This was okay though it didn't blow me away. It felt quite middle of the road and I couldn't distinguish easily enough between the two narrators (though Zach was a lot more infuriating). There were some parts I really enjoyed but overall it fell a bit flat.

I was so looking forward to read this book! And I was not disappointed! The writing is just so good, the plot was interesting and the story surprised me. I really liked the romance part and I loved, loved, loved the characters. Their friendship is absolutely beautiful.
It was a very enjoyable read, but also very important. It touches so many hard subjects.
Can't wait for everyone to read and love it!

An adorable tale filled with great romantic moments, great dialogue and touching revelations.
I really enjoyed this book.

I'm about 56% of the way through this book. My girlfriend and I are slowly reading it out loud to each other. But I can honestly say this book is a 5/5 for me. I'll update my review if that changes for some reason. But I'm too impatient. I want to review it now because IT IS SO FLIPPING GOOD. The writing is amazing. The characters are fully fleshed out. The humour is great. The emotions are incredible.

It's definitely already one of my favourite books.

I think this book is so much more than what it's being hyped up to be. And I get it. I have 3 daughters and they love One Direction plus one of them loves to read fanfic and is all about "Larry". So yes, I get if one of your first thoughts when you read the blurb would be to think about that. But this book it's about so much more than that.

YES, it is about a boyband. YES, there are romance elements in the story. YES, it involves LGBTQ characters.

But theres's also the the "Found family" aspect of the story. Ruben, Zack, Jon and Angel had been thrust into the limelight as teenagers, away from their families. Then they are forced to rely on each other and the friendship they have forged because their management team/record label has only cared about them as a business and not as individuals.

It's about the shady side of the entertainment industry. These boy have grown up in an unhealthy environment that doesn't allow for individualism. They have been labeled and put into boxes and forced to play a part at a time when they should be finding their true self. This, in turn, leads them to make rash decisions, act out and second-guess their needs and wants.

And of course, amid all this, there's Ruben and Zack's friendship blossoming into something more. Something they both want to explore. Something that can be life-changing, if only they were given the chance. Yes, their story was sweet and swoony and I loved them together. But what I enjoyed most about their story, was how their already-established connection grew into something deeper and more meaningful because of the obstacles they had to overcome. How they grew as individuals as the story progressed, how they made mistakes and how ultimately, they grew as a couple after everything was said and done. But I don't think any of that would have been possible if they weren't surrounded by their found family. Having Angel and Jon fighting along-side them made all the difference.

I also enjoyed the range in emotions, the camaraderie between the boys and the candid moments shared between them. In truth, I could have done without some of the added conflict that was thrown into the mix in regards to Ruben and Zack's miscommunication. I also thought that Ruben's mom's involvement was a bit "too little too late" there in the end, but Im glad he found his closure in regards to that.

Ultimately, for me, it was how the boys grew into themselves--becoming more assertive, facing their problems, understanding each other's needs and ultimately joining forces to make their careers what they want it to be--what the story was really about. How boys turn into men. How having a support system makes you a better individual and with them in your corner you can be the person you were meant to be--shy like Jon, flirty like Angel or a gay and out couple like Ruben and Zack.

All in all, a great story and an enjoyable read..

This was largely a cute read, and it definitely made me stop and think about what people in the entertainment industry have to deal with. I'd never really considered that people are forced to hide their sexuality in order to 'appeal' to the general public. For that factor alone I think it deserves three stars.

I really enjoyed the various characters in the band, and how wildly different they all were. The dual narrative worked pretty well, although I did have moments where I couldn't remember who was who until they made reference to specific things like their parents. There are a lot of serious subjects dealt with as well, which I wasn't expecting, but did enjoy.

My only criticism is that it read a little like One Direction fanfic, I've definitely seen people obsessing over those boys being in secret relationships with each other, so that made it little hard for me to take fully seriously. I did also get a little bored in the middle as things slowed down.

Generally though I think it's well worth a read, and can definitely imagine it appealing to those who are crazy fans of certain bands!

This was a really fun, quick read. I love the concept and I really got into the characters, including the other two band members. I think there was the potential to do more, but I'm very happy with how this book progressed and there were a few fun twists as well. Highly recommend, especially if you're a fan of this genre.

