Excellent story! Anna Zabo writes an invigorating tale with well rounded characters! I loved watching these guys navigate their way through.

Hot and intense, not at all within the confines of my comfort zone more often than not. But I didn't care one tiny bit. It was a great ride. The aro rep was a nice bonus!

I am sorry i could not get through this book. Since we only review books we love this book will not appear on our website.

This was a sweet and kinky ride that did have its pacing issues at times, but overall I enjoyed. I know what I'm going to get when I pick up an Anna Zabo book and this one delivered my expectations. In addition, this was my first time reading about an aromantic MC, and I think Anna Zabo handled the representation wonderfully. There's a reason they're an auto-buy author for me!

Unfortunately this one wasn’t my favorite. I wish I could have fallen in love with the story and the characters but I struggled a bit.

Edgy and angsty and hot as hell—the perfect rock star romance. Great descriptions of how music feels to perform.

For the most part, I loved this book. And, I had a lot of trouble with the epilogue, especially with regard to the aromantic representation. I want to explore these aspects of my reading experience in detail, so this is going to be a longer review. I read this book twice before writing a review, because I had such a tumble of complex feels about it, and needed to get clear before I could review.

My first read was a glorious ride. This was the exact book I needed on that particular hard day. Intensely riveting, complex characterization, so well written! All these deep descriptions of different elements of music, from training, to composing, to melding styles with a new band member, to performance. This is one of my most favorite musician romances because of how central music was in the story, and because the writing about the music was incredibly gorgeous and resonant.

The BDSM was wonderful: deeply consensual, beautifully drawn, realistic, compelling, intensely hot. This book has one of my favorite depictions of a D/s relationship that I’ve ever read; it gets at the ways D/s can build you up and create intimacy and be a positive force in your life, a source of strength as you deal with chaos. I loved that so much about it. This depicts D/s that is glorious and intimate and powerful, and it felt so good that so much of it was written from the dominant’s POV. And what a dominant! As a dominant reader, I was so excited to connect with a complex, vulnerable, careful dominant MC who cared deeply about consent; they are rare in BDSM fiction. And these two MCs were so well matched, the D/s was so good for both of them; I loved that.

I loved the band, all of them, and how they worked together, how amazingly queer they were. Dom and Mish were wonderfully complex for secondary characters, and as a group they made a beautiful queer chosen family, one I adored reading about. I cannot wait for the other books in this series, so that I get to read their stories too. I adored them, and the way the band dynamics were depicted in the story.

There were so many small things that just made me smile in this book. A few examples: the synesthesia rep, that both MCs have a history of sex work and it was a non-issue, how caring the band was about their queer fans.

I found the arc with the antagonist, an abusive band manager, quite painful to read, because it was a detailed depiction of abuse, and an abusive relationship that Ray in particular was trapped in, that was destroying him and threatening to destroy the band. This arc made it a hard book to read, and also was part of why it was riveting and high stakes and I could not put the book down. And yet, it also made this a story about the ways that the band as a group, and each of the other members supported Ray through that, cared about him, worked together to keep him as safe as they could. It made this a story where his relationship with Zav helped him survive the abuse, and eventually find a way to address it and endeavor to be safe, and to have the band be safe from this abusive person. I liked that there was no swoop in and rescue, that made me really happy. I think this was a valuable arc for me to read, and one that was more hopeful a reading experience than you might expect, given the situation.

The aromantic representation and the way it unfolded through the main arc of the story was lovely in many ways. It resonated, and felt good to read, as an arospec questioning reader. I liked that Ray already knew about arospec and acespec identities, liked that it showed him wanting to know the parameters of their relationship and also not even thinking of pushing for anything romantic, or wanting anything romantic.

