This book was cute, and fans of books like Red, White and Royal Blue (or other LGBT+ YA or NA romances) will enjoy this. Some of the writing didn't flow between chapters (likely because each author wrote the chapters from one characters' POV), but overall, the story was fun. This was a sweet romance between a gay character and a bisexual character who spends the book discovering his sexuality, and examines the consequences of media figures being out of the closet. I can only imagine what it's actually like behind the scenes, but it gives an inside look at the business behind celebrity, as well as finding the balance between being a team player/a figurehead, and being true to yourself.

There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. I loved the banter and relationships between all of the band members and I especially loved Angel. He has got a lot of charisma and something crazy going on in his head.

Zach and Ruben together were pretty entertaining. My problem was that the book is SO repetitive. It seems like every chapter all that's being talked about is how their relationship can't come out and how management doesn't want them talking about it, etc. etc. It's basically force fed to us with a shovel the entire time. That ultimately ruined this book for me. It made me want to scream WE GET IT! STOP GOING ON AND ON AND JUST GET TO THE STORY. Because the parts of the book that weren't talking about it were actually good.

I admit I didn't like the lack of steam either. Everything was pretty fade to black, which isn't really my thing.

Overall, this book didn't wow me. I liked the concept, just not so much the execution.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have to begin by saying this book is what my inner boyband fan girl has been craving for YEARS! Saturday is such an amazing group to follow throughout this story and gave me so many feels from my fan girl days in 2013. If you liked Red, White and Royally Blue by Casey McQuinston, I can almost assure you you will be attached to this book as well.

In this story we follow Ruben and Zach on their journey and love story. I can’t help but love both of their characters so much and have grown so attached to their stories. The same goes for Angel and Jon. They are such a fun group of characters and so easy to love.

I feel like the pacing of the story was great even though the end felt a little rushed to me it still had me on the edge of my seat screaming at my ereader. It kept me engaged throughout and for the lovers of drama out there I assure you that you will get your share in this story.

My only grievance is I will have to wait so long to share my love of this book with every single person I know so we can cry over Zuben together. In all I DEFINITELY recommend you add this book to your wishlist!

*3.5/5 stars*

If you knew me, you’d know I’m obsessed with Sophie Gonzalez based on how much I talk about “Only Mostly Devastated” and “Perfect on Paper”, so (even though I haven’t read anything by Cale Dietrich) this was obviously one of my most anticipated books of the entire year. My expectations were set pretty high, and even though it didn’t live all the way up to them, this book was still a great read that I think is definitely an easy recommendation.
We follow the band Saturday, comprised of Jon, Angel, Zach, and Ruben, who all met at a music camp and were then signed by Chorus Records, a company owned by Jon’s father, Geoff. Ruben is gay, and has never been allowed to come out publicly, despite voicing many times his hope to. Zach and Ruben are best friends, and Ruben has always had an unrequited crush on Zach until one night that changes their entire relationship. As their friendship becomes something more, it becomes apparent to them they’ll always have to hide who they are from the world and their fans. Tensions are running high on the European leg of their tour, and it’s not just Zach and Ruben taking the brunt of it.
I thought the writing of this book was great, as I’ve come to expect with Sophie Gonzalez, and am glad to see in Cale’s writing as well! Sophie is one of the queens of diverse YA romance to me, and I’m definitely now planning to pick up more of Dietrich’s books in the future. The topics covered in this book felt very important. Ranging from addiction, coming out, and the general issues that come with bands in the music industry. The pacing of the book was just right to me, it stayed fast paced enough that you didn’t get bored, but also made the touring feel realistic in its timeline. The biggest downfall for me in this book was the lack of development for our relationship, and the (what felt unrealistic) turnout for the big ending. I just felt like we didn’t have enough background in Ruben and Zach’s relationship before it developed to understand where their romantic feelings came from, but that didn’t mean I didn’t like them together! When it comes to the ending, I obviously don’t want to give spoilers, but after our big event at the end of the book, there are resolutions that happen that (maybe since I don’t fully understand the music industry, but I don’t think so) just felt too unrealistic for me to get behind. I really liked and appreciated what happened for the band but I just couldn’t make it feel believable. That being said, I would still really recommend this book! It has good writing, a cute romance, a TON of drama that kept me on the edge of my seat, and great diversity!

Super sweet book that will appeal to so many readers. I loved the genuine love and care the characters had for one another. Issues of substance abuse and homophobia are handled with grace and compassion.

