Rating: 3.75/5⭐️

It's been two years since Maya's ex-boyfriend cheated on her, and she still can't escape him: his sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and he captured hearts as her charming younger brother. If the world only knew the real Jordy, the manipulative liar who broke Maya's heart. Skye Kaplan was always cautious with her heart until Jordy said all the right things and earned her trust. Now his face is all over the media and Skye is still wondering why he stopped calling.

When Maya and Skye are invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance, they're whisked away to a beautiful mansion-along with four more of Jordy's exes- to compete for his affections while the whole world watches.

I had a lot of high expectations for this book… I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary romance but I thought the reality show on it would quirk things up - and it did! However, there were some characters/situations that made me feel a bit so-so about it… and therefore the 3.75!

First of all, I can say with all my heart that I despise Jordy. He’s the epitome of trashy boy/men. Like seriously, the disrespect that guy has for all of the girls is horrendous and I wanted to punch him every time he was either on the scene or called them “chicks”. And he made it sound so derogatory! The author truly accomplished in writing the most trashy guy I’ve ever read about!

I felt (and this is my personally view) that they could have been older. It felt a little off when someone says that Jordy commented that some of the girls were bad bed-partners, when actually, they were dating when they were all like 15? It just felt very off and wrong.

I liked the queer romance in it, it was a nice plot twist as you go in expecting one of them to end up with Jordy but actually he’s a waste of air and they pick themselves! So that was a plus!

Absolutely loved this. I’m a huge fan of Sophie Gonzales and this didn’t disappoint. I love a book set on a reality dating show, and I really loved the enemies to friends to lovers scenario we had here. I really liked the dual POV and watching the journey of these two girls. I raced through this in two days and it was such a great time.

Never Ever Getting Back Together, by Sophie Gonzales follows two protagonists, Maya and Skye. Maya and Skye have one thing in common: they both dated Jordy, who is both incredibly obnoxious, and incredibly famous (since his sister married the crown prince of the minor European country Chalonne). Then, they both get invited to go on Second Chance Romance, a reality show where the exes of one person are all brought together to get a second chance for their relationship. Maya, however, doesn’t go on the show to find romance. She goes on to get her revenge on Jordy after he cheated on her with Skye. Maya wants to expose Jordy for who he really is to the world, but while she’s on the show, she ends up finding an unexpected romance of her own.

I really liked how the book switched point of view every few chapters. Maya and Skye are so different, and have such different personalities that it adds a lot to the depth of the book to have it told from the different perspectives. The two girls also have really great chemistry, and their personalities mix perfectly.

Maya is a fascinating, frustrating, and truly endearing protagonist. There were times when I just wanted her to slow down, that she took things too far and got out of control. But she was also real, and her emotions were always so vivid. It’s hard not to root for her, and it’s also hard to stand by her every decision. She is complex in a way that draws you to her character even more.

Skye is more rational a lot of the time, and is truly the opposite of Maya. Her complexities stem from trying to understand why Maya despises her so much at first, to realizing what actually happened, and how Jordy wasn’t in any way the boy she thought she knew. I really enjoyed reading about Skye’s character, and reading from her perspective. She’s thoughtful and empathetic, but also knows how to prioritize herself, and what she knows what’s best for her well being.

And onto the boy the whole reality show is centered around: the extremely despicable Jordy.

Sophie Gonzales does an absolutely amazing job making him sound like a truly terribly guy, to the point where everything he says is hilariously stupid.

“My life was already good, you know? I was born good-looking and rich. Everything was easier before I
became nobility.”

When Maya corrected him with “you’re not nobility,” he just brushed her off with a simple “close enough.”

Even while insanely rich and at the top of the world, Jordy even exaggerates his own standing. Then, he goes off and complains about how hard it is to be so famous and well known. He’s insufferable, and it’s honestly very entertaining.

And the main characters weren’t the only ones who got depth and complexity. The other girls on the show, and members of the crew of Second Chance Romance were all brought to life in a way that made the book feel like I was getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the show.

Perrie, Kim and the other girls all had their own backstories, their own experiences with Jordy, and their own reasons for being on the show. I particularly liked Perrie, and her friendship with Maya. She was a really interesting character, and one who I liked reading about.

Another character I loved was Isaac, who worked on the show and was Maya and Skye’s supervisor. He gave a neat look into the inner workings of the production of the show, and he was also hilarious.

“Let me guess: You get a bonus if one of us wins?” I ask. “If one of you wins, you’ll be sending me and my
boyfriend to Phuket for Christmas.”

