DRC provided by Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: gay white half-Spanish protagonist, bisexual white protagonist, Asian secondary character, Black secondary character, Black tertiary character, Asian tertiary characters.

Content Warning: overworking, drugs, alcohol, racism, homophobia, anxiety, harassment, toxic and abusive parenting, internalised biphobia, intrusive thoughts, suicide attempt, addiction, violence.

If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales is a captivating contemporary novel about friendship, love, family and the toxicity of the entertainment industry.

Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon are four guys, each one with their own passions and desires, but on stage they are Saturday, an award-winning boy band who is going to tour Europe for the first time. Europe will not be the only new experience for some of them.

I liked previous works by both Dietrich and Gonzales, so I was excited about reading this novel, although the myriad of extremely positive reviews kind of made me anxious about it because I am always afraid to read very hyped books, but I am happy to report I actually liked most of it. I did not love it, but I still very much liked it.

I did not love it because I sort of hated Zach’s personality (and that open-but-not-really ending). Luckily, by the end, he changed a tad, but having to read through some of his point-of-view sometimes became tiring. Also, I would have loved to read from Angel’s and Jon’s points-of-view because that would have added even more nuance to the story, but I am still very happy with how the novel incorporated the intestine machinations of the entertainment industry; its racism and its queerphobia; the suffocating atmosphere entertainers are subjected to for their fans and how their stage persona is manufactured at the expense of their essence; the abusive parenting; and obviously the romance!

While I was not exactly a fan of Zach, I still loved the swirling relationship between him and Ruben. I really liked seeing Zach realise his bisexuality, the way he picked apart his memories and noticed something more in each one. It really was one of my favourite parts of the book.

If This Gets Out is a splendid contemporary novel, which made even more excited for both authors’ next projects: The Pledge by Dietrich, an achillean horror Young Adult novel about confraternity brothers and a serial killer targeting them; and The One That Got Away by Gonzales, a sapphic contemporary Young Adult novel with John Tucker Must Die vibes.

Unfortunately a bit conflicted on IF THIS GETS OUT. I had sort of inadvertently saved this ARC for when I was in a funk, reading-wise and personally, and it was a good fit for this, as a cute, easy read. Gonzales and Dietrich did an excellent job working in the complications of fame, media, fandom, and identity, and balancing the central romance with the friendship of all four boys. It was great to see Angel and Jon's stories fleshed out as well, with each member of the band handling and responding to their situation differently, and for Ruben and Zach to have issues unrelated to coming out. The authors depicted the band's team's manipulation in subtle ways that mirror the boys realizing how they're being treated, instead of going all-out villain from the start.

However, I found Ruben and Zach's relationship underdeveloped and quick, though I appreciate the way the authors handled their disagreements and attitudes. I've previously read and loved two of Sophie Gonzales' books and found this book missing the charming, character-drive, distinct dialogue of her other work -- the dialogue here felt largely flat and interchangeable. While I wanted the best for these boys from a story standpoint, I wasn't as invested from a character and relationship view.

Reuben and Zach are best friends, and tow of the members of the hit boy band, Saturday. When the friendhsip between the two of them starts to blossom into something else altogether, the management is unhappy to say the least. Each member has a role to play, and none of those are that of a queer teen. When each young man starts growing unfulfilled with the part they've been forced to play for years, tensions mount, and something has to give.

This book is just a gem! It's a wonderful exploration of sexual identity, of being free to express who we are, and of transitioning from teenager to adult. What really makes the journey interesting in this book is that all of it is done under a microscope for these 4 teens because they are members of an insanely popular boy band that is currently on an international tour.

I loved everything about this book. The love story between Zach and Reuben was beautiful, and touching. I especially loved that the two authors each took different characters to voice. It added so much to the authenticity of each young man as a seperate entity. The look into all the different decisions and choices that are stripped away from people in the lime light was also especially interesting, and thought provoking.

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this. All thoughts and opinions shared in my review are my own.

This was so cute and sweet! I loved the boy band dynamics, the strong friendships, the boys finding themselves while being in the spot light, and the other overall vibes of the book. Recommend for all fans of boy bands/famous MCs, queer YA love stories, and characters realizing they are queer.

