I tried really hard to get into this book and it's completely possible it was just my mindset at the time. I can see myself enjoying Reverb at a later date but right now, it just wasn't for me.

First off, let it be known that I have not read the rest of the series, but this is written in a way that I'm pretty sure you could read them all as stand-alones. There are some mentions of things I assume happened in earlier books, but it was easily explained as backstory.
I really like the fact that this is an LGBTQ+ romance that, at least to me, has accurate representation. I loved the characters, but the plot was a bit predictable. Still, that's kind of what you expect when you go into a book like this, and I still found it very enjoyable.

I’m finally done!! I dearly wished I loved this book more, but it had the same issues for me that the last book, Counterpoint, did. It’s not that I don’t like the characters? Because I love all of them. They’re sweet and all deserve hugs. But I really just don’t like the main tropes and plot points so I just wasn’t having fun reading this book. I read about to the 53% mark and then skimmed the rest.

Trigger warnings include stalking, violence, threatening messages, transmisia, homomisia, misogyny, mentions of a near death experience (from first book), mentions of being in the military and war, mentions of child sexual assault, and mentions of a parent dying from cancer.

Mish is the fourth member of the Twisted Wishes rock band. She plays the bass and has a lovely singing voice. She’s also a very tall 6’1”. I feel like I should mention that because how often do we get tall heroines?? When Mish keeps gets increasingly threatening messages, the team decides to hire a bodyguard to keep an eye out for Mish.

The bodyguard is war vet David. He’s 43 and a trans man who works in security. He comes off as a little jaded and gruff, maybe because of the lonely life he’s accustomed to living, but he soon opens up to Mish and the rest of the rock band that makes up Twisted Wishes.

So, I do love Mish and I do love David?? But I wish the story was just something else entirely when it comes to the actual stalker and bodyguard/security aspect of the book, because those things really made me not enjoy this as much as I wanted to. This is my 4th book with a stalker in the plot in the last two months and I think my 3rd in the same timeframe, and none of these have worked for me.

Like, I do get that in real life a celeb isn’t going to know their stalker and it’s just some random creeper, but also...I do also read a lot of mystery books so the fact that the stalker randomly shows up at the end of the book with no knowledge of who they are beforehand and is “handled” in a page or two and promptly vanishes from the story seems way anticlimactic.

And then for the bodyguard piece of the story. Look. I adore David but he is not good at his job. I like bodyguard stories if the bodyguard in question is actually competent at their jobs. But I also think the band set him up for failure straight off the bat because they should’ve hired a whole team to watch over the band and Mish, not just one guy to watch a rock star in the middle of touring the country. David even forgoes his bodyguard duties when he goes out with the band to hang out!! WHY. If he can’t switch out with someone else, then there shouldn’t be down time for David. Mish gets in danger too many times and over little things that could’ve been prevented if David did his job properly and if he had a team to look out for Mish. That kind of got fixed in the end after all was said and done but way too late.

How am I supposed to believe security is David’s job or that he was a war vet if he shows no sign of either? Is he a guy who just handles security of his own or does he work for a company?? I don’t understand anything about David’s actual role in this book besides as a love interest. I think the book would’ve been more enjoyable if he had been introduced to the band some other way. I just grew more and more frustrated reading this book because the band members kept telling him to not feel so down on himself for doing a bad job, but he was very clearly doing a bad job, the poor guy.

This story goes in hard for the found family and diverse sexualities with all the characters. I feel bad for saying this but it almost seemed too forced at times and the conversations about their band family too repetitive and too stilted. I do love the author’s other books, but ultimately this series is not my favorite from them.

***Thanks to the publisher for approving me for this ARC on NetGalley.***

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is the final book in this series. This one is about Mish the bass player and rock goddess of the band Twisted Wishes. She is being stalked and sadly that is something that comes with being face. That is how she meets David. He is there to protect her from her stalker. I love the message this book sends and it is good how this all turns out. They band is show signs of really be a family and you get more of that in this book. I enjoyed the ending.

DNF @ 55%

Please hear me out before you dismiss this as a DNF review!

