young Rafe and Jay aka rock star Jayd, that captivates me.
This whole story relies on communication failures and well-intentioned secret-keeping as the plot driver. Seeing Rafe and Jay’s childhood/teenage friendship deteriorate and then disintegrate based on misunderstandings is simply heartbreaking. These two men are so damn stubborn, though, and they can’t see past their own resentment and anger to actually listen to what the other is saying.
Well, there’s nothing like a good forced proximity road trip to fix that. The sweet rebuilding of their friendship and the unfurling of secrets along the way is delicious. And did I mention these two are hot AF? Yeah, their steamy scenes are combustible. (*cough* window sex *cough*).
While the story relies upon some oft-used tropes and plot setups, it is nevertheless presented in a fresh, engaging way. Ms. Archer’s writing is as strong as always, and despite some sad portions, humor is laced throughout.
Michael Dean provides a nuanced vocal performance in the Off Key audiobook. Vocal choices, character differentiation, and emotional connection form the trifecta of the most important aspects of narration, for me at least. Here, Mr. Dean does a masterful job at all three.
The first two go hand in hand. Mr. Dean makes a thoughtful, conscious decision about what each character should sound like. The voice he chooses and how he delivers it need to match Ms. Archer’s portrayal of the character on-page. He got it right with both Rafe and Jay. He gives Rafe a lower voice reflective of his tall, burly appearance, but also of the seriousness and mantle of responsibility he wears. In contrast, Jay gets a middle vocal pitch, much higher than Rafe’s but not as high as Mr. Dean’s “twink” voice. It suits Jay because it balances out the openness and extroverted nature of his personality – he is a rock star after all – with the weight of keeping secrets about who he is in his heart and soul – a gay man in love with his best friend.
Mr. Dean then effectively distinguishes Rafe and Jay’s voices consistently across the book, and also distinguishes a host of secondary characters as well. A lot of what drives the uniqueness of each voice is the way Mr. Dean paces the dialogue of each character and uses inflections, intonation, and a whole lot of dynamics to convey who these characters are and how they react and interact with the world around them. Essentially, the narrator needs to “become” the character, and Mr. Dean does that expertly.
Inevitably, this translates to the third aspect, emotional connection. Mr. Dean convincingly conveys the emotional import of the story, and also strengthens the emotional connection between Rafe and Jay through his narration. He really captures the essence of these characters which amplifies all the sweet, sexy, and angsty feels from Ms. Archer’s story.
If you like the Whispering Key series, Off Key is a one-click no-brainer. If you’ve never read this series, I recommend you start at the beginning with Off Plan because it lays some helpful groundwork. You can read Off Key as a standalone, but you will enjoy it more as part of the larger story of Whispering Key. I highly recommend you listen to the Off Key audiobook either with the book or on its own. Mr. Dean creates an immersive, engrossing experience that you won’t want to miss.
RATING: 
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