This book ended up being MORE than I expected and i'm just so glad it turned out as it did. I haven't been in the mood for YA recently but this was just such a fun read I couldn't resist. Romance within a boy band?? Absolutely amazing and so wholesome. I also usually don't enjoy books written by more than 1 author but this worked out so well!! I've added Sophie Gonzales's books to my tbr after having finished this. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a sweet read, maybe even one to get you out of a slump!

I picked this up expecting a cute, light-hearted romance with obvious inadvertent parallels to a certain real boyband romance conspiracy. If This Gets Out is that, but it's also a painful, darker rendering of the pressures of that kind of fame, the weight of image and expectations, and complicated family relationships. The central relationship is healthy and fierce, and it's very much us-against-the-world rather than a novel's worth of internal queer struggle. Some of this hit incredibly hard for me specifically, and it's an unexpected new favourite.

Ruben and Zach quickly became one of my favourite queer YA couples, if not YA couples stat, and I was rooting for them the whole way. I hate the miscommunication trope usually, but this book resolved it quickly but naturally, and the miscommunication also made sense--Zach's internal turmoil about his sexuality, exacerbated by his anxiety, felt incredibly real and resonated strongly, and it made the impact when they finally did get together all the stronger.

I loved how diverse the boyband was, as well as how comfortable their friendship felt. It sets a foundation for the cracks that fame and expectations start driving between them, with a slow, agonising downward spiral in the second half. Yet while the book doesn't shy away from darker topics of addiction, emotional abuse, and mental health, it's ultimately a joy of friendship and queerness.

(4.5 stars)

If This Gets Out is a sweet, queer YA contemporary following Ruben and Zach from the world famous boyband Saturday. As they go through the ups and (mostly) downs of the teen popstar life, Zach has to navigate his sexuality and his mental health, and Ruben has to deal with having been closeted for years, a major crush on Zach, and a mother constantly pushing him to be better.

I had such an incredible time reading this. I haven't read a (queer) YA contemporary with my eyes in a while and it was exactly what I needed. The characters were wonderful and I connected to all four of them so easily. Especially Zach's journey of discovering his bisexuality (when he realised that his past infatuations with boys were definitely crushes and not just admiration LOL call me out) felt so relatable and recognisable. The pacing was perfectly done, the dual perspective worked great and their voices were pretty distinct, and I loved the glimpse inside the pop music industry (was it accurate? No clue, but it sure sounded realistic!)

Although I understand it may have been difficult to fit it all in, I wish the mental health of the boys had been explored more in-depth, as well as their relationship with their families (especially Ruben). That would have truly elevated it to a 5-star read for me.

Still, though, I highly recommend, and my teenage (and current!) boyband fangirl self is THRIVING

Also, this quote ended me: "A part of me wants to protect him from the realities of what it means to be queer, and how it changes things in a million subtle ways. How it always leaves you a little uncertain if things are fair, or if there's a tiny shred of hate underlying it all. How, much of the time, you can't even call it out without people turning against you and calling you overly sensitive, because it can be so insidious, you're the only one who notices it for what it is.

TW's: homophobia, forced closeting, eating disorder, drug and alcohol abuse (potentially more that I didn't pick up on or don't remember)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If This Gets Out is absolutely charming. It follows Ruben and Zach, two eighteen-year-old members of a hugely popular boyband, as they navigate their feelings for each other and begin a relationship just as their management team becomes increasingly controlling during a European tour.

This book has a lot of fun with boyband and romcom tropes while also cleverly subverting some of them at the same time. At the beginning of the story, Ruben is out to his bandmates and family but has been asked by the management team to remain closeted for now to the general public. Zach begins to understand his bisexuality though his attraction to Ruben and realizes he had pushed aside or ignored previous feelings for other guys in the past.

I really enjoyed how Ruben and Zach communicated with each other. They didn't always communicate perfectly or share all of their feelings, but they tried and both got better with their various communication issues throughout the book. And they both supported each other as they dealt with their unique parental issues.

It probably helped that they had a common enemy throughout in their management company that was gaslighting them into staying closeted with the idea they just had to wait until after their Russian tour date. The book did a terrific job of showing what it's like to be under a microscope at all times and showing some of the shadier aspects of the music industry.

I also enjoyed the relationships between Ruben, Zach and their bandmates Jon and Angel and I would have liked to see even more of the friendships and rivalries within the band.

