So many people will enjoy this, it is perfect for readers who grew up on fan fiction and boy bands. You can easily get invested in the characters and their relationship and as a music lover I was really interested in the behind the scenes process. Its a great premise with an easy reading narration that makes you binge read large portions in one go. I think the pacing could be considered a little slow as I would have liked to hear a lot of what happened after the book's end. But the best part of this book was how realistic the relationship between the two protagonists was. Their personalities effected who they were within the relationship having real life consequences on how they treated one another and the overall plot.
I would recommend this as I can imagine anyone who was ever a fan of a boy band or an easy going romance plot would enjoy.

If This Gets Out follows Zach and Ruben as they jet-set across Europe on the second leg of their sold-out tour with their insanely popular boyband, Saturday. With bandmates Jon and Angel, everybody either wants to be someone in Saturday, or be with someone in Saturday. But most days, the guys in the band don't even know who they are. As Zach and Ruben get closer, tension in the band rises. Ruben has been wanting to come out as gay for ages, but Zach just wants to tell his mother he's bi before the whole world somehow finds out. But when the two are ready to take their relationship public, they have more than a few obstacles to jump over.

Told in alternative points of view from Zach and Ruben, If This Gets Out is a cute and fun YA rom com which features the kind of parties you only wish you were invited to, behind the scenes montages of photo and video shoots, and a top ten of the most must-see cities in Europe. It's heartwarming, seeing Zach develop feelings for Ruben and figure out his sexuality, and it's great to see the support and love they get from some of those around them.

But the main themes of this book go a lot deeper. There is the issues with privacy of those in the spotlight, and the tug of war between having a private life and also living your true life. There are discussions of homophobia in other countries and how the band might be accepted there if Zach and Ruben came out. There's also talk of body image, autonomy, mental health, family dynamics, and substance abuse, as well as unhealthy relationships with parents. It gets a bit heavy at times, but at the essence is the love of two young guys shining through for each other.

I really loved this book. It wasn't as predicatable as I thought it might be, and I really enjoyed how when it seemed like the book was going to use miscommunication as a trope to further the plot, it ended uo subverting my expectations and proving me wrong. This is a book showcasing desriable healthy relationships, with gay and bi rep which doesn't diminish either identity.

My first read by either of these authors, but I will be checking out other books by them soon.

When I read the description for If This Get's Out, I expected something sweet and romantic, quite fluffy. I don't know why I thought this, though, because, on second reading, it clearly says that this story is about struggle. It's about being denied the freedom of being yourself and the fight to get there despite people holding you back. This book is all about the fight, and while it is sweet and romantic, it is fierce. I enjoyed all the boys from Saturday, though it took me a little while longer to get on board with Angel, and I loved walking alongside them as they journeyed through such a tough time and started to find themselves. Overall all a good book, with great characters and a strong storyline.

An LGBTQ+ boyband drama filled romance? Absolutely. Count me in.
Honestly my little boyband loving heart was filled with so much joy reading this book and also so much rage that this kind of stuff almost certainly goes on behind the scenes.

There was a lot going on in this book with the 4 members of this band; Angel, Jon, Ruben and Zach with the story being told in alternate POVs from both Zach and Ruben perspectives as they try to figure out how to be in a band with controlling management and the constant pressure to please and be true to themselves. As well as this, Angel is struggling with drugs and addiction and Jon is stuck in the middle of his best friends and band mates and his dad, who is in charge of the band.

I really loved seeing Ruben and Zach’s relationship develop throughout the story and they alway’s stuck together to support one another. This story was about a fight to not be silenced and to stand up for who you are no matter what. I really enjoyed it.

If you like drama, romance and boybands I would definitely recommend this one… And the were bandmates!

This book was definitely different to what I was expecting. I went into it thinking it would be a light, easy read with a m/m boyband romance, but there was a lot more to this book than just that. Controlling and critical parents, minors as entertainers, substance abuse, the process of coming out, the whole boy band storyline, M/M relationships, and all the other small sub plots. I do think that maybe the book tried to cover too much, but maybe that’s just because it’s a case of bad timing on my behalf.

Thank you Hachette Children’s Group and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book. The opinions below are my own.

