I absolutely adored this book! It was a refreshing take on a boy band that added queer characters to the story and explored heavy topics as well. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

*4.5 stars
This is a cute romance between 2 members of the same boy band. But it also covers some heavy topics like drug abuse, emotionally abusive/manipulative parents, forced closeting, etc. this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was also one of my favorites!

This truly was a book of hope. I've. been stoked about it since hearing about it, so I'm grateful to have the opportunity to review it on NetGalley.

[spoilers]
One thing that is unfortunate about queer stories is they usually follow the same kind of formula. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the band to break up, for the boys to break up, for things to implode. And they did implode, but the support for the characters still finding out who they were was incredible. I'm so glad this team decided to tackle substance abuse. That storyline was perfectly handled and there was hope. Nothing was instantly fixed, but the story felt resolved and goodness. Just so good. Definitely put it on your TBR list.

This book is a fun read with a lot more substance that I assumed it would have!

The main plot - two members of a popular boy band falling for each other - is perfect for anyone who appreciates a good gay love story or who has ever shipped their favorite celebrities. Their relationship develops at a good pace and has a nice arc. Boy band fans will appreciate the storyline, but so will those who aren't fans of slickly created pop groups. All of the main characters are interesting and deal with various issues stemming from both their own personalities and as a consequence of being money-making vehicles for moguls in the music industry.

As a teen librarian, I will absolutely recommend this to most of my patrons, especially those who love gay romances like Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda or the Heartstopper series.

For a book whose premise reminds me way too much of 2013 fanfiction, this was actually a really enjoyable read!! I loved the dynamics between the guys, and the writing itself was very light and fun. I was also drawn into this book very quickly-- within the first few pages, I was absolutely hooked.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich was such a fun read! If you've ever wondered what would happen if two members of your favorite boy band fell in love with each other, this one's definitely for you!

Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon were all complex, well-written characters. I love how this book explores the pressures and the downsides to being famous while still acknowledging the wealth and privilege that come with it. Ruben and Zach's relationship was beautifully handled and I was rooting for them the whole time!

One of the characters does struggle with a drug addiction, so keep that in mind.

I've been a huge fan of Sophie Gonzales and I'm so glad this book solidified that for me! I'll also be keeping an eye out for Cale Dietrich now!

If This Gets Out is the ultimate boy band book of my dreams. Told in dual perspectives, this book about the inner-workings of pop groups is impossible to put down! Zach and Ruben, members of the boy band Saturday, are falling for each other while they're in the spotlight and must deal with all that comes with being a celebrity. Any reader who has once had a favorite boy bander will adore this book.

If This Gets Out explores identity and sexuality in a very authentic way that teen readers will connect with. Zach and Ruben may be coming out on a world stage but many teens will recognize the feeling of embracing your true self and showing your light to everyone.

I loved the drama and the boy band dynamic! I love Sophie Gonzales and this is just another book I enjoyed. It made me think about what people in the media go through.

If This Gets Out - 3.5⭐

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Co-written books are always so interesting- it's got to be hard enough to write a book, let alone do it with someone else, right? This was a great combination of both a plot & character driven story, with each member of the band having a distinct voice. Overall, I ended up really enjoying this, but what prevented me from loving it was the length. There were many times that I wanted to shake the book and say "we get it, Ruben's mom is a witch" or "yes, the band is clearly controlled to the extreme by their label".

The ending was lovely and perfect for this story. The authors' note at the end was interesting, as the story of control while being in a band was based on real stories. This was super enlightening- I've never had any desire to be famous, mostly due to lack of privacy, but hadn't ever really thought about all of the other, endless ways that celebrities lives are controlled and written out for them.

Full review to come on bookstagram.

3.5 stars

I'm certainly not the target audience for this fanfic, but it was an enjoyable read. I liked the growth of the band members, although it was mostly focused on Ruben and Zach, not so much Angel and Jon, who definitely should have more story relevance.

This story involves some harder topics than might be expected in a romance. (I'm not calling it a rom-com because there wasn't much comedy.) The romance is sweet but the angst and weird miscommunication seemed unnecessary.

As diverse as the characters are, it's odd there wasn't much representation of decent relationships with females or that these guys didn't have other friends.

I think the target audience will love this book and stan #zuben.

DNF at 22%. I started this back in April and just never finished — the substance abuse storyline diminished my enjoyment (it wasn’t handled badly, I just wasn’t in the frame of mind to grapple with a difficult topic). Seeing that it’s now December, it’s safe to say that I will never finish this book.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super fun read! As someone who definitely shipped One Direction members back in the day Ruben and Zach's story really hit the mark. It was wild to read their perspectives and seeing just how controlled they were and that they couldn't even be themselves or called their name! I hope this duo writes more together so I can read it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I loved Sophie Gonzales's last book so when I saw she had co-written another, I had to check it out. If This Gets Out was a great read! Even though the authors alternated chapters while writing the narriative is very smooth. The reader really gets to know not only the main characters but also the other bandmates.

