This book was super cute, and I especially enjoyed the fact that it tackles some really important issues throughout the novel!

There’s a part of this book that really stood out to me and it’s something that I believe everyone needs to read and understand-

‘She’s your mom, but that doesn’t make it a compulsory relationship’

Honestly, the amount of times I see book characters (and real life people, myself included) deal with toxic and unhealthy relationships because it’s family. It really needs to be heard that just because they’re your family, doesn’t mean being made to feel inadequate or sub-human is acceptable! I absolutely adore that this book is highlighting this as an issue and I hope that more people are able to see this and related to it, and see that they are worth more than what those individuals tell them they’re worth! No matter what anybody tells you, you are enough! And walking away from those people doesn’t make you selfish, putting yourself first is important sometimes!

I also really enjoyed the insight into the music industry and how unfair and in some cases, discriminatory it can be!

But even with all of the difficulties these boys faced, they were always there for each other and supported each other and I absolutely adored their group dynamic.

The writing style was fluent, gripping and I was completely mesmerised by this whole book.

To put it simply, I loved it. I loved the messages it sent, I loved the inclusivity it presented and I loved the relatability of the characters.

5 stars, all of the stars.

A great novel highlighting self growth and discovery.

This book follows the band Saturdays and their four band members. Each character is distinctive . What this book does so well is create characters that not only are themselves but shows how part of them are product of the situation and machine that they have been created in while being in the Boy Band, and how those teaching and thoughts enter their head and effects their decisions. A look into the insight of the music industry and the lengths it will go to to protect and produce an what they feel is marketable commodity.

I loved the relationships in this book between all of the band members as well as the struggles and inner feelings with family members.

A beautiful and moving book that gives hope to future queer readers that can resonate with the feeelings in this book.

I read in one sitting and can’t wait to reread again.

Having seen this book all over BookTok for months leading up to its release I was so excited to read it, especially with the premise of two band members dating whilst having to keep it a secret from the world.

But this book was that and more - I loved the romance, Ruben and Zach's friends-to-lovers plot is great, especially then exploring their relationship once they get together and its ups and downs - but I also loved the friendship between all four band members and the commentary on the intense scrutiny celebrities like them are under. Their management seeing them all as more of a product to be shaped and molded in whatever way makes them all the most money and their lack of freedom and expression as a result coupled with the relationship drama makes for a story that is compelling and emotional to read.

I loved this book, and I know it'll be one I reread many times!

One of the things I love most about YA fiction is that it explores sexuality in a way no books ever did when I was a teenager in the 90s. Books like this one help kids struggling to understand their feelings and allows them to find people like themselves within the pages of a book. If This Gets Out is no exception. It's a story that centres on 2 members of the boy band Saturday - Ruben and Zach. Not only are they having to deal with the pressure of being in the world's biggest boy band, they're also secretly a couple.
I loved the book, I loved the romance, and the pressure of keeping their relationship secret was so palpable at times I felt the nerves myself. Its a great book and a really decent read.
Thanks to Hodder, Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich and Netgalley for the ARC.

Love this book. Can be a bit heavy at parts with the abuses of the management team with how they treat the boys in the band. I loved the main characters Ruben and Zach but at times I wanted to wring Zach's neck as he could be so indecisive when making decisions as he would go with whatever made everyone else happy before he would decide to do something he actually wanted to do. Which is what leads on to him coming out before he even gets to tell his mom. You then find out later on he didn't want to do it that quick but felt that he needed to, which just left you being frustrated with the whole situation that was going on. Overall a great read.

This book tells the story of 2 members of a boy band that fall in love with each other and how that is received by everyone around them.

I adored this beautiful and powerful book. The love story was perfectly pitched. It felt so real and it was HOT! Zach and Ruben’s love and respect for each other was so present in the story.

Alongside the romance aspect, there are also a lot of serious topics explored in the book. I was surprised by how well they are addressed in a YA book. The book looks at discovering your feelings and sexuality as well as the ‘coming out’ experience. There is also discussion around domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse and the pressures of being famous. This was all blended so well into the light hearted romance.