If This Gets Out follows Zach and Ruben as they jet-set across Europe on the second leg of their sold-out tour with their insanely popular boyband, Saturday. With bandmates Jon and Angel, everybody either wants to be someone in Saturday, or be with someone in Saturday. But most days, the guys in the band don't even know who they are. As Zach and Ruben get closer, tension in the band rises. Ruben has been wanting to come out as gay for ages, but Zach just wants to tell his mother he's bi before the whole world somehow finds out. But when the two are ready to take their relationship public, they have more than a few obstacles to jump over.

Told in alternative points of view from Zach and Ruben, If This Gets Out is a cute and fun YA rom com which features the kind of parties you only wish you were invited to, behind the scenes montages of photo and video shoots, and a top ten of the most must-see cities in Europe. It's heartwarming, seeing Zach develop feelings for Ruben and figure out his sexuality, and it's great to see the support and love they get from some of those around them.

But the main themes of this book go a lot deeper. There is the issues with privacy of those in the spotlight, and the tug of war between having a private life and also living your true life. There are discussions of homophobia in other countries and how the band might be accepted there if Zach and Ruben came out. There's also talk of body image, autonomy, mental health, family dynamics, and substance abuse, as well as unhealthy relationships with parents. It gets a bit heavy at times, but at the essence is the love of two young guys shining through for each other.

I really loved this book. It wasn't as predicatable as I thought it might be, and I really enjoyed how when it seemed like the book was going to use miscommunication as a trope to further the plot, it ended uo subverting my expectations and proving me wrong. This is a book showcasing desriable healthy relationships, with gay and bi rep which doesn't diminish either identity.

My first read by either of these authors, but I will be checking out other books by them soon.

In the first part of If This Gets Out, we see Ruben and Zach fall for each other. Complicating the matter (and upping the drama) is the fact that the guys are two members of the most popular boy band currently making music--and have been molded into roles by management to encourage their popularity (mostly with teen girls).

This has been a problem for Ruben, since he's been forced to be closeted since their band, Saturday, was signed. And, as Ruben and Zach's (#Zuben) relationship develops, we see the way the pressures of stardom and management has been affecting all members of their group. In the foreground, If This Gets Out is a story about embracing love despite others trying to keep you down; overall, it's a story about the abuses those in power level on young artists.

The book is a heavy romance, especially for a YA title. It deals with drug abuse, emotional abuse, unwanted sexualization, power games, the pressure of fame, and the dark side of the industry. The pace is quick, the secondary characters memorable, and the romance downright squee-worthy.

Definitely a recommended read!

It's been a while since I binge-read an entire book in one sitting until 4 in the morning.

This book is a firecracker. It takes every trope I love, dials it up to ten, throws in some of the sharpest conversational dialogue I've ever read in a YA novel, and serves it on a platter of strangely sympathizing music industry angst that I've seen countless times in tabloid headlines but never stopped to think about from the perspectives of the stars themselves. It's amazing.

Something I really appreciated about this book was how much attention was given to making sure it wasn't just a retread of a standard band AU fanfic. It was plotted expertly; I was on my toes the entire time, not sure where the story was taking me or what was going to happen next.

I also LOVED the portrayal of narcissism and narcissistic characters in this book, as well as the message that sometimes having personal agency is more important than maintaining the status quo to keep the peace. It has some really great commentary on the music/entertainment industry as a whole, and shines a light on some of the things that have made me uncomfortable about some boy bands/kpop groups in the past. It doesn't completely dismiss them, either, which I appreciated - the characters in IF THIS GETS OUT very clearly love what they do, love the fact they get to do it, but are entitled to wanting things to change. That's a very healthy and admirable way to look at the world, and I love the way it was handled in this novel.

I just feel like this book went places and did things I've never seen in a "famous people fall in love" novel before, and as someone that loves reading those types of stories in particular, it made the experience of reading IF THIS GETS OUT even more fantastic.

I'm going to be thinking about these characters for a long time. Highly recommended!!

(Special thanks to the folks over at St. Martin's and Wednesday Books for the ARC!)

If This Gets Out was emotionally heart wrenching. Underneath this story of love, is one of self-discovery, having to realize we are worth loving, and what we will do to live authentically. Gonzales and Dietrich fabulously balance these moments of joy and butterflies with scenes of tension, doubt, and fear. This character driven story allows us to see Ruben and Zach's motives, their mistakes and fears, doubts and insecurities. We have these moments where we are rooting for them, where we don't know what they'll do.

