I enjoyed this book and it's a good YA fade-to-black serial-numbers-filed off introduction to the amazing world of boyband slash; I'm just sorry it would be unprofessional to be like "Psst! If you liked this, kid, wait until I tell you about fanfiction..." to patrons picking it up, because I would otherwise be extremely tempted to do that.

**NetGallet ARC**
Best book ever
Best flawed and beautiful main characters ever
Best interesting and endearing and silly side characters ever
Best and worst parents ever
Best topics
Best messages
Best last few chapters
Best ending
Simply best writing teamwork on this gem.

I was smiling, I was crying, I was laughing, I was ANGRY and screaming (but in a 'how dare they hurt my babies' way). I just love this book so fucking much and the whole Universe would adore it if THEY JUST READ IT. So read it. Thank you.

Now that I've read all of Sophie's books I just don't know how to wait for the next one........... 😭

I have so much love for this book. From the premise to the execution and the characters, I loved so much about it. But then, as a fan of both boybands and queer YA rom-coms, how could this have been anything but great to me? Zach and Ruben's story will forever be one of my favorites and I'm definitely going to read this book again many many times.

A full review will be published closer to release!

I have so many feelings about this book and I want so badly to write a review that will do it justice.

This story, at its core, is a love story. We are introduced to four friends at the height of their career and follow along as the friendship between Ruben and Zach develops into something more. Unfortunately for them, they also happen to be the hottest boy bad on the scene and readers are given a behind the scenes look at what that means.

If This Gets Out was more than a fun read, and the story told was everything I enjoy in a book. The angst that Ruben and Zach felt was almost tangible, sending me back to the days of young love and how it feels like it’s the only thing that matters. The authors did a fantastic job of crafting a story that felt seamless in the writing style.

As consumers of music and film, we forget that underneath all the slick media packaging, lies real human beings with real personalities and real feelings. This book did a good job at describing some of the turmoil that these artists feel and how being true to oneself may not be the easy thing to do.

The book ends on a hopeful note and I would love to be able to see how the rest of the story plays out.

I didn't want to put this book down. I was totally pulled into the characters stories. The interaction between the characters - the band, the handlers, the parents, and the fans, made this a really interesting read. The pressure to be everything to everyone was really portrayed in an emotionally responsive way. I also appreciated the way everyone's sexuality was handled. It was interesting how all the members of the band struggled with the way they were portrayed to their fans. I didn't want to finish the book because I was worried about the ending but it was in perfect step with the rest of the book.
BTW - I can't believe these two authors wrote their character when the authors were apart from each other. It's weaved together so well!

This book will be loved by older middle grades students. They will love the story line based on 4 members of a boy band, the inside look at the complex industry and most of all the love story. It was engaging and highlight some aspects of the music industry that kids likely don't think about when they see their favorite band playing. I thought that it glossed over some opportunities but overall it is a good book and one that I think will engage students.

This book ended up being MORE than I expected and i'm just so glad it turned out as it did. I haven't been in the mood for YA recently but this was just such a fun read I couldn't resist. Romance within a boy band?? Absolutely amazing and so wholesome. I also usually don't enjoy books written by more than 1 author but this worked out so well!! I've added Sophie Gonzales's books to my tbr after having finished this. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a sweet read, maybe even one to get you out of a slump!

I picked this up expecting a cute, light-hearted romance with obvious inadvertent parallels to a certain real boyband romance conspiracy. If This Gets Out is that, but it's also a painful, darker rendering of the pressures of that kind of fame, the weight of image and expectations, and complicated family relationships. The central relationship is healthy and fierce, and it's very much us-against-the-world rather than a novel's worth of internal queer struggle. Some of this hit incredibly hard for me specifically, and it's an unexpected new favourite.

