It took a few chapters for me to get into the characters and the story. But once I did I was hooked.

I was expecting a cute romcom, with the typical romcom formula elements. I figured instead of a meet-cute, this would take on the best friends angle, with one lead pining for his best friend and the other is clueless. (check!) Once they each realize their own attraction, something (usually a misunderstanding) keeps them from being together. (check!) As a reader, I was hoping both leads would be adorable and I’d be rooting for them. (check! check!) Since this is an LBGTQ+ romance, I anticipated that part of the storyline would deal with the struggle to be able to come out as queer to the public. (check!)

What I wasn’t expecting was a serious look into the life of a boy-band. From the outside, we look at boy-bands and think how cute the boys are, this one is my favorite, they are having so much fun, look at all these screaming fans, etc. In If This Gets Out we get to look at the band from the inside. Each member has a carefully crafted individual persona, geared towards a certain fan personality. Individual creativity is stifled for the greater image of the band. Heck, individual personality is stifled – the boys have one face to the public and another when it’s just themselves outside of the public eye. And bands with a huge following (think Beatles-level hype) leave the members exhausted with little to no time for themselves or their interests. The management company is in complete control of pretty much every aspect of their lives. And when If This Gets Out begins, the stress has been building, and the cracks in each member are starting to show.

I loved, loved, loved the romcom aspect of this book. And the inside look at the band and the way their record company exploits them as a commodity was powerful. The characters feel raw and real, and I was moved to tears a few times while I was listening. This book has a lot going on – unrequited love, self-discovery, and not just finding out who you are, but fighting for yourself and standing up for what you believe in.

I was lucky enough to receive an audio version of this book from NetGalley, and Ramon de Ocampo is a fantastic narrator. (I recognized his voice right away, he narrated Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.) I almost felt like I was watching a movie while listening to the narration – he transported me completely into the story. I’m sure reading the print is a great experience, but I definitely recommend listening to the audio book.

If This Gets Out is a romcom, but that’s just the beginning. Get ready for a backstage, all access pass to the boy-band sensation Saturday, and hang on for the ride. It’s a great one.

If This Gets Out is a storyline that could almost write itself. I"m surprised no one thought to write something like this before now. It is such a great "what if" story and explores how difficult it could be as a member of a boy band. The level of expectation being placed on young men who are already going through the difficult time of puberty, teenage years and young adulthood would be overwhelming. If you add to that mix, the inability to be honest with others about your sexuality and are constantly told to act another way, that would damage you even more from a psychological aspect.

In this story, we meet four boy band members - - Zach, Ruben, Jon and Angel. Together they are the boy band, Saturday. They each have their own personal struggles which make them sensitive to outside influences -- some more than others. Angel and Jon are definitely a good portion of the book as well, but the main storyline centers around Zach and Ruben. Over the course of the book, they acknowledge their attraction to one another and then gradually, they share it with their fellow band members and then management for their label. Naturally, management doesn't want for them to come out and continues to put them off when they ask about it. In the middle of this, another band member goes through a major crisis and there is a great deal of speculation that none of them get along.

I enjoyed the story and found it to address some legitimate issues and concerns. I had a difficult time with some of the character development. I felt a connection to Zach and Ruben, but it wasn't as strong as I would have liked. The other external characters, such as their parents, management, and so on were written very basically and I felt little connection there. Of course, it wasn't difficult to feel a strong sense of dislike for the label's management team. They were intentionally trying to fit these young men into a "box" that they believed would foster their image and maintain their popularity. Little consideration was taken for where any of the boys were at emotionally by this management team.

I thought some strong messages were bassed along via this storyline. The one that stood out most was the need to know what is important to YOU and to not just float through life agreeing with others because it's what you think they want. I think a lot of people are guilty of doing that very thing because it's there easy solution. It doesn't create drama with other people if you just always agree. Unfortunately, those people never get to fully enjoy life because they allow others to make all their decisions for them. Instead, people shouldn't be afraid to have an opinion or take a risk in life. Live your life. Don't let others live it for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review this book. The opinions contained within are my own.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also received an early copy of the audiobook. For me, I enjoyed physically reading this book more than listening to it. Sometimes I enjoy the audio versions more because of the narration. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me on this book. I couldn't settle into the story when listening to it. Therefore, for me, I'd have to give the audiobook 3 stars.

A queer coming of age YA love story between two boy band members learning how to stand up for themselves amidst overwhelming pressure to tow the line and stay closeted for the sake of their fame. This was a slow start for me and I didn't love it on audio (there was only one narrator and it was difficult at times to determine which character was speaking) but by the end these two boys won me over. Full of lots of heart, it was inspiring to see Ruben and Zach stand up for their love and realizing their fans loved them for who they really were all along. Recommended for fans of TJ Klune or Phil Stamper. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

Love story - Check!
Overcoming obstacles – Check!
Standing up for yourself – Check!
Boys Bands – Check!

If you like all three, then you need to check out If This Gets Out by @sgonzalesauthor and @caledietrich! I just loved this book. I ready this both in June, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to listen to the audiobook too.

