Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is a fun, YA romance about a dating show. I enjoyed this book and the behind-the-scenes look at a dating show.

Story Recap:
Maya can’t escape her ex-boyfriend, Jordy after Jordy’s sister married the crown prince of a small European country. Jordy is now one of the most eligible bachelors in America. However, the world doesn’t know that Jordy is a cheating liar, and Maya wants to destroy him after he broke her heart two years ago. So when Maya is approached to do a dating show with Jordy as the “prize” bachelor, she immediately refuses. But, after thinking about it, she realizes this is the perfect chance to expose Jordy for the lying cheat that he is. Once she gets on the show, she meets Skye, the “other” woman that Jordy was seeing at the same time as Maya. At first, Maya despises Skye, but once they compare stories, they realize that Jordy was cheating on both of them at the same time. Maya and Skye bond and form a plan to work together to take down Jordy.

My Thoughts:
At first, I thought that Maya’s need for revenge was a bit over the top, but as I got to know Maya better, I began to understand her need for revenge a bit better. I liked Skye the best, she has such a good heart and seems to balance Maya’s cynicism really well. Jordy was horrible, but he made a good villain for the story.

I liked the behind-the-scenes of a dating show, and in this case, I thought it sounded very authentic. What I especially liked was the way the producers could easily change the narrative and the perceptions of the participants. It was very clear that the show participants didn’t have much input into how they were portrayed and how these types of shows can be easily manipulated in order to please the audience.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Never Ever Getting Back Together to anyone who enjoys YA romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a cute take on YA, a take on reality TV geared more towards a young adult audience. It was a unique concept. A new dating show is premiering and it's all about re-exploring your past relationships. So when the famous Jordy, brother to a newly crowned princess, is picked to be the first lead of the series he starts calling up his exes.

One of those exes is Maya, a girl he dated for two years before cheating on her, dumping her, and then lying and spreading rumors about her. To say she's not interested is an understatement. Maya is not going to re-date the lying and manipulative Jordy and expose herself to heartache and humiliation again. Unless...

Unless Maya can flip the script, get Jordy to fall for her again and then eviscerate him in the finale. With that goal in mind she signs up. What she doesn't expect is that the girl Jordy cheated with, Skye, would be there too. This immediately throws Maya and she can't keep her anger and hurt in check.

Skye is here to see if the fleeting romance she had with Jordy might work out. He had certainly made her feel great when they dated and she knew that their relationship ended when Jordy had to move away. She doesn't expect this unhinged ex Maya to be there though. With a warning from Jordy to be careful of her and her manipulation, Skye prepares to defend herself and Jordy to Maya's claims. Why is she even here?

Much to their dismay Skye and Maya end up roommates. When their emotions boil over, Maya and Skye realize whose to blame for the contention: Jordy. They start working together to get the other contestants against Jordy to take him down once and for all.

But Skye and Maya don't expect all that comes out of this reality tv show excursion they've ended up on.

Gonzales wrote a fun and quick paced YA novel. I felt the development of Skye and Maya's relationship was really believable and genuine. The characters were realistic and flawed but not unlikeable (except for maybe Jordy).

Honestly I didn’t know much about this story going into it… so at first I was like UGH a love triangle… but boy was I in for a surprise. I honestly really liked the story it was cute and fun and gave such good bachelor/bachelorette vibes.

The bi representation in this was so cute! Oh my goodness!
I felt like I was watching the reality tv show with some popcorn! I was eating up the drama the scheming and all the fun crazy things these girls came up with to get back at jordy and the fact that this made the girls bond and basically fall in love for one another leaving jordy in the dust. I truly enjoyed this read. I freaking loved mayas character and personality. She is so outspoken and witty! And skye is so sweet and intelligent. The way these girls teamed up to get back at their ex on a reality tv show wow loved it all. I also really like Isaac and Perrie, their part in all of this was fun to read about as well. The romance the drama all of it!

I really enjoyed this one, but of course give me any book that’s about a woman who sets out to get revenge on her ex, only to fall in love in the process, and I will be happy. The twist with this book though? She falls for the woman that her ex cheated on her with. Do you see the vision? Sheer. Brilliance.

I loved Skye and Maya’s relationship. While I was worried that the animosity between them, and the rift that was caused between all the girls by default, would be drawn out too long, they were able to clear the air pretty early on in the story.

Now let’s talk about Jordy. Talk about the most PUNCHABLE character in any book ever. That boy was so manipulative he gave me the ick from the moment he was introduced. While I was glad that Maya put Skye and their relationship first by the end of the story, I was also endlessly happy that he got his comeuppance (Petrie will forever be my Queen).

If you want a fun and heartwarming love story with some amazing female friendships, then be sure to check this one out!

4.5/5⭐️

I LOVED this!!! A gay romance mixed with a new take on the Bachelor? I’m in!! Plus, it was dual POV and I’m an absolute sucker for dual POV so thank you Sophie Gonzales for giving me what I absolutely love!
This book was funny and entertaining and I couldn’t find it in me to put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed this!!!

