"If This Gets Out" by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich is a refreshing and heartfelt YA novel that hits all the right notes. Set against the backdrop of the music industry, this novel follows the lives of two rising pop stars, Ruben and Zach, as they navigate fame, friendship, and the complexities of their burgeoning romance.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its authentic portrayal of the music industry and the pressures faced by young artists thrust into the spotlight. Gonzales and Dietrich delve into the behind-the-scenes workings of the industry with insight and sensitivity, shedding light on the sacrifices and struggles that come with fame.

The characters in "If This Gets Out" are beautifully drawn and utterly relatable, each grappling with hopes, fears, and insecurities. Ruben and Zach's romance is sweet and poignant, as they navigate the challenges of being in the public eye while trying to stay true to themselves and their feelings for each other. What sets this novel apart is its exploration of identity and self-acceptance. Ruben and Zach's journey towards embracing their sexuality is portrayed with honesty and empathy, offering a much-needed representation of LGBTQ+ experiences in YA literature. The writing in "If This Gets Out" is engaging and evocative, pulling readers into the world of pop music with vivid descriptions and immersive storytelling. The pacing is brisk, keeping readers hooked from beginning to end.

Overall, "If This Gets Out" is a captivating and heartfelt novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. Its authentic characters, engaging plot, and poignant exploration of identity and acceptance make it a must-read for anyone looking for a compelling YA romance with depth and substance.

This heartfelt novel explores the dark side of fame and the pressure to conform. We follow Ruben and Zach on their journeys of self-discovery, as they navigate the suffocating expectations of fame. The author's compassion shines through, creating characters you can't help but root for. While the story tackles the harsh realities of pressure and loss, it ultimately leaves you feeling hopeful and optimistic. By the end, you'll close the book with a smile, cheering for Ruben and Zach's path to authenticity.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was sweet! The dual main characters were interesting and well written. I love stories about bands and tour because it’s so different from daily life. I really enjoyed all of it!

This is so One Direction Larry Stylson coded OMG. I was not even a one direction fan back in the day but recently I got into that pairing and I love it. This was so good I literally think about it everyone once in a while. The romance and the slow burn is so good and their love against all odds

A book about closeted boyband members in a secret relationship?? I'm the target demographic for this book!

Ahh, I love If This Gets Out! Though there are distinct differences, the Larrie in me *wink wink* definitely saw the similarities. It felt like reading a fanfic because of that in a way?? and I am itching a bit to go on to AO3 and revisit my OG ship!

Ruben and Zach are members of the boyband Saturday. One of them has known he was gay, and the other is having a queer awakening. This thing is changing up their relationship as best friends, and the most crucial part is that it can change their dynamic as one of the biggest boybands in the world.

I always enjoy reading stories revolving around famous musicians. And that's not only because of the love story. I also am very fascinated on discussions about the industry and the price of fame.

All in all, I enjoyed the pacing of this story. I was thoroughly engaged. I loved how the happy ever after was not given that easily - and I just love Zach and Ruben - even John and Angel!! Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich definitely delivered!

5/5
as a Larry believer, I needed this so bad. two guys in a boy band falling in love?? this is how you do a queer romance. love dual pov so much and really enjoyed having both perspectives to read. a super specific trope I love is secret romance (now this is not a good kind of secret bc yk homophobia and all that) but the pining and secret glances are my fav. also Jon and Angel (my baes), for being side characters they are so much fun and just as lovable.

Unfortunately, I decided to review this book 3 YEARS after I read it. So, my memory of it is not the freshest.

I liked it! I think the plot was cute, the characters were cute, the whole book was just...cute. I love a good boyband/celebrity book and this one delivered on everything I expected from it.

I really enjoyed this exploration of fame, the pressure to be something you are not, and the journey that Ruben and Zach take to be true to themselves. It is written with compassion, and I really loved the main characters. While it was frustrating to read the pressure they were under, in the end, I closed the book with a smile on my face.

Catching up on reviews so... Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is fine. I honestly think that my age made this not as enjoyable as it might be for other people. At times I was able to tap into my teenage self but overall I felt strange reading about teenagers. That will teach me to try to read YA romance. It's just not for me. HOWEVER, I can see how this would be a great read for the intended audience.

