This book was fantastic and my review for it is going to be a mess, but I will try and be as eloquent as humanly possible for the sake of this book's future readers. Here we goooo!
Netgalley and Dial Books blessed me with an arc!
Reasons to read: such diversity! Queer cinnamon rolls. Heavy-hitting themes are done with respect.
Kiss & Tell is one of the biggest boy bands in the world, but out and proud Hunter's very public break-up with his bandmate's brother seems to dominate the headline more than their North American tour. The Label takes a chance on Hunter and Kaivan's (a member of Kiss & Tell's opening band) blooming relationship to distract the public from the leaked secrets of Hunter's sex life. But the more Hunter falls for Kaiven, the more he begins to feel like he's a fake, and the horror of the public knowing intimate details of his sex life begins to creep into his everyday life, threatening to upheaval in not only his relationships but with the band itself.
There's a ton to unpack in this book. Brought to the forefront are homophobia and racism, but there are sprinkles of bullying and how the media and the public treat queer celebrities and the roles they assign them. I loved all the reps and the discussions about racial profiling.
Hunter and Kaiven's relationship starts out slow as they're trying to navigate their celerity status as well as their own anxieties. But their dates are made to attract the media and they aren't too many quiet moments here to see these two grow. I loved these two even without those moments and I would ship them any day of the week.
What I didn't like:
What I would have loved to see more were Hunter's bandmates. I forgot their names often and they almost felt faceless to me. I was hoping to see both bands come together either in a casual setting or behind the stage, but we don't really see that camaraderie. The story is very laser-focused on Hunter and Kaiven and everyone else kind of fades into the background.
I was also hoping the topic of sexual harassment and slut-shaming would have been addressed with the proper parties punished.
BUT overall, I enjoyed this book SO MUCH and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great LGBTQ book.
Netgalley and Dial Books blessed me with an arc!
Reasons to read: such diversity! Queer cinnamon rolls. Heavy-hitting themes are done with respect.
Kiss & Tell is one of the biggest boy bands in the world, but out and proud Hunter's very public break-up with his bandmate's brother seems to dominate the headline more than their North American tour. The Label takes a chance on Hunter and Kaivan's (a member of Kiss & Tell's opening band) blooming relationship to distract the public from the leaked secrets of Hunter's sex life. But the more Hunter falls for Kaiven, the more he begins to feel like he's a fake, and the horror of the public knowing intimate details of his sex life begins to creep into his everyday life, threatening to upheaval in not only his relationships but with the band itself.
There's a ton to unpack in this book. Brought to the forefront are homophobia and racism, but there are sprinkles of bullying and how the media and the public treat queer celebrities and the roles they assign them. I loved all the reps and the discussions about racial profiling.
Hunter and Kaiven's relationship starts out slow as they're trying to navigate their celerity status as well as their own anxieties. But their dates are made to attract the media and they aren't too many quiet moments here to see these two grow. I loved these two even without those moments and I would ship them any day of the week.
What I didn't like:
What I would have loved to see more were Hunter's bandmates. I forgot their names often and they almost felt faceless to me. I was hoping to see both bands come together either in a casual setting or behind the stage, but we don't really see that camaraderie. The story is very laser-focused on Hunter and Kaiven and everyone else kind of fades into the background.
I was also hoping the topic of sexual harassment and slut-shaming would have been addressed with the proper parties punished.
BUT overall, I enjoyed this book SO MUCH and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great LGBTQ book.