Finished this book at 3 AM in the morning and all I could think about is Ruben and Zach and Angel and Jon *cries*

This book was just incredible. Yes, I expected boyband romance, yes, I expected angst and pining. But damn, it still caught me off guard.

What Sophie and Cale has created here is a riveting story about the pressure towards young artists (esp queer, marginalized artists), young people being exploited and controlled by the industry, trying to figure out your sexuality, figuring out what you really want and standing by it, finding family among strangers and coming together, and about finding strength and hope. And of course, a story about love.

This book has left a mark on me and I'll forever cherish this story about Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. Kudos to the authors for this book! I cannot wait until it releases to the world! 💜

(E-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)

Full review soon!

Also, I am officially part of the If This Gets Out Street Team! Look out for exciting stuff on my platforms and the whole team!

I mean, this was a team up between Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. Could I expect anything less than perfection?

This definitely had some 2012 One Direction fanfiction vibes but it was much more than that. With a premise only Dietrich could dream up (two members of a boyband start dating) and an amount of heart trademarked by Gonzales, If This Gets Out is exactly what I wanted. It's cute, funny, swoony. All the 'must-haves' of a great YA book.

Plus, the cover. Someone give the cover designer a raise because this cover is a piece of art. Tumblr fanart could never.

More thoughts closer to the release date but toss this book on your TBR, pre-order it from your favorite indie bookstore, and get yourself ready for the boys of Saturday.

They stole my heart and I'm certain they'll steal yours, too.

(Did I do it? Was that last line cheesy enough to be a line in a pop song?)

review will be cross-posted to goodreads and The Wellesley News! article should be up once the school year starts; the news hasn't really done much over the summer and i have a backlog of reviews waiting to go up

I’ve read a decent amount of books about relationships between band members, but I have to say, If This Gets Out was a pretty fantastic one. I know for a fact that there are many One Direction fans who go to this school, and if you’re one of them, you’ll want to read this book. Even if you aren’t, stick around.
America’s hottest boy band sensation, called Saturday, is embarking on the European leg of their tour, and band member Ruben has one problem: he is undeniably in love with fellow band member Zach. But as it turns out, Zach likes him back, and soon enough, they want to tell people, or at least come out as queer. As it turns out, that’s easier said than done when you’re a member of a chart-topping boy band.
From the beginning, I was hooked. If This Gets Out is a book absolutely full of heart, packed with moments of joy, fear, sadness and probably all the other Inside Out emotions. I love how distinct Ruben and Zach’s voices are, which I’m sure is because the authors each wrote their own narrator (co-written books are my favorite kind of dual point-of-view book, and I say that as someone who’s written her own dual point-of-view book). But more than that, I love how Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich wrote a story that feels incredibly unique and authentic despite neither of them being famous singers or Americans.
This is a queer story that’s absolutely worth your time reading. It’s romantic without quite being a romance and thrilling despite not being a thriller. I read the book in one sitting in a single morning, which is an impressive feat considering it’s nearly 450 pages long. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my shelf.
If This Comes Out will be released December 7 in the US and Canada by Wednesday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. I received an early copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Disclaimer: I’m also part of Cale and Sophie’s street team, so it is kind of my duty to promote this book, but rest assured I would love it regardless.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this gem. This book had everything I look for in a good romcom; sweet layered characters, a bright romance, and just the right amount of drama. I loved the look into the band and the music industry, and the consequences a relationship can have. The only thing I wish we got more of is how the fallout with Chorus is resolved, and some peek into Zach and Ruben's relationship after that. Overall this was a fun summer read and I recommend for anyone looking for such.

I already had this on my TBR list so I was very excited when I got the chance to read it early. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect when reading this book but I think I had assumed it would be more fluff. I was pleasantly surprised by how dark and (likely) realistic the behind the scenes of the music and boy band world was described. I can’t even imagine having every little detail of my life be so controlled and calculated for public consumption. I also liked the exploration of how confusing it must be to be so famous that you doubt the intentions of those around you even when you want to trust them.

Overall, it turned out to be a darker and more realistic portrayal of what might happen in this kind of situation. It was still sweet but wasn’t overly saccharine.

