Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the ARC of If This Gets out!

Saturday is an international hit, a boyband consisting of 4 members who give their souls to their careers - almost literally. When Ruben joined up, he was told it wasn't the right time for him to come out as gay. Over the years, it seems it's never been the right time, so he's dutifully followed band management into lying and hiding who he is. But when he and fellow band member Zach start to recognize the feelings they've held for each other for so long, and Zach coming to the realization he's bi, the stakes get higher. Between hiding their relationship and worrying about their fellow band members' well-being, it seems like the end of Saturday could be more likely than they thought.

This book went deeper than I expected it to, and I really enjoyed it. We got the sweet romance and a bit of the boyband cuteness, but we also got a look into the darker parts of the entertainment industry, especially when it comes to queer and other marginalized artists. I was surprisingly emotional in a few parts!

Sophie Gonzales is one of my absolute faves because I really love how she writes being bi, and this book is no different. The dawning realization Zach comes to felt so familiar. Yes, I've thought guys were attractive, but so what? I'm not gay. Sure I've had crushes on guy friends, but they always pass. We see that enlightened moment here where everything clicks, and it felt very real for me.

Although we get the POV's from Zach and Ruben, the storyline expands to include the other two members, Angel and Jon. Cale and Sophie did such a great job with their storylines, and I felt all of their desperation and worry. It got very dark in some places, very emotional, but it maintained a steady course and I devoured the entire thing in two days.

Definitely recommend!

I LOVED this book. It had me hooked and after finishing it I spent a while just imaging what I hope happens next. Its been forever since Ive had a book hangover but this one has left me aching for more. Its also so clear how much research went into this, it felt so realistic and I’m feel so much for this fictional band. The tension in this book is written so well, I couldn’t stop reading and I was so anxious for the characters. They nailed the emotion in this book! Definitely recommend everyone reads this December 7!

Rep: Gay, bi, mlm, POC, mental health
Own Voices
CW: homophobia, drug abuse, addiction, underage drinking, off page sexual content, emotional abuse

This book absolutely blew me away and I could not put it down. For boy band fans, for people like me who know all the words to Camp Rock by heart, and for anyone who knows how hard, complex, and beautiful it is to come out as queer whether you're famous or not - this is our book.

4.5⭐
PG for a sweet new adult closed door romance

I will devour everything Sophie Gonzales writes and this collaboration with Cale Dietrich is no exception!! Ruben and Zach are boy band Legends in the realm of One Direction and Backstreet Boys when they figure out they like each other... But they can't come out publicly with their relationship because of their management company.

This book had everything and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Zach struggling to figure out his sexuality, Ruben finding his self-worth when his mom always puts him down, awesome male friendship with the other band members, protesting against the system meant to shut them down and (of course) men loving men. The pacing was a bit wonky which sometimes drew me out the book, but otherwise this book was so good. I was cheering for Zach and Ruben from the start and it was such a satisfying read.

If you miss One Direction and love Harry Styles and/or Niall Horan and love a good M/M romance, you need to check this book out!

Oh Saturday... What to say about this book. I absolutely LOVED it. The story line, the character development and each of them coming into their own selves and voices. Zach, Ruben, Jon and Angel are the members of Saturday, a super famous boy band that is touring the world in the height of their success. In their own ways, each are basically force to be who they are not because of their management company. This this is a love story that includes pushing back to find who you are and how to use your voice before you loose yourself completely! Highly recommend, and I thank St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an advance ebook copy!

This book is about a fictional boy band, and because of that fact, many readers would assume that this is a fluff piece, suitable for the fanatical teen girls who follow such musical acts in real life. But in truth this book, on top of being a sweet blend of friends-to-lovers and forbidden romance, tackles some very serious topics. Mental health, substance abuse, exploration of sexual identity, coerced closeting, exploitation in the entertainment industry, and toxic family members are some of the tough issues brought up in this book. We follow Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel as they seek to break out from the roles they've been forced into, and fight to become independent young men out from under the thumbs of parents and management companies.

And the authors wrap it all up in a story of emerging love that is so sweet and tender, and it shows that chosen family can often be more loving and supportive than biological family. The characters are beautifully written, and as readers we get to connect with them throughout the book. The dual POV narration works very well, with each of our two leads having their own distinct voice, most likely due to the flawless cowriting of Gonzales and Dietrich.

My only small complaint with this book was that it dragged just a tiny bit a couple of times, but that's a minor quibble. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future.

Two of four cuties in a boy band fall in love and have to navigate their burgeoning relationship with the images their label has curated for them. Unfortunately, neither “gay” nor “bi” are in the management-approved adjectives for Ruben or Zach.

This is a super cute friends-to-lovers LGBTQIA+ rom-com! The boy band angle is so fresh— I loved it!

I do wish, though, since the narration switches between Zach and Ruben’s POV’s, that the audiobook featured two different voice actors. It really helps me follow the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc of this book.

