Wow, wow, wow! I have never read a storyline like this before. As a pretty big Bachelorette and Love Island fan, this was super exciting to read just to get insight into how that all works. This is a story I know so many of my students would adore because teenagers so often confused about themselves and their situations, and to read Maya and Skye's route to love lets them know it is okay to be open to anything - not confused - but open to all people. Maya and Skye fell into an easy love and it was so believable, the slow burn to a final igniting and declaration of love. It is everything young people could dream of. I also so appreciated the character growth and how Maya decides in the end to know give Jordy the punishment she so believed he deserved. I kept cringing at the thought of how that would go down, because I felt it would make me think less of Maya. Talking about it and planning it all out was exciting to follow along with, but I was hopeful in the end she would take the higher road. How the information leaked in the Epilogue seemed much more natural.

The only reason I'm knocking a star off the rating is that Skye is portrayed as an innocent, shy young woman in the beginning and Maya as the outgoing one. However, about 25% into the book, as Skye and Maya begin to realize Jordy screwed with them both and they join in together, Skye becomes the more outgoing one and Maya less so. Then, all of a sudden Skye is making the first big move in their relationship, and making the declarations of love, and it just felt like as a reader, the switch in her personality was too abrupt and made it hard to follow which POV was Skye and Maya. I believe as a reader, multiple POVs means that there has to truly be a clear, clear, CLEAR distinction between the view points to ensure there isn't confusion. About 50% of the way, the shift in characterization for both girls felt unnatural and unbelievable.

But other than that, what a beautiful story and one I truly believe hasn't been portrayed yet in recent YA lit. Thank you to Sophie Gonzales and her publishing team for allowing me to have access to this reader early and accepting the thoughts I have on it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review.

Overall this book was good. Not amazing or totally outstanding, but not bad. I feel it's biggest drawbacks is that it's not particularly memorable. As a lover of sapphic romance, and being bisexual, I really enjoyed this story and thought it was a fun, witty read. The references in it weren't over the top, and didn't make it feel to dated which is something I really appreciated. Both main characters were strong and stood decently well on their own. I do wish there had have been a tad more emotional development for Skye, as she didn't feel as totally fleshed out as Maya. I also feel that some aspects of their characters took a backseat to the romance, which would've made a reader connect with them more. For example, Maya's motives/feelings behind university get mentioned but not fully expanded on and could've been edited out entirely.
Jordy was a very good antagonist, and this book was very good at drawing out emotional responses from me. Mostly anger at the audacity of this man, and being so excited to see him finally get what he deserves. The romance between Maya and Skye was sweet, but I never felt overly attached to them together. It went from them hating each other to all of a sudden being attracted to each other with what felt like very little development to get them there.
Overall I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a sweet, fast paced sapphic romance.

SJHKJSHDKJ

(Thank you to NetGalley, which sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Now, if you know anything about me... I'm petty. Like really petty. I love Maya so much.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a book about a reality TV show where this douchebag of a guy has a few of his exes competing against one-another to win a chance to be with him again. Yeah. I know how it sounds.

Maya is one of Jordy's exes. So is Skye. It's just that when Jordy was dating Maya... he was also dating Skye, like a proper asshole. When Skye finds out, they make a choice to mess with him... and expose him for who he truly is. They weren't expecting to fall in love.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a fun, sweet book that had me finish it in a single sitting. I think the characters are fun! My only issue with it is a YA book and not a new adult one. I think it would have been more interesting with this type of setting, considering that everyone involved in this are adults anyways. Regardless, the book was cute and I definitely recommend it to people who like silly romcoms.

“𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻.” - Idk that other people in my life would describe me this way, but it’s definitely the way my brain operates. 😂 I feel you so hard, Maya.

This story is one of my favorite romances of the year. It’s a dual POV, but with a completely new and refreshing lens. Maya and Skye are two bi women who have dated the same man; Jordy the giant douche canoe. He’s the lead of a reality show about second chances, and Maya and Skye both show up from his past as potential matches for his future.

We get to know both characters through their own eyes and instead of the classic women vs women dynamic on a reality show like this, you end up rooting for every woman there. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of drama, but Skye and Maya are equally lovable and gorgeous humans, along with the rest of the cast.

Enemies to lovers, LGBTQ+, second chance love: ALL OF MY FAVORITES. I laughed out loud throughout and truly enjoyed getting to know both Maya and Skye from their own perspectives. It was a captivating, fun love story. 💕

Out 11/29! Go pre-order a copy, you will not regret it.

HOLY MOLY THAT WAS CUUUUUUUUUTE. I couldn't put the book down once I started because I needed to know how it ended!!! Beautifully written and perfectly executed. Kept me on my toes the whole time.

{3.5 stars}

When Jordy’s sister married a prince, he became quite a sought after bachelor. He grows tired of girls chasing him for money and fame so he decides to re-investigate whether his pre-fame exes could have been the one… on a reality TV show of course. We get to see the show unravel through the eyes of Maya who is hell bent on revenge, alleging that Jordy cheated on her. We also get to see through the eyes of Skye, who was the girl he cheated with. Enter drama.

