There’s no resisting the thrum of temptation in this male/male rock-star romance from genre-favorite author Anna Zabo! Twisted Wishes front man Ray Van Zeller is in one hell of a tight spot. After a heated confrontation with his bandmate goes viral, Ray is hit with a PR nightmare the fledgling band so doesn’t need. But his problems only multiply when they snag a talented new … drummer–insufferably sexy Zavier Demos, the high school crush Ray barely survived.
Zavier’s kept a casual eye on Twisted Wishes for years, and lately, he likes what he sees. What he doesn’t like is how out of control Ray seems–something Zavier’s aching to correct after their first pulse-pounding encounter. If Ray’s up for the challenge.
Despite the prospect of a glorious sexual encore, Ray is reluctant to trust Zavier with his band–or his heart. And Zavier has always had big dreams; this gig was supposed to be temporary. But touring together has opened their eyes to new passions and new possibilities, making them rethink their commitments, both to the band and to each other.
This book is approximately 102,000 words
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I enjoyed this story. I like Zabo’s characters and the chemistry between them.
From the perspective of someone interested in sociology and psychology, I am interested in how different writers portray BDSM. Some writers are very serious about the subject, and some just barely touch on the subject to add a hint of kink to a romance story. Zabo seemed to split the difference.
Overall an enjoyable read with some interesting viewpoints on self control and manipulation.
This is my first story from this author so I had no idea what to expect but I was excited for this story. I listened to the audible version of this story and it was good for a one-time listen. I absolutely hated Carl. He was the most demeaning manager and a bully at that. I was happy when he got what he deserved. Dom, Mish and Zavier were good characters. They seemed the most mature out of everyone and although I liked Ray, his character was just too darn weak. I get that he had a lot of pressure and insecurities especially after everything he had to deal with when it came to Carl but I needed him to have a backbone. He just cried too much. He definitely made the perfect sub for Zavier. I may or may not read the next book in this series although I am curious as to how Dom’s story will play out so I might give it a try.
I love series. This book was well written and reaaly allowed the reader to escape into a fantasy world full of angst, frustration and hot sex!
LOVED this book! It’s my first book from Anna Zabo but definitely won’t be my last. They tell a brilliant story full of angst and drama, but not toooo much. It’s sexy and steamy and the power dynamic is spot on. Love everything about Ray and Zav. Can’t wait to grab the next one!
A romantic and engaging mm romance. Really enjoyed it.
It is so sad to see someone not trust anyone, least of all themselves. Fortunately this man found someone who didn’t give up.
Nice story. Main character a bit of a flake……driven, capable, but insecure. Drives story by his self-doubt
This is an awesome book! Great start to a new series. I loved the characters and can’t wait for book 2!
Loved this book. Great character development, fun kink, and likeable characters. Enjoyed the secondary plot with the band manager; added more complexity to the story. HEA. Reading second book in series now.
I enjoyed the characters–the whole band was fun, and their interactions made it clear that they were a family. The BDSM elements were naturally integrated into the story, and it was easy to see why Ray found comfort and satisfaction with Zavier’s attitude and caring. I was glad for the resolution with Carl, and sympathized with Ray’s disappointment that it was mainly jealousy–and a poorly executed marketing plan. The deep dive into what it means to be in a successful rock band was really engaging!
Wow. My first read by Anna Zabo, but not likely my last. Mx Zabo writes a excellent story about Twisted Wishes singer and leader Ray Van Zeller. He’s in a heap of trouble when a confrontation with the band’s drummer goes horribly wrong. Things don’t initially improve when the auditions for a replacement bring Zavier Demos, a Julliard trained professional musician he had an enormous crush on in high school.
Turns out that crush? When Zavier joins the band, it’s as if they’ve found their missing piece. His beats makes all of their playing better, and a couple months touring as the opening act sees them coming into their own as their sound gels and explodes. Soon, they’re looking at headlining and VIP signings. And Ray and Zavier discover that the two of them not only build a friendship on a foundation of respect and mutual desire, but maybe have the core of something even more lasting.