If This Gets Out is intensely focused on their love and each individual's character journey. The questioning rep combined with the quest to live as true to ourselves as we can, is emotionally moving. It reflects their fears of not only hurting the ones we love, but also ourselves. In our lives, there can be this gap between who we are who we are seen as. And throughout our lives we try to navigate this distance, to figure out how worthwhile it is to fight to be seen differently.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my rating**

Wow! I have never read anything by either Sophie Gonzales or Cale Dietrich, but I will definitely be checking them both out and hope that they co-write again together soon. I really liked this one!

If This Gets Out is about Ruben and Zach, two members of the boyband Saturday. The band gives off big One Direction vibes. Ruben and Zach, along with their band mates, Jon and Angel, are about to set off on their first European tour. Right away, you get the sense that the label is controlling of them. Angel is a party boy who's being marketed as the "good boy you bring home to mom". Jon is a type A rule follower who's been branded the "sex symbol". Zach is a sweet, sensitive aspiring lyricist who's been branded the "bad boy". And Ruben is a technically trained singer with Broadway chops and is gay...being branded as a straight "safe" guy. Meaning he's not allowed to show off his vocals and he can't tell anyone outside of the band and his team that he's gay. As the tour starts, Zach discovers that he's bi and he and Ruben start a secret relationship that more and more they want to share openly with the world, against the record label's wishes.

The book does a really good job with it's characters. I know that each author wrote their own character (Sophie wrote Ruben and Cale wrote Zach) but it NEVER felt like two separate authors did the work. It feels incredibly cohesive, which is a feat when co-authoring anything. Additionally, the side characters felt fleshed out. Probably the one I know the least about is Jon, but he still feels like a real person. Angel gets a whole side arc also relating to identity. At some point, they're all forced into situations they wouldn't want individually by the company, which is the capital C conflict, along with Zach and Ruben being forcibly closeted. I really liked that we got to know everyone in the band, even though the main characters are Zach and Ruben. It's nice they weren't a "fall by the wayside" situation.

I also LOVED that they didn't do that forced "miscommunication" trope where there's a small misunderstanding that gets blown out of proportion and the couple breaks up. I hate that in Romance novels and while communication is definitely something that Ruben and Zach work on in different ways throughout their relationship, I was SO happy this trope was nowhere to be seen. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, so when it wasn't that and the couple weren't screaming and being coerced back together, I was so relieved.

As main characters, I love Zach and Ruben. They balance each other well. They have very different personalities but they go together. I liked that Zach kind of mellows Ruben out and Ruben helps Zach to start to advocate for himself. I like Zach a little more as a character because I relate to him more, but I also really liked Ruben and felt for his issues with his mother. I can see many readers falling in love with the two of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I think the beginning was a little slow, but once they get to Europe (which is a few chapters in), it picks up and doesn't stop until the end. I really think this is one worth picking up and one many readers will adore.

4/5 stars

I have to review on a preview copy, and I didn't care for the way the chapters were laid out, but that might have just been for this ebook. There were way too many spaces between sentences or paragraphs but not for both characters, so maybe it was an editors choice. IF you want to read a fun friends to lovers romance, this one is updated to feature two guys from the same boyband. Loved hearing a little about the guys being on tour, how they don't always like their lives, and just their genuine selves. This would be great for readers who are thinking about sharing their sexuality with others by coming out, as this shares some of the worries the guys had. The ending was great and really encouraged the guys. I'll always be a boyband fan!

4.5/5 stars

Rep: gay Spanish-American MC, bi MC, biracial Black SC, Vietnamese SC
TWs: homophobia, forced closeting of queer characters, drug/alcohol abuse, emotional abuse/gaslighting from a parent, disordered eating

Many of us have probably wondered: What happens if two members of a boy band fall in love? In If This Gets Out Gonzales & Dietrich answer the question perfectly.

Ruben and Zach are two members of the famous boy band Saturday. They've always been close friends but once the band embarks on a whirlwind tour of Europe, the boys begin to fall for each other. I loved the romance in this book. Seeing both POVs we get to fully understand how Zach and Ruben felt about each other. Their fears and hopes were so tenderly written that I found myself tearing up. Zach's bi panic was also really well written and I loved seeing him grow comfortable with his identity.

As beautiful as their romance was, however, it still had many dark moments. The book didn't just stop at covering the intensity of fans who violate stars' privacy. It dove deep into the manipulation of the band's management team. As Ruben and Zach were constantly told that it "wasn't the right time" to come out and pushed apart, the book took on a suffocating tone.

