I know that I've been slacking with my YA reads in recent years, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy them and there was just something about the premise of If This Gets Out that intrigued me instantly. Add that I've enjoyed Sophie Gonzales' writing in the past and I was more than curious to see what this author duo would come up with. And I most definitely liked what I found! If This Gets Out turned out to be an entertaining and adorable MM romance story with just the right amount of angst and an interesting balance between lighter moments and heavier topics.

I confess that I've never been 'that' screaming fangirl of any band myself, so I can't say that I was put off by the fact that this story is apparently a reference to a certain boyband (I basically had to look up which one, so that probably says a lot about either my age or ignorance). Reference or not, it doesn't change the fact that I really liked the premise of this story. A boyband made up out of four friends, one member forced to stay inside the closet and another discovering his sexuality but forced to keep it a secret... It's been a while since I read a MM romance and I have to say that the romance part of the story was done really well: sweet, just a hint of steam and focus on more serious topics as well.

If This Gets Out uses a dual POV structure, where we switch between the two band members most important in this story. Ruben and Zach are both interesting characters and I really liked their interactions and dynamics together. The same goes for the rest of the band; they are all quite easy to like and root for. They could have done with a little more fleshing out to make them feel more realistic, as they sometimes felt more like someone to help get a message across rather than an individual with his own history... But I personally didn't mind that much as the plot itself keeps you entertained.

I always love a travel theme in my stories, and we definitely get a whirlwind tour through Europe during this book. The main focus though is on the band, music, the MM romance and the fact that the two are forced to keep their relationship a secret. Heavier topics such as homophobia, parental abuse, addiction and drugs are incorporated into the plot and play a big role, but they are balanced with lighter moments and enough fluff to keep this an easy-to-read and engaging romcom. The writing probably has a lot to do with that too; both POVs are engaging, flow really well and made it really easy to keep turning those pages. As a whole, I can definitely recommend If This Gets Out to fans of the genre!

Once again Sophie Gonzales hits gold with another really cute queer contemporary romance. Every single book she writes is honestly just brilliant. I've never read any of Cale Dietrichs books, but I'll definitely be picking them up in the near future after enjoying his writing in this book so much.

Now I'm not a huge fan of boybands, hell, I'm not a fan at all, so I was a bit hesitant to give this book a go, but it was so well done that even if you too aren't into boybands it won't stop you from loving this novel. It gives great insight to the music industry and the exploitation that all too commonly takes place within it, whilst still focusing on other aspects of the main characters lifes.

It is written in the POV of two of the main characters, Ruben and Zach, which was really interesting to read as it meant you got to see all the characters in different lights. Zachs development throughout the book was a highlight of If This Gets Out, with his growth leading to some key moments and helping to create the overall feeling of the book. Ruben didn't have as much character development, but this didn't make him an any less enjoyable character to read about as he had so many interesting thoughts and opinions, that he was constantly contributing.

Many issues were dealt with during the book such as drug and alcohol abuse, homophobia, family tension, not to mention many more, and I will say that they were done really well and added a lot to the book and the characters they affected, both directly and indirectly.

There were a few moments that I think would've been better for me at least personally, if they had been done differently. For the sake of not spoiling the book I won't go into detail as to where/when they were, however they were all quite key moments during the book. The things I would've changed them to wouldn't have affected the rest of the book in any major ways, they would've just added some more drama and tension to certain moments, making it more enjoyable for the reader(at least if they enjoy similar tropes ect to me).

My only other criticism would be that during the book there are 2 moments where it is written as if a character dies in the same way to each other( different characters though), but then they don't. I felt that if it was only used once then it would've been a lot more effective, but it ended up just feeling like the authors couldn't think of any more near death situations that they could use.

Overall I enjoyed every moment of this book, there were so many cute moments mixed in with some stomach-turning scenes leading to a great all-round experience. I'm looking forwards to December to get my hands on a physical copy!

How do I even describe how it felt to read this book? When I first read the blurb of “If This Gets Out” I immediately wanted to read it, because it had all the tropes and topics I crave to read about in a book. A successful boy band that is playing the biggest venues, strong friendships, an LGBTQ+ representation, the best-friends-to-lovers trope with a forbidden love spin and a road-trip through Europe in form of the band’s tour. In short: This sounded too good to be true and I desperately wanted to read it!

Needless to say I was over the moon when I actually got an ARC! I was so ready to dive into this book, you have no idea! Of course I had very high expectations as well and I was a little worried the book wouldn’t be able to live up to them. Looking at it in retrospective, I shouldn’t have worried because this was perfect! I got everything I wanted and even more!

