*2.5 stars*

Look, I haven't read these authors before, but is If This Gets Out just straight up published fan fiction? I'm not a huge fan-fic reader, but even I got some mega Larry vibes...

If This Gets Out was a book I have very mixed feeling about, fan-fic dubious origins aside. I always enjoy a sexuality discovery story, but famous people books don't often work for me (too much of a distraction) and the fade to black scenes (*wails*)... but there was also something nice about the story, especially if you don't mind extra teenage angst.

Warning: this review may be mostly rambling thoughts.

I know record companies are like the true devils a lot of the time, but I found it extremely odd how Jon's dad was the "bad guy" but also married to Jon's mom who was conveniently clueless about his restrictions? That plotline was badly mishandled. Why even make the head honcho Jon's dad? It made the plot very muddy, IMO.

On the topic of families, I sort of enjoyed the toxic parents of Reuben as I feel like that's scary realistic for a lot of people. It made the story feel a bit different than a lot of "bad parent" stories. Not all parents are overtly bad, but the subtle cuts kill. However, I found Zach's personality and plotlines to be much more underwhelming. Angel was entertaining in a messy way.

Romance verdict? Cute-ish. I honestly wanted a bit more, but I dug them and felt entertained, though the damn fade-to-black scenes irritated me. I prefer either no sex on page, just don't even discuss, or the full thing, baby. The tease and then fade away was not my scene.

Overall, an entertaining read that felt very fan-fiction-ish. I was expecting something different, but I think the story will please YA readers.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

A fast, delightful, engrossing read. I couldn't put this one down because I just absolutely had to know what came next. Two young men and their boyband bandmates finding themselves, their identities and navigating hollywood trying to control their entire lives.

I really enjoyed this book. I am not a huge YA reader but Ruben and Zach stole my heart. I definitely recommend this!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me this eARC to review.

I will say that I read this a while ago but my review seemed to never go through so I am having to give this review trying to remember a lot of what happened but I do remember how I felt about the book.

I love Sophie and Cale's writing but it was while reading this book that I realised that books to do with rockstars/bands are just not for me.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.*

If you've ever read a single fan fiction about a ship for a boy band this book is made for you. If This Gets Out follows the band Saturday, a group of 4 boys who met at summer camp that made it big. As the band itself struggles with the pressures of fame and their ever decreasing freedom, band members Ruben and Zach struggle with their changing relationship.

The nice thing about this book is while it's about Ruben and Zach's relationship it's also a cautionary tale about how if you aren't careful your dreams can become nightmares. The struggles each member of Saturday go through are things that anyone coming up in the music industry would probably be faced with. To go from being relatively unknown to having every moment of your day planned out with no control of even your free time. The dynamic of Ruben and his mother who is so critical of him he doesn't know how to establish and maintain boundaries. It's one of those books that tells a story within a story.

Wow! I put off reading this because I have at least a dozen other YA music artist/band romances in my tbr and I’ve read a dozen more, many of them also with LGBTQIA+ rep, and how could this one possibly be different? But this one was different because it was so damn real.

Ok, I don’t actually know what it’s like to be in a super famous teenage boy band, but this book made me feel like I do. The pressure to fit in, to be what everyone wants you to be at the cost of losing your friends, your family, your job, is not unique to celebrities, but imagine all of that (which everyone surely understands to some degree), but add in the pressures of fame and paparazzi and fans who meticulously watch every move you make and analyze every word you say? The anxiety!! I felt it right along with them. But then the unconditional love from their
people, their friends, their family (whether blood or found), that kind of support system is so incredibly important and beautiful, and I felt that right along with them, too. This was a YA boy band romance but it was so much more powerful than what that implies. I loved it so very much.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I really loved the way that coming out is explored in this one, especially given the context through which Zach and Ruben had to do so. With efforts by large corporations to spotlight diverse creatives alongside growing fan bases who seem to feel owed a celebrity's entire life story (and as such, sexuality), I think this book carries an especially important weight for the YA audience in its emphasis on the complexities of having one's identity known for the entire world to see. Ultimately a topical, entertaining, and heartwarming read.

