I'm going to be real. This book disappointed me. I had such high hopes and expectations for this novel and it fell short of them in several accounts. That might partially be on me, for going into it with those expectations. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and whilst I did undoubtedly enjoy it, I didn't adore it.

I had issues with both of the characters, both characters felt a little one-dimensional and inconsistent and there was a lot of flip-flopping. And whilst their relationship had some undeniably cute moments I felt that their chemistry was touch and go and a lot of the time I just didn't buy it. I really liked Angel as a character and wish we had more of him, actually, I wish we had more scenes with all the boys together in general. I feel like this book had a lot of pages but still achieved so little in terms of character building and showing relationship bonds.

It was an interesting story though and very emotional in places and was fast-paced and easy to read.

This is probably a 3.5 book but I have rounded up. I did like this but felt it could have been stronger.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

* 3.5 stars.

This was a really sweet and engrossing read that I ended up starting and finishing in the same day! The ensemble cast of characters (particularly the other 2 band members not in the book's central romantic relationship) were incredibly likable, but with more than surface level charm to them to make you really care. The romance itself did feel a little rushed to me, from friends and colleagues to risking it all for each other, but the characters were cute and I'm always down for some bisexual representation so it didn't bother me too much. I also appreciated that this book's third act conflict didn't feel thrown in out of nowhere, the plot flowed nicely and made sense, and there was no breakup for the sake of drama--the conflict simmered away in the background and was satisfying when it came to a head.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Children's Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I loved If This Gets Out so much!
I finished it in a day as I couldn't put the book down!
I absolutely loved the Friendship between Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel.
Also Ruben and Zach had the best slow burn romance and I loved it!
I also loved how the book dealt with darker topics including drug abuse and the Darker side of the music industry.
I highly recommend everyone read this book!
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!!!! Is all I can say.

The red white and royal blue vibes are super noticable in this book, and I mean that as the biggest compliment I could possibly give. From the sarcastic, witty humour through to the sizzling romance (that sometimes borders a little on the edge of NA rather than YA), the high stakes, the glamourous view into the lives of the high profile, the partying and drug use, the chemistry, the found family. Wowwwwww. If a book was ever written for me!

Things I especially appreciated about the book in no particular order:

. There's a really clever technique here where the reader learns along with the boys that their management is more sinister than they come across, and the tone of the book very gradually shifts from almost a rom-com feel at the beginning to a terrifying, tense "what's going to happen" tone towards the end. But it never feels tonally inconsistent. I have no idea how the authors pulled off this tone change in tandem with two different writers, but somehow they did it.

. The discussions of bisexuality. One of the authors is bi, and that really comes across here! Zach's journey from questioning to being confident in his identity is really, really powerful, and a huge highlight of the book. Zach in general is such a sweet, relatable character!

. The representation of emotional abuse. In Ruben's chapters, the parallel between the emotional abuse and control of the band is paired with the emotional abuse and control by his narcissistic mother, and it's one of the best examples of parental emotional abuse I've seen. Not over-the-top villain, and the book takes time to show the sweet side of the parent as well-something that's very common in real life, which is why so many kids find it so hard to go low or no contact. Without spoilers, the way this arc was handled was especially satisfying. I will say that I really appreciated that this wasn't "resolved". I imagine there will be some complaints here from people who like their endings in a bow, but in real life, parents don't magically stop being emotionally abusive, and no-contact is not the ONLY viable answer there, and I rarely see that grey area addressed. Sorry for the tangent, but I needed to highlight this.

. ANGEL. Angel, Angel, Angel. One of the best characters I've ever read. I would die and kill for this man.

. The 70% mark made my life flash before my eyes.

. The writing styles gelled super super well together! This was an inspired pairing.

. So many beautiful lines!!!!!!!

"Kissing him is a key change colliding with a crescendo"

"The truth isn't the problem. The problem is the world doesn't always make the truth safe for us to share."

"We're sold as dream boys. Anything real is ugly."

If This Gets Out follows Zach and Ruben, two members of America’s biggest boyband, Saturday, as they undertake a forbidden romance behind the scenes of their sold-out international tour.