Ruben and Zach quickly became one of my favourite queer YA couples, if not YA couples stat, and I was rooting for them the whole way. I hate the miscommunication trope usually, but this book resolved it quickly but naturally, and the miscommunication also made sense--Zach's internal turmoil about his sexuality, exacerbated by his anxiety, felt incredibly real and resonated strongly, and it made the impact when they finally did get together all the stronger.

I loved how diverse the boyband was, as well as how comfortable their friendship felt. It sets a foundation for the cracks that fame and expectations start driving between them, with a slow, agonising downward spiral in the second half. Yet while the book doesn't shy away from darker topics of addiction, emotional abuse, and mental health, it's ultimately a joy of friendship and queerness.

(4.5 stars)

If This Gets Out is a sweet, queer YA contemporary following Ruben and Zach from the world famous boyband Saturday. As they go through the ups and (mostly) downs of the teen popstar life, Zach has to navigate his sexuality and his mental health, and Ruben has to deal with having been closeted for years, a major crush on Zach, and a mother constantly pushing him to be better.

I had such an incredible time reading this. I haven't read a (queer) YA contemporary with my eyes in a while and it was exactly what I needed. The characters were wonderful and I connected to all four of them so easily. Especially Zach's journey of discovering his bisexuality (when he realised that his past infatuations with boys were definitely crushes and not just admiration LOL call me out) felt so relatable and recognisable. The pacing was perfectly done, the dual perspective worked great and their voices were pretty distinct, and I loved the glimpse inside the pop music industry (was it accurate? No clue, but it sure sounded realistic!)

Although I understand it may have been difficult to fit it all in, I wish the mental health of the boys had been explored more in-depth, as well as their relationship with their families (especially Ruben). That would have truly elevated it to a 5-star read for me.

Still, though, I highly recommend, and my teenage (and current!) boyband fangirl self is THRIVING

Also, this quote ended me: "A part of me wants to protect him from the realities of what it means to be queer, and how it changes things in a million subtle ways. How it always leaves you a little uncertain if things are fair, or if there's a tiny shred of hate underlying it all. How, much of the time, you can't even call it out without people turning against you and calling you overly sensitive, because it can be so insidious, you're the only one who notices it for what it is.

TW's: homophobia, forced closeting, eating disorder, drug and alcohol abuse (potentially more that I didn't pick up on or don't remember)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If This Gets Out is absolutely charming. It follows Ruben and Zach, two eighteen-year-old members of a hugely popular boyband, as they navigate their feelings for each other and begin a relationship just as their management team becomes increasingly controlling during a European tour.

This book has a lot of fun with boyband and romcom tropes while also cleverly subverting some of them at the same time. At the beginning of the story, Ruben is out to his bandmates and family but has been asked by the management team to remain closeted for now to the general public. Zach begins to understand his bisexuality though his attraction to Ruben and realizes he had pushed aside or ignored previous feelings for other guys in the past.

I really enjoyed how Ruben and Zach communicated with each other. They didn't always communicate perfectly or share all of their feelings, but they tried and both got better with their various communication issues throughout the book. And they both supported each other as they dealt with their unique parental issues.

It probably helped that they had a common enemy throughout in their management company that was gaslighting them into staying closeted with the idea they just had to wait until after their Russian tour date. The book did a terrific job of showing what it's like to be under a microscope at all times and showing some of the shadier aspects of the music industry.

I also enjoyed the relationships between Ruben, Zach and their bandmates Jon and Angel and I would have liked to see even more of the friendships and rivalries within the band.

The ending did come across as little too simplistic and I was confused by the overall lack of mention of a record label in all of the band's business dealings. But these are small quibbles when a book is as charming as this one.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the free ebook copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

I chose to request this book in an attempt to pick something that was a bit out of my usual realm of books. I mean, it’s a boy band book.

Not my usual cup of tea.

But oh my goodness, am I happy I chose this book. Was it cliche at times? Yes, I mean, its primarily a romance novel so that comes with the genre usually. But I fell in love with all four main characters, the members of the boy band Saturday. Each of them have their own quirks and problems and you sincerely just want them to find themselves again.