I couldn’t put this book down and stayed up until the early hours to finish it. A fantastic read for any reader.

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Happy publication day to one of the best books I've read! I finished this book today and immediately gifted a copy to a friend who will love it.

I was not a huge fan of 1D although I can see why comparisons are being made. The boyband aspect of this was interesting and the insidious behaviour of the management company had me turning pages while feeling horrified at how Zach and Ruben were being treated.

I loved that each character had their own struggles within the band and that Angel and Jon's characters were not overshadowed by the 'main' storyline.

The way sexual identity, anxiety and perception of situations was explored in this book was brilliant and I found it very thought provoking.

I recommend this book as highly as it is possible to do.

Brilliantly contemporary and quirky.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

If This Gets Out is a secret love affair of a book that kept me hooked, but slightly confused throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Children's Group for allowing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Plot summary:
One of the world’s biggest boybands has a secret, and it’s a secret love affair that no one in the world can find out about or they will be ruined.

Ruben and Zach are members of the band Saturday, where in front of millions of fans they are best friends and heartbreakers.

Backstage though is a very different story- Reuben has been asking management for months to let him come out of the closet, but is always put off.

Whilst on a whirlwind tour of Europe, Zach and Reuben start to rely on each other more and more and become much closer than friends, but when they want to tell the public- it’s not something they can do. What can they do to make this work when the whole world wants them to stay apart?

Review:
Plot and World Building – This was a fantastic concept and had me hooked from the get go. The plot was well thought out, well developed but sometimes seemed a bit too outlandish but that might be just me. Some points of the plot seemed repetitive and unnecessary, and honestly it seriously frustrated me at times to the point I wondered if I could finish the book, but the overarching story when it came to fruition was well done.

Overall pacing of the story was very fast and it worked well for the plot for the most part, although there were points I felt were slightly rushed throughout and due to this had to reread some sections to ensure I was fully in the loop which detracted me slightly from the story.

Characters and Development- Reuben and Zach both had fantastic development, and their relationship is definitely the highlight of this story. The relationship with their fellow band members, and the struggles of fame they all deal with, is expertly manipulated and intricately described throughout and left the story feeling fresh and engaging. Their entire development arc is a beautiful thing and the Queer Rep is expertly handled.

All the side characters were well developed and their roles never understated or overplayed.

One of the things I did genuinely question a lot- where are the supportive and questioning parents for half of this? I understand in one case as the father is in the management team and cares more about money than the wellbeing of his son but some of this could have easily been solved with more parental involvement… but I understand that in the circumstances of the story they were not present or not supportive of going against the management team. Frustrating to me as a reader, but maybe because I’m an older reader of YA.

Final Thoughts:
This is an intricate and well-written queer YA romance I have been longing for, but something just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

If This Gets Out is a queer YA boy band romance, which will appeal to people who love music, fandoms and bands. It follows the four members of the popular boy band Saturday on a whirlwind European tour, showing the pressures of fame and the restrictions placed on the band members by management. The friendship between band members Reuben and Zach, which evolves into a romantic relationship, is at the centre of the story.

I really enjoyed the character development of all four band members, and while the focus is on Zach and Ruben’s perspectives and their budding romance, Angel’s and Jon’s issues (mental health, emotional abuse) were compelling and at times I wished that I could have had a better insight into their point of view.

