I'm so glad I got the chance to read this now! I already didn't want to wait until next year so when I spotted there was a chance to read it, I jumped at the chance and it was so worth it! It's such a good book!!
I love the characters and the look inside the music industry.
We know how controlled musicians can be but oooh it's still frustrating when you read it.
All the characters are great. I felt like there could have been just a liiiittle more to Jon, like he wasn't quite fully formed but it didn't matter overall. Zach and Ruben were great as leads and the switching back and forth between character and author worked seamlessly. The voices and writing style were unique enough to be two separate entities but close enough that they totally complemented each other.
For the most part, the story was a solid marching pace. I admit it lost me a bit at the midpoint - I put the book down and just didn't pick it up again for ages. but as soon as I did, I got right back into it.
I loved that it built so much stress and tension and yet was very sweet and funny.
Absolutely need to buy a physical copy once it does come out!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Summary: A boy band but two of the boys fall for each other, but they can’t do/say anything cause of their management team.

I love the concept of this book so much. And honestly I would’ve given this book so many stars if I could’ve.

I think I’m starting to realise that some of even the best YA contemporary will still fall in the good part of ‘meh’ for me.

I don’t really know how to describe my feelings aboutthis book. I think it has very good parts, like its disucssions around safe gay sex. Like using PrEP and condoms. I think the romance was cute. I liked the characters, but I guess it wasn’t a love.

The book had good things to it. I liked watching Zach figure out his bisexuality. I liked how it explored Rubin’s frustration with being forced to stay in the closet by his managament.

I think overall I don’t have much to say. It was a fine book, if it sounds good I’d suggest to read it. I think the characters were good, I like how it explored certain aspects of being in the closet while famous. It was a nice read overall.

There’s nothing like an LGBTQIA+ YA boyband read to kick off pride month!

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich not only checks the boxes of an adorable and emotional story that takes center stage amongst the ever-popular boy band scene, but has a dedication to turning that scene on its head. Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, two of the four members of Saturday, one of the world’s biggest boy bands, already have a hard time discovering themselves in an industry which is eager to put them in a box. So when Ruben and Zach find themselves falling for each other, they must decide how to approach their futures, debating between standing proudly and keeping their personal lives just that. But when their management team starts pushing back, the whole band must make a decision. One that will change everything they’ve come to know.

This book hooks you straight from the beginning, dropping us in the middle of a high-energy concert, and immediately setting the tone for Saturday's journey. The chemistry between Ruben and Zach is strong straightaway and the co-authors do a fantastic job of developing the four band members so seamlessly and uniquely. In having two POVs, there’s always a risk of the voices being indistinguishable, but Gonzales and Dietrich have developed unique characters with backgrounds and perspectives that can only belong to them.

The banter between the members of Saturday is natural and believable. The diversity of the band is well developed - having their experiences being acknowledged and factored into the way they are portrayed by their management or how they wish they could be truly seen. This is also true in terms of the battles with mental health and eating disorders that are brushed upon. In Zach’s POV we see that many negative views are ingrained into his way of thinking, not even realizing how much of an impact they’ve had on him until a stand is taken. The dramatic irony is powerful, and gives the reader even more empathy towards the lack of the boys’ autonomy.

One of the aspects of this book that worked both for and against it was Zach’s path to accepting his sexual identity. On the one hand, we are dropped into a very specific moment of the lives of these characters, having little indication of their thoughts before this time. But, on the other hand, Zach seemingly goes from “I am 100% straight” to “I know who I love” very quickly. While his coming out journey is a whole other story, the few chapters we see of Zach struggling seems to resolve themselves a little too quickly. This can be said about some of the other main conflict points in this book, as the characters (all late teens) have the answer for pretty much everything almost immediately.

All in all, this is a book about hope. And as I reached the end of Saturday’s journey, I wanted more. I wanted more of these characters that were so well-rounded and complimented each other so well, more of the chemistry, and the electric performance scenes. But much like the start of the story, we leave the characters in the middle of something large, something inevitable, something that feels like a new kind of beginning.

