The boy-band Saturday is huge and beloved by their fans. But behind their carefully crafted image is four real boys (Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon), who are starting to resent all the handling and smoothing that goes into what makes Saturday tick. Eighteen-year-old Ruben is gay, but unable to come out under Saturday's management. Angel is starting to crack under the strain as well, increasing his partying ways. On Saturday's European tour Ruben and Zack grow closer than ever, sharing a moment that makes each of them question their friendship and Zack to wonder about his sexuality. They also realize that if they want this moment to turn into a romance, there's no way Saturday's management will ever allow it. How can Ruben and Zack ever live their own lives and be in the band?

I loved parts of this book and found other parts to be eh. I took me a while to get into this story and honestly to get to know the boys and to be able to tell them apart. The story felt very YA and juvenile and it seemed like you needed to be a boy band fanatic and care about what boy bands do to get into the story. While I sympathized with the band parts of the story, I could take or leave a lot of it. I didn't care for the drug use, the partying, or even all the discussion of the treatment of celebrities.

What I did love was Zack and Ruben's friendship and relationship and the book's exploration of bisexuality (via Zack), closeting in the music industry, and just its delicate look at a budding relationship between two boys. In that case, this was a sweet story of two people falling in love, with the added element of having to hide it. I would have liked to get to know Zack and Ruben's characters more (the whole band, really, but especially Zack and Ruben)--we learn a bit about Ruben's controlling mother and Zack's own mom, but I never felt like I truly knew them and what got them to this place.

This was an interesting story, and I enjoyed Zack and Ruben, even if I wished there had been more character development. I can see this being a big hit with YA music lovers.

I loved this book. It was very cute and Sophie Gonzales is cementing herself as one of my favourite authors.

The plot is really fun and tackles some really important and interesting topics. I personally found the characters really complex and interesting and just loved seeing them grow.

This was a fun read with well-rounded characters (that could be both likeable and frustrating at turns) and straightforward writing that was easy to read. It was a good depiction of understanding your own sexuality and coming out that will be relatable for a lot of readers. I could see this doing well in my library with both teen and adult readers.

I found a lot to enjoy about the book as someone who's been in pop group fandoms before. I appreciated the way the authors wrote about the struggles that all the boys go through, relating to their careers or otherwise (drug and alcohol abuse, difficult family relationships, etc). The amount of pressure pop stars are under is insane and I think they did a good job of showing that impact on the characters.

In some ways, this book reads like wish fulfillment for a lot of fans who do imagine romantic relationships between celebrities - I appreciate that this gives readers a way to explore those dynamics without involving actual people, because that can be unhealthy. The wish fulfillment for me is seeing a story where boy band members can even come out at all, because it's heartbreaking and terrible that there are lgbtq+ pop stars in our world today who aren't allowed to say anything for fear of harming their careers. It was so nice to read an ending where things work out for the best.

My thanks to the authors and publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

I will pick up any Sophie Gonzales book without hesitation now. She has cemented a spot as one of my favorite and most anticipated authors to read. I have never read anything from Cale Dietrich before, but I am eager to see what he has written.

This story is so detailed. There is so much depth to each of the characters and there was a lot happening. There was one moment in the middle of the story that did lag a bit but that ending was wonderful.

I so wanted to like this one because I'm a huge fan of celebrity romances but as I kept getting further into this one, I just could not find myself caring about the characters or what might happen. I couldn't see a romance blossoming between the two characters and the names of things just felt ridiculous. Maybe if things were more realistically named and the focus had been more on the band environment I might have had better luck, unfortunately this one was a miss for me.

Eh, another one that was just okay. I recently read Perfect on Paper and was really into it so I was hoping this would spark the same feelings. Unfortunately, it just didn't get there for me. It's not a bad book, but it's nothing special.

I do want to hit on one thing though - a lot of times, I've seen some gay men referring to YA books featuring gay couples written by women as kind of fetishizing them. I'd never felt that before when reading Simon Vs. or Autoboyography... but I did finally feel it in this one. I think it's because it seemed to be fanfiction about real people. Listen, I was the NSYNC fan who loved Lance Bass. Reading this kind of felt like I was reading a fanfic of his life and it was just a little too much for me. I can see some One Direction fans getting REALLY into this book.

That being said, I'm sure you'd expect my rating to be lower, but I think 3 stars is adequate seeing as the story held my attention, it was an easy read, and it did put on display how difficult it must be for a celebrity to come out.

