The following review was posted on my blog today, Sunday, November 27th, 2 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.




“I love you, too, by the way.”
“I thought you didn’t do love.”
“There’s a lot of things I thought I didn’t do.”

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIA+
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Gaslighting, toxic relationships, and cheating are a big thing here. Also, definitely some biphobia and all-round douchebag-ery.

“Never Ever Getting Back Together” follows Maya and Skye as they participate in a new reality TV show called Second Chance Romance, where they’re both competing for their ex-boyfriend’s, Jordy’s, heart. But here’s the thing, back in the day, Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye—and then spread fake rumors about Maya, and how he had actually broken up with her but she turned into a low-key stalker. That’s why Maya’s on the TV show, not for Jordy’s heart, but for revenge, while Skye does seem to have some noble intentions… Until sparks start flying between two characters, and none of those is the dumbass Jordy.

First off, if you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m a big Taylor Swift fan (aka a swiftie)—so it should be no surprise if I tell you that the main reason I was called to click on this book was because of its title, and its title alone. Now, on to the actual review.

This is the first book by Sophia Gonzalez that I have ever read but she has been a long-standing member of my TBR list—and I’ll definitely be grabbing those other books real soon.

I don’t even know how to begin to explain “Never Ever Getting Back Together”. I really like books that are set in a reality TV setting, even though I’m not a big reality TV watcher myself, and this story was honestly all I’ve been wishing to read in one of those for a long time. But if there is one thing I would’ve changed about this book was making it more PG18, rather than PG13. Just for the sake of the plot, which has the characters being in their late teens and early twenties, it just felt weird that this was a YA book.

Disregarding that, I really enjoyed the story and, above all, Sophie Gonzales’s writing. Her writing style is descriptive without being overwhelming, and it has a lot of organic, long conversations. I love when I can really see when the characters fell in love, not just some insta-love trope. (Also, it helped that I absolutely loved Maya).

Maybe its because I’m impartial to the enemies-to-lovers trope, but I just a really enjoyed this read. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for some sapphic, reality-TV-inspired novel.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: November 29, 2022

“Me and Maya, we’re a good example of how first impressions don’t always set the tone for the rest of it.”

Sophie Gonzalez has really hit her stride with NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER. I laughed and I even teared up a bit! Set on a Bachelor type show featuring the teenage brother of the Princess of Chalonne as he reacquaints himself with his exes to see if one of them is "the one," this YA romance blends two of the best tropes: royalty & reality television as forced proximity.

Our main characters are Skye and Maya, two amazing and quintessentially chaotic bisexual young women who unfortunately have the shared experience of dating the same dude bro, Jordy Miller. However, this shared ex brings our two heroines together on the reality show. They share a room and go from true enemies with a heated clash to tentative friends to eventual lovers.

Gonzalez is excellent at depicting big emotions. and Maya, Skye, and Jordy have them, as do the other girls. I liked how she balanced threading in the show and the other girls while truly putting Skye & Maya in settings where they could be alone and bond. The revenge plot was well done as a driver of plot and I loved how it played out in the end.

I can't wait to see what Gonzalez writes next--she is quickly becoming my favorite writer of bisexual YA!

“You were just factually telling us some factual things that factually happened.”

Two girls - one out for revenge and one open to rekindling a romance - agree to go on a reality dating show called Second Chances for their ex-boyfriend. Pitted as enemies, the girls form a friendship that turns into more.

I really wanted to like this. The premise is so fun and unique, especially after reading several books that involve reality dating shows that all seem to flow the same way. But the story never really gets going and I never had a chance to get emotionally invested.

What I loved about this book was the plot and that is has some really funny moments. A reality dating show where the suitor, Jordy, is newly famous and invites his exes on for a second chance. The show itself is over-the-top, trying to show how lovely Jordy is. Buy when Maya and Skye are forced to share a room, their initial dislike turns into something more that they never expected. As they are young, their banter is fun and there were a few moments when I found myself laughing out loud.