This book is narrated by Ruben and Zach, two of the four members of a wildly popular boy band called Saturday. The band and its members are micromanaged to a depressingly awful degree; Ruben has been asking to come out as gay since he was sixteen; Zach's efforts as a songwriter are quashed since he's more into punk and rock than pop; Angel is struggling with addiction and management couldn't care less as long as he keeps up his performances; and Jon has to try to balance his relationship with his producer father with his friendships with the guys. Management demands that each of the four boys conform to a strict image and role, regardless of how poorly the fit is with their actual personalities. When Ruben and Zach, who are already best friends, start to see each other romantically on the band's first European tour, tensions come to a boiling point. On one level, this is a fun, engrossing read, but it also shines an important light on the pressures of the entertainment industry, especially for young people caught up in blatantly unfair contracts and very unbalanced power dynamics. I really loved all four of the boys, though of course we get a lot more of Ruben and Zach since they're the main characters. Lots of serious topics are addressed in this novel, but it never felt heavy handed. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Sophie Gonzales, and Cale Dietrich for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Okay, confession time. I have been pretty lukewarm on the previous books I’ve read by Sophie Gonzalez. I think they were too YA for me? I’m not sure.

And yet, still, I had no power to resist a secret boy band romance. None. And this one really, really worked for me.

I think it was the closer to YA/New Adult cusp feel of the book that made it a better fit for me as a reader. The characters are eighteen and feel true to their age throughout. I thought the romance was believable and charming, though I would have actually (I know, gasp!) been okay with it burning a little slower, as the beginning is truly delicious between Ruben and Zach.


While this romance percolates, though, this book tackles the dark, abusive side of the music industry—strict control by management, near constant surveillance, drug use, homophobia, disordered eating, and other ways that these four guys are not allowed to just live. They’re made to feel like their freedom is the price they’ve paid for the money and fame. That they should be grateful for it.

Despite this heavier themes, the romance is believable and the chemistry between Ruben and Zach sizzles throughout. And even at 416 pages, I flew through this book and enjoyed it greatly. I was pleasantly surprised all around to like this as much as I did. This is a keeper, for sure.

RATING: 3.5, rated down
TRIGGER WARNINGS: drug abuse, underage drinking, toxic parental relationships, homophobia, racism, explicit portrayal of mental illness, addiction, car accident /

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, but it wasn't flawless. The descriptions of mental illness of the protagonists were nicely written and it's an informative book about the struggle of celebrities, especially in the privacy aspect. However, it could be way better. In a lot of moments, it's explicitly said that some secondary characters struggle with being celebrities just as much as the protagonists, but with the race factor added to it (as they're biracial & asian respectively), but it's never talked about in detail and it feels especially iffy that in a band of four members, the two of them who get the protagonism are the white ones. Something else that bothered me was the fact that if you take the homophobia out of the narrative, there is no plot, and that Zach's exploration of his sexuality felt too... sudden? Within the first 50% of the book, he'd already figured that out and in the rest of the book he was very sure, not having a moment of self doubt or experimenting different labels, which would be a nice message to include in a book (that experimenting is okay and sexuality labels aren't set in stone.)

It's a fast paced book, which I enjoyed at times, but didn't at others (e.g. how quick the exploration of Zach's sexuality was), and it had aspects I really enjoyed in it, like it being a romance book where you get point of views of both characters in the relationship, the fact that there's a representation of an abusive parent who doesn't "become good" in the end, as well as solid platonic relationship dynamics, since the entirety of the group Saturday is pretty close and it was interesting to read how their shared trauma got in the way of their friendships, as they obviously dealt with it in different ways, and how they sorted it out.

I adored this book! It was a little hard to get into at first, honestly speaking I didn't like the characters, but they grew on me! I love Jon, Zach, Angel and Ruben with all my heart!

What I liked about this book, and what it made it unique were two things specifically:

A) the dynamic between Zach and Ruben

and B) how the book was about more than just their relationship.

I found Zach and Ruben's friendship and relationship dynamic quite unique to a lot of mlm romances I've read. It wasn't your stereotypical mlm romance or your stereotypical boy x boy friendship.
I think a lot of mlm romances rely on the relationship to be quite shallow, just so the authors could emphasize the fact that they're both men.
It didn't feel that way with Zach and Ruben. I got to see Zach's internal and external dilemma with his sexuality and Ruben's toxic relationship with his mother. We got to see how a life of fame affects self discovery, and much more! And all of it was beautifully written, as well as realistic. It actually seemed like teenage boys interacting realistically, rather than all the "dude" and "bro" crap a lot of authors can't help but put in.


