THIS WAS THE CUTEST BOOK. I pretty much never read real life books, sticking to fantasy and sci-fi, and I'm not even a fan of any current boybands, but oh my god. I devoured this book. The writing was amazing and the characters felt so real. The pace was also so, so good. I constantly wanted to keep reading, and never felt like anything was dragging. Honestly I just want a million sequels already as long as it features the boys of Saturday.

I READ THIS IN ONE SITTING I LAUGHED I CRIED I HAD SO MANY EMOTIONS

PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK

----

Okay, now that I've calmed down.

This book is excellent. You know when blurbs say "compulsively readable" or "unputdownable?" Yeah, that is this book. I literally could not stop reading. It's got such incredible heart to it, and it takes you through the journey of this band, highs and lows, and through it a genuinely wonderful romance and exploration of being true yourself and your art. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This is one of my top reads of 2021! The premise of this book was really intriguing, and the authors did an excellent job executing it. The book is about Saturday, a top boy band, and especially two of its members, Ruben and Zach. Ruben and Zach have always been close since they met at a summer camp. During the course of a tour, they become closer than either thought possible, leading them to question their tightly controlled existence where their management company dictates everything from their clothes to their movements to even whether they can be honest about core aspects of their identity.

The book switches back and forth between the perspectives of Ruben and Zach, with each written by one of the authors. I really enjoyed this approach to telling this story, which allows the reader to see two overlapping but distinct views on both their relationship and the overarching issues they are facing. The depiction of the music industry and how artists are treated is also powerful and thought-provoking.

Very highly recommended!

If This Gets Out is the story of two bandmates who fall in love which kickstarts their journey to coming out to the world. There is a lot to like about this book, but ultimately it didn't fully work for me and it's hard to articulate why. I wish there was some (more) commentary/plot exploration about the role shipping plays in the fans' lives and their own--not only shipping, but when it gets into conspiracy theory territory.

I was so excited to get to read this book as an ARC and it didn’t disappoint! I love a book with a focus on character relationships and I adored the friendship between the 4 bandmates. And the romantic relationship was so adorable and sexy with just enough gay teenage angst to make it interesting.

There were a few strings that weren’t fully tied at the end, like Zach never addressing a specific comment his Mom made that (I felt) needed addressing and I’m still concerned about the future of the relationship between Ruben and his mom, but that is a particularly complicated situation. I think an epilogue could have resolved those issues, it could have offered some comfort around Ruben’s relationship with his mom, and on Angel’s recovery journey. Of course, if they plan on making a sequel then an epilogue would be redundant, so fingers crossed!

I really loved this story. It made me smile and giggle at all the cuteness and I love that it ended on a hopeful note. This is very much a coming out novel and a YA romance. It’s a fun read!


TW: emotional abuse, homophobia, alcohol and substance use disorder

This is a terrific read! It is the story of Saturday, one of the biggest boy bands in the world. Ruben and Zach, two of the members of the band, have always been close and, over the course of their international tour, find their friendship evolving into a romance. As it does, though, they realize how little control they exercise over their own lives and begin to question whether they want to remain under the thumb of their management company.

I enjoy both of these authors and together they created a wonderful story of finding yourself, friendship and family, and the pressures of working as a professional musician. Highly recommended!

I'm so happy I got to read this book already, because I feel like I've already been anticipating it forever. And I loved it even more than I was expecting.

It's clear in this book that it's written by two authors, but in a good way: the perspectives feel distinctly different and I never confused Ruben and Zach with each other - they had very clear voices. But at the same time the book and especially the writing and characterization felt so cohesive - the writing styles matched each other really well.

I'm just living for Ruben and Zach's dynamic. I'm learning that two characters being soft together in a harsh environment is my kryptonite, and that's exactly what we got here. Plus, they grew so much together, and genuinely supported each other, and I loved to see that. That goes for the rest of the band as well - they have their issues with each other, but they genuinely love and support each other.

Ok this is an instant, new favorite for me. Sophie & Cale made me fall in love with these four boys as if they were a real boy band that I am a die hard fan of. The intricacies of what happens behind the scenes in the music industry was both heartbreaking and incredible to see. The writing felt so in sync and I forgot I was reading two different authors at points. I highly recommend for anyone who loves boy bands, drama, behind the scenes insight, or just queer love in general. My only complaint is that it ended. I could read these boys’ forever.

ighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.

If This Gets Out throughly exceded all of my expectations. I was expecting a cute story about two boyband members falling in love and what I read was so much more, as it was also an emotional and intense story about the abuses of the music industry. I was immediately invested in the story and did not want to put the book down until I knew how everything was going to play out. I don’t usually enjoy books from multiple perspectives, but the two perspectives in this book were so well done and both boys were such strong characters on their own that I was never left wanting more. Even outside of the two main perspectives, all of characters, and there are a lot, are distinct and balanced very well. I did feel like the build up to the plot took a long time, however, this helped to develop the characters as individuals and allowed me to become much more invested in them before the plot really takes off in the second half of the book. Overall, I greatly enjoyed If This Gets Out and will continue to think about its characters and message for a long time.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for providing honest feedback!

I thoroughly enjoyed If This Gets Out. I liked the first section of the book when Zach and Ruben's relationship was being developed. In particular I really appreciated the way Zach was allowed the time to figure out his identity as a bi man, outside of the main relationship. I did, however, find the second part of the novel more engaging, as the plot really started driving the narrative.

What made this book special was the characters. The four bandmates Zach, Ruben, Jon and Angel each had such distinct personalities, which really shone through when they interacted with each other. They were all realistically flawed but they grew throughout the book. And while the majority of the adults in the book may have been unlikable, they were complex and well written characters.