Mx Zabo handles Ray and Zavier’s relationship beautifully–layers of m/m, BDSM, aromantic, platonic, and more. And the friendships of the entire band are warm and real.
I look forward to the rest of the Twisted Wishes series, and more of Mx Zabo’s writing.
Great build-up. Easy to like and relate to the characters. Easy to hate villain. Steamy, realistic hott sex scenes. Zabo wrote a great book. Descriptive and lively. A must read.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
I found this to be an absolutely compelling read. I am so happy that it is the beginning of a new series, and that we will get more of Twisted Wishes, as a band and as a group of fabulous individuals. I read a lot of rock star romance novels, and there is often a lot of angst over addiction, whether drugs, groupies, or other band members. This was far more about the mental challenges of needing to keep everything working, and for Ray, being severely bullied and abused.
As well as the story of the band, which was fascinating, there were lots of little details which brought the whole book to life. I loved how Ray described how he sees music, and his need of his notebook. The detail of Zav’s tattoos, the change which Dom underwent between stage and private life. We got so many details, and yet never was it too much.
This book focuses on Ray, singer and band leader, and his crush since high school, drummer Zavier, who auditions to join them on tour when their drummer goes to rehab. It is a beautiful story of two men who are in very different places in their lives and yet who, if given the chance, have a lot to offer each other. The elements of D/s are introduced in a measured and effective manner and have an important role to play in the way they and the band move forward. The passion, the care, and the trust that develops between them feels so natural and so important. It lays a wonderful foundation for a lasting and deep connection, which grows on every page.
I don’t want to say more. because as I am reflecting on scenes and elements within the whole, I don’t want to spoil the freshness for you. I will definitely be reading this book again and cannot wait for the next installment, as I am most certainly invested in the band members’ futures.
Sarah –
I love a good rock star romance and Ray and Zavier’s story is fabulous. I loved the colourful musicians in Twisted Wishes and I enjoyed the chemistry (and the touch of kink) between Ray and Zavier. And the music is wonderful. The story is full of scenes of writing, practicing, and performing music.
Twisted Wishes started as a high school collaboration, and Ray and Zavier’s adult relationship is coloured by their teenage interactions. I love the contrast and complement of Ray’s raw talent with Zavier’s classical training. The relationship between them is a kind of ‘friendship caught fire’ and I enjoyed the departure from traditional romance tropes. The band is special, and I hope to see more of the band members in a sequel (or series?!).
While I really enjoyed the book, there are a couple of things that irritated me about this story. For the first half of the book, Ray seems a little bit too hung up on his high school feelings for Zavier. I didn’t completely believe that such a successful musician would hold onto so much anger and insecurity. The band’s relationship with their manager seemed equally implausible from the start – without any spoilers, the whole storyline didn’t really work for me.
Anna Zabo is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. I love both the quality of her writing and the inclusivity of her stories. For me, this story is good fun but a little more dramatic and a little less relatable than others I’ve enjoyed by Ms. Zabo.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Syncopation (Twisted Wishes #1) by Anna Zabo to read and review.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley and I’m freely giving my honest review.*
This is the first book in a new series from this author. I absolutely love it and can’t wait for the next book. So it’s a good start.
Reasons I love it:
* Very good storyline that makes the story seem very good put together and thought through before written.
* Characters that is coming alive through the authors way of writing. I can feel Ray’s despair and Zavier’s need to take care of him.
* The secondary characters intrigued me so I am curious about their stories. I bet Dom and Mish has interesting stories and I hope to read them one day.
* No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
* A good amount of dialogues, and I like both the internal dialogues and the one between the characters.
* The intimate scenes between Ray and Zavier is intensely hot and emotional.
* The BDMS part of this story is described in a tasteful way. Safety, consent, trust and caring is essential so when I read it even I feel safe(if you’re a reader of BDMS stories you might know what I mean)
* The mental journey for both Ray and Zavier is filled with feelings and how they reflect on their lives and comes to a agreement is thoughtfully put in to words.
I have to stop writing now before I end up with spoilers. I recommend reading it because I think this is going to be a series I will reread like I do with some other authors series like Megan Erickson and Rhys Ford.
5 stars