This book is the fanfiction we all wish we had written about our favourite boy band. Apologies if you actually have a published fanfiction there already. I suck at writing so I never wrote anything but I did fantasise about that “what if” two members of your beloved idols group are secretly dating and in love. If This Gets Out is all that, a story about Ruben and Zach, two members of an internationally popular boy band, the fictional Saturday, who slowly discover they have feelings for each other during a lengthy world tour. How is the management company going to handle their relationship? How are they going to hide it on the stage in between complex choreography and solo parts in front of the fans? How is this going to impact their career, their families, the band and most importantly the fans?

If This Gets Out describes the fantastic world of boy band/idol fandom, with stan, ships and cancel culture. It also describes the hardship of being in a boy band, how often the management agency controls and puts extreme, useless pressure on the members just for the sake of making more profit – which, as we know, is not fictional at all. I think this was the best part of the book, as it felt super realistic and was described at so many levels. How many times are rumours just a PR stunt, how many times is the conversation around scandals controlled by the media or the same media company that owns the band and so on? There are interesting debates here, and on top of that, the story is about coming out as gay/bi when you are seen as a sex symbol, and moreover, we have difficult family relationships, first times, and drug addiction.

So far so good, you would think. However, I really wanted to love this book, I really thought this was going to be another all-time favourite. Me, who has tones of boy band songs on her all Spotify playlists should have loved this book. And yet, I couldn’t. I found the pacing quite slow and I think this is because the story is told in first-person, using all present tense, so everything is told as it happens – every single thought. Hence, the story is slow, sometimes repetitive and the main two characters lack deep personality traits. The ending felt rushed and left me a bit dissatisfied. I think this story deserved an epilogue or, you know, a “One year later” chapter to wrap up everything nicely.

In the end, I loved the concept, and as I said, the atmosphere and dynamics of working in this industry felt so realistic, or at least what I would imagine it is. I also loved how the relationship between Zach and Ruben developed and their moments of intimacy were such sweet chapters. Sometimes their internal monologues slowed the general pacing, but I still enjoyed and it’s a fast cute read that I still recommend.

This! Yes! I almost want to scream like a fangirl about this book.
There isn’t anything I didn’t like.
Not only am I a fan of Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich but of the band, Saturday as well! They are the perfect boyband .. on the outside and I loved how it took me back to my teenybopper days.

Honestly, if you love queer romance, this is for you. There is love, fights, fame & drugs as well as a real representation of discovering your own sexuality, the struggles that come with that, along with the pressures of coming out and then having to deny it.

The focus is on Ruben & Zach (told from their POV) but the other members, Jon & Angel (Reece) are as important and have such a rich character development. With each boy showing newly found strength & growth.

You learn the truth & real pressures of life as part of a successful group. The struggles each member faces and the pitfalls of fame.
I can enjoy this from 2 different perspectives. 1 - the teenybopper fan that’s infatuated and dreams of one of the band members being my boyfriend lol And 2 - the adult who now realises and understands the reality that that life brings and, although there are many perks, it’s also full of pain, struggle & forced perfection/idealisation.
(Especially nowadays with social media)

This is truly an amazing book & one I will recommend to EVERYONE!
I don’t like to compare books, but I will say that this is even better than Red, White & Royal Blue.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers Hodder Children’s Books for the ARC ebook in return for an honest review

4.5 stars!!

I recently read Perfect on Paper and adored it, so when I saw this on my netgalley page I had to request it and I’m so glad that I did! I really loved this book. I loved the tour aspect, it made for a really interesting setting! The characters were truly amazing, I loved each and every one of them and they were developed really well throughout the book! The romance was absolutely adorable and I loved how you saw Zach really explore his sexuality and come to terms with it. I would recommend this book to anyone!! The queer representation is amazing and I really enjoyed reading this book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Many thanks to Netgalley/Publishers/Authors for an advanced copy of this book!

This book is as amazing as the blurb makes it out the be.. it has a whole bunch of popular tropes, friends to lovers, forbidden love, not to mention the cheesy European road trip! I am here for it!

This book had an amazing storyline to it, but also covered a range of serious topics from drug abuse, to power themes in the music industry.

