Very cute book - loved the relationships between all the characters and how it evolved. Did get a little repetitive near the end I think, even with the switching POV. Everything also seemed to wrap up a little quickly (the big drama happens like 67% into the book), so it feels a little rushed. If you were a One Direction fan back in the madness, definitely check out this book!

2/5 stars

From this book you can expect some romance and a lot of fighting against homophobes. It’s told in dual POV, the plot is pretty engaging and overall it’s a very entertaining book for YA readers who enjoy contemporaries and want to read about queer characters. It’s not as much a sweet romance as it is about fighting abusive management and parents, and it can get heavy at times.

My issue with If This Gets Out and what prevented me from enjoying the story—because it was always there at the forefront of my mind—is that it feels disconnected from celebrity culture in the 2020 decade. I don’t understand how this can talk about abusive management and toxic behavior on the inside of show-business, and not show the toxicity of fan behavior and of social media, and at times even brush off that kind of stuff. There are brief mentions of shipping and rpf (real people fiction) that are played off as jokes, which was weird.

The entirety of this screamed fanfiction, which I know it isn’t but this is 2022 and obviously the existence of fanfic cannot be ignored when you publish a novel about a boyband and secret relationships. Anyone who’s interested in boybands enough to pick up this novel will be aware of this. How am I supposed to separate this book from the reality of rpf and things like that? Maybe that’s a me problem but to be honest, I don’t think so, when I see all the reviews that mention One Direction.

For a book that wants to address the abusive industry, this feels incomplete, at best. There’s also some ambiguity with the authors’ POV and questions about the target audience, which I won’t elaborate on here, but this whole thing was weird. Fanfiction websites are filled with stories exactly like this one, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. I was expecting more depth from this novel, or an interesting angle, or I don't know, something. Something that wouldn't feel like fan service, I guess.

Also wanted to point out that other important things have been brushed off or left undealt with, like the racism faced by Angel and Zach’s potential eating disorder.

If you’re a reader looking for some romance between boyband members and queer people fighting for their right to exist, you might enjoy this. But for me, it missed one big important point, and despite the entertaining plot and engaging storytelling, I really struggled with the book.

Initially gave a higher rating because it was fun, but after some time, I can only remember the way I cringed the whole time I was reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!

content warnings: underage drinking, drug use, homophobia, forced closeting, abuse (includes parental abuse), car accident, racism, disordered eating

I want to deeply thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this beautiful book, and also apologize for my late review.

What a rollercoaster of emotions!!

I don't even think I can express what I'm feeling now. As someone who has a verbally abusive mother, I can tell you, it's hard.
Latinx folks are taught that family is everything, and without it, you're meaningless. So I understood why was specially hard for Ruben and why Zack couldn't completely get it.
But enough about sadness, let's talk about the romance between these two.
The sexual tension between these guys was outstanding, and so well written!! I was their cheerleader all the way down. The intensity ad seriousness increased in each chapter subtlety and constantly, I'm pretty sure this was the factor why I couldn't stop reading it.

Highly recommended it!

This was pretty cute! a little too long for sure, but i really liked how it played with tropes in the genre.

I have been excited about this book from the first moment I heard of it. The first chapter, the first line even, re-established any possible waning interest. (Not that there was any) I cannot rave enough about the descriptions in this book, especially the first chapter. I work in live theatre and I absolutely love the descriptions from on stage. Following Ruben and Zach’s story was a joy, I’ve read plenty of great band love stories, between straight relationships, and this is tied for first place in that sub-genre with another series. What’s better, is that neither Angel or Jon were “forgotten” about. Both characters had their own mini story lines to keep them engaged. And on top of that there’s all of the drama with the management company, shedding some light on that part of the music industry. There are so many moving parts, and they fit so seamlessly together. I absolutely love it.

When I read the synopsis of this book I knew it would be a book for me and I was pretty confident that it would be a book I enjoyed. It had everything I wanted in a story, a successful boy band, friendships, representation, the best friends to lover trope and a lot more, so of course I had to read it immediately.

I was worried that this book would not live up to the hype but how wrong I was. I cannot put into words how much love I have for this book, the fictional band it is about and so much more. It was perfect. This book is told from two perspectives. We see the perspectives of Zach and Ruben in alternative chapters. I love multiple POV books and this does that is such an incredible way.

