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A review by ilovebakedgoods
Catch My Breath by M.J. O'Shea
3.0
I thought Danny and Elliot were cute and so sweet as they fell in love. I felt kind of creepy reading about their blossoming love, given they were only 18/19. Well, not so much the love but the sexy parts. I mean, I have no problem reading YA where a couple falls in love but usually the sex is off page if there is any. In this case, some of it was off and some was on. But anyway, they were sweet and even though young, I really wanted to see them together.
What really pissed me off in this book was all the management, record label, contract, public rep shit wanting to keep the boys looking hetero, single (in Elliot's case, but somehow it was okay for Danny to get thrown together in a publicity stunt relationship) and available to all their teeny bopper female fans. Why do these people perpetuate this stupid idea that a fan has an inkling of a chance with a member of a boy band? It is so unhealthy! I'm pretty sure record sales would exist, regardless of what the girls think their chances are with these boys. (Also, so what if a band member or two are gay?? Let them go public if they wish because they might help one of their fans feel better about their own sexuality!) It is not only unhealthy, it is dangerous all around. The boys were so depressed at one point that I seriously was surprised there weren't suicide attempts or mental break downs after all the pressure and bullshit that they had to deal with. If that is the life of a singer in a boy band or even girl band or solo artists, I feel sorry for those people in that life. To have all of your moves planned and scrutinized is a shitty way to live.
Anyway, that portion of the book just dragged for me and pissed me off so much, I wanted to throw my tablet a few times. I just wanted Danny & Elliot to have their HEA, dammit!!! I think some of the middle could have been cut out and it still would have been an effective story. Spoiler alert: There is a HEA but it felt so anti-climactic to me because it came sort of abruptly after a turn of events that went in favor of the band. I wish that had come sooner so the boys could all be happy as a band before the ending came.
What really pissed me off in this book was all the management, record label, contract, public rep shit wanting to keep the boys looking hetero, single (in Elliot's case, but somehow it was okay for Danny to get thrown together in a publicity stunt relationship) and available to all their teeny bopper female fans. Why do these people perpetuate this stupid idea that a fan has an inkling of a chance with a member of a boy band? It is so unhealthy! I'm pretty sure record sales would exist, regardless of what the girls think their chances are with these boys. (Also, so what if a band member or two are gay?? Let them go public if they wish because they might help one of their fans feel better about their own sexuality!) It is not only unhealthy, it is dangerous all around. The boys were so depressed at one point that I seriously was surprised there weren't suicide attempts or mental break downs after all the pressure and bullshit that they had to deal with. If that is the life of a singer in a boy band or even girl band or solo artists, I feel sorry for those people in that life. To have all of your moves planned and scrutinized is a shitty way to live.
Anyway, that portion of the book just dragged for me and pissed me off so much, I wanted to throw my tablet a few times. I just wanted Danny & Elliot to have their HEA, dammit!!! I think some of the middle could have been cut out and it still would have been an effective story. Spoiler alert: There is a HEA but it felt so anti-climactic to me because it came sort of abruptly after a turn of events that went in favor of the band. I wish that had come sooner so the boys could all be happy as a band before the ending came.