Ruben is used to his band's label not allowing him to be himself--always denying him the option to come out as gay to fans and controlling his persona. But when bandmate Zach and Ruben fall for each other, they realize that their band's label is controlling all four of them in ways they are ready to stand up to.

THIS BOOK. I still cannot stop thinking about it. This was all the boy band fluff and romance and coming out and coming of age and friendship and singing and EVERYTHING that my heart needed and I am so so so in love with this book. I loved every minute of this.

I was immediately in love with both Ruben and Zach as soon as their pov's started. They are both such amazing characters and total cinnamon rolls and I just wanted to wrap them both in a warm blanket and give them hot coco and tell them everything was going to be okay. I am so in love with the romance in this book and the way it progressed. There were definitely ups and downs but I really liked the way it all came together to bring these boys to each other!

This is such a feel good book. I love it so much. I think I will be reading it again as soon as it comes out.

Pub Date: Dec 7, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Biphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

I don’t read much YA contemporary these days, but Sophie Gonzalez has never let me down before, and this was - as I expected - a lot of fun. I could never go back to the sheer drama of fandom again because this book reminded me of how exhausting it was (and I wasn’t even in 1D fandom, just regular TV show fandoms), but it was also fun to spend time in that world for the space of a single book.

The characters are great and I genuinely adored their romance/friendships within the band. I did think Ruben was the standout of the two with the nuances in how he navigated coming out and supporting Zach along the way, and the complicated relationship with his mother which was resolved (or not resolved) in a realistic manner. (Zach’s storyline felt a little weaker and I thought dropped the ball on a few plot points towards the end). I also really love that this book deals with the messier side of fame and the manipulation of teens by the music industry - it is a fun read, but also deals with quite a few topics including eating disorders and drug use, as well as the tricky issues around consent and interactions with fans.

This book undoubtedly has one of the best premises of the year. And it absolutely delivers on that! While Ruben and Zach are certainly the ones in the spotlight, all of the members of Saturday were wonderful to read about, and I really enjoyed getting to see how they grew on their own and as a group. The book also features a wonderful examination of the pressure placed on queer people in the entertainment industry.

CW: homophobia, alcohol and drug use, drug addiction, car accident, serious injury, racism, off-page hospital and rehab stays

More like 3.5 stars, but rounded up, because LGBTQ representation is important. It provides a refreshing environment not seen in romance right now. The minutiae of life in a boy band is important, especially to those of us who might’ve suspected but hadn’t really envisioned all the details—and especially to readers like myself who haven’t had to deal with boy bands in years. (Daughter was a 1D and 5SOS fan.) At times, though, I felt the exposition slowed And yet, it was the entire context Ruben and Zach were struggling through in the first place. things down and became more than just an obstacle to the romance, but overpowered it. The brief “hate” in the middle of this friends-to-lovers romance was emotional whiplash. But I’m glad to see the love it’s receiving, because those are the more important readers to reach.

2.75/5 stars

This book falls into the average books category for me. The primary idea behind this novel was interesting enough, but its development didn't really convince me, especially because I found it quite repetitive in some moments.

The bandmates had a lot of potential as characters, but I would have loved to see more of their interactions, just to cement the idea that they are close friends and all of that. I especially did not see it when they had to do something to help Angel, it's just absurd to me that they just went on for so long and ignored the problem as if it was okay.

In regards to the main couple, I want to say that I wasn't blown away by Zach and Ruben's romance as I was expecting to be. Not only it felt quite out of the blue, but also very rushed.
The thing that stood out the most to me and that I definitely did not like was reading Zach's inner thoughts and then seeing how he behaved in a totally different way with everyone around him. I know that this topic was discussed within the book, but I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

What I did like was the look behind the scenes of stardom and how controlling and abusive it must be. I obviously can't comprehend the true extent of it, since I haven't experienced it first hand, but I do believe that unfortunately it can get to some of the extremes that were shown in the novel and that is definitely not okay.

The ending was very predictable and since we got to that point I would have liked at least an epilogue or something to actually see how it all ended and the consequences of everyone's actions.

I appreciated the themes of friendship and discovering/believing in your true self, but I didn't really love this book. The manipulate management of the band was vile and disappointing, and the mental damage it caused for the young men was sad. There was a beaten-down feeling throughout that was unpleasant. I felt that aspect of the story overrode the growing relationship between Ruben and Zach. Too much angsty angst for me.

Full disclosure? I usually run from books about boy bands. I've put it in my head that all of them are fanfiction in some grade and I haven't followed boy bands since 2002. So this disclosure is full because I only got a book into a troupe I'm very nay about because I've fallen in love with Sophie Gonzales.

Zack and Ruben are part of a popular boy band, but fame came with a downside, they're fully controlled by their management and unable to speak a word without permission. Ruben has never been allowed to come out as homosexual, Zack's songs were never approved because they don't fit the group's image—though they are exactly the type of music Zack likes. The four are already stressed out when their first European tour starts, and it doesn't help that Ruben and Zack, who is heterosexual, can't avoid noticing each other.