If This Gets Out shows how close the friendship is between the band members of Saturday and I loved it. We get to see the band have arguments, laugh, joke and always look out for each other. It was just nice to see a band enjoy being in each others company and what happens behind closed doors. Also, I loved that this book covers the relationships that the band members have with their parents. We do not really get to see this with bands in real life. So, it was nice to see parents care for their children and want what’s best for them. Also, to have these relationships explored even if sometimes they are a dysfunctional one.

I was not expecting this book to cover so many serious topics throughout but it does. It covers drug abuse, power games, band and label dynamics, emotional abuse, the dark side of the music industry, the pressure of being famous and being forced to not come out. It covers even more as well. All of these topics are covered incredibly well and open the readers eyes to what bands members and celebrities may be facing behind closed doors. Each topic is written as openly and honestly as possible and it is eye-opening and powerful.

My heart was so full watching Zach and Ruben go from best friends to lovers. I found myself smiling at the book so much and I just couldn’t help it. The pair communicate with each other so well and I feel that is not quite often seen in YA which was refreshing for me. It is nice to see the cute moments but also the struggles they face and how they always try their best to talk things out. We get to see a cute and adorable relationship but also how hard it is to deal with the pressures of being famous and having to hide your relationship from the rest of the world.

The characters arcs in this book are incredible. Not just Ruben and Zach’s but the other band members as well. Seeing them face their problems head on despite being aware of the consequences and doing it to find true happiness was so heart-warming. I adored the way all this played out and how the decisions they and others made affected them.

Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have wrote such an amazing story which addresses so many issues that those in the music industry face and they’ve done so in a sensitive and respectful way. I love both their writing and will definitely be reading more from them in the future. If you are fan of boy bands, shipping famous people together and are just part of fandoms in general, then this book will be perfect for you!

Overall, I absolutely adored If This Gets Out and cannot recommend it enough. It is an adorable, fun and eye-opening book. It tackles serious issues, has the found-family trope and is a very character driven story. I loved this one and I’m sure you will too.

Sophie Gonzales has been a solid hit for me so far and If This Gets Out just continues the streak. I love that her books feature LGBTQ representation and bring up honest and raw moments for young adults dealing with life or growing up in that minority. I also swear this was written with One Direction in mind but I'm sure the authors would never admit to that.

Ruben and Zach are bandmates and best friends. Ruben is gay and out, to everyone but their millions of fans. Zach is straight... he thinks. Until a drunken night when they hook up and Zach's world is thrown into question. When they start dating, their recording company does everything they can to separate them. On top of that, their other 2 band members are going through their own quiet issues with the spot light where the recording company controls everything about their lives.

I absolutely adored Ruben and Zach, especially Zach as he comes to terms with his sexuality and coming out to family and friends while in the spotlight with the band. I related so hard to that as I recently went on that journey myself, and it's so important for these stories to be told in the YA genre. There are a lot of serious topics tackled here, so definitely check out triggers warnings before you read - it isn't a light and fluffy rom com - it's so much more than that.

I highly recommend this one and can't say enough good things about it. Go read it.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

At first it was a bit hard to keep the two POVs separate since they share so many overlapping experiences, but once I got into it, I really loved their distinct internal narratives.

I thought it was so I Interesting how this highlights and loops in so many other issues like the media obsession and invasion of privacy we feel entitled to with celebrities, sexual objectification of celebrities, even men, the controlling and abusive nature of the entertainment industry and lack of support services and resources. This also shows us how the fame can affect families, especially toxic and abusive parents looking to cash in on their children. The isolation and paranoia it creates and how these stars are effectively held captive. A gilded cage is still a cage nonetheless.

There’s great LGBTQIA+ rep and I appreciated how we experience Zach’s sexuality and his journey to accept himself. It felt honest and I liked that it was messy. His missteps created drama but also felt realistic for someone who is so tightly wound and controlled.

That said, the pacing was definitely off, doesn’t need to be as long as it is and it took a bit too long to get to the “climax”.