Zav was coming from experiences of not being respected or understood that felt real, and I liked that he was also holding his boundaries as important, his aro identity as real and not something he was going to try to change or mask for anyone. He definitely was coming to this D/s relationship with reasonable fears about what Ray might do, especially given the history with his ex, who was in my mind abusive toward him, and definitely harassed him in the workplace. (That aspect of it was played down a bit too much for me, actually. Though I get why it would be, inside Zav’s POV.) I appreciated the way almost losing Ray was a huge shock and had him questioning what this relationship meant, how he really felt about Ray, what he needed and wanted; that kind of turmoil and questioning made so much sense, and felt sensitively done.

There are some aspects of the aro rep that I found difficult. The first is that there’s a bit of Ray being the only one he could be with/who could accept his aroness that comes out late in the story, when Zav says “I’ve spent most of my life under the assumption that no one would ever come close to understanding who I am…And here you are,” to Ray. My heart sunk when I read that, because it felt like it was about his aromanticism. There was nothing I saw in the text that framed Zav in this way until then, so it was a real surprise to me as a reader.

This is a character that knows the language to describe his aromanticism, has access to aro community online, presumably, is certain that there is nothing wrong with being aro, but assumes for his whole life that nobody would understand him (and that presumably he cannot have relationships) because he’s aro? Yes, perhaps, in moments of depression, despair and loneliness, anyone can be in that place, but to say that this is a lifelong belief? It implies that the story has an acceptance based arc, when really, it didn’t before this. And I was so relieved that it didn’t. So glad that it was instead a story about an aro person forming a D/s relationship, friendship and chosen family relationship with someone he cares about, who cares about him and wants that kind of relationship with him.

If I had the power to rewrite the canon of this story, I would edit that line. And, one more piece of the story. Because the aro rep that I mostly loved turned into something quite troubling in the epilogue. So much so that when I was reading it the second time, I was dreading getting to the epilogue. I actually stopped reading, because I was having a hard day and couldn’t bring myself to read the epilogue. I had to go back and reread just the epilogue to write this review.

Throughout the book, when Zav is thinking about his aro identity, he names things like wine, flowers, chocolates, candlelit dinners, staring dreamily into someone’s eyes as symbols of romantic love, something he very clearly is not up for as an aromantic person. “He didn’t comprehend that kind of love—or the trappings of it. So much of romance seemed downright silly.” It is very clear to the reader that he isn’t interested in or up for the trappings of romantic love, and in particular mentions flowers a few times as a limit. The story also describes past partners (including his recent abusive ex) not accepting this about him, pressuring him to do these things, expecting them from him, again especially regarding flowers. And Ray when he is thinking of Zav’s aromanticism, says to Zav “You don’t love me, not hearts and flowers love.”

(I discuss the epilogue in detail, spoilers ahead.)

So to have the epilogue start with Zak getting Ray flowers…it set off all of my alarms. Particularly because they are flowers that have a clear special meaning. Ray is confused and thrown, and thinks of Zav’s limit about flowers; the flowers are the first thing he mentions when he sees Zav. And Zav…blushes and asks if the flowers are okay. As I read this, my stomach was full of dread. It seemed clear that Zav was doing this to please Ray, and Zav is so relieved that Ray is pleased. Then there is a mention of chocolate that Zav got him last week, and I realized that Ray wasn’t worried about this pattern. He says that Zav doesn’t have to do this, and thinks very clearly that he doesn’t want to change Zav’s aromanticism. But he also isn’t troubled by this behavior. And I was intensely troubled. Because it was clear that they hadn’t negotiated this, and it could very well be that Zav felt pressured or obligated to violate his own limits around these things. For this to feel okay to me as an arospec questioning reader, I needed them to negotiate around romantic-coded behaviors, what Zav calls the “trappings”, and for Zav’s consent to be clear. Especially given the intense amount of pressure Zav had experienced in the past.