I adored how the close friendship between the band members was portrayed. They laughed and joked, they quarrelled and had arguments, but they were always watching out for each other as well. They were like a family and I lived and breathed for their interactions. Another aspect that was brought into the book were the relationships of the band members with their parents and I was more than just happy to read about actual parents that care about their kids and only want the best for them. Of course not all parents are alike and there was a representation of a dysfunctional parent-child relationship as well.

Truth be told, I was surprised about the sheer amount of serious topics that were addressed in “If This Gets Out”. Drug abuse, emotional abuse, power games, band/label dynamics, the pressure of being famous, band life, the dark side of the music industry and the branding of bands and their individual members that has nothing to do with the real person behind the scenes. And I didn’t even talk about Zach and Ruben’s relationship yet. Which was nothing but amazing!

I loved to see how the feelings of the two MCs slowly started to change and how their friendship grew into something more. It was really well done and I found myself smiling so often that it started to hurt. I shipped those two so hard it was almost like they were an actual couple and not just two fictional characters. Also can we talk about their awesome communication?! Sure, they both had troubles to put their feelings into words and sometimes there was some miscommunication but when push came to shove they always tried their best to talk things out. I can only imagine how hard it must be to realize you have feelings for your best friend, let alone to deal with the pressure of being famous and the fear of somebody finding out. To come out should always be up to you, no matter if you’re famous or not. So I could relate to Ruben and Zach’s struggle.

Their character arc was done so well, though, and I couldn’t help but cheer for them when they finally decided that they had enough and wanted to tackle their problems head-on. They were aware of the consequences but they knew they had to do it order to live the way they wanted to and to witness how they took control of their situation wasn’t just a sight to behold but it also had me at the edge of my seat crossing my fingers for all of them.

All told “If This Gets Out” was an amazing book that didn’t only live up to my high expectations but even managed to exceed them! Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich succeeded to write a great story that addresses a lot of the issues people in the music industry have to face and they did it in a sensitive and respectful manner. The romance between Zach and Ruben was everything I ever wanted and even more and the Zuben ship is definitely one of my favourite ships now. ;-)

So if you’re a fan of music, if you ever shipped members of a band, if you’re a part of a fandom, if you like books that tackle serious issues, if you love the found-family trope, if you like character driven stories and enjoy great character arcs. Well, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this immensely.

This book was a pretty fun read, though not a new favourite by any means. For the most part, it's about what you'd expect from the synopsis. I was positively surprised by the two main characters; I thought they were really well-constructed, both had interesting backgrounds and personalities, and I particularly enjoyed Zach's character arc throughout the story. I will say, though, I would have liked to see the other two band members have more well-developped characters arcs, as they could have been very interesting characters but their issues often ended up being pushed to the side for the sake of the main romance in moments where they could have been very relevant to the story overall.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for this honest review

Let me start by saying, I did not rate this this high just because I got the ARC... it really is that good.

Looking at other reviews that have been posted I feel like I am in an older demographic of reviewer of this book. It is a boyband YA romcom, though I would say the higher end of YA (I would recommend for folks 16+). A lot of other reviewers have made a connection to One Direction, but my mind instantly went to the days of Nsync and Backstreet Boys.

You can read the book description for full details, but If This Gets Out focuses on a boyband called Saturday and the 4 young men within it. It looks at their ups and downs and trials and tribulations, and yes... two of them start dating... in secret.

I really loved this book for a lot of reasons. It is a new type of romance story, new backdrop, and super relatable for anyone who has ever loved a boyband or really been engrossed in any fandom. The boys all have their own personalities and it is easy to find yourself connecting to at least one of them. The authors did an impeccable job giving each of these young men their own moments to shine as well and didn't put the complete focus on Ruben and Zach, the couple (though the whole story is told through alternating POVs of those two characters).

This book is going to be important in helping young adults who read it really think about the people they idolize and adore. It won't ruin any love you may have for a celebrity, but it does such a good job bringing to light the toll that spotlight can take on people, as well as parts of celebrity lives that are completely out of their hands. This book is a perfect balance of cautionary tale, romance, an ode to pop music and boyband culture, and contemporary piece of fiction.

The book also handles many sensitive topics with great care and compassion. Topics such as drug and alcohol use in response to societal pressures and the fallout from that, parental and family dynamics (something we also saw Gonzales handle beautifully in Only Mostly Devastated ), and relationship and dating dynamics. A large part of those relationship dynamics is the sex positivity within the book. While it is fade to black sexual scenes, they are handled more maturely than many YA novels. Ruben and Zach have mature conversations about their comfortability with sex, they explore safe sex practices including PrEp, and they are extremely open in discussing their wants and needs in the relationship. There is also a strong piece of the book looking at Zach and his tendency to people please and the toll that can take on someone when they spend all their time making others happy.

