let's start with the positive things: there's Asian, Black, gay and bi rep. the writing style is fast paced and easy to read. there are two POVs and there weren't hard to differentiate.

it reads like a classic YA contemporary and i'm happy that this queer book will be published, because i do believe that what happens to our mcs is reality for a lot of queer artists and we should be talking about their struggles more.

i also liked that the process of zach questioning his sexuality was shown. this will be helpful for questioning young readers!

however, i do have some criticism. there's a huge lack of female representation in this book, which i'm not used to from other books by sophie gonzales. all female characters are either emotionally abusive and/or don't have an arc.

this also leads us to the fact that the mcs do not have any friends besides their 2 bandmates. a friend could have been an opportunity for an important female character - but no, there's nothing like that. since we already have changing POVs of 2/4 of the important characters, i felt like there was a lack of variety in general.

also, clearly every bandmember is forced to be on an unhealthy diet. especially zach sounds like he has an eating disorder. i would have wished there to be more of a focus on how their eating behaviour is actually harmful and that people can be beautiful without being muscular and/or thin.

thank you netgalley for the ace in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'm obsessed.

Sophie and Cale did such a great job cowriting this. Zach and Ruben are such a great couple to root for and so 3-Dimensional, as are Angel and Jon. (PS Jon deserves the world). This glimpse into boy bands and them having to hide themselves and put on a show/be their brand, is so interesting.

Zuben is so so cute. Zach figuring things out while initially denying that side of himself is relatable. Them working through that, and all their issues with their parents and themselves, while building their relationship flowed so well and felt really special. They're one of my fav book couples.

What happened with Angel sucked, and some of their parents sucked, and while it's hard for me to grasp that reality, I can easily see those things happening in the industry.

I did not want to put this book down. Sophie has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I will read everything of hers. This was my first read of Cale's, and I'll be checking out more of their books.

NetGalley review- two teenagers in a boy band are forced to live in the closet due to the pressures if their management company and deal with the struggles of everything that fame brings. It was a cute read and ends happily ever after. I liked it!

I found this to be an engaging story (I finished reading at 1:00 AM because I just HAD to find out how it ended) with a romance plot that was a good balance of fluff and angst. It touches lightly on a whole bunch of issues but at the heart of it this is a book about having the space to figure out who you are--and having the freedom to share who you are--and I think it does a great job.

Ruben and Zac are members of a world-famous boy band. Along with friends and fellow band-mates Angel and Jon, they embark on their first European tour, where they find their management gives them even less room to be themselves than usual: they must always fit the personae that their management and PR teams have chosen for them, they don't have time for much sight-seeing or downtime, and the stress is definitely getting to them. Zach and Ruben grow closer and eventually begin a physical relationship, but they're not allowed to go public--or even be out--because they're supposed to be available for teenage girls to fantasize about.

One of the things I struggled with was that I just didn't enjoy Zach's chapters. I felt he took too long to figure out what he wanted--which was the whole idea, I get that, but to the point where every chapter for a bit there I just wanted to reach in there and smack him. And then skip to the next chapter because I was tired of him. All of the characters felt underdeveloped, but I guess I was able to connect with Ruben more.

Also some of the adults were a little too horrible to feel believable, but maybe that just shows I'm naive and think too highly of people?

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA queer romance, readers of fanfiction, and lovers of boy bands.

This book was BEAUTIFUL. I have to admit, I'm slightly biased towards romcoms which have bands in them so the second I read the premise of this, I knew I would absolutely love this book. And I had guessed right. The writing in this was fantastic and I loved every word. And the band, Saturday had such great dynamics. Jon, Angel, Zach and Ruben are all great characters and their banter in the book was so nice and hilarious. And of course, Zach and Ruben's relationship was so cute and adorable and it just has my heart and soul. I say this about a lot of books, but I always mean it.

If you're looking for a queer romcom with boy bands and cute relationship, then If This Gets Out is the perfect book!

Covering several hard-hitting topics, If This Gets Out was ultimately a book that was immersive and a lot of fun.

I am fangirling over this book and band so much!!! If This Gets Out was everything I want in a story, forbidden romance, angsty days and two adorable characters who I wanted to love and protect with my whole heart!!!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of If This Gets Out in exchange for an honest review.

The tea is, I think the Phil Stamper quote needs to be taken off this book because while it was really well done, it definitely wasn't a "bright, joyful book". I actually liked it more for that because while I've loved some of Sophie Gonzales's previous work and would definitely consider myself a fan, women writers writing fluffy MLM romances always feels a bit icky to me but because of the way attention is given to more real world subject matter here, it's very clear that this story needed to be MLM.