This story feels big to me, like it will be important and share a story of hope to people who might not usually have access to a book like this As a life-long fangirl, I Ioved this one. The beginning feels a little bit like I'm reading about One Direction or 5SOS, but in the very best way possible..it was SUCH a fun read. I LOVE the boy-band dynamic and all of the characters. The dual perspective was really well done and Ruben and Zach's perspectives were easy to differentiate! With themes including coming of age, real life struggles, found family, coming out and finding yourself somehow Sophie Gonzales and Cake Dietrich crafted a story that was also REALLY fun to read. This story is about finding out who you are and living outside the expectations others have for you (on stage and in life--its relatable, I swear)

I am genuinely struck with how important to the young queer 'fangirl' types I know and the other out there this story will be. I think about the young people who mostly read fanfic because they want to see famous role models who are queer--this story will beautifully fill that need and hopefully open up some new to explore their identity! The characters experience love and intimacy, but without graphic details--in a way that is cute and very appropriate for teens (and older) to read. ALSO IMPORTANT: I loved the way this story exhibits AND explains healthy communication as the characters work through their personal and professional issues, it felt realistic and also may help people who are learning to communicate better themselves! I can't wait to buy this book for some people I know and love.

When I sent the request to read this book early I wasn't sure I was gonna get it. But then I did, and I'm so happy it happened. This was one of the books I was looking forward to most this year, and it did not disappoint. Not one bit.
I read the acknowledgments the authors wrote and I have to say that the points they wanted to make got to me.
They wrote, and I quote "If there's anything we hope our readers take from this book, we hope it's a greater awareness of the pressures placed on artists - particularly queer and/or otherwise marginalized artists- within the entertainment industry" but also "Closeting, whether blatant or insidious, is a well-documented occurrence, with the multiple celebrities over the years openly discussing the pressures they felt to appear straight in order to preserve their careers". I, now, definitely feel more aware of what queer artists must feel and go through in order to keep their jobs, and it's disgusting just to think about it. What I felt throughout the entire book was pure anger towards the guys's team apart from like one character, and I honestly would too be part of the "Mom squad" because Yass queens!!
anyway, in conclusion, I recommend this book and I declare that I would give my life in order to protect Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel.
thank yew.

When I saw queer romance and boy band I was automatically in. I really enjoyed getting to m me the characters and the alternating POVS were fun.

What I liked:
Ruben. Ruben and Zach. Their romance!
Supportive family members.
How it showed the music/entertainment industry really controls everything you do.

Dislike:
It was way too long.
There was not nearly enough romance!
How it handled addiction.

Solid read, but wasn’t quite what I expected. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed everything I have ever read by Sophie Gonzales, so I was relatively sure I would enjoy this book too. Cale Dietrich was unknown to me before this, making me a little hesitant about his contributions to the story. The authors each took on a different perspective, as the story is told by both Zach and Ruben, and I am glad to say that I loved both perspectives equally.

A lot of people will speculate about which particular boyband inspired this story, or they'll try to draw similarities between this fictional group's members and real people. And while the romance in this story is the perfect slow-burn hesitant "is he into me or not?" journey, I especially love the hard-hitting look at the exploitation in the music industry. The impact on their mental health is most obvious in Angel, who is dealing with a drug addiction, but all four members of the band are shown to be under a lot of pressure that could potentially lead to bigger issues down the road.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC through NetGalley, but I'm definitely buying a copy once the book gets published in December, because this was a phenomenal story masterfully told.

4.5 Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
I loved If This Gets Out. There are so many great things about it; I loved all four of the main characters, and how they each had their own unique personalities and problems. There was a lot of depth to this book that I wasn't expecting, and about things that I don't usually think about such as the pressures that are put on individuals who have companies that manage them. I'd be lying if I didn't say that my favorite part about this book was Ruben and Zach's relationship; it's very sweet and vulnerable, which I think is an extra difficult thing to be when the whole world is watching you. This book gave me Red White & Royal Blue vibes, which is a high praise from me because I loved that book as well.
I wish I had more to say in all, but it really was a great story that covered a lot of unique topics, and to top it all off, the characters were great too. 100% recommend.