The ending did come across as little too simplistic and I was confused by the overall lack of mention of a record label in all of the band's business dealings. But these are small quibbles when a book is as charming as this one.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the free ebook copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

I chose to request this book in an attempt to pick something that was a bit out of my usual realm of books. I mean, it’s a boy band book.

Not my usual cup of tea.

But oh my goodness, am I happy I chose this book. Was it cliche at times? Yes, I mean, its primarily a romance novel so that comes with the genre usually. But I fell in love with all four main characters, the members of the boy band Saturday. Each of them have their own quirks and problems and you sincerely just want them to find themselves again.

Pretty early on in the novel, you come to find out that Ruben is a gay young man who is forced into keeping his sexuality a secret from the public. Everyone in the group and who is close to him knows but beyond that, everyone perceives him as straight. His best friend, Zach, is always there for him. And after a night of drinks, their close relationship turns into something a bit more.

Now, Saturday has to hide 2 men’s sexualities (and their budding relationship), a member who might have a drug issue, and the overwhelming pressure that is living in the public eye while living a lie.

This story does a great job at giving you the feel of the celebrity lifestyle. All four are constantly pressured by their managers to make sure that their image isn’t tarnished in any way. Their haircuts, their diets, every hour and every minute of their day, are planned. Eventually, one grows tired of that control and you have to push back.

My only problem is that, when Saturday does push back against their control…

The story ends.

Um, authors, can I please have more? I feel like there is so much more than can happen. I want more of Ruben’s and Zach’s relationship and its growth. I want to know what happens with Angel and Jon. What about Jon and his father (Gotta read the story to figure out what’s wrong there). I simply want more which means it was probably a really good book!

So, if you’re interested in a somewhat short LGBTQ boy band story, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. Tentative publication date isn’t until Dec 2021!

Thank you Netgalley, along with the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinions in any way.

I don’t even know how to start this review. This book was just so damn good. Of course, it had it qualms, mostly to do with the pacing, but everything else was just *chefs kiss*

This book is the closest anyone has ever come to writing a One Direction fan fiction. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone thought this was about that boy band. I literally could not stop comparing them.

If This Gets Out revolves around Saturday, a boyband who are literally owning the music industry. Ruben and Zach are part of this band, along with their two other band members, Angel and Jon. THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS EVERYTHING. I loved their interactions and how comfortable they always were around each other. They genuinely cared and would go to some pretty big lengths to help each other. Of course, they had their ups and downs but they always managed to stick it out.

Their managing company (or an agency? I don’t really know) doesn’t really allow them to be themselves. Ruben is gay, and desperately wants to share that with the world but Chorus won’t let him. They create different personalities for each of them and put them in a box, not caring about what it’s doing to the band. All they care about is the outcome. And if it’s advantageous.

As Ruben and Zach starting catching feelings for each other, Zach also starts coming to terms with the fact that he’s bisexual, which is something he’s not exactly swelled upon before. He goes through a lot of new experiences, like coming out to his mom and falling for a boy.

It broke my heart to see them not being able to be themselves in front of their fans, and having to hide their true selves from almost everyone. They had to keep doing what was right for the company and avoid any scandals that might make it to the tabloids. But what broke my heart the most was that Chorus wouldn’t let them come out. They made empty promises, and when Ruben and Zach finally realised that, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The ending did feel a bit abrupt and I would have liked to get a little more closure to where everyone’s lives were heading.

All four boys had the cutest relationship ever and I can’t help but root for them all through the story. Told through dual POVs, If This Gets Out is a swooning read, with amazing romance and a breathtaking story about self discovery. Sophie Gonzales has done it again.

Boy Band is overmanaged by their management company. One member struggles with addiction. Another two fall in love. Overbearing parents play in to the problems. Drama ensues.

I wanted to like this so much more, but it just felt too long to me.

While I haven't had a chance to read anything by Cale Dietrich yet, I loved Sophie Gonzales's ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and knew I would get my mitts on anything of hers I could. Then I read the synopsis for IF THIS GETS OUT and know that I HAD to read it.

Dietrich and Gonzales handled this book and all of the subject matter with absolute aplomb. Readers expecting ONLY sugary rom-com goodness should be warned since the book does tackle heavier subject matter at points. While we see everything exclusively from Ruben's and Zach's perspectives and the growth and change they undergo, it's also fantastic to see the maturation and growth of their band mates throughout.