Next, I liked how the book wasn't just talking about how great a life of fame is. As clear as it is in the books that the boys love being part of Saturday, it emphasizes on the reality of having a management team who monitor your every move. Clear in Angel's drug addiction, alcoholism and recklessness, Jon's reluctance to push back against his father and the team, Zach's constant need to please everyone and Ruben's fear of being anything less than perfect. Reading about the boys' struggles were a little hard for me, a couple instances made me tear up, but I appreciated the matureness of the delivery of such heavy topics.

All in all, this was a wonderful read!

"If This Gets Out" was a delightful read! The overall story was fun and sweet, while also tackling social and psychological issues that plague the entertainment industry. It was very easy to fall in love with Zach and Reuben, and I found myself very invested in their individual stories and the struggles they faced on their own, as well as together. I'm including trigger warnings at the very bottom, so if you need to check, they're there for you!

Fantastic bi representation that felt very validating and accurate, which was very appreciated! Seeing a character process and come to terms with their sexuality, as well as witnessing the following processes within different units was very powerful.

TW: Drug use, addiction, homophobia, emotional abuse, abusive parents

An adorable story about two boy band members and the courage that it takes to be yourself. Such a sweet book with humorous moments that made me laugh loudly on the bus and annoy all the early morning commuters. Would definitely recommend!!

Boyband? Romance? Gay? Yay!

You knew with a title like that a secret romance was going to get out in a big way. I wasn't wrong. Ruben Montez and Zach Knight deliver first person alternating chapters of their lives they range from topics like Ruben's abusive mom, Zach's weight/eating struggle, Angel Phan's drug abuse and Jon Braxton's absolutely bananas dad the CEO of Chorus the team who "manages" their band Saturday.

I hope there's a sequel, thinking about the world of Out got me through what turned into unplanned 16 hour shift (2pm til 6am) at work when I finished it up yesterday. How the stunts that Chorus put the boys through aren't brought up by fans of lawyers (hoisting a piano in the air with a four boys on it and only cables between them and death? Ruben's exhaustion on stage and him nearly falling if not for Zach saving him?).

Some thing that I thought would lead to trouble (Ruben & Zach distracted "confirming" that Anjon the fan ship name for Angel & Jon is real when it isn't to two fans) weren't brought up again.

Altogether fun & it made me think about fame and how silly used to be for holy, as in godly, and that some of the oldest fables we have are the unworthy fool who is favored and may be hanged or lucky by the end. Perhaps it's in using it for good or being true to your self & needs of others rather than being used by it.

If you follow me on bookstagram, then you will know that I regularly mention how much I love Sophie Gonzales’ Only Mostly Devastated which came out last year. I was, therefore, super duper excited to read an advanced electronic copy of her latest novel, a collaboration with Cale Dietrich, If This Gets Out.

The story follows Zach and Ruben who are members of one of the most successful American boy-bands of the moment, Saturday, as they embark on their first European tour. The chapters alternate between the point of view of each of these main characters, and the unrelenting schedule of being a teen heartthrob on tour starts to take its toll on Zach, Ruben and their fellow bandmates Jon and Angel. As the tour progresses, Zach and Ruben start to rely on each other more and more and their friendship blossoms into something more. When they decide that they want to go public with their relationship, however, they quickly realise that they will never have the support of their management. How will their relationship survive the pressure that is put on them when the whole world seems to be against them?

I expected that this story would be an incredibly enjoyable romance; and it certainly was. It was also so much more than that, and I don’t think I was ready for the spotlight it shone on the music industry and the all encompassing obsession of perception over reality. Each member of the band has a carefully curated image that they must stick to at all times, whether on or off the stage. Their social media presence, their diets, even their time-off is strictly controlled, and nothing is left to chance in the machine that is an internationally successful boy-band.

The cracks start to appear in different ways for each member of the band, and the storyline touches on drug and alcohol dependency as well as the censorship which completely controls how Zach and Ruben are allowed to interact with each other whenever they are together. The control that is exerted over the band by their management company is extreme, but it is also completely and sickeningly believable to anyone who has ever been a pop music fan. The recent coverage of Britney Spears’ conservatorship and problems with her management has really hit home just how timely this commentary on the machinations of the music business really is.

The hook of this novel for many readers will undoubtedly be the fact that it is a queer boy-band romance, but it really does transcend what I expected from the story. It is a credit to the authors that they have taken something which could have stayed in the safe realm of a fluffy and sweet romance, and have instead created something much more topical and meaningful.

If This Gets Out is an absolute cracker, and I heartily recommend getting your pre-orders in as you will want to read this as soon as possible! It is out in the UK on 6th January 2022, published by Hachette.