TW: Drugs, drug addiction, alcohol, (serious injury) car accident, verbally abusive parent, queerphobia

Honestly I don't know how to write nice looking reviews anymore so please bear with me. This book is good!! Reading this made me super happy because I'm always looking for good queer rep and band books so this being both of those made my chaotic bi heart rejoice.

If this gets out follows Ruben and Zach, two members of the hit boy band Saturday, as they tour with one another and Zach starts to realize he might not be as straight as he thought when he realizes he wants to kiss his bandmate. Ruben spends the first part of the book introducing the characters' personalities and also just pining, which is 10/10. As their lives and tour start to spiral out the two have to figure out where they stand on their relationship with their bandmates, label, fans and each other.

Not gonna lie, I was super hyped for this, but kind of wary because this is the 3rd Cale Dietrich novel that I've read and I haven't been thrilled with his other books. He just has such great concepts that I keep coming back to try them anyway 🤡 That being said, I actually really enjoyed If This Gets Out! I loved the friendship and romance between Ruben and Zach, and the way the entire band took care of one another but still fought and were friends? *chef's kiss* I am a sucker for found family and these boys are exactly that and it makes me emo.

I felt like Dietrich and Gonzales (who I haven't read before but am super excited to start Perfect on Paper from now) did a really good job balancing out the pros and cons of fame and being in a boy group in a much more realistic way than I had honestly been expecting. A lot of the YA band/music novels I read usually have a few negative things to the fame aspect, but never quite like this. That's not to say that either one is bad, it's fun that way for escapism purposes, but this was a nice change of pace to have things so honest about the industry.

My only complaint is that I really felt like the third act break up felt kind of forced. It felt like it had been sort of dropped in for the sake of having a break up, since the actual reason wasn't really shown or mentioned all that much in the story itself.

Overall, if you're looking for a queer romance, band book or just something to make you emotional and happy, this book is for you! It was a pretty quick read for me, and I loved both the plot and the characters.

Oh. My. Gosh. This book. The concept itself is just amazing on its, but it's combined with a great plot and characters you can't help but love even when they're being annoying. I would absolutely die for for Ruben and Zach - they're just so cute together - and I loved that they were each on their own journeys within the growing relationship, as well. I also loved that If This Gets Out explores the price and struggle and burden of stardom and what it can be like for musicians and singers in the industry. I will definitely be preordering a physical copy and will recommend this to everyone who will listen. Love, love, love.

If This Gets Out is a refreshingly relatable story about identity, coming out on your own terms, and male friendship, even with the main characters being in a very famous boy band, a less common experience.

I really enjoyed that Ruben and Zach had very different experiences in exploring their identities, and that the reader gets to see them through those lenses. I thought that the author also did a good job of highlighting some of the pressures that celebrities face, such as invasion of privacy and control by their management team. I also really loved the portrayal of friendship and support between the band mates as they navigated through some tough things together.

I think that this book would be great for older teens, as there is frank conversation about sex, but in a very positive light. It is definitely a sex positive story. There is also a storyline involving addiction that might be inappropriate for younger readers.

I received an e-arc of If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As a One Direction fan who has read Larry fanfic, I really liked this book.
I loved the romance between Zach and Ruben! I felt that the characters were relatable, and they read like real band members. I would 100% listen to Saturday's music.
3.5 stars.

A well crafted romance that really pulled at my heart strings while also delivering a backstage pass to the inner workings of the band. If This Gets Out was everything I was hoping for and more. Sophie Gonzales has been on my radar and now, her previous works are now one my TBR for sure!

I didn’t go into this book expecting it to be a cutthroat analysis of the music industry, parental abuse, and addiction, but that’s exactly what it was. Dished up with a side of romance, IF THIS GETS OUT deals with these topics effortlessly. In some ways, it’s more about the band, the industry, and the friendships than it’s about the romance, but I liked it that way.

