It had really good themes to explore: substance abuse, young teenage love, exploitation in the industry. but the writing felt childish (and so did the characters). ultimately i’ve read better fanfiction than this - but it was still alright (and that’s just bc i liked zach).

I'm not saying it is, but I'm not saying it's not. And those who know, know.

I thought it was a cute book with a very interesting dive into the world of boybands and management of boybands. I loved that during a time when one character was going off the deep end, they banded together to help him. Even if it came too late and they all saw the signs ahead of time.

All in all, would read again!

If This Gets Out is a charming, well-paced, funny, and emotional love story that any fans of boy bands and the music industry will find equally entertaining and fascinating. Read my full review here: https://culturess.com/2021/12/07/if-this-gets-out-is-a-queer-boy-band-romcom/ as well as my interview with the authors: https://culturess.com/2021/12/16/if-this-gets-out-queer-romance/.

Zach and Ruben are two members of a wildly successful boy band, Saturday. This book is told from their alternating POVs. As they tour, their friendship evolves into something more. They are torn between revealing their romance to the world and keeping the status quo. I enjoyed this even though LGBTQAI+/YA is generally not in my wheelhouse. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The members of Saturday, a fictional band modeled after One Direction, met at music camp as teens, and now at eighteen are hugely famous and on their first international tour. The singers are increasingly chafing at the archetypal boxes that management presses them into: the bad boy, the goofy one, the sexy one, the boy next door. The tour doesn't leave any time for actual touring, it's one locked hotel room after another. And fans have gone from cheering at a distance to smothering in their screaming adoration. Told in alternating chapters by Zach and Ruben, If This Gets Out details their affectionate friendship and growing attraction, Zach coming to terms with coming out, and the response from their colleagues, management, families and fans. Ruben has known he was gay for a long time, but recognizes their brands are designated to cultivate a wide fan base, and keeps things discreet. Management has been telling him since he was sixteen that he can't come out; they promise that he and Zach can disclose their relationship publically "after Russia" but as time goes on, it seems like NO time is a good time to rock the boat.

This novel for teens is a sex (not TOO detailed), drugs and rock and roll lifestyle expose and critique that feels disturbingly realistic as it captures the sexualization of youth and homophobia still present in the entertainment industry and the high pressure environment of impossibly perfect standards and exhausting schedule that successful performers endure. The character development is strong as the members push through stereotypes and strain at their confines. Ruben's passive-aggressive (possibly narcissistic, if I were diagnosing) mother is a piece of work, constantly berating him for not being good enough; Zach is sweet but confused, Jon is open minded but comes from a super-religious family, and his dad happens to be the big deal music producer that formed their boy band; Angel is delving into drugs and getting out of control. Ruben and Zach's romance is fraught with fear but also passion. When the lovers try to spin the narrative on their own, the management company turns on them... but then their moms show up as a united front.

This novel could have gone so wrong, and read like bad 1D fanfiction, but it beautifully explores insecurity, anxiety, and a lot of other complicated emotions about people who love each other, change, and spend a lot of time in proximity. For another more adult look at romance while boy-band famous, read The Idea of You by Robinne Lee.

I checked this ebook out of the local library via #OverDrive.

With the world watching what happens to Brittany Spears and other teen stars, this is the book we need. A look into the abuse that so commonly happens in the music industry. But just about the time you have given up this book has a love story that makes it worth it again. I love the dynamic between the two main characters. After reading "I'm glad my mother died", I was worried this book would also make me feel sad. But the characters and this story was a breath of fresh air.

This one was a nice read. Although not inspired in the least but If you are a reader that loved One Direction and was into those fanfics about the members this the perfect book, But at the same time is so much more.
Sophie Gonzales does an amazing job carving out Ruben and Zach love story. And the troubles they go to hide it and to not let the company used or destroyed their love. This book also sheds light on others members troubles which I loved.
Overall this was a nice read and a book that many that loved romance and boy bands will enjoy.

I was so disappointed.
I went into this expecting a cute rom-com, and it fell flat.
also so much of this was just characters refusing to communicate with each other and that irked me

also the absolute Parasocialism(?) of the way they treated their fans….. babes you don’t know those people and they certainly don’t know you so why are we doing that whole “we love you so much” act

As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes the entertainment industry (more the theatre sector than the music sector admittedly, but there’s a lot of crossover), you’d think that I wouldn’t want to also be reading about the industry for fun. But honestly, I’ve always loved books that focus on the entertainment industry, especially when I was younger and just starting to develop an interest in it, and this one was no exception.