Despite being a book about teen idols, the message is very relatable. Everyone needs to come out at their own time and to the extent that they are comfortable. Some people want to be out to the world and some don't and both are valid.

I loved this book so much! I think there were so many great working parts to it, the family aspect, friendship, love, and coming of age that made it all flow so well together. As a One Directioner, I could not get the thought of One Direction out of my mind as I read this (not just about Larry, I'm respectful of their friendship), but as the complete amount of control held over the boys as they performed. My hard reached out to the band so much throughout the book because of how desperately they wanted to be themselves but weren't allowed to.

I loved all of the characters individually and I loved each of their individual arcs. Okay Angel had me LAUGHING, but I felt so bad for him! I loved the way he was able to get help and grow by the end of the novel. I felt like Jon was just a bit in the background, but I was so happy for him when he stood up to his father in the end. FINALLY! Zach and Ruben were AMAZING! They had such a natural connection and great chemistry. Their relationship blossomed in such a perfectly yearning and beautiful way.

I loved this book so much and I can't wait to read whatever else these authors write!

This was a fun read, but ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. For a 400+ page book, a lot of the storylines felt underdeveloped, and a lot of the conflicts were resolved very quickly. I found myself feeling like the book was dragging in the middle. I would have liked a shorter book that was more tightened up, since some of the parts I really enjoyed!

Things I liked: The depiction of the music industry from the perspective of a boy band member, it was cool to read about their experience dealing with fame. Zach & Ruben's relationship was so cute and I did love to see their moments together. I liked especially the parts where Zach learns that he needs to look out for himself too, not just other people.

Things that didn't work for me: I thought the plot line with Angel and the drug addiction/abuse wasn't handled well. It really seemed like he went to rehab and then everything was all better. There was only one line after that about how this would be something he struggled with for his whole life. I also felt like Zach's relationship with his mom was resolved much too quickly, there were many parts about his relationship with his dad that weren't addressed later in the book. I found it difficult to distinguish sometimes between the POVs, even though they were written by different authors and had different fonts they sounded too similar in my mind.

I am in love. This book is important. These boys (while fictional) are my children and I will protect them at all costs. Each character is so well-rounded and fleshed out that there are times when it's easy to forget that this is fiction. The romance between Ruben and Zach had me cheering for them from page one, but honestly, I came for the romance and stayed for the whole thing. This book is clearly well-researched and incredibly well-written. It explores systemic homophobia, biphobia, racism, and fetishization in the music industry and the effect that it has on literal children. It is hard to see these boys treated as products by all of the adults around them. But again. This book is so important.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eBook!

If This Gets Out will make you swoon! If you’ve ever loved a boy band (and let’s be real, we’ve all been there), then you will love Saturday! Ruben and Zach’s love story is completely captivating, and such beautiful bi representation. I love how the four boys of Saturday become family, and how they stand up against their toxic management team. This book is so wonderful, and I highly recommend it!

This was fun but maybe a bit too close to the real-life people that seemed to inspire it. I think it would be appropriate for a class on celebrity, but I’m not sure I would recommend my students read something of this length that I wouldn’t recommend and would instead turn a more critical eye toward.

If you have ever been involved in a particular sort of fandom, you will definitely want to immerse yourself in this story. Meaningful in multiple ways, this is definitely one to add to your collection.

I have received an eARC of this book on Netgalley. In this review, you will find my honest opinions on this book.
I am in love with this book. The two main characters Zach and Ruben have amazing chemistry and I loved all their scenes together. I really enjoyed the fact that the book is written from both Zack and Ruben’s point of view so you really get a full grasp of their story and their struggles. The two other band members were also really intriguing and I would love to read more about them. Angel had an amazing vibe to him and his relationship with the rest of the boys was so much fun to read. They also included the relationship between the boys and their parents a lot especially Ruben and is mom. It wasn’t like just because they got famous their parents weren’t there anymore. And I think it described the weight your parents put on you without them really meaning too really well.
The book really took a dive in the behind the scenes of a boyband and the pressure they are put under and restrictions they have. It also shows how each of the boy’s deal with things their own way and even though they basically live together that it doesn’t mean you can’t hide anything from each other. I would have enjoyed seeing more about Angel and Jon and their journey through all that happens on a more closer level but the focus was on Ruben and Zack so I am glad with what I got.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a young love/first love story with an amount of teenage angst. The boys really captured my heard throughout the story and I would love to read more about them. I am also really excited to read more book from these two authors.