Pretty early on in the novel, you come to find out that Ruben is a gay young man who is forced into keeping his sexuality a secret from the public. Everyone in the group and who is close to him knows but beyond that, everyone perceives him as straight. His best friend, Zach, is always there for him. And after a night of drinks, their close relationship turns into something a bit more.

Now, Saturday has to hide 2 men’s sexualities (and their budding relationship), a member who might have a drug issue, and the overwhelming pressure that is living in the public eye while living a lie.

This story does a great job at giving you the feel of the celebrity lifestyle. All four are constantly pressured by their managers to make sure that their image isn’t tarnished in any way. Their haircuts, their diets, every hour and every minute of their day, are planned. Eventually, one grows tired of that control and you have to push back.

My only problem is that, when Saturday does push back against their control…

The story ends.

Um, authors, can I please have more? I feel like there is so much more than can happen. I want more of Ruben’s and Zach’s relationship and its growth. I want to know what happens with Angel and Jon. What about Jon and his father (Gotta read the story to figure out what’s wrong there). I simply want more which means it was probably a really good book!

So, if you’re interested in a somewhat short LGBTQ boy band story, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. Tentative publication date isn’t until Dec 2021!

Thank you Netgalley, along with the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinions in any way.

I don’t even know how to start this review. This book was just so damn good. Of course, it had it qualms, mostly to do with the pacing, but everything else was just *chefs kiss*

This book is the closest anyone has ever come to writing a One Direction fan fiction. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone thought this was about that boy band. I literally could not stop comparing them.

If This Gets Out revolves around Saturday, a boyband who are literally owning the music industry. Ruben and Zach are part of this band, along with their two other band members, Angel and Jon. THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS EVERYTHING. I loved their interactions and how comfortable they always were around each other. They genuinely cared and would go to some pretty big lengths to help each other. Of course, they had their ups and downs but they always managed to stick it out.

Their managing company (or an agency? I don’t really know) doesn’t really allow them to be themselves. Ruben is gay, and desperately wants to share that with the world but Chorus won’t let him. They create different personalities for each of them and put them in a box, not caring about what it’s doing to the band. All they care about is the outcome. And if it’s advantageous.

As Ruben and Zach starting catching feelings for each other, Zach also starts coming to terms with the fact that he’s bisexual, which is something he’s not exactly swelled upon before. He goes through a lot of new experiences, like coming out to his mom and falling for a boy.

It broke my heart to see them not being able to be themselves in front of their fans, and having to hide their true selves from almost everyone. They had to keep doing what was right for the company and avoid any scandals that might make it to the tabloids. But what broke my heart the most was that Chorus wouldn’t let them come out. They made empty promises, and when Ruben and Zach finally realised that, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The ending did feel a bit abrupt and I would have liked to get a little more closure to where everyone’s lives were heading.

All four boys had the cutest relationship ever and I can’t help but root for them all through the story. Told through dual POVs, If This Gets Out is a swooning read, with amazing romance and a breathtaking story about self discovery. Sophie Gonzales has done it again.

Boy Band is overmanaged by their management company. One member struggles with addiction. Another two fall in love. Overbearing parents play in to the problems. Drama ensues.

I wanted to like this so much more, but it just felt too long to me.

While I haven't had a chance to read anything by Cale Dietrich yet, I loved Sophie Gonzales's ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and knew I would get my mitts on anything of hers I could. Then I read the synopsis for IF THIS GETS OUT and know that I HAD to read it.

Dietrich and Gonzales handled this book and all of the subject matter with absolute aplomb. Readers expecting ONLY sugary rom-com goodness should be warned since the book does tackle heavier subject matter at points. While we see everything exclusively from Ruben's and Zach's perspectives and the growth and change they undergo, it's also fantastic to see the maturation and growth of their band mates throughout.

