I really enjoyed this book. 10/10 for sure, will have to pick this book ups and check out more books by both authors.

This story is a love story. It is a coming of age story. It is a story about family, by birth and by choice. It is a story about living in the spotlight. It is a story about coming out to family and fans. It is a story about finding acceptance and support in the most unexpected of places.

Gonzales and Dietrich wrote an amazing story about a very popular boy band experiencing growing pains during their world tour. There is a lot of behind the scenes drama because Chorus Management is forcing the 4 band members to hide things about themselves or outright lie about things so they can "sell" the band to the fans.

This story has a beautiful ending, but getting there is full of pain, addiction, and one very problematic mother. I loved how much stronger everyone is on the other side of their struggle.

Recommended for: music lovers with fangirl/fanboy tendencies

Content warning: addiction / drug use / Plus, I am not kidding about that problematic mother!

I received a digital copy of this book from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While a romance is at the heart of this novel, much of the focus is on the crushing effect the music business has on the boy band featured in the story.

In the acknowledgements, the authors say that they hope the book makes readers more aware of the pressures on performers, noting especially the effects on young and queer or otherwise marginalized artists. I think they achieved their goal, because my blood was certainly boiling at the mistreatment Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon face at the hands of their management company. The authors did a great job making me empathize with the members of the band, who are constantly treated as commodities rather than as people with personalities, emotions, and needs. That’s especially damaging for Ruben, who has been forcibly closeted and has had to lie about who he is for years, and for Angel, who turns to drugs to free himself from the pressure of their demands. The abuse builds and builds through the narrative, and I was SO ready for the showdown with management that finally takes place at the end of the novel.

The catalyst for that confrontation is the romance between Ruben and Zach. Their transition from being friends to boyfriends has its properly swoony moments, at least after Zach gets over freaking out about being bisexual. (Not that he shouldn’t be allowed to process his new identity, but Zach really does trample all over Ruben’s feelings while he does it. That part was kind of painful to read.) Again, the managers are the bad guys in terms of their relationship, blocking Zach and Reuben from coming out as a couple. When they finally take matters into their own hands to make that happen in grand public fashion, it was a triumphant moment in the story.

I especially liked the pivotal role that Zach plays in that scene, where he is the one to announce that they are a couple rather than Ruben. I found Zach harder to like than Ruben for most of the book. While Ruben sometimes has trouble asserting himself after growing up with an emotionally manipulative mother, Zach is a total people pleaser who lets others walk all over him, a trait that kind of drives Ruben (and me) crazy. I appreciated the growth in Zach’s character from going along with whatever other people suggest to standing up for himself and Ruben. All the members of the band have to step up to take control of their own destiny, but Zach changes the most in that regard.

Recommended for readers of YA contemporaries and queer romance—especially fans of boy bands!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

If This Gets Out is an entertaining, charming, and thought-provoking read. I don't think you have to be a fan of boy bands to appreciate this story- I'm more of a hair metal headbanger myself, although I just might be a convert now. At least as long as that boy band is called Saturday! Where can we get some merch?!?

Ruben and Zach’s romance was so sweet, you can’t help but fall in love right along with them! It wasn’t without its trials, though, which under normal circumstances wouldn’t have been too bad, but when you’re 2 members of the hottest boy band in the world, well that brings with it a whole other set of complications. I really felt for them, when it came to all the “rules” their management company was imposing upon them.

I liked that there was a good balance between Ruben and Zach’s blossoming romance and the ins and outs of the music industry, at least in the way it relates to young adults. I can only imagine how realistic some of the goings-on were, when it comes to the restrictions placed on Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. I don’t know what kind of research SG & CD did in preparation for this book, but I have to believe a lot of what happened with these guys actually does go on in the real world, we’re just never privy to it. Until someone decides to write a tell-all of course!

I was really looking forward to this read and was worried that it would not live up to the hype. A romance in a boy band? Um, yes, sign me up! Sounds amazing! Thankfully it was just as good as I would hope it to be. Ruben, Zach, John and Angel were so well-drawn and I was entirely invested in their story. Also, Ruben is my favorite. Just in case you were wondering... You were weren't you? I love them all, but I'd be lying if I said I was not partial to Ruben. I dare you to read this and not get attached to any of these characters.