Sophie Gonzales's writing never misses, and she sure knows how to write a queer romance! I really enjoyed the vibes of this one and cannot wait to dive deeper into her backlist.

If This Gets Out follows the boyband "Saturday," and two of their members, Ruben and Zach, falling in love with each other. It also shows all four boys' struggles with fame and their public appearance, the pressures of their management team, and dealing with mental health issues.

I love this book so much! Ruben and Zach felt so much like real people. I couldn't help but feel so invested in their lives and just want to hug them. Their cute moments were insanely cute. I could not get enough of them. It's crazy; I was so invested I devoured this book in two nights (which is really fast for this insanely slow reader).

But when I tell you I couldn't pick up another book for a couple of weeks because this left me broken-hearted, I am not kidding you. I was expecting a cute and fluffy rom-com, but this felt so much deeper than that. Yes, it was adorable and fun. But it also touched on so many real-life issues of the music industry. It showed the boys being overworked, closeted, dealing with substance abuse, mental health issues, and more. These are real issues that happens in the music industry, and I appreciate how ITGO brings awareness to that.

This book deserves all the stars in the world, and I could not recommend it more if I tried. But I will try. Haha. You should pick this up, especially if you like boy bands, LGBTQ+ reads, romcoms, the being famous trope, and stories that leave you feeling it could actually be true.

Love the take on the boy band friendships vs relationships and how these characters grew as individuals and how their relationship developed. It tackled some serious topics that I didn’t expect but I really liked.

Ruben and Zach have been best friends for years and members of a popular boy band. When they go on their world tour and things both between them as well as conflicts within the band escalate, they must figure out how to navigate new relationships and the toxic environment that their band management has placed them in.

I had so much fun with this book. I wasn’t expecting to get so attached to this story and these characters, but by the end of it, I was tearing up over what was happening. I’m always a fan of multiple POV books, and I really liked how we followed Ruben and Zach individually and together. John and Angel were also great characters; it was cool seeing all of the members of this band have their own growth occur even if the story was focused more Ruben and Zach.

The toxicity of the band’s management was painful for me to read about, but I can imagine that it’s also very realistic to what a lot of artists go through. It made me appreciate the ending even more because even though life isn’t perfect for everyone at the end, there is very much the excitement and hope of better things to come for the group.

Overall, this was a fun read and I’m so glad I finally picked it up! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

CW for drug abuse, homophobia, emotional abuse, drug use, alcohol, addiction.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s/Wednesday Books for the ARC of If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich.

Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I'm a huge fan of Young Adult romance but this book almost felt like too much information was being thrown at me that had nothing to do with the main characters or their situations. It felt very drawn out when trying to explain the simplest things that could have been a couple of sentences instead of a couple of paragraphs. I do see a younger audience enjoying it more than me which is fine but I did notice a lot of details were glossed over or just not fleshed out very well that even teenagers might catch on to.

*Many thanks to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy for my honest review*

This book was a bit slow in the beginning but pace definitely picked up and was a fun read. I will say it does read like a fan fiction a bit which I personally didn’t mind. Felt like I was 14 again.

This was really cute. I'm probably not the first to say that I think I know what may have inspired the story, but I also loved it so it works for me. I enjoyed the main characters, Ruben and Zach were great and I enjoyed reading as their relationship grew. This is one I would definitely recommend to friends who I know would appreciate it.

thinly veiled one direction fanfic..........

ANYWAY i found this one hard to get through. a lot of repetitive plot points, "we can't" "let's do it" etc. overall sweet concept, but could have been 100 pages shorter.

A sweet and enjoyable MLM YA romance about a boy band! The cover is so pretty and the premise was so swoony but did't love the execution as it felt a bit slow to me. I liked it though!

We've sold a few copies of "If This Gets Out" at our shop! My 1D obsessed friends have also loved this and were inspired to read more boy band fictions. :)

i'm actually catching up on reviews so this is actually my third review that i've done. I love the story and the characters especially the struggle between both boys deciding on letting their relationship be public and seeing how it could affect their image as a band. i loved the way the media played into the story, given that all of the members of the bands are still teenagers they have to deal with figuring out who they want to be and what their goals are in life while having eyes on them the entire time. i give this book 4 stars, it's quick and very cute