Rating: 3.5/5

Ok. I don’t want to be one of ‘those’ people since I did catch some glimpses of other reviews given about this book, but it’s just hard not to make the comparison. Some people might love this story because of it, others might hate it. But here’s my perspective: This book gives an insight in the true reality of show business and the messiness that is management companies. I feel like you have to be deep into fandoms to come to that sad realization, and sometimes I wish I were a person that could enjoy TV & Music casually because it would hurt a lot less. Ignorance is bless. I do feel like this story was quite rushed, especially with its timeskips and making characters talk about events instead of showing it.

FULL REVIEW ON WOLFSBANEBOOKS.WORPRESS.COM

If This Gets Out is one of those books that punches you right in the stomach, exactly where it hurts, but in the end it helps you get up. There’s so much hope in it, despite all the ugly real-life stuff the characters have to deal with. It’s a true roller-coaster of emotions, but it’s also very gentle.

If This Gets Out is about two boys in a boysband who fall for each other, but really it’s about figuring out who you are when everyone around you wants you to be someone specific; about fighting for the things (and people) that matter to you (and sometimes that means fighting for yourself); about all the ways in which your friends’ support might actually save your life.

Personally I also really appreciated the portrayal of a toxic, abusive mother, and how dealing with someone like that your whole life shapes you as a person; how it rattles your brain forever. The way that specific arc ended made something warm and beautiful bloom in my chest.

A little gift of a book, making teens feel seen and, even more importantly, loved. Unconditionally.

i think my main issue with this book was the writing style. like, i think that both authors by themselves are such good authors, and i've heard nothing but praise for them. but, with this book, i feel like that they did try to make the two different POVs to be to different. like, i do think that have different voices is something that is so important, but i feel like they tried to hard to make it different, that it didn't really work all that well. and that with the writing, they just made it be kind of uncomfortable, like i think that the way they talked, in general and to each other, it just didn't work for me.

but, i also think the plot points were also kind of a mess as well. like, in away i feel like they were just kind of fanfictiony, but not in a good way, since i feel like there wasn't these plot points, it was just felt like they were made up as they went, and not really plotted out ahead of time. like, i feel that it all kind of felt haphazard, since nothing felt like it was going to happen in the long run and that it was just so random. like, it felt like they read those fanfictions of boybands and just tried to do this book.

and i feel like this book was really just what everyone thought it was going to be, like i feel like they really read those fanfics, and even was in that fandom at that time, you can kind of pick them apart with it. and like i think that there are so many better fanfics that are better. and the internalized homophobia just got to be to much for me after a while, since i think it was just so dumb and i just thought it was terrible..

Um if this could hurry up and become a movie? I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. It definitely highlights some of the horrors of getting into the music industry at a young age. The book does start off slow and it took me a bit to get into reading it, which is a main factor for the 4 stars. Once the band went to Europe the story started to pick up and I was hooked! The ending of the book was so so so good and makes it so the authors can pick it up in another book or just leave it be. I think the book showcases teenagers figuring out their sexuality and the homophobia that people present on them because of their choices. I would caution people who had a hard time “coming out” or are triggered by content that has homophobia or bi-phobia as both are presented within this work.

I read this entire book in the span of one 4 hour plane ride. I was absolutely obsessed. Although the romance is a slow-burn, the plot moves so quickly and is filled with so much love and emotion. This book is definitely on the older side of YA, and it tackled some really difficult topics while also delivering a completely swoon-worthy romance.

If This Gets Out is the story of Zach and Ruben - two members of a wildly successful boy band who just happen to be in love. Through the course of the book, we get to witness Zach questioning and redefining his identity and Ruben learning to find his voice when speaking to people who want to keep him bottled up. The two boys go through such incredible journeys and I was honored to be a part of it as I read.

I loved that the other boys in the band were coming to terms with their own issues as well, but the love between all four of them felt so real and palpable. I’m obsessed with all of these characters!!

A famous newly-found boy band. Four young members discovering stardom. Two teens taking the spotlight. With the rising love from their fans and an international European tour announced, these band members can be everything except their absolute true self.

Ruben, Spanish-American obsessed with musical theatre, must fit the image of a boy next door; Zach, a devoted son to his single mother, must be a leather-clad rebellious bad boy; Angel, Vietnamese-American not shy of being the wildest one, must take up the role of a sweet virgin; and Jon, biracial (Black-white) son of the band's manager, must separate his father from his boss. What unfolds as part of every management's ambition to paint a picture of their band instead of capturing it with all honesty, is heart wrenching. Especially when a strangled mental health is so evidently the result of the industry's problematic chase for reputation, fame, and perfection.