In my opinion, the book dealt well with a range of issues. The portrayal of life on tour, with a tight schedule and a controlling management, felt realistic, the homophobic attitude of the management made for tough reading, but the main characters really carried this story. However, I really disliked the various examples of awful parenting among the secondary characters –this is probably an element that will not bother younger readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers Hodder Children’s Books for the eARC in return for an honest review.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is the story of Zach and Ruben, two members of the world famous boy band Saturday. Zach and Ruben fall for each other in the midst of a European tour, their management convince them to keep the romance a secret but for how long? Their fans deserve the their honesty but will they accept it?
This novel felt like a written documentary of a real band's struggle with over powering management and an enthusiastic fan base, everyone's seen the crowds of fans that wait hours and even days for boy bands to make an appearance. I loved the slow build-up of romance between Zach and Ruben, the discussions on coming out, talks with parents, the consent for moving the relationship forward, it proved even celebrities can feel nervous about relationships and grounded both of the characters.
Although there wasn't as much of a highlight on Jon or Angel, the other two members of Saturday, they still experienced character growth throughout the story. I would have loved chapters from all four perspectives in all honesty, I think Jon & Angel had enough drama going on to justify their own perspectives and it would have added more layers to the story.
I enjoyed If This Gets Out and I would highly recommend adding it to your TBR if your music playlist is filled with boy bands. The length of the novel meant that there were definitely a few slower patches. I also think this would have been an even better New Adult novel if that age range was given more attention. A NA audience would have allowed the characters to be more angry about the situation they were in and added more depth to the confrontation, it was all tied up a little too smoothly. However if Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich team up again I will definitely be excited to read whatever they write next.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

“Everyone wants the world to see them as they are. The truth isn’t the problem. The problem is that the world doesn’t always make the truth safe for us to share.”

Best friends Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon make up the famous boy band Saturday where they are living their dreams, or so they thought until the cracks started to show. Under intense tour pressure, and strict rules from their management, the boys find themselves losing their identities as they are formed into the media perfect performers.

The four friends rely on each other more and more through their European tour, and Zach and Ruben feel their friendship blossom into a romance. The problem is when they decide they are ready to announce their love to the world, their management team aren’t as enthusiastic.

The characters in this book are absolutely brilliant, they all contribute their own part to the story and each character gets fantastic development to make them realistic and relatable. I found the exploration of control from management to be extremely emotional as it corroded away all individual identity of the boys that made them so loved by fans. Zach and Ruben’s love for each other was heartwarming, and I loved the way they helped each other grow as individuals as they came together as a couple!

The way their management team controlled and manipulated the boys was difficult to read at times, as you could feel the desperation coming through the pages as the band wanted to develop as they grew older. What was incredible was how the four came together to fight for what they believed in.

This is a fantastic story of friendship, love, identity and sexuality that I highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

⚠️CW// emotional abuse, drug abuse, homophobia, biphobia, racism, car accident

[ad-gifted book]

I received If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich for free on NetGalley by Hachette’s Children Group in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

I was so excited when NetGalley accepted my request because this is one of my most anticipated books for 2022 - I mean it combines all of my favourite things including music and a LGBTQIA+ relationship into an amazing story!

I absolutely adored this book! The characters were so well developed and I loved the blossoming relationship between Zach and Ruben! It was so heart warming to see how much all the boys truly cared for each other and no matter the strain on their relationships at the end of the day they will always be there for each other. There were also some absolutely heart wrenching moments and you will definitely feel every part of this story!

Sophie and Cale’s writing is absolutely amazing! You can easily tell how well they write together by how seamlessly each chapter wove together. It was a magic partnership that produced a gorgeous story!

If This Gets Out is a beautiful, thoughtful and love filled story. Definitely a five out of five rainbow read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Children's Books for this eARC of 'If This Gets Out' by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich.

I have never read a Cale Dietrich work but I adore Sophie Gonzales and how she writes characters. This story was amazing and really showed communication in a relationship and how important it is. Both of the main characters had values and important attributes that helped them become a good partner for their lovers. The two side characters (Angel and Jon) were amazing and the importance of Angel showing the downsides of being a celebrity was a powerful story and it really made me think about how musicians truly feel and how they struggle with pressure.
Overall, I loved this book. I didnt love the ending as I felt like it was rushed and I believe that if Gonzales and Dietrich want, they could make a sequel to this perfect love story.

I felt this book and this topic would be quite easy to “mess up” or rather difficult to portray with the right nuance, so I’m happy to say this was better than what I feared what it might be. However, there were also parts that could have been better. For this review, I will focus on the elements/aspects that define my opinion of the book whilst trying not to give away too much of the plot. Having said that: The plot is extremely predictable anyway so I don’t find reading reviews before reading will necessarily spoiler you. It’s less about what happens – there is no big reveal or anything – but more about the process of how the main characters get there.

