I'm a huge fan of boy bands so when I had a chance to read this book I knew I would like it

I will admit it took me a few weeks to really get into the story. It was a bit slow at the beginning and I believe it was because there was so much back story and people in the book. I was in my feelings towards the end as Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon were all dealing with problems. Many topics were brought up such as drug addiction, queer identities and anxiety.

I enjoyed it and would recommend! Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC!

Sophie Gonzales wrote one of my most beloved books of 2020 with “Only Mostly Devastated” and Cale Dietrich has written a pair of fantastic books that both have ended up in my top 20 of their respective years with “The Love Interest” and “The Friend Scheme”. When I found out the two were writing a book together I was ecstatic before I even knew the concept.
“Saturday” is the most famous boy band in the world, and are embarking in a world tour when the story starts. Jon, Angel, Ruben, and Zach are the best of friends and know everything about each other, despite the record label controlling everything about them…their appearance, their public image, their schedule, and, in Ruben’s case, his sexuality. When a kiss between him and Zach happens, Ruben is hesitant…is Zach just using him like everyone else? Isn’t Zach straight? How would the group, and more importantly, the record label and fan base react? Zach, I’m turn, is not sure why he finds himself so drawn to Rueben, but he is, and he knows this attraction has the potential to ruin everything they’ve built as a band.
HI HELLO THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK IF THE YEAR SO FAR. Oh my god, I can’t gush over these 4 boys enough, so I’m gonna attack them both one by one.
Ruben: I related the most to Ruben (as much as you can relate to a famous pop star) with a passive aggressive overbearing mother, Ruben has been used to the guys in his life using him for fame, or to figure out his sexuality. He’s also become used to the record label surpassing that sexuality. His hurt jumps off the page, especially during the period Zach is taking to figure himself out. His fighting spirit though is the propeller this story needs and I love his narrative.
ZACH: Zach. Zach. Zach. (Picture some cheering g this from a crowd cuz I 100% would be a Zach stan) what a pure hearted kind person he his. Selfless to a fault, and that is addressed, but a sweet kind soul that perfectly balanced Ruben. His struggle with coming to terms with his bisexuality while also navigating the world of fame was an eye opening read, and makes you think of how much pressure is out onto gay and bi men to hide their identities in the entertainment industry.
Angel: I have never wanted to just wrap my arms around a character and protect them as much as I wanted to from Angel. This guy, rightfully so, goes through alit in this book. Seriously, the authors did not hold back with his addiction problems and the racism that faces him from within the record label. He’s crying out for help and it isn’t until tragedy hits that it’s taken seriously. His unconditional support of Ruben and Zach through all of that is just the cherry on top of my love for him.
Jon: probably the least developed character, in my opinion. All’s e really know about Jon is his dad is the record label head. His development really comes after Angel’s tragedy, and his heart shines through with the live he has with his friends.
I loved every singe second of this book. Seriously, I could not get to the end fast enough. If there is a god, this pair of fantastic authors will come together again to write a sequel because I NEED one.

I was kindly gifted an e-arc for this book, and holy shit. From the first chapter, this book sucks you in and makes you root for the characters. It’s so well written and you don’t fell it as two people writing a book together but as two characters telling their story in alternating chapters. It gets a tiny bit long at one point, but that said, I finished reading this at 2 in the morning and I am gonna go preorder it now, because I definitely need a physical copy of this gem of a book!

As a person with a future in the music business, If This Gets Out instantly appealed to me. I will gobble up literally anything that has anything to do with the entertainment business, and this book was no exception. It was fascinating to delve into the lives of the boys of Saturday; it felt like a peak behind the curtain. The characters are lovable, the plot is interesting, and it checks the boxes on my own personal passions. There were times when I felt the pacing was off, either a tad fast or a bit too slow, but overall I’m really glad I was able to read this book. I think the stories of Zach and Ruben and their differing experiences with sexuality are incredibly important, especially in the context of coming out in the public eye. This was a read I really enjoyed and I look forward to reading more work from each author.

2.5 stars / 5

Struggled with the star rating and it may change over the next few days.