My issues with this book are that the story never feels fully fleshed out and I couldn’t get past the feeling that they were too young for a show like this. The potential this had was so great but the execution was not. It feels like things just happen and nothing feels cohesive. I didn’t feel any chemistry between Maya and Skye. It felt like they were enemies to almost friends to a couple without any tension or build up. It just feels like it happens almost out of nowhere. I didn’t feel excited about their blooming romance and the chemistry just wasn’t there for me.

It also felt weird to me that they’re 18 and 20 on a dating show. I get that they’re adults but they felt incredibly immature at times. There’s also a strange moment when the producer basically asks them to do something with more sex appeal for the show, and honestly, it just felt a little gross. I’m in no way a prude, but here they just felt too young. It doesn’t come off funny, it feels inappropriate when directed at 18-year-old girls.

As much as I loved the premise, I really wish the story was more fleshed out and detailed. The lack of cohesion feels off and there wasn’t enough chemistry between Maya and Skye to keep me interested.

This book was so good! I need more from this author! Skye is such a great character!
Yes! I think it’s awesome that Maya and Skye end up together instead of the guy!

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

⭐️.5/5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book disappointed me. I was so excited about the concept of this book, an LGBT twist on the bachelor, but unfortunately, this book let me down.

The first 60 to 70 percent was incredibly slow. I just felt like nothing happened and it was really dragging. It took forever for the relationship to develop between the two main characters, and when it finally did, it felt super sudden and unrealistic.

One positive about this book was that it was pretty funny at times, which was the reason this book is a 1.5 and not just a 1 star.

This book just didn’t hook me like I thought it would, and sadly I just don’t think it’s worth the read.

#sophiegonazles #neverevergettingbacktogether #stmartinspress #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #books #booksta #bibliophile #currentreads #ilovebooks #fiction #bookish #bookcommunity #booklove #bookblog #bookworm #booknerd #book #2022reads #reads #2022books #reading #bookreview #bookrec

This is a rom-com lovers dream come true!!! I really loved how Sophie Gonzales put a twist on the very popular dating show we all know well. I especially enjoyed how the other contestants were made to realize what a bad person Jordy was and that they deserved way better. In the end everyone got what they deserved and Maya and Skye can be amazing together!

Fav Quote: "They don't call it gently cascading for someone. you don't gracefully descend for someone. You fall. Head over heels, right? And either someone catches you, or they don't, and you don't have any control over how badly bruised you are at the bottom of it."
3.5/5

** Thank you to NetGalley and to Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I don't genuinely go into a tropey-looking romcom expecting it to be the best book I read that year. It's just not the type. But even though this book wasn't the best-best-best book on my reading list this year, it's pretty high up there! I had a lot of fun reading this one.

Pros
Scumbag Ex: This is the type of book that needs a real scumbag ex, and Sophie Gonzales definitely provided that. Jordy's a liar and a misogynist, and he nonchalantly proves himself time and again. The big red flags are glaring, but it was the little things that got me in the spirit--the constantly referring to women he supposedly cared about as "chicks, for one. They were definitely never, ever getting back together--like, ever.

Tropey: When tropes work, they really do! This book is set up like a second-chance romance (obviously, the whole "reality show" at play is spun around that concept), but with an ex like Jordy, there's no way that's going to happen. Instead, we get a handful of other well-spun tropes playing out behind the scenes of the reality show, and I really, really enjoyed that. Gonzales embraces tropes beautifully.

Talk It Out: One thing I hate is when the primary source of drama in a book stems on a misunderstanding--particularly, a misunderstanding that could easily have been avoided (or sorted after the fact) by people just, you know, communicating. Though some of the initial tension here stems from misunderstanding, these characters do talk it out, and that flips the whole narrative. And I loved that.


