Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Dominic Bradley lives two lives. Onstage, he is Domino Grinder, the leather and makeup wearing guitarist for the band Twisted Wishes. Offstage, he likes the anonymity of being Dominic, but his intense stage fright led him to create the persona of Domino and he hides behind it. He’s so scared about someone finding out his real identity that Dominic will only allow himself one-night stands and he craves a true connection. And, while everyone assumes Domino is a take charge, dominant guy, Dominic longs to submit.

Adrian Doran is a computer programmer who lives a fairly ordered life. A chance meeting has him attracted to Dominic’s quiet side and he has no idea how perfect Dominic is for him until he sees how Dominic enjoys being dominated. Adrian wants more than a few nights with Dominic, but Adrian has no idea that he’s dating a rock star.

Dominic is terrified to reveal his identity, but his two worlds seem to be overlapping more and more. He’s determined to finally tell Adrian the truth, but when his identity is revealed, Dominic has to figure out how to blend both of his worlds and manage to hang onto Adrian in the process.

Counterpoint follows Syncopation in the Twisted Wishes series. The first book focused on Ray and Zander and, while this book expects you to know their story when they appear on page, Adrian and Dominic’s story does stand alone.

Dominic is kind of a mess. He created the persona of Domino so he could perform on stage. He loves the music and his band, but the stage fright he experiences is real and being Domino is his coping mechanism. The band is supportive of him, but they also want to see him happy. Everyone knows it’s just a matter of time until his secret is exposed, and this secret was a little difficult for me to get fully on board with. Twisted Wishes is one of the hottest bands around and it read as a little out there that by Dominic covering his tattoos and dressing down, he could remain undetected for so long in current society.

Dominic and Adrian are a perfect match, however. Adrian is a natural dominant and Dominic is everything he has ever wanted. They fall into a natural rhythm of intimacy as they become closer. Dominic has never had a chance to explore his submissive side and Adrian knows what Dominic needs while remaining respectful.

Adrian’s backstory is worked into the story as well and that added to his character. His job is also a focal point to his character and is gone into in certain detail as he is having issues there. However, it was left unresolved by the end of the book, which didn’t work for me. Also, Adrian’s best friend is brought into the story as he starts a relationship that is completely off page, which left me to wonder why it was included in the first place. There is also a connection made to Adrian and Zander that wasn’t fully developed and there were a lot of small side stories added in that by the end of the book didn’t go anywhere.

The focus of the story being on Adrian and Dominic worked for me as they explore what I will call a milder BDSM relationship. While I did have a few issues with the story as a whole, this was a quick read with some good moments to add to Zabo’s rock star series.