This book is a deft exploration of four friends under the pressure of the music industry, told through the accessible voices of it's two narrators. Each of the boy band members are distinctive and dealing with their own problems that stem from their own intersectional identities, their fame, and their experience in the music industry. A strength of this book is how realistic and developed the characters are. Zach and Ruben have distinct narrative voices that invite the reader into the story and highlights their developing relationship. This book is an important one, even by readers who know nothing about boybands, because it is a story about love (romantic, platonic, and familial) and hopefulness in the face of realistic struggles.

If This Gets Out is an entertaining story about two band members that decide to start dating each other. If you came here looking for a book to entertain and help you escape reality then you have found it with If This Gets Out. Ultimately If This Gets Out is a cute and ultimately uplifting YA romance.
If This Gets Out is about a boyband called Saturday and more specifically about two of its members: Zach and Ruben. These two were the only characters, the other characters mentioned were just names and had no real purpose. At no point did we learn about their past history, like how they became a band or the meaning behind their band name. I think it would've felt more like a book and less like fanfiction if there was a story behind these characters. It was more of an adult vs. "kids" story where the adults were clearly the bad guys. Angel's addiction wasn't properly handled in the story as well. Everything felt almost "too simplistic".
Despite everything, this If This Gets Out was not bad. If you are looking for an easy read that manages to lightly touch upon some important issues, If This Gets Out may be the right read for you.

3.5 stars, rounded up. An LGBTQ story centering around a boy band with two members exploring their sexual identity, fighting homophobic business practices, and falling in love. *swoon*

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to start off by saying I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want it to end. I wanted it to continue like a soap opera. It contained so many different topics like being famous, touring, drug abuse, mental abuse, friendship, friends to lovers. I could go on and on. I just loved how it seemed about a groups so real you question if this is real and what happens in boy bands. When I say that I mean like having to be what they tell you to be. Not being able to do what you want to do but only what they tell you you can do.

If this gets out is about 4 band mates who spend so much traveling that they deal with all types of stuff. They are super famous and are constantly on the watch by paparazzi, super fans and even their band managers.

I just want to thank Netgalley and Wednesday books for providing an ARC for an honest review!!!

What happens when two members of a boy band fall in love? If you’re curious you should pick up If This Gets Out! Told from alternating perspective this book follows Reuben and Zach, and their band as they embark on the European leg of their tour. Reuben is gay (just not to the public) and Zach can’t figure out why he can’t keep his eyes off Reuben. Cue the tension and the will they won’t they.⁣
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It’s friends to lovers meets secret relationship and I adored it. This band has a lot of secrets but through it all they supported one another. I did think it was a bit too long but honestly I would read another full book about Reuben and Zach. This is a great YA about being yourself and being able to love who you want. If you’re a boy band fan and like breaking the stereotypes, I highly recommend this one!

Ruben and Zach are two 18 year old members of a four-person boy band at the peak of their success. They’re just finished their US tour and are about to embark on their European tour. However, in the face of the European tour a lot is going on: Ruben is starting to feel stifled by their management team who are preventing him from coming out. Zach (who thought he was straight) is starting to think he might rely on Ruben more than he thought and the boys, who have been best friends since meeting a music camp are starting to feel rifts in their friendship. If This Gets Out follows the boys as they discover themselves come into adulthood, and realize how to stand up for themselves.

This was a solid four-star read for me. The plot summary sounded a bit light to me at first, but once I got into the book I realized that there are a lot of heavier issues that add a lot of substance to what I thought was “a YA book about a boyband.” The authors address issues such as the pressure of coming out, being yourself, addiction, and social acceptance. While this book is about a famous group, I think the issues the authors chose to address are ones that everyone can relate to in some way, whether you’re a part of a famous boy band or not.