I was troubled by this happening at this place in the story, by the way it was being told from Ray’s POV, by how it seemed to be setting up marriage or his relationship with Ray as a way to change Zav’s aroness and make him do romantic things. Then it got worse. Because what follows is a scene where in Ray’s sense of it, Zav “wasn’t just fucking him—he was making love to Ray.” (emphasis added) And then Ray teases him by saying Zav loves him. It didn’t feel like something to tease about, especially in the midst of all this stuff that was framing an aro character as doing romantic things. It didn’t seem clear that Zav was okay being teased about it, especially given his immediate objection.

In the romance genre–and the author refers to this as a romance, and it is structured very much like a romance–epilogues are there to give the reader a glimpse down the road, cement a sense of security in the HEA, and wrap up loose ends. The book ends before they get married, so showing their life together is supposed to create this sense of warmth and solidity in their relationship. This epilogue basically throws all that was established about their relationship out the window, and shows Zav doing romantic things. This doesn’t make me feel secure as an arospec questioning reader; I felt betrayed and hurt. It feels like this epilogue is suggesting that if you wait around long enough, an aromantic partner will eventually start doing romantic things and you can have a romantic relationship with them.

In my headcanon, I want to remove this epilogue and replace it with the band hanging out together at Ray and Zav’s house, and then showing Ray and Zav doing their regular D/s ritual before bed. Reinforcing the chosen family, the new record’s success and how the band is solid again after trauma, perhaps planting seeds for book two, and showing that Ray and Zav are still strong and happy as a couple, creating home together, their D/s feeding them both in the ways they need and want.

I loved so much of the aro rep; it’s primarily because of the epilogue that I’m hesitant to recommend this book to arospec readers. I suggest that arospec readers avoid reading the epilogue. For opinions by other arospec and arospec questioning readers, here is a review by an arospec reader that had similar concerns about the epilogue and here are reviews by arospec readers who loved the aro rep.

Oh goodness, I love band romances, and I loved this novel. To me, this had all the best parts of other band romances: The Trouble and The Love Song of Sawyer Bell.

Ray is the front man for the band Twisted Wishes. Immediately before the start of the novel, he had to kick his drummer out due to his drinking habits. As a result, they need a new drummer, as they are just about to go on tour.

Enter Zavier. Ray and Zavier once went to high school, about a decade ago. Back then, the age difference between them mattered. He turned Ray down, both for joining his band and for anything else. In the time since then, he's attended Julliard, been on world tour with the orchestra and, on a personal front, has realised he's aromantic.

Sparks immediately get going when Zavier auditions for the position of drummer in Twisted Wishes, but he's clearly the best (maybe only) choice. The friendships that build between him and other band members Dominic/Domino and Mish are loads of fun. I'm already hoping that Mish ends up with her own story, and that the love interest in that book is Zavier's mentor Nadia. (Also hoping if such a book occurs, that there is very positive sex worker rep!)

As well as just being all round good, it had some of the best BDSM representation I've read before. Zavier knows he's a dominant but Ray hasn't been a submissive before. And, unlike many other stories where this is the dynamic, this worked perfectly. Loads of consent culture and check ins between the two men.

The only thing that made it difficult to read at times were basically any scene that Carl, the awful band manager, was in. His actions were basically sociopathic all the way through, and I didn't feel as though what happened to him, or the reason for his extreme behaviour throughout, paid off enough in the end.

4 Stars!

I love a good rock-star book and although I struggled with this in the beginning, I ended up really liking it by the end.