CW: substance abuse, underaged drinking, forcible closeting, verbal abuse/manipulation by parental figures

I’ve read this one thinking about my students and their love for boy band. It didn’t disappoint me! It’s an incredible sweet story, a quick and fun read, with lots of drama. As we know the music industry is hard and cruel sometimes, and this book covers a lot of heavy stuff about it too. But overall, it is a fluffy romance, with amazing friendships, and for sure I’ll be recommending and if you didn’t preorder the book yet, do it NOW!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A queer boy band rom com?? I'm dead. This book was incredible! Well written, well developed characters, with deep feelings that felt incredibly real. I would hesitate to classify it as YA, because there was a LOT of sexy-time stuff, but I would think this is appropriate for the high end of YA, definitely not the middle school grouping. However, I loved it!!

I needed this book and I didn't even know it !

C’était super touchant ! Les personnages sont adorables et très bien construits. Ca m’a parlé car j’étais Directioner, et que je défendais Larry avec mes tripes, donc je me suis 100% reconnue dans cette histoire. Les chansons pop, les concerts, les fans, les dramas, je l’ai vécu pendant plusieurs années. Forcément que cette histoire allait me plaire!
C’est un roman écrit à quatre mains et c’était très intéressant à voir! Si j’ai bien compris, les chapitres du POV de Zach étaient écrits par l’un des deux auteurs et ceux de Ruben par l’autre!

J’ai aimé cette fin qui était tout ce que j’espérais. Et c’est rare !
J’ai également aimé que ça aborde des sujets importants comme la pression dans l’industrie de la musique évidemment, mais aussi l’anxiété, la difficulté de prendre des décisions importantes et de savoir ce que l’on veut indépendamment des autres, le coming-out, la manipulation familiale, le gaslighting et les parents toxiques.
C’était divertissant et en même temps très prenant et enrichissant.

Come for the sweet romance, stay for the sharp critique of the music industry. This book may appear to be a story about two boyband members falling in love, and on one level it is, but it is also an exploration of the demons facing each boyband member, from themselves, their parents, and the industry at large. It is about growing up in the public eye and being controlled in all aspects of life. It is written introspectively and with care, and is a delightful rollercoaster to read.

I think this would’ve resonated a lot more with me had I been a One Direction or BTS fan. It’s been a long time since I was into this kind of musical group, though I’m obviously not too old to understand the dynamics and the archetypes and the pressure; I’m not blind or deaf to social media. But it was hard to transport myself into this mindset because, well.. I was too young to pay that kind of attention when I was into these kinds of groups. Not to mention, I think the media and paparrazzi, while they were probably no less toxic back in the day, the coverage was just different. Because the internet. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to deal with for those who were the subject of it all, of course, but how it was later consumed? The frenzy. The focus. The demand for more, for all? I feel that’s such a different animal now.

But anyway, that’s a long intro that isn’t saying much, so lets move on.

Overall I don’t have a lot of feelings about this. Or at least not strong ones. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, and it was a quick consumption of entertainment. But don’t take that to mean this was light or fluffy or easy to process; there are real issues, some heavy subject matter, mixed in with the boyband and romance elements. But I felt the same way around the story as I do reading about the aforementioned real-life bands; my brain was processing the information, I would sympathize, but ultimately my investment was low.

That said, I think a lot of people will like this — I don’t think being into these bands is at all a prerequisite. I just, personally, think I would’ve liked it more if I was.

2.75 stars

Ideal for young teens who are obsessed with boy bands. This focuses on a fictional boy band and wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

This book was incredible and I couldn’t put it down.
You know a book is good when I can not make myself read (or listen) to ANYthing else while I’m reading it.
The relationship between the two main characters (two boy band stars) was romantic and beautiful. The relationship between the band members was complex and fun to read. It was a beautiful example of found family and how even found family isn't always perfect.

I absolutely loved the Bi rep in this book. I related so much for Zach and his coming to the realization about his sexuality. I loved the relationship between him and Ruben.

The other characters were good too. I loved how ever character was complex. It really helped me as the reader understand how someone can get trapped in abuse because everyone has a good side... even villains.

I also loved how these world famous pop stars had all the same (if not more) insecurities as we all do. The part of the story that focused in the music and celebrity industry was well written and obviously well researched. It really made me think about past boy bands and music stars and what they must have gone through (and probably still do).

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

It was absolutely amazing and it made me feel all the feels!