Cons
Wrong Audience: The worst part about this book is that it's been written for entirely the wrong audience. Sure, these characters are technically of legal age, so the plot works. But who actually would watch a reality dating show about a bunch of eighteen-year-olds that isn't about the fact that they're, you know, eighteen? Maya's concerns about her suitability for college life could easily have been transferred to a concern about heading right into med school or some other form of graduate study. If these characters had been aged up four or five years, it would have made much, much more sense--and the writing otherwise wouldn't have needed to change. There were certainly enough shots done and curses uttered for these characters to feel pretty comfortable in their adulthood. Sophie Gonzales might have an active market already in YA, but this book wasn't the right fit.

Immediate Relevant Details: This is perhaps a nitpicky issue I have, but it always makes the writing feel a little less-than-polished to me when details that are relevant to a scene are shared with readers immediately before that scene. Once or twice, when it's unavoidable, sure. But to have little things that happened in Maya and Jordy's relationship shared right before they're dragged up again in the show might make sense on reality TV but makes less sense in flashbacks behind the scenes.

Chalonne: This faux-European country, a mixture of France and Germany as far as I could tell, is a fun setting. A romcom is always more fun in fake Europe. But maybe the setting should have been left at the setting, no language necessary. The characters here don't speak this faux language, after all. And as someone who has more-than-casually studied linguistics, the mechanics of this fake language, the few times the language was thrown into the mix, were grating, to say the least. Others might not mind or notice, but it hurt me so much that I couldn't not mention it.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8/10

Those who enjoyed the reality-show mechanics of Kathryn Foxfield's Come Out, Come Out Whatever You Are will enjoy this behind-the-scenes dive into the world of "reality" as well. Those who enjoyed Elise Bryant's Happily Ever Afters will appreciate this fun, tropey read.

• Reality Competition
• Rom-Com
• Dual POV

The story follows Skye and Maya, both of whom are exes of Jordy Miller. Jordy invites them and his other ex-girlfriends to a reality competition to regain his love. Maya isn’t interested in rekindling things with Jordy, she wants revenge because he cheated on her with Skye. Skye thinks Maya is just a jealous ex. As time goes on, Jordy’s real character comes out to shine and the two girls grow closer.

This book was so funny! I loved the ridiculousness of Jordy’s behavior. I think it’s a little ridiculous to think that people under the age of 21 have so many meaningful and adult-like relationships. I enjoyed the evolution of Skye and Maya’s relationship from enemies to more than friends. Both characters were well written and had full personality. This was such a comforting and humorous read for me.

<i>Thank you to Sophie Gonzales, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Never Ever Getting Back Together through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<i>

#NeverEverGettingBackTogether #SophieGonzales #StMartinsPress #WednesdayBooks #NetGalley #ARC #eARC

Sophia Gonzales has written a fun and well written romantic book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will recommend it to my friends.

What do you do when you finish Love is Blind and Bachelor in Paradise in the same week? You read a romcom that takes place while filming a reality dating show, that’s what.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a feisty YA rom com that’s great on audio! It would be a fun book to go in blind to, since the blurb really explains the entire plot of the novel.

Maya is invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance. Her ex-boyfriend Jordy cheated on her two years ago - and then made everyone believe that she was the “crazy” one. He is now a minor celebrity after his sister married the prince of a small European country. Maya agrees to go on the dating show so she can embarrass him as badly as he did her two years ago. But when she gets there, she finds out she’s rooming with Skye - the very person that Jordy cheated on her with.

For me, after finishing two very dramatic reality dating shows, this novel was a bit tame. There was some drama, and Jordy is very villainous, so it was very bingeable. I overall enjoyed it, but it won’t be one of my favorites for the year.

Never Ever Getting Back Together follows Maya, who gets invited onto a second chance romance show with her celebrity ex who cheated on her and lied about it to make her look obsessive. Maya is determined to expose him on live TV, but that means being around Skye, the girl he cheated with. As Maya and Skye work out how their ex played them both, they team up to bring him down, and end up finding new love with each other!

I loved Sophie Gonzales’s previous book Perfect on Paper, but this one was a whole new level. The pacing had me flying through the pages desperate to see what came next! Maya and Skye made such a cute couple, and it was lovely to see how they balance each other out despite being very different people.