So I don't watch these type of shows on TV, so I think that influenced my view of this novel.

Ok so it seems absurd that people as young as these characters are already chasing " A Second Chance at Love" on a reality show with their teen romances. All of the contestants are barely adults, and honestly they don't know a thing about love as they were just going steady and apparently being cheated on by the male suitor on the show.

And, the male lead is just awful. Honestly would a royal family let a member of their family on show where women are bad mouthing him and divulging his dirty little secrets.

I'm NOT the demographic for this novel, and I did not enjoy this read.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the complimentary copy.

i've been going back and forth on whether or not to rate this book a three or four star. for now, i've landed on three stars, but who knows. there's always a chance i'll think more on it and change it later.

but, what i can say for now is that i really did enjoy my time with this story. sophie gonazlaes knows how to write a funny and quick-read story, that's for sure. i felt like i flew through this story, and enjoyed my time with it. and after reading another of her releases earlier this year i think it's so interesting to see how she likes to write about individuals in famous (or, i guess, famous to be) positions. i'm not a fan of bachelor-type shows but this was still entertaining. and the concept of following participants in these shows go down avenues of not following the expected outcome of dating shows, will continue to fascinate me.

i do, however, wish this book was aged up to a new-adult age group. i just think a lot more could have been accomplished considering we are following college-aged characters. i wish we were able to see more of the consequences of jordy's actions and just more about the actual issues that maya went through before the start of these events. it felt almost too pushed aside for the love-story. which is definitely fine, because it is a ya contemporary. but yeah, it's something i would've loved to see more of. i also wish we were able to spend more time with the group of girls, getting to know them and see more of their blossoming friendships. but, even without those extra moments, i appreciated that they stuck with each other and supported each other, even after a rocky start.

i think, overall, if you're a fan of ya books but also love the bachelor (or the many dating reality shows), this will be a fun and interesting read.

Probably actually 3.5 stars. I didn't fall in love with this book as much as I was hoping to based on the premise and how much I loved Perfect on Paper. However, once I got to the point where Maya and Skye started working together, I ended up having a pretty good time reading it. There's just as much fun as the premise promises, and there's a great cast of characters. The plot had a few moments that I couldn't quite buy into, but also really great parts that got me really invested in the story. Overall, an enjoyable read that just didn't quite live up to my probably-too-high hopes.

CW: manipulation, gaslighting, sexism, infidelity

I have loved anything that I've read from this author and this one was no exception. This is a "The Bachelor" inspired book and it was so funny and cute. I loved all the girls in the book and the relationships that they had with each other. The sapphic romance that was at the forefront of this book was very cute and I was rooting for them throughout.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this sapphic, revenge fueled romance. The reality show of it all was done so well and was a really clever setting. I loved Sophie Gonzales’ writing and banter.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise is that it is a reality show bringing one man's ex-girlfriends back for a -Second Chance Romance.

Jordy is the primary contestant and they bring back about 6 women that dated him in the past. Some willingly and some that had to be coerced. It sounded like they portrayed the whole reality experience pretty accurately. A few of the women are their for the attention, a few are there to see if there is a chance and a few are there for revenge.

Jordy's true colors are exposed to some and friendships and more are formed among the women. I liked the some of the relationships around them and the fluidity among them, but it was a little bit too predictable.

This book had me CACKLING! Oh my gosh, I can totally see what @nuclearfiction has been talking about over the past couple of weeks here because this book was hilarious. The drama, there was so much and it was so unnecessary but it made it so much better of a read. I loed it. I laughed and I laughed HARD as I was reading this book.

The amount of miscommunication had me absolutely cringing. Like, all the girls had to talk to one another and none of this would have been an issue. Honestly, Jordy was not worth all of the problems that arose throughout the course of the book. Who knew that a reality show as a book was exactly what I needed at this moment in time.

Overall, this book was hilarious and made me love Maya, Skye, Perrie and all of the other girls as well. There were some rough moments for sure and there were definitely more than one cringey thing that happened, but honestly those moments just added so much more to the plot that it was totally worth it! If you love reality tv shows, this is definitely the book for you! Its just unbelievable enough to be believable.

⚠️TW: toxic relationship, gaslighting, infidelity, abandonment, cursing, misogyny, biphobia, bullying, car accident

Having read Perfect on Paper and loved it, I was eager to read this. A spin off of The Bachelor but with ex girlfriends and no roses. I thought the age of the characters were a little young. It would have felt more realistic if everyone was about 5 to 10 yrs older. I loved how the story went as it was unpredictable. Very entertaining.

Have you ever read about a relationship where the two girls are fighting over the guy and you are TIRED of it because he's just not that great so why don't the girls just end up together? No, me either. Until now. I inhaled this book, it completely consumed me with its plot and my need to finally see this story written somewhere.

Never Ever Getting Back Together hits the nail on the head for The Bachelor fans and queer rom-com lovers everywhere. Maya agrees to a reality show to have a second chance with a garbage ex-boyfriend because she wants revenge, he did cheat after all. Skye goes on the show because maybe this time around, they can realize they are destined together. The two girls are thrown together and forced to confront the fact that Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye, but every story has two sides.. or three.