This was among other serious topics like emotionally abusive parents; drug/alcohol abuse; and eating disorders. While I thought many of the issues were handled and resolved well, I wished there had been more about the disordered eating. In the beginning Zach clearly has a problem but by the end it's kind of swept under the rug. The boys' lack of eating and hyperfixation on exercise is blamed on the band's management. Which admittedly makes sense because they're the ones forcing the boys to look and act a certain way. I had just hoped there would be a chance to start down the road to recovery on that front.

All that being said – I could not put this book down. It is easily a new favorite and I highly recommend it.

Perfect for fans of Harry Styles, RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, or anyone who loves celeb romances. Loved it.

***eArc provided by St. Martin's Press & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

First things first, this book is FUN. It's quick and engaging in all the right ways, and for anyone who's ever been in a bandom of any kind... well, let's just say it's a dream come true. Funny and emotional, Gonzales and Dietrich hit all the right notes as they navigate the complicated waters of teenage love, coming out, and the added complications of being very specifically famous in the way the boys from Saturday are.

Now, I do wish we got more with Jon and Angel, in terms of how they feel on their many complex emotional levels, but also with just coming to understand and love them as characters in their own right. I liked them both a lot, but there was something a bit too true about boy band culture and picking favorites. Which works as a meta narrative, but as a reader I wanted to know more about them.

Overall, though, I think IF THIS GETS OUT is a charming piece of YA fiction that will scratch the itch of any current and former teen fan!

Just such a fun read!! Feels like cotton candy as you're reading and also gives such a great inside look at the world of pop stars-- and what it costs to be in that world.

While nothing *spectacular* this was so cute and so reliably angst-filled in a very very teenage way. Ruben and Zach's burgeoning relationship, as well as Angel's crises, felt incredibly authentic to the lack of control so many teenagers feel, even as they gain independence (if I may say that as a middle-aged lady.) If this is what bandom grew up into, I'm delighted to read it.

(Also: clearly well positioned to be marketed to existing bandom audiences.)

Loved Ruben's relationship with his mom and how the boys learned to advocate for themselves, and how the Internet Hordes proved that, seriously, olds, coming out as queer is not going to blow up in the corporate money-making faces of everyone who wants to keep the Secret.

While not explicit-explicit, this did trend a bit on the racier side, with fade-to-black blow job and sex scenes, making this less suitable for younger Junior High kids or kids who simply don't want that content in their books. Will definitely booktalk/hand sell to 8th graders and up who like contemporary queer romance.

Is it really great NA, the way Red White and Royal Blue was? I'm not 100% sold on that, because the characters were very firmly teenage in their thoughts and actions, despite being international superstars. Not sure on that, but as an adult who enjoyed reading it and yet couldn't manage to finish RWRB, I could see a cross-reco. (Someone who loved RWRB read it and tell me!)

It was a perfect "I don't feel well and need something light to read" kind of read.

This story was so cute and equally frustrating. I loved the insight it gave us: how it's like to be in a boy band, to have thousands of fans screaming your name, the pressure to be the kind of person they expect you to be. But also the dark side: management making you hide your sexuality or the fact that you're in a relationship with your bandmate, you can't dress how you want or express your personality, your songs aren't good enough and so much more.
I loved that we got to follow the story from both Zach and Ruben's perspective, but also get to know Jon and Angel a lot.

At first I felt like the catalyst kicked the story off too soon, but I wouldn't want it to drag on either. It was a perfect start to the book actually. The ending surprised me a bit, but I still enjoyed it and the book as a whole.

When I heard that If This Gets Out was a queer romance following two members of a boyband, trying to keep it a secret, I knew I had to read it. Especially after reading and loving Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales,

I loved that this book brought a dual POV with Ruben and Zach so we could understand what each of them was going through and thinking. It was easy to connect to both of them and understand why they worked together. I'm starting to appreciate friends to lovers stories more, and this one was one I won't forget soon. Especially as the music company that they worked for tried to keep them apart from each other. Trying to navigate a new but secret relationship is challenging and I think ultimately strengthened their love for each other, as they fought to be their true selves. They gave each other the support and space that they needed to figure everything out, which I think is especially important when you transition from friends to more.

I appreciated how realistic Sophie and Cale made it seem to be a member of a boyband, particularly how crazy and supportive fans can be. Jon and Angel were characters I appreciated as well and I enjoyed the friendship that they had together. I appreciated that eventually Ruben and Zach fought the roles they were placed in so that they could be more authentic versions of themselves.