And a true highlight of the novel was all the stuff related to the show’s production company. From endless references to other reality shows the company had produced, to the invitation that the girls received to be on the show, it was all fantastic.

The host of the show, Grayson Gains (who none of the characters have actually heard of) is referenced to have worked on the shows Velveeta or Volcano, and Marrying the Enemy. And we can’t forget Cooking Under Constant Criticism, which he apparently also was the host of.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is from the FAQs in the email invitation to be on the show, and Maya and her sister Rosie’s reaction to it.

Yes! All of our contestants are paid in memories, laughter, and, if they’re lucky, a healthy dose of
romance! How can you put a price on the chance to find true love? It’s worthless! “I think they mean
priceless,” Rosie stage-whispers. “That, or they’ve gotten to know Jordy,” I say lightly.

As well as being hilarious and full of amazing jokes, the writing is descriptive and delicate, and brings a lot of depth to all the characters, and to the storyline.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is fast paced, which I found to be really nice. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump over the past few months, and it was refreshing to read a book that was so fun, and that moved so quickly.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is hilarious, well written, and is full of characters with vivid stories and emotional depth. If you’re looking for an entertaining and fast paced sapphic YA romantic comedy, this book is for you!

This was SO CUTE. I don't read a lot of YA anymore but if they were all as good as this one, I would get back into it. The perfect mix of tame romance with a bit of spice, and the cutest, sweetest, most lovable characters, with bi women featured at the center of it all - so much fun. AND a revenge plot, and a bunch of women (teenagers really) getting along with each other rather than having catty drama - what a joy. I loved everything about this book.

I can't get over how much I loved this book.

An homage to Taylor Swift in the title? Yesss.

Enemies to lovers where the enemies share an evil ex? Yep!

Reality TV show drama? Mhhm.

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER focuses on Maya and Skye, two exes of celebrity Jordy who have been asked to join a reality TV show where he dates his exes to see if he rekindles his relationship with one of them.

This checks so many of my boxes and manages to make a point about toxicity -- of tabloids, of reality tv, of some relationships, of how we pit women against each other -- while still being a fun read with joy and fun. I'm not sure I've ever hated a villain as much as I hate Jordy, the girls' ex, and I read a lot of thrillers.

I would say it's more NA than YA -- and I love NA so that worked well for me.

My only complaint about the book is that the storyline around Jordy being the brother of a princess felt very unnecessary and dropped in.

Thank You Netgalley and Wednesday books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Maya gets a call to be on a show for a chance to get back together with her ex she says no way do I want the chance. Then she realizes this is her chance to get revenge on him.

Skye who is also another contestant is warned by the bachelor that Maya will also be on the show and that she is a crazy ex who might have it out for Skye for helping Jordy cheat on Maya.

I liked the behind the scenes on how a reality show might work. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The chemistry just wasn’t real with any of them. Just seemed very juvenile.

For 2023 I definitely will be trying my hardest to read these books before they come out. I have been wanting to read this book for so long, and I am so glad I finally was able to finish it. This past year I have had trouble reading books without the audiobook, and the narrators for this book were phenomenal.

I have not been mad at a book in a long time that I was yelling in my car. This is a good thing though because I just wanted the best for Maya and Skye. They have become one of my favorite couples, and they deserve the world. I gave this book a 5/5 stars and I would re-read this book in the future.

Sophie Gonzales cemented herself as a new favorite author of mine with her first two books, "Only Mostly Devastated" and "Perfect on Paper". The idea of this one was my favorite of any of her books so far, but it just fell short for me. There were two main reasons this didn't work for me.

1) The targeted audience.
The concept of this book, a dating show where you try to reconnect with your exes and see if you can find "the one who got away" is so fun, but our main characters are 18/19, and it feels unrealistic that they're on a show like this. It won't be super distracting for alot of people, but I feel like this could've been better as a new adult/adult book.

2) The romantic development
A girl that got cheated on and the girl that unknowingly cheated with the guy teaming up and falling in love while on a reality show?? Amazing. But it felt like it came out of nowhere for me. They had mentioned each other being pretty like once or twice from each perspective, and then as soon a they realized they both liked girls they're attracted to each other. It's even mentioned in the book that it's like they both came out and were wanting to makeout now, and I just felt like this build up missed the mark. I didn't feel much connection at all between them through the book, but people have different tastes in romance and there's always a chance you won't read the romance like I did!