At first I found the writing style a bit clunky and awkward. The first person "I did ___" and "I am" between two similar characters' perspective was difficult to get used to. I don't think I've ever read a book where the two characters in a romantic relationship are the main perspectives. Interesting to get contrasting views on the same relationship!

A lot of great topics were covered: addictions, navigating stardom while coming to terms with sexuality, and pressures on young celebrities.

Bits of the novel made me epically cringe (Group hug? "I love group hugs")

I know its 2021 but we haven't progressed thaaat far. Its important to have queer books that represent coming out stories that are messy and weird and frustrating.

Come for the cute romance and stay for the scathing look into the dark side of the music industry. I don’t think any part of me expected to feel as much as I did while reading this book. Between seeing myself in Zach’s queer awakening, and also resonating with Ruben’s incredibly complicated relationship with his mother, this book really hit home for me. And that’s all unrelated to what this book has to say about artist management and fandom perception. This books feels incredibly relevant right now, as we learn more everyday about how a lot of artists have been turned into commodities by their management teams. Comparisons can be drawn to one specific boy band, obviously, but this book is much larger than that.

A boyband that actually gets along has two queer members who are forced to hide their relationship as they are all exploited by their management company with varying degrees of support from their families... what could go wrong?

The romance between Ruben and Zach was sweet and sexy, but not too steamy which I thought was just right for this book and I was totally here for it. The chemistry and friendship between all the guys was great, and I felt the camaraderie and the frustration as they suffered at the hands of the management company and the label. I genuinely LIKED all of them, empathized with them, and rooted for them. They each had to pretend to be people they weren't to fit a role when the people they actually were... well, those guys were already pretty great.

Be warned, at just over 400 pages, your patience will likely start to wear thin with management's antics. It almost becomes redundant after a while. It would have been nice to see more engagement with the fans.

There is good representation is with main characters that are poc and also a gay and bi main character.

It deals with some very big topics like artist exploitation, substance abuse, emotional abuse, mental health, LGBTQIA rights and homophobia.

There is one aspect of the writing I found extremely distracting, and that is the overuse of italicized words for emphasis. It was at least once a page for most of the book in places where it didn't make any sense. As I was reading an ARC, I hope this gets reviewed and edited prior to final publication.

I predict this will be great on audio. The narrator is listed as Ramon de Ocampo, the same narrator for Casey McQuiston's Red, White, & Royal Blue. He did a fantastic job with some big personalities in that novel, and I look forward to seeing what he'll be doing in this one!

#IfThisGetsOut #NetGalley

Overall I liked the story and thought it was entertaining.

I enjoyed the dynamics of the group and liked the theme that people are happiest when they can be themselves.

My biggest issue was that I didn't really think Zach and Ruben had distinct enough voices. With each chapter switching perspectives I kept having to go back and double check who was telling the story at that point or wait for the chapter narrator refer to the other boy.

It's a good book for anyone who's interested in boy bands and wants a story about young adults figuring out their sexuality and what they want in life.

This premise is *chef's kiss*- two boyband members who are longtime friends falling in love and having to keep their relationship a secret. It obviously draws a lot from fan-fiction and all the people who shipped members of One Direction. Ruben and Zach are both members of the boyband, Saturday. Ruben knows deep down that he's gay and that he's had a thing for Zach for a really long time, but he presumes that Zach is straight. One night after a raucous party, the two kiss, and gay panic ensues. Eventually they enter into a secret relationship, but with their bandmate's mental health issues, the pressure from their management company, and the unpleasant realities of being famous, their secrets get harder and harder to hide. Overall, this was a heartwarming romance with unexpected depths.
I think one aspect of this book that didn't work for me was the premise/cover and the actual tone of the book. I was expecting something light-hearted and just plain fun, but it hurt reading the interactions between Zach and Ruben after their first kiss. I appreciated that there were some tougher issues, but it just wasn't what I was expecting from this book. I'll be purchasing a copy for my library.

I read a physical galley of this and wanted to leave my review here as well.

Whoa. That pretty much sums up my reaction and feelings for this novel. Not since Adam Silvera have I read such realized drama in starcrossed lovers... and I fell in love with how they interacted with one another. At first glance a touching romance, dives deep into stardom and how it eats at the mind and relationships. This one is not to miss, and I hope that Gonzales and Dietrich continue to write more characters like this.