Ray is the lead singer of Twisted Wishes (loved this band name) along with his best friend Dominic, and the statuesque goddess that is Mish. Ray has worked very hard for years to get his band off the ground. They are on the rise even though things haven't been so smooth and it only gets worse when photo's of him and his drummer Kevin having an altercation are floating around on the web. Their drummer ends up quitting and the label wants Ray to take the fall. So now not only does he look out of control with anger issues, he also has to take the fall for Kevin's drunken ways. Ray is starting to crumble with all the overwhelming pressure he's feeling and the guilt of letting his band members down. He thinks things can't possibly get worse until he see's a man from his past walk in to audition for their drummer position. Zavier's Demos. Ray is completely stunned to see the man he had crushed on in high school. The man he asked to join his band. The man who laughed and turned him down because he was meant for Julliard. Ray says no on the spot. But when Zavier takes a seat behind those drums and plays their song better than their previous drummer ever could he knows that this man is their best fit and there's no denying he's extremely talented. Ray knows he is gonna have to get over his anger from the past and the hard on he still gets for the guy.
Zavier has kept a finger on the pulse of the band Twisted Wishes and more specifically on the lead singer, Ray. He's extremely excited to be Twisted Wishes new drummer. He's making quite the leap though going from classical music to rock. But it's necessary since his last job ended in disaster and has kept him from finding other work in his field.
Zavier and Ray aren't quite friends and aren't quite enemies. Zav wants to be friends and works at trying to get there with Ray but the man is still holding on to some resentment towards him. Eventually Ray see's he's being a bit foolish and just making things more stressful with his behavior for his band. He knows Zav is good for them and slowly starts letting his walls down for Zav. All Zav wants to do is help Ray recognize how wonderfully talented he is and does it often by stepping in when their manager Carl tries to tear him down. Carl is a complete douche nozzle and the main reason Ray has so many insecurities about his role in the band. He constantly is finding ways to get Ray alone so he can spew his hate. I wanted Ray to stand up for himself but he's just not built that way. He feels everything. So he takes what Carl says to heart and does everything he can to improve with every show. Zav sees Ray coming apart and craves to put him back together. After a conversation with Carl leaves Ray reeling that pull to take care of Ray and to help him let go becomes too strong for Zav and he and Ray give in to the attraction they've both been feeling.
D/s relationships use to be a type I didn't think I would ever get use to in my romance books. Boy has that changed. I have learned so much about this relationship type that I've become very comfortable with it and the understanding of it that I now enjoy reading books with this dynamic. Zav and Ray thrived when they were together in this capacity. Ray needed someone to take control and allow him to let go of everything that was troubling him. Zav needed Ray to let go for him. He needed Ray to allow him to take him there and to take care of him. It wasn't over the top nor was it dark. It was pretty light compared to some of the other books that I have read with this dynamic.
Zavier is an aromantic. I have never heard of the word nor knew what it meant. I was pretty happy learning about it though but even after reading the book I can't say I really know much about an aromantic. The way it's described here and the way Zavier is portrayed is that he doesn't fall in love. He doesn't believe in buying roses and chocolate to express how he feels for another person and nor does he believe words are needed to express himself. I think some might think this makes Zavier incapable of having a relationship since he can't fall in love. I disagree. The relationship between him and Ray is very much full of caring. Zavier shows it through actions instead of words dripping with love. The way he takes care of Ray; the way he touches him proves it. I didn't feel like Zavier being aromantic took away from the book or how he and Ray were with each other. I felt their connection, their chemistry, and how much they cared for each other. It was a different kind of relationship but not one I found to be lacking in any way.

It was a great story with a slow build up that I ended up enjoying. That slow burn gave us a chance to learn more about these characters, their relationships with each other, and in the end, the sweet relationship that was built between Ray and Zavier.

I am extremely excited to read Dom's book. Loved him in this one and can't wait to learn more about the shy guy.

Happy reading dolls! xx

I liked the book, but I just couldn't really get into it for some reason. I'm pretty sure it was my fault. I don't usually read BDSM books and didn't know that it was in this book. It wasn't extreme or anything, but it just wasn't for me.

Ray came off as an uptight guy just trying to hold his band together. Enter Zavier. The two knew each other in highschool and something happened to make Ray not like Zav and have a full on grudge against him. We get to follow along on the tour and watch the two guys work out their differences in an admittedly hot way.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 stars

This is my first Anna Zabo read. I decided to start with this book because I'm a total junkie for stories set within the world of a rock band, and if it's a series, even better. Add in BDSM? Instant one-click. I loved Ray and Zav. They were sexy hot and just plain good together. As for the rest of the band/supporting characters, they brought their own individualities to the story, adding to the "everyone loves differently" theme I felt throughout the book. While not taking away from the MCs, they certainly added to the story.