It's weird that my biggest complaint is also the reason I became so attached to this book, I wish we didn't have to read so much about the two other members. At the same time, each of them was so well shown since the beginning that the lack of focus compensated and they feel like real people I totally stan. I apologize if this paragraph makes no sense, but now I've finished the book, I'm sad I won't be hearing about them anymore.I also went after the official drawings of each other and while they looked nothing like I was imagining (accepting descriptions isn't my thing and I always make images of my own, sorry to all authors), it was a moment for me.

Putting behind whatever my previous paragraph was, I loved how the coauthorship worked. I could guess which author was in charge of which character but not to a point it felt like I was reading two different books as it tends to happen to those written in four-hands. Having two minds helped us really having two main characters, with different beliefs, personalities and interpretations of each other. The misunderstandings that will inevitably happen didn't feel forced, time to make it rain in paradise. You could see where they came from and agree with each of them as well as feel bad because you know it isn't like that even if the character had no way of reading the other's mind.

I haven't been a pop star yet to attest the backstage and all the shenanigans going with the band but they were so credible they may have become my headcanon for pop groups. The worldbuilding was especially delicious.

And of course, the romance. I think they get together too soon, I wish I could have savored more before but it's before the middle so the story can develop where all the authors' work was leading us to. I understand, it is great, the boy band wasn't just an excuse for another queer romance, they created something more and you should look forward to it. But I liked how Zack likes Ruben without any idea he does it romantically. I love how Ruben could never expect his hot but het friend would feel anything for him. So yes, I wanted more of this phase. At the same time, they're uber cute together and it was necessary for the plot, so okay... I still wanted it, though.

This is some great read. The interesting aspects of the boy band life, the awkward development of the romance, the chemistry between the couple, the awesome characters that made me really cry at least once... This is YA indeed but it's borderline so you'll probably enjoy this romance even if YA isn't your thing.

If you love one direction well here you go!
Love the fact that these were characters in a book but they made me feel obsessed!
Loved the way the book was written and how the author talked about some subjects. Definitely recommend!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so psyched to read to this book which follows a budding romance between Ruben and Zach, two members of the wildly popular boy band, Saturday. I expected to love this book but unfortunately it fell flat for me. While I enjoyed the romance between the two boys, the overall storyline wasn’t engaging enough to hold my attention.

I think this book would be better suited for the younger teen crowd, as an adult reader, I was bored with the entertainment industry aspect and the management team controlling the band’s every move.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me but I think many readers will enjoy it.

This is a dual author and dual POV YA contemporary following two members of a famous boy band. Ruben and Zach are two of the four members of Saturday, and all four members are under a lot of pressure to conform to their images in the media - images their label has created for them.

I absolutely zoomed through this book - I read almost the entire thing in one sitting. It was a really enjoyable read, even if I thought the writing could have been a little better at times.

I wasn't expecting how much the book delved into the pressures put on people in the music/entertainment industry, and I really liked this aspect of the book. Each character had struggles they were going through, and the book addressed topics like drug abuse and emotional abuse. Though it was never named as emotional abuse, the relationship between Ruben and his mother definitely qualifies as such, and I liked that the book explored a more difficult relationship with a parent- I think that's something that is especially important in YA.

The relationship between Ruben and Zach was really cute, though I wish we could've gotten a little more development/relationship specific backstory to see more of how Ruben's crush on Zach started. I thought the conflict that happened between Zach and Ruben was really realistic, especially for them both being teen boys figuring themselves out. I also appreciated how much they communicated with each other.

rating: 4/5

There's a lot of talk about what may or may not have inspired this story, but I'll admit from the word go that I am not, and never really have been, much of a boyband fan. In fact, I fortunately managed to avoid all this hype until after I'd actually read the book.

The book itself was a tale of two parts - it was rather mediocre to begin with and kind of difficult to tell the two POVs apart, but at some point, things clicked and the book took off from strength to strength. The characterisation was on point, from protagonists to the side characters, and their inter-relationships were represented in complex and relatable ways. Not to mention the diverse range of complex themes tackled alongside.

This book follows plots I’ve always loved and I honestly can’t describe how happy I am about how well this was pulled off. This is definitely a book worth picking up.

THIS BOOK MADE ME SO HAPPY. First off, thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read such an amazing book! I had such a fun time reading this book and highly, highly recommend it to romance lovers! These characters and the story were so much fun and I loved watching how all of the characters truly grew into themselves throughout the story. I was so engrossed in what was happening and literally screamed with joy at some parts. I also really loved how the more serious topics in the book were handled. I wasn’t expecting some of the things that happened in the book, but was pleasantly surprised at how well it was done and how much I felt while reading about them. I really do think that. I would have such a fun time reading other books from these authors and I will for sure look out for them in the future! Overall, I rated the book 4 stars because it was so good and really made me smile. I honestly just felt so happy while reading this book and I am so, so glad that I got the chance to read it!