The saddest part about this book was that when I finished it, I left this world and these characters and I couldn’t go see the boys of Saturday perform live at a concert. The best books are the ones that make you forget that what you’re reading is entirely fictional because so many aspects feel real.

If This Gets Out focuses on two members of the boy-band Saturday. Ruben has for a long time had heart eyes for Zach who himself is beginning to realize that the way he feels about Ruben is probably more than just a bro-y friendship.

What a fascinating look into how controlling and destructive the music industry can be, especially when it comes to a meticulous image that is promoted for the sole reason of making money. I felt for all of these characters and the struggles they faced.

I could have read so many chapters of the four boys of Saturday, especially Angel (who is the clear favorite of both Sophie and Cale). Like I said earlier, I found myself forgetting that this wasn’t a real band with real songs I could listen to whenever I wanted. I found myself itching to pull up Spotify to hear their songs and then being disappointed when I couldn’t That’s how good and lived in this entire world is.

Zuben forever.

5 stars.

If This Gets Out follows the secret relationship of Ruben and Zach, one half of the boyband Saturday.

When I started this book, I was immediately drawn in my the unique qualities of each of the characters and how they each helped progress the story along. Watching the fragile dynamic between Chorus, their management company, and Saturday really engaged me and made me beg for more. I read the majority of this ARC in one sitting and I loved every second of it. There was never a dull moment and the romance between Zach and Ruben (or as their fans dubbed them, “Zuben”) was sweet and complicated and beautiful. I recommend this book to any young queer people who’ve struggled with coming to terms with their sexuality, or have been forced to hide who they are. Anyone can find comfort in each of the boys, queer or not. Something I found interesting was how each of the characters has a unique personality in which anyone could relate to, similar to how the Chorus management team built up their stage personalities to appeal to anyone and everyone. Normally, I prefer my romance to be slow burn, but the plot and pacing was executed so perfectly that I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. Overall, an amazing read and I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone.

The main tropes for this book include secret relationships and the boyband trope. Trigger warning for drug abuse and homophobia.

Fans of Date Me Bryson Keller will love this boy band book about figuring out who you are, and who you aren't. We will definitely purchase this for our high school library. It will be a lovely compliment to our LGBTQ collection.

This is a two-part disclaimer:

Pt. 1
I did not like this book, but that doesn’t mean you (whoever you are) won’t like it either. I believe there are many out there who will swoon over these characters. I, unfortunately, was not one of them.

Pt. 2
I need to preface this review by mentioning that I think boy bands are a plague. There, I said it. Good for you if you like them. Good for you if you stan K-Pop. It’s not for me. For that, I blame my age and my sheer ignorance of that genre of music. Fin.

Okay, all that aside… the review:

At the beginning, it was was hard to remember who was who, and each of the main characters’ physical descriptions. We’re thrown a few more side characters, too, and I’m like… “it’s only been five pages, and I already have to know seven or eight different people? Dang.” Also, what the heck is up with this clear and unmistakeable diversity checklist of a boy band? We have a: Hispanic member, white, black, and Asian member. I’m all for inclusivity, but this just feels tacked on and forced. The PoC characters feel almost sidelined supporting players to Zach’s, the white boy, story (even though Ruben has a POV).

It’s clear from the beginning how this was going to end, which kind of takes some of the fun out it. I need a slower burn—I CRAVE it, and I didn’t get it here. Basically, if you remove the homophobia & angst, there’s really no plot. It’s actually pretty hollow. The initial moment the two main characters get together is not handled well, from a believability standpoint, either. The emotions/actions are so misread, it’s annoying. I rolled my eyes at, ”He’s only kissing me to boost his self-esteem.” Like, what a cop-out response to generate dozens of more pages of unnecessary angst. It didn’t make sense, character-wise. Unnecessary angst could’ve easily been remedied if the characters actually talked to one another. I don’t understand how it is so hard to be open and honest? The whole “miscommunication” trope was overplayed. I didn’t like how addiction was handled, either.