I received an arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. If this gets out was a really cute book. Going in I knew I would enjoy it but it was better than I thought. I liked how the romance develops and the writing style of the author. The authors also really did a good job at focusing on how marginalized peoples voices are silenced in the media and in the entertainment industry. It was a really good read and I liked that it also pointed out harmful things in our world. The fame portion of this book was written brilliantly. I would definitely recommend it to so many people!

There is so much that I didn't know about the music industry and I have to say that I can see why so many people involved in it struggle with addiction. Anyhow, this book is about the members of a wildly successful boy band and their typical teenage struggles in a not at all normal environment. It's on my short list for Fall 2022

AHHH.

So I am a huge Sophie Gonzales fan. Everything she writes combines young love, awkward moments, and serious topics. This book, despite being co-authored, is no different.

If This Gets Out is perfect for anyone who has ever shipped boy band members. Wildest dreams come true, right? But it is also just an all-around good teen romance.

- We get the POVs of both characters, Ruben and Zach, and they both are just perfect in their own ways. I loved seeing both sides of the story and getting to know them over the course of the book—how they fit into the band and act as individuals.

- We get a band that I very much want to be real. Like seriously, can Sophie and Cale seek out four astonishingly attractive teenagers with the voices of angels to record a few songs? On top of Ruben and Zach, though, Angel and Jon, were fabulous bandmates and side characters.

- We get music industry struggles and all that entails. Including the effect of celebrity on teens and how much other people truly control the talent. It was such an interesting topic to dive into and I'd love to learn more about it in the real world. How many stars in the past and still today, like Ruben, weren't allowed to come out publicly?
- Along with that, we also get a look at drug/alcohol abuse, which we've all seen affect stars in real life.

There are some weaker moments and I can definitely understand how this book wouldn't be for everyone, but overall, this was just such a fun read and I love getting to see the serious side, too. Sophie Gonzales has earned her place as an auto-buy author for me yet again and now I'm curious to read more of Cale Dietrich's work, too.

If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales is such a winning YA novel that adult readers will love as well from two of my favorite YA writers (Sophie Gonzales: Perfect on Paper; Cale Dietrich: The Love Interest).

The book covers the inner lives of the members of the boy band Saturday - specifically focusing on members Ruben and Zach. The band's managers are all about image, which includes managing the image of the members and their sexuality.

Tensions rise within the group as they begin to push boundaries and explore new feelings.

Many thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

If This Gets Out is a fantastic, emotional that is always underpinned by the power of strong friendships.

The newly discovered boyband Saturday is quickly becoming one of America’s biggest acts. Now, Saturday are headed towards their first European tour, but the strain of overstrict managemental decisions is starting to deeply impact the boys. Ruben is forced into the closet to not affect the band’s image. Meanwhile, Zach is having an identity crisis of his own after realising his feelings for Ruben might not be strictly platonic. This is on top of substance abuse issues, lack of control, and having to constantly pretend to be someone they’re not – the boyband, and their friendships, are beginning to fall apart.

If This Gets Out was a compelling, loveable read full of complex, multi-dimensional characters. Even at their worst, they are believable and easy to understand. The book masterfully handles its characters in a slow-paced, thoughtful narrative. The romance is adorable, so if that’s what you’re excited for, you won’t be disappointed. The character development is superb as the cast figure out what they want in life, and what desperately needs to change. If This Gets Out balances wrenching your heart out with an undercurrent of hopefulness. It has that perfect emotional tone without being too depressing a read. Contemporary books aren’t my go-to genre, but I’m very glad I picked this one up.

In Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich's new YA rom-com, If This Gets Out, when two members of a popular boy band fall for each other, crises and craziness ensue.

Saturday is a world-famous boy band, and their fans know and love its four members: Jon, the sexy one; Zach, dark and brooding; Ruben, cute and likable; and Angel (not his real name), the sweet, innocent one. Of course, their real personalities are nothing like the perfectly curated images their management makes them adhere to.

They’ve been together for a number of years, but why is Ruben suddenly starting to have feelings for Zach? Ruben is always being told it’s not the right time to come out publicly, and all too often, guys use him. Besides, Zach is straight. Right?

For his part, Zach wants the label to give him a chance to write some songs, but he can’t seem to stay in Saturday’s music mindset. And why is he suddenly thinking about nothing but Ruben? Is this just a crush on a close friend?