Overall this book is fun, funny, heartwarming, emotional, and new. One of the best YA novels I have read in awhile and I will be recommending it left an right. I will say though, that ending definitely left me ready for a sequel.

This book hit it out of the park! I found that the writers were in sync and really grasped each other's writing styles so much so that it felt like this book was written by one person. I loved the characters and the plot. It made me honestly smile the entire time. Kuddos!

This book was so amazing! i loved reading it. I loved Zach and Rubens relationship as well! I also loved Zach and Angles character development! If you are a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue this book is definitely for you. Its a boy band with a queer romance, um yes!!! this books was so good i definitely recommend when it comes out to read it. Representation includes, a gay main character, a bisexual main character, and a few other queer characters mentioned throughout the book!

This book is stunning. As a fan of Sophie Gonzales's other books, I knew anything she wrote and anyone she wrote with would be excellent and I was still shocked by how much 'If This Gets Out' wowed me. Cale Dietrich, who I had not read from before, wrote many of my favorite moments and is a fantastic co-writer for this unique story. 'If This Gets Out' is a well-researched and deeply emotionally faceted look into the relationships, challenges, and triumphs faced by the fictional boy band sensation "Saturday". This book broke my heart, made it soar, and patched it up. Just the stunningly effortless flips between POV, a friendship at the heart of the books that felt achingly real and familiar, and a romance that you wanted to root for made this book one I absolutely couldn't put down.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I read it in one day and genuinely could not put it down. Honestly, it does read a little bit like One Direction fanfiction with different names but not in a bad way!

I loved the characterization. It was cool to see how the authors wrote the characters as they 'really were' vs how they were told to act by the music management team. All of the boys had strong backgrounds and motivations, I sympathized with their actions and fell in love with their stories. Angel, love of my life, had me gasping like every single chapter and his story made me cry at points. The boys did act completely unprofessionally and bratty at times, but even that fit into the story because they're all 18/19 and being controlled within an inch of their lives.

Ruben and Zach have the cutest relationship, I don't always love the miscommunication trope but I felt like it worked here perfectly. Forbidden romance is like my favorite trope and they lived it out so nicely. They're just so sweet together and the rest of the band is so supportive. The book is an interesting take on the overly controlling music industry, the image celebrities project to the world, the morality of teenagers being performers, and even the expectations that stage parents put onto their children.

If you're sensitive to substance abuse or controlling abuse then this isn't the book for you. But, anyone who ever had a boyband phase will love this story.

~If This Gets Out Review~
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3/5
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You know I love Sophie Gonzales ever since I read Perfect on Paper so when I saw this on Netgalley I knew I had to request it! Gay boyband drama is sure to be chaotic and I can’t wait to dive in! Also very excited to check out something by Cale Dietrich who i’ve never read anything by before
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Pros:
+Idk if i’m crazy but i’m getting a bit of 1d fanfic vibes from this but not in a bad way more like a omg boy band !! vibes
+i like imagining the boys and their fake personas in comparison to their really personalities. like a sweet guy in a leather jacket? i’m sold
+yay for such a diverse cast of characters!
+honestly a little gay awakening story is such an important one. i live for bi représentation!!
+i love 3 dimensional characters and these characters all have so much depth. leads to a lot of tension and drama tho which can be a pro or con depending on if you like drama or not
+brings up some important and complicated issues like drug use in teens and burn out
+fight back against the system!! don’t let people control you!
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Cons:
-angsty boys can be such assholes some times
-there are some pretty intense scenes that i wasn’t expecting that involve drug use and accidental physical harm. it’s not super graphic but it was still hard to get through and could warrant a trigger warning
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Honestly I’m not sure how i feel about this book. I had really high expectations and I think that’s why I didn’t like it that much. It arguably wasn’t bad at all and I can see so many people liking it but there was too much angst and not enough happiness in this one for me. I’d still recommend it tho!

This book was addicting. I have not read so much of a book in such a short period of time in a long while. If This Gets Out follows two members — Ruben and Zach — of the boy band Saturday as their friendship changes because of a kiss. The book explores the strain Ruben and Zach's relationship places on them and how this affects the band as a whole, especially as the restrictive behavior of their management becomes more and more apparent.

The writing in this book fit the style of the book perfectly. Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich did an excellent job at making the character voices distinct, yet cohesive in terms of writing. I was actually pretty surprised at how I could barely put the book down once I started reading it. No matter how late it was, once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I'll definitely be picking up more books by these authors in the future.

