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.

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!

This book is right up my alley as a lover of boy bands!
Ruben and Zach are part of the successful boy band Saturday and they are also in a secret relationship. Saturday’s management pressured the boys to stay hidden in the closet, among other things. This books really hits on the exploitation of young people in the music industry and how they are pressured to be perfect and look perfect all the time. I really enjoyed that a lot of hard hitting and important topics and conversations happened in this book. However, Zach mentions his body image a lot and there are many points where there is definitely disordered eating happening, but no resolution. The disordered eating mentions are triggering to some people and I think it needs to be addressed some more.
Overall, I loved this book and how it reminded me of One Direction and just being a fan.

Sohpie Gonzales always takes her YA novels to the next level. Her characters are so nuanced that I never feel like I am reading YA. This story was grippping and hopeful. She truly captures LGBT microagressions - people that claim they support LGBT people, but their language states otherwise. I am positively in love with all the characters, Angel, Jon, Ruben, and Zach.

Will be posted on my blog a month before publication!

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If This Gets Out is the first collaboration of Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich. I have read books by both authors, and it seems to me that their skills combine well to create a book that’s pretty adorable but still manages to delve into some serious issues.

This book seems to be marketed as a queer YA romance, but I would argue that it’s much more than that. There’s a lot of substance in this story and it’s great to see the genre expanded to include some relevant and serious issues.

Ruben, Zack, Jon and Angel are the members of the boy-band Saturday. They are a fully managed band that appear to have it all together in front of the camera. The problem is that things behind the stage seem to be starting to unravel.

Ruben has known for a long time that he was gay, but his management has insisted that he keep his sexual orientation “discreet.” What does that mean when you’re in a boy band? It means that you can’t ever really be yourself. Things get even more complex when Zach… whom Ruben has long harbored an unrequited crush on – kisses him.

While the romance plays out behind the scenes (and in fade to black scenes that are really well written) the business of being in a boyband is also explored. The authors do a great job of shining some light on the contractual process that may be involved in making music and many other issues: Lack of creative control, lack of personal time, all work-no play, mental health issues, paparazzi, fans and more.

It may seem ambitious to tackle so many issues in one book, but the authors do a great job of exploring the ins and outs of the music industry.

The book becomes a battle between the band members and their management. They’re all becoming young men and some of them are dealing with the challenges of fame better than others. Each of the band members is dealing with something different and it certainly makes for interesting reading.

Jon is the son of their manager and seems to be discovering that he’s more of a commodity to his father than a son. Angel is seeking excitement and freedom in unhealthy ways. Ruben’s mother is controlling and tends towards being a little cruel – he just wants to come out and be “himself”. Zack… oh Zack (I did love this character) is a people-pleaser and is finding out that just may mean he doesn’t actually know what he wants for himself.

The POV switches between Zack and Ruben. This is the way that Gonzales and Dietrich chose to co-write. It works quite well in the book. I particularly loved that the different POVs were printed in different fonts. It seems small but it was an extra clue for my brain when I was reading.

This is a YA book and could be considered new adult as the band members are all 18 years old. It’s feels as though it’s firmly planted in the YA universe. I loved the voices of the characters and think that it would be a great read for young people, or for people like me who just love YA.

This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more collaborations from these two authors.

There are parts of this book that I enjoyed, but overall felt a little too much like fan fiction? I know it’s not, but it reminded me of a student who wrote One Direction fan fiction. I love the bi representation, exploration of artist/production company dynamics, the struggles of life in the spotlight, and complex family dynamics. It wasn’t my favorite, but I can see lots of people loving this. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to students! It would be perfect for fans of boy bands and LGBTQ+ romance!

Saturday is an American boy band on a European tour. All do the members are tiring of their assigned roles and parts they’re forced to play by management. As the boys push back against expectations, Zach discovers and grapples with his bisexuality. He begins a relationship with fellow Saturday member and (closeted) friend Ruben. They story is told from alternating points of view and makes for some great character development. Even the other two members of the band have decent character development.

If This Gets Out is the perfect book for anyone who has ever been obsessed with a boy band. It is such a cute romance, but also addresses some hard topics like anxiety, toxic parents, drug issues, and of course coming out. I thought it was really great to see both sides of Ruben and Zach’s story, and hear not only about their struggles as a couple but also individually. I really enjoyed my time reading this book, and look forward to discovering more from Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

This book ultimately just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I was hoping for a fun romance about boys in a boy band falling in love and the hijinks that come from hiding their relationship from the record company and the media. While that is definitely part of the story, a much larger part is about the suffering of this group of young men under the supervision of their overbearing management, and that comes to the forefront over the relationship.

There are some interesting conversations about the pressure celebrities are put under and the pedestal they are put upon, but at the same time I feel like in a post-One Direction world where teenager girls were openly shipping members of a boy band, a story about how the management/record company thinks it would damage the group to have a gay member feels outdated in some ways.

The characters are well-formed, the romance is well-developed, but overall I was left feeling pretty distanced and emotionally detached from the whole thing.

This was so heartwarming??? Wow. First of all, I really loved the dynamic between Reuben, Zach, Angel, and Jon. Their friendship was very wholesome, very realistic. They had their ups and downs but they really came out stronger. I really enjoyed the romance a lot too! It was slowburn kinda but not really?? But really worth it they are very adorable. What I liked best was how this book just didn't focus on romamce, but addressed many other things too, like toxic parental relationships, coming out, pros & cons of fame, the fandom & the artist dynamic, as well as how many celebrities/artists get fucked up by the management they're in.

I think the two authors' writing really melds well together, but I'll say I preferred Reuben's point of view, and sometimes I did get confused on whose pov I was in at the moment. The pacing at the start was also sort of slow for me, but I did finish most of the book in one night so I guess it made up for it then?? I will say the ending felt a bit eh, but it did end at a very cheerful and hopeful note so that's nice.

not sure how I feel about this book, it wasn’t bad but i just didn’t connect with the characters. The writing didn’t flow well for me and the characters fell dull. The plot itself felt wasn’t bad, just didn’t add anything for me. The romance didn’t interest me much either. Wish I liked it more, maybe i’ll give it a try again in a few months.