If you're anything like me, you were (and let's be real: still are) a die hard boyband fan. If This Gets Out will make you nostalgic for those days, while also making you think about things from a completely different point of view.

I fell in love with each member of 'Saturday'; Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel are amazing characters, and this book does a great job of giving readers a chance to fully empathize with each. We watch the story unfold through the alternating point of view of Ruben and Zach, as they navigate the romance developing between them, the pressures of touring on the band, as well as their relationship with their families. The dynamic between the boyband is believable; they have their hilarious and fun moments, as well as some very serious and heavy ones. The premise of this story reeled me in right away and I genuinely could not put this book down. No matter if you're a plot driven or character driven reader; this book draws you into both so wonderfully.

The relationship between the boys and their management 'Chorus' is strained and reminiscent of real life. If This Gets Out does an excellent job of giving readers the opportunity to feel the mental strain on young stars. Each of the four characters struggle with this pressure, and we see them deal with it in completely different ways. Heavy and important topics such as anxiety, coming out, homophobia, addiction, and familial pressures, are all things readers see the characters struggle with. Each topic is delved into with care and importance. We can also see through this novel the ways fame reduces complex people to fit a mold that pleases the media, and how this hurts everyone involved.

Not only is this book a cute, well-developed, queer love story, but it is also a story that works through every side of fame, friendship, and coming together to support the people you love. If This Gets Out is a must read when it comes out December 7th 2021.

4.5 stars

This may be a surprise, but I am a huge One Direction fan. Reading this brought me back to the days of 'stanning' and staying up to watch the guys and wondering if there were any secret relationships and I loved it! It also felt very realistic when it showed the boys hiding who they really are and being on an insane schedule. Boy bands are seen as a money making machine so they're pushed to their limits and very restricted in what they can do or say and I felt like this book really nailed it.

Ruben and Zach are great characters with their own personalities and goals and switching between their points of view was great. I really felt like I was able to understand how they were feeling and what they wanted. They had some bumps in getting together, but Ruben really cares for Zach and tries to protect him and Zach just wants Ruben to be happy.

I felt like the ending was a bit incomplete. It's a bit open ended and we don't find out for sure what way the band is going. I also wanted a scene where Ruben confronts his mom about how horrible she is to him, but nothing came of that. Another chapter or an epilogue would be appreciated. Since this is the ARC, I can't be sure if there will be changes or not so I'll have to check out the final copy!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy.

I DEVOURED this story in one sitting! I love the queer rep in this story, and Ruben and Zach have my heart. The doubt, the yearning, the secrets, juxtaposed against their very public life as boy band stars... LOVE the premise (boy band members! falling in love!) and the supporting cast--their bandmates and family--were great, too. I also like how music, songs, and lyrics play a major role in the story, especially at the end. Incredibly sweet. Five stars! I’m a huge fan, Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich!

This was a great read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. The characters were well developed (and endearing). There were parts that had me laughing and others really sucked me in to the action. This is not quite a spoiler but one of the things I really liked was that the third act conflict was really well done - it felt like a real and valid and proportionate conflict - which can be hard to find.

IF THIS GETS OUT is the perfect book for anyone who loves boy bands, who is an avid fan, and who loves to ship.

After reading the blurb I expected the book to be a fluffy rom-com, and was surprised by how much more the novel had to offer. Especially when it came to the workings between management and band, and singers and parents. And the more emotional topics gave the novel a realistic and authentic vibe.

I really enjoyed the boy band aspect of it all. It was so easy to fall in love with the members of the band. The dynamic between the band members was heart warming, and enjoyable. They reminded me of every boy band I ever crushed on as a teenager. But the book also made me think and wonder how much freedom these kids have when it comes to their contract and management.

As with every boy band I ever cared about I had a favourite, same with the four main characters, mine was Ruben. And as always some of the drama became irritating the longer it dragged out. But overall the book was enjoyable, with solid writing, an interesting plot, and great representation.

4.5 stars rounded down!

Overall, enjoyed this so much. It really took a look into the pop band life and what a huge management company can do to ruin the people they're representing, all in the name of image, image, image.

All four main characters - Ruben, Zach, Jon, and Angel - were well fleshed out and full dimensional characters. They're in a huge boy band named "Saturday", possibly the biggest boy band in America, and they're all 18 year old now, a few years into their band fame. And tiring out on how Chorus, their management team, manages them.