Saturday is at the top of the boy band game! Members Ruben Montez, Zach Knight, Angel Phan, and Jon Braxton are living their dream...at least publicly...behind the scenes is another story. Chorus Management is keeping the boys on a tight leash, molding them into the ideal boyfriends in order to boost record sales. This is especially hard on Ruben...whose sexuality is being firmly kept in the closet. During their European tour Ruben and Zach's friendship leads to more and when they decide they want to tell the world they realize their lives are not their own.

This book was everything I wanted and more. Full disclosure I am boy band stan. I love them all...NKOTB, BSB, NSYNC, O-Town, One Direction. This book was so well written and the characters were amazing. I would buy a Saturday album like that *snaps fingers* and they're not even a real band...that's how invested I am. Ruben and Zach's love story felt genuine. Neither of them were perfect, which was refreshing...they had flaws and didn't always do the right thing, but their love felt real. Jon and Angel were great characters too, really rounding out the band and the story. Chorus Management portrayed the music industry at its worst and were a great nemesis to the boys' characters. The only tiny thing that bothered me, though, was Zach's naivety. How he could possibly think Chorus ever had his best interests at heart was hard to believe...unless this book exists in a world where the aforementioned bands did not exist. I will definitely reread this book and recommend it to anyone who will listen. LOVED IT!

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Do you ever read a book that gives you the most nostalgia ever while still giving you the euphoria of reliving a time that was so memorable to you? Yeah, this book is it. If This Gets Out is basically a giant One Direction fanfiction and I am LIVING for it. Reading about the boyband and seeing Ruben and Zach's side of things really reminded me so much of being in the One Direction fandom, but reading this book was like living through the other side of the band.

It follows the lives of Ruben, who is a closeted gay (not by choice! Management's got them all down!) and Zach who slowly starts to realize that he's bisexual and has a crush on Ruben. As they work through their relationship and how to come out to the world while still being under the tight leash of their management, we get to see just how exhausting and terrifying it can be to be that famous.

I absolutely loved this story. Both POVs were well written and while it felt a little bit like Zach and Ruben's relationship was rushed (Zach finds out he's bisexual not even a quarter through the book), it was fun to witness through their eyes. There's great mental health rep (Ruben's got some major emotional trauma from his mother who's a total narcissist and has messed with his head) and drug abuse which was interesting to see as it's a common occurrence in celebrities especially ones as young as the boys. I highly recommend reading it!!

I always struggle so much more with writing reviews of books I loved. They always make me pretty incoherent but I will try my best.
Ruben and Zach are two members of a world-famous boyband, they've been friends for years but recently Ruben has developed a crush on Zach and much to his surprise - Zach might just like him too. We follow them alongside their fellow band members, Angel and Jon, as they go on tour across Europe for the first time, dealing with not only their developing feelings for one another but also the pressures of being in a boyband and not having the freedom to be themselves.
I have read some romances recently that have not made me feel anything at all, but this book was in no way one of them. I thought the character's emotions were so well portrayed and my mood was constantly changing with theirs. I also loved the travel element of the book on the tour, how each of the characters were so well written, and how while at first glance it might look like a fairly average romance it was actually so much more than that.
Exploring difficult topics such as drug addiction, homophobia, parental abuse, and exploitation in the music industry, If This Gets Out was not always a happy read, but it felt genuine and did so often put a smile on my face that it might be a new favourite. If you couldn't work it out already from context cues I will be buying a physical copy of this book when it comes out in December because this is definitely one I will reread.

A moving story about love and fame. Ruben and Zach proved to be unforgettable characters that I found myself rooting for. While the plot picks up quickly, we’re really taken for a ride while the boy banders of SATURDAY go on their European tour.

You may expect a straightforward romance, but this book is about so much more. How the music industry often mistreats its talent, the freedom that’s taken away with contracts, and how love can overcome all obstacles. I loved the message and the sweet romance between the guys, which ultimately kept me reading until the end.

While I enjoyed the plot of the books and found aspects of it entertaining, the writing didn’t hook me. Some of the dialogue was confusing, and the way Zach acted in Ruben’s POV chapters vs in his own POVs truly made me believe they were two different characters. Angel is definitely a stand-out character and I loved all his dialogue.

I was so excited to read this and it didn't disappoint! I don't know where to begin, I simply loved the characters and the premise, it went in a completely different direction than what I expected and it made this a very unique read. The romance is very cute and I was very invested in it from the first page. I also loved the relationship between the four boys and seeing how much they cared for each other, not to mention they way they communicate with each other to solve conflicts and their growth/development was very satisfying and made this a very enjoyable read!