I loved that we got to see the story from both Zac and Rueben's POV every chapter.

Pick this book up!! You will not regret it!

If This Gets Out ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

- friends/colleagues to lovers! and dating in secret trope! with gay and bi rep!!!!!
- TWO BOYS IN A BOYBAND FALL IN LOVE HAVE YOU EVER READ SOMETHING SO GREAT!!!!
- i’m so glad this book is dual POV
- Zach thinking Pret was weird was so funny to me
- sometimes i think the scenes jump a bit quickly/funny?
- i love all four boys obvi but Jon is holding a special place in my heart
- okay but i LOVE that they both have their own demons to face but they come together and make themselves better, just watching them grow together is everything
- they’re all just such soft beans and i love them so much 🥺
- it’s quite hard to read when they’re being manipulated because it just makes me really sad because they’re such good eggs
- oh my god the second part of this book is so intense and fast paced i couldn’t put it down
- got a bit choked up when Zach and his mum had their heart to heart
- the big moment was just everything
- how many times can shit hit the fan, i’m getting whiplash
- obsessed with Mr and Mrs Phan
- i LOVED the ending but i wish there was just a littleeeee bit more… not loads but just a tiny bit
- more for the fact that i love them all and need a second book
- cos Jon and Angel deserve their own book
- the character dev from Zach and Ruben was so so good and it was lush to watch them develop but watching Jon and Angel develop too even from the sidelines was perfect
- and watching Geoff get his comeuppance was 10/10

Ugh yes this is so good. The main thing thing that struck me about this story is how mature and grounded it is despite being a YA romance about two guys in a boy band in a relationship which could easily be entirely fluff (which would be fine, but this makes for a far more satisfying story imo). It really covers how horrible closeting is as an industry practice, and how controlling management companies can be over artists, especially ones who signed contracts young and aren't old enough to understand how to set boundaries. I also appreciated how it treats fans (especially considering the fan demographic for the boy band are young women), appreciating they can feel like a terrifying force but also a source of strength for the members of the band. The two main protagonists are sympathetic, and I loved the friendships between all the guys in the band. Very satisfying ending, well written, a quick read.

Thank you to Hachette Children’s Group for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I am so happy that I received an ARC of this book, I cannot thank the publisher enough. I am a huge fan of Sophie Gonzales' work and now I am very eager to read the work of Cale Dietrich. Co-writing is a very risky game and I am glad to report it worked really well.

The novel is told in two pov's: Ruben (written by Gonzales) and Zach (written by Dietrich.) Both characters felt so real. Ruben's struggle with being forced to stay closeted by management and being repeatedly shut down was heartbreaking. On top of this Ruben dealt with the pressures of his mother criticising every action, from choreography to singing, his mother tried to beat him down at every corner. As for Zach, his pov was equally heartbreaking to read from. He had to deal with the self-acceptance of being bisexual and what that meant with his relationship with Ruben--was he using him? (Something Ruben struggles with greatly) Is this real? and so on. They had such great chemistry and I had so many tears and butterflies in my stomach all the way through this novel. I would also like to say that this book is sex-positive and is very respectful of consent and first times, as well as STD's and protection. There are no explicit on-page sex scenes though there are allusions to things that happen during the moment.

There are also two other characters: Angel and Jon. Angel provided insight into the struggles of pressure and being forced to accept this new identity--a major theme throughout this book among all of the characters as they are forced to decide between themselves or their career. Which is a struggle artists today are facing. Angel struggled with this pressure a lot and became addicted to drugs which had major consequences on him and the people he is around (CW: drugs, rehab.) Jon was a character who was quieter and not as present in the novel. He is the son of the bands' manager, Geoff, and it was such a beautiful scene when he went against his father to take a stand with his bandmates. He is such a kind, respectful and caring person. I wish we got to see more of him.

The end of this novel reminded me a bit of Gonzales' Only Mostly Devastated (or better known as my favourite contemporary ever.) Throughout the book, we are exposed to semi-forced outings and we also see Zach struggle with deciding if he wants to come out publicly or not, which creates a lot of tension and conflict with his boyfriend, Ruben, as he has been wanting to publicly come out for years even though management won't allow it. I cried multiple times during this part and the ending chapters were simply beautiful and liberating for the characters.