When the two start falling for each other it touches off a powder keg, as the band members start resenting each other and the constant guidance/interference of their management. Angel wants to be seen as the sexy one and he has been acting out, and Jon is tired of having to flaunt his body.

They’re supposed to be friends but they’re feeling like anything but that. Ruben and Zach want to be together, but their management won’t let them, and the image of Saturday is in danger of slipping out of control. Are love—and freedom to be whom they want—worth risking it all for?

This was a fun book, full of drama and angst and young love. I’ll admit to having read some boy band fanfic (hot, BTW) so this was a cleaner, more dramatic version of some of that. You know what will happen but you’re happy to get immersed in Saturday’s story, and maybe you’ll try to label the characters with your favorite boy band members.

NetGalley and Wednesday Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The premise was a fun trope subversion — boy-band romance, but make it queer! — and I appreciated the diverse cast, whose diverse struggles were thoughtfully acknowledged. However, the plot consisted of romantic tropes upon romantic tropes upon romantic tropes, which I know will be a selling point for some readers but was somewhat underwhelming for me. It was also really obvious that the co-authors alternated chapters with their POV characters; the two narrators had distinct voices and worldviews, but at the same time there were minor inconsistencies throughout the narrative.

Classification wise, the book uncomfortably straddles the line between YA and NA, with repeated emphasis of the band members’ technical adulthood conflicting with the ~teen love~ vibes (read: romantic angst, incredibly poor decision-making, sometimes-cringe-inducing discussions of attraction and sex and sexuality) and the role of their adults. And to be fair, being eighteen IRL uncomfortably straddles that line. Specifically within the context of the novel, though, the in-between-ness made the themes and arcs feel muddled.

Overall this is still an enjoyable read but one with subjective issues. I didn’t love it as much as I hoped, but I’m sure others will find it delightful.

This book really destroyed me emotionally. I had to take long (months-long) pauses while reading it because I would feel so depressed and upset about events happening. I can't say that's ever happened to me before! I always thought I enjoyed relationship drama in my stories, but this was almost too much to handle.

I loved every aspect of the boy band scenario. It all felt entirely realistic, so it must have been well-researched. The plot meshed with every documentary and tabloid I've ever read or seen. (Half the reason I wanted to read the book was for the queer romance, but half was for the celebrity angle, and both were so well done!) This book could have been a boy band member's autobiography, it felt so genuine.

I loved both points-of-view in the book. I haven't read a lot of books that switch perspectives like that in the first person. But I absolutely abhorred the font. It really messed with my eyes that Zach's font was different from Ruben's. I'd adjust to one and then it would switch to the other and I hated it so much. If the story hadn't been so good, it would have put me off from reading it completely. It was incredibly distracting and annoying. I noticed it in both the e-galley and the printed ARC but my printed book that I purchased after publication seems to have a singular font throughout, so THANK YOU for that! I don't know if other people complained or if it was just an e-book issue but it was a big problem for me and maybe others.

There was just one aspect about the story itself that I didn't like. Early on, Zach lets his mother believe that Ruben was trying to force himself onto Zach and reacting badly that Zach wasn't reciprocating. He never cleared that up in the ARC edition. So I was surprised she didn't react badly to the news that Zach and Ruben had begun dating legitimately. If she thought someone was sexually harassing and potentially assaulting her son, she shouldn't have been okay with that at all. Maybe the finalized edition has cleared up that misunderstanding but in the ARC it's a glaring issue.

Anyway, I loved the book. Such an easy 5-star rating. It was my favorite book in 2021 and I expect it will be one that I reread often. Now that I know everything works out, I don't think I will be nearly so traumatized! But I am so eager to see more from these authors, and would love to see another collaboration in the future. Thanks for the fantastic read! It fulfilled my every boy band fantasy and then some.

