Honestly, I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did.

It starts off light, silly, fun and just what you would expect when you sit down and knowingly enter a YA-fiction about a world-famous boyband. One of the most interesting things is right-off-the-bat you take their perspective, which one could only imagine - but really, a POV I never would have never have put more thought to. In fact, before reading this book, I'd have listed the boyband tropes one would expect on the surface level - fangirls screaming after you, the parties, the popularity, paparazzi and cheesy songs. And don't get me wrong, that's all there in all it's amazing glory, but as you enter the story even more, what emerges are the different layers each character and boyband member has and this is what made me like the book better than I'd have expected.

Each chapter is written from two boy-band member's perspectives: Reuben and Zach. This makes sense since the book is a collaborative effort from Aussie authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich (as a fellow Aussie who moved to Canada and misses it, Go Aussies Go! ). This type of structure really worked in favour of the book's pacing and flow. At times I've read books where it jumps from character to character, only for me to really dislike one of the perspectives and groan when I land on them -- but not with this story! I really enjoyed getting insights from these two characters. The writers did an amazing job at giving depth, back story and reasons to empathise with the characters.

A few of the topics tackled include having to manage and handle an overbearing, ignorant and all-consuming parent, not being listened to, being controlled by others, coming to terms with one's sexuality, and hiding one's true self (not just sexuality, but personality, ideas and thoughts). I felt the way many of these issues were told in a riveting way, which was also exciting and emotional -- it connected me to these characters.

There were so many moments that I loved or had a profound effect, where I would laugh out loud or revisit an old memory, so I made sure to note these down. I don't think any of these alone would spoil the plot, but skip the list if you wish a completely spoiler-free review.

• "Asian guys can't be sexy" - I've felt this sentiment before (being asian myself), but was good to see this mentioned in such a way that it's a stupid concept and awful form of discrimination.
• Shaking uncontrollably when you're experiencing being alone for the first time with someone you really like.
• The different scenarios of a situation being played out in one's head. I laughed so hard at this and we've all done this before.
• A point in the story where tensions rise to the point where I was feeling anxious about what was going on.
• I'm really happy this story included bi-representation.
• Never have I ever been as terrified of fan-girls chasing a world-famous boyband.
• And this quote that really hit home for me, "The problem is, the world doesn't always make the truth safe for us to share."

In all, the story of If This Gets Out is much more than what you'd initially see on the surface - sure it's cheesy at times, but who doesn't love cheese?! There's some real depth here and you'll go through a variety of emotions as you read it! I sped through this book in 3 days and will absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants a wild ride, to see an inside look on the pressures placed on artists, and a cute AF romance between two members of a world-famous boyband!

I was lucky enough to read an e-ARC thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

If This Gets Out is a powerful and absorbing read centered on hit boyband Saturday and told in dual perspectives, shifting between Zach and Ruben who are members of the band. There are many great things about this book but perhaps the most striking is the exploration of the music industry and really lifting that curtain and showing us what happens behind the scenes, and it's not all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure. I feel like it's more widely known now how exploited and controlled many artists are and especially in bands where labels want to preserve a certain image and have a lot of control over individuals in the band *cough one direction cough* This is perfectly exemplified in the novel with Angel, Jon, Ruben and Zach having their every move dictated by their management, and this runs extremely deep.

Both Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have brought Ruben and Zach's characters to life, as they both find themselves falling for each other and navigating this new space they find themselves in as well as trying to be themselves and be authentic, despite their management suppressing them at every turn. The exploration of homophobia in the novel within the music industry and the ways this can manifest is so important to note and I feel like the authors have done a brilliant job of portraying this and the struggles the characters go through.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if you're looking for a unique and fresh contemporary romance which is unapologetically queer and has an important message.

This book follows Zach Knight and Ruben Montez, two members of the famous boy band Saturday. On their international tour, they being to grow closer, and their friendship blossoms into more. When they decide they want to tell the truth about their relationship, they realized they may never have the support from their management.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I had high hopes going into it, just based off the premise but it exceeded those expectations.

First of all, I was expecting this book to just be a cute romance (which it was) but it was so much more than that. It deals with the pressures of being a famous person fabulously. From what having millions of fans feels like, to the stresses and pressure that comes from management, it was all handled perfectly.

The pace of this book was also great. It is quite a long book, but it is so enthralling that it goes by faster than you could imagine. The plot stays interesting and engaging the whole time, and the pace makes sense.

The characters were also so sweet. They felt so real. I found myself caring about them so deeply. Through the writing, you come to understand their thinking and situation so well.