This is faithfully portrayed—being a celebrity in the music industry is not glamorous or fun. Keeping up a façade while being a small, always replaceable and rarely empathetically viewed, part of the humongous pop-culture factory is difficult and the story manages to consistently bring across that message. But the romance certainly takes a center stage. It unfolds with an undertone of finding a voice that aligns with their identity, and slides on tropes of best friends-to-lovers and a secret relationship.

Zach's internal monologue as he breaks the heteronormative conviction he has held on to for years; from his adorable admiration for a man's looks to the analysis he runs on the little crushes he has had in the past on other men, he's finding himself again. Ruben has always known his queer side but that must be kept under the wraps for the band's image. What starts with Zach realizing his feelings for Ruben, his closest friend ever since the band was formed, aren't strictly platonic is both soft and exciting to witness.

The complex characters showcase an incredibly sweet love story packed with formulaic but entertaining tropes that emotionally invest you. As the European tour begins, the tensions within the band builds and the members feel tired with their pretenses. Through alternating voices, written excellently and distinctively by the author duo, this contemporary delivers on the importance of a queer journey unraveling on one's own terms instead of being driven by industries or audiences, destigmatizing of mental health struggles, and dismantling the fear of 'if this gets out' in fan-driven narratives.

To be honest I was a big fan of boybands growing up and my first concert was Backstreet Boys. I wasn’t the type who was screaming while waiting to get a glimpse of the band, but after reading If This Gets Out I have to say I look a little different at all the boy bands out there. I’m sure there are many amazing sides, but it’s not all sunshine.

So that’s what I want to start off with. I was surprised by how ‘dark’ this book got and how many serious things were dealt with: drug abuse, abuse of power, emotional abuse, the dark side of fame, and dysfunctional parent-child relationships. That being said it did fit the story and the authors did this really well. There were enough bright spots, so I thought it was only realistic to shine a spotlight on the darker sides of fame.

Then there’s the band: Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel. Yes, they fight and have their moments, but they always have the other’s back. They know each other like no other and have become their own family. I loved their dynamics even in the more difficult times. I can’t imagine what it’s like traveling the world doing what you love, but also having all eyes on you.

And then we have Zach and Ruben. In the end it’s really who this book is mostly about. It’s told through a dual POV and that added so much for me. I loved seeing how both of them were feeling and how they thought about certain things. As a big fan of friends to lovers I was excited for this one and their relationship had me smiling a lot. It showed how you have to figure out a lot about yourself, but also the other. Things didn’t always go smoothly, but it was clear they wanted to fight for each other. Besides just their relationship and career there were also some family things both have to deal with. It was interesting to see them deal with certain aspects of their families while also just trying to be themselves . I don’t want to say too much, because it’s a book you just need to experience for yourself. I’ll be revisiting this one in the future.

As a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher ( Wednesday Books) I write this review. Coming into this novel I had already read two of Sophie Gonzales novels was eagerly anticiapating this project . In this collaborative effort with Cale Dietrich they explore the nuance of Queer identity that many individuals go through and expand this experience to include fame, celebrity and being a member of a popular boy-band. The novel follows Ruben Montez and Zach Knight who are members of the boy-band “Saturday” and together explore a mutual attraction and growing romance while navigating their teenage lives, and music career. This novel was enjoyable and would recommend it. I partially read the novel on my kindle and concluded it by audiobook. The audiobook narrated by Ramon de Ocampo is superb and a great companion to the novel. Out of five stars on goodreads , I give this novel a strong four out of five.

Fangirl shipping dreams come true! Queer boy band romance but more. The book does a good job of going through all the nuances of being in a boy band and the pressures of being in the public eye while also giving us realistic relationships and tender moments. However, the story did seem to drag in spots leaving the reader wondering if this is supposed to be a character driven book or plot driven as you get lost along the way and the character development was so-so.

I think I'm obviously in the minority of unpopular reviews of this book and its ok. I had mid expectations for this and I was disappointed. Its not like it was a bad book alright, it was just infuriating to read through.