The writing is… not the best. I don’t know what more to say. I’ve only read one other work by Mr. Dietrich, and I can say it’s a lot of telling rather than showing, which is a shame.

I really wanted to fall in love with this book. I thought I could. I gave it a shot, and it shot me right back.

Usually I find it harder to connect to mlm books than wlw but despite the entire book being about a boy band, this was surprisingly relatable. The emotions were raw and real and the everyday miscommunication that happens in new love happens everywhere. I was angry at these two. I cried over these two. I wished for a sapphic but equivalent relationship to these two. Definitely highly recommended

The synopsis of this book leads you to believe that this will be a cute romance book following two members of a boyband, but it is so much more. In this book we follow both Ruben and Zach, two members of the biggest boy group Saturday. They are at the height of their fame and about to embark on the European leg of their world tour. Dealing with the pressures and restrictions that their management company has put them under, the boys are become more restless and reckless. Their carefully crafted personas are coming undone, and they start to risk their public image. But could that all be worth it if they find love and themselves along the way.

So when I read the synopsis, I thought this would be a cute romcom book and a good summer read, but I got a lot more. This book deals a lot with the pressures of being in the industry and the exploration a lot of people have to deal with while under their management companies. I felt so bad for these boys and all the stuff they had to deal with. They were told what personality they had to have, clothes to wear, when and where they could come out. There is also familial pressures in here, and some characters having to deal with not only the criticism of the public, but the criticism from their own families. There is also an exploration on how all this pressure can lead to substance and drug abuse, which I thought was intersting. All this to say, this book is more than just a typical romance. I do wish some of these topics wrapped up a little better in the end, as they seemed magically fixed.

The characters in this book were also so great. I loved Ruben and how unafraid he was to be himself, even with the people around him telling him he can't. Zach went through such an important character arc in this book, starting as a people pleaser, and moving into who he truly was. Jon and Angel, though the secondary characters, also were fully developed and fleshed out, which I love to see. The romance was a little quick moving, but I thought it was really cute and I still really enjoyed it.

Overall this is a cute book, with a cute romance and discussions on hard hitting topics.

If you've ever shipped members of a boyband or spent hours reading fan fiction about boybands this book will be right up your alley. If This Gets Out follows two members of a band called Saturday as they navigate international stardom and a secret relationship.

I definitely think that this book had its moments. I was intrigued by the discussion of exploitation in the music industry and of course was excited for the romance too. With that being said I think that this lacked a lot of depth. There were the beginnings of discussions on drug abuse, disordered eating, and more all of which were consequences of the power that Saturday's management company had over them. Instead of looking deeper at these the story instead was repetitive in nature surrounding entirely on teen angst and a relationship that I found lacked chemistry.

Ruben and Zach were the narrators of the story and despite being best friends and eventually falling for each other I didn't really get it. Zach was indecisive to the point that I was actually angry with him. He was a people pleaser to the extreme and while this did become a central conflict I didn't finish the book thinking that he had changed at all. Ruben was a fine character, I don't have much to say about him on that front I think that his family drama was a unique plot point and I felt a lot of sympathy for him and all that he had gone through. The other members of Saturday were at times more intriguing than the narrators but I understand why Zach and Ruben were chosen for the main characters.

In terms of the writing it really did bring me back to high school and reading fan fiction late into the night. I think that this will be a big appeal to readers. Again, it was a fun concept and I think that anyone who has ever shipped members of a boyband might be interested in this. I think that if the plot had interested me more I would have flown through it but I ended up reading it a lot slower than I expected to. From the synopsis and the way that the book began I definitely expected this to be more dramatic than it actually was. Moments of conflict or drama would start to pop up, or there would be an event that seemed to foreshadow something bigger but then all of it just fizzled out. Then the ending arrived and it all wrapped up conveniently with a nice tight bow. It didn't bother me but it didn't impress me either. I really can't come up with any other way to describe this other than it was fine.