What really stood out to me was the narration style. The book alternates between Ruben and Zach’s perspectives and the voices the authors use for each are very unique—I was never confused as to who was narrating. But beyond that the styles of narration were great. Ruben and Zach have dry humour and sarcasm lacing their narrations, which really worked for me. I thought it made the book very conversational, easy to read, and easier to connect to—like you were talking to a friend. This style was something I thought the authors did an exceptional job with.

I had intentions to read the e-ARC of this book back during Pride Month because of its queer representation. I wanted to (and still continue to make efforts to) diversity my reading. If this is a goal of yours too definitely pick this one up. It reminded me a lot of Julie Murphy’s latest YA book Pumpkin. If she’s an author you like, or if you liked that book, then you’re sure to like this one as well. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one as a quick, enjoyable, YA LBGT romance book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was as fun as I thought it would be, but it also delved into a lot more important social topics than I thought it would. I really liked Ruben and Zach and their relationship is an example of friends-to-lovers done really well.

Zach's gradual realisation that he might not be straight and the way he goes back and analyses his previous attraction on other guys felt so real and made me want to give him a hug. The fact he begins to realise this while in the middle of a global tour in front of millions of people can't be easy, so it was lovely that Ruben being supportive and providing comfort when it was needed.

I didn't have many strong feelings about Angel or Jon, but I liked how they supported Ruben and Zach when their management were trying to prevent them from coming out. On the whole, the book delves into some important issues about fame and privacy, substance abuse, being open about mental health, and having a support network around you. The narrative also comments on the heteronormativity of the music industry and the subtle ways in which homophobia can pervade daily life, while also encourages readers to challenge prejudices and injustice.

Final note: I've seen a lot of people saying this is One Direction fanfiction, or that the book started life as such, and while I don't know the origins of the story, it didn't read this way to me. I will say that I was never a 1D fan so I don't really know much about the band and I didn't follow them when they were active, but this read like a YA contemporary in its own right and not really a fanfic of any kind (and I saw this as someone who reads plenty of fic).

I adore Sophie Gonzales' other works. I have never read from Cale Dietrich, but this did not disappoint. I felt like the topics of conversation in this novel were well handled. These characters were adorable. I will be reading more from both of them in the future.

I'm not a fan of boy bands in real life, but I am absolutely a fan of Ruben, Zach and the rest of Saturday! I was rooting for them both romantically and as a group from the beginning. This was such an engaging story with believable characters, despite some wordy scenes that slowed the pace. It was sweet and inclusive, well-written, staying light and easy to read while tackling some heavy subjects, from homophobia to finding yourself. Definitely recommended for YA and adult readers! (The intimate scenes are “closed door”, so there’s nothing too explicit.)

I’m grateful to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review If This Gets Out.

Okay, I loved this book! It definitely gave me One Direction vibes - especially with all the shippers and rumors about some of the bandmates being in a relationship.

I appreciated that the relationship felt slower - while the book itself and the plot seemed more fast-paced. Beyond the adorable relationship and queer rep, I also appreciated all the other issues this book tackled (without being too overwhelming or feeling like it was trying to accomplish too much) - substance abuse, pressure of fame on children/teens, and how the entertainment industry can take advantage of underage performers.

This was just a peach of a book - and I would gladly read more from this author duo.

Oh my god. This book is ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Saturday is a band I would have loved if they were real. I love seeing the insider lives of made boy bands. It reminds me of one direction for sure. There's parts that make me mad. There's parts that are cute. Just all of it absolutely fantastic book. 10/10 would recommend to everyone

This book was such a fun and easy read. I adored it! It was just the right book to get me out of a reading slump. So I would like to recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an easy and fast read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This actually surprised me immensely. I went into this book having read one of Sophie Gonzales’ previous books, Only Mostly Devastated, and not loving it. Thus my expectations for this book weren’t the heighest, but boy were they blown out of the water! I couldn’t put it down once I started. This is a story of young love and fame in equal measures, in many respects reminding me of I Was Born For This, although I connected with the band in this book more than that one. The attention to detail as well as the multitude of story strands really stood out to me, as did the questions of identity and toxic parent child relationships which I found uniquely handled. A book that surprised me in the best way possible!