A sweet romance between two boys, a coming out , a coming of age story. It took the struggles of all young people to be themselves amidst pressure to conform and intensified it by making them public figures, member of a very popular boyband and being gay. It also explored other issues of drug use, adult manipulations. the characters were very likeable. My main problem was that it got bogged down at points with all the info about being in a popular band and those parts felt like too much/ not interesting after awhile. took from the main feels of the book

This was everything I was looking for in a book. Boy Band Romance at its finest! I loved following the boys and watching them grow. 5 stars!

I don’t think it would’ve been possible for a queer boy-band romance to be written any better. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read it again. The story had me hooked right from the first line and kept me captivated the entire time. I also thought that Sophie and Cale did an excellent job at co-writing this book. I honestly couldn’t tell at all that it was written by two people instead of one. It was seamless all the way through and overall I thought the writing was really well done.
I absolutely loved Ruben and Zach’s romance and would honestly love reading about them more in the future if that’s ever a possibility. I loved seeing how their relationship changed throughout the book from band-mates/best friends to something more. I loved seeing the moments they had together with the other members of the band, especially at the beginning, that were lighthearted and fun with lots of laughs. Yet I also loved the more intimate moments Ruben and Zach got just with each other both when they were still just friends, to confused feelings, to more. It was an interesting evolvement that was far from perfect, but that’s just the way life is and I liked seeing the honesty in that. It truly was a slow-burn romance but honestly I thought it worked really well. It can be a scary thing coming to terms with knowing you’re in love with your best friend, and it can be even harder if you haven’t fully come to terms with your sexuality yet. I thought seeing Zach struggle with repressing his sexuality in the beginning was valuable to read about as I think it something a lot of queer people can go through.
I really loved that this book was written from a behind the scenes of the music industry perspective. I find books more enjoyable when they are more realistic and honest about things we only usually get to see from the outside. The music industry isn’t all fun and games and this book proved just that. might be a bit strange to say but i liked seeing the music industry being shown as not perfect because that’s the real truth to it. It made it easy to sympathize with all four of the boys in the band as you could tell their job wasn’t the easiest. Because the harder side of been in a band was a main point of the book it definitely made it a bit of a heavier read, but I found that I really didn’t mind that this time. Often I have a harder time reading contemporary romances that are on the heavier side but the way this one was written still made it easy and enjoyable to read. It was also really interesting to read about all of the different family dynamics each of the four band members had. No two family dynamics were the same and it was interesting to read about what the parents thought about their children being in a band, especially when that band is travelling halfway across the world for a tour.
I was surprised by all of the topics that were covered throughout the book. Like I mentioned before it was a heavier read at times, not that I thought it was a bad thing whatsoever. These topics included drug and alcohol use, eating disorders, being overly controlled by a management team, and unhealthy family relationships. Ruben was being pressured by management to stay closeted and had been for multiple years. Angel (one of the other members) dealt with a lot of mental health issues throughout the book that definitely shook me at points. Despite the heavier topic I thought the book had a wonderful and happy ending. I was really happy with the outcome of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

It was so good. So cute. If you’ve ever liked a boyband fan fiction or liked RWRB, you’ll enjoy this book.

Relationships, love, figuring out your sexuality, and band shenanigans.


TWings: homophobia, racial stereotypes, forced closeting, eating disorders, and drug abuse

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It made me get all the feels!
I had been dying to read this and when NetGalley gave me a copy, I was beyond happy.
This book reminded me of One Direction, and for that, I had to read it. It was everything I had wanted: romance, emotions, growing up and finding yourself. This might have been my favourite book of the year!!

This love story was a refreshing change of a m|m love story. It wasn't cheesy and the characters were well rounded, and by the end of it I wanted them to pop out of the page.

so good and kind of refreshing! there are not many books about boy bands these days so this was definitely SO good! the found family between all the members and the hilarious moments gosh my heart!

A very fun read that I'm still thinking about a long time later! This is going to be huge! A must read for fans of boybands, and fans of prevailing love!

This book was LOVELY and exactly what I needed this week. Going in, I had the expectation that it would be a light and fluffy romance - and yes, the romance is lovely, and there is definitely some fluff (not a bad thing!) But this is not a romance book as such, in that the romance isn't the main plot of the story and there are a lot of other things going on - including some heavy themes in the form of homophobia, toxic family relationships, emotional abuse and others.

