This book was SO good! I was immediately hooked from page one and drawn into the behind the scenes life of touring, dealing with fame and boy bands. The story is told from dual POV; from their relationships with each other, the band and their families I thought the book was enhanced by getting both differing perspectives. I really appreciated Zach’s character and how he came to terms with his sexuality as well as his struggles to achieve his songwriting dreams. The relationship and chemistry between Zach and Rueben was honest and heartfelt and they actually talked about their issues. Music and boy band fans will love this novel and I highly recommend to all!

3.5/5 stars

This is a YA contemporary romance.

This book has dual 1st person POVs: Ruben and Zach (both 18 years old). They are two members of the 4 member super popular boy band group, Saturday.

I don't read m/m romances too often. But I do like to try out new genres. This was definitely an interesting coming of age story. I enjoyed the brief glimpses of the European cities (the tour that the group was on). However boy bands are not really my thing. And I kept mixing up whose chapter I was reading.

But there were definitely things to like. All four boyband characters were interesting. The romance was strong. And the last part of the book had a lot more happening. It was by far my favorite part of the book. Overall, it was an interesting read.

Sophie Gonzales does it again! She has written another phenomenal book. I read Perfect on Paper earlier this year and fell in love. It's one of my favorite books of 2021. After Perfect on Paper, Sophie became a new favorite author for me. Sophie’s books are funny, endearing, and endlessly entertaining. I knew I would love this book–and I was right.

If This Gets Out is written by the amazing duo: Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. These two knocked it out of the park with this book. This book is emotional, romantic, and everything I wanted it to be. I don’t want to say too much and spoil anything! The premise of this story is that Ruben and Zach are part of a very famous boy band known as Saturday. They go on their first tour through Europe and explore the country–and their relationship..

Here are some things I loved:
The Characters: I loved getting to know all 4 band members: Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. Each don a stereotypical label, but they have so much more depth. Trust me, you’ll fall for these boys!

The romance: Ugh. TOO CUTE FOR WORDS. That is all I can say.

The plot: I think the authors tackled the concept of fame and the pressures that come along with it perfectly. This book showcases all of the various sides and layers to being famous. We see the good, the bad, and the ugly.

All in all, I recommend this book to everyone! This book was a joy to read from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what this duo does next!

Really 3.5. This book was entertaining, but needed more development in both character & plot. Many of the characters felt like one-sentence descriptions instead of fully fleshed out characters. I also liked Ruben & Zach’s dynamic before they became a couple more than after they started dating. They lost some of their fun & humor. The plot also seemed to scratch the surface a lot of the time before moving on to the next scene.

𝗜𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧 is the story of two boy band members who fall in love and what happens to them and the group when their relationship is revealed. This YA friends-to-lovers romance has a lot of great moments, there's terrific chemistry between Ruben and Zach and I enjoyed all of the behind-the-scenes making-of-a-boy-band industry drama (I totally pictured Lou Pearlman the entire time) but I wasn't wowed. Maybe I'm too old to be the target audience (my favorite boy band will always be New Kids on the Block and I could have birthed the members of One Direction!) but I wanted more from what had the potential to be an amazing story. My kids are reading it now so I'm looking forward to seeing what they think.

I Swear, I didn't need to say Bye Bye Bye to this book but it didn't have all The Right Stuff for me either. (And if you got the three references in that sentence, you are a true boy band lover!)

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy to review.

This was fun! A romp! Weirdly legally entangled for a minute and then weirdly NOT legally entangled a minute later (i would have preferred skipping that part because it felt like it got both too in the weeds and not in the weeds enough). It gave me enough about all the characters that i was enneagram typing even the side characters so that's a good sign (a classic rom com almost never lets me do that, as much as i love them). This made me feel very old though, in a way that not all books about teenagers/young adults do--i can't pinpoint it, but it was like my joints ached by the end and i wanted to start sentences with "back in my day..."

But overall it was fun!


Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this and like many other reviews, they may come to regret it because i can't imagine this is going to get a lot of people to read it.

My little closeted teenage heart would've died to read something like this in the late-90s/early-00s. So, when I saw it on NetGalley I requested it IMMEDIATELY, the publisher approved, and I have been sitting on it for months.*

I know I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it—I am SO jealous of all the teens today getting to see themselves in books like this. I mean hell I enjoy them and I am WELL outside the target demographic for these.