Overall, this book was a delight to read. I highly recommend it to fans of Red, White and Royal Blue, as it has a very similar “famous people that aren’t allowed to reveal their relationship” vibe. It was wonderful!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book as a whole, but it didn’t quite reach my expectations as I hoped it would.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was engaging and entertaining as it alternated between Zach and Reuben’s point of view, and both of them had distinct and likeable voices. I also had a great time learning about their bandmates, Angel and Jon, although I definitely would have liked the opportunity to get to know them even more. The dynamic between the four bandmates was fun to read about, but there wasn’t enough of it. I wish we had gotten a clearer picture of the band’s history and even their style of music.

I must admit that I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half. From the first couple of chapters, I was so sure that I was going to love this book! However, the focus began to shift from the romance to other plot points. I liked the romance, but I found it to be a little bit underdeveloped. I felt that the story was beginning to drag on in the second half. It became very repetitive with miscommunication between Zach and Reuben, which is my least favourite trope ever, and discussion about how Chorus was controlling the band. I think the book could have been cut down a little bit, or even better, we could have gotten a few more fun/cute scenes between Rebeun and Zach, or all four of the bandmates.

I was expecting this story to have light-hearted and fluffy vibes, but it had a more serious tone.
There were some subplots about really serious issues that I feel could have been handled better. It seemed that Zach was struggling with an eating disorder, or at least had some symptoms of one, but this was not really delved into the way that I hoped it would be. Because it was never addressed properly, I honestly feel like Zach’s disordered eating was somewhat normalized, and it could potentially be very harmful to the reader.
There was also a character struggling with addiction, which ended up being kind of glossed over.

This book provided some interesting commentary on the music industry. I am curious to know how much of it is accurate to the experiences of members of real boy bands in terms of management controlling their every move. If it’s true, it’s very sad.
This aspect of the story reminded me a little bit of the book Bootleg Stardust by Glenn Dixon, but I much, much, much preferred this book and the way the the subject was handled in If This Gets Out compared to that one.
On that, I think I’m coming to learn that I’m just not a huge fan of most books I’ve read about musicians. With the expectation of Kill the Boy Band, a satirical comedy about fandom culture and boy bands, as well as Daisy Jones and the Six, an utter masterpiece, I have been really disappointed by books heavily revolving around music.

If you’re looking for a story about the pressures of the music industry or a decent romance between two boys, this one may be for you!

This book is right up my alley as a lover of boy bands!
Ruben and Zach are part of the successful boy band Saturday and they are also in a secret relationship. Saturday’s management pressured the boys to stay hidden in the closet, among other things. This books really hits on the exploitation of young people in the music industry and how they are pressured to be perfect and look perfect all the time. I really enjoyed that a lot of hard hitting and important topics and conversations happened in this book. However, Zach mentions his body image a lot and there are many points where there is definitely disordered eating happening, but no resolution. The disordered eating mentions are triggering to some people and I think it needs to be addressed some more.
Overall, I loved this book and how it reminded me of One Direction and just being a fan.

Sohpie Gonzales always takes her YA novels to the next level. Her characters are so nuanced that I never feel like I am reading YA. This story was grippping and hopeful. She truly captures LGBT microagressions - people that claim they support LGBT people, but their language states otherwise. I am positively in love with all the characters, Angel, Jon, Ruben, and Zach.

Will be posted on my blog a month before publication!

-=-=-=-

If This Gets Out is the first collaboration of Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. I have read books by both authors, and it seems to me that their skills combine well to create a book that’s pretty adorable but still manages to delve into some serious issues.

This book seems to be marketed as a queer YA romance, but I would argue that it’s much more than that. There’s a lot of substance in this story and it’s great to see the genre expanded to include some relevant and serious issues.

Ruben, Zack, Jon and Angel are the members of the boy-band Saturday. They are a fully managed band that appear to have it all together in front of the camera. The problem is that things behind the stage seem to be starting to unravel.

Ruben has known for a long time that he was gay, but his management has insisted that he keep his sexual orientation “discreet.” What does that mean when you’re in a boy band? It means that you can’t ever really be yourself. Things get even more complex when Zach… whom Ruben has long harbored an unrequited crush on – kisses him.

While the romance plays out behind the scenes (and in fade to black scenes that are really well written) the business of being in a boyband is also explored. The authors do a great job of shining some light on the contractual process that may be involved in making music and many other issues: Lack of creative control, lack of personal time, all work-no play, mental health issues, paparazzi, fans and more.

It may seem ambitious to tackle so many issues in one book, but the authors do a great job of exploring the ins and outs of the music industry.