I also really liked the commentary on the boy band formula and the insidious nature of music industry. Specifically when it comes to the treatment of LGBT+ musicians and performers. And I valued how the authors touched upon how young men, especially young pop stars, are expected and encouraged to conform to hyper masculine and hyper-sexualised stereotypes in order to be more appealing to fans. I'm glad young adults are getting books like this which touch upon these issues.

This book was amazing! I loved not just the romance but also the interactions within the band, which were so wholesome! The authors clearly put a lot of thought and research into this book. One critique is that at times I felt like the book just dragged on and
on, and the ending felt a but rushed to me. But I really enjoyed “If This Gets Out” otherwise!

Its 2 in the morning and I am emotional.
This books is special ya'll.
I went in thinking this was just going to be a fluffy Boyband Rom-com,
And I got a wonderful thought provoking soft romance with so much to say.
And this doesn't hold back punches, on the hardships of young stardom,problems with the music industry, the struggles of sexuality,or addiction.
Both Sophie and Cale' writing shown individually and synchronized so well. Both povs never felt fractured or disconnected.
It was JUST lovely.
I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
I will definitely be reccomending and buying a hard copy when it's released!

I can hear it now - the wild fangirling of every person who shipped each and every member of One Direction. This is their dream come true.

I'm pretty sure this story isn't inspired by 1D (no references that I could find), but it isn't hard to make comparisons. Honestly, being in a boyband (or anything in the entertainment industry) sounds like a nightmare, so it was very easy to sympathise with all four of the MCs. I enjoyed how they each discovered themselves, particularly Zach, and fought to been seen and heard. The character development in this is seriously off the charts. And each of the boys feel so real, so likeable, so relatable.

I'm pretty sure everyone who picks up this book will become a stan of the boys of Saturday. #Zuban

I loved this, it’s a story about two members of a boy band falling for each other. Yes please 🥺🥰. It was cute and wonderful and my nostalgic heart just really melted. I really loved Zach’s character, when I see characters with anxiety who overthink I can’t help but connect with them. And the struggle with always trying to please people. Ugh, I loved watching his character grow throughout the novel.

I seriously need to stop obsessing over fictional bands... First The Ark and now this!! This book was one of my most anticipated books for 2021, honestly I've been DYING to get ah e-ARC and .... THIS DIDN'T DISAPPOINT. It is so good. I loved it ! I'll have to write a more detailed review but for now I just wanted to scream about it.

Everyone is going to fall in love with this book!!

This book is something special. Truly. I could not put it down, I was so deeply invested in the story and the characters and the relationship between Ruben and Zach. You finish the book with so much love for them and their relationship and for the entire band. You know that you read something unique and that it will stay with you for a long time.

I can't describe how much I loved this book. The writing as absolutely amazing. I was captivated the entire time. The characters were alive and bold, coming off of the pages as if they were right beside you. Everything about it was fantastic, I won't be able to rave about it enough! Is it December yet?!

This is a story about hope and not letting yourself and who are go. You should be true to yourself and trust yourself when times are tough. This book is beautiful and everyone needs to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

This book was everything I could have wanted it to be. I loved that it focused around a boyband, specifically a manufactured one. I loved Ruben and Zach and how well developed they both are as well as Jon and Angel. I think Zach is my favourite character but they all felt like real life people. I love co-authored books and multiple POV so this hit the spot for me. I loved that Zach and Ruben had very different personalities and backgrounds but they use that to help the other. I loved Zach's journey, not even just his sexuality but him realising that he's lost himself whilst being in the band. I also loved that there are focuses on the pressures of being famous and the covert homophobia from the record label and management and how they cared more about the brand than the actual people. It made me feel so many emotions, especially when everything comes to a head

Sophie Gonzales has done it again! She has teamed up with newcomer Cale Dietrich to pen the love letter to fan girls and fan boys everywhere. While this book will bring up obvious comparison to One Direction mania, I actually found myself thinking of the first wave of mid-90s boy banders and pop-stars. Imagine if Lance Bass or Ricky Martin were allowed to be queer in 1998?
If This Gets Out is a fun peak into celebrity dating culture we can only fantasize about. My only issue with this book is Zach's preoccupation with body image. He makes many comments using disordered eating language and the issue is never addressed. To make a point to bring up a topic that triggering with no resolution seems a bit careless. Other than that I would recommend this book to just about anyone that has looked at an album cover and asked, "what if?"

What happens when two members of a boy band start secretly dating one another? With pressure from their management company to keep it under wraps, as well as controlling every other aspect of the band and their lives, the boys start to want more freedom. I was really eager to read this to see how the book would handle queer boy band members and the pressures of fame.

I felt like there wasn’t enough description of the band or the members to fully paint the picture of who they were. I couldn’t get a grasp on how famous they were supposed to be or really what kind of music they made outside of “pop,” which is too broad of a category. It kind of felt like fanfiction, not of a specific existing band, but just how you’re dropped in without being given much background or explanation of who all the characters are. When I read a book about fictional famous people I want to come away from the story feeling like they were so fully formed that they’re actual celebrities I could look up online. However I never got that feeling with this book.

The part of the book that I enjoyed the most was the commentary on how management companies can end up caring more about the product of the band rather than the members themselves. The 4 boys all have their own personalities that differ from the ones that were given to them as marketing, they want to try different things musically, and they want to come out but their company stops them because they believe that would hurt their brand. The story explores how the stress and pressure of being stifled like this really eats away at the members. I also really liked the depiction of Zach realizing that he’s bi.

I think the book brought up some interesting conversations about how fame impacts young people and how insidious companies end up harming the people under their control. I just wish that there was more development when it came to the band, the members, and the relationship. I think the commentary on fame and how it impacts young queer people would’ve been more impactful if those aspects of the story were stronger.