Ruben and Zach are our main characters and main romance. All 4 of the boys met at this music camp when they were 15, and when they performed together at the end of the camp, Jon's father, Geoff, who is a huge music producer, decided to form their band and make them stars. And that is where Ruben and Zach meet.

Ruben knows he's gay, has been wanting to come out since he was 16, but has been silenced over and over and over again by Chorus. For the past year or so, he's been having feelings for Zach, but doesn't want to ruin their friendship by saying or doing anything, because for all he knows, Zach is straight.

But it turns out, Zach has been doing a lot of denying, because he is definitely also into girls. But he's had small crushes forming on guys before, but has stamped them down and pushed them away before they can fully form, so he can go on thinking he's straight. Whether conscious or not, he does it.

But Zach, more and more, since he can't push Ruben away or run from him, is starting to get feelings for a boy again, only these are stronger than ever before, and eventually he can't ignore his feelings anymore.

But once these two finally kiss, Zach does have a sort of freak out. It pushes him to really realize that he's bisexual, and wants to be with Ruben. But let's just say, there's some drama before that happens.

But once they do get together, they're fairly solid for the rest of the book. It's just Chorus they have to do real with.

I did give .5 stars off for this and rounded down mostly because of two reasons. Once these two did get together, I didn't feel like enough time was dedicated to their romance. We got scenes, of course, but I felt like the main focus shifted from them and their romance to them dealing with Chorus who wanted to hide their romance and their sexualities.

Which is a big deal, and I still enjoyed this book as I was reading them starting to stand up for themselves, but I feel like a little bit of the romance that was so good in the first half got a little lost in all the drama about Chorus. I just wish there had been a better balance between the two.

Also, the ending felt slightly too abrupt, in my opinion. Unless the ending is solidly wrapped up and it feels like the couple has their HFN or HEA has been all squared away and every issue resolved with that, endings without epilogues never feel quite complete, and always a tad abrupt.

Now don't get me wrong, these two have a solid HFN, maybe even stretching to a HEA - but they are 18 years old, so I'm cautious to think of it as a HEA - but it felt like there were a few plot threads left hanging a bit, and I wasn't expecting the very end to have been the end. Also just an epilogue with seeing these two settled into their HFN is always a plus. I think epilogues, for most stories, but especially romances, are authors friends and they should use them as often as they can.

It just would have been nice to get epilogue, or if not that, then just one more chapter to really see these two, and the whole band, settled into their happier life. It cut off too early, imo.

But other than those two frustrations, I loved this, and highly recommend it. It is YA, so all sex scenes are fade to black, but that's fine as it's a YA and I expect that from a YA novel. But in case you were wondering about that, just letting you know. So, very little steam - we get kisses and making out, but that's as far as we really get to see - but it is abundant in the romance department (for the first half, before we unfortunately get less of it. But it is still there in the second half, just less.)

So overall, two thumbs up from me, and if you're into YA, band stories with two members falling in love, and all the drama that comes with being a famous boy band, then this is definitely for you and you should check it out.

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

TW: Car Accident, alcholism, queerphobia, self-harm, drug use, hospitalizaiton, abuse parents

Rep: Gay Spanish American MC (Ruben), Bi MC (Zach), biracial Black promiant character, queer side characters, Vietnamese promiant character

Disclaimer: I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion whatsoever. 

Once you've learned shame, it settles into your skin like a tattoo. You can cover it up but you can't scrub off the sense of inadequacy.

If This Gets Out is one of my most anticipated releases this year and in December. Sophie Gonzales has been on my 'I must read' author ever since Only Mostly Devastated and Perfect on Paper that talked about a lot of personal issues I don't see a lot in books. This time, If This Gets Out by one of my favorite authors and an author I have never heard of, but I'll certainly be checking out his work when I get the chance. 

This book came into my life when I needed it the most. I'm so glad that it is coming out later this year, because this book is so meaningful for me. There are a lot of topics that are talked about, and there is even a questioning character in this book and I'm still getting soft over this book. 

If This Gets Out follows a boy band, Saturday, that consists of Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. They are wildly popular and Ruben grows tired of the constant pressure from their management and keeping in the closet for reasons such as Russia, and parents. During Saturday's Europe tour, Ruben and Zach grow close together until they want to come out to their fans. The only problem is, their management will never let them. 

