I love Sophie Gonzales's books so much, so it could've totally been me that didn't click with it. Unfortunately, even though I love boy bands and Sophie's writing, I just found this book to be a bit meandering and slow to get to the point for what I wanted in a YA book with such a fascinating high concept.

As a boy band lover I jumped on the idea of this book and it didn’t disappoint one bit. I think this was a realistic look at what it’s like to have the pressure of fame on you 24/7. I could never be the center of attention like any celebrity is but young musicians like this, that have the added attention of millions of teen age girls - that’s another level. I felt for all the boys in the band. As for Zach and Ruben, I can totally see how being a situation like that would cause a special bond and it seemed like such a natural progression of their relationship. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Choices™ were definitely made in the creation of this book...

It's not even that this book was poorly written... I think that both authors are good at their craft... this story just did nothing for me. It also doesn't feel like a story aimed at the intended audience. Though that has been my feeling for a lot of the YA I've read lately that features 18 year old protagonists. There's something about the situations that occur, the grey space that they occupy that often make them feel like they are in the wrong side of the book store [ or in my case, library... though I did also get an arc that I never go around to reading prior to publication... ]. As with several plot elements int his book, these kinds of YA narratives often times include situations that require more nuance and examination than is often afforded and so heavy topics are instead glossed over to give a book a neater conclusion.

The most clear example of that is everything to do with Angel Phan... Angel was definitely giving main character energy with the plots they saddled him with, both struggling with addiction issues and how he was aching to be seen as a sexual being but as an Asian character the label pushing one of the other little boys to fit that role... So much of what was happening with Angel was just embarrassing to read about and I often times found myself uncomfortable... Again though, he was the character aching to be the lead of this book. Even though he and the fourth bandmate Jon, had very little development or care given to what they were up to.

Honestly... the romance just wasn't a serve. Anytime I read a YA romance these days I want to be happy for them. I want to enjoy them being together and falling in love... But these two people were so unable to communicate ever that I simply cannot fathom them having a good relationship. They almost certainly broke up not long after the events of this book transpired because the only thing keeping them together was plot necessitating a happy for now ending...

This could have been good... Unfortunately what was published should have stayed in the drafts... You can find fanfic of this same premise executed far better and feel more satisfied than you will feel after having consumed this particular story.

I really enjoyed the story of the boys from Saturday. I think as fans we become so involved in our own narrative of what performers are like, that we forget that they are real people with real lives on the other side of the camera or microphone. And I think that sometimes production companies forget that there’s more to performers than a paycheck.

While the story focuses on Reuben and Zach, we get to know Jon and Angel, the other members of the band as well. What started out as a group of friends performing at a camp show when they were 15, has taken over their entire lives. And the powers that be, in creating an image of the band that would be the most lucrative, has forced all of them to be someone they aren’t.

My heart broke for these boys throughout the book, especially Reuben and Angel, who seem to have to hide the most, and know it. Zach frustrated me at times. He just wanted to make everyone happy and seemed to naively believe that Chorus truly had their best interests at heart. Jon followed the rules, but I think knowing his dad was behind everything, he knew fighting was useless. Until they do.

I loved watching the relationship between Reuben and Zach evolve throughout the book. And how much Jon and Angel accepted it and supported them. Ultimately, Zach really comes into his own. And the fact that they were already best friends before they fell in love just deepens their bonds, in my opinion.

Normally, I’m not a fan of an open ending in a stand alone, I like the stories tied up all nice and neat. But I actually do like the ending here. It gives an opening for more, but also lets the reader create their own happy ending for the 4 members of Saturday.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked the frame of this one. Boy band, the rep of different ways of entering queerness is SO important too.

I thought the plot was solid and the concept was really appealing/ would do well in YA. The writing wasn’t my favorite.

TW: drug use/depression

I liked this book a lot. It was a little young for me but that wasn’t the book’s fault. Cute story.
I enjoyed all the different characters and the story was very satisfying. I recommend.