These read has fabulous characters, compelling romance, and it tackles important topics. There is so much about this read that is an absolute win. It reminded me a little bit of The Charm Offensive and I think if you enjoyed that one, you will enjoy this read as well. I do wish the loose ends had been tied a little neater at the end though. There is just something about the ending that left me slightly unsatisfied.

Maybe that ending means there will be more? I don't want to get my hopes up but... let's just say I would not be mad if there was more! I know, I am always asking for more sequels but when I ask for them, I feel like I am justified. Anyway, I absolutely enjoyed this read and think if you enjoy romance, boy bands, taking down the man, and well-developed characters, this read is going to be a chart topping hit (see what I did there?).

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for making my day with this book!

While I’m usually weary picking up fictional books to do with celebrity/fame - I couldn’t help myself when I saw “HEA queer YA romcom about a boyband.” And I’m happy I gave it a go! The friendship (strong found family vibes) was perfect, the pressure was intense, and the romance was cute and swoony. Funny and fast-paced and filled with important conversations done in respectful ways - if you’re a YA contemporary reader looking for something that explores fandom or fame, then I’d highly recommend this one.

Zach and Ruben are best friends and members of a boy band on a whirlwind tour through Europe. With their management company keeping them under tight control, Ruben can't publicly acknowledge his orientation. But when Zack realizes that he's attracted to men, and to Ruben specifically, things start to get complicated. How long can they keep their relationship under wraps? And what will happen when their fans learn the truth?

This book is absolutely brilliant. The audiobook is an immersive experience, the kind it takes a while to recover from once it's over. Zach and Ruben are adorable, while the strong subplots keep the tension high.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the audio ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Four teenage boys meet at a performing arts camp and are strategically put together to form what the creators hope will be the next big thing… A scenario that is certainly easy to imagine in 2021, right? The popularity of boy bands remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by the massive fandoms for groups like One Direction, BTS, and so many others, and it is that enormous popularity, and fascination, frankly, that Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich are counting on to draw readers to their new collaboration, If This Gets Out.

When we meet Zach, Ruben, Jon, and Angel, they are now eighteen, and about to embark on the European leg of their world tour. And it’s safe to say that when they met as fifteen-year-olds at Camp Hollow Rock, and thought it would be cool to form a band, they had noooo idea what they were actually getting into. I was immediately taken in by this story. I loved the friendship aspect—the boys are obviously all very close—and the fun of some of the scenes, but Gonzales and Deitrich also do a great job right away of showing how the stress of being on the road for an extended period, the overwhelming fan attention, and the control of their management company are all affecting the guys.

We obviously get to know Zach and Ruben the best, as the story is told from their points of view, but the authors also do a very nice job of fleshing out Jon and Angel’s characters; it really feels almost more like an ensemble piece at times. Zach and Ruben do get the most backstory, but I felt I knew them all quite well by the end of the book. And, as I said above, I really loved their friendships. Each of their struggles are known and shared by the other members, and they all have each other’s backs, no matter what.

On the surface, If This Gets Out is a boyband romance. A love story for everyone who has ever shipped members of 1D or their favorite K-Pop band. But I found it to be much more than that. Ruben is dealing with an extremely overbearing and hyper-critical mother; Zach is a serial people-pleaser, never putting himself first, and is of course also coming to terms with his bisexuality; Angel is struggling with substance abuse; and Jon is the son of the head of the villainous Chorus Management, the company that is keeping Ruben and Zach in the closet, and basically stealing all the boys’ identities. It’s a lot to unpack, and I think Dietrich and Gonzales do a darn good job of addressing it all. It’s hard to imagine the pressures placed on artists, and the abuses of power that young artists in particular must endure. I liked that the authors gave us a lot to think about beyond the love story.

If This Gets Out was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed! Cale and Sophie did not only do an amazing job at writing a lovable, well-developed cast of diverse characters and an entertaining plot but also handled several more serious themes with ease. If This Gets Out shines a spotlight on what being young and queer in the music/entertainment industry can really look like. It doesn’t sugarcoat how hard these boys have to work, how much pressure they’re under, how they’re manipulated and controlled and how their well-being is not always the priority. All four members of the band have their own struggles and I really just wanted to give them a big hug. Of course, I absolutely loved our two main characters Ruben and Zach. I loved seeing those two boys fall in love and hold onto each other as everything around them seems to fall apart. Books often end when characters get together so I especially appreciated how they actually worked on their relationship together and communicated their needs.