This is the story of Zach and Ruben or "Zuben" and I am here for it. It was so freakin' adorable and wonderful and everything I needed after slogging through James Joyce and a couple of MM Holiday Romance duds.

I've always wanted Zach to kiss me, I think. But I never thought he would. So, I kept it locked in a chest in the back of my mind. The place I hid things I knew would only hurt me.

I never meant to unlock it. (Chapter 5)

Take any boy band you want and place them in this story and you've got it tailor made for you. Seriously, I remember having the biggest crush on Lance Bass because he was the quiet one in N'SYNC and then decades he came out and I felt 100% validated. I never shipped him with anyone because he was pure and perfect (I mean I did grow up in the south :-D).

Where I didn't enjoy the book, because you weren't supposed to, was how controlling and manipulative the management company was. We hear the stories and the tabloids cover it, but it didn't make it any more fun to read it and live it vicariously through Zach, Ruben, Jon and Angel.

The thing about your dreams coming true is that, for a gold-spun moment, you catch a glimpse of what life could be like for you. Then when you lose it, and you crash back to reality, it's from such a great height all you can do is lie there, winded and bruised, while you come to terms with the idea that a happiness like that isn't meant for you. (Chapter 7)

I really liked that the book was real and didn't sugarcoat any parts. From the drug addiction and forced closeting to the sex and anxiety, I had visceral responses to so many parts of the book. Seriously though, the writing around Zach and coming to terms with his bisexuality was so incredibly well written and gut wrenching. It immediately transported me back to when I first started coming to terms with my sexuality and started to actually say the words to people. So kudos to the authors for really bringing that part to life. And when you add in the descriptions about Zach's up-bringing like this one

That's the thing about being poor, it never really leaves you. I still weigh the worth of every dollar, even though I don't need to do that anymore. My first impulse is to get the cheapest thing available because it's just the same. I remember wanting new clothes or a video game or even something from a coffee shop but having them be off-limits because they cost too much. Even if I did get them, guilt always followed. (Chapter 22)

100% yes. I grew up without a lot of money and even though I've been an adult with a decent job/salary for so many years now I still live this. Even though I've gotten less intense about every dollar, but it's still there and I can tell you where every dollar goes. I know I've gotten a little less stressed about buying things for myself every now and then (oh hey expensive yarn related hobbies), but even when I do I'm like OMG I never could've done this before.

Once you've learned shame, it settles into your skin like a tattoo. You can cover it up but you can't scrub off the sense of inadequacy. (Chapter 9)

The part that tore at me the most and legit brought me to tears was when Zach and Ruben came out. The fact that their bandmates supported them and the fans supported them even when their management was THE. WORST. just made me love it that much more. I was so glad we experienced the scene from Ruben's point of view after all of his concerns around Zach and when Zach took the mic, I was floored and legit would've sobbed if I were alone it was just the perfect tension release.

I'm not sold on the ending because it was a happy for now with a hopeful future, but I get why they did it. I would've preferred a year later them on top of the charts and getting to secretly visit all the places in Europe they didn't get to visit, but honestly it could've also ruined the book. Gonzales and Dietrich choosing to keep the story on the precipice of what's next left me wanting more instead of disappointing me with a lackluster epilogue.

Recommendation: OMG YES, YES, YES! I loved the journey and could've read another 100 pages easily. From #Anjon to #Zuben I am here for this novel. The only thing I can say is I wish it would've come out years and years ago when I was a little closeted teen not-so-secretly loving the height of BSB, NSCYNC, B2K, 98 Degrees, O-Town and general boy band/girl group craze. The writing was seamless between Gonzales and Dietrich and made me want to seek out the other book by Dietrich I haven't read yet.

*I received a copy of If This Gest Out from the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

If This Gets Out follows Zach and Ruben, two members of incredibly popular boyband Saturday, as they struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and the potential romance that is brewing between them. Meanwhile, their fellow band members Jon and Angel face their own struggles with parental pressure and addiction, and what follows is a harrowing story of the negative side of celebrity and the struggles of dealing with personal matters in the public eye.

This is a very sweet contemporary romance that explores some very real issues with the celebrity in an understandable and troubling way. Although parts of this book, particularly some of the parental relationships and the relationship of the band with their management team, definitely felt a little caricature-y at times, this is generally a serious story with an important message about finding yourself and maintaining personal boundaries. The friendship and eventual romance between Zach and Ruben was incredibly sweet, and the trust and reliance that they had with each other was so lovely to read about that they were a very easy couple to root for and cheer on.