The cringe factor: I will get this one out of the way first as I went into this book really worried that it might read like an NSYNC fan fiction - although I have now seen more comparisons with One Direction, so this is probably my age showing here… I don’t think I ever listened to a One Direction ng ever in my life so I can’t comment on it but there are times where it reads a little bit like a fan fiction. The writing isn’t bad but at times it’s a little bit basic/descriptive. The romance is occasionally cheesy & corny and – my romance pet peeve – whenever the plot seemed to need extending a miscommunication between our two love interests was introduced to create the argument/friction/plot point. At the same time I felt it was easy-going enough for me to keep reading and the book touched on some important topics, especially when keeping in mind this might be for a younger audience (at the same time not too young as book does come with a number of content warnings, including bullying, homophobia and drug abuse).

The characters and character development: The boys – our love interests Zach and Ruben and their bandmates Jon and Angel – are all likable enough. However, at times I actually found the storyline around Jon (who is coming to terms with the emotional abuse from his father & the band manager) and Angel (who is battling drug addiction) more interesting than the romance plot, which was a bit predictable most of the time. Sadly, we never see the story told from their perspective. Having said that, the boys all undergo a decent amount of character development that keeps the reader interested. The adults, however, are all quite basic stereotypes (and in several cases extremely emotionally abusive), which did not feel very fleshed out.

The plot: As I said before, it’s extremely predictable and the romance didn’t manage to keep me interested at all times, but I also realise the protagonists are still extremely young and falling in love feels a bit different at that age so I’m willing to tolerate that. *spoiler ahead* My main gripe with the plot is that it all comes down to perceived homophobia. I’m not saying homophobia is not an issue in real life but in this case the fear of homophobia (i.e., the managing team worrying fans will be alienate) was actually worse than the actual homophobia (i.e., fans’ and the publics’ actual reaction).

Criticism of the pressured face by child/teen stars: This is probably a more minor point than the other three, but all the criticisms seem valid, of course. There is a lot of pressure on the four boys that rose to fame extremely quickly and they all have different ways of coping with the pressures. They also have a difficult relationship with their fans (mostly consisting of screaming teenage girls), who are, of course, the reason for their success but also come with the intensity of being…. screaming teenage girl (and it’s not something I could ever relate to even though I was a teenage girl and a fan of franchises/people myself).

Overall, I will never not be happy to see more minority representation in contemporary fiction. However, the execution did not completely “wow” me. I would give this 2.5 stars but rounding it up to 3 stars where I have to.

I have to admit, jokes about Wattpad fanfiction aside; I approached this book about a romance between members of a boy band with a certain level of trepidation as well as curiosity about how the authors would portray the band, the fans, and the culture.

There's a great passage towards the end where Ruben reflects on the complex relationship between his band and their fans. I enjoyed the sprinkling of realistic bits of fandom throughout the novel, for example, some people on twitter constantly saying the members should go solo. One of the conversations between the boys comparing the popularity of their ships was hilarious, as well as being a fan’s worst nightmare. Personally, I would have liked to have seen this theme of artist/fan relations explored further as in my opinion, it’s such an integral part of the story of a band. For instance, Alice Oseman’s book I Was Born for This employs dual narrators, a member of a popular boy-band and a fan, to show this relationship from both sides.

The book highlights the difficulties and dangers that people, especially young people, face in the music industry, including controlling management, toxic media coverage, and stalker “fans”. I also liked how it showed some issues which people might not think of as applying to male as well as female artists, for example, how Jon is uncomfortable with their revealing outfits on a photoshoot. One issue that the book touches on but doesn't go into great detail about is racism, and how this plays a role in how the boys are treated. This seemed like a bit of an omission given how many musical artists – Little Mix's Leigh-Anne comes to mind – have come forward recently and spoken out about their inequal treatment by fans and people in the industry.

