Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

threeeeeeee... & a half? 3.75? somewhere there. angsty and fun and easy to read. plot got a bit repetitive in the middle third, but overall I enjoyed it!

Imagine if Harry and Louis were real and what would happen.
This book was a super fun and light read, with boy bands, music and tour.
Super recommend this, I read it in one day, I couldn’t put it down!

This was a typical YA read. I think those who were obsessed with bands like One Direction will love this and the angst that fills it.

I really really liked this book 🥺 I have been a boyband girl since I was a pre-teen, so this was the perfect book for me. It was really fun to see the whole thing behind the scenes, especially now in an age where social media gives you the illusion that you know more about famous people than you really do. The authors do a really good job of illustrating the fact that no matter how much you think you know your favorite artists, it's all manufactured (especially with boybands, K-pop, and any other company-formed groups).

The relationship between Ruben and Zach was super cute. I was of course drawn to Zach because Sophie Gonzales always writes some of my favorite bi characters, and Zach is no different. I really liked his journey through figuring out his identity and how supportive Ruben was of him.

And the ending was also very sweet and hopeful. It seems like a fantasy still (except for the sadly realistic reaction from the management company and the record label), but hopefully someday soon something like Zach and Ruben's story will be true in the real world.

Heartfelt and vulnerable, Ruben and Zach are members of an all-boy band touring America. Their friendship among splinters in the band creates an opportunity for their relationship to bloom into a romance. The trouble between the band members creates the opportunity for the two of them to bond, while their desire to be known for who they are arises for them at the same time. Coming out story of two young men who need each other during tough times. Their experience frees them allowing them to show up in the world as they want to be seen.

It had really good themes to explore: substance abuse, young teenage love, exploitation in the industry. but the writing felt childish (and so did the characters). ultimately i’ve read better fanfiction than this - but it was still alright (and that’s just bc i liked zach).

I'm not saying it is, but I'm not saying it's not. And those who know, know.

I thought it was a cute book with a very interesting dive into the world of boybands and management of boybands. I loved that during a time when one character was going off the deep end, they banded together to help him. Even if it came too late and they all saw the signs ahead of time.

All in all, would read again!

If This Gets Out is a charming, well-paced, funny, and emotional love story that any fans of boy bands and the music industry will find equally entertaining and fascinating. Read my full review here: https://culturess.com/2021/12/07/if-this-gets-out-is-a-queer-boy-band-romcom/ as well as my interview with the authors: https://culturess.com/2021/12/16/if-this-gets-out-queer-romance/.

Zach and Ruben are two members of a wildly successful boy band, Saturday. This book is told from their alternating POVs. As they tour, their friendship evolves into something more. They are torn between revealing their romance to the world and keeping the status quo. I enjoyed this even though LGBTQAI+/YA is generally not in my wheelhouse. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The members of Saturday, a fictional band modeled after One Direction, met at music camp as teens, and now at eighteen are hugely famous and on their first international tour. The singers are increasingly chafing at the archetypal boxes that management presses them into: the bad boy, the goofy one, the sexy one, the boy next door. The tour doesn't leave any time for actual touring, it's one locked hotel room after another. And fans have gone from cheering at a distance to smothering in their screaming adoration. Told in alternating chapters by Zach and Ruben, If This Gets Out details their affectionate friendship and growing attraction, Zach coming to terms with coming out, and the response from their colleagues, management, families and fans. Ruben has known he was gay for a long time, but recognizes their brands are designated to cultivate a wide fan base, and keeps things discreet. Management has been telling him since he was sixteen that he can't come out; they promise that he and Zach can disclose their relationship publically "after Russia" but as time goes on, it seems like NO time is a good time to rock the boat.

This novel for teens is a sex (not TOO detailed), drugs and rock and roll lifestyle expose and critique that feels disturbingly realistic as it captures the sexualization of youth and homophobia still present in the entertainment industry and the high pressure environment of impossibly perfect standards and exhausting schedule that successful performers endure. The character development is strong as the members push through stereotypes and strain at their confines. Ruben's passive-aggressive (possibly narcissistic, if I were diagnosing) mother is a piece of work, constantly berating him for not being good enough; Zach is sweet but confused, Jon is open minded but comes from a super-religious family, and his dad happens to be the big deal music producer that formed their boy band; Angel is delving into drugs and getting out of control. Ruben and Zach's romance is fraught with fear but also passion. When the lovers try to spin the narrative on their own, the management company turns on them... but then their moms show up as a united front.

This novel could have gone so wrong, and read like bad 1D fanfiction, but it beautifully explores insecurity, anxiety, and a lot of other complicated emotions about people who love each other, change, and spend a lot of time in proximity. For another more adult look at romance while boy-band famous, read The Idea of You by Robinne Lee.

I checked this ebook out of the local library via #OverDrive.

With the world watching what happens to Brittany Spears and other teen stars, this is the book we need. A look into the abuse that so commonly happens in the music industry. But just about the time you have given up this book has a love story that makes it worth it again. I love the dynamic between the two main characters. After reading "I'm glad my mother died", I was worried this book would also make me feel sad. But the characters and this story was a breath of fresh air.