I'm so glad that they focused on how being a member of a successful boyband can affect your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It made this story feel more real and honest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. *

I fully expected If This Gets Out to be a funny young adult story about two band members falling in love along their overseas tour. What I did not expect was how powerful this story was because it was much more than just two members falling in love and finding themselves. I mean the exploitation of the music industry is something we all know about but to see it so clearly with two 18-year-olds really made the story hit harder for me.

Rueben is out but no one can know and when his feelings for Zack start to grow, he has to make sure those feelings stay under wraps or in the very least just in their little bubble. He has this persona that he must keep for the world to see and that is hard on anyone but for young queer kid just finding himself it is that much harder.

“It’ll be okay. No matter what happens, you have me. That’s not going to change. Not as long as you still want me.”
… “I’ll always wat you.”
“Then you’ll always have me.”

This story wasn't just about Zack & Rueben it was about the band and as a whole and the struggles that Angel and Jon went through as well. I'm not saying much but that is because this story will hit you right in the feels for many different reasons and you should go in fully open-minded to what this story is about.

Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich didn't sugarcoat the dark side of being famous at such a young age and the darkness that inevitably comes from it. The topics discussed in this book might be sensitive to some readers so keep that in mind going in, but I really enjoyed reading this story and feeling the slow-burn that came with Rueben & Zack's relationship.

As an older gay man, my experience with boy bands is fairly limited. All the pressures of rigid adherence to an image added to the normal stressors of being a teenager, makes it clear why these groups are relatively short-lived. The tours are exhausting--with interviews, performances, and rehearsals, plus workouts,. there is no time to actually see any of the cities they visit in Europe.

In addition to learning about the daily grind of being in a famous pop group, I thoroughly enjoyed this YA/NA romance between two very different main characters as they try to work out a relationship on the down-low. Through the four boys, all of whom are nicely delineated, the authors cover alot of issues: conflicts with parents, coming out as bisexual, drug and alcohol abuse, coming out to family, single parenting--and all of this on top of the management company treating them like prisoners in service of a manufactured image. Ruben is the former musical theater geek, Zach is a former punk rocker and writer, Jon, whose father is their manager, is caught between his friends and his dictatorial father, and Angel (Reese) is the partier who feels most confined by the management..

The writing is strong and the authors have created characters, particularly Ruben and Zach, who are easy to empathize with. It is sometimes a challenge, common to most dual perspective books, to remember who the "I" is in each chapter--though I thought the authors' voices blended well.in the alternating chapters.
I appreciated that while we see Ruben and Zach being affectionate and sexual, the actual sex scenes are all fade to black. I also liked the descriptions of the crowds--energizing at times and terrifying at others. The ending is a bit too unrealistically upbeat--but then this is a romance!

It's always nice to read a book in these difficult times where taking a big risk to be true to oneself pays off. I look forward to hearing Saturday's next album!

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 1🌶

As someone who had a boyband obsession phase, this book was everything my fangirl heart ever wanted! This has so much adorably swoon-worthy, laugh out loud and even poignant moments and ultimately, I just had the best time reading this!

I was so intrigued by the premise of this queer romance within a boyband as two of its members fall for each other and having to go through the struggles of keeping it a secret from the media and everyone else.

I’m guilty of fan shipping boyband members before for fun so to have a canon couple in this story made me more excited to see how the romance unfolds. The dual POV between Ruben and Zach made it easier to connect and fall in love with both of them individually and together.

Their friends to lovers romance was so cute, I enjoyed seeing them transition from friends to discovering they have feelings for each other then to officially being boyfriends. But with the threat of their management and the public image they needed to uphold, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies for them immediately. Alongside all the drama and issues, I was gushing from how adorable they were and I loved how hard they fought for their love.

Being a fangirl my whole life, I enjoyed seeing the inside perspective to the boyband celebrity lifestyle and entertainment industry through these characters. Besides Ruben and Zach, I also really loved Jon and Angel! The genuine friendship they all was so wholesome. Seeing them interact and banter with each other was reminiscent of those times I would watch videos of my fave boybands having fun together.

Besides the romance and friendship being the forefront of this story, I liked how it also tackled serious problems that celebrities go through personally and in the entertainment industry in general. The fact that the pressure can be detrimental in both physical, emotional and mental health is something we don’t often see if you’re not in that situation so it was eye-opening to see those problems addressed in this.

Overall, this was a fun and heartwarming read and is perfect for fans of queer romance and boybands OR queer romance in boybands 👀