CW: substance abuse, underaged drinking, forcible closeting, verbal abuse/manipulation by parental figures

A queer boy band rom com?? I'm dead. This book was incredible! Well written, well developed characters, with deep feelings that felt incredibly real. I would hesitate to classify it as YA, because there was a LOT of sexy-time stuff, but I would think this is appropriate for the high end of YA, definitely not the middle school grouping. However, I loved it!!

I needed this book and I didn't even know it !

C’était super touchant ! Les personnages sont adorables et très bien construits. Ca m’a parlé car j’étais Directioner, et que je défendais Larry avec mes tripes, donc je me suis 100% reconnue dans cette histoire. Les chansons pop, les concerts, les fans, les dramas, je l’ai vécu pendant plusieurs années. Forcément que cette histoire allait me plaire!
C’est un roman écrit à quatre mains et c’était très intéressant à voir! Si j’ai bien compris, les chapitres du POV de Zach étaient écrits par l’un des deux auteurs et ceux de Ruben par l’autre!

J’ai aimé cette fin qui était tout ce que j’espérais. Et c’est rare !
J’ai également aimé que ça aborde des sujets importants comme la pression dans l’industrie de la musique évidemment, mais aussi l’anxiété, la difficulté de prendre des décisions importantes et de savoir ce que l’on veut indépendamment des autres, le coming-out, la manipulation familiale, le gaslighting et les parents toxiques.
C’était divertissant et en même temps très prenant et enrichissant.

Come for the sweet romance, stay for the sharp critique of the music industry. This book may appear to be a story about two boyband members falling in love, and on one level it is, but it is also an exploration of the demons facing each boyband member, from themselves, their parents, and the industry at large. It is about growing up in the public eye and being controlled in all aspects of life. It is written introspectively and with care, and is a delightful rollercoaster to read.

I think this would’ve resonated a lot more with me had I been a One Direction or BTS fan. It’s been a long time since I was into this kind of musical group, though I’m obviously not too old to understand the dynamics and the archetypes and the pressure; I’m not blind or deaf to social media. But it was hard to transport myself into this mindset because, well.. I was too young to pay that kind of attention when I was into these kinds of groups. Not to mention, I think the media and paparrazzi, while they were probably no less toxic back in the day, the coverage was just different. Because the internet. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to deal with for those who were the subject of it all, of course, but how it was later consumed? The frenzy. The focus. The demand for more, for all? I feel that’s such a different animal now.

But anyway, that’s a long intro that isn’t saying much, so lets move on.

Overall I don’t have a lot of feelings about this. Or at least not strong ones. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, and it was a quick consumption of entertainment. But don’t take that to mean this was light or fluffy or easy to process; there are real issues, some heavy subject matter, mixed in with the boyband and romance elements. But I felt the same way around the story as I do reading about the aforementioned real-life bands; my brain was processing the information, I would sympathize, but ultimately my investment was low.

That said, I think a lot of people will like this — I don’t think being into these bands is at all a prerequisite. I just, personally, think I would’ve liked it more if I was.

2.75 stars

Ideal for young teens who are obsessed with boy bands. This focuses on a fictional boy band and wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

This book was incredible and I couldn’t put it down.
You know a book is good when I can not make myself read (or listen) to ANYthing else while I’m reading it.
The relationship between the two main characters (two boy band stars) was romantic and beautiful. The relationship between the band members was complex and fun to read. It was a beautiful example of found family and how even found family isn't always perfect.

I absolutely loved the Bi rep in this book. I related so much for Zach and his coming to the realization about his sexuality. I loved the relationship between him and Ruben.

The other characters were good too. I loved how ever character was complex. It really helped me as the reader understand how someone can get trapped in abuse because everyone has a good side... even villains.

I also loved how these world famous pop stars had all the same (if not more) insecurities as we all do. The part of the story that focused in the music and celebrity industry was well written and obviously well researched. It really made me think about past boy bands and music stars and what they must have gone through (and probably still do).

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

It was absolutely amazing and it made me feel all the feels!