As unfortunate as it is to say, based on what I know about the entertainment industry as someone studying it in an age of increased accountability for the powers in charge, Saturday’s story felt very authentic. I never really had any boyband obsessions growing up - I only ever listened to One Direction casually, though I had a pretty embarrassing Bieber phase, and I didn’t fall in love with Big Time Rush until shortly after finishing this book - but a lot of my friends did; even that secondhand exposure to what boyband fandom is like and the internal and external pressure that any boyband’s members are under was enough for me to know that the experiences of these characters is not that exaggerated, if at all.

As a result, my heart hurt for all four members of Saturday and what they have to deal with throughout the book, but especially for Zach and Ruben, whose perspectives and experiences are the most prevalent. All four characters are well developed, and I found it interesting to see how their personas changed when they were alone / with each other and when they were in front of press or fans. I really loved seeing them slowly gain the strength to stand up for themselves against their management company, with their fans and their families rallying behind them. The ending really warmed my heart, and it gives me a lot of hope for the real-life industry too!

The only thing I really disliked about this book was the pacing. It takes a while for Zach and Ruben to kiss and even longer for them to get together, so they spend a lot more time just being annoyed and angry at each other than actually being together. I was really invested once they decide to make their relationship official and subsequently fight for their freedom from their management, and I wish more of the story had focused on that rather than the tension leading to them getting together, especially once I got to the end and I wanted to know more about how their career progresses from there. I also wish that there was more about Jon - I felt like he gets less focus because of how much of the plot centers on Zach, Ruben, and Angel, and I would have liked for him to have a more significant role.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who’s ever loved a boyband and wanted the members of said boyband to win the freedom to be themselves that they deserve.

PS: Is it too much to ask to be able to hear Saturday’s music?

**I received this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for an honest review**

Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon are members of the boy-band Saturday. Ruben is out to a handful of people, including the group, but he’s being pressured to stay in the closet when it comes to everyone else. He’s been wanting to come out for years but according to management, it’s not the right time. Confiding in Zach his many frustrations had their already close relationship developing into something more during their European tour.

I really liked Ruben. He was a straightshooter who questioned everything. Zach was more timid. He went with the flow way too often and took people’s word as gospel. His struggle was for sure real when it came to his sexuality. I found his emotions tough but loved the believability of it all.

The drama between these two friends was something else. I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Zach throughout. While this story was mainly about Ruben and Zach, I liked that we were able to get to know Angel and Jon a lot. I loved each of their personalities. It took me a minute to get a gage on Jon, but Angel was over the top from the start. He had no problems being the life of the party any day of the week
Overall, I loved the group and loved Zach and Ruben.

As a big fan of both One Direction and Sophie Gonzales, I was very excited to read this book! The storyline was very engaging and I loved all of the twists - some were definitely unexpected! This book made for a great book club discussion.

Actual Rating: 4.5

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book, and I was glad to see it lived up to the hype. Ruben and Zach were very cute, and it was easy to root for their relationship and their personal growth as Ruben had to contend with an awful mother and being forced to remain closeted and Zach had to deal with coming into his sexuality and standing up for himself. I fully wanted to cuss out Chorus Management the further I got into the story, and I think the authors did a great job of depicting the way gatekeepers and industry professionals retain their power over others. There were also other serious topics written into the book like addiction, which showed the downsides to fame and the consequences to not feeling in control of your own life. Overall, if you’ve ever been obsessed with a boyband, this eye-opening and entertaining book might be for you.

For fans of bandom and books like Grace and The Fury, this book is about the friendship and closeness of a boyband and the pressures of its queer members. Set against the backdrop of a European band tour and a best friends boyband romance, this book is thrilling and riveting.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

This was a cute story and I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I also liked that it delt with the darker side of the music/entertainment industry it always good to remind people that it's not all fun and games.

The things that I didn't like as much was this really felt like fanfic it was cute don't get me wrong but I remember ready similar stories before. And even though I did like showing the darker side of the entertainment industry I've notice this seems to be a really big trend right now and have been seeing it and reading it a lot lately.

All and all cute with a little edge and I'm glad I read it.

