Book Review: Hushed by Kelley York

Title: Hushed
Author: Kelley York
Publisher: Entangled
Pages: 229
Release Date: 30th November 2011
Read In: August 2012

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He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

This book came just at the right time. I have hit a bit of a bad luck steak, with the previous three books I have read not being ‘on par’, but this one exceeded my expectations.
 
‘Let Vivian go? Archer couldn’t begin to fathom how to do that. Sure she said she didn’t want to see him anymore, but he didn’t really think it would last. Eventually, she’d have enough of Mick or – more likely – Mickey would get bored and leave her, and she’d come crawling back for Archer to pick up the pieces. When she came to ask him for his help, how did he tell her no?’

The whole story was beautifully written and put together. The story flowed so smoothly and everything felt like it had a purpose. The story came to life in my imagination. Even though it was written in third person, it felt like I was reading in the first. We really get inside Archer’s head. The story is completely told from the point of view of Archer. You are able to connect with him. If you describe him on the surface; Archer is a serial killer with major attachment issues. But if you get to know him deeper; you understand his reasons, find out his motives, and discover his personality. You cannot help but fall for him. 

This is one of those books where is doesn’t feel like there is going to be a happy ending. It makes you want to grab every scene and soak it up. It didn’t feel like it was going to last. I have a love/hate relationship with these types of books. The dread that something terrible is about to happen to these characters which I have fallen for, and yet the love that I have for these characters means I want to keep reading. I couldn’t put this book down. 

The romance between Evan and Archer was almost perfect. From the original meeting to the end, it all worked. It didn’t feel too rushed or too slow. It was not too sappy or unbelievable. I loved all the scenes they were together. Even if they were not doing anything physical, you could still feel the connection between then. They didn’t even need to kiss to express love; just be with each other. They were adorable. It wasn’t until Evan came into the picture did you realise how much Archer needed him.

The book ended too quickly. Maybe that is just a personal preference. I wanted a bit more. Maybe not a whole new novel, it is not a book that requires a sequel, just some short stories or snippets. *Hint Kelley hint*. While I didn’t think lots of kissing was needed in the story, in fact it worked better without; I would have liked some more kissing scenes. I’m greedy. 

Hushed is deliciously depressing. I feel like a masochist for actually enjoying this type of story. If you need to read something to cheer yourself up, I would push this one back a few paces. If you are in the mood for a deep love story and watching a man come to huge revelations about his life, pick up Hushed.

 Becky