In terms of plot, this book was messy. Probably not any more messy than you would expect from a boy band with a romance between two of the members, but I was still surprised by it. It changed the pace so quickly in terms of Ruben and Zach's relationship. It was one of those times in a book where I couldn't help screaming in frustration at the characters' lack of communication. That's probably when I realized that I was incredibly invested in the story.

Personally, I never was very into boy bands, but I definitely think I'm in the minority with that (lack of) experience. I do think for other people who have had that obsession with boy bands, it could really heighten the excitement and enjoyment of this book. But, as someone who never had that obsession, If This Gets Out really did capture the frighteningly powerful sensation of fame without requiring any background.

There were a few aspects that weren't addressed that I would have really liked to have been. One was how Zach, particularly, but also the rest of the band, seemed to exhibit a lot of toxic health-related behaviors. It is important to bring up how many celebrities feel forced to look or act some specific way, but there was never any challenging of the ideas that they must always eat healthy, workout a lot, and have the "perfect" body. I would like to have seen a little addressing of the issue worked in there, though I understand that it was more of a factor than a plot point to the story.

Another topic I felt needed addressing was the stereotyping of gay men through Ruben. One of the parents in the book made a comment about Ruben hitting on another person, and while it was recognized that this was factually wrong, it wasn't challenged at all. The parent who made this comment never even brought it up again, but I really wished we could have seen that individual corrected for playing into harmful stereotypes.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was how it explored the relationship between Ruben and Zach, especially as Zach came to terms with what he wanted for himself. Each member of the boy band was supportive of each other, but also had complex, imperfect relationships with those around them. They are teenage boys, after all. And even though I'm not a teenage boy, I connected with them, especially Ruben. Though the management team was very wrong on many fronts when publicising Saturday, they did get one thing right: There's at least one person in the boy band that you'll be able to relate to — just not quite in the way they were going for.

If This Gets Out was an immersive read from start to finish. I highly recommend picking up this book when it comes out on December 7th!

Content Warnings: harmful eating/exercise habits, drug use, underage drinking, brief reference to neo-Nazis (in a bad light), toxic parent behavior, car accident, forced closeting

I never considered myself a boy band fan, but when I saw all of the praise this book was getting I had to give it a shot.

Is it weird to root for a fictional boyband?

Sophie Gonzales once again doesn't disappoint— a must read for those who love live music, are critical of the industry, and can appreciate a good love story.

I really enjoyed this story. Ruben and Zach were such relatable characters, and Jon and Angel as well. The story unfolds with great love and friendship bit also on struggling to be oneself and what that looks like as part of a bigger group.

I'm a huge fan of boy bands so when I had a chance to read this book I knew I would like it

I will admit it took me a few weeks to really get into the story. It was a bit slow at the beginning and I believe it was because there was so much back story and people in the book. I was in my feelings towards the end as Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon were all dealing with problems. Many topics were brought up such as drug addiction, queer identities and anxiety.

I enjoyed it and would recommend! Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC!

Sophie Gonzales wrote one of my most beloved books of 2020 with “Only Mostly Devastated” and Cale Dietrich has written a pair of fantastic books that both have ended up in my top 20 of their respective years with “The Love Interest” and “The Friend Scheme”. When I found out the two were writing a book together I was ecstatic before I even knew the concept.
“Saturday” is the most famous boy band in the world, and are embarking in a world tour when the story starts. Jon, Angel, Ruben, and Zach are the best of friends and know everything about each other, despite the record label controlling everything about them…their appearance, their public image, their schedule, and, in Ruben’s case, his sexuality. When a kiss between him and Zach happens, Ruben is hesitant…is Zach just using him like everyone else? Isn’t Zach straight? How would the group, and more importantly, the record label and fan base react? Zach, I’m turn, is not sure why he finds himself so drawn to Rueben, but he is, and he knows this attraction has the potential to ruin everything they’ve built as a band.
HI HELLO THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK IF THE YEAR SO FAR. Oh my god, I can’t gush over these 4 boys enough, so I’m gonna attack them both one by one.
Ruben: I related the most to Ruben (as much as you can relate to a famous pop star) with a passive aggressive overbearing mother, Ruben has been used to the guys in his life using him for fame, or to figure out his sexuality. He’s also become used to the record label surpassing that sexuality. His hurt jumps off the page, especially during the period Zach is taking to figure himself out. His fighting spirit though is the propeller this story needs and I love his narrative.
ZACH: Zach. Zach. Zach. (Picture some cheering g this from a crowd cuz I 100% would be a Zach stan) what a pure hearted kind person he his. Selfless to a fault, and that is addressed, but a sweet kind soul that perfectly balanced Ruben. His struggle with coming to terms with his bisexuality while also navigating the world of fame was an eye opening read, and makes you think of how much pressure is out onto gay and bi men to hide their identities in the entertainment industry.
Angel: I have never wanted to just wrap my arms around a character and protect them as much as I wanted to from Angel. This guy, rightfully so, goes through alit in this book. Seriously, the authors did not hold back with his addiction problems and the racism that faces him from within the record label. He’s crying out for help and it isn’t until tragedy hits that it’s taken seriously. His unconditional support of Ruben and Zach through all of that is just the cherry on top of my love for him.
Jon: probably the least developed character, in my opinion. All’s e really know about Jon is his dad is the record label head. His development really comes after Angel’s tragedy, and his heart shines through with the live he has with his friends.
I loved every singe second of this book. Seriously, I could not get to the end fast enough. If there is a god, this pair of fantastic authors will come together again to write a sequel because I NEED one.

