'what if you've figured out that you might like guys, but you've been scared to do anything about it, because then it would become real?' 🌈

q o t d: favorite boy-band?

⭐⭐⭐⭐

imagine your favorite boy-band, and then imagine two of the members falling for each other. but the band's management team keeps their relationship hidden from your eyes, because you are supposed to look at them as 'dream boys' and apparently them coming out as queer will make them less desirable in your eyes. fucked up, no?

this is what If This Gets Out by @calerdietrich and @sgonzalesauthor is about. though this book was a consequence of one of my random sprees on @netgalley im SO HAPPY I read it before its publication date (7th December) because now I get to recommend this YA banger to yall, with pride!!

my favorite part about this book was how through Zach and Ruben's relationship, the authors depicted that though queer ships may face problems which heterosexual ships may be exempted from; in the end, the things which keep all ships going are the same – active communication about what you want from a ship, and respect and patience towards your partner. because after all, love is love.

Zach's monologues about him being bi and the way him and Ruben struggled with their decision to come out were so beautifully written. I adored the band's picturesque concerts and their costumes too.

also, the dark side of the entertainment industry portrayed in the book really messed up with my head. my heart really went out to the band members. but their romance and friendship had it well-balanced so it was a delight anyway. plus, I was elated to read how the ending not only went just like i wanted it to, but even better than that!

beautiful this was! 🥺♥️🌈

The premise of this book sucked me in SO quick. Though this book deals with two popstars in the limelight, I think the pressure to be someone or something for others in your life is real for a lot of people, including my students. I was engaged the whole time and my stress levels definitely spiked at various points throughout the drama, but I was rooting for them and hurting for them the whole time. These characters are realistic (even if their job may not necessarily be relatable to the grand populace) and likable--you want them to succeed. The pacing was perfect and I loved the resolution. A really great read!

This book is a romance but I wouldn't call it a romcom. Ruben and Zach have to deal with a LOT before the end, so it's a heavier read than your average YA romance novel. It's an excellent read and I would highly recommend it to readers who are looking for new LGBTQ+ books.

I absolutely loved this story and know my students will as well. I loved how it was from the perspective of the boy bands and didn’t show only just the glamour side. The fact that it touched on difficult topics and how it isn’t always perfect made the story even better. I love how it incorporates the LBGTQ+ community and know many students can resonate with this. I give this book 5/5 stars. I can’t wait to get this in the hands of some of my readers! Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read.

enjoyable. i recommend it for folks. i dont remember too much from it because i read it a while ago but i remember enjoying it.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

I’m sorry but I had to DNF @20%. I was really excited to read this, but I just couldn’t get into it.

The premise of this book was super interesting; two boys in a boy band falling in love. It sounds like Larry fanfic to me, but since I never read any, I can’t say if it’s like that. But I just didn’t like the story.

I’m disappointed to say the least, I was super excited to read this. The plot just felt boring to me. I liked the characters, but it wasn’t enough for me to keep reading.

In saying that, I do think this is a quick summer read. It’s perfect for a beach day.

***Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review***

I really enjoyed this book. It reminds me of a really good fanfiction (and I mean it as a compliment! I have read some really good fanfic ;-) As someone who enjoys slow burn romances I was happy that there was an actual buildup to the relationship, rather than an instantaneous one. I would 1000% love to see a movie of this book, it was really fun.

3.5 stars

If This Gets Out centers on the relationship between two members of the internationally famous boy band, Saturday, clearly an homage to the stardom and fan shipping of One Direction. Told from the alternating perspective of Ruben and Zach, the book follows the band on tour through Europe. Though ostensibly a romance, the story is most powerful as a cautionary tale about the ways that identities are foraged and managed for those living in the public eye. All four members of the band are forced to play particular roles by controlling producers and parents, from the kinds of clothing they are allowed to wear to when/if Ruben and Zach are allowed to come out about their sexualities and relationship in public.

While Ruben and Zach do struggle, it seems as if the other two members of the band, Jon and Angel, are perhaps more affected by mental health issues and resulting substance abuse. The two are also both BIPOCs (Jon is mixed race and Angel is Asian), and I found myself wanting more about their perspectives as a reader. It seems to me that race would play an enormous role in the band's image, but this was not something that was ever explored in depth. Even Angel's substance abuse and trip to rehab were treated pretty superficially.

I think that readers will really enjoy the development of Ruben and Zach's relationship as well as the rapport and banter between all four of the band members. I was definitely rooting for all of the characters throughout!

This book kept me up all night reading (literally - the sun was coming up again!).
Often, I'm left unimpressed by books told from 2 POVs written by 2 authors. But Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich did it so well! I could pleasantly tell the difference between the two characters and their personality as well as their unique thought patterns. At the same time, the story flow was impeccable: I was guided so perfectly that I didn't know how to stop.

This is the first book I've read that was written by Cale Dietrich (and I will definitely read more written by him), but the third book that I've read by Sophie Gonzales. She somehow manages to make a simple love story have depth by portraying underlying mental processes. There are so many sweet but superficial love stories out there, so "If This Gets Out" really stands out for me - it is sweet, but has depth!

I loved the setting, I loved the protagonists and the other band members. I loved how the book left me pining. I loved how the plot felt very natural, despite being about a famous boy band. That is to say: there was only minimal forced drama (this I appreciate very much!), the drama that was came from relatable emotional states/problems of the characters.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by this duo!!