I loved the exploration of sexuality and coming out in this book, especially regarding repression and forced closeting. Everything was handled really deftly—you could tell the authors were writing with care and attention to detail. I also liked that experiences were described with a lot of nuance—Ruben’s relationship with his mom, for example, and Angel’s feelings about his name. There are the positives of being famous: money, most obviously, but also this powerful friendship and great experiences with fans. But there are also the downsides: over-controlling management, intrusive fans, the media.

Overall, I thought IF THIS GETS OUT is a really needed story. I don’t say that a lot, because I don’t always think it matter if a story is ‘needed’ or not. Needed by who? But I can say with certainty that this book deals with complex subjects in a way that the YA market desperately needs. Balancing sharp and incisive commentary with sweet and even laugh-out-loud moments, IF THIS GETS OUT is an auto-recommend for me.

Wow, what a ride. I absolutely loved everything about this book. I went in knowing that I love Sophie Gonzales writing already, but this book truly blew me away. As a die-hard directioner I was a bit worried this would just read like a 1D fan fiction, but I am happy to say that this book stands completely on its own. I think if you are a fan of boy bands, then this is a great book to read. HOWEVER, it is so much more than that. This book digs deep and explores some VERY dark themes, but in a realistic way. I also love how this book handled sex in a healthy and realistic way for a YA book. This is a book I will definitely be buying a hardcover copy to keep on my shelves for many years to come.

Honestly, I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did.

It starts off light, silly, fun and just what you would expect when you sit down and knowingly enter a YA-fiction about a world-famous boyband. One of the most interesting things is right-off-the-bat you take their perspective, which one could only imagine - but really, a POV I never would have never have put more thought to. In fact, before reading this book, I'd have listed the boyband tropes one would expect on the surface level - fangirls screaming after you, the parties, the popularity, paparazzi and cheesy songs. And don't get me wrong, that's all there in all it's amazing glory, but as you enter the story even more, what emerges are the different layers each character and boyband member has and this is what made me like the book better than I'd have expected.

Each chapter is written from two boy-band member's perspectives: Reuben and Zach. This makes sense since the book is a collaborative effort from Aussie authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich (as a fellow Aussie who moved to Canada and misses it, Go Aussies Go! ). This type of structure really worked in favour of the book's pacing and flow. At times I've read books where it jumps from character to character, only for me to really dislike one of the perspectives and groan when I land on them -- but not with this story! I really enjoyed getting insights from these two characters. The writers did an amazing job at giving depth, back story and reasons to empathise with the characters.

A few of the topics tackled include having to manage and handle an overbearing, ignorant and all-consuming parent, not being listened to, being controlled by others, coming to terms with one's sexuality, and hiding one's true self (not just sexuality, but personality, ideas and thoughts). I felt the way many of these issues were told in a riveting way, which was also exciting and emotional -- it connected me to these characters.

There were so many moments that I loved or had a profound effect, where I would laugh out loud or revisit an old memory, so I made sure to note these down. I don't think any of these alone would spoil the plot, but skip the list if you wish a completely spoiler-free review.

• "Asian guys can't be sexy" - I've felt this sentiment before (being asian myself), but was good to see this mentioned in such a way that it's a stupid concept and awful form of discrimination.
• Shaking uncontrollably when you're experiencing being alone for the first time with someone you really like.
• The different scenarios of a situation being played out in one's head. I laughed so hard at this and we've all done this before.
• A point in the story where tensions rise to the point where I was feeling anxious about what was going on.
• I'm really happy this story included bi-representation.
• Never have I ever been as terrified of fan-girls chasing a world-famous boyband.
• And this quote that really hit home for me, "The problem is, the world doesn't always make the truth safe for us to share."

In all, the story of If This Gets Out is much more than what you'd initially see on the surface - sure it's cheesy at times, but who doesn't love cheese?! There's some real depth here and you'll go through a variety of emotions as you read it! I sped through this book in 3 days and will absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants a wild ride, to see an inside look on the pressures placed on artists, and a cute AF romance between two members of a world-famous boyband!