This one was a nice read. Although not inspired in the least but If you are a reader that loved One Direction and was into those fanfics about the members this the perfect book, But at the same time is so much more.
Sophie Gonzales does an amazing job carving out Ruben and Zach love story. And the troubles they go to hide it and to not let the company used or destroyed their love. This book also sheds light on others members troubles which I loved.
Overall this was a nice read and a book that many that loved romance and boy bands will enjoy.

I was so disappointed.
I went into this expecting a cute rom-com, and it fell flat.
also so much of this was just characters refusing to communicate with each other and that irked me

also the absolute Parasocialism(?) of the way they treated their fans….. babes you don’t know those people and they certainly don’t know you so why are we doing that whole “we love you so much” act

As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes the entertainment industry (more the theatre sector than the music sector admittedly, but there’s a lot of crossover), you’d think that I wouldn’t want to also be reading about the industry for fun. But honestly, I’ve always loved books that focus on the entertainment industry, especially when I was younger and just starting to develop an interest in it, and this one was no exception.

As unfortunate as it is to say, based on what I know about the entertainment industry as someone studying it in an age of increased accountability for the powers in charge, Saturday’s story felt very authentic. I never really had any boyband obsessions growing up - I only ever listened to One Direction casually, though I had a pretty embarrassing Bieber phase, and I didn’t fall in love with Big Time Rush until shortly after finishing this book - but a lot of my friends did; even that secondhand exposure to what boyband fandom is like and the internal and external pressure that any boyband’s members are under was enough for me to know that the experiences of these characters is not that exaggerated, if at all.

As a result, my heart hurt for all four members of Saturday and what they have to deal with throughout the book, but especially for Zach and Ruben, whose perspectives and experiences are the most prevalent. All four characters are well developed, and I found it interesting to see how their personas changed when they were alone / with each other and when they were in front of press or fans. I really loved seeing them slowly gain the strength to stand up for themselves against their management company, with their fans and their families rallying behind them. The ending really warmed my heart, and it gives me a lot of hope for the real-life industry too!

The only thing I really disliked about this book was the pacing. It takes a while for Zach and Ruben to kiss and even longer for them to get together, so they spend a lot more time just being annoyed and angry at each other than actually being together. I was really invested once they decide to make their relationship official and subsequently fight for their freedom from their management, and I wish more of the story had focused on that rather than the tension leading to them getting together, especially once I got to the end and I wanted to know more about how their career progresses from there. I also wish that there was more about Jon - I felt like he gets less focus because of how much of the plot centers on Zach, Ruben, and Angel, and I would have liked for him to have a more significant role.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who’s ever loved a boyband and wanted the members of said boyband to win the freedom to be themselves that they deserve.

PS: Is it too much to ask to be able to hear Saturday’s music?

**I received this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for an honest review**

Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon are members of the boy-band Saturday. Ruben is out to a handful of people, including the group, but he’s being pressured to stay in the closet when it comes to everyone else. He’s been wanting to come out for years but according to management, it’s not the right time. Confiding in Zach his many frustrations had their already close relationship developing into something more during their European tour.

I really liked Ruben. He was a straightshooter who questioned everything. Zach was more timid. He went with the flow way too often and took people’s word as gospel. His struggle was for sure real when it came to his sexuality. I found his emotions tough but loved the believability of it all.

The drama between these two friends was something else. I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Zach throughout. While this story was mainly about Ruben and Zach, I liked that we were able to get to know Angel and Jon a lot. I loved each of their personalities. It took me a minute to get a gage on Jon, but Angel was over the top from the start. He had no problems being the life of the party any day of the week
Overall, I loved the group and loved Zach and Ruben.

As a big fan of both One Direction and Sophie Gonzales, I was very excited to read this book! The storyline was very engaging and I loved all of the twists - some were definitely unexpected! This book made for a great book club discussion.

Actual Rating: 4.5

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book, and I was glad to see it lived up to the hype. Ruben and Zach were very cute, and it was easy to root for their relationship and their personal growth as Ruben had to contend with an awful mother and being forced to remain closeted and Zach had to deal with coming into his sexuality and standing up for himself. I fully wanted to cuss out Chorus Management the further I got into the story, and I think the authors did a great job of depicting the way gatekeepers and industry professionals retain their power over others. There were also other serious topics written into the book like addiction, which showed the downsides to fame and the consequences to not feeling in control of your own life. Overall, if you’ve ever been obsessed with a boyband, this eye-opening and entertaining book might be for you.

For fans of bandom and books like Grace and The Fury, this book is about the friendship and closeness of a boyband and the pressures of its queer members. Set against the backdrop of a European band tour and a best friends boyband romance, this book is thrilling and riveting.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

This was a cute story and I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I also liked that it delt with the darker side of the music/entertainment industry it always good to remind people that it's not all fun and games.

The things that I didn't like as much was this really felt like fanfic it was cute don't get me wrong but I remember ready similar stories before. And even though I did like showing the darker side of the entertainment industry I've notice this seems to be a really big trend right now and have been seeing it and reading it a lot lately.

All and all cute with a little edge and I'm glad I read it.