The books show you that it's okay if you don't want to come out, and if you do, great! It also shows that there are always people there ready to accept you despite what you see around you, just make sure you are ready and that it is a safe space for you to do so. The book also prompts discussions about control and limitations in our lives. The boys are constantly controlled by management and you really see how having autonomy taken away from you at points affects your behaviours and mental health. Whether that be freedom of expression, freedom of movement, communication to others, it shows the abuse within the entertainment industry and was extremely eye-opening for someone who wasn't very aware of this.

I really wish this book was longer as the final scene was amazing and emotional. I highly encourage everyone to go read this: whether you are looking for a cute romance, a found family, amazing chemistry between friends--or simply hope. Then this is the book for you. - 5*

Ah, this was so good! I honestly read it almost in one sitting.

‘If This Gets Out’ is equally entertaining and heart-breaking read. The pressure under which Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon are is enormous, and they subsequent growth and standing up for themselves and their bandmates is extremely visible throughout the book.

The tensions are all time high when forced into close proximity every day during the international tour, new feelings emerge, and old issues are brought into light. While I generally liked all the characters in the story, my favourite was probably Zach, who struggled with so much during the book, and you can clearly see how much he has started to changed when he finally decided it’s enough and he was ready to stand up for himself.

This YA queer romance from Sophnie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is an absolute joy to read, and I would definitely enjoy more stories from this writing duo.

If This Gets Out is a powerful new novel co-authored by authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, which focuses on two members of a boyband who are secretly in love.

If This Gets Out is a book you will not be able to put down once you start it. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Ruben and Zach, it’s their story. The story of their relationship. Of them navigating their relationship and in Zach”s case figuring out his own sexuality while being in the US’s biggest, hottest and in-demand boyband “Saturday”.

It’s fast-paced and action-packed and carries an extremely important message as it shines a light on the conditions that many artists within the industry face, especially those who enter the industry at a young age, those that belong to the LGBTQ+ community and otherwise marginalised artists. It shows how overworked they are, they are slowly stripped of all autonomy, their names, who they can and can’t socialise with, what they wear, Every aspect of their lives is controlled and manipulated to maintain a public image, an image that is carefully crafted to appeal to an artist/bands demographic so it maximises sale potential.

Both Ruben and Zach have their own distinct voices, their own issues and struggles with the constraints placed on them by their management team who control every aspect of their lives. The relationship between the band and their management team is best described as toxic.

The management team is headed by band member Jon’s Dad. The relationship between the band and their management is abusive and it’s a well-depicted struggle by Sophie and Cale who have clearly done their research into the topic. As there are sadly many very public cases of the things depicted in the book happening.

The exploration of what the control of the bands lives does to Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel both psychologically and physically at times can be uncomfortable reading but it’s absolutely necessary as it makes you fully understand and emotionally connect with each character. Not just Ruben and Zach but with Jon and Angel as well (who we spent the entire book just wanting to hug).

If This Gets Out is one of the most powerful and necessary reads of this year and a must-read for anyone who has ever been in a love with a boyband or an artist who has suffered at the hands of an industry that must change.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book exceeded all of my expectations. It's a really simple (incredibly well executed!) plot, but it's so much more than a romcom, and that really took me by surprise.

The writers haven't shied away from all of the issues the band--especially Zach and Ruben--face from their management (and parents), but it's handled extremely well. I don't know much about the entertainment industry but it felt very believable every step of the way--even if I felt like SCREAMING from frustration at what some of the characters have to deal with.

And honestly, I think it's a marker of how well this book is written that I felt genuine anger towards a lot of the side characters.

The romance is also very believable; and even though the story centres around Ruben and Zach, all of the band members are still fleshed out and given page time, including their relationships with each other which was important to see and added to my investment in the band's success. I was rooting for them all, even while they were making bad choices.

I really enjoyed Only Mostly Devastated, and Sophie is what drew me to this book initially, but I'll definitely be following up on Cale Dietrich after this.

5 stars all the way.

I've really enjoyed the two Sophie Gonzales books I've read, and I really feel she captures the angst of WHO AM I? and coming out, really well.