I was lucky enough to read an e-ARC thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

If This Gets Out is a powerful and absorbing read centered on hit boyband Saturday and told in dual perspectives, shifting between Zach and Ruben who are members of the band. There are many great things about this book but perhaps the most striking is the exploration of the music industry and really lifting that curtain and showing us what happens behind the scenes, and it's not all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure. I feel like it's more widely known now how exploited and controlled many artists are and especially in bands where labels want to preserve a certain image and have a lot of control over individuals in the band *cough one direction cough* This is perfectly exemplified in the novel with Angel, Jon, Ruben and Zach having their every move dictated by their management, and this runs extremely deep.

Both Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have brought Ruben and Zach's characters to life, as they both find themselves falling for each other and navigating this new space they find themselves in as well as trying to be themselves and be authentic, despite their management suppressing them at every turn. The exploration of homophobia in the novel within the music industry and the ways this can manifest is so important to note and I feel like the authors have done a brilliant job of portraying this and the struggles the characters go through.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if you're looking for a unique and fresh contemporary romance which is unapologetically queer and has an important message.

This book follows Zach Knight and Ruben Montez, two members of the famous boy band Saturday. On their international tour, they being to grow closer, and their friendship blossoms into more. When they decide they want to tell the truth about their relationship, they realized they may never have the support from their management.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I had high hopes going into it, just based off the premise but it exceeded those expectations.

First of all, I was expecting this book to just be a cute romance (which it was) but it was so much more than that. It deals with the pressures of being a famous person fabulously. From what having millions of fans feels like, to the stresses and pressure that comes from management, it was all handled perfectly.

The pace of this book was also great. It is quite a long book, but it is so enthralling that it goes by faster than you could imagine. The plot stays interesting and engaging the whole time, and the pace makes sense.

The characters were also so sweet. They felt so real. I found myself caring about them so deeply. Through the writing, you come to understand their thinking and situation so well.

Overall, this book was a delight to read. I highly recommend it to fans of Red, White and Royal Blue, as it has a very similar “famous people that aren’t allowed to reveal their relationship” vibe. It was wonderful!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book as a whole, but it didn’t quite reach my expectations as I hoped it would.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was engaging and entertaining as it alternated between Zach and Reuben’s point of view, and both of them had distinct and likeable voices. I also had a great time learning about their bandmates, Angel and Jon, although I definitely would have liked the opportunity to get to know them even more. The dynamic between the four bandmates was fun to read about, but there wasn’t enough of it. I wish we had gotten a clearer picture of the band’s history and even their style of music.

I must admit that I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half. From the first couple of chapters, I was so sure that I was going to love this book! However, the focus began to shift from the romance to other plot points. I liked the romance, but I found it to be a little bit underdeveloped. I felt that the story was beginning to drag on in the second half. It became very repetitive with miscommunication between Zach and Reuben, which is my least favourite trope ever, and discussion about how Chorus was controlling the band. I think the book could have been cut down a little bit, or even better, we could have gotten a few more fun/cute scenes between Rebeun and Zach, or all four of the bandmates.

I was expecting this story to have light-hearted and fluffy vibes, but it had a more serious tone.
There were some subplots about really serious issues that I feel could have been handled better. It seemed that Zach was struggling with an eating disorder, or at least had some symptoms of one, but this was not really delved into the way that I hoped it would be. Because it was never addressed properly, I honestly feel like Zach’s disordered eating was somewhat normalized, and it could potentially be very harmful to the reader.
There was also a character struggling with addiction, which ended up being kind of glossed over.

This book provided some interesting commentary on the music industry. I am curious to know how much of it is accurate to the experiences of members of real boy bands in terms of management controlling their every move. If it’s true, it’s very sad.
This aspect of the story reminded me a little bit of the book Bootleg Stardust by Glenn Dixon, but I much, much, much preferred this book and the way the the subject was handled in If This Gets Out compared to that one.
On that, I think I’m coming to learn that I’m just not a huge fan of most books I’ve read about musicians. With the expectation of Kill the Boy Band, a satirical comedy about fandom culture and boy bands, as well as Daisy Jones and the Six, an utter masterpiece, I have been really disappointed by books heavily revolving around music.

If you’re looking for a story about the pressures of the music industry or a decent romance between two boys, this one may be for you!