A revenge against shitty men book is something I will drop everything to pick up because men like Jordy can choke. I'm a little sad because I wanted to love this more than I did but this book was still a whole lot of fun. The characters, the humor, & the conversations between all the characters were what held this together for me - I could have read it allllll day long. But I couldn't help but wonder how in the hell did Jordy have enough women to have a whole ass Bachelor show at the ripe age of a YA book? I would have loved to see the characters aged up just a little more to make it more believable. I also felt like some parts of this were super rushed and others were very cut and dry and there was hardly any emotion behind the writing. And lets be real, if it's a teen version of the Bachelor the emotions and angst are going to be at an all time high.

This was adorable and very original. While the title suggests this is a second-chance romance with a woman going back to an awful boyfriend, that’s not at all what happens here!

What I loved…
- the scheming
- the love story
- the originality and creativity

What I struggled with: Ok, I know this is YA and I’m old, but the whole time I read this I just kept thinking ‘they’re too young for this!’ It’s centered around a reality show that features one person bringing back their exes. Fun on paper- but we are talking about someone barely into their 20’s bringing back recent high school graduates. Like, I can’t take these relationships seriously. 🤣 Not to mention, they’re in Europe so the producers are encouraging them to drink— it just felt icky to me. While those parts bothered me personally I did still
enjoy the ‘love story’ and the character growth here.

Read this if you especially like…
- young love
- love triangles
- queer love stories
- Reality TV

I absolutely adore this so much! The MC and the inevitable love interest were so cute and I was rooting for them from the start. I loved the hint of enemies to lovers, and also greatly enjoyed that it was LGBTQ+!! Highly recommended!

When Maya's now famous cheater ex-boyfriend invites her to participate in a teen reality dating show, she thinks it is the perfect opportunity to take her revenge and tell the world how awful the real Jordy is. But that means rooming with Skye, the girl he cheated on her with. Skye was always cautious with her heart, except with Jordy, who said all of the right things until he suddenly stopped answering her texts. Skye wants a second chance at the sparks she had with Jordy until she meets Maya and realizes they may have more chemistry than they ever had with Jordy. I love sapphic romances and reality tv shows (Bachelor in Paradise is my guilty pleasure show), so I was really looking forward to reading this book! And it was a fun read, but it wasn't what I was expecting and didn't quite live up to my expectations. The idea of two contestants on a reality dating show getting revenge and falling for each other made a fun plot! But the setting and the characters' attitudes seemed to clash because the setting seemed to be about adults on a reality tv set, but then the characters were very YA. I think this book would have made much more sense if the characters were aged up. But overall, the premise was great, and it was a fun read! If you love dating reality tv shows and read a lot of ya romances, then you will enjoy this book!

Never Ever Getting Back Together is the hilarious and unputdownable new book from Sophie Gonzales! Skye and Maya have never met, but have both been recruited to compete on a reality tv show where they will reconnect with Jordy, a mutual ex. However, Maya and Skye have different reasons for being there and a complicated past between them. As they uncover the truth about Jordy, their feelings for each other grow too. When the show ends, Skye and Maya must decide how far they want to take their revenge and if their romance can survive in the real world.

I loved this book! It was so much fun to read and I couldn’t put it down. Maya and Skye are great characters; I appreciated their different reasons for being on the show. The bisexual representation was fantastic and felt realistic. Sophie Gonzales is an extremely witty writer! Her sarcastic banter and dry dialogue is exactly my sense of humor. Maya and Skye have an excellent enemies-to-lovers arc and many adventures along the way! One of my favorite parts was seeing the girls unite vs. Jordy as his true nature is exposed. I can’t wait to read the rest of Sophie Gonzales’ backlist and whatever she writes next! I would highly recommend Never Ever Getting Back Together, especially for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emma Lord.

Thank you so much to Sophie Gonzales, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3⭐️

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a dual-pov novel following Maya and Skye, who agree to go on a teen reality show with their now famous ex-boyfriend. The show, called Second-Chance Romance, is a way for Jordy to explore his relationships with his ex-girlfriends (the ones who loved him before the fame) and to see if there could possibly be a second chance at love.

The synopsis for the book made me really excited for it! In reality, Jordy is a manipulative liar, and we are told that Maya and Skye end up falling for each other instead. To me, that's great revenge, and I was looking forward to a cute love story along with it. Unfortunately, while the idea was there, the book itself fell a bit flat.

While I love the concept for the book, I believe that this idea should have been for a NA novel and not a YA novel. The timelines are not the most sensical to me, and I know some of it is explainable through Jordy cheating, but the ages do not add up. I believe he is 20, and the six girls on the show are all about 18? While it isn't inconceivable for him to have dated that many girls, it is inconceivable that these relationships would have had the depth required for all the emotional displays on the show. It also seemed a bit off that in what is supposed to be a YA novel, the producers would intentionally get the girls drunk for more content.