This was my first book with an aromantic MC (Zav), and I was impressed. Anna Zabo shows what it means to be aromantic without explaining or excusing it, and without the character having some kind of void or missing piece. Zav just loves in his own way. I love his character. I also love Ray, who finds peace in his relationship with Zav, in their mutual trust, and their connection. How they find love through friendship and sex makes for an amazing story. Their power exchange comes across so real and true, as does the rest of their relationship. Their HEA was hard-earned but well deserved, and just as much of a reward for me as it was for them. I'm so glad I gave this author a chance! I can't wait to read more of Twisted Wishes in the next book of this series.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for review**

This one of those books that I almost passed up. It's also one of those books that I'm really glad that I didn't.

I loved Zavier and Ray together. They had a history, but there was so much that they didn't know about each other. Like the fact that they both secretly (or not so secretly) were attracted to each other in their past. The more they learned about each other, the more attraction and mutual respect grew. I loved watching their relationship evolve.

There was a lot going on behind the scenes (or romance) in Syncopation. Ray's pretty sure that something wasn't quite right with the way the band's manager is handling things. The band members added another layer to the story and I can't wait to see where the Twisted Wishes goes from here.

3.5 stars

Synopsis: Ray is the singer for an up and coming band. After his firing of his drummer goes viral, Ray needs a new one to go on tour with the band. Ray takes all the blame for anything that goes wrong with the band, and tries to shelter his bandmates from their manager and their label. Enter Zavier, a drummer who went to Juilliard, and who turned down the opportunity to be in Ray's band in high school. Ray is resentful, even if he believes that Zavier made the right choice.
Zavier had a fling with his conductor, and when he couldn't be in a relationship with said conductor because he is aromantic, quit the orchestra. Unfortunately the conductor used his influence, and now Zavier is persona non grata around the symphonic world. When he sees that Ray's band is looking for a drummer, he tries out and gets the job.
As the band tours, they become more and more popular, but the manager gets on Ray's case more and more, making him doubt himself and his band. Zavier wants to solve Ray's problems, but doesn't want to have the same thing happen as in his previous job.

What I liked: how much Zavier supported Ray and was on his side. I liked the friendships that were already in place with the other band members, and the friendships that grew between the other band members and Zavier. Zavier and Ray got to know each other as they are now, rather than being stuck in the past, even though Ray still held on to a grudge that Zavier didn't want to be in his band in high school. I liked that being able to be himself eventually gave Ray the confidence to deal with things on his own, rather than relying on Zavier to always be there for him. I also liked that the other band members stood up as soon as Ray let them in on what was going on.

What I didn't like: I had a hard time with the aromantic aspect, because I understood that aromantics didn't feel love. And Zavier just kept going on and on about flowers and chocolates and grand gestures and changing for people and losing his sense of self: for the record, that is <b>not</b> my definition of love. Love is being there for a friend or family member when they are going through a tough time. Love is understanding what people are going through. Love is wanting to help the people that you care for when they can't help themselves, or when they are in trouble. I had an issue of the author's definition of love, I guess. Zavier even said that he loved friends and family, so when Ray became his friend, he could then care about him, and have sex with him, just never love him. But, in his own way, Zavier did love Ray, so I got caught up in arguing with the book.

Overall impression: I had read one other book by this author, and had a lot of issues with repetition. I thought, though, that if the author could improve that, the writing had potential. And I was right. I enjoyed the characters and the story, and the journey that the characters went through. I am interested to see the stories of the remaining characters.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Anna Zabo has become one of those authors that I can one-click with complete confidence, knowing I’m in for a treat. Whether it’s paranormal, writing in a romance world shared by many authors, or BDSM, Anna’s writing is consistently on a level all its own. Syncopation is the start of a new series about the rock band Twisted Wishes, and I have already become a total groupie for the band and every member in it.