The book becomes a battle between the band members and their management. They’re all becoming young men and some of them are dealing with the challenges of fame better than others. Each of the band members is dealing with something different and it certainly makes for interesting reading.

Jon is the son of their manager and seems to be discovering that he’s more of a commodity to his father than a son. Angel is seeking excitement and freedom in unhealthy ways. Ruben’s mother is controlling and tends towards being a little cruel – he just wants to come out and be “himself”. Zack… oh Zack (I did love this character) is a people-pleaser and is finding out that just may mean he doesn’t actually know what he wants for himself.

The POV switches between Zack and Ruben. This is the way that Gonzales and Dietrich chose to co-write. It works quite well in the book. I particularly loved that the different POVs were printed in different fonts. It seems small but it was an extra clue for my brain when I was reading.

This is a YA book and could be considered new adult as the band members are all 18 years old. It’s feels as though it’s firmly planted in the YA universe. I loved the voices of the characters and think that it would be a great read for young people, or for people like me who just love YA.

This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more collaborations from these two authors.

There are parts of this book that I enjoyed, but overall felt a little too much like fan fiction? I know it’s not, but it reminded me of a student who wrote One Direction fan fiction. I love the bi representation, exploration of artist/production company dynamics, the struggles of life in the spotlight, and complex family dynamics. It wasn’t my favorite, but I can see lots of people loving this. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to students! It would be perfect for fans of boy bands and LGBTQ+ romance!

Saturday is an American boy band on a European tour. All do the members are tiring of their assigned roles and parts they’re forced to play by management. As the boys push back against expectations, Zach discovers and grapples with his bisexuality. He begins a relationship with fellow Saturday member and (closeted) friend Ruben. They story is told from alternating points of view and makes for some great character development. Even the other two members of the band have decent character development.

If This Gets Out is the perfect book for anyone who has ever been obsessed with a boy band. It is such a cute romance, but also addresses some hard topics like anxiety, toxic parents, drug issues, and of course coming out. I thought it was really great to see both sides of Ruben and Zach’s story, and hear not only about their struggles as a couple but also individually. I really enjoyed my time reading this book, and look forward to discovering more from Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

This book ultimately just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I was hoping for a fun romance about boys in a boy band falling in love and the hijinks that come from hiding their relationship from the record company and the media. While that is definitely part of the story, a much larger part is about the suffering of this group of young men under the supervision of their overbearing management, and that comes to the forefront over the relationship.

There are some interesting conversations about the pressure celebrities are put under and the pedestal they are put upon, but at the same time I feel like in a post-One Direction world where teenager girls were openly shipping members of a boy band, a story about how the management/record company thinks it would damage the group to have a gay member feels outdated in some ways.

The characters are well-formed, the romance is well-developed, but overall I was left feeling pretty distanced and emotionally detached from the whole thing.

This was so heartwarming??? Wow. First of all, I really loved the dynamic between Reuben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. Their friendship was very wholesome, very realistic. They had their ups and downs but they really came out stronger. I really enjoyed the romance a lot too! It was slowburn kinda but not really?? But really worth it they are very adorable. What I liked best was how this book just didn't focus on romamce, but addressed many other things too, like toxic parental relationships, coming out, pros & cons of fame, the fandom & the artist dynamic, as well as how many celebrities/artists get fucked up by the management they're in.

I think the two authors' writing really melds well together, but I'll say I preferred Reuben's point of view, and sometimes I did get confused on whose pov I was in at the moment. The pacing at the start was also sort of slow for me, but I did finish most of the book in one night so I guess it made up for it then?? I will say the ending felt a bit eh, but it did end at a very cheerful and hopeful note so that's nice.

not sure how I feel about this book, it wasn’t bad but i just didn’t connect with the characters. The writing didn’t flow well for me and the characters fell dull. The plot itself felt wasn’t bad, just didn’t add anything for me. The romance didn’t interest me much either. Wish I liked it more, maybe i’ll give it a try again in a few months.

Who knew you could fall in love with a band that doesn’t exist?
I absolutely adored this book. From the cover to the cast of characters, to the choreographed dances, this book was everything. The dual perspectives were well written, Zach and Ruben stole my heart.

It’s fun, fast-paced, full of action, queer rom-com. It doesn’t flinch away from shining a light on the harsh conditions of queer musicians in the industry, especially those who have been in this reality from a young age, as all the members of Saturday are. It really shows what it’s like to have every single second of your life planned out, and the consequences of their actions if they fail to follow the rules.