This book is probably one of the cutest things I have read. Trust me, when I say you'll be smiling for the entire book because this book is that cute and adorable. It's also a good thing I read this before I got my teeth out or else I'll constantly be in pain while grinning like an idiot.  I had a grin on my face the whole way through because there are just certain scenes especially the ending that made me feel warm and bubby from reading it. It's also a great book for just wanting to read something quick, because I FLEW through this. 

This book is a great quick read especially since it talks heavily about questioning oneself, toxic parenting and how a management team can be toxic and be controlling. 

There's a discussion about toxic parenting and how hard it is in cutting them out. I'm a victim of the abuse, and toxic parenting and the damage that does to you, is therapy's worth. Seeing, Ruben deal with his mom's parenting had mirror my own in a similar manner. They could always say I love you, but toxic parenting will always criticize you on your work and you will never feel like you could live up to their expectations. 

I think the main difference between mine and Ruben's is the fact that mine is nice to everyone when around people, but behind doors, it's a different story. Ruben's mom is just plain terrible all around and really reminds me of my grandpa's wife who's a downright bitch to everyone. 

It also talks about the boundaries and how hard it is in setting your boundaries up when it comes to toxic parenting. It's such a hard feeling because you feel like you have to drop everything and listen to everything the parent says because they will kill if you dare to do anything about. Boundaries are so hard, but seeing Ruben try and make in difference and try and cut his mom out is so meaningful. While I'm certainly not in a position where I can't do so, I'm trying to set my boundaries on not letting people walk all over me until I'm in a position where I could cut off my family. 

The questioning rep was so meaningful and really touched my heart that there was actually a main character who was questioning his sexuality. I don't see those type of things in Fiction often, and many times books its always a 'one size fit all' situation. The main characters especially in YA, always have them to where they know their romantic and sexuality and frankly, as someone who has questioned everything about theirself-there's simply not enough books. 

It's incredibly isolating as a reader because it makes it seem like we have to figure it out. We have to know who we are because there's not enough books that feature questioning. Anyways, I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself about my feelings on that-but there are certain books where the emotions and living as a queer person is super positive. It's not something that I don't think a cishet writer can write about especially the issues about questioning. In Zach's case of questioning whether he was queer or he was straight. 

Gonzales and Dietrich captured those feelings perfectly and it was actually a super important thing in If This Gets Out. It's also probably one of my favorite things in this book because the questioning rep was just perfection and captured my feelings when I questioned everything. 

This book also touched upon how difficult it is in coming out especially if your famous. It's been touched upon heavily about the difficulties in coming out especially as a queer artist. Ruben wanted to come out to the world as gay, but the management team always gave him the excuses about "Russia" (queerphobic country), and "the parents".

As everyone knows, artists are not treated well in the industry and it shown how it could make someone lose it and spiral into suicide. The deceptions of mental health was also important and the way that was explored through Angel. It was so interesting to see how fame can mess someone up really quickly. 

If This Gets Out is a YA RomCom that features an M/M relationship. Romance in books are always a fifty fifty for me. I usually hate them, but this book made me fall in love with it. There are healthy deceptions of relationships in this book and shockingly both Ruben and Zach have chemistry together.

*Thank you NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.*

In If This Gets Out, Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich tell the story of Ruben and Zach- two members of the world-famous boy band Saturday. Ruben is feeling suffocated by his management’s insistence on him hiding that he is gay. Zach dreams of one day recording and performing his own music. During an overseas tour, Zach and Ruben become even closer, and soon a romance begins. When they decide they are ready to announce their relationship to the public (with their bandmates’ blessing), they soon realize that their management has no intention of allowing this. Will Zach, Ruben, and Saturday be able to find and live their happily ever after?

I want to start this by saying I was a bit wary about the plot of this. As someone who absolutely LOVES boy bands, I thought it sounded fun. But as someone who lived through all of the One Direction shipping nonsense, I wasn’t too sure. Yeah, it may seem fun to analyze band members' relationships and all that, but it can be so damaging to assume they are in romantic relationships with each other. It can negatively affect their real-life, true friendships. It can also be damaging to make assumptions about a person's sexuality. As fans, it's important to respect their privacy and not make assumptions. Now, back to the book.