This is a fun story of love and revenge. I expected it to be lots of catty drama but it takes a fun feminine twist. If you’re a fan of The Bachelor franchise and enjoyed One to Watch or The Charm Offensive, definitely check this one out.

Thanks to Wednesday Books via Netgalley for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

DNF at 30%. i am a big fan of this author’s work normally. I know that this will end in romance, but I do not see any chemistry or any sort of relationship between the characters besides animosity. I do not feel passionately about any of the characters, except for my extreme hatred of the main character. I almost feel that the author did TOO good a job of making the characters enemies, because I just can’t see them ever becoming lovers and did not care to stick around to see.

If you love reality TV drama, with emphasis on the drama, you're in for a huge treat. I know having a lot of drama is often seen as a bad quality in YA books, but in this case I promise it's part of the fun!

I have to admit I don't really like reality TV, but for some reason I love to read about it. And this book was just... so much fun from start to finish. I read it in one sitting because I was just having such a good time.

The concept of this book - having a dating show where the contestants are the guy's exes - is so incredibly fun, and this book lives up to it entirely. Jordy was truly the worst, and I loved the main characters overcoming the drama he set them up for and falling in love with each other.

A romcom novel with an ending which you don't see coming. A unique enemy to lovers story which takes place in a television reality setting.

This book was so unexpected for me, I had no idea this was going to turn into a sapphic romance and I loved every second of it! This was such a cute read. The enemies to lovers, the let’s get revenge on the ex boyfriend but then fall in love! yes! I absolutely loved it! I could not get enough of this!
Most people have had an ex partner that they look back on and they just wonder what did they see in that person and I think Jordy perfectly encapsulates that he was so easy to hate and of course he thinks having a dating show with all of his exes competing for him is a good idea*eye roll*. I’d love to sky in Maya the jokes the tension the bi representation this was just so great.
There were a few moments where I did have trouble telling Maya and Skye’s povs apart while I was reading but other than that this was a great book.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this!

Maya Bailey (fun, stubborn, antagonistic) doesn’t want anything to do with Jordy Miller after he cheated on her, their relationship ending in a catastrophic breakup. But when she gets invited onto Second-Chance Romance, a reality television show where one male is given the opportunity to reconnect with exes and choose one to rekindle a romance with, she goes. She doesn’t want to pass up the opportunity to get revenge and publicly humiliate Jordy.

Skye Kaplan (distrustful, kind, careful) takes her shot at another chance with Jordy when invited on the show - after all, they only broke up because Jordy had to move, and he made her feel things no one else has been capable of.

Never Ever Getting Back Together tells Maya and Skye’s stories: one attempting to expose his manipulations, the other trying to win his heart back. As they confront hard truths and uncover secrets, they find love in unexpected places.

-

I enjoyed seeing the character’s growth throughout the show. It was fun to see Skye come out of her shell and take a chance, even though she has trouble trusting people. I thought it was meaningful to see Maya grapple with the influence Jordy continues to have on her, and figure out how to stop that. Skye learned to let people in. Maya learned how to let people go.

I love how Never Ever Getting Back Together subverts reality television tropes in a queer way. I loved the “let's-ditch-the-boy-we-came-here-for-and-run-off-together” vibes. The sapphic romance was really delightful to witness, especially because they went on the show with different agendas and goals, and ultimately chose each other.

The writing style was my favorite part of the book. The prose was very humorous, and made me laugh out loud. I felt that it was really witty, and also easy to read. I flew through the book.

I did find the beginning of the romance a bit difficult to believe. Skye and Maya hated each other at first, and I feel like they switched from enemies to lovers without enough time to heal and change their opinions of each other.

Overall, I think Never Ever Getting Back Together is a sweet, fun sapphic romance!

This is the Bachelor meets The Selection. Maya and Skye join a reality show to re date their royalty adjacent ex, Jordy. Overall I found it to be a sweet YA romance. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth or backstory besides all having dated Jordy but I found in this story it was easy to forget. Jordy was just the right level of sweet and manipulative. I didn’t quite understand how the girls fell for him during the show at all, but I still didn’t entirely hate or love him. I wish the enemies to friends to lovers trope was a little slower burn but I can see teens loving this book.

⭐️⭐️
Definitely a Bachelor/Bachelorette tv show vibe. Two eighteen year old girls, Maya and Skye, are on a reality dating show where they reconnect with their ex-boyfriend Jordy. Both want revenge but also still really like their ex.

This is a YA novel so I knew it wasn’t going to be really ‘deep’ but I lost interest about halfway thru the book when Maya and Skye started plotting together against Jordy. But I never quit a book so I finished it…some people might love this one, but I wasn’t a fan.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book.

I'm a sucker for reality TV and reality TV-themed books so I was really excited to read this one. It was generally a cute story - Jordy Miller (we hate him) is a famous guy who is the star of a show where all of his ex-girlfriends compete for a second chance at love with him. After being forced to spend time together, two of the exes, Skye and Maya, end up falling for each other. It was chaotic and fun, but things felt a little off at times because the main characters were only 18. The whole plot would have worked better with 20-somethings as the leads. Overall, a decent read but unfortunately, after recently reading The Charm Offensive (and loving it), this one fell a bit short.