When a two author back and forth works well, it's an absolute joy, seeing the same events from different perspectives, with their lived experiences colouring their view of the world.

But with 'If This Gets Out', I'm not sure the two voices are distinct enough - I had to read the speech sections to see what the other name was to work out who's perspective I was reading - especially right at the start.

The ABSOLUTE POWER of this book though, isn't that it's just a 'does he like me, does he not, is he gay, or is he straight' - but the damning take on the commercial side of the music industry - starting on the fandom, and the intrusion that has on their lives, but ending somewhere much darker, much bigger, and much more REAL.

I think this tone change, at around 50% of the way through, was when I really started to devour this book, snatching time with it whenever I could, rather than it being just something nice to read.

4 Stars

I looooooved this book. Everything about it. From the second I read the blurb I knew I was going to enjoy it, it has everything you could want from a YA romance. LGBTQ+ representation. Strong friendships. Best friends to lovers/forbidden love trope.

The characters are so well developed and easy to love. The plot is fantastic and there's so many serious topics covered throughout but its all handled EXTREMELY well.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. I've already preordered my copy💜

Overall rating - 5 stars🌟

e-Arc provided by Hachette Children's Group, Hodder Children's Books via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own. My thanks to Hachette Children's Group, Hodder Children's Books for providing me with the arc for review. It is worth noting I had already pre-ordered this book. Release Date: 6th January 2022

Plot
Ruben and Zach are both in a world famous boyband, Saturday. Ruben is openly gay to his friends and family, but must keep it a secret from the public. While on tour in Europe sparks fly between Ruben and Zach, things between them go from friendship to romance. The boys begin a relationship all while dealing with the pressure of being in one of the biggest boybands in the middle of a tour.

Tropes: Friends-to-Lovers, Secret Relationship, Coming Out, First Love, Workplace Romance (to name a few!).

Thoughts
I'm not going to lie, I bought into the TikTok hype. I saw this book all over TikTok a few months ago, and immediately pre-ordered it. When it popped up on NetGalley I had to request an Arc, I never thought I'd get approved but am so thankful I did!

The Relationship:
I love the relationship that develops between Ruben and Zach. When we meet the boys, they are close friends, from my read they appear to be the closest friendship of the band foursome. Ruben is openly gay (at least within the band, the band management doesn't want him to come out publicly), and he appears to have feelings for Zach but doesn't act on them. Meanwhile Zach believes he is straight until a drunken encounter following a party. The boys become closer as they journey through Europe on tour.

The Band:
I love the band! They felt so real, and the dynamics between the four of them was so good. Angel and Jon (the other two bandmates) are both great, and very supportive friends.

The Writing Style:
The book flips back between Ruben and Zach's perspectives, and both boys are well developed with their family relationships, friendships, relationship to the band and their feelings for each other throughout the book. I also loved how the book used social media and texting, without it feeling very overdone. I feel like with books about celebrities it is would be easy to fall into overusing social media, and was pleasantly surprised that this book did not do that.

Made Me Cry:
What made me cry is actually a spoiler!

Representation
LGBT
- Male/Male main relationship
- MC is Gay, Other MC is Bisexual
BIPOC
- MC is Spanish
- Side Character is Asian

I love a boyband book so was hooked on this from the start. I loved the characters and the storyline and the relationships between them all.. I thought what it had to say about the restrictions imposed on some artists was really thoughtfully done.

'If This Gets Out' is an interesting look into the music industry and its fandoms, something that I think ultimately makes a thrilling romance novel as a result.

Zach and Ruben's relationship was developed sweetly and realistically, though I did feel the miscommunication trope was overused at times. Their eventual communication and inner turmoil felt very real, though, and I appreciated the realism blended into their relationship, something I think is very important due to the nature of the novel. The focus on the boyband as a whole- their relationship with their fans, each other, and their management- was a real shining point for this novel, and something I absolutely loved seeing.

At some points, the pop culture references did feel slightly forced and cringe inducing, but that was likely unavoidable with the focus of the book being what it is, and I think for the most part this was handled with care.

Overall, this was definitely an intriguing setup for a novel, and a beautifully crafted romance!

3.5

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!)