Ruben was by far the most straight-forward character in the story, and he was very much a grounding figure in some of the more stressful scenes in the book. Zach was a little harder to like for a large part of the book as I found that his personal, internal struggles were having a negative impact on other members of the band, particularly Ruben, and I wanted to see him deal with these in a less destructive way. That being said – as a teenage protagonist who is struggling with both fame and sexuality, a lot of his actions were completely understandable.

I did really like the growth of all members of the band as the story progressed, and seeing them overcome so much and discover who they truly wanted to be was incredibly refreshing. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an easy, romantic read with an inspirational, brave pair of protagonists and a powerful message.

I really enjoyed If This Gets Out. The romance between Zach and Ruben was perfect. Even though the story is mostly about those two main characters you are immersed in the lives of all of the band members. Not that I know anything about the music industry and the world of boy bands, but everything felt incredibly realistic. I kept wondering what band was the inspiration for this story.

I felt true sadness for all the members of Saturday for everything they have to endure from their tour, band manager, and their label. It is written so well that you just feel for all of them and want to wrap them all in a hug.
Each character shows immense growth throughout the book. It was lovely to read since it's so easy to become invested in these characters and to want their success. This isn't exactly a light book - it deals with drug abuse, emotional abuse, power dynamics, fame, and all that comes with it, not to mention LGTBQ representation and self-discovery.

Despite my love for Perfect on Paper, I struggled to connect with If This Gets Out. The romance was sweet enough, however, I found both main characters to be insufferable and their lack of communication skills was so frustrating. I also found that the authors tried to tackle too many topics and many of them were either dropped and/or treated horribly.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is one of those books that wasn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be. I knew going in that there was a romance between two members of a boy-band, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also an in-depth exploration of what goes on behind-the-scenes of the music industry, where apparently there’s not much of the good but a lot of the bad and ugly.

The story follows Ruben and Zach, two members of the ultra popular boy-band, Saturday. Ruben and Zach, along with the other two members, Jon and Angel, all became best friends years ago in music camp and eventually decided to form a band together. Over the years, as they have all grown closer, Ruben realizes that he has developed more than just friendly feelings toward Zach and is elated to learn that Zach feels the same way. Both boys want to come out publicly as queer and tell the world that they are in love with one another, but to their utter dismay, the record company management just isn’t having it for fear of alienating the band’s female fans and the parents who ultimately buy the band’s albums for their children.

I adored all four of the boys in the band and my heart also broke for them all on so many levels. It becomes clear that even though they are mega celebrities, they have no control over their own lives or even of their own personalities and sexual identities. Management decides how each of them will look and dress, often creating personas for them that in no way match up with what each boy is really like. When they go to Europe on tour, they are practically kept like animals in cages, not allowed to even go out and see the sights.

The strain on each boy’s mental health is intense, and it was this raw and dark look at the music industry that really made If This Gets Out such a powerful and compelling read for me. It was horrifying to think the mental health and well-being of these boys fell a distant second to exploiting them and doing whatever was necessary to keep the money rolling in. All I kept thinking while I was reading was thank goodness these boys have each other to turn to. I loved their friendship; in so many ways, they’re truly like brothers, always there for each other no matter how hard things get. Those friendships and the love between Zach and Ruben nicely balance out what would otherwise be a very dark story.

Zach and Ruben are two members of one of the world's most famous pop bands. On a grueling world tour, the two grow closer, while also dealing with the complete control their management has over their lives.

I LOVE a behind-the-scenes-of-fame story and I'm glad that ones like this exist for today's actual YAs to read. It's a great reminder that when it comes to fame, things can be more purposely curated than you might realize.

Both Ruben and Zach grew a lot in the span of the story, and in realistic ways. I really thought this was just going to be a silly secret romance book but it got a lot deeper than I expected! The depth to which the boys were silenced was fascinating, and honestly, I would read a follow-up about what the band does going forward.

So I will say I expected to go onto this and completely fall head over heels for these boys and their story. While I liked it I didn't fall hard. I have a feeling that the demographic that this book is marketed towards will absolutely love this book while myself whose last fan girling over a boy band was NKOTB. So ya know it's been awhile lol.