I thought it was a fun read. It really examines the struggles artists go through, especially in regards to image. It’s heartbreaking to think about how these people (especially teens) are forced to fit into certain molds and hide their true selves, all in an attempt to achieve their dreams. This book handles that really well for each member of Saturday. Aside from just their relationship, Ruben just wants to live out and proud and Zach wants to write and perform his own music. Angel feels stifled in his role in the band and begins a downward spiral, while Jon is struggling to please his father, who also happens to be their record label’s manager. This was the heart of this book. Especially because while the main focus was on Zach and Ruben’s romance, it also focused on all the members and their relationships with each other. And each character felt real.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was fun, sweet, and had a lot of heart. The characters were written well and their stories felt authentic. Now I’m going to go listen to some Backstreet Boys and BTS.

Listen, I’m a simple girl. I read a synopsis of a book that reminds me of 2013 one direction, I’m going to read it.

Sure this is a work of fiction but it very clearly was taken out of 2012-2014 One Direction craze. I was there so I know about the discourse of Modest Management separating two members of the group after they got a ship name. And maybe the ship was never real, but if it were I wish it would have ended like this one ended in the book because it was hopeful and cute.

It was hard for me to separate Saturday and One Direction because it felt very familiar and I think that’s why I liked it so much because I was a very active 1D fan so I remember seeing these members separated and talked about. I liked this book a lot and I think other boy band crazed readers will as well.

I think we can all agree our minds went to a certain pairing from a certain boyband when reading the synopsis for this book. While I was never on that bandwagon, I was 100% on board for what this book may bring. I think my expectations might have been a little too high?

This was off to a really slow start for me. It wasn't until around 20% that it became more engaging and I started enjoying what I was reading.

The management team was just awful here. And I don't know if my problem is that I hated them every time they did something, or I hated that it could be a realistic depiction of what management teams do. Either way, I spent a lot of my time reading this feeling angry.

Then there's Ruben's mother. She was an emotionally abusive woman, and that's not something that ever gets resolved, which once again leads me to feeling angry. Ruben had so much on his plate and he always had his mother in the background to make things worse. Even when he finally stood up to her I don't feel like it was enough, and I hate that they still have a relationship with one another in the end because he deserves better.

I also found myself being annoyed with Zach a lot of the time. In the beginning, I understood. The whole gay panic thing was something I expected when going into this. I like that Zach had the sense to tell Ruben he needs to think on things instead of just running away and pretending he wasn't interested in guys. But he was really unfair to Ruben a lot of the time. He was mad that Ruben didn't give him space, then he was sad when Ruben did. Then to be so sure Ruben has broken up with him when all Ruben wanted was for Zach to think about his own happiness instead of everybody else's was also an aggravating moment.

Then there's Angel and Jon. The same way Ruben's abusive mother was never really addressed, the way Chorus abused these two boys was also never addressed. A lot of the focus was on Ruben and Zach. We don't get a satisfying conclusion to Chorus sexualizing Jon and making him uncomfortable with the clothing they make him wear, or the fact that Chorus was so abusive that it led Angel to doing drugs to the point of having a mental breakdown.

I know the point of this was the relationship between Ruben and Zach, but it would have been nice to see these other plot points more fleshed out and having a proper ending.

This review has been posted to Goodreads

> Diversity Representation: Gay MC, bi MC, Asian American secondary character
Content Warnings: homophobia, recreational drug use, drug addiction, car accident, underage drinking, racism, forced closeting, internalized biphobia,

**Sweet, romantic, exciting, frustrating, beautiful, and loving**

If This Gets Out is way cuter than I anticipated. I really enjoyed this book a lot! I loved the internal dialogue between the two main characters, and I loved how each of the boys had such different personalities. **I found myself more than one time smiling at myself while reading because I felt like I was a teen falling in love at the same time.** Well done!

If This Gets Out follows an incredibly famous boy band, Saturday, and it's members. It mostly centers around Ruben, who is gay, but forced to be silenced by the record label, and Zach, who believes himself to be straight, but ultimately just hasn't explored his sexuality yet. It starts out with these two best friends switching between their perspectives as they steal glances at each other. After they venture onto their international tour, **tensions rise and everything changes when they share a stolen kiss.**

I love how this was written. This book is co-authored by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, which makes a lot of sense considering how many characters there are. **I loved that they ended up dividing the two main characters, so each author wrote one of the main characters. It really allowed them to delve into the characters internal thoughts better and really picture what they would have been feeling.** I think it really made for a more organic understanding of each character!

I loved getting to know Ruben and Zach's relationship. It was delightful to see them grow from friends to boyfriends and the struggles that comes with. It was nice to see a romance book come with struggles toward the end, but there was never an absolute break up because of the struggles and reconciliation all wrapped up quickly at the end (which I am never quite convinced works). **They spoke to each other of their problems and through that they were able to grow. Not just in their relationship, but as people.** It was really sweet to read!

