Narrated by Greg Boudreaux
Counterpoint is the second book in Anna Zabo’s Twisted Wishes series. Unlike Syncopation (book 1) and Reverb (book 3) Counterpoint does not have a suspense plot – this book is a contemporary. I was expecting suspense but when I thought about it, I actually liked that the series changes things up. Apart from anything else, I wasn’t left with the impression that Twisted Wishes was a trouble magnet.
Dominic Bradley is the lead guitarist for Twisted Wishes. He has paralysing stage fright and is intensely private, so he performs as Domino Grinder (a name he came up with before the app). Domino is vibrant and free, wears makeup, leather wrist cuffs and a collar and proudly shows off his ink as he struts across the stage. Dominic is quiet, bookish and nerdy, with a penchant for bow ties. Somehow (and I admit I had to squint a little to believe it) neither the fans nor the media has worked out who Domino Grinder really is, and Dominic likes it that way.
When Dominic is at a Brooklyn bar called “Poet & Whiskey” (what a cool name for a bar! I want to go there) reading some gay literature, he is approached by a handsome built man – Adrian Doran and they strike up a flirtatious conversation. Dominic isn’t looking for a relationship – he doesn’t know how it could work with his secret identity and his involvement with the band a huge part of his life and he’s desperate to keep those two worlds separate. Adrian too, hadn’t been looking for more than a hookup but something about Dominic calls to him and he decides to slow things down and suggests they date. The attraction between the pair is so powerful and they have many things in common – Adrian has a full-on library in his house (I want to go there too) and they both have a deep love of books and poetry.
Adrian is a computer engineer working in a bank, with a side hustle of web design. He doesn’t love his job but he doesn’t yet have the motivation to move on. He’s financially secure, having made good money in California some years ago and he owns his Brooklyn brownstone (which had previously belonged to his mother).
Adrian is a dominant and pansexual. As it turns out, Dominic (who is gay) is a submissive. He’s never really done any BDSM before but as he and Adrian explore their relationship, he feels a sense of peace and belonging he’s never experienced before. Something about being bound or kneeling at Adrian’s feet gives Dominic release he’s never felt before.
(I want to say that the book never suggests BDSM is effective treatment for mental health issues – in fact, before the book is done, Dominic is in therapy. But nonetheless, Dominic does find surcease from anxiety and fear in D/s dynamic.)
Adrian, of course, doesn’t know Dominic Bradley is also Domino Grinder. He’s not familiar with much modern rock/pop music, being more a classical and jazz fan and so he hasn’t heard of Twisted Wishes either. Adrian knows Dominic is keeping secrets but has made it clear he will wait until Dominic trusts him enough to reveal them. I did think that Adrian showed a tremendous amount of patience here and a somewhat odd lack of curiosity. I mean, he didn’t even ask what the name of the band Dominic is in was!
Still, the conflict of the story is about the disconnect for Dominic between his stage persona and his private one and that Adrian doesn’t know about a significant part of who he is.
Obviously Adrian is going to find out at some point – that’s a given but how it happened and how it was dealt with was unexpected (in a good way).
The story is quite interior with a tight focus on the budding relationship between Dominic and Adrian. The other band members have relatively small roles; unlike in Syncopation and Reverb where the stories take place while the band is touring, this one is based almost entirely in New York when Dominic has the leisure to be himself more often. The vibe of the book is quite different for that alone, leaving aside that there is no-one trying to kill or injure either of the main characters.
Dominic has to come to grips with how to meld his two halves, a journey that is really only just beginning by the end of the book but one he’s committed to because he wants to have it all – the band and Adrian – and the only way that can happen is if Adrian knows the truth.
The sex is kinky and hot but there is an underlaying tone of sweetness to it. Both main characters are fairly in touch with their emotions and able to share how they’re feeling and both fall quickly – so there is a lot of emotional vulnerability displayed by each man at various times in the story.
The narration by Greg Boudreaux is excellent, as usual. Greg has a distinct character voice for the band members and the two leads, giving Adrian a deeper, more resonant, pitch and Dominic a lighter tone. There are times when Dominic is quite anxious (including depiction of panic attacks) and Greg puts an authentic wobble in Dominic’s voice when these things are happening.
Sometimes the emotional vulnerability was a little hard to hear actually – it almost felt too intimate at times, as if I was intruding on a private moment. Audiobooks can feel that way sometimes, especially through earbuds – for some reason, how far the words have to travel to my brain can make a difference – and earbuds feel particularly personal and visceral during emotional scenes.
I know from Twitter that Anna Zabo requested Greg to narrate the series and what a great choice it was. He’s a favourite at AudioGals for a reason.
Kaetrin
Buy Counterpoint by Anna Zabo on Amazon