I enjoyed how distinctly all 4 members of Saturday are written and in particular, I really enjoyed how complex Jon was even though he probably got the least page time which is a testament to how well all the characters are written. As mentioned above, I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of just being fluffy larry wish fulfillment, this genuinely tries to talk about a lot of the shadier industry stressers and pressures the boys are subjected to. On that note though, I do think talking a bit about the negative side of fanshipping could have really elevated this. The #Anjon shit trending among fans is mentioned frequently and both it and Jon's discomfort with it are normally played off for jokes and I think it would have been really powerful to talk about how toxic that kind of fan behavior can be in a book targeted at fans who probably get involved in similar ships.

(3.5/5 stars)
(3.5/5)
Firstly, I wanted to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book.
Trigger warnings for this book --> substance abuse, internalized homophobia, underage drinking, mentions of sexual content etc.
So, this book followed the perspectives of 2/4 boys in a band - Ruben and Zach as they navigate the pressures of coming out and coming to terms with public image and sexuality.
Do you like boybands and Becky Albertalli? If yes then this book may be perfect for you!
I did enjoy this book, I thought it was a fun read that managed to balance cute moments with real struggles - whether we are celebrities or not. This book discussed the challenges and pressures that agencies of power can place on queer relationships as well as the normalization of celebrities having to pretend to be someone they are not, especially being placed in restrictive roles to match a persona.
There was diversity and it highlighted the importance of communication and utilization of substances as a coping mechanism.
The character dynamics were all unique and distinct from one another and the main characters were likeable.
My main qualm was that it sometimes felt like it bordered on fanfiction, but I know some people prefer that more - it may just be a preference on my end.

This is easily the best, easiest book I've read in a while. The characters are so relatable, and there struggles are so believable. Boy band rom com for the win!

First of all, I just want everyone to know that I will never be shutting up about this book! I had high expectations from the moment Cale and Sophie announced it and I have been anxiously awaiting the moment I would be able to get my hands on a copy but oh boy, let me tell you it exceeded my expectations in every way possible! This book was so much more than just a book about 2 members of a boyband falling in love, it was a deep exploration of the trauma that is caused by the pressure put in artists (especially young and queer artists) in the entertainment industry. The industry is notorious for warping young artists to become people that the public finds acceptable. This is the exact reason that so many child actors and musicians turn to substances, partying, and many forms of self harm and it causes a lifetime of damage to many of them. While it explores all of the negative effects the industry has put people through, it also explores hope. Hope that we can create a future where the industry and people in power aren’t able to put artists through this abuse anymore and the hope that fighting back, sticking together, and vying for the things you believe in can improve for future generations.
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This book is also about the family that these 4 guys formed while growing up in this environment together. Even if they weren’t always able to save each other, they did everything in their power to protect each other when it really mattered. I just loved how badly they each wanted to be open and honest, not only for themselves and each other, but for their fans. As a girl that grew up a die hard fan of many boybands, all I ever wanted was to know the real humans behind the manufactured puppets the industry tries so hard to turn them into. I just think it was really important to see that real fans will still by their idols when they’re able to show who they really are!
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Let me just talk about each of these boys for a second. Jon is so soft and vigilant and he just cares about people so much. He can come off as an uptight rule follower but he just wants to keep everyone safe and he’s the exact kind of friend that everybody need in their life. Angel is the honest with a heart of gold that’s always the life of the party but sometimes that turns into him masking what he’s feeling. I not only want to protect him from the world but himself as well. Ruben is the one that has always known exactly who he is and if not for a lifetime of people trying to stamp him down and put out his light would have unbridled confidence. Not in a cocky way either, just steady and sure of himself. Lastly Zach, the people pleaser. The one that would sacrifice everything just to make everyone else happy. The last person he thinks about is himself and loves wholeheartedly. These 4 together are strong and messy and unstoppable because they have each other.
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Now the love story between Zach and Ruben. Their journey was messy and comforting and heartbreaking and butterfly inducing. They bring out the best in each other. There’s honestly so much I could say about these 2 but I don’t want to give too much away! I want everyone to pick up this book in December and fully be able to go on their journey with them! 💙
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The way this book made me fall in love with this fictional boyband so quickly and fiercely is honestly incredible. I felt like I was in this world and I was one of their teenage fans that just want to hug and protect each one of them. Sophie and Cale’s writing styles worked so seamlessly together that I forgot I was reading a book by more than one person most of the time. Literally my only complaint about this book is that it ended. I would read thousands more pages about this band and love every single second of it!