When Saturday commences its first ever world tour, the band is thrilled to be leaving the USA for the first time and traveling Europe. When Ruben and Zach finally admit their feelings for each other and begin dating, their oppressive management team appears initially supportive, although encourages them to keep the relationship—and their sexualities—under wraps for the duration of the tour, for the band’s safety. But as the rules placed on the boys start to seem less about their wellbeing, and more about keeping all four boys on a tight leash, Ruben and Zach start to realize their management team never intend on allowing them to tell the world the truth.

Amazingly written, HILARIOUS, with two distinct voices (I can’t pick which perspective I liked most! I’ll just have to pick both), this book deftly explores a range of important topics, from closeting within the music industry, to the pressures of fame, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, homophobia, emotional abuse, childhood trauma… but somehow it doesn’t ever feel heavy handed or preachy. It’s simply an incredible, fast-paced, well-told story.

The characters are so well fleshed out! There’s Zach, the people-pleasing songwriter of the band who’s cast as the Bad Boy against type, who goes through a complex journey of both realizing he is bisexual and coming to terms with his propensity to put other’s needs before him out of fear rather than selflessness. Ruben, the self-assured former theatre-kid, who’s gay and desperate to come out to the world, but gets shoved into the background by management to keep him in line despite being the band’s most talented singer. Jon, the son of the head of management, who gets shoved into the spotlight and forced to, essentially, sell sex to the fans, despite his religion and morals being incompatible with this. And Angel, the ladies-man party boy who lashes out against the managements attempts to turn him into a sexless boy-next-door type. All four boys are wonderfully, realistically flawed, all have their own arcs, and that is incredibly difficult to do. Usually, side characters will be relegated to having a few lines, but here, we care about the entire band, to the point where it almost feels as though it could be an ensemble piece.

The romance in this book is top notch. The authors have created two characters who are clearly made for each other, and their chemistry is off-the-CHARTS (#zuben). I ship it. Although this book is sold as a romantic contemporary, it almost leans thriller-esque in parts. The stakes grow higher and higher as the four friends find themselves more and more trapped by their management, and as they begin to suffocate, find their safety, and maybe even their lives, at risk. Still, the heavy stuff is undercut with plenty of humour and romantic fluff (there’s even an only-one-bed scene!) in a way that keeps it readable and not too bogged-down in angst and dread. Also, I loved the way that the fans end up being sort of their own character, as the boys work through their changing relationship with their fans, their ambivalence and awe, and how the fans ultimately play a huge role in the plot (I can't say much more without spoilers). These parts of the book felt like a love letter to fandom.

Overall, a romantic, heart-pounding read that manages to be fast-paced despite its length, inclusive, and in some sections, terrifying. Highly recommend.

‘If This Gets Outs’ is very sweet but also quite stressful.
The depiction of the band’s management was horrific - the things they did to keep the secrets wrapped up! Angel’s side story was also quite heartbreaking. The relationship between Zach and Ruben was really sweet and the way it developed felt quite natural (as sweet and natural as it could be in the circumstances). Essentially this booked ended up being a lot more brutal than I expected and I really appreciated the way it explored toxic management and how that affects artists in the industry.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING — Substance abuse. Homophobia. Domineering parents.


This story follows the band Saturday and their world tour., we follow Reuben and Zach. The book is a surface level fun read where the characters are pretty flat and 2d and i personally didn’t get much from them or the relationship.

Book is told from dual perspectives and that was fun and mixed things up.
While the premise was promising, everyone going through a different and unique coming out journey. I just didn’t feel like Zack handled things too well. He was just a very passive character who just went along with what ever was said to him like he couldn’t think for himself. While this character trait was addressed later on. I felt it came to late for it to make him a beloved character..

Reuben is an established queer character however we got very little backstory on this only got some mild background on either main characters. I found again this stopped me connecting with him. Things just felt very flat in progression of the story. Reuben is a very high and mighty guy while doing nothing to deserve to be. Yes his mother sucks and his father is a wet blanket. But that’s no excuse for his shitty behaviour at the beginning of the book.

The 2 other members of the band Jon and Angel actually were far more interesting than either of the love interests (I personally thought) and deserved their own view points and dedicated chapters. I would have loved to have delved more into Angels character more. And other than Jon’s dad being the manager of the group I felt like he was a non entity he could have not been there and it wouldn’t have made to much of a difference. However he was intriguing and I wanted to know more about him.

