By Mariana Zapata

• Publisher: Mariana Zapata
• Year Released: 2015
• Date Read: December 12th, 2018
• Genre: Music, Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Adult
• My Rating: B/ 4 Stars

“I wouldn’t trade you for a million dollars, Mase.”
His reply was to beam at me.
“But for ten million, I’d work out some kind of visitation schedule” 
― Mariana Zapata

Devastated, and feeling pathetic, Gaby is stuck back home with nothing going for her. Then she gets a call from her twin brother who is known for trouble. He needs someone to sell his merch while he is on tour and since Gaby has nothing to do, he wants her to go with him. Gaby agrees to travel with him and their two best friends, but then finds out it’s not just them she’ll be on tour with. They have another band traveling along with them. She’ll be stuck with eleven boys for three months and all the trouble they bring with them.

I liked Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin, but it wasn’t my favorite Mariana Zapata book, it’s probably my least favorite so far. It’s not bad, just compared to her other work it feels somewhat lacking.  For one, the romance in the book was trumped by Gaby’s relationship with her brother and their two best friends. Once again, this isn’t bad to me since I like seeing bonds that aren’t in a romantic setting, but people who came for the amazing romance wouldn’t probably be that happy that you’re getting sidetracked by people who get along better. Sacha and Gaby were nice to read together. They were together literally all the time and at first I thought it was going to be an insta love story, glad that Zapata hasn’t failed me with one of those yet.

Pros

• Gaby, her brother Eli, Mason, and Gordo. The four of thems relationship was the best part of the book. It is what makes this book likable to the extent that I do. If they weren’t in this book I’m not sure I would of finished it. The four of them have known each other since they were children and it’s very clear. They all tease each other and get along well well. We see moments of Gaby laying on Mason comfortably even though he jokes about her about marrying her. We see the more quiet Gordo joking around with her like by putting a sign on her back, and then we see her with Eli who treats her as his best friend. Their relationship is very close and I loved it. They were twins who grew up together without leaving each others side for too long, and it really showed in the writing. It’s clear they need the other in each others lives. I also loved the fact that none of them cared that Gaby was a girl. They don’t treat her like a girl at all, expect when Mason jokes about marrying her or to defend her. They treat her literally as if she was one of them. I also like how Zapata didn’t just say the group of boys were trouble and make them not trouble at all. She backs it up by mentioning things like how they got detention in kindergarten, and also when they ask Gaby to play a game with them she instantly starts saying no because she knows what it will lead to. The four of them were my favorite part of the book. I knew their relationship was going to trump the romance once you saw Eli and Gaby together once again. Everyone around was looking at Eli like he was a star because he was in a rock band and all Gaby could see was her brother who she called Eliza and would find in her bed in the middle of the night randomly because they were also close with each other.
• The book was funny, obviously because of the three boys. They act like idiots so there was a lot of moments that had me laughing.
• Zapata always has a more serious topic in her novels, and this one is pretty much body dysmorphia. The character had a part of themselves they didn’t like and hid from others. In the book we start way after her surgery to change that part of herself that she wanted, which sets up new problems for her that she thought would be fixed with changing her body. Now she has to learn to accept that’s the new her and that the people around her or people she invites into her life, will have to aware of it too and be ok with it. We also get to see that it’s all still a sensitive subject for her, showing that just because you get the change you want, while you will most likely be happy in the long run, it won’t always be immediate. These are usually my favorite parts of Zapata novels. I like seeing that the characters aren’t bland and go through real problems that aren’t mentioned and then thrown away. These problems stay with them just as real problems in real life tend to do.

Cons:

• I know I had cons for this while I was reading it, but for some reason my dumb ass didn’t mark them as I read them so I can’t fully remember them. The one I can remember is this is not the best Zapata romance novel. Out of all her romantic relationships I liked this one the least. They kinda seemed like teenagers half the time and while it’s still a slow burn romance, they bonded and got real friendly within a few chapters. Like stuck with glue kinda friendship. I guess I’m just used to Zapata’s enemy to lovers novels that when I read the one that isn’t, it’s more off putting to me. I don’t know if it’s just me, I just personally cared for the friendships in this and didn’t care as much for the romance. The romance wasn’t bad. It’s just that the couple kinda reminded me of the teenage couples I used to see in school who were literally always touching as if their bodies were magnets. I mean even when eating they were hugging each other(talking about real life, not the book.). It’s kinda too much, especially when it’s supposed to be a slow burn.

I’m saying I don’t like this book that much, but only because I have high expectations for Zapata novels because I’ve read her newer and better work. For a normal romance novel, this is still a four star book. I don’t really like straight up romance novels but I liked this book and continued it because it was still good, it just isn’t as good as Zapata’s other works. It probably also doesn’t help that I have been reading Zapata novels back to back to where I know the set up and structures of her books. But also at the same time, this is the book she wrote after Kulti, but right before the Wall of Winnipeg, which are two loved books made by her, so I can’t just say that it might because it’s one of her first books. It isn’t. Kulti was good and the Wall of Winnipeg was amazing, and this lacks compared to both of them.

If you enjoy books with good bonds, read this. You will love Gaby and the boys. If you want romance and don’t care that it’s clingy in a way, you will also probably like this. If you’ve read many Zapata novels right before deciding to read this, probably don’t do that. Wait a month or so and come back. Maybe it will be better that way.

“My brother had pulled one of our mom’s largest crucifixes off the wall and held it in the air at me while he hissed, “I banish thee!” 
― Mariana Zapata