Book two of this series, Counterpoint, was my favorite romance of 2018. Even knowing this, I didn't know how much I had grown attached to Twisted Wishes (the band these books follow) until I started Reverb and I literally couldn't stop crying (of joy!) at the mention of both the previous two couples and the mention of how much of a family they've all become.

I love Mish so much and I devoured the first half of this book basically in one sitting and I was highly enjoying her romance with David, her bodyguard and a queer trans man.

However, I had to decide for my sanity to DNF after months of postponing finishing the second half of the book, because the element that drives the plot (Mish has a stalker) was giving me so much anxiety I couldn't bring myself to turn the page anymore. I thought about it long and hard and took this decision which was difficult because of how much I love the series and was loving this book itself, but I just couldn't force myself to go through an anxiety attack.

So, as much as it made me extremely sad and frustrated, and as much as I was loving the book, this was the best decision for me, but I'd highly recommend reading it both as a standalone and as the last installment of the series (which you should read anyway because you will fall in love with the band).

And because it can be triggering, make sure you're safe and if you find yourself not being able to continue, or if you have to pause for a little while, think about me and feel free to use me as a positive example of self care, lol.

TWs (partly taken from my friends' reviews): misogyny, stalking, hospitals, violence, rape mention

Rockstar + bodyguard? With a queer heroine rockstar and a trans hero bodyguard? YES, PLEASE! (Also: great cover!)

I love Anna Zabo's books. Their books are always amazing and sexy, with sweet romance (and in some cases, kinky fun, too, though that's not really the tone for this couple). And I love that so many of Zabo's series, like this one, involve a found family. It adds even more to the story.

Reverb is a very alternative romance with a cast of characters who span all kinds of unique relationships- but most importantly they are a family. This was an interesting look into a super LGBT positive group, and the tale of rocker life felt true to life without pandering. The romance was sweet though not always believable for me- but it was overall a pleasant read with just enough suspense to keep it interesting. Recommend. This is a new author to me and I would read more of the series.

Reverb is a lovely wrap-up to the Twisted Wishes series, with the band back on the road for a new tour and album. The story starts in media res, in the aftermath of an attack on Mish by a stalker who obtained a lock of her hair. As much as Mish fights it, saying she doesn’t need protection, lead singer Ray hires a bodyguard for her. Ostensibly, David will be running security for the whole band and crew but since the only identifiable threat is targeting Mish, he’s really for her. Mish is pissed the decision to hire David was made without her input. David, for his part, is used to being security for celebrities and he is ex-military, after all, so he knows what he’s doing. But neither of them are quite prepared for the mutual attraction that flares between them. The tough-as-nails, six-foot-tall, bass-playing rock goddess and the tough-as-nails, ex-Army veteran trans man are going to have to come to some sort of agreement both about maybe David guarding Mish (professionally) out in public and definitely David blowing Mish’s mind – and vice versa – in private.

Of all three Twisted Wishes members, Mish was the hardest member to get a grasp on in the previous two books. She came across as a very older-sister-will-kick-the-crap-out-of-anyone-who-hurts-my-boys type and a talented musician, but beyond that Zabo played Mish’s personal life very close to the chest. Mish came across as pansexual so the possibilities of her romantic partner (or even partners, since that also might have been on the table?) in Reverb were myriad. David is an excellent counterpoint to the fiery Mish – level-headed, logical, and prepared for anything except, perhaps, falling in love. He struggles so beautifully with the whole “I am a professional doing a job but I have fallen in love with the client now what do I do” problem in his conscience.

The dynamic between all the characters is great, a true “found family”, and one that David desperately wants to remain a part of but doesn’t know how to accept (when you pride yourself on being able to handle “being alone” for so long it’s really, REALLY hard to break that habit and change). Mish is wonderfully fabulous, which we already knew. There was a shade too much Instalust for my taste, on both sides, but that’s definitely a YMMV situation.

Also: MUCH STEAMINESS, but a lot less kink than then the previous two books (although not much could have been kinkier than any of the D/s scenes in Syncopation or rope+pie in Counterpoint 😉).

If you liked The Bodyguard but wanted a different (read: better, happier ending rather than her leaving on a jet plane, literally) get Reverb – it’s out TODAY. (I do wish that Twisted Wishes was a real band, because the idea of their songs/setlists is amazing.)