Ruben is a headstrong, iron-willed young adult who has been waiting to come out to the public since he was 15. He’s an amazingly written character, and his perspective really got you into his head as he faced his struggles. Zach, who is by far my favorite, is the perfect example of a best friend. He’s always there for his band, and he would do anything for them. The story really explores him coming to terms with his sexuality and vulnerability.

Angel and Jon were also wonderful characters, and I wished we got a bit more of their relationship. Angel’s character really showed what it’s like to become consumed by the toxicity of the music industry.

Overall this was a wonderful read, and I’m sad to know that’s over. I cannot wait to see it go out into the world and to know that I was able to read it beforehand will make this book incredibly special to me.

NOTE: This is a young adult novel and it deals with heavy topics like substance abuse and sex. Please look up all additional trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If This Gets Out honestly is like every boy band fans dream come true! You know when you start shipping two of the members and you can't stop but read into their interactions? This book follows Ruben and Zach as they work through the new tension that has built between them while on their UK tour. Ruben feels trapped by their management and Zach wishes he could just write his own music.

This book immediately became a comfort read for me. The characters felt so organic and their interactions were so adorable.  I enjoyed that they weren't all hearts and stars from the beginning but slowly fell into each other. There is so much tension in this book and you feel for all four of the boys for the horrible situation they find themselves trapped in. Even though the story was centered around Ruben and Zach's relationship, the other two members of the band felt just as important to me. They were fully fleshed out characters that I wish I could read more about. I felt so bad for my poor baby Angel and I can't even imagine the fallout for Jon. This book is easily a 4.5/5 for me.

If you like boy bands, shipping celebrities, or just good old fashioned romance, this book is for you. You'll fall in love with the boys and wish you could see what their future holds.

I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely fun and enjoyable read! Coming from the perspective of someone who had been a fan of k-pop, namely boy groups, I thought this was fantastic. If This Gets Out is a story about an American boy band called Saturday. They have four group members; Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel. Ruben is openly gay with his group members and with their producing company; Chorus, but has not been allowed to disclose his sexuality to the world. As the story progresses we have Zach come to terms with his sexuality. As he and Ruben develop feelings for each other we see the struggles they face with a company that does not openly support them.

Characters(9.5/10) : I really enjoyed all four members of Saturday. I found they all had distinctive personalities to set them apart. I thought it was amusing how their company; Chorus had them display stage personalities that were often quite different from who they actually were. You do often see musical acts that have stage personalities, but for Saturday they were not given the choice to choose who they would be. They were dictated by Chorus on how to act and dress and all four of the boys were not content with the choices. Ruben and Zach had fantastic chemistry. I loved all the scenes they were in together (which was most of them!) The dynamic between all the boys was also really wonderful. They really felt like a family and their love for each other was charming to read.

Plot (8.5/10): I thought the story was engaging but I do find this was more of a character based story, which I do love. The plot did keep me engaged especially with the addition of some different dynamics with the other two Saturday members; Jon and Angel. I did like that they had their own problems that they were dealing with aside from the main story of Ruben and Zach. Even just within Ruben there were multiple problems he was dealing with, from homophobia to family problems.

Writing (8.5/10): I thought the writing was really good and kept me engaged. I found myself reading until late at night sometimes. I thought both the POV's of Ruben and Zach flowed well. The continuity was great. You would never know this book was co-written by two authors.

Entertainment (10/10): Like I said earlier, I was up until 2am one night reading this novel. Even some other books I enjoy, I don’t mind putting them aside for the night, but for If This Gets Out, I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next!

I find it difficult to come up with many cons. I suppose it would have been nice to have a longer conclusion. It was left a bit open ended. I did not mind the ending though. We as the readers did receive enough context to know what would happen next for the boys of Saturday.

All in all, a really great read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Ruben and Zach, and even Jon and Angel. Their “battle” against their producing company was great to read about. This book just tackled so many issues and did it so well, from homophobia, abuse within the entertainment industry, familial abuse, and substance abuse.
I would recommend this to just about everyone, but if you are a fellow k-pop fan like me or a fan of bands in general I think you would really love this!

Total: 4.6/5 = 5/5

3.5

I liked this. It wasn't anything super exciting, but it was fun nonetheless. It was a really quick read and quite entertaining. I'd recommend it if your looking for something quick and fun that still manages to deal with some important issues then this is for you. It deals with issues like homophobia, addiction and other things fairly well. The characters were well developed, as were the relationships between the four main boys.

I've seen a few people compare it to fan fiction and I wouldn't say thats too far off. Not that that's a bad thing at all. It just had a similar vibe to an RPF fan fiction. If you like that kind of thing, this is probably up your ally.