Even though I didn't love everything about this book, there were still things that I enjoyed! I liked the reality show setting, the girls on the show were fun and I liked how they worked through some girl hate they had going on, and I have always liked Sophie's writing style! I will still pick up all of her future books! :)

4 stars

As a high school teacher and sponsor of the Gay Straight Alliance, I think some of my students might get a kick out of this book, What happens when two girls on a reality-TV show, vying for the love of the same boy , fall for each other instead of him?

However, as a Social Studies teacher, the made-up country of Chalonne and its faux cultural traditions and language pulled me out of the story.

Nonetheless, great representation for LGBTQIA+ young adult readers and their allies.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

The Taylor Swift reference caught my eye, and I'm a sucker for Sophia Gonzales and a reality-TV premise. This book does not disappoint.

If the Bachelor is your thing, this book might be too! Its a hilarious, drama-filled adventure - a bit unlikely, but hey, that's fiction!

3.5 stars

In general, this was a fun concept for a story - a reality TV show where a man tries to find love again with some of his ex-girlfriends. This drew me in immediately, and while I did mostly enjoy the book, there were some things that held me back from loving it.

First, it was extremely drama filled which is not necessarily a bad thing - but I found myself getting annoyed over all of the petty drama. If this was an actual reality TV show, I might have enjoyed it a bit more, but to me it just didn't translate as well into the book. Maybe I did not enjoy it as much since I typically don't really watch dating reality TV.

I felt that the characters were all kind of annoying and over-dramatic. I wasn't really attached to any of them at all which was disappointing. I hoped there would be at least one character I was rooting for.

Despite this, I really enjoyed the almost plot twist love interest and queer representation in the book.

This was a fun read, despite how annoyed I was lol, but I would recommend this if you love dating reality TV shows!

This was really good though I do sort of wish it had been written as an adult novel rather than YA. Regardless Sophie is an autobuy author for me.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: November 29, 2022

This is a good blend of trashy reality tv dating shows and an enemies to lovers romance with a twist. A group of girls who share an ex agree to go on a reality dating show for a second chance at love. Two exes seem to hate each other, and while initially they’re to win him back or take him down, they have eyes for each other instead. This started a bit show and immaturely whiny but picked up about a third of the way through. Cheers for bi MCs, but overall underwhelmed by this one…maybe would’ve been more into it if I was in any of the fandoms it sprang from

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review


This was honestly really, really fun! I had a really fun time reading and watching sapphics execute “revenge”…aka falling in love.

Sophie Gonzales does a great job at keeping you interested in the story and hooked. It is overall the type of books that make you enjoy yourself.

My only lower point would perhaps be when the villain is made to be hated, which reduces its nuances so it makes it almost cookie-cutter.

For lovers of reality TV, juicy drama, and cute romcoms !!

4.5⭐️

<b>“I want to kiss you,” Skye says, matter-of-factly. Casual, not earth-shattering. Funny. Those words shatter time and space for me.

“So, kiss me,” I force out.</b>

Maya and Skye are both contacted by their mutual ex-boyfriend, Jordy Miller, to appear on his Bacehlor-esque reality show, <i>Second Chance Romance</i>, to potentially rekindle their love. Maya is out for revenge, and Skye is grateful for the opportunity at a second chance at finding love with Jordy. But Maya dislikes Skye because Jordy cheated on her with her while they were dating long distance, and Skye doesn’t believe Maya. The two are forced to be roommates on the show, and get off to a rough start.

I went into this book a little blind. After the first chapter, I thought “Ugh, Maya’s going to go on this reality show and fall back in love with her crappy ex-boyfriend. Lame.” But by the end of the first chapter when Skye’s mentioned I knew it would be so so much better than that, and it is! I finished this book in two sittings and I could not put it down. It’s so fun and cute and the absolute best case scenario for a reality show. I wish it were real! Jordy is a total asshat, and I’m so happy he ends up totally miserable in the end.

There were a couple of things I didn’t love, including the 3rd act breakup and that I kept picturing the characters as being older. It seems kind of weird to me that Skye and Maya are only 18 (but then again I don’t watch these sorts of shows in real life so maybe that’s normal?). I also would have loved to see an epilogue that shows a peak into the future, but it still has a sweet ending with all the possibility of the unknown.

<b> I suppose that’s the thing about high risk, high reward.

You fall for someone. Head over heels. And then you take a leap of faith.