Addendum: If you need them, the author has listed some content warnings on the “review” of their book at Goodreads. It is a very comprehensive list, and very thoughtful, but if you’re worried if David is ever deadnamed, to quote Zabo: “FYI, no one is deadnamed. Don’t even ask, ’cause I don’t know.”

It was a fun read but fell a bit flat. I was never having a bad time but never really connected to the characters or got invested in their stories.
The characters were great! The story was fun just not for me.

Something Different

This book just wasn’t for me. It seems like others have loved it but everyone has different tastes. So I’m saying give it a chance because maybe this is just something you were looking for.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After being violently attacked by stalker, famous bass-player Mish Sullivan is assigned a bodyguard for the duration of her band's tour. As ex-army and a martial arts expert, David Altet is more than qualified to protect Mish from her stalker, but what neither expected was the instant connection between the two of them. But, despite the strength of their attraction, the continual threat of Mish's stalker complicates matters, and forces David to rethink their relationship in order to keep her safe. Mish, however, refuses to let David give up on their relationship so quickly.

While I was unaware this novel was the third in a series, and while I do wish I had read the previous two books, I never felt like I was missing anything significant. I loved how diverse and three-dimensional all the major characters were in this story, and, for the most part, were all incredibly likeable and engrossing. I loved the chemistry between Mish and David, and was rooting for them throughout the book. I really appreciated the emphasis on friendship and chosen family, and found this aspect especially made me want to read the prior two books. I really enjoyed reading Reverb, but feel it could have been either a little bit shorter, or a tad more fast paced toward the end of the book. Despite this, I would definitely recommend this book to fans of rockstar romances, as well as any established fans of Zabo's past works!

3.5/5

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
By the end of this book, I had the biggest girl crush on Mish. I absolutely love this series and Mish’s book is easily my favourite book so far. A badass rock star, Mish is talented, confident, and charismatic. When Mish is injured by a stalker, the band hires a security guard and Mish is forced to exchange her privacy and autonomy for safety. Initially Mish fights against David and his protective measures, but the chemistry between these two is explosive and impossible to ignore.

David and Mish are beautifully matched. With his military background, David has his own skill set and his strengths complement Mish’s. I love the complexity of both characters. The stalker threat reveals previously unseen vulnerability in Mish and David has a few moments of vulnerability around his gender and size.

Like the first two books, this is a steamy, sexy read. Mish is uninhibited and the sex between her and David is crazy hot but also fun and playful at times. I love that this is a trans romance where David’s trans identity isn’t really a thing. Mish and David are hot together, the sex is creative and mutually satisfying – and free from any of the unnecessary angst or tedious educational moments that can completely ruin trans sex scenes.

I love the suspense element that Mish’s stalker brings to this book. It’s a creepy storyline and the escalating tension is brilliant. This is the most coherently structured book in the series and I think we see more of the band and their music than we do in the previous books. I’m really hoping this isn’t the end – this has become an absolute favourite series and I can’t wait for more from Anna Zabo.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and possibly a new favourite of mine. Zabo is a very talented author and has a wonderful way of writing from inside the character which ensures that you see things from a totally original perspective. It is not preachy, educational, or stilted, it is about life and one person's view of it – very powerful.

Mish is the bass player for Twisted Wishes, and she is now surrounded by two very happy, newly formed couples in the band. Whilst they still all need her nurturing ways, they have also in a way moved into a new state of friendship. I loved how this was shown throughout the story. In fact, in this installment she is the one in danger, something that their previous experiences mean they take very seriously. Cue the arrival of security in the form of David – someone who trips all of Mish's switches, and we get to enjoy the ride. Super hot, but also super sweet, intense, and loving. Their relationship breaks a whole lot of David's rules, and he has deep worries about mixing business and pleasure.

I think what was so particularly awesome about this love story was the friendship between the two of them, the closeness of their minds and hearts. I loved it when they finally made it to the Karaoke bar, and how David revealed his voice – but just for her. So deserving of a hot, sweet and sexy partner, Mish may have found him at last in David.