The characters were also a sore spot with me. I barely know anything about Maya or Skye, and there didn't seem to be a connection between the two. At one point, one of them even mentions how "two girls can both like girls and not kiss", but... that sadly seemed to be the case for them. Also, Skye knew that all Maya wanted going into the show was to get her revenge, but when it comes time for Maya to finally get it, Skye gets upset with her. At the time this was so frustrating, but I did like how it ended and I think Maya chose well.

Pierre was cool! She was the most reasonable person there, although I do wonder what the legal implications would be after all was said and done. Throughout the entire novel, the girls are tip-toeing around what they can and can't do, and at the end, all of a sudden it's a free for all.

Overall this was a quick read, and I think it is honestly similar to reality tv. While you know it might be tacky, you're glued to it anyways! Guys like Jordy can go to hell; all of his comments were downright terrible, and the "MeToo" line made me physically recoil. I did want to find out how the story ended, and was pretty happy with the outcome!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

What do you do when you are forced to come face to face with the other woman. Or in the case of Maya and Skye what if you had to come face to face with four of the other women. Maya swore she was done with Jordy. He had broken her heart and the worst part was no matter how much she spoke up about what he had done everyone always believes his side of the story. Skye never really got closure with Jordy. He moved away and they slowly lost touch. So, when Second-Chance Romance reaches out to both young ladies and asks them if they would like a second chance with Jordy to see if sparks could fly again. Will Maya be able to finally get revenge? Is Skye really the person that she thinks she is?
I enjoyed this story. I think it took an interesting turn, but I appreciated that the romance as it built allowed both Skye and Maya to come to terms with different things. From figuring out why they had acted how they did in past relationships, realizing that love is while scary can be a good thing, to coming to terms with Jordy and what he meant to them in the past and currently. I also apricated that both learned how to grow and support the other in the ways that they needed most, and they were able to overcome fears to give that support. The ending was perfect. It was a great way to show that sometimes a goal we think we have is not always the best route once the moment occurs. Overall, this is a lovely book and one I will recommend to patrons.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sophie Gonzales, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Even though it has been two years since Maya's ex-boyfriend (Jordy) cheated on her, she still can't get over him. Not even when his sister marries a prince and everyone sees him as a good and charming guy. Little does Maya know that he hurt another girl, Skye, in the same way. Leaving her broken hearted.

Maya and Skye are soon invited to start on a dating reality show along with four more of Jordy's exes to compete for Jordy's heart again. Skye wants to win him back but Maya wants revenge. As the competition starts and gets competitive, Maya and Skye might just discover their happily ever after is not at all what they thought it was.

I love a story with a good dating reality show and this book didn't disappoint! I liked both Maya and Skye's personalities for different reasons. I will recommend this book to others.

This was my first book by sophie gonzalez however I have heard a lot of great things about her books so I was excited to read this. I really enjoyed it and read it quickly because I wanted to know what was gonna happen.

This was a cute concept - women compete for another chance at love with the boy who did them dirty - and I was very interested in reading this book. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to what I was expecting. It had everything that should have made me love the book - cute concept, some interesting characters, jerk ex-boyfriend. I just felt this book moved slowly for me. Overall, the book was okay. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

“Is that the worst thing you’ve ever heard, or what?”

It's getting increasingly harder for me to sit down and focus on reading traditionally. Especially, this time of year. Even a Sophie novel. And yall know I'll read anything Sophie writes. Fortunately, even though I was blessed enough to get an arc, I was also recently accepted into the MacMillan Audio Influencer Program. And they were kind of enough to send me an early copy of the audiobook. And let me tell you, Natalie Naudus is a Goddess tier narrator (and person). And I really enjoyed Barrie Kreinik as the second narrator.

“It’s a little like a fairy tale, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure Hans Christian Andersen was just about to start on the tale of the six princesses who battled to the death for the prince who’d already dumped their asses once,” Francesca says dryly. “That’s some real magical sh*t, there.”

Have you ever wondered what would happen if two girls started fighting over a guy but in the middle of the fight they decide to just kiss each other instead? Well now you don't have to because Sophie Gonzales did it for you! Never Ever Getting Back Together is, in my opinion, a bit lighter than what Sophie usually writes. Don't get me wrong, it's still got some heavy issues. Mainly, recognizing red flags and gaslighting in relationships. But it's also a lot of fun. Kind of like John Tucker Must Die meets The Bachelor meets Taylor Swift's entire discography.