This book was wonderful! I finished the book in record time. The characters were lovable and so relatable, especially Zach. This book can make you feel all of the emotions. Each character was unique and had amazing qualities. As always check TWs before reading!

This book is refreshing, honest, and kept me reading late into the night. Gonzales and Dietrich find a flow with their words and their characters that has you rooting for them both from the start. I was absolutely delighted to see how their relationship blossomed and changed with each other and how that affected their roles in the band and their relationship with their families. IF THIS GETS OUT is honest, funny, and heart wrenching. Put this on your list NOW!

Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are living the dream. They are in Saturday, the most successful boy-band in the world, along with their two best friends, embarking on a tour across Europe. Everything should be wonderful.
But tour is not what they hoped it would be. They are worked beyond exhaustion and aren’t allowed to see anything of the cities they’re staying in. And when Ruben’s crush on the supposedly straight Zach turns into something more, they are forced to keep their developing relationship a secret.
Can they deal with the pressure their management team puts on them? And how does it influence the relationships within the band?

This book is delightful! It took me about 1.5 pages to fall in love with Ruben and Zach respectively. They are precious. I adore the dynamics within the band and that they all genuinely love each other. The characters are complex and flawed, but extremely loveable. The story is captivating, and I cannot wait for it to be released in December!

I enjoyed this from start to finish. The four members of Saturday all have unique personalities and perspectives. You can’t help but to root for them through all of their experiences. The importance of the romance balances with the importance of the friendships of the group. Well written and a quick read. It does address some serious topics that may be triggering to some (see below for spoilery content warnings).

Rep: MM (gay/bi), minor mention of FF

Content: Alludes to/ mentions sex in a variety of ways but is all off the page, drug and alcohol use, concern of suicide, homophobia, bullying/verbal abuse by adult figures

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a ride! This book hits just about every note for me when it comes to what I want in a contemporary romance YA. It also gives me the same vibe as the K-Pop fictions I've been reading a lot of lately, and that's not a bad thing.

The story is told in alternating perspective, which is a personal favorite storytelling device of mine, and while I loved seeing the story told from both sides of the main characters, there were times it was confusing to follow who was who. They were obviously independent characters, but the narrative prose outside of the dialogue was so similar at times, especially during emotional scenes, that I had to remind myself which one was speaking. That only happened a few times though, and honestly was probably in part due to me reading so quickly, because this book was nearly impossible to put down!

It does a great job of showing the dangers of becoming a celebrity at a young age without villainizing the characters along the way. There were parts of this that were difficult to read due to how well the feeling of being trapped and silenced was portrayed by the authors.

The LGBTQIAP+ representation was spot on, and it's always awesome to see a bisexual main character that isn't turned in to a trope! That being said, the romance and steaminess between the two mains was so full of passion and angst and all that juicy stuff I loved as a kid, it was like absorbing pure nostalgia!

My only negative is the ending. Don't get me wrong, I love a good happy ending! I just feel like it got a little rushed, and the stuff with Jon's mom seemed to come out of nowhere (where was she the rest of the book?). Other than that, there isn't much to complain about.

That ending was so abrupt though that I was caught off guard, I want more! Hopefully the authors will have more for us and we can see more of Saturday!

What a wonderful surprise this book is. I didn't know what to expect, but thought the premise sounded interesting and thought I would be in for a light read. In some respects, I was, but what I didn't anticipate was how well the authors approached the behind the scenes aspects of fame and what it means to be a star - the secrets, the subterfuge, the lies, the crafted narratives, publicity, just everything. That was all so elegantly handled and thought provoking and, to be honest, devastating. I think this is a read that teens will instantly latch on to, especially because the ideas of fame and young stars, whether the be social media sensations, musicians, actors, etc, are such part of their lives, even if they don't realize it, because of how tied we all are to technology, media, and the constant barrage of updates about people we don't even know. This book has remarkable potential for discussion, making it a necessary purchase for all YA collections. Highly recommend and I love when books surprise me!

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. With a very fresh plot and raw, human, characters, 'If This Gets Out' tells a very modern story about two members in a boyband who fall in love. The two point of views were noticiably written each by one of the authors, and even though I liked how they each built their character, there were a few inconsistencies in the writing style and pace of the story that made it feel like it was longer than it actually was. The start was a bit slow, but the middle and the ending lived up to the hype surrounding this book. It was a inspiring story and a fun read, especially for me given that I love bands and any book surrounding the music industry. Congrats to Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, you both have a really solid novel that will certainly be apealing to many readers around the world!