Were you ever obsessed with a band, singer, or other celebrity? Did you read fanfiction, follow them on social media, and perhaps even ship them with other celebrities? I think a lot of us have at some point. If that sounds like you, If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is the perfect read for you! It follows the story of Ruben and Zach, two members of an American boyband called Saturday. As they develop feelings for one another, they realize that their managers may not allow them to reveal their relationship to the public — ever. Along with their fellow bandmates, Angel and Jon, they have to decide whether they want to continue hiding themselves or finally show the world who they really are.

If This Gets Out was a delightful read! It was both funny and heartbreaking. The band members all felt like such real people, and their struggles were poignant. They changed and grew throughout the story. Their character arcs were satisfying and inspiring. I was rooting for them the whole time!

While this is a wonderful queer romance, the book also focuses heavily on the struggles of being a celebrity, especially one who is young and not straight. It’s easy for us to think that celebrities live a charmed life — they’re rich, successful, and famous. What more could they want? This book shows that behind their glittering exteriors, celebrities are ordinary people who have been broken down, dehumanized, and taken advantage of. If This Gets Out exposes that and shows how much it affects people. It’s a reminder that the people we put on pedestals who seem to have it all are ultimately just people like us who want to live their lives authentically.

If This Gets Out releases on December 7, 2021, so please go preorder it now or buy it when it comes out!

While I've seen some comparisons to certain boy band OTP fanfic, this book delivered way more than I was expecting. A friendship story, a coming out story, an addiction story, a body image story, and much more, If This Gets Out touches on all the pressure points of Young Adult literature without being heavy handed or trite.
The main characters, Ruben and Zach, are a part of a boy band with international superstardom status. The plot explores what it's like to be that famous, and to be forced into presenting yourself as someone you're not. Supporting characters John and Angel have their own struggles within and outside the band, and the four men struggle to express themselves in an industry that wants them to be cardboard cutout heartthrobs.
I found the book to be well-paced, and the characters to be flawed in just the right way.
Recommend for anyone who has ever fought to be who they are.

What is it with me and reading heavy books back-to-back? It's like my life isn't hard enough or something.

My sleep disorder has been switching from excessive sleep to nonexistent sleep like a girl changes clothes these days, and I initially started reading because I wasn't feeling any of my other current reads and just needed something to ease me into sleep. LOL THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

This is now my second Sophie Gonzalez book to have finished at 3am. Except this one was more like 4am because it was longer than Only Mostly Devastated.

Her writing is just so addictive! And she writes characters as if they're the friends you make plans with on weekends. I read a whole book with 90% male characters and gave it 5 stars. Only Sophie can do something that. The amount of ANGST contained in one book should be illegal, but in her own words, "Angst is like garlic" and apparently, they were fully aware that you can never have too much.

Why is this book so heavy if it's about a boy band that is obviously inspired by One Direction with two of the members falling in love? Because their management is abusive and refuses to allow anyone to have a public identity outside of the carefully curated ones since their initial formation. We follow Zach, a sweet and sensitive kid that thinks he is straight. Ruben is the other lead, openly gay to his label and family since age 13, but mysterious and seemingly available to all their screaming female fans, thanks to their PR. The other two members are Angel, who is Asian and struggling with drug abuse to escape the racism he experiences from his toxic work environment, and Jon, a half-Black boy whose father is the band's manager and who wants the opposite of everything his dad wants for him.

So basically, your average YA. Not.

I'm so mad at myself for not checking the release date for this one because it's not out for another five months! And I need to talk to someone about it! This isn't fair! If this ever gets out (lol get it) I will be the one with the Zuben sweatshirt screaming on Twitter, thank you.

The devastation of these young adults (all of them are 18 or older) facing the worst the industry could throw at them and being forced to hide their truest selves or risk never working their dream job again. The stomach-flipping suspense of secret and forbidden relationships. The lack of air I breathed as the book continued to somehow get more and more intense?? Like how did these two think of so much conflict and then knowingly write it all??

Can't believe I almost forgot to mention that this is hella sex positive!! I'd honestly say this borders on new adult with some of the heavy themes and semi-graphic to graphic sex scenes. We stan mature YA in this house!!

This book hurt. But it also was amazing. You should read it.

TW: forced outing, drug abuse, toxic parent, toxic work environment/abusive management, internalized homophobia