Every fan of One Direction who has shipped its members will swoon over Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales’ novel If This Gets Out.
Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of Saturday, a famous boy-band that has made it big in America. They, along with their bandmates Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, are best friends backstage and adore their fans and what they do. As they kick off an international tour in Europe, tensions within the band begin to build: management controls every aspect of their lives: from their public image, to the clothes they wear, to keeping Ruben’s sexuality under wraps.
Ruben and Zach become even closer during this tour, and their friendship evolves into a romantic relationship. They want to come out and be public with their relationship. But it quickly becomes clear that Zach and Ruben do not have the support of their management, and they must figure out how to remain together in a world that wants to keep them apart.
One of the things I love about Ruben and Zach’s romance is how Zach came to terms with his identity.
Zach spent his whole life firmly convinced that he was straight, but there are moments during Zach’s internal monologue where he examines snapshots of his youth that could have been indicators of his true sexuality. He sequestered any small crushes he had on other men or any thoughts of admiration toward another man’s looks, and never allowed himself to truly analyze those feelings.
The story of Zach is quite heartwarming because it highlights the fact that there are people out there that accept their identity later in life. It makes the proclamation that even if you accept your sexuality later in life, whether in your late teens or forties, your identity and journey is no less valid.
Ruben and Zach’s friendship turned romance was incredibly sweet to watch unfold, and there were so many tropes packed into it! Friends to lovers, miscommunications, “there was only one bed,” and more.
The dynamic between Ruben and Zach felt charged but also soft. It is clear that they love each other as best friends and then soon after as boyfriends, and their interactions - even the negative ones - feel emotionally genuine.
They undergo a lot of different battles in If This Gets Out, but they persist in fighting for one another and their love, and that was something wonderful to experience.
While the romance between Ruben and Zach takes center stage, there is an incredibly important side-plot of mental health occurring as well.
This element is primarily portrayed with Angel, the wildest member of Saturday. At first, Angel comes across as irresponsible, erratic, and uncaring of his status and what he can and cannot do as a celebrity. However, as the story progresses and we see how the industry is treating the boys of Saturday and how little control they have over their public - and even private - lives, Angel’s mental health deterioration is heartbreakingly understandable.
We also see how being in this industry impacts Ruben, Zach, and Jon. Ruben was gaslit into believing that he would one day be able to come out publicly and live his life free of heteronormative expectations. Zach wants to branch out and write songs that are not limited to the pop genre, but their management sequesters every attempt he makes to explore his passion. Jon is the son of their manager, stuck in a position where he must separate his father from his boss, but almost never gets to just be a son.
Moreover, their management also assigned them roles to play, such as Zach as the “bad boy” and Angel as a sweet virgin, when these roles are not at all who these boys are. The erasure of their identities in the public eye is heart-wrenching, and Gonzales and Dietrich do a fantastic job at showcasing how problematic this practice is.
This factor was a crucial point to explore, because being a celebrity in the music industry is not all glamour and fun. There are so many things that happen behind the scenes that we never see, and it is important that we understand that our favorite celebrities are not people we should just objectify or ship together or wish we could be dating; they are people first, and we should care for them as people as well as the image and art they put out.
If This Gets Out is a love story, but it is also a message to the public to take care of their idols. The public has a staggering amount of sway, and it can be used to ensure that their favorite celebrities are being taken care of and continue to love doing what they do.

Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
PG – only off page sex

The audiobook performer is fantastic!

I enjoyed this book a lot; it’s my first book from these authors. I requested a review copy of the ebook from NetGalley and then when I found out that the audiobook was also available from there, I requested a copy of it.

Ramon de Ocampo did a FANTASTIC job with this book. He truly gave a wonderful performance of this story; it wouldn’t be right to call him just a narrator. I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t have liked the book as much if I’d read it with my eyes. Ramon put such emotion into the story and each character had their own distinctive voice. I can’t say enough good things about his performance. He is actually the reason I requested a review copy.

This is definitely a YA story; there is no on-page sexual content. I often find it more titillating when I have to use my own imagination and have found several YA/NA stories that I really enjoyed. The blurb gives you an excellent overview of the story. Something it doesn’t say is how controlling the band’s management company is. They keep the band members pretty much locked up after some shenanigans go on.

There are some pretty awful adult characters in this story. The management company definitely but also some of the parents are pretty horrible. The story ends with an HFN which is mostly satisfactory but it leaves the readers to draw their own conclusions. I’m the type of reader who prefers a little more towards an HEA than this book has but it did feel appropriate for this particular story.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

Trigger Warnings: Divorce, underage drinking, parental abandonment, drugs, homophobia, internalized homophobia, sex, biphobia, anxiety, addiction, eating disorder, coming out

Representation: Gay, POC (Spanish), Questioning, Lesbian

If This Gets Out is the story of boy band, Saturday on the American and European legs of their tour. Band members, Zach and Ruben, share a kiss which leads to more. The couple share their new love with the others, but must keep it a secret to save the reputation of the band.