Its basically about a popular boy band with Rueben, Zach, Angel and Jon as its members, ruling the music world and fan's heart. When Rueben and Zack fall for each other and want to come out, their management says no. So yeah, tension and drama follows.

Now, like, the starting was very boring. It just won't move forward and was slow and the same thing about their routines being repeated from two POVs, and I was about to DNF. Zach and Reuben's relationship starts way too down the book that I didn't know what to make of the first half. Their band shenanigans were fine and okay, I've seen and read about the same thing over and over before too.

The band was cute and their bond was nice ngl. But I'm sorry I could not and did not connect with the romance. Nope. There was something missing, idk what. It was cute on surface but I couldn't feel that chemistry from them. Idk it might just be a big me thing. Forgive. Their fights at the end was so random and purely based on idk what but it was forced and there just because and I did not like it. It was so forced and just there for the sake of some fight and miscommunication or something.

The other portrayal of the whole management constricted culture of bands was nice ig. The constraints that they all felt that drove them to crave freedom in different ways - that was a nice commentary through the story. I liked Angel's character and would have loved to see more of him. And Jon too honestly. He was interesting, especially with his father being the manager and all. His stance at the end was good.

The characters developed well, there was enough growth from all ways. The mothers coming together to protect their sons was very sweet. It was random and out of nowhere but sweet.

Look, I did not completely dislike or hate this book okay. But I was bored. The writing was mediocre at best and it just did not vibe with me. The romance was okay. The dialogues were so funny and gosh, bad. It was not good, not for me. I went in expecting just this - really - and yet I still felt a bit let down. But again, I read the e-arc so maybe the final copy is better edited and written? Perhaps - I could only speculate.

This is honestly a me thing, yeah. There were parts in between the book where I was interested but most of the times, I just wanted to get done with it.

Saturday has become a world sensation. Now on a world tour, they really have to play the parts that have been carved out for them. Between the stress of the tour and their minimal supervision during it, cracks start to form between the band. Two members, Ruben and Zach start to rely on each other more as everything feels like it’s falling apart.

This is a hard one for me to review. Coming in, I was expecting a boy band romance and while, yes, that is there, If This Gets Out deals with a lot of more serious topics, some of which I don’t know how to feel about.

But, on a positive note, I did like that Zach questioning his sexuality was shown. He was confused and seeing him work through that was nice and I’m sure will be helpful for those questioning their own sexuality.

I also really liked that this book talked about the darker side of the music industry. I think there were a lot of important conversations to be had there and definitely more than what the book touched on, but it was nice to see how gross and awful the industry can be and how taxing that can be to the people in it.

Overall, that might be where my good feelings end and my criticism begins.

This is told in alternating POVs and I really struggled to tell the difference of who's I had. I've seen numerous reviews where a lot of people said this isn't the case, so this could very easily be a me problem, but I struggled with figuring out who was who.

As for the romance, I never connected with Ruben and Zach being together. It just felt a little forced or that there wasn’t really a connection between them. It probably didn’t help that their whole romance was surrounded by homophobia and that was all the angst about them being together instead of character development between them.

There was also a distinct lack of characters besides the band members and management, which I get as that is the main focus of the story, but if something was going on they turned to their parents instead of friends. I loved seeing that some of them had good relationships with their parents, but I would have loved to have seen some other friends.

The lack of female characters was also something. Give me some women that aren't just trash or there vibing and doing nothing please.

The ending felt like it dragged as well and I feel like it could have been wrapped up a lot sooner than it was.

Overall, this was not a book I connected with. I think it could be a hit for a lot of people, but it was a miss for me.

What can I say? I am a boy band fan! I had to read this book and I was not disappointed. Ruben, Zach , Angel and Jon are all teen band members who are trying to manage the pressure of being in a band and enjoy life. Ruben is gay, Zach is bi, Angel had to change his name and Jon is the son of the band manager. Each one of these teen stars had to make some kind of sacrifice. Was it worth it? I think this book did a great job highlighting and bringing awareness to the struggles that celebrities face when it comes to privacy and pressures around having to appear straight so they wouldn’t not damage their career. It is really sad.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the #gifted copy of the book.