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A review by dustilane
If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich, Sophie Gonzales
4.0
I was provided an audiobook version of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ruben and Zach are just two ordinary boys... except for the fact that they are part of an internationally famous pop group Saturday, along with fellow members Angel and Jon. Life as a pop star isn't so easy for the boys as management controls every move they make, going so far as to completely deny the boys from being themselves publicly. Ruben and Zach's friendship slowly evolves into something more and both are left wondering what this means for the band.
When I started this book, I was only semi-invested. As much as I love the idea of books about bands and the music industry, I often end up not liking the end result. However, this book really nailed it! This book takes its own spin on friends to lovers and what it means to be queer in the spotlight. I loved that the book wasn't so much focused on homophobia from the family and friends, but on the industry's manipulation of the truth in order to serve their needs. I loved seeing the boys in the group interact and I felt that despite the book being focused on Ruben and Zach, we also got to really know more about Angel and Jon.
Another thing that I loved so much about this book is the way it portrayed many different types of family dynamics. For a romance, there was so much more to it than just that. We got to see supportive parents, flawed parents, and parents who were selfish. We also got to see a wildly different group of people come together to stand up for what is right. It was definitely a feel-good story at the end, despite absolutely shattering my heart earlier on.
The audiobook's narration was well-done and I thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience!
I highly recommend this book to fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, queer romance, and all things music and boy bands. I hope there is a sequel, and if so I will be definitely reading it!
Ruben and Zach are just two ordinary boys... except for the fact that they are part of an internationally famous pop group Saturday, along with fellow members Angel and Jon. Life as a pop star isn't so easy for the boys as management controls every move they make, going so far as to completely deny the boys from being themselves publicly. Ruben and Zach's friendship slowly evolves into something more and both are left wondering what this means for the band.
When I started this book, I was only semi-invested. As much as I love the idea of books about bands and the music industry, I often end up not liking the end result. However, this book really nailed it! This book takes its own spin on friends to lovers and what it means to be queer in the spotlight. I loved that the book wasn't so much focused on homophobia from the family and friends, but on the industry's manipulation of the truth in order to serve their needs. I loved seeing the boys in the group interact and I felt that despite the book being focused on Ruben and Zach, we also got to really know more about Angel and Jon.
Another thing that I loved so much about this book is the way it portrayed many different types of family dynamics. For a romance, there was so much more to it than just that. We got to see supportive parents, flawed parents, and parents who were selfish. We also got to see a wildly different group of people come together to stand up for what is right. It was definitely a feel-good story at the end, despite absolutely shattering my heart earlier on.
The audiobook's narration was well-done and I thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience!
I highly recommend this book to fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, queer romance, and all things music and boy bands. I hope there is a sequel, and if so I will be definitely reading it!