I didn't really have many problems with the book, but i felt like several things didn't get resolved. Many plot points were very open ended and i felt like certain things were brushed over without being explained. I felt like the book could've been a bit longer to clear somethings up and and explore certain plot points, but at the same time, the book is already fairly long.

As someone who has been on "stan" twitter, I can say for a fact that the way the fanbase was represented was pretty accurately. There were a few things that wouldn't have happened, but overall it seemed pretty similar to things I've seen in large fanbases like that. I think it did a good job of showing the negative sides of fandom as well as certain aspects about idolising celebrities. These types of fanbases can be a very negative environment, not just for fans, but for the artists too and I think that the book did a good job of showing this.

Overall, I didn't have many issues with the book, but it just wasn't anything that got me super invested.

**REVIEW TIME**

5 stars

So I was lucky enough to score an eARC of this baby via NetGalley recently and I could not wait to jump into it. Boy band members who fall in love? Hells. Yes. I could not read this faster.

**Potential spoilers**

Things I liked:
- Zach's struggle with his sexuality - this was so bloody relatable it wasn't funny and it was done so well. Seriously, one of my notes was literally "F*cking relatable as f*ck". Such eloquence but so true.
- the pressure the boys were put under was palpable - you could feel it, and the tension it brought had me racing through this book to find out what happened next
- Zach and Ruben were written so well - you understand their motivations, why they are the way they are based on their backgrounds and history. They also grew as characters, questioning themselves and their actions in the fishbowl existence they lived in.
- the parental figures were given very real personalities - they weren't just characters hovering at the edge of the MCs universe.
- the chemistry and tension between then two mains was #chefskiss
- I legit squealed with excitement when it came to the scene at the end where everything comes to a head. I was so invested in these characters!

Things I didn't like:
- *crickets* I... I got nothing.

To be honest, there really isn't anything I can fault about this book. I wanted it to keep going. At the end my heart was pounding. It was fantastic and it felt real and I want a #SaveSaturday shirt like right now. I seriously cannot wait for this book to come out (pun thoroughly intended)!

NetGallery provided me an advanced copy of this book for review.
I fell in love with Saturday--Jon, Reuben, Zach, and Angel. I loved all the characters in this book. The authors knocked it out of the park with how well-rounded all the band members were. Although we only have two narrators, I would have loved to see Jon and Angel's POV. Maybe the next book, huh? There is definitely more story to tell. I screamed at the ending because I wanted to see how it played out, but it was a great stopping point. Especially since we have to get another entry.
I have dedicated 2021 to queer stories. This is one of my personal favorites.
There were so many topics that were touched on. There was potential to address eating disorders, drug addiction, mistreatment, religion, several different ethnic and cultural lifestyles...there were SO many seeds planted in this first book. So many things to address in a second book. 😜
This entry primarily focused on Reuben and Zach and their secret relationship and how it affects those around them. It was heart-warming and funny. I felt such frustration for these characters...a sign of any good book when you experience the characters' emotions.
One particular thing that stands out to me as a member of the queer community is the mention of PreP. Kudos to both authors for including this and helping to get the message about PreP out there to younger people in our community.
I have read books from both authors separately. This was just a phenomenal mashup of talent. I can't wait to read a sequel.

Review coming soon. Thanks to Sophie Gonzales, Caleb Dietrich, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; the opinions are mine.

Pub Date 12.7.21

Opening the initial pages of this was like wandering back into the beginning of I Was Born For This from Jimmy Kaga-Ricci's point of view. The band in that book and in this one are very similar, largely because they are both pop sensations with stars who are a similar late teen age.

The main difference at that point was that this was an American band. However, shortly after the beginning of the story sets up, they are heading out on the European leg of their tour.

The other difference? Although this too has a dual point of view story, it is between two of the band mates, and one of them is already established to be very gay.

Once this novel got started, I absolutely couldn't put it down. Yes, Zach and Ruben were the main- and viewpoint characters, but part of what made this so compelling were the relationships and struggles they went through with their other band mates, Angel and Jon.

Ruben has known he was gay since before the band started, however he's been encouraged not to come out publicly since the band was put together by Jon's dad. This is more or less okay, up until he and Zach start their relationship. This, amongst other things, signals the beginnings of even more of the band's freedoms being cut down.

I just... this novel was so claustrophobic at parts, but that was what made it so mesmerising. And, although at the end, the band gets their happily ever after, it's hard won and with a lot of shakey stuff that goes on to get them there.

The only thing that I would say is a little bit of a downside to this book is that, even though the two viewpoints were written by different people, the characters read very similarly a lot of the time.