I actually really liked this book. The characters were good and story flowed nicely. I have actually read this book a second time

This is such an important book and it touches upon important topics such as the pressure of being famous, having to fit a certain image, being queer,… and I loved the way it was pointed out in this book. I thought it was quite realistic and that’s important.

if i had a nickel for every time i’ve read a novel that i absolutely adore about a teen boyband with repressed, soft, queer boys, i’d have two nickels. which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

i love these boys to pieces and i can’t believe i’ve waited so so long to read this book after it released. i knew i was going to enjoy sophie gonzales’ writing after also whole-heartedly enjoying perfect on paper. and this was an incredible introduction for me to cale dietrich’s writing.

these boys, with their flaws, and their growth throughout the book was incredible. i loved seeing how zach continued to process all of his emotions on his own, allowing for his space and acceptance of his queer identity. i loved seeing ruben learn to rely a bit less on his emotionally abusive mother less and less. i loved getting glimpses into john and angel’s pyschees as well throughout the book. i just, i loved it all. their dynamics were incredible as a friend group. and just between the two main characters.

being a directioner myself, it was so interesting to see this take on the behind the scenes of the all too real life for those boys (and i’m sure many other young singers out there). it showed how truly life-controlling this profession can and has been. it shows the dark sides of getting into the spotlight at such a young age. and it discusses so much more.

all of it, led me to an incredible story with an audiobook that i could not stop listening to. i haven’t felt this way about a book in a while. the pure feeling of overwhelming love for fictional characters. i truly truly just want the best for these fictional boys. i hope they can get that at the end of the events of this book.

original review:
you ever just want to slap yourself in the face because you waited a stupid amount of time to read a book you knew you’d love? that was me for this book.

I cannot believe that it took me this long to read this book, but I was so happy to be able to do it. I really did enjoy this one.

Out of the many YA books I've read, the characterization and romance in this one was by far my favorite. I loved all of the boys in the band, but I especially love Ruben and Zach. I loved being in their minds, seeing their past and how it influenced them to be the people that they are in the band. While this story works for anyone who had a boy band phase, I think this story delves more into the toxicity of media and fame and how many people dont or cant know the real celebrity. Zach and Ruben had already had a really good relationship before the book started, but their relationship was cultivated into something beautiful that I rarely see in YA romance. It was soft, deep and emotional. The descriptions of their relationship made my heart so full and I was constantly rooting for them even when all hell broke loose. I think this book was a really special read. It was so much fun but also dove into complex topics that are so real to life, even when the characters are celebrities they are super relatable.

I really enjoyed this one yall and would recommend it to anyone who likes boybands, queer mlm relationships, complex characters and being comfortable with your identity themes!

Such a sucker for this book. I loved the boy band angle and the "behind the scenes" where the music industry wasn't all fun and fame. I also admittedly just watched several documentaries on Brittany Spears. I LOVED the romance between the boys and if you love fanfic I highly recommend this light YA romance.

This was a great read, following boy band Saturday. I feel like this was a love story for Ruben and Zach, as well as an insite to the music industry, and the pressures to hide their true selves in exchange for more fame.
An enjoyable read.

“The smile he gives me kind of makes my life.”

If This Gets Out is told from the alternating perspectives of two 18-year-old boy band members who fall in love: Ruben and Zach. A part of Saturday (which has the same popularity as One Direction) alongside Angel and Jon, the book takes place primarily on a whirlwind tour of Europe, where Ruben struggles with the pressure to remain in the closet, Zach struggles with wanting to write his own music and Angel turns to drugs to handle the immense pressure.

Here's what I liked:
- The behind-the-scenes look at life in a boy band. It was intense and chaotic and strict and not for the faint of heart.
- I felt for the characters unable to be themselves due to public perception and management pressure.
- Zach’s character growth in particular was great and I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Ruben develop.
- When they finally decided to let go and show their fans who they truly were at the end 👏🏻.