If This Gets Out is a wonderful coming of age story that needs to be told and considered. Many of us have fond memories of our favorite boy bands growing up, but did we ever think about what happens behind the scenes. This is a eye opening read and a very special story about to boys in the public eye who choose to be themselves despite their employers views.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for granting me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holy wow. This book is a whirlwind.

If This Gets Out is a brilliant story about two members of America's biggest boy band—Zach and Ruben—who fall in love on an international tour. Under increasing pressure from their management team to fit a certain mold, they're forced to consider what parts of themselves they're willing to give up for the band, and for each other.

I was so excited to hear about this book's plot, but let me be clear: this book is not about Larry Stylinson. You guys are weird. The band Saturday bears no resemblance to One Direction, aside from some of the struggles that both bands probably faced due to their massive fanbases. Anyways...

I love Sophie Gonzales' writing, but this was my first introduction to Cale Dietrich, and their chemistry is real. The alternating perspectives of Zach and Ruben were seamless. I loved how the two main characters were able to complement each other, how they found each other's shortcomings and helped work through them, while also acknowledging that some things were out of their control. They interacted in a very healthy way, and that was refreshing to read.

There was also a great deal of tension in this book, which was masterfully done. It felt like I had to breathe shallow at times to avoid setting some of the characters off.

This book only has two drawbacks for me, and they are minor:
- Some conflicts between major characters are not resolved, especially one parental conflict in particular that was disappointing to me.
- The ending feels slightly rushed, and I did not expect to see the acknowledgements when I did. An ending was set up and implied, but not resolved to any super satisfying degree.

Overall, this book was splendid. I absolutely adored the characters, and it dealt with a lot of uncommon issues on the page that are more often seen in real life. I was thrilled to get to read this book early, and I urge my friends on here to pick up a copy in December if they're looking for an empowering MLM story. :')

I absolutely loved this book! It's my most anticipated book of the year and it definitely did not disappoint! There was lots of angst, drama, and cute romantic moments but there was also a lot of hard-hitting moments as well. The critiques on fame and the music industry really added a fantastic layer to the story. I went into this book expecting a cute romance between two guys in a boy band but what I got out of it was much more powerful and nuanced. Sophie Gonzales was already on my list of auto-buy authors after I read Only Mostly Devastated but Cale Dietrich is now also on that list! This is by far my favourite book of the year and I can't wait to reread it over and over again!

** i received this book as an ARC from the publishers via netgalley to provide an honest review**

i’m really giving this about 3.5 stars, but i’m rounding up because i feel like it deserves the boost.

as a queer person myself, i love queer stories. was this a perfect book? no. was there a lot of predictability? yeah. did it feel like reading one direction fanfiction— also yes.

but here’s the thing: i had fun reading it. it was cute and fun, the romance was adorable, i even liked a lot of the banter. the cheeseball parts were so cheeseball, but the characters even acknowledged that it was cheesy and that made it better. the evolution of the relationship felt natural to me, and i liked the story. i really liked ruben as a character. also the cover is cute as hell and i adore it.

it was a very quick read, i read a little under half in about 1.5 hours while killing time at work. definitely recommend if you want more mlm or just a cute queer romance to pass some time.

This story made me happy, sad, angry and just about every other motion in between. The growth of Ruben and Zach throughout the story is written in such a way that they feel like real people that you would meet out on the street.

Ruben and Zach are mega-famous pop stars who seem to have everything in the world that they could possible want. But fame is not what they expected it to be. Between a controlling record label, mental health issues and home life the boys do not have an easy time when it comes to pretty much anything.

Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have really done a fantastic job with this book! It was so interesting to read about what being on tour/in a boyband was like for Zach, Ruben, Angel, and Jon and what it's like being a queer musician in the public eye. Each character was complex and well-written. Even though the romance was certainly important to the story, the others' struggles and feelings are still a focus, which was very nice.

That being said, Zach and Ruben's relationship was incredibly sweet. It was great seeing them grow together. I love how Zach's bisexuality is specifically named – huge yes to more bi rep in books! – and how accepting Ruben was of this. Their management sucked, and the conflict this caused felt realistic and made the characters even more relatable. I'm so grateful that the rest of the band was supportive, even if things were rocky between them at times.

There are some really sweet moments regarding how much seeing acceptance and LGBTQ+ celebrities means to people that genuinely made me shed a tear. For so many people who lack supportive or accepting family, it's always lovely to see yourself represented. I especially loved some of the boys' moms, especially Mrs. Braxton at the end.

