Anna Zabo

At times I thought this novel was breathtakingly good - all hail Anna Zabo!

Firstly, such an absolutely important topic - workaholism! Coffee shop owner Brian is so overworked that he has nothing left to think through, let alone fix the staffing and financial problems besetting the business. He can't reflect, analyse, troubleshoot, problem solve...and worst of all, he can't let go/delegate/accept help. He's caught in a vicious cycle.

Meanwhile, Rob, owner of his own tech business has been show more there and has found a way to succeed and have work life balance. So when he falls for his favourite barista he's desperate to help, but treads extremely carefully after Brian always shuts him down in a way that is brusk, rude and uncharacteristic.

Tears were streaming down my face at how heartbreaking the situation becomes.

It's a very long book at 12 hours, narrated impeccably by Iggy Toma. Unfortunately, my libraries only have the Takeover series, but Hoopla to the rescue also has Twisted Wishes. show less

This is a solid 3.5.

I still haven’t read the first book in this series but after enjoying Counterpoint so much, I knew I had to read Mish’s story. And this was a fun read for the most part and I quite liked the slightly mysterious part of it too.

Mish Sullivan is a badass and hates showing her vulnerable side to anyone. She can seem bull headed at times, but I liked knowing the reasons for the way she is. She is confident and amazing and totally in her element on stage, she enjoys her show more interactions with fans but there is also a good deal of unwanted attention. The author does a great job of showing us how even fans or people in general treat female artists differently when compared to their own male band mates. The way everyone feels entitled to tell Mish how she should behave or what clothes she should wear or even questioning her sexuality (which she is pretty open about) is a testament to how women in general are constantly questioned for making their own decisions. I really loved Mish for never backing down, despite being stalked but I also really liked that gradually, she let her friends take care of her a little.

David is a bodyguard that Mish doesn’t want, but he is extremely respectful of her decisions while also making sure she is protected. The attraction between them is crackling right from the get go and it was wonderful to see both of them never backing down. I especially loved the emphasis on consent and asking each other about their preferences every time they got together - it was written with such beauty and thoughtfulness, it was great to read. His being trans is also never an issue between them but we can see that he had issues in the past, but he is in a better space now. The author manages to capture the conflict that David feels about protecting Mish as a job vs because of his relationship and his worry about how his feelings might affect his job. He is really hard on himself and while everyone can see that, he can be a little adamant too. While it felt like the relationship moved into serious territory pretty quickly, it felt very organic and David and Mish were just so good for each other.

My favorite part of this book and the series in general is still the band. They are an amazing group of people who love their music, their art and their fans but they mean so much more to each other. It’s a perfect found family dynamic and I love how everyone of them is always there for each other. Mish might not want to show any vulnerability, but Zav and Ray are always ready to shoulder her burdens or just let her express her feelings. I also loved seeing Adrian become such an inseparable part of the group and his budding friendship with David was a delight to read. It’s pretty evident from the beginning that David fits in perfectly with the group and I absolutely adored the scenes where they were all together just goofing off.

This is only my second book by Anna Zabo but I’ve quickly realized they’re awesome at writing banter. The back and forth and conversations in this book are flirty, sweet and heartfelt and I had a big smile on my face for most of it. The situations in the story also feel very realistic and it felt like a good depiction of the darker side of fame and social media. The writing was also very easy to read and I finished very quickly. It would have been a solid 4 or maybe more but the conflict after about 70% felt so irrational and pointless to me. David had his reasons but just like Mish, I couldn’t agree with them and it just shocked me for a while. But I’m glad the author didn’t drag it out a lot and the ending was really sweet.

This is a nice love story which works well as a stand-alone but I think reading the previous installments gives it more depth. If you love badass female rockstars who are never afraid to punch someone who deserves it, you should definitely check this out. This series also has some of the best friend groups I’ve read in recent times and I am totally in love with Twisted Wishes. show less

This is a heavy, heavy, heavy BDSM book, so if that is a turn off or a trigger for you...just slide out now and thank you so much for even considering reading my review. I LOVED Max. Every last inch of him. I had met Tom and Max in L.A. Witt's contribution to the series, "EXTRA WHIP," and I couldn't wait to get their story. What a story it was! Tom Cedric is an attorney in the law firm that he started with his friend, Arron who has his own story in another book in this BOLD BREW series. Tom show more hasn't had luck with any of the Dom's he's played with and has always felt a bit of his self-respect chip away after each encounter, so he decides it's time to find someone that treats him better and puts an ad up at Bold Brew. Max is a French-Canadian and a professor at the local college. Max is a Dom that has watched Tom go through bad Doms and always wanted to approach him, but his chance came when Tom realized that things were not working for him and put up that ad. I really like Anna Zabo's writing. I have read several of her others and was excited to see she was a contributor to this series. The book is adorable, and romantic, as well as kinky. The two guys are sweet, respectful to one another and an absolutely perfect pair. A hot professor who is also a caring Dom ...what more can you ask for? A sexy lawyer who needs to find a respectful Dom and found that in Max. By the way...Max can bake also...YUM on several levels:) show less

So much better and more intense than I expected!

I just loved the passion, the lust, and need that over time turned into more.

And Sam's submission, from his POV, was just utterly stunning. Ms. Zabo really gets D/s relationships and dynamics, especially since this was not the stereotypical BDSM relationship with one ever-dominant Dom and one ever-submissive sub that is often written. I was right there in every scene feeling Sam's relief and dizzying pleasure from the pain, and Michael's show more powerful and loving control. That's what bumped this book up to five stars for me.

This book was an intense and very realistic experience. There isn't any part that I could point to and roll my eyes at, and even with many chances, neither Michael nor Sam made stupid choices or took common and "done" ways out of situations. Like when Sam did not bend under the blackmail and try to do what's "best" for Michael--leaving him--without consulting him, or any of that shit, which would have led to a bigger mess, misunderstandings, and then the eventual reconciliation. Hate that trope. So glad it didn't happen here!

And the sex was very, very burn-the-sheets-afterward-'cause-nothing-else-will-compare hot.

I want more of these two. Like, super badly.

Very highly recommended. Really wonderful, top of the list BDSM play, a boss and employee relationship, and NO insta-love! Hooray! A big win all around :) show less