Another really sweet thing about this book was the relationships of the characters with their parents. They both have such different relationships with their parents, but I loved seeing the evolution of their relationships. **Regardless of where they started, Zach and Ruben are able to grow together and encourage each other to make healthy life and relationship choices surrounding their parents.** I don't want to give away what happens with these relationships, but I really enjoyed the growth that happened and that bit of family focus.

# Summing it all up

If This Gets Out is a sweet boy band romance. It will make you smile just as much as you would hope. The growth of all of the relationships are so comforting to read, this is truly a great fluffy comfort read.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I loved loved loved it. It felt like everything I'd ever wanted from a YA romance and I was living for it. It reminds me a little bit of Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston in the tone and themes and general bi-panic, so if you liked that book you will LOVE this one.

I had pretty high hopes of what I was hoping I would get out of this book when I started it, and it delivered in every area. What I loved most about this book was how it wasn't afraid to go to the toxicity of the music industry and the environment these boys are living in and how they respond to it (the good AND the bad). This book took some turns I wasn't expecting and I loved seeing how it effected everyone.

I also loved both of our narrators. Both Zach and Rueben felt like very unique individuals with their own struggles and their own perspectives on the situations around them. I also loved all the side characters, specifically our other two bandmates, Angel and Jon. The dynamic between the four of them was perfectly balanced with the romance making it a found family story in addition to being a sweet romance.

I did feel like the ending was a little bit rushed, but I still feel happy with it? A lot happens in the last 12% or so of the book that I feel like deserved more time to be aired out and to see what happens with it, but it was still well captured.

This book was fast-paced, easy to read, light hearted while still dealing with some dark moments, and very sweet. I loved it and it will be my agenda now to force everyone to read it once it's out. This book will be special to a lot of people. I can feel it.

This is a YA book, which is not something I typically read anymore, but it was cute. Ruben and Zach face adversity in their relationship, but it is manipulative. There are a lot of things that these boys face, such as drug problems, and the need to come out publicly but "what would they think?" I think that there are many young people that want to read stories such as this. I wish there had been a little more development, but overall a good story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I completely surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book and how quickly I managed to finish it! Being a huge fan of boybands such as One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer, in my younger years, I appreciated the focus on how challenging the lives of these superstars are, behind the scenes. The band, Saturday, are paying the true price of fame, through an endless cycle of abuse from the record company and scruitny from a power hungry music industry. Each and every move of the band members is thoroughly analysed and evaluated, before a decision is made about what they can and cannot do. As the band embarks on their European tour, it is clear that the strict regime is catching up to them as their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing begins to significantly decline. Amidst this, we have a romance between Zach and Ruben, how have always felt a connection, and are finally taking the steps to act upon their feelings. Apart from his loved ones, nobody knows that Ruben is gay and Zach has just discovered he is bi-sexual and management wants the both of them to keep their relationship secret and prevent the news of their sexuality from leaking.

The author’s did a fantastic job of balancing the harsh reality of fame that many members of big bands undergo whilst also writing engaging characters who, as a reader, you rooted for and wanted to succeed from the beginning. There are some strong themes that I am happy to see receiving representation and I wish that the author’s had carried through with these themes and provided a sufficient explanation or conclusion to them. I adored reading about Zach and Ruben and whilst the ending was very hopeful, I did feel that things came to a close quite abruptly and a little unrealistically.

Whilst I did go in expecting a cute and warm romance, I found this book held so much more and really resonated with the quote “all that glitters is not gold”. At times heart breaking, at times thought provoking and a true ode to finding your voice and believing in yourself, this book was a fantastic read!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book!

"If This Gets Out" by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is a contemporary young adult novel featuring a romance between two members of a popular boy band, Ruben and Zach. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I felt all characters had very distinct personalities. Homophobia is still pretty big in the entertainment and music industry so I'm glad a book like this exists to show the challenges that queer people face in those industries.

The beginning of the book was a little frustrating as there was a lot of misunderstanding and lack of communication between Ruben and Zach. Luckily, The dynamic between not only the two MCs but also the other two members of the band (Angel and Jon) was fabulous and it really showed the similarities and differences each boy has with one another. Readers are able to see the relationship and the love Ruben and Zach have for one another and we can see them navigate a closeted relationship.