Pros on the book - dual perspective. Fast read. Surface level fun.

Cons on the book - skimmed over important topics. Made fun of cancel culture. Flat characters.

This was such a cute quick and easy read that was adorable from start to finish. the storyline was good and relatable, the chracters were endearing and relatable and i loved the setting and the band factor. I really enjoyed it and I think Young Adults will too.

4.5 stars!

THIS WAS AMAZING!

I love Sophie Gonzales and I knew that this book of hers with Cale Dietrich was one that I couldn't miss.

We follow Ruben and Zach, members of super famous boyband Saturday. The two along with Angel and Jon, the other two members of the band, have created an unbreakable fanbase and a super tight knight relationship backstage. During an European tour, under all the pressure of performing and all the tight schedules the band is put under, Zach and Ruben end up spending more time together than usual. Until eventually they realise they are falling for each other.

This is absolutely adorable with just enough angst and tension to keep you glued to the page. I'm serious, I read this in one day!

It's so much fun to be reading about the ups and downs of just normal teenage boys who grown famous too quickly and just want to be themselves.

Absolutely a must read for everyone everywhere!!!

3 ¼ stars

“It's been so hard for me to believe that being adored doesn't mean I'm one mistake away from being despised.”


If you are looking for an escapist read, look on further. If This Gets Out is a cute and ultimately uplifting YA romance. It does have the sort of tropes and scenarios that you would get from fanfic but I happened to be in the mood for something cheesy and fun.
I have never been a fan of boybands nor am I into 'shipping' real-life people so I read If This Gets Out on its own merit (ie without drawing comparison to that boyband). Our dual narrators, Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, are members of a famous American boyband, Saturday. While Ruben, Zach, Angel, and Jon all love being in a band together and enjoy the perks that come with their job, they have little freedom (creative or otherwise). Their management has forced them into adopting a certain personality (for example Angel and Jon's 'personas' are shaped by racial stereotypes) and the boys are beginning to resent this. Ruben is gay and is tired of being forced to keep his sexuality a secret. Zach is not too happy with his lyrics always being turned down for not being 'pop' enough. Angel, who is very energetic and loud, turns do drugs and partying. Jon, who happens to be the son of their manager, is clearly not comfortable with being the band's 'sex' symbol.
On a tour to Britain and Europe, things get worse. Their management controls their every move and the boys feel increasingly under pressure. They aren't allowed to do any of the touristy things and their management are constantly monitoring them (often criticising them). Ruben and Zach become particularly close during this time and their feelings are definitely less than platonic. Zach, however, is unsure of his sexuality or what he wants and briefly, things between them don't go too well. Thankfully the story doesn't dwell on their disagreement for too long and the two get together. But as you might guess their management isn't too keen on their romance (given that their audience consists mostly of young girls they have to remain 'available').

The story is certainly entertaining. While most of the adult characters are rather one-dimensional I did like the dynamics within the band. Some of the disagreements between Ruben and Zach did not make much sense (especially towards the end, it seemed like the plotline needed an argument so an argument happened). The narrative mostly focuses on showing how controlling, manipulative, and downright shitty the adults around the boys are (Ruben's mother being the worst of the lot, even if she was not entirely convincing) and the downsides of fame (creepy/stalkery fans etc.). The story is clearly about the freedom to be yourself and being allowed to figure yourself out without others pressuring you into being someone you are not. I appreciated these messages and I did find the novel to be engaging. The writing was decent, but I did find myself preferring Ruben's chapters. At times Ruben and Zach seemed a bit undefined but I didn't really go into this expecting nuanced character studies. If you are looking for an easy read (kind of silly, lil bit angsty) that manages to lightly touch upon some important issues, If This Gets Out may be the right read for you.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a YA book written for teenagers. Had a really fun concept. Mostly stayed on the service level of dealing with the topics. A light, fun, enjoyable read.

THIS BOOK IS EPIC. I couldn't put it down and finished it in less than 24 hours, sneakily reading at work when I was meant to be working. You can't help but root for Zach and Ruben from page 1 and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out how their story ended.

This was so much more than a teen YA book about a boyband, but a book about love, acceptance and fighting for what is right.

I will be recommending this to everyone I know!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.