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

In this novel, Ruben and Zach are two members of the hottest boy band. They are also crushing on each other. This book covers both their relationship and the problems being teens in a world-famous boy band may bring.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Sometimes with co-authored books, the writing is uneven. I could tell the difference between the writers, but it wasn't a bad mix. I have not always had positive reactions to Dietrich's writing style, and have liked Gonzales'. However, I preferred Dietrich's character Zach to Gonzales' Ruben, which for me helped even out my issues in their writing styles. My biggest concern with this book was plot. They built all this drama with Chorus Management and in the end it was resolved much too quickly. I wish it would have either been left out or not built up as much.

Very well done story with loveable characters and an interesting plot. The main relationship between Zach and Ruben is sweet. The other two members of the band, Angel and Jon are interesting though I wished there was more about Jon; Angel had his own subplot that was done well.

Now, I knew what I was expecting when I read the summary for this book. Somehow, this wasn't it.
For years now we've seen the power a boyband can have over their fans, but we haven't seen what happens behind the scenes. The members must always be under immense pressure to act a certain way, show a certain side of themselves and this book showed this perfectly. Some of my favourite parts of this book were:
-The snippits of European culture. When a book is written in English, it rarely leaves the USA or England and as much as the sentence "What the hell is a stroopwafel" hurt my Dutch heart (kidding) it was very nice to see more of the world in this story.
-Catholic representation, it's rare! It's cool that it happened
-The obvious racism call-out for "the list" was wonderful
If I could add one thing to this book it would be trigger warnings. It needs some major trigger warnings for not only manipulation and verbal abuse but suppression, and drug abuse.

Overall, I loved it! I would read about the rest of their tour for sure

Such a beautiful book - so enjoyed the storyline, the characters. I am a long time fan of Sophie Gonzales but add Cale Dietrich to my auto-buy author lists now! Can't wait for the rest of the world to read this book!

This was a really enjoyable read! The characters were whole and believable, I loved the supportive dynamic of the boy band even though it did sometimes feel contrived.

Gonzales and Dietrich weave the conflict through with seamless, building tension. The menacing specter of Chorus looming over all four boys was neatly woven throughout the narrative, so at no point did the penultimate clash over Ruben and Zach's relationship surprise, and the ultimate underhanded move was almost satisfying as it confirmed just how bad Chorus really is.

Though I sank comfortably into Ruben's every chapter, I sometimes found myself shaken out of the narrative during Zach's. His voice occasionally feels staccato and one thing doesn't necessarily follow the last. Notably the opening paragraphs of chapter twenty-four suffered from this, feeling almost like an after school special. But ultimately this was an enjoyable read with its heart in the right place. I loved Ruben and loved Zach through Ruben's eyes, even though his voice was occasionally off-putting, and I had tears in my eyes during their emotional coming-out scene. Powerful stuff!

4.5/5 stars

talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before. Reading this brought me immense joy and Sophie Gonzales could publish six hundred pages of gibberish and I would still read it !!! I loved all the characters and was glad that Zach and Ruebens coming out was on their own terms and not the result of being outed. I know lots of people were worried that this would be like larry stylinson but that was definitely not the case for Zach and Rueben but Jon and Angel's ¨relationship¨ aka Anjon was reminiscent of them and I don´t think that was on accident.

If This Gets Out has a Red, White, and Royal Blue vibe with simultaneously more innocent romance and higher stakes. The boys of Saturday have never had the opportunity to figure out who they are- instead, they're forced to be who their label wants them to be. Zack and Ruben's love story is- in just one word- soft. In several more words, it's about loving and supporting someone as you both learn who you are. This extends to the members of Saturday as friends- who are all finding where their lines is and just how much they're willing to put off with before they insist on taking control of their own lives. I loved it!

This is such a thoughtful and sweet story about young love, identity and finding your voice when the world is set on telling you who to be. If This Gets Out has a love story at its core, but its also a thoughtful commentary on the way the entertainment industry dehumanizes and commodifies artists and the toll that takes on the real human beings it affects. I was rooting so hard for Ruben and Zach through the whole book and I liked the honest way their relationship was able to happen, dealing with both boys' own worries and fears and love for each other. The band's relationship as a whole was also so sweet and felt so well done. It also thoughtfully navigated questions of fame, fans, family issues, and the darker side of becoming an international star, and always kept the characters as human as possible. I really enjoyed this one!

I read this while playing Cookie Clicker. The cookies had most of my attention.

I'm not sure who exactly this book is for. It feels like it's written for a teenage audience, which is great, but it's unclear what kind. It feels like a fanfic, boys rebelling against management and all that. It does contain some heavier topics, like parental abuse, power disparities, substance abuse. At one point Ruben says he's on PrEP, which kind of confused me since he is monogamous and using protection with someone who is not at risk. I like that it's mentioned, but it doesn't make sense that he'd be on it.

I have no strong impressions from the book. It felt very bland. The conflicts mentioned above are resolved offscreen or not at all. The conflict at the end comes so late it's resolution is left implied.

The main issue for me is the entire plot is based on the management company thinking any of the boys coming out as gay would lead to a hit in sales. That doesn't make sense in 2021. Ruben at one point acknowledges that based on other celebrities coming out he doesn't think anything bad will happen, but that they'd receive overwhelming support. The threatening nature of "if this gets out" is neutered, and the outcome is very obvious from the beginning.

I like the title, but the contents of this book don't live up to it.

Rounded up from 4,5 stars.

This book. Holy shit. First of all thank you NetGalley for making it available early.

The synopsis of this already had be freaking out and boy I was not disappointed. For certain characters it took a while for them to grow on me but ultimately I ended up loving them all (the boys and most of the moms anyway, the rest not so much).

I laughed, I cried and I was generally very emotionally overwhelmed. This book reminded me why I started reading and why I love it and I can't wait to get the physical copy and reread this once it comes it.