The book deals heavily with misogyny and girl-on-girl hate, and I love how it unpacks the harmful way reality shows — and society at large — often pit women against each other. The female characters don’t behave perfectly by any means, and even Maya and Skye engage in toxic behaviors, but the book makes it very clear that it’s a product of internalized sexism, and that was very refreshing to see.

The ending somehow manages to balance a message of not letting revenge consume you AND the evil ex getting his just deserts, and I was so here for it! I came away feeling extremely happy and satisfied.

thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! I really enjoyed this one! I read this in October and haven't found a single minute to write this review until now, so :( sorry for the delay!!

if you're wondering whether this is the book for you, I only have one question. id you watch Netflix's Do Revenge and think to yourself, gosh, this was great, but if only it were gayer? then yes, this is the book for you!

Sophie Gonzales' characters are always deeply interesting people, and I would say that was Never Ever Getting Back Together's biggest strength. Maya and Skye, two bisexual girls who dated the same boy and end up falling for each other, are both intricately (and beautifully) written. Maya in particular was so fun to read because she is, like, super bitter, and I loved that she was allowed to be a little morally grey. because sometimes you have an ex that turns you just a little bit evil when you so much as hear their name!

I would say my only minor beef with this book is that it bordered on instalove - Maya and Skye fell for each other before they really truly knew each other, and while that added to the drama in the end (no spoilers), I almost wasn't convinced by it. but in the end, I was, in fact, convinced by it, and then my only beef was with Jordy, who absolutely deserves it. (if anyone has any evil f*ckboy exes they'd like me to punch, I have a lot of rage saved up from this book. just point me in his direction.)

I have a lot of thoughts on the ending, but at risk of spoiling it all in this short review, I'll have to keep them to myself. all in all, I thought this was a really fun romance that reminded me how much I support women's wrongs as much as their rights. it was a very quick read because it was so engaging, so I really recommend picking it up and giving it a try!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Maya has just about forgotten that her ex-boyfriend Jordy cheated on her 2 years ago. Since then, his sister has married a prince in a small European nation, and Jordy has become a celebrity. So when Maya receives a phone call from a production company asking if she'll be a part of a new reality tv show, all about Jordy and his exes, she immediately refuses. But after thinking more, she realises that she might be able to make Jordy fall in love with her again, and expose him for the villain he is. However, Maya will have to bunk up with Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on her with. Will Maya be able to keep a clear head to succeed, or will her conflicting feelings for Skye get in the way?

This was a book I knew I would enjoy the second I saw the synopsis. Two girls out for revenge on their ex, who then fall for each other - perfection! Skye and Maya's characters were very different, so the fact that they had their own chapters in the book, helped us as the readers to understand them more, and see more of the vindictiveness, and egotistical manner than Jordy acted. Jordy was an absolute dick, and he deserved everything that came at him, plus more. I did like the way that the girls who went on the show became quite close friends, especially once the air was cleared between Skye and Maya, and they understood the only person to blame was Jordy. A great read, and perfect for today's teens!

I loved this book! The setting is a reality TV show for second chance romances. The story gives behind the scenes of what I would imagine happens in a real reality show. I read this book in one afternoon because I couldn’t put it down! The writing is excellent and the characters are perfect. You love some and hate others. I love Perrie because she is the quiet underdog who gets along with everyone. This is a highly enjoyable, quick read!

“I guess I was right the first time, months ago, when Rosie talked me into coming on the show. Jordy’s his own gasoline. Maybe all I needed to do was light a match.”

Eighteen-year-old Maya Bailey is tired of seeing her ex-boyfriend, Jordy Miller, in the news all the time. After his sister married a crown prince, Jordy’s face has been splashed across the headlines for working with charities and capturing hearts more times than she can count. But she knows that’s not the real story of who he is, especially since he cheated on her and another one of his exes, Skye Kaplan, at the same time and convinced everyone Maya was lying about it. So when Maya is invited to star on the reality show Second Chance Romance where Jordy will try again with six of his exes to find the one that got away, she realizes it’s the perfect chance to show the world who Jordy really is. Through competition hijinks, Maya gets to know Skye and the other four girls, but with the finale looming, Maya has to make a choice. Should she expose Jordy and get the revenge she’s been dreaming about for two years? Or is her heart leading her in another, very different direction?