On the other hand, I listened to the audiobook and for a YA book, it seemed unnecessarily long at just over 400 pages. The pacing was also off for me. The first 20% was slow and I was close to DNFing, but I powered through instead and I enjoyed the middle. However, then you get to the ending and it's so rushed! I was like... that's it?! I just wanted/needed more of a resolution.

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This is very much not the type of book I am normally interested in (rom-com style, boyband related, just not my thing). but this was very well written and I was surprised by how much I liked it!

I mostly enjoyed this book! I found the prose style a little difficult to get through, and the overall plot following the boyband fell a little flat for me, but I found the characters relatable and sympathizable! I would definitely pick up another Gonzales book in the future!

Overall a fun romp, and an enjoyable nod to one direction fanfiction, this was a pretty quick read. Some of the plot felt a bit far fetched, and many of the characters fell very flat, i would have liked to see more depth and nuance there. Cute at times, but not particularly well written, or a strong addition to the queer rom com cannon.

Zach Knight, Ruben Montez, Angel Phan, and Jon Braxton make up the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest rising musical acts in America. Their image suggests they're heartbreakers onstage and on screen and best friends behind the scenes. But even a carefully crafted image can begin to fall when management wants to take control of every aspect of your life. Angel is starting to turn to other means of control, Jon is feeling less like his father (head of management)'s son and more like a marketing tool, Zach is becoming more certain each and every day that while he's a part of Saturday he'll never be able to come out as gay, and Ruben is struggling to figure out his feelings when a drunken kiss with his best friend and bandmate Zach sparks something new. A whirlwind trip through Europe allows the boys to become the stars they've always dreamed of, but tensions rising over jealousy, secrecy, unresolved emotions may lead Saturday into deep waters where they're no longer able to navigate on their own. Will the band (and Zach and Ruben's relationship) survive the tour and what comes next?

I have struggled to just sit down and finish this book ever since an ARC copy dropped on my NetGalley. Around release there was some undeserved criticism surrounding the book and its similarities to a real-life band, which the authors have repeatedly stated they have not based the book on, so I wanted to wait until I was in a good space to read, rate, and review the book as to not give it an unfair review to add on. I ended up listening to the audiobook while diamond painting and I'm so glad I finally got through and gave the whole book a chance. It's told in dual POV (Zach and Ruben's in first person) and while I would've maybe liked a dual narration to help highlight the change in perspective, I found that each character was distinct enough in their own way that I didn't have trouble keeping track. I appreciated how this book does not shy away from the negativity of the music industry, and how young people who become extremely famous extremely fast can sometimes be placed under management that will not always have their best interests as individuals at heart, only their interests as performers or money-makers. And how easy it is for them to turn a blind eye to substance abuse issues until they become impossible to ignore. I loved Zach and Ruben and how they brought out each other's strengths. I found it especially impactful when they are telling management about their relationship and while Ruben is buying the excuse of "not going public until they're ready," Zach knows that as long as they are making albums and selling out shows they'll always be forced into the closet. I wish we could've gotten more insight into Jon's thoughts, as the producer's son it had to be incredibly tough knowing that his career as a whole will always be more important to his dad than him as a person. Overall, the balance between sweet and serious moments made me want to keep listening, so I would highly recommend picking up If This Gets Out if you've been interested.

This book was nicely written and a fun read. Although it wasn’t my favorite from the two authors, and not nearly as memorable, it was fun nonetheless. I enjoyed learning about the characters as their relationships with each other and everyone else progressed, and the storyline was cute and intriguing.

I really liked the concept of the book and was super excited to read it. The LGBTQ+ representation is wonderful and I'm always up for diversity! However, to be honest while I liked the premise and getting all the behind the scenes of a boy band, it was hard for me to push through and finish this book. It didn't keep my interest as much as I wanted it to. I guess I'm just not the intended audience, but I'm sure fans of music and ya contemporary will enjoy it! Thank you so much to Netgalley for the e-arc.