Mine is a smile.</b>

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*cue Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" while playing any opening to "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette"*

Enjoy "The Bachelor"? Enjoy the thought of six girls fighting over the same guy? What if the guy wasn't a stranger to the girls? What if the guy happened to be an ex of all six girls? What if not all the relationships ended well? But they all have one shot to revisit their old flame to see if one was the one who got away. 'Never Ever Getting Back Together' is "The Bachelor" but with a twist.

The book is dual perspective from Maya, heartbroken after Jordy cheated on her, and Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. Jordy, being the little shit that he is, told Maya that Skye knew the whole time about her and still stayed with Jordy. While Skye was told that Maya was an obsessive stalker that would not leave Jordy alone. Great start, right? When Maya gets the call about being on the show, she basically tells the producer to go to hell. But after a long talk with her mother and best friends, Maya creates a plan to ruin Jordy's golden boy image with the media and the show is the perfect way to do it.

"...But the thing is, I don't know if I even wanna do this if you don't come, Maya." - Chapter 2

Skye, on the other hand, is coming from a healthier mindset. Her and Jordy ended things decently as Jordy moved countries. Skye always thought Jordy might be the one for her and this might be her chance to win Jordy back. But with Jordy whispering in her ear, Skye knows from the beginning Maya is going to be out to get her. She's Jordy's ex stalker so why would she not?

"...They can't do the show without me, so they have to play by my rules and my number one rule is, Skye is off-limits." - Chapter 3

*Are you following where this is going?*

True to "The Bachelor" fashion, each week one girl gets sent home and each week, they have some kind of competition to see who is lucky enough to spend a night alone with Jordy. Don't be like me and start feeling a bit bad for Jordy. He portrays this heartbroken, young man who has been forced into the spotlight thanks to his sister's marriage into royalty when it's quite the opposite. He is about as two faced as it comes. Maya and Skye are forced to bunk together and finally the truth comes out for both of them, thanks to a contraband iPad. Jordy won't get away with it and two heads are better than one and better odds at making it to the end.

I quite enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the build up between Maya and Skye. Their relationship was cute but I think the revenge plot was overdone. But at the same time, I understand it. Maya was dead set on revenge for a long time. When Skye came along, it complicated things but Maya still wanted revenge for what he done to her and Skye. Maya just had to realize that maybe the best revenge is being happy with the life you are living and the ones you are living it with. It's their loss and their fuck up. Though Jordy did get his revenge at the end, I think Maya's determination with revenge was a bit much but at the same time, I can understand it.

If you enjoy "The Bachelor", I do believe you would enjoy this book. If you've ever had a hard time getting over an ex and wonder what might have happened if you were given a second chance with this person, check this book out. It was paced well and had a good plot. Other than a few grammatical errors that should be fixed prior to print, I did enjoy the book. It wasn't my favorite, hence why I could not give it 5-stars. It didn't completely pull me in and there were times I really had to push myself through. But I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it. It's worth the read.

I'm a huge fan of Sophie and her work, but unfortunately, Never Ever Getting Back Together didn't hit for me the way Perfect on Paper did. I love the premise of the reality show contestants falling for each other, but I didn't really feel the conflict at the end. It's an enjoyable read, though, and Sophie continues to be an auto buy author for me!

I really liked Maya and Skye, two messy women—one a chaos gremlin, the other a sorta-order angel—who meet each other on their famous ex-boyfriend's second-chance romance reality tv show. It's enemies to lovers, which is such a lovely trope, followed up with a mash-up of John Tucker Must Die meets The Bachelor.

Cute, with a nice critique of the absolute fakeness of reality tv and the people who go on it (for whatever reasons), along with Jordy Miller, emotionally manipulative serial cheater with a nice set of abs and serial killer charm who is famous-adjacent because his sister is married to royalty.

However, I did think that at 384 pages, this book was way too long. There were parts where this book just dragged, and it shouldn't have! It was still cute though, with a lovely ending that worked just right for the two leads.

This whole book was a fun ride from start to finish. The momentum of the story kept me enticed since the beginning pages. Both Maya's and Skye's voices were clear and distinct as well as super enjoyable to read from. I love anything that adapts The Bachelor's premise and puts it into a new context--it's always imaginative and juicy. I love reality shows and this was such a fun way to add to the setting. Also, the love story was everything. It was fluffy and the buildup and chemistry was really entertaining.

Though I really enjoyed many aspects of the book, certain things felt off or a bit underdeveloped for me. I think Skye’s character ultimately fell flat for me by the end of the novel. I also think this book could have been helped with an older cast of characters that could fully deliver on the premise of a second chance The Bachelor.