I was kindly gifted an e-arc for this book, and holy shit. From the first chapter, this book sucks you in and makes you root for the characters. It’s so well written and you don’t fell it as two people writing a book together but as two characters telling their story in alternating chapters. It gets a tiny bit long at one point, but that said, I finished reading this at 2 in the morning and I am gonna go preorder it now, because I definitely need a physical copy of this gem of a book!

As a person with a future in the music business, If This Gets Out instantly appealed to me. I will gobble up literally anything that has anything to do with the entertainment business, and this book was no exception. It was fascinating to delve into the lives of the boys of Saturday; it felt like a peak behind the curtain. The characters are lovable, the plot is interesting, and it checks the boxes on my own personal passions. There were times when I felt the pacing was off, either a tad fast or a bit too slow, but overall I’m really glad I was able to read this book. I think the stories of Zach and Ruben and their differing experiences with sexuality are incredibly important, especially in the context of coming out in the public eye. This was a read I really enjoyed and I look forward to reading more work from each author.

2.5 stars / 5

Struggled with the star rating and it may change over the next few days.

At first I found the writing style a bit clunky and awkward. The first person "I did ___" and "I am" between two similar characters' perspective was difficult to get used to. I don't think I've ever read a book where the two characters in a romantic relationship are the main perspectives. Interesting to get contrasting views on the same relationship!

A lot of great topics were covered: addictions, navigating stardom while coming to terms with sexuality, and pressures on young celebrities.

Bits of the novel made me epically cringe (Group hug? "I love group hugs")

I know its 2021 but we haven't progressed thaaat far. Its important to have queer books that represent coming out stories that are messy and weird and frustrating.

Come for the cute romance and stay for the scathing look into the dark side of the music industry. I don’t think any part of me expected to feel as much as I did while reading this book. Between seeing myself in Zach’s queer awakening, and also resonating with Ruben’s incredibly complicated relationship with his mother, this book really hit home for me. And that’s all unrelated to what this book has to say about artist management and fandom perception. This books feels incredibly relevant right now, as we learn more everyday about how a lot of artists have been turned into commodities by their management teams. Comparisons can be drawn to one specific boy band, obviously, but this book is much larger than that.

A boyband that actually gets along has two queer members who are forced to hide their relationship as they are all exploited by their management company with varying degrees of support from their families... what could go wrong?

The romance between Ruben and Zach was sweet and sexy, but not too steamy which I thought was just right for this book and I was totally here for it. The chemistry and friendship between all the guys was great, and I felt the camaraderie and the frustration as they suffered at the hands of the management company and the label. I genuinely LIKED all of them, empathized with them, and rooted for them. They each had to pretend to be people they weren't to fit a role when the people they actually were... well, those guys were already pretty great.

Be warned, at just over 400 pages, your patience will likely start to wear thin with management's antics. It almost becomes redundant after a while. It would have been nice to see more engagement with the fans.

There is good representation is with main characters that are poc and also a gay and bi main character.

It deals with some very big topics like artist exploitation, substance abuse, emotional abuse, mental health, LGBTQIA rights and homophobia.

There is one aspect of the writing I found extremely distracting, and that is the overuse of italicized words for emphasis. It was at least once a page for most of the book in places where it didn't make any sense. As I was reading an ARC, I hope this gets reviewed and edited prior to final publication.

I predict this will be great on audio. The narrator is listed as Ramon de Ocampo, the same narrator for Casey McQuiston's Red, White, & Royal Blue. He did a fantastic job with some big personalities in that novel, and I look forward to seeing what he'll be doing in this one!

#IfThisGetsOut #NetGalley