What you’ll get is a sweet romance between two members of a popular boy band, pressure from band management to keep it a secret, a thoughtful exploration on behind the scenes complexities of a popular band, and a group of young men that want nothing more than to be themselves.

I may be in my 40s, but I'm now a Saturday fangirl! Just without the squealing 😊

Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel are vivid and distinct characters and members of Saturday. The authors do a fantastic job showing the wonderful friendships and how they have each other’s backs. I wanted to be a part of the Mom Squad to support these boys!

I fought a lot of emotions with the depiction of the dark side of popularity in the music industry. It makes me pause to think of how often management teams stop seeing the young musicians as humans and only see profit. As a parent, I found it scary and infuriating. As a business woman, I was disgusted by the ethical violations for a dollar. It makes me think back to the boybands I loved as a teen. NKOTB, anyone?! I wonder if they went through the characterizations and identity suppression.

5 Stars – Don’t miss out!

Pub Date – 12/7/2021

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillianaudio for the ALC in exchange for my review.

#ifthisgetsout #lgbtq #sophiegonzales #caledietrich #netgalley #macmillianaudio #boybands #books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram

This was unexpectedly deep and meaningful and so heartfelt. On the surface, one might think that it was a fluffy rom-com about secret love between band mates, but there’s so much more going on and important topics are tackled in a very realistic and respectful way. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in boy bands or even just human relationships in general.

If This Gets Out is an absolute gem! I grew up in the era of N'Sync and Backstreet Boys, which feels like a lifetime ago, so it was fun to dive into this world again. Sophie Gonzalez always writers such complex and interesting bisexual and queer characters, and it fit perfectly with Cale Dietrich's writing.

This book follows two singers in the pop band Saturday. Ruben is out to his family, bandmates, and management company. Zach is just coming to the realization that he's bisexual and kinda maybe has a crush on Ruben. I won't spoil anything but I think you can see where things are going.

While this book is primarily a romance, it does deal with mental health, addiction, and the pressures of fame. There's a nice balance of industry talk and how this impacts each of the boys personal life. Angel and John, the other two boys in the band, are more complex than just side characters. And I found myself feeling very protective of each of them.

I think this book would be a wonderful addition to any school library. And of course if you're a fan of One Direction or other boy bands, you should definitely pick this one up.

I adored this book! It brought me immediate nostalgia of crushing on the boy bands of my youth. The characters were so fleshed out and endearing. I wanted to be a “stage mom” and protect them all! The pacing was perfect and there were so many important developmental themes addressed that any reader could see themselves on the page! It’s not just a coming out story or an LGBTQ romance. While there are job pressures, parental pressure, peer pressure, substance abuse, identity issues, etc...there’s also friendship, brotherhood, and love. And while these topics sound like they make for a heavy read, the boy band elements and the boys themselves, made this an incredibly fun read for me! The narrator of the audiobook did an awesome job creating different voices for every character! There was never any doubt as to whose dialogue or internal monologue I was hearing.

This book is my new favorite YA! I loved it so much. The boy-band members were characters that I just wanted to keep reading more about. The crazy tour through Europe was a great foundation to each character's struggle. And it was truly written well for the Young Adult category. Being eighteen can be such a challenging time, and I just thought this book captured raw emotion. I would highly recommend it!

I so desperately wanted an ARC copy of this book and thank the universe for providing me an ALC! Gosh I wish middle school, one direction obsessed fiona could have read this book. I would have nonstop read it!
***
This book was so fun and entertaining, but didn’t stray away from serious topics (check trigger warnings). When they casually mentioned PREP, my public health heart beamed. It just made me so happy!
***
I loved these boys! Ruben and Zach have my heart. I didn’t want the book to end. This book will make for a great holiday gift. Mark your calendars for December 7th!

I just loved this audiobook. I flew through it. I loved the musical aspect and the steam factor!!! I really loved the characters I felt like I really knew them all.

This book was a great representation of a coming of age story with young adults learning about their sexuality and individuality. The message was good, and the narrator did a great job with switching between perspectives. I would recommend it for high school students, but probably not my middle schoolers. The concept was unique to me, but included some classic tropes. It was incredibly cute and heartwarming.

If This Gets Out was emotionally heart wrenching. Underneath this story of love, is one of self-discovery, having to realize we are worth loving, and what we will do to live authentically. Gonzales and Dietrich fabulously balance these moments of joy and butterflies with scenes of tension, doubt, and fear. This character driven story allows us to see Ruben and Zach's motives, their mistakes and fears, doubts and insecurities. We have these moments where we are rooting for them, where we don't know what they'll do.

If This Gets Out is intensely focused on their love and each individual's character journey. The questioning rep combined with the quest to live as true to ourselves as we can, is emotionally moving. It reflects their fears of not only hurting the ones we love, but also ourselves. In our lives, there can be this gap between who we are who we are seen as. And throughout our lives we try to navigate this distance, to figure out how worthwhile it is to fight to be seen differently.