Each time a read a book written by this author, I find there is so much detail and realism involved that I live the lives of the characters along with them. I go to work at a tech company, I spend my days owning a coffee shop. And here? I was on tour with a hot new band made up of fascinatingly complex characters.

Ray and Zavier absolutely made me giddy. Everything about them was just perfect, and even their flaws added to just how right these two men were for one another. Ray was the leader who took on so much responsibility and needed someone strong enough to shoulder some of the weight, while at the same time give him the freedom to soar on his own. Zav was the perfect pairing for him. A classically trained musician coming in to the band, Zavier fit in like the spot was tailor made for him. He was the level head, the calm dominant voice. He gave Ray exactly the breathing room he needed. He provided a safe space in a crazy world.

I have to admit that I was unsure how an author was going to make a romance novel work with a main character that admitted to being aromantic. This was a new term for me, but I adore how Anna Zabo portrayed it. Zavier may not have understood true notions of romantic love, but he understood devotion, trust, loyalty and affection. He understood attraction and desire and comfort. He understood and felt so many things that most people would blindly label as “love” without truly thinking it through, but he didn’t subscribe to the simple notion of hearts and flowers “love”. And for these two men, that was fine. Their relationship was never lacking in passion and kink and such deep affection. And I’m so glad that the author did not use that as a simply ploy for one to leave and let the parties have to overcome it to get back together. This was just one element that made them who they were together, and it really was beautiful. The descriptions of their negotiations and consistent checks for consent, the care that was given to each other, and the need that literally emanated off of the page all combined to make this one fantastic story.

Band members Dom and Mish need stories of their own, and these characters are fascinating enough in their own rights to make me anticipate their books as well. Domino, the man with the flamboyant stage persona that covers his true shy “twink” nature, and Mish, the dominant woman with the commanding presence. My kindle eagerly awaits them both!

This review is gonna be emotional, fair warning.

Ever since I heard about Syncopation, the very idea made me cry happy tears (btw, thank you Annie, Em and Leah for being awesome friends and let me cry at you about books). As a person who has struggled to connect my wish for the companionship and intimacy of a partner and being an arospec person, knowing Zavier was aro made something in my heart sing.

I started reading Syncopation ready to love it, and I was not disappointed.

Syncopation is a beautifully written book. It feels a bit like a deliciously moist chocolate cake tastes. I don’t know if that means anything to most of you, but it’s about the highest compliment I’ve ever given.

Main character Ray Van Zeller is a dedicated musician with a heart of gold, and who takes for himself all the responsibilities he can bear, and then some. Being inside Ray’s head felt precious to me. He has a kindness about him I feel is often supressed in male characters of all kinds of books. Ray is the leader of the band, and the songwriter, and he cares so deeply about his bandmates, it warmed my heart.

A perfect fit for lovely, talented yet sometimes insecure Ray is his high school crush and talented drummer Zavier Demos.

Honestly, it is SO HARD to pick a “fave” in this book. Ray is an absolute sweetheart, but Zavier is also such a precious character to me. Not only because he, like me, is an arospec character, but because while he has the whole “bad boy” vibe going for him, he is actually not a bad boy at all. Zav is an incredibly caring and validating friend, and watching him around Ray, with all the admiration he feels for him, one that he is not shy to admit, was beautiful.

Zavier and Ray’s relationship evolves slowly, with the sexual element coming after there’s already a friendship there. Zav and Ray learn to trust and rely on each other, and it’s amazing to see it slowly develop that way, and for them to get closer and closer to one another.

While the sex scenes are super hot, the highlight of their relationship for me was how respectful and understanding they are of each other’s needs. Zav is aromantic, and Ray doesn’t see that as a bad thing, doesn’t long for Zavier to change for him, doesn’t see what they have as incomplete. That was, for me, so special and rare, it made me cry, it made me happy, it gave me hope. Zavier’s confusion over romantic feelings and gestures, his hurt at what he can give never being seen as enough by his partners, is something that rings so true to me, and that touched my heart deeply.