If This Gets Out made me laugh and cry and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s ever waited hours in line to see their favorite band live or just to those who enjoy YA contemporaries that have a great balance of romance and more serious themes.

I don’t know about everyone else but when I see the words GAY BOYBAND ROM COM my immediate thought is - take my money, take all money I don’t care, just give it to me.

I absolutely loved If This Gets Out. It is told in dual PoVs of two out of the four members of a world famous boyband, and the pressures and conflicts they face because of the fame and their strict management team. Ruben is gay but forced to stay closeted by the management. He confides in Zach and they bond, their friendship slowly turning into something more.

Best friends to lovers is quickly becoming one of my favorite tropes and I loved the way it was done in this book. I think most of all, I loved how real this book felt. I was rooting for Zach and Ruben from the beginning and I loved seeing their friendship develop into a budding romance. I loved the slow burn of it all. I also really liked how the authors dealt with some of the more serious topics in this book. Even though it was super sweet and cute, the challenges that the characters went through kept the book grounded and made it realistic. Overall, something I would HIGHLY recommend reading.

thank you to wednesday books for the arc !!

From the outside, Zach Knight and Reuben Montez have perfect lives. As two of the four members of the hit boy band, “Saturday,” they’ve got fame and fans to spare. But, the band looks a bit different from the inside. The boys are each forced to portray record label-designed personas that don’t suit their actual personalities. When Saturday embarks on their first world tour, the pressure begins to weigh on each of the boys, pushing Zach and Reuben closer together. Romance sparks between them, but their queer identities don’t exactly “fit” the versions of Zach and Reuben that the record company has been working so hard to sell. Together, they must fight back to reclaim themselves from the weight of fame and falsehoods, no matter the costs.

Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich outdid themselves with this book! I’ve enjoyed their individual works before in the past, but I think I loved their combined style even more. I was so invested in both Reuben and Zach’s sides of the story that I cannot honestly choose my favorite between them. Their romance was sweet, well-written, and so much fun to read about! I especially appreciated the nuance and delicacy with which the topic of coming-out was handled, as that can be make-or-break for me when it comes to stories like this one. While reading, I kept wishing that Saturday was a real band, because I would definitely want to listen to them!

My Recommendation-
If you love stories about characters living in the spotlight, you need to pick up a copy of If This Gets Out right away! I would especially recommend the audiobook version to folks looking for an engaging listen this holiday season.

Happy pub day to this gem of a book! I fell in love with Sophie Gonzales’ writing after reading Perfect on Paper, and this was no different. I devoured every page and couldn’t put it down. The characters were charming, the story engaging, and the writing captivating. I’m a Gonzales fan for life!

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4.5 stars — Wow, there was a lot in this one. Like, it was kind of angstier than I usually read, and yet I really enjoyed it. I was sucked in almost from the very start. There was just a connection between Ruben and Zach that made me smile. And I was so intrigued by this group of 4 boys, each struggling with their own issues. All the characters felt very real to me. It was so hard to watch the slowly forming train wreck that is approaching these boys. I became invested in them as friends, and I worried about them. Especially Angel. It was weird to be so invested in a side character.

I think I both loved and hated how much both of our boys were going through. It was very real, but I wanted better for them…and while they got better, I wanted *even* better, you know?

I feel like I kept peeling layers off of Zach as the story went on. It was fascinating to see how his parents split had affected him in a way I hadn’t anticipated. He really had such a hard time putting himself first, like, EVER. And while the ups and downs were hard, it made it that much more rewarding when he started to understand and grow.

And then there’s Ruben. Also very oniony. He could be so confident at times, and so in tune with himself. And then he would let it all just drop like Pavlov’s dog at the ding of a message from his Mom. I ached for what she was doing to him. Gaslighting 101. Part of me understood why he struggled to cut the cord, but I wanted that for him so badly. His growth there was subtle, but I will admit I wanted a wee bit more.

I always feel like I have somewhat of a sense of what celebrities go through, but I don’t know if any of us can really know. While this is a fictional account, it felt believable. Which is kind of heartbreaking. I enjoyed the note by the authors at the end.

It wasn’t all angsty, obviously. The two of them together were so adorable!! It was so satisfying to see them get to that point and fight for their romance. And I adored the support they had from #Anjon. 😉

So yeah…it totally lived up to my expectations, and was a great celebrity LGBT romance.

4 stars

This brought back all the boy band feels. Zach and Ruben were absolutely adorable. I loved the dynamic between all the guys as well. This was my first book by both authors but definitely won't be my last!