My biggest critique is that the relationship between the main pairing doesn't feel as deep or emotional as I think we are supposed to feel by the conclusion. And I feel like Jordy doesn't end up dealing with all the repercussions I feel he deserved. But all in all, it's a fun and quick read. I can't recommend the audiobook enough.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is available now as are all of Sophie's other books. I will be your friend forever if you pick up her debut The Law of Inertia and then sob and scream about it with me. I'm not joking. 👀

I'm all for an enemies to lovers trope and this one did not disappoint!

Maya and Skye are enemies by circumstance. when the boy they were dating cheated on one with the other. When they're offered a chance to "date" him again two years later via a dating show similar to the bachelor, they both say yes for different motivations. It doesn't take more than the first week for the two women to decide that banding together to humiliate Jordy like he did to them is to play the game.

The more the two scheme together the more they fall for each other instead. I really enjoyed this one. I liked the plot, the characters, and all the scheming that goes on throughout the book. I enjoyed the audiobook and thought the narration was done well. I definitely recommend it!

This was such a fun read! You have a dating reality TV show, revenge on an ex-boyfriend and an unexpected romance. I fell in love with both Maya and Skye and was routing for them throughout the book. It was the perfect opposite attract love story with Maya being sarcastic and extraverted and Skye quiet and sweet. Read this book if you enjoy drama, reality tv and sweet queer romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love a revenge/romance combo! Plus, this one is wonderfully gay. I also enjoyed the exploration of the different women participating in the bachelor-style televised contest and their various reasons for doing so—I hadn't thought too much about why people would do such a crazy thing, and it was full of good theories.

I loved the premise of this book. The characters were engaging, and enjoyable. The romance was cute. I loved the build up from enemies to allies/friends to lovers. I really enjoyed this. I will be recommending it to all of my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest feedback.

While I found this entertaining to read—the premise was exciting, the pace was quick, and it definitely made me laugh—there were quite a few elements of the book that didn't work for me, unfortunately.

Overall, the characters felt flat, with each of their only defining characteristics being their relationship with their ex, Jordy. Specifically, our two main characters' whole personalities were based on their hatred of Jordy. It really made it difficult to root for them at all. While this is addressed later in the story, it was too little too late for me.

I also needed clarification on the characters' ages. The book's entire premise (dating reality show with exes as contestants) felt like it would work better with adults, even just characters in their late twenties. Having the characters at such a young age (late teens/early twenties?) felt both unrealistic and limiting.

My biggest complaint was the lack of chemistry between our love interests. I didn't buy it, and it seemed to be dropped into the story suddenly at the halfway point in the book. I wanted more build up, more hints throughout the beginning of the story, but we were too focused on the revenge plotline.

While I was disappointed in this read, I've enjoyed Sophie Gonzales' past work and love the creativity of her concepts, so I'll give her next piece a try.

Oh my gosh - this book was so much fun!

I started reading this on a whim and quickly devoured it within a few days. The romance was adorable and there were so many moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. This book was an utter delight!

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a face paced story that would be perfect for getting out of a reading slump. It's very "The Bachelor" while also having a unique twist on the trope. It feels original and takes a set up we've all seen before & turns it into something different. I loved seeing the behind the scene bits of filming & all the details about filming a TV show.

I loved both main characters and really enjoyed the dual POV throughout. Both main characters had distinct voices and having them both narrate gave the story a more rounded feel. The romance between Skye and Maya was also super cute!! They had "opposites attract" vibes, especially towards the beginning.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a beautiful YA contemporary book that belongs on your TBR! It has romance, feminism, and reality TV... What more could you need?

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is a hilariously charming mix of romance meets reality show.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a welcomed twist on romances centering around reality dating shows. A fan of Gonzales's writing, I went in with high expectations and was not disappointed. I enjoyed the story, especially the humor. (I completely agree with Maya's assessment of wine.) Although the characters do not show much depth, Maya and Skye are relatable and their romance is endearing. I would recommend this to fans of YA romances that feature enemies-to-lovers. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

I’m DNFing this one at 41%. It’s not bad, it’s just not for me. The writing is great (absolutely loved Sophie’s previous book If This Gets Out) and so are the characters, and I think this certainly deserves an audience. I just wish the characters were a little older. The fact that they’re 18 and being exploited on a reality TV dating competition is all kinds of inappropriate, and early on in the book one of the MCs (Maya) hates the other MC (Skye) because her boyfriend (Jordy) cheated with her. I really really do not like when women hold the person who their ex cheated with responsible. Girlfriend, focus on who wronged you (the cheating boyfriend) and move on. The other woman was as much as victim as she was.
Anyway, what I read was technically well written and compelling but was a bad fit for me personally. I might consider coming back to this again some other time.