I am forever will be thankful for this book. I love it, I needed it, and I’m really glad I’ve read it. You should, too.

This story is intense. There's usually not a clear-cut, all-out villain in contemporary books, unless it's a mystery, or something in suspense romance. But OH. There is a straight-up villain in this book that I wanted to die every time he showed up on the page. It's actually very thrilling to feel so passionate about a character, even if it is just because I hate him so very much.

But I'm getting a little off-topic. This story is about two sweet characters named Ray and Zavier. Ray and Zavier are absolute cinnamon rolls. They have a bit of a past, but one that's more in passing from their high school days. Ray started a band in high school and had a crush on Zavier for years now. We come to realize that Ray is extremely talented, and definitely more gifted in music than anyone really gives him credit for. Zavier is a classically trained musician and had turned down Ray's offer to join his band in high school.

This is a bit of a slow burn. And I say a bit of one, because there is a lot background and story to cover about the band, Twisted Wishes, and with the characters. I really, really like that we see Ray and Zavier grow as friends first, and anything else between them comes later. The payoff is so worth it.

This is a romance book, in that the characters do get their happy ending, but what I really liked (and would want to see more of in this genre) is that Zavier is aromantic. This story shows that being aro doesn't stop aros from having strong and meaningful relationships, and can be sexual as well. Ray and Zavier have very strong chemistry and I love their interactions with one another. Ray is gay and Zavier is pan. This story, as per usual with Anna Zabo books (and much to my delight), also contains a bit of BDSM. I really love that consent is explicitly asked in this book.

The secondary characters, Dom and Mish, are really likable and I can't wait to read Dom's book in Counterpoint, and hope to read a book for Mish as well!!! Their characters play off Ray and Zavier really well, and I really enjoyed the scenes where the entire band is together.

Okay. So...the manager. Carl. Like, just fucking Carl. I don't quite recall hating someone this much since Umbridge in the Harry Potter series, but seriously. I had to flip to the end of the book to make sure Carl got what he deserved, because I don't think I could have finished reading this story otherwise. Carl is an asshole who is emotionally abusive and manipulative. He treats Ray something awful and needed to be knocked down and put in his place.

In lighter news, I'm really starting to love this rock band romance subgenre, because Syncopation is so good and makes me want to read all the rock band romances I can get my hands on!

***Thanks to Carina Press for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***

3.75 Stars
Ray Van Zeller has music and performing in his blood. His band, Twisted Wishes, is in on the verge of greatness when a heated confrontation with his drummer goes viral. Auditioning a new drummer is painful until Zavier Demos steps up. Ray knew Zavier as a teen and is not prepared to be face to face once again with his high school crush.

Zavier is looking for a new drumming gig by way of Julliard and a spot in an orchestra. A fallout with the conductor left Zavier with few options, but his drumming skills are exactly what Twisted Wishes needs. Zavier has followed the band and knows they are on the verge of something special, especially with Ray as the front man. But, Zavier sees the internal chaos that surrounds Ray as Ray tries to be what the band needs and appease their manager that is on Ray’s case at every single turn. Zavier longs to put his hands on Ray to soothe them both, but Zavier knows first-hand getting involved with a band mate is bad news.

The rock band gig was supposed to be temporary for Zavier, but the band, and each other, might be exactly what both men need.

I am always drawn to books about rock bands and I was interested to see what kind of world Zabo would create here. Ray starts out the book and is a focal point throughout. He has the contract and his band is getting better gigs, but his manager, Carl, is a nightmare and is constantly belittling Ray, and Ray feels he has no recourse. When an argument with his drummer goes viral, it’s just one more reason for Carl to come down on him. Ray will admit that he has issues with anger, but not everything is his fault as Carl makes it out to be and now there is little time to find a replacement drummer.