This book does an excellent job of exploring how it feels to explore your sexuality, specifically bisexuality. As someone who identifies as bisexual, there were so many moments that I felt seen, which is incredibly important. The main characters were incredible and their love story felt authentic, authentically sweet, awkward and believable. I was enraged at their record label and management, which is definitely the point. I could absolutely see this happening in the world of entertainment today. I think this book is important and enjoyed it.

Absolutely adored this book! As always a sucker for a good queer lit romance and this ticked all the boxes.
Zach and Ruben are band mates in one for the biggest boybands in America, but the glitz and glamour is not all it seems. Their lives along with their other bandmates Angel and Jon, are regimented and under constant watch from management. Not outside the norm with busy schedules and an upcoming tour, however cracks are forming for Ruben who is being forced to stay in the closet to protect the created image of the teen heartthrobs. This only gets harder when Zach grows ever closer to maybe something more than friends?
The whole story was engaging and well paced, and the characters outside the main just added to the whole mix to make this a joy to read.
Aside from the romance it broached some very real subjects faced by people thrust into the limelight and really shone a light on the darker side of fame (burnout, hiding sexuality, drugs and drink, control). This element just added to an already strong story and characters leaving the message that despite the odds, and the risks, being your true self in this one life is the most important thing you can do.
Already own this in my library and it is loved by the teens.

A look backstage in the music industry

Sweet slow burn teenage love story, full of miscommunication, doubt and passion that’s very believable. It’s also almost an exposé of some of the sharp practices of the music industry, and how artists are ‘managed’ or controlled, and not allowed to be themselves. It’s not exactly news, there are plenty of celebs that toed the line until they could control their own career and take a new direction. A good read.

It is not surprised I loved this - as I truly am a Sophie Gonzales fangirl!

This book was fantastic, not only cute and romantic, but angsty and interspersed with some real issues.

Supremely likable characters with real problems despite being in a boy band and elevated to celebrity status.

They rush from city to city, which I suppose aligns perfectly with how Ruben and Zach feel. They aren’t able to enjoy any of the cities, even when their managers promise they will have time. The cities blur together, the focus being on Zach and Ruben, and on Jon and Angel as more of background characters.

I felt so bad for all of them, constantly let down by their managers. Their managers made promises upon promises but didn’t even care when Angel was on drugs or having loud parties, so long as the actual public didn’t find out and it wasn’t publicized. The team dresses and styles the band, from clothing and hairstyles to their actual personalities. It definitely has me wondering if that’s the norm when it comes to any band, young bands especially. How do impressionable young people figure out who they are when someone else is directing their lives? The friendship between the boys is problematic and imperfect but they can talk to each other. They can confess secrets and confide in one another, easily. They’re all close, in different ways. Zach and Ruben, and Jon and Angel, but also in various different ways. They sacrifice a lot for each other just to keep the peace with their management company.

The two authors blend seamlessly together. I will say it was hard, at times, to remember who was speaking. If I didn’t pay attention to the chapter header, I wouldn’t have the right mental picture and then be shocked when someone referred to Zach, thinking I was reading Zach, but it turned out I was reading Ruben. I always have that trouble with dual POV books, so I think it’s just a me thing.

The plot gets tropey at times, but I overall enjoyed this book. If This Gets Out fits in to my favorite little niche genre: queer band fiction. There’s I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman, and It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland. I’m sure there are others but these two hold a special place in my heart and I’m happy to say this book joins them there. I was never a follower of boy bands, in particular One Direction. I don’t know how closely this aligns with a certain slew of fanfics in that fandom, or how it relates to real life events in any way. I was just happy to read and enjoy this little slice of fictional boy band life.

I would highly recommend this book to my audience. I’m such a fan of Sophie Gonzales and a new fan of Cale Deitrich. Their queer romance, with bi inclusion, makes me so happy. Everything I’ve read of Gonzales includes bi rep and this one happened to be a coming out story, as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy, which I’m apparently reviewing a year late. Still much appreciated, even after all this time.

Honestly, this book took me a bit to get through once I hard started it. I liked it, and the storyline, but it just felt off with how the pace was going. I enjoyed the characters, but it was giving STRONG Larry fanfiction vibes, which I was completely okay with. The romance was very cute and I love the concept of bandmates falling in love with each other. I would definitely recommend this book, because it was a good and cute read!