There is a lot of good in this book and its narrative that people should be able to come out on their own terms, at a time of their own choosing and be protected by those in their circle. Ruben and Zach have more difficulties than most young men because they are famous and their lives are completely controlled by their management team. I think this book will be exactly what some young people need and will help many.

Overall a solid read.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

I’ll preface this review by saying I’m solidly in the N’SYNC and Backstreet Boys glory days time period (I guess that would be considered historical fiction hehe!) so any possible One Direction references most likely went over my head. That said, this was an enjoyable YA story for me!

It’s told through two perspectives of one half the boy band Saturday--Ruben and Zach. The duo, along with members Angel and Jon--are teen heartthrobs in America and all extremely close off stage--but the fame and success are starting to create friction that won’t take much to combust.

Zach has been forced to stay in the closet and Ruben starts developing “more than friend” feelings for Zach on tour. Angel’s facing his own inner demons, and Jon is struggling to keep the peace between his manager dad and his bandmates. It's a fabulous coming of age story for the whole group of guys. I love that it focused just as much on the storyline of their careers and friendships as it did the romance. As a mom, I also really appreciated the interactions with the parents and how their families dealt with their young careers and their sexuality, and also that they gave them enough agency to make future decisions for themselves.

I love that the authors are effortlessly inclusive, and encourage thought-provoking discussions with their story! Thanks to Wednesday books and NetGalley for an eARC.

3.5

This is hard because there were aspects to this that I absolutely loved but there were also some bits that had me scratching my head a little. Though some of that might be because I was expecting more a fluffy YA romance.

First, I loved that each character felt so unique and real. Each boy had a distinct personality and I loved that we got to see their real personalities as well as the personality that management forced on them for publicity. I also thought that as a whole Zach and Ruben's relationship was so sweet. Yes there were a few moments of manufactured conflict for them but I find that to be expected in a romance, and in this case I liked that the conflict forced Zach to be less passive.

I also loved the exploration of queerness both in Zach discovering his bisexuality and in Ruben's navigating the very real experience of being out in some situations but not others and in his case the fact that he wanted to be out completely but he was forced to hide it. I also liked the discussion around safe sex, including the use of PrEP and condoms.

Unfortunately the forced closeting kind of fell apart for me when I considered the management's reaction to Ruben and Zach's real relationship compared to their treatment of fans shipping Jon and Angel. Like they never blinked at that but when Ruben and Zach actually got together all of a sudden management wouldn't let them look at one another in public even though they were meant to be "fixing" the public thinking that they were feuding?

Management's treatment of Angel also left a weird taste in my mouth as much as I appreciate the added depth to the discussion around celebrity. And I think the addition of Angel's storyline to Zach and Ruben's made Jon feel kind of flat because we didn't get an in depth look at his struggles though he clearly had just as many.

As a whole, I think this is a great addition to the explosion of queer YA books in recent years and would definitely recommend, especially as it delves into conversation about what it means to be a celebrity in a time where celebrity culture is getting even more pervasive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books

CW: homophobia, forced in the closet, biphobia, fat phobia, diet culture, addiction (side character), car crash (car vs. human, on-page, side character), gaslighting

This was an angsty YA look at life in a boy band. This book addresses a lot of heavy issues very well, and does not glamorize at all what it's like being in a heavily controlled environment where people are forcing you into a very specific space especially one you don't want to be in.

The B plot is also this beautiful friends to lovers story with some pining and full of self-discovery and love. All four members of the boy band were just fun, distinct characters and I truly loved all of their arcs as they slowly fought for what they wanted most.

Steam: 2 (sex implied but entirely off page closed door)

I really enjoyed this one and it addressed a lot more serious topics than I was expecting. There’s a lot to unpack, and as a recent convert to (music group) fandom the insights into the entertainment industry were both fascinating and disquieting.

The complex relationships between characters were one of the big strengths of this book, especially between Zach, Ruben and their respective parents. It was all very messy but felt very real. Side note: I’d really love to know more about Jon’s relationship with his parents, especially given that his father is in charge of Saturday’s management.

I was however a little confused about Zach’s mum and whether the readers are encouraged to like her or not. I feel like her and Zach’s relationship is set up to contrast markedly with Ruben and his mum, and while I doubt that Zach’s mum is meant to come across as saintly, the way Zach responds to her following a disagreement conveys a sense that everything is all magically fine when to me it felt deeply unresolved. (I didn't realise I still felt so angry about this until writing this review!)