What a lovely book! I'll definitely be reading more by these authors and would certainly recommend picking up a copy when it comes out!

If This Gets Out was delightful. I will read anything Sophie Gonzales has a hand in, and I loved what she and Cale Dietrich created together.

The behind-the-scenes look at the less glamourous aspect of celebrities, especially young ones, and how their choices were taken away from them was done well and was sobering, exemplified especially through the agency’s refusal to acknowledge that Angel was in serious trouble. However, the other things added up to an almost unbreakable iron grip, like the way they cast each member in a light that they disliked, didn’t fit them, or, in the case of Jon, actively made them uncomfortable; the way they separated Zach and Ruben after learning they were together; their consistent refusal to let Ruben come out; their refusal to let Zach help write the songs; the prepared interview answers and forbidden questions.

Ruben’s relationship with his mother was so well-done - the love you still have for your parents for the good they have done even though the hurt is greater; the knowledge that nothing you say will make them happy with you and that they will find something to criticize even at opposite extremes without realizing they are contradicting themselves; saying things anyway because what if this time is different; guilt that you don’t appreciate what they have given you as much as you should and doubting that what you feel is valid.

I also loved Zach’s arc with learning to figure out what he wants instead of always saying - and believing - that what he wants is what will make others happy. I also appreciated the acknowledgement that this sort of change is hard and that Zach will not always succeed even though he will try his hardest. Zach’s relationship with his mother also made me soft.

I’m a huge sucker for the ‘oh god am I queer’ plotline, and Zach’s experience was relatable. Zach and Ruben’s relationship was so soft and respectful, and I loved how it came from a place of deep friendship first and desire to make out second.

And, of course, the band’s relationship and their love for music and each other was also great - close friendships are my favorite. I was so proud of them at the end when they stood up for themselves.

This book felt a bit like a mix between »I was born for this« by Alice Osman and »Red, White & Royal Blue« by Casey McQuiston - in the best way possible.
I was super excited when I saw that »If this Get's Out« was available on Netgalley because I just discovered Sophie Gonzales and I loved »Perfect on Paper« so much and this book here sounded so good and I didn't know how I should wait until December to read this, so I was very very very happy that I was able to read »If This Get's Out« this early. Because I absolutely loved it.

»If This Gets Out« is written from both Rubens and Zach's perspective - makes sense, because this book has two authors - and I loved how well I always knew whose chapter I was reading, I think they had very distinct voices which made it fairly easy to get who was telling the story right now. And I also liked both of the perspectives equally, Ruben and Zach were both just so precious and soft and... I don't know, I just liked both of them a lot.

In the beginning, I said this book reminded me of »I Was Born for This« and »Red, White & Royal Blue« and with that I mean not that it has a similar plot or anything but it gave me similar vibes. I mean, IWBFT and IFTGO both have the boyband topic and are focusing on how it's not all fun and exciting but also a really hard job. But the relationship between Zack and Ruben and especially Zach's bi panic and the "oh no what if this gets out" element (hence the title) reminded me a bit of RWRB.

Plot-wise »If This Gets Out« wasn't a huge surprise but it was the characters that made this book so special. Obviously Ruben and Zach but also Jon and Angel. The relationship between those four boys was fantastically written, they had their ups and downs and I have no idea about boybands but what they were going through seems plausible and I just really emphasized with the characters.
Apart from the romance and the friendship between the boys I also appreciated a lot how involved the parents were because like, these boys were... 18 or something like that? So barely legal and I know so many YA books where parents rarely make an appearance but here Zach has a really nice relationship with his mother I was so here for it. Ruben on the other hand has a difficult relationship with his parents and Jon's father is the manager of the band, so there was some tension too.

In conclusion: I just absolutely adored this book, I will definitely get myself a physical copy when it's released and also most definitely will read more from both authors. Sophie Gonzales's books I already read but now I am very excited to dive into Cale Dietrich's books as well!

I have rarely read a story where the narrative is from the perspective of the LGTBQ+ characters and it was awesome to read. The dynamics of the band members were like any friend group with the added pressure of social media and public personas. Zach's realizations of his identity were empathetic and thoughtful. The authors' decision to show his thought process was amazing. Ruben was perfect in all of his qualities. I think the representation of two young adults coming to terms with their identities and finding love while on tour was adorable. The realistic narrative with a lot of extra lasers and sparkle. It leaves you smiling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.