Gonzales does a decent job at characterization, Jordy is manipulative and gross and fully fleshed out in his narcissistic toxic ways. Maya is on a revenge rampage and Skye is just trying to figure out who to trust. Although there were moments where I felt like Maya's actions made sense because her motivations were developed, Skye was almost the opposite. I didn't understand her level of guardedness until we are just told she is that way and are made to accept it. Of course, over time it made sense, but in the beginning, it felt incredibly jarring compared to the way Gonzales has fleshed out the remaining cast. Additionally, there were moments when I couldn't tell the two apart because the number of discernable personality traits was limited. I knew Skye liked music and Maya liked swimming, that's it.

The pacing, tone, and plot were all well done. I loved the premise of two girls falling in love with one another instead of the boy they are meant to be fawning over. I also loved how unhinged Maya was (even if it got annoying at times - but hey, she's 18, so it made sense). I know the biggest concern is the genre, the characters and writing feel very YA so I am not sure why people are upset. I don't think the story would have lost or gained anything by aging it into a New Adult/Adult novel.

In this fun and refreshing twist on reality TV Maya and Skye are scorned exes of obscure royalty. They're both brought on the show to get a second-chance to rekindle their flame, but the pair end up falling for each other in the process. Told in dual POV, this queer new adult rom com has major Bachelor vibes and is perfect for fans of The Charm Offensive. I loved the sharp humor and the twist on a second-chance romance with Skye and Maya being enemies to co-conspirators to lovers . While I loved getting a glimpse into the dates on the show, the age of the characters was a tad confusing, as much of the plot revolved around drinking, even with most of the cast just graduating high school.

This was was SO FUN and so so good!

What I loved:
🌹Bachelor-style reality dating show
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ representation
🌱 Themes of growth and female friendship
🥊 Badass bitches getting shit DONE!

This was such a fun NA read with reality dating show vibes (watch this instead of binging Love is Blind Season 3 - thank me later!), girl power and female friendships, with a side of REVENGE and a lil sapphic romance. Jordy was the real villain of the story who you just loved to hate. All the girls "competing" for his love were amazing and I loved the friendships they struck up. Plus Issac the producer was such an amazing side character. This book was such a fast-paced, fun read with lots of twists and turns and was just FUN.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When their now famous ex-boyfriend asks them to participate in a teen reality show, two eighteen year old girls—one bent on revenge, the other open to rekindling romance—get tangled up in an unexpected twist when they fall for each other instead.

Picture the Bachelor but as a rom com and you will fall in love with this book as much as I did! I absolutely love Gonzales’s writing style! The humor in the writing and the dialogue was phenomenal and just draws the reader into the book! I was laughing out loud at some points and just loved the interactions between the different characters. I also LOVED the different POV because you could start to see the viewpoints from the different characters and understand a little bit more about their motivation.

She does a fantastic job with the characters and just make them so lively and energetic and she has a wonderful ability at bringing them to life. There were a few parts of the reality show that just seemed a little unrealistic to me at times and definitely made me wonder how it would actually be a real reality show, but overall I loved how she approached the show and the satire that she brought to it. Overall, this is such a cute book that I devoured and absolutely loved!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Sadly this one just didn't work for me and I couldn't finish it. I loved the author's earlier books, If This Gets Out and Perfect on Paper; both are excellent and I recommend them. This one was not.

The premise is excellent, but from the beginning I stumbled over details like the made-up country and the hyperbolic email sent to Maya by the producer of the reality show.

Also, how old can Jordie be if he dated two eighteen-year-old girls fairly recently? Surely no more than twenty-one or so? He seemed a bit young to have garnered enough attention to star in a Bachelor-style reality show. Ultimately the biggest issue for me was that this material would have been so much richer and more interesting with older characters. YA is the wrong genre for this book.

This last criticism is on me. I am allergic to this type of sexist reality show so I thought I would love to see the main character undermine it. But my allergy got in my way and I quit pretty early. I will still check out Sophie Gonzales's next book, though. She's too good an author not to.

Sophie Gonzales has done it again. I have read Sophie’s previous books and each time, I fall in love with how well it is written, the characters (besides Jordy), and the storylines that she comes up with. In this book, Never Ever Getting Back Together, Maya gets invited to join a reality tv show about her ex Jordy, trying to find love with his previous girlfriends. However, Jordy has badly scorned Maya, and she is out for revenge, but what she didn’t expect to do… fall in love with the person Jordy cheated on her with…

Never Ever Getting Back Together is for all reality tv fans who wish their was more queer representation, want a good laugh, as well as love a bit of chaos. I think my only critique was that I had hard time separating Maya from Skye in the first half of the book, due to this being an alternating pov book. I think they could have had more distinct voices/mannerisms, so they didn’t seem the same. However, overtime it did become more obvious and it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of this book! I found myself laughing several times throughout this book, and absolutely lived for how chaotic Maya was. I cannot wait to see what Sophie brings out in her next book, and I will definitely be preordering it!

Overall, this book was a 4.5/5!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!