If This Gets Out was an excellently written love story! I loved the premise and the glimpse into what makes the music industry run. I thought the characters had a nice base, but wished we could’ve seen more development, as well as a deeper dive into their flaws. I loved seeing the boys struggle and only wish that was explored more. I love a happy ending, but this felt a bit rushed. Overall, the book could’ve been longer or expanded in some areas rather than others.

I ENJOYED…
☂️
Ruben and Zach are part of Saturday, one of the biggest boys band in America… and in the world. While Ruben’s struggling with management’s order for him to stay in the closet, Zach’s slowly struggling with his growing feelings for Ruben and, with it, questioning his own sexuality.
If This Gets Out is told from two POV, Ruben and Zach’s.
Ruben was a great, well-rounded main character. While he’s struggling with wanting to own his identity publicly, he also has to face his mother’s constant text messages and criticism about his every performance, dance move and even the slightlest variation of his voice. I really enjoyed Ruben’s growth thorough the story, liked his determination and how he slowly stood up for himself more and more despite what others wanted him to do.
Zach was my favorite of the two characters. He’s such a soft bean. He’s having the hardest of times owning what he really wants, always putting others’ needs and wants before his own – hell, before he even starts thinking about his own and, ouch. This felt kind of relatable to me. I loved his journey thorough the story, both with this part of him and with him slowly, but surely, figuring out his sexuality and admitting it to himself and to others, as well. I just want to protect Zach with everything I have okay.
One of my favorite parts of this story was the strong friendship between the members of Saturday. They’re all very different, yet when they need it, they’re always here for each other, supporting each other through it all, yet also unafraid to tell each other the truth as it is, even when it hurts. I really loved them all together so much!
Of course, there is a place for romance in this story and, I have to say I really loved how it grew, slowly but surely. I loved how both characters were with each other, understanding, slow and kind, always there for each other when the other needed it. It was such a great romance to follow!
Another theme I loved in If This Gets Out is how it talks about fame. How being in the spotlight changes you, how you can lose who you really are in favor of who management wants you to be, how much is expected of you versus what you really want to do… I always love these kind of themes in stories and, there, I found it so interesting to see each character stuggle with these issues, in their own way.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
☂️
I have to admit, I was a little bit frustrated about how some issues were treated in the story… or, well, didn’t have enough time on the page to get a proper closure. No spoilers here, but I would have loved to see more of Ruben and his mother’s complicated relationship by the end of the story, as well as Angel’s struggles.

OVERALL
☂️
If you’re looking for a highly entertaining read about a queer boys band romance and the pressure of fame, you’ll have a lot of fun reading If This Gets Out. Definitely recommending this!

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't perfect for me. I give huge props to the author for creating these characters and the story, and I think it's a case of me and not the book. I didn't feel truly connected to the characters, and the whole situation they found themselves in with hiding their relationship and then wanting to come out but forced to stay in the closet because the higher ups thought it would damage the group image...I just wasn't a fan of hiw that all went down.

The basic premise of the story is great. Friends fall in love and not just any friends, but teen heart throbs part of the biggest, or soon to be biggest, boy band. I know people ship guys in groups together, mostly in innocent fun because you can't help but think what if, you know? But when you think about what that could really look like, I would guess this story isn't too off the mark for some.

Personally I wish Ruben and Zach stood up to everybody and said screw you I'm going to be happy and live my life to the fullest, darn the fans and the band and breech of contract. But they took and complained in private. Not a healthy relationship that.

As for the rest of the bandmates, they need help. Too much was put on these kids and they have no idea which way us up and depend on the wrong people to help them navigate this fame life.

The ending was cool but I felt like there was just so much unnessary filler to make the story longer and they could have had their hea much easier. Agree we needed to see them together, find love, argue about what to do next, and deal with their friends/band mates, but at the same time seeing them deal with choreography headaches, eating issues to maintain weight, drugs, anger, resentment, there was so much packed in here it felt like way too much, for me. But I have to assume this was included to show how overwhelming their lives are.

I would recommend this to the shippers who want an hea for their guys, but other than that, I can't say I would recommend. I want a little more maturity in my stories.

3 stars

I have never wanted to be famous, I have always thought it would be generally terrible to always be in the limelight, have no privacy and down time. So the beginning of this book wasn't super appealing to me. Why would someone want their child to be in a boy band (particularly if they were the producer). The love story was cute, I particularly enjoyed the ending. I loved that the band took their own path, and realized the huge implications only after it happened (both good and bad). However, the process to get there was a challenge for me to read, a bit tedious and very sad because of the reality of it.