Sophie Gonzales’s NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is a fun and frolicking romance that also does a fantastic job covering some deeper topics. I absolutely loved the dual-narration, and Gonzales’s latest is alive with her trademark humor and brilliant writing. Jordy is an antagonist that you love to hate, so hats off to Gonzales for his characterization! The romance is sweet and realistic, and I enjoyed watching Maya and Skye’s relationship grow and change throughout the book. If you’ve ever wanted the contestants on a reality dating show to fall for each other instead of the bachelor or bachelorette, then this book is 100% for you! Get yourself a copy of NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER right away for romance, heartache, and humor galore!

Content Warnings: Strong language, anxiety, gas-lighting, infidelity, absent parent, divorce, sexism, slut-shaming, referenced intimate scene

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I thought this book was super cute. I liked the reality tv aspect of it. It was a little strange to me I think how young the characters were in it, that made it seem slightly u realistic to me in terms of dating reality tv. But I enjoyed all of the characters in it. I think it overall had a good plot and good character development. I wish the epilogue was a little bit farther down the road so it could have given a more clear picture of what the future holds. But overall I think it had a good ending to it. And everything throughout was pretty well paced.

4 stars!

The concept of "Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Sophie Gonzales is great! It is a drama-filled tale of revenge set on a Bachelor-style dating reality television show. Six girls who all dated the same guy, Jordy Miller, must vie for a second chance at love with him. As it turns out, Jordy Miller is absolutely the WORST. He's self-absorbed, sexist, obsessed with fame, a cheater, a liar, a coward, and has been spreading rumors about each of the contestants to each other unbeknownst to them. The girls are stuck together in a massive house while the show films. Maya and Skye, two bisexual girls who have been pitted against each other by Jordy, start having feelings for one another as they get to know one another.

I do think "Never Ever Getting Back Together" would have benefitted from NOT being YA, but that doesn't mean this book isn't scandalous and well-written. Gonzales is an excellent writer. She really takes her time developing the relationship between Maya and Skye. Some readers might see this as unnecessary, but I thought it worked out well. Gonzales also plots Maya and Skye's revenge against Jordy with pinpoint precision..until it all goes awry, of course. This book is a fun, funny read that I could not put down. Chapters skip from Maya's POV to Skye's POV, so the reader is always one step ahead of one of the girls. My chief complaint is that the plot is *a little* predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it! Also, another complaint is that Maya and Skye don't have much of an identity outside of doing this reality show. They aren't super well-developed, so there could have been a little more individual character-building for them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Gonzales, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is the fun enemies to lovers (with a twist) I didn't know I needed. This delightful read is a standalone, so no need to worry about prequels or other books to read first.

I had a ton of fun reading about the reality show where a royal-adjacent bad boyfriend gets to spend time re-dating all of the girls he treated like crap. Since I don't post spoilers, that is my entire commentary on the plot. The writing thought! Never Ever Getting Back Together was the perfect light, quick read that had me laughing out loud and cheering for the girls in this story. Sophie Gonzales writes like a dream and you won't even notice that there is writing, because she masterfully pulls you into the book - you'll forget your surroundings and just enjoy the story.

I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it to you!

Gay gay gay. We love a queer rom com in this house. This book was legit funny not just light hearted but actually funny. Twists and turns through the book keep the pages turning.

Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy! I was thrilled because Perfect on Paper was one of my favorites last year!

You guys-I LOVED this! I have absolutely nothing to critic because it was perfect. The reality show setting, the revenge seeking ladies and the unexpected romance were so perfect. All of the characters were spot on (even Jordy) and so realistic! I laughed out loud quite a bit. So many witty comments, scenarios and banter. You know I love my banter!

The only sad thing is that it’s over 🥹 I wish that Maya and Skye were real and we could all be best friends. This was perfect!