We also, of course, get the goodness of the rest of the band, and how that fits in with the life that the members are making for themselves now free from the shackles of their previous manager, and headlining. It is great fun to go on tour with them and see them go from mentees to mentors. Adding Mish's voice to the mix is so beautifully written about, that I could hear the impact on their sound in my mind.

If you like rock band romances with a good edge, plenty of drama, but an underlying level of love, respect, and commitment, then start at book one and imbibe the goodness. I am hoping that this is not the end – we need more Twisted Wishes (repeated as a chant for an encore) please!

Another strong entry in Zabo's Twisted Wishes queer rock band romance series, this time featuring the band's badass bass player, thirty-three year old white redhead Mish Sullivan, who's being stalked by a creepy fan. The band hires equally badass bodyguard David Altet (Spanish/Eastern European ancestry), ex-army and current martial arts expert, to make sure that said stalker keeps far away from Mish. Mish is feeling a bit left out, now that her three other bandmates have paired up, and she's instantly attracted to David. David's attracted too, both to Mish and to the queer vibe of her bandmates and their support people (he's a trans man), and quickly becomes friends with her and bandmates and their mates.

In conventional romance novel fashion, when the stalker gets a leg up on him, David worries that his feelings of belonging are getting in the way of doing his job. But he and Mish take the leap into a sexual relationship in spite of his reservations, one in which the hint of dom/sub kink flows in unconventional directions. But what about the stalker? And even if David can find out who he is, can Mish and David maintain a relationship when David moves on to another job?

It was unusual to read about a trans character who had been trans for a while, who has no trouble passing as cis-gendered and who is dealing with the benefits (and the downsides) of so doing.

The romantic connection between Mish and David didn't burn as brightly as that between the protagonists of the two earlier books in the series. Still, Zabo excels at character development, dialogue, and plotting, which makes this queer take on the traditional het rock star romance both comfortably familiar and appealingly fresh.

I liked this entire series and this was a great romance. I loved the found family and the way everyone was fully supported throughout the books no matter what. This author is one I will be paying attention to.

I always struggle to review the books that hit me just right, which is why I’ve sat on REVERB for days. I can’t stop thinking about it as an affecting romance between two cool people, as a glorious smorgasbord of MOMENTS, and as the culmination of an amazing series about a found family of queer rock stars.

It’s that last one I keep coming back to. REVERB is definitely Mish and David’s story, but their romance is all tied up with their feelings for the band. Mish is a former loner who’s now totally committed to the guys she shares her career with. David’s a current loner who struggles with how badly he wants to join them all. My heart ached and rejoiced as I watched them work past their issues as a couple and as members of a close-knit group.

I’m also really glad I paused to read COUNTERPOINT instead of diving into REVERB straight after SYNCOPATION, as I planned to. Zabo builds the band’s career, and their familial relationship, book by book. The backstory makes Mish and David’s romance so much richer. You don’t want to miss out on it.

Zabo’s said they’re done with Twisted Wishes for now, but I dearly hope they come back to the band someday. I mean, Marcella’s still single and I’d LOVE to see her connect with an awesome person while the central characters from the first three books cheer her on.

I think I've officially read enough by this author to say that I'm sadly just not a fan of their writing style. It's a little too flippant for my tastes. I love the concept, though!

Oh Mish, she considered herself the protector of the members of Twisted Wishes – her family. When the tables were turned and she was the one in need of protecting, she didn’t take it very well. She would have put up more of a fight if not for her almost instant attraction to David.

I know that at least a couple of readers are going to get immediately thrown off by the fact that Reverb isn’t a M/M romance like Syncopation and Counterpoint. What Reverb is, is a queer romance that totally fits with this series and my advice to anyone who is on the fence is to give it a chance.

I think what I loved most about this book is that David’s sexual orientation never comes into question with anyone around Mish. There’s never any shock or hesitance or anything like that at all. Mish cares about David and as long as David treats her right, who cares? The fact that he’s a trans man is a total non-issue. The whole time I was reading Reverb I was thinking to myself… why can’t it be like this for everyone? I also loved the quiet, support that David gave to more than one fan along with way.