I've seen other reviews that contend If This Gets Out is a One Direction fanfic. While I can see how that connection can be made, because I am way beyond the age range of 1D fans I had the benefit of enjoying this book without getting bogged down with comparing the real-life defunct boy band with the fictional Saturday.

There are so many facets to this story beyond the slow burn romance between Ruben and Zach. While these two band members are a major focus, Angel and Jon are given a sizable chunk of page time, as well.

Zach's initial denial and eventual acceptance of his sexuality felt authentic given the strict parameters in which the label allows each band member to exist. Ruben struggles with the label constantly squashing his attempts to come out, Jon has unique challenges as the son of the band manager, biracial, and more conservative than the label crafts him to be. His polar opposite, He and Angel could switch positions and each would be his authentic self.

The dichotomy of each band member's public persona and their true, private self is the major theme and the center of each conflict. The authors did an excellent job of conveying the struggles each member had to manage while maintain their contractual facades.
If This Gets Out is a sprawling, emotional journey about growth and change. Come for the romance, stay for the journey.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. I have written about pop culture and boy bands and fandoms for most of my career, and have studied fandom for even longer. I think this book is fantastic, and shows so many different sides of the entertainment industry, growing up in the spotlight, the music industry, and a peek behind the curtain at what goes into creating, producing, and promoting some of the biggest pop musical acts on the planet. I'm not saying it's a 100% true account of anyone's experiences, it just incorporates a lot of very real facets of the industry into a realistic but also entertaining and enjoyable read. The romance is incredible, the depictions of being on the road feel really authentic, and a look into idol culture is always welcome. Trading POV stories aren't always my favorite because they sometimes just end up saying the same thing twice, in different fonts. But this storytelling style shows us how Ruben and Zach were feeling throughout while also meaningfully advancing the story. I also appreciate how this work handles coming out (personally, publicly, professionally, with lots of dimension in between), consent, safety, and friendship. It's not a completely light and fluffy read, but I flew through it because it keeps pulling along in compelling new ways. Read it!

This was a really cute and fun read! The story focuses on the relationship between two members of the boy band Saturday (think: One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer level fame) as they navigate their European tour and growing feelings for each other. The romance between Zach and Ruben was really sweet, and I also love that this book covered more serious topics like family dynamics and expectations, handling fame, coming out, and substance abuse. I think the hard-hitting topics were all handled well and I liked the extra layer that it added to the story. The ending of the book dragged a little bit for me, but I think this is definitely a great read for fans of YA!

Read this if you:
- Went through a boy band phase (or are still in that phase)
- Love hard-hitting YA books

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!!

Sweet and adorable and yet sad that this is something that actually happens. An important book to be written for our times though. Loved it.

This YA novel is engaging and edgy. A queer love story surrounded by music and fame. The characters are distinct and well-defined. Book themes cover substance abuse, friendship, queer love, and parent/teen relationships (both positive and negative). At 416 pages, this book is pretty long, but very enjoyable and full of depth. While some character traits were a bit predictable and cliché, this book covers important issues with a skilled hand. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this book.

I’ll start by saying I really enjoyed this book. It was a 4.5/5🌟 read for me. The first reason I didn’t rate it a full 5 is because the ending felt a little abrupt to me. It did make sense to finish where they did but I was craving an epilogue.

This book showed band members Zach and Ruben falling in love while also figuring out who they are outside of the boxes they’ve been shoved into by their management team. There were a lot of really sweet and special moments between these two as well as a lot of important conversations about coming out.

While there was a lot of joy and fun in this book If This Gets Out was a lot darker than I’d anticipated. Not super dark in the grand scheme of things but given this is YA and the cute illustrated cover I was taken by surprise. I’m disappointed that as far as I can tell trigger/content warnings have not been included. Big ones the blurb gave no indication of were emotional abuse and substance abuse. If some books can include warnings, all books can.

The second reason this isn’t quite a 5🌟 from me is because I didn’t feel like a certain character’s recovery journey was swept under the rug a bit in relation to how much we saw of their downward spiral. This person was not one of the two POVs we’re reading from so maybe that was why.

Overall I really enjoyed If This Gets Out and recommend it if you enjoy more serious YA romance. It’s out now! Thank you @stmartinspress for my review copy through @netgalley #IfThisGetsOut #NetGalley