While I enjoyed the fact that this was a sapphic book, instead of the usual two women fighting over a man trope, the writing itself didn't impress me. More than that, the characterization of everyone left a lot to be desired, and I honestly didn't end up liking a single character that Gonzales wrote. Love this book for the bisexuals out there, but the story itself isn't strong enough to hold its own.

Would you go on reality TV for a chance to get revenge on your lying, cheating ex-boyfriend?

Maya never wanted to see her ex, Jordy, again. Especially since he cheated on her. But when your ex’s sister marries a crown prince, he finds a way to charm the world. And paint you as the crazy ex-girlfriend.

Skye has always guarded her heart, but Jordy managed to find his way into hers. Until he suddenly stopped calling.

Maya and Skye are invited to star in a new reality dating show, Second Chance Romance, along with four of Jordy’s other exes. Maya agrees, determined to expose Jordy as the manipulative liar he is. Skye agrees, thinking maybe she and Jordy can pick up where they left off. But neither are prepared for the connections they make during filming– especially as they grow closer to each other.

Y’ALL. I was so excited by the premise of this book. Bachelor-style reality TV, but two contestants fall in love instead? Yes, please. Also, Sophie Gonzales? At this point, I’ll read anything she writes.

While this book was pretty predictable, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Jordy was the perfect villain– a toxic, self-absorbed, misogynistic asshole. Unfortunately, this was so realistic, and honestly I saw some of my exes in his behavior, which made me root for the girls even more.

I loved the relationships between all the girls. They’re all competing against each other, but (aside from the very beginning), there is very little drama between them. They aren’t trying to tear each other down, which I really appreciated.

Like I said, the conclusion is pretty predictable, but it was still satisfying. And it did not take away from my enjoyment at all.

Overall, this book was so fun, funny, but also heartfelt. Did I mention this book was super fun?

There was a lot about this book that I found surprising and enjoyable. The writing style had some nice humor and levity. And I was not expecting a conlang in a book like this

Ultimately I would say my issue was distinguishing the main two characters. To me, their personalities didn't seem distinct enough. I also felt like the romance wasn't really grabbing me -- it didn't seem to develop at all until about halfway through the book. A lot of the beginning was frustrating / repetitive miscommunication.

4 Stars.

I’ve yet to read a book written by Sophie Gonzales that I haven’t loved and Never Ever Getting Back Together wasn’t an exception.The book follows Maya and Skye as they’re contacted by the production team of a new reality TV show to see if they can ignite a Second Chance Romance with their ex-boyfriend, Jordy.

Maya wants nothing to do with Jordy or this show, until she realizes this is the perfect opportunity to take revenge. It’s now 2+ years post-breakup, but Maya is still hurting from how Jordy broke it off with her - after she found out he was seeing another woman in the new country he moved to. She decides to join the show to expose Jordy and his cheating to the whole world.

Skye has been traveling all summer, all her belongings fitting into one backpack, and she decides to go on the show to see if she can rekindle her relationship with Jordy, which ended when he moved away to another country. She knows about Maya briefly, but Jordy calls Skye before the show to warn her that Maya might try to start trouble, and that she can’t be trusted.

Thrust into the mansion they’ll be staying at until they’re evicted from the show, Skye and Maya become roommates. Maya is passive-aggressive, wanting nothing to do with Skye, the girl who knowingly dated her boyfriend when they were still together… or did she? As an unlikely friendship starts, maybe something more blooms, and it comes down to whether to let go of the past or move toward the future.

I’ll be honest, this book had a fairly slow start, and I didn’t love the characters at first, but toward the end I couldn’t put it down. A unique concept that was executed well, and really showcases female friendship, past relationships, and moving on. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes reality TV shows, and also people who don’t, but love queer love stories!

This story is perfect for fans of The Charm Offensive, but it make it a YA take on a reality tv show second chance romance series. Except the main male mc has the personality of gas light, gate keep, girl boss down to a T. And the stories heroines are in it to take him down! (And if they fall for each other along the way, whelp accidents happen.) The choices these characters make to influence reality TV is so fun to read.

This was a cute romance to read! Would I have done the ending differently? Absolutely I would have. That's really the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars. The ending was still satisfying (and no spoilers I won't go further than this.)

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC. I had an absolute blast with this one.

When I saw the plot of this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. This was essentially the Bachelor but the contestants are all ex-girlfriends of said bachelor. Cue the drama! I didn't love all the cattiness and animosity between the girls at first, but I understood how it needed to be there to move the plot along. A few moments felt pretty rushed especially between our female MCs, but I will look past it for the adorableness of Maya and Skye. I also liked the route the author took in the end. Showed lots of great character development for both Maya and Skye.

Some lovely things:
- REVENGE!
- so much drama! I live for it
- bisexual MCs who fall in love <3
- annoying jerk gets what he deserves!
- female friendships!!

I highly recommend this. It was SO much fun.