Zavier knows Ray was interested in him in high school, but at the time the two-year age difference was just enough for Zavier to keep his distance. Now, the age difference is no issue, but Zavier is not getting involved with a co-worker again as his last liaison blew up in his face.

Zavier knows what he wants though and more importantly what he doesn’t want. Ray is aromantic and is up front that he won’t buy you flowers or stare longingly into your eyes. It’s not who he is, but he craves touch and a sexual connection with a submissive partner that can be his best friend.

The book is highly character driven and highly band driven as Zavier finds his place in the band and the entire band has to navigate Carl. Personally, I am completely over the storyline of the verbally abusive band manager with ulterior motives. It doesn’t appeal to me at all and the issue with Carl runs through the entire book. The resolution of the Carl issue was also not strong enough and that storyline didn’t come together for me and lessened the enjoyment of the book overall.

The relationship between the men is also slow to develop with the main focus on the band itself. Since Zavier is aromantic, the relationship comes from that angle. By the end, I really got Zavier’s character, but it was more difficult earlier on. But, Zabo does a thorough job of explaining exactly what Zavier needs by the end of the book. My hesitation was then Ray and if what Zavier needed was what Ray needed. Ray wanted to be with Zavier, but it wasn’t clear if he was just twisting himself to fit what Zavier needed in some aspects of their relationship. Also, there is a vague thread running about Zavier’s BDSM training. It was an important part of who he was and his relationship with Ray, yet his training and so-called mentor that were referenced remained too vague for me. And, these were two grown men, and blushing, there was way too much blushing.

I did have a few issues that didn’t allow me to fully enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to, but as the start of a series, I will look for the next band member’s story.

This romance has a lot going on. The characters are layers, complex, imperfect, and very much themselves.

Zabo does a great job as usual of creating such human heroes with glory and darkness, self awareness and struggle.

Ray shines with talent and caring and grit. Zav's fierce fairness and observation are a lovely match.

The dynamic between Ray and Zav is grand. The equality in their relationship mixing in with a past crush, difference in where they are on the romantic scale, love of music, and kink make for a stellar romance and great exploration of love and intimacy.

The other members of the band are wonderful.

External conflict that starts the book with the loss of a band member and Ray's feelings about it and fame and the pressures of the record label, fame, being the leader, and touring are good.

However, we get a villain in Carl the PR man who doesn't make sense until he does and even then his presence in the book took away so of the pleasure. I am glad he will be gone from the rest of the series.

There is a great emotionial scene where Zav works out what he wants and who Ray is to him on his own terms that makes this love story for me. The rest of the book is that perfect joy you get when you believe in the love between the couple and the HEA matches would they need.

Worth the read.

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it!

Oh man, this was one sexy, kinky ride! While also being super sweet, watching these two together?!


There's so much positive kink and consent here and I fucking LOVED it. That's how it should be! It's a bit of a slower burn, but once these two start playing . . . oh, yes, things get hot and heavy (and kinky -- did I mention kinky?) By kink, I mean: D/s, bondage, spanking/flogging, some toys . . . and, while not on page, mention of a cock cage.


I will say the only reason this is only 4 stars is due to the first 1/3 of the book or so. It was a bit slow to get started, to hit a grove if you will. And no, I don't mean the sex/relationship, just the story itself. After that, things picked up and mostly held steady to the very end. But I definitely took longer to read the first part of the book than the last.



My only other complaint is in regards to their manipulative, dipshit of a band "manager". Carl, buddy, fuck off and die. Oh he was horrible and I hated how much he fucked with Ray (especially the last thing he did!!!).



Otherwise, this was a great read and watching Zavier and Ray together was hot and sweet, all in one. I loved it.


Also, I now need the rest of the bandmates to get their story ASAP. Dom . . . oh Dom, my mysterious, quiet man. Come to me!