Reuben and Zach are both well-rounded, lovable characters, and I loved their friendship with Angel and Jon (the other two members of the band). As a bisexual woman who only really identified the number of crushes I'd had on girls over the years once I was an adult, I really related to Zach's journey in particular. At the beginning, the book took me back to my teenage fandom years, then the creeping sense of just how wrong things are in the boys' world is well done, and by the end I was looking back in a whole new light. I definitely feel like I understand a little better why so many "teen" bands have members leave, or break up altogether, now!

What starts out as a too real story about how young people in the entertainment industry are taken advantage of ends in a story of love, friendship, and hope for better futures. This book is a love letter to fans of boybands, fanfictions, and friends-to-lover romances that any reader will devour quickly. Some subjects may be mature for younger teens (CW drinking, drug usage, mistreatment of teens from trusted adults), but will make a fine addition to our YA collection.

Super adorable, If This Gets Out is sweet without being saccharine and just a fun, smart read about two (famous) boys realizing their feelings for each other. There's definitely demand for this book, especially among fans of the former One Direction as well as a fair number of Kpop fans--and I expect my teen readers (and adult!) will be clamoring to read this!

This book has been on my "To Read Upon Its Release" TBR list after reading a summary and seeing a cover photo via Instagram, and so the moment I saw this galley available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to request an early copy because everything about this story intrigued me so much. Besides, as a massive boy band fan, I was super excited about this concept and a behind-the-scenes look at what that recording and touring lifestyle is really like.

Here, 18-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two of the four members of the hit boy band, Saturday, which is one of the biggest acts in America. Onstage, the four boys are teen heartbreakers, and offstage they are just four normal best friends. However, cracks are starting to form under the pressures of fame. Ruben even confides in Zach that he's feeling smothered by their management's pressure to stay in the closet. During a whirlwind European trip, while dealing with a busy schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach rely on each other more and more as their close friendship soon evolves into romance. Though the guys decide they are ready to tell their fans and live freely, they realize that their management will never support the plan. They question how to hold on tight to what they have when the entire world seemingly wants to come between them.

I would describe this book as "Red, White & Royal Blue" meets One Direction, which means it's pretty darn close to perfect for my interests. Co-authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, who are masters of their craft, have created such a compelling narrative that's chock full of engaging language that draws me in from the very first page. Told in dual point-of-view, readers have the chance to get inside the mindsets of both leading men, who are equally vulnerable and authentic. Plus, Zach+Ruben as a couple are 1000% precious and adorable, and I ship them. Facts are facts. It's a fun read that takes place BTS of their European tour. I'd categorize this book more as New Adult than a true-form Young Adult because there's a tad bit of *spicy* content here, which I was totally on board with. It's a quick read, and both the characters and the book are so darn cute. This novel is completely, wholeheartedly, precious and squeal-worthy. It was so difficult to put down this book because I just needed to know what would happen next.

This book may be deemed as a fun boy-band romance, but it is so much more than that.

If This Gets Out covers the precarious lifestyle that comes with being part of the music industry - especially while being queer like the main two characters. I was truly engrossed in reading the experiences the band was forced through and undoubtedly rooted for them. It was incredibly eye-opening to view the industry from the producer's angle rather than from the consumer's (like myself). I also enjoyed the depiction of their fans and the exploration of social media and the impacts it can create.

I feel like this book is notably character-driven. And, I wholeheartedly ADORED the characters. Each one of the main four resonated with me in some way. Their group dynamics were hilarious, and I genuinely enjoyed reading many of the scenes. This book also covers the personal struggles the characters were battling and how the overlap of their jobs affects them. The romance between the two mains, of course, is a significant part of the book. I couldn't help but occasionally feel giddy and warm inside seeing Zach and Ruben's relationship grow, and they had so many adorable moments.

In spite of everything I personally appreciated, I ended up rating it a three-star for several reasons. The main one being that I largely rate books based on my own personal enjoyment. The pacing unfortunately felt too slow for me, and I honestly felt like I was slogging through the whole thing. I also didn't end up enjoying the romance as much I had anticipated and felt mostly indifferent about it the entire time. There were also too many mundane points in which I felt underwhelmed and bored reading through. Most of the book felt like merely jumping from one interview or meet-and-greet to the next. Like several reviewers have mentioned, I feel like I would have liked this more if I was a fan of a modern-day boy band. I mean, the only boy band I seriously like is The Beatles, but I seriously doubt that counts in this context. :p

All in all, I believe If This Gets Out is not only an important read but a relevant one too. However, I felt largely conflicted about it and ended up not enjoying it as much I had liked to.