All the boys of Saturday were compelling and I became really invested in their lives, getting so tense at one point that I actually cried. At another scene I genuinely felt physically nauseated from the secondhand stress, so, you know, fair warnings. My favourite character/most intriguing was Jon, their unofficial leader. I kept wishing that we heard from him more! I definitely think there’s a lot of potential for a sequel to follow a Jon/Angel dual POV. We could follow Angel during his (highlight for spoiler) sobriety journey and the whole ‘Anjon’ ship issue could be addressed too. ‘Anjon’ got brought up so many times that I thought the authors were hinting at something down the line, and either way it would be an opportunity to explore the negative pressure of fans intensely shipping members who aren’t actually dating. Given the completely oppositional personalities that Jon and Angel have, I have no doubt I’d be able to tell their POVs apart with ease, which was not quite the case with Zach and Ruben.

It was really interesting to see different parts of Saturday’s job (I loved their makeup artist, Penny!) and it felt quite realistic. (Obviously, I am speaking as someone with no lived experience of the music industry.) Some things were familiar to me as a fan, like the general public’s dismissiveness of boybands’ validity and artistry as musicians. Other things like the aggressive branding of each member, the ring light carried by Saturday’s team to give them perfect lighting for outdoor selfies, and a bunch of other things...wow. I think this book will be in the back of my mind for a long time to come whenever I consider BTS and other music acts.

I will admit that I did feel slightly underwhelmed as my expectations were sky-high after seeing a lot of hype. At times it could feel a little slow as well, though it was definitely bingeable; I just found sometimes that when I put the book down I’d take forever to get back to it. I actually also feel like I could’ve done less with the ‘makeout scenes’ and more with Zach and Ruben hanging out or in conversation, as I seemed to ship them more when they were talking and that’s where I felt their chemistry most, rather than the physical scenes. (I did absolutely love the first kiss though!)

Overall, this was an immersive and thought-provoking read with plenty of heart: heart-sinking, heart-wrenching, heart-lifting moments, it’s got them all (and sometimes launches them at you all at once!). I really enjoyed the ending in particular. Part of me wants an epilogue but I also really appreciate the way it finished (or starts? You’ll see).

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This novel works on several levels. I enjoyed the romance and the two POV characters. But I was absolutely captivated by the psychology of the novel - the identity pieces, the group dynamics - and the music business portions. This is well done all the way around. Music fans, romance fans, boy band fans, readers looking for an LGBTQ+ romance, and readers who love a good exploration of personality and identity should not miss this one! (Language, sex, LGBTQ+, drug/alcohol use, TW: gaslighting, manipulation, verbal abuse/hypercriticism.)

I liked this book a lot and felt it was a very solid read. I found the whole concept behind this book very intriguing, current and appealing. I am not and have never been a boy band follower but I was easily and quickly caught up in these characters, their story and their world. I enjoyed the complexity of this book. On one hand it delivers a wonderful romance that gave me plenty of feels and warmed my heart, and with the other it touches on important topics like sexuality, fame, drug abuse, family, emotional abuse and friendship. This was a potent and powerful read but also a very fun one.

If you were born in the 80s or 90s, or the even early 2000s for that matter, it’s all but inevitable that you have a favourite boyband.

Were you a NKOTB original? Perhaps a Backstreet Boys diehard? Or maybe even a One Direction stan?

For me, it was definitely NSYNC or bust. I mean, is there anything more adorable than Justin Timberlake circa 1999?

And reading this new release from Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich was nothing short of the greatest wish-fulfillment I can imagine.

When two members of the world’s most popular boy band fall in love, they must choose between living their authentic lives and maintaining the success their rigid stock image has earned them.

Ultimately, they must find a way to stand up against the controlling record label that has bullied their way to the top.

Despite their fame and fortune, I found these dual protagonists to be incredibly relatable, facing a slew of problems my students encounter on the regular.

In particular, the emotionally abusive relationship between Ruben and his mother contrasted perfectly with the Gilmore Girls adjacent connection Zach shares with his own parent.

And the constant discussion of healthy versus toxic relationships is so very relevant and important for young adults.

I enjoyed this story at equal turns for its entertainment value and its scathing social commentary, and will certainly be recommending it for years to come.