The stalker issue was just another layer to this story. I enjoyed the suspense, but to me it was just a catalyst to get David and Mish together. The “who” wasn’t quite as important as the drama he caused, but that’s not a complaint, just an opinion…

I have to admit, as much as I loved and respected David, I got pretty aggravated with him more than once. As much as he cared about Mish, he ended up hurting them both. Thank goodness for the supporting characters who were, unsurprisingly, there for both of them – whether they wanted them to be or not. In the end, Twisted Wishes did as much to support David as he was hired to protect them.

I know that this is slated to be the last book in the Twisted Wishes series and if so, it ended on a pretty good note. There are a couple of loose ends that I’d love to learn more about and a couple of characters I wouldn’t mind getting to know better, so I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to a little bit more 😉

With each book of Mx. Zabo’s that I read, I think that they can’t possibly top their last. But they always prove me wrong by writing a story that is more unique, more boundary-pushing and more engaging than the last.

Reverb is the third book in the series, following the band Twisted Wishes along their rise to fame. While each book covers a different band member, this can still be read as a stand alone. We’ve met Mish in Dom’s, Ray’s and Zav’s stories and now we finally get to see her happy ending. Mish is the Rock Queen, the ballsy, strong bass player that holds the band together. But when a stalker threatens her safety, David is hired to provide protection.

From the start, the attraction between Mish and David is apparent. The flirting, the looks, it all provides an undercurrent and a hum between the two of them that is undeniable. And no matter how much David fights the appropriateness of entering into a relationship with a client, he can’t resist Mish.

I loved the themes of this story. About acceptance, about family being who you choose to surround yourself with. But what I found most interesting was that the fact that David was a trans-male, and this was never made to be a big issue. It just was what it was. There was never a big reveal, it was never dwelled on, no discussion about David’s background and the decisions he made regarding this. This was just how David was. I found it heartening that the acceptance of David was simply there among this queer-friendly band, and given Mish’s pansexual leanings, never an issue. Both Mish and David accepted one another for who they were. Stereotypes were totally smashed, with the dominant woman kicking ass and the masculine body guard easily submitting to the whims of his rock goddess.

Anna Zabo truly is a fascinating author. Their books always pull me in with the amount of heart and intelligence they contain. Combined with the masterful creation of characters that I wish could be real, each new story Mx. Zabo puts out is guaranteed to be one that won’t be able to put down. Reverb was emotional, sexy, sweetly romantic and I am sorry my time on the Twisted Wishes tour had to come to an end. This was truly one of the most accepting books I’ve read in a long time.

I look to Anna Zabo for heartwarming portrayals along the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and “Reverb,” the third Twisted Wishes installment, is a terrific addition. It reads well as a standalone, but it’s fun getting updates on our favorite couples from “Syncopation” and “Counterpoint.”

Zabo pairs Mish Sullivan, a pansexual celebrity musician, with David Altet, her trans male bodyguard, hired because she’s attracted a stalker. And, yes, there is a tip to the blockbuster movie. “‘Suddenly I feel like I’m in a Whitney Houston musical,’” Mish tells David.

Mish, who has taken care of herself and others since childhood, has found that, “‘taking care’ meant the other person taking over.” But that’s not David’s style. He asks opinions and listens. How romantic!

Besides, he gets along seamlessly with everyone in the band, who are Mish’s only family. To her, that’s also romantic. But David, who served in the military, and who deployed as a female, is now estranged from his family. After transitioning he doesn’t “do” family.
While Mish’s stalker gets uglier and uglier in comments and deeds, can a road trip carry over to real life?

Zabo reminds readers of the importance of community and support. Mish’s interactions with her band are pure poetry. In this sweetly satisfying tale, their banter and passion for music are simply other ways to show love. The stalker’s tone is a stark contrast to their warmth, a foreboding undertone to keep readers on their tones.

Mish and David’s interactions sparkle throughout the book, especially in its last chapters, when each must look deep within. They personify mature mutuality. At one point, David tells Mish, “‘Possessing someone, the way I think you mean, is the opposite of caring about them.’” And at another point, she tells him, “‘forgiveness isn’t something you deserve. It’s something you’re gifted.’”

“Reverb,” and the whole Twisted Wishes series is deeply tender and appealing, each couple with its own unique characters and needs, coming together in a symphony of affection.