Listening to the audiobook of If This Gets Out was phenomenal. While there's only one narrator, Ramon de Ocampo does a great job at differentiating Ruben and Zach. At giving each of them their own hesitancy and emotional depth.

I loved this book. The two main characters made me laugh, cry and gave me chills! I loved the band dynamic and seeing their struggles and hardships. I definitely recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this book and the reader did a great job. Fun twist on the friends to lovers with the guys being in a boyband. I loved the ending and how they were able to see how much their public announcement made to their fans. Total binge read for teens and us older adults who have loved boy bands since we were teens :) Enjoy!

Audiobook Review. I absolutely loved this book! The narrator was fantastic, the characters were well thought out, and the plot kept surprising me! This title is a great addition to all YA collections!

If This Gets Out is boy bands and relationships and LGBTQ+, YA at its best, and everything I wanted it to be!
The story is an easy read despite addressing unexpectedly difficult subjects. Identity, self-worth, insecurity, family relationships and healthy boundaries, autonomy, drug and alcohol abuse - these aren't all topics I expected to explore deeply through the lives of the four main characters. Each of the boys comes with their own stories, struggles, and interests, and each of them feels like distinct, realistic characters that I'd like to know better. I love the relationship dynamic between the band members - best friends who fight sometimes but still care about one another. I am thrilled by the open mentions of setting boundaries in a YA book, while being reminded of the YA status by the occasional entirely age-appropriate teenage angst. The storyline itself isn't twisty or unpredictable, but the authors do a great job of keeping it interesting and presenting multiple paths the story could take. And of course, Ruben and Zach are adorable and watching their relationship blossom is so sweet.

Ramon de Ocampo (while sounding a little too old for 18) is a pleasant narrator and his narration style matches the book well. My main complaint is that Angel is the only band member to get a different voice - I would have preferred all distinct or else no differences at all, especially when more minor characters do have specific voices. I frequently missed when POV switched between Ruben & Zach and had to listen for context clues to remember who was currently telling the story, but I'm willing to blame my inattention for some of that.

This story reminds me of a young adult sibling to Red, White, & Royal Blue, with a slightly more tempered and open-ended happily ever after ending. Overall a phenomenal book and one I'm excited to buy and recommend!

4.5-4.75 stars

This book was so good! It managed to simultaneously be exactly what I hoped for and wanted while still pleasantly surprising me. I liked the characters, the plot, most of the writing, the relationships, and the issues discussed. This is definitely one I’ll be purchasing for my classroom library- we always need more queer YA stories, and especially ones with lovely, hopeful, happy endings. I always wonder about the dynamics and logistics of co-writing books, but clearly, it worked for these writers. Besides buying a copy for my class, I’ll be recommending it to and purchasing it for others this holiday season. Big fan.

I loved this YA LGBTQIA+ fiction. I cried at the end! It was well thought out and a different YA topic than I'm used to (usually YA tends toward fantasy).

This book definitely took me by a surprise. I was expecting more of a fluffier read, but really this hit hard in many areas. I enjoyed the boy band dynamics and the relationship between Reuben and Zach - you couldn't help but fight for them and the rest of the band to make it through all their struggles. While I definitely enjoyed this, some of the drama was a bit annoying and I felt like the story overall dragged a bit.

In regards to the audiobook, I definitely enjoyed the narrator and found it pleasant to listen to!

Rating: 3.5 stars

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales - 5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook. I am leaving unbiased this review independently.

As someone who doesn't normally enjoy contemporary or romance, I adored this book. This story combines a young man coming to terms with his sexuality with a couple coming together with supportive friends and loved ones to fight against silencing oppressive forces. It handles both of these elements with the finese required, producing powerful, nuanced characters that feel extremely human.

Ruben is a gay boyband member who is pressured to stay in the closet by his management team so he can maintain his teen heartthrob persona to fans. He has had his share of experimenting straight boys and gay boys who want an "in" in the music industry more than a relationship break his heart. Tired of being used and tired of being closeted, Ruben is near the end of his rope.

Zach is a straight boy just out of a long term relationship with a girl and still reeling. Then, after a night of partying and underage drinking, he kisses bandmate Ruben. But he's definitely straight. He likes girls. He's had a crush on a guy before, but they always fizzle out. Why can't he push down his confusing feelings for this boy? Oh. OH. He's always pushed down his feelings for boys, pushed the boys away. Is he bi? He's bisexual. And he's in love with his bandmate Ruben.

And thus begins the romance that drives the rest of the novel. Their relationship, as well as the relationship of all 4 band members, faces many trials and stress points over the course of the novel. The plot points are compelling and kept me enthralled until the very end.

I definitely recomend this book to anyone who likes contemporary, romance, queer romance, or anyone who shipped 1 Direction members with each other throughout the 2010s.

-Audiobook Notes-
As I'm reviewing the audiobook specifically, I'd like to take a moment to compliment Ramón de Ocampo. I loved his work on Red, White, and Royal Blue and he definitely doesn't disapoint here either. Ramón does a wonderful job conveying the many nuanced emotions teens, especially queer teens, go through and all 4 of our main characters sound extremely real and human throughout the book.