Some of the other things the boys struggle with include their lack of creative input in their songs, as their company rejects most of the songs the boys have worked on themselves in favour of generic pop songs with shallow lyrics. Although denial of creative freedom is definitely an issue that some artists face, I was slightly disappointed by the actual Saturday songs that we see in the book as it made me wonder why the fans liked their music if the boys hated it so much. The band members say at one point that their fans are able to see through false concepts pushed on them by the company and recognise the true personalities of the members, and the personality of an artist is a big factor in their appeal, but not much is said about the actual music. It just strikes me as somewhat playing into the stereotype that fans of boy bands don’t care about the music and lyrics, when actually (and this should be obvious): most fans do.

I found myself pleasantly surprised by the romance between the two main characters, Ruben and Zach. I liked how they actually communicated with each other about what they were thinking and feeling even if it was messy, for the most part, and at points where their relationship faltered it was for realistic reasons, rather than an annoying big misunderstanding (He cheated on me! But it turns out he didn’t!). I also loved the friendship between the guys and their casual closeness with each other, as it truly felt like they were a family.

I also enjoyed seeing the different parental relationships that were depicted in the book. I loved how all the dads were either silent or terrible (lol). Ruben has a particularly complex relationship with his mother, and I liked how Zach gets angry on his behalf when she does something particularly egregious. Some of the issues that characters experience in the book, such as Angel’s mental health struggles, seemed to be resolved a bit too quickly offstage, but as the story is from the perspective of Ruben and Zach it makes sense that the focus would mostly be on them.

Overall, If This Gets Out is a fun and sometimes intense read about fame, love, and the search for true freedom.

This is a contemporary romance and alternates POV between our 2 main characters - they're 18 and they're also in the biggest boy band in the world.

So obviously when they get together this is a huge deal and their management team doesn't want anyone to know about the relationship or have them go public about their sexualities. Not surprising when they don't even want their real personalities known and they all have to fit a specific stereotype, dress and behave a certain way.

The backdrop is how completely controlled the whole band is by their management but this is very much about the relationship.

This is character driven perfection, and one of those books where I ended up staying up very late as I just had to finish it! You've got the relationships with the various side characters, the other members of the band, parents, their team and they're all good but the relationship between Ruben and Zach is where I was invested.

Absolutely loved this and will be buying a physical copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The story and characters were compelling, and I was rooting for them from the beginning. This book dealt with some heavier topics (coming out, media pressure) but it was handled well. Sometimes I found it hard to tell when the scene had changed, and this changed the flow of how I was able to read.

Overall this book was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to all of my friends.

If This Gets Out takes on what I’m fairly sure is an age-old issue (the manipulation of young singers by their management) and turns it on its head while delivering a sweet romance.
Our focus is a boyband called Saturday, formed after a summer camp and at a high point in their careers. Two years after they formed, the boys are starting to find the relentless grind and excessive management stifling. Relationships are strained and all four feel they are struggling to be true to themselves when their every public moment is monitored and choreographed.
Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel were great friends and things began well. Somewhere along the way things have started to feel less fun, and as their success grows they are under increasing pressure to toe the line.
The book focuses on the relationship that develops between Ruben and Zach, but it also explores attitudes to sexuality, the mental health issues such a high-pressure existence creates, the way friends and family can sometimes be part of the problem and the role the media/fans play in such situations.
Perhaps this is a reflection of my age, but I found the romance element of the story the least engaging as I was more fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at this fictional boyband. I can only imagine this story may have been influenced by events surrounding some of the highly successful boybands over the last few years, but the issues it explores are probably age-old. The lack of resolution may have been an attempt to show the growing empowerment these boys felt they had, but it also left it a little too open-ended for my liking.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

WOW! This is going to be HUGE.

I loved it! Couldn't stop trying to cast the movie/tv show in my head while reading but I can't think of anyone perfect enough to play these roles (especially Angel).

Cannot wait for this to arrive into the bookshop I work in next week (Ireland) so I can push it into the hands of everyone I meet.

READ IT!