Have you ever watched the show "Unreal" and wanted it to be gayer, funnier, and less cringe? Well, this book is for you. I was a late convert to the world of reality television and was dragged along by my Bachelor loving wife. My biggest thought throughout all the seasons was always.... okay, but why are these gorgeous, talented, and smart women pining after the same boring guy? And let me tell you, this book scratched that itch thoroughly.

Beyond satisfying my incessant need for things to be gayer, Sophie Gonzalez perfectly captured the essence and magnetism of misguided enemies to lovers. Let's face it, if you have enough chemistry to thoroughly dislike someone.... attraction usually isn't too far off. Add some hilarious side characters, and you've got yourself a top tier read in my books. Isaac and Perrie are the real MVPs.

I will admit that the one thing that threw me were the ages, I had a hard time relating to 18 somethings, but I finished this in a day so really wasn't a huge issue. I mostly wanted to shake Maya throughout the last few chapters and scream at her to go get her girl.

This book was cute! I love a good sapphic romance with a male character we all despise. This was a fade to black love story, great for readers who might not want all the spice. Summary: Maya and Skye join a reality tv show that is similar to The Bachelor, but in this case the bachelor is their Ex trying to get a second chance. Maya and Skye want revenge , to make him fall in love with one of them so that they can then publicly dump him and humiliate him. They become close friends and then more….
I did enjoy reading the book and think it’s worth the pick up.

I loved the concept of this book! A guy brings a bunch of his ex-girlfriends on a reality dating show to try and restart a romance, but Maya is there for revenge not a second chance. Things get even more interesting when Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on Maya with, and Maya start to have feelings for one another. However I never fully connected with the story. The reality show aspect of the book felt under-explained and it didn’t quite make sense for this to be a YA story instead of an adult book.

There were so many side characters with all of the producers and the other girls who were contestants on the show that it became confusing trying to keep all of them straight. Only one or two actually felt developed. Also, this is a dual POV story and sometimes I would get confused as to whether I was reading from Maya or Skye’s POV.

I did really enjoy the chemistry between Maya and Skye. It was cool how they were both already confident in their sexualities and it wasn’t a coming out or queer realization for either of them.

I think if the concept sounds interesting to you then you should give the book a shot. It’s a quick, breezy read even if it isn’t the most amazing sapphic YA out there.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book. It felt a little slow at the beginning but once it kicked off I was hooked.

If you ever wondered what if the girls on the bachelor fell in love, this is a book I would highly recommend picking up.

Also Pierre spin off book when?

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am often finding myself when reading love triangle situations that the two characters that are pining after the same person, should really be together (yes I want to make everything gay, sue me). Sophie Gonzalez did the damn thing. It was full of sweet revenge and publicly sticking it to the man that wasn’t great to either of them. The Taylor swift references also made this extra enjoyable to me <3

I enjoyed the LGBTQ representation in the book and thought the characters were established well.. This is a great book for people who love the whole tv romance drama trop. I think this was a great fun read, I enjoyed it all the way through.
I recommend this for your next read.

After reading If This Gets Out, I knew I needed to devour another Sophie Gonzales book as soon as possible. I was so happy to see that she wrote a novel surrounding one of my other favorite things besides boy bands: reality TV.

Never Ever Getting Back Together draws many comparisons to the Bachelor but in this instance the “competitors” are all exes of Jordy, a wannabe royal with an attitude problem. The two main characters, Maya and Skye, find themselves competing on a reality TV show with a group of girls who were all well developed as side characters and had their own personality.

Much like the actual Bachelor, I found myself frustrated with how the characters fed into the petty drama but also like the Bachelor I wasn’t going to stop tuning in. I needed to know what was going to happen!

Ultimately, I found the love story between Maya and Skye to be incredibly sweet and genuine. As someone who loves a bit of longing and tension, I just wish we got a bit more of Skye’s point of view of falling for Maya before the relationship began. Underneath this drama-filled, romcom there was an important message on how to deal with someone who has wronged you. Is it love or revenge that motivates us more?

I will look forward to reading more from Sophie. In the two books I’ve read of hers so far, I loved how she combined things that are manufactured and surface-level, such as boy bands and reality TV, with authentic relationships and human emotions. It makes for a layered story that is more than meets the eye and quick to consume.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for dating and marriage reality shows. It's probably my go-to favorite kind of show to watch (Netflix gets me.) So of course, this book certainly jumped out at me.

I liked that the story is told from the point of view of the contestants instead of the 'bachelor' (I loved the author's creation of the 'Explorer' label. Definitely cringe worthy.) Maya and Skye deserved better, and definitely deserved the happy ending!

My biggest concern with the story is the age of the participants. Yes, they're 18 (so technically adults), but most reality tv shows make the contestants midtwenties for a reason. It just felt like the teens in this one were trying too hard to be adults, when it would have been more believable to make them 22 or so.

Overall, there was a good plot line, good characterization, and good ideas. I just got hung up with them all being teens.

The message, however, is not lost! Be true to yourself, beware of gaslighting and red flags, and find the people who make you stronger! The LGBTQIA+ representation is well done and much appreciated!

"I suppose when you trust someone not to hurt you, red flags look heart-shaped."

Cute, heartfelt, well written, and interesting. A very easy read and a great book for someone looking for a rom com with quite a few awkward scenarios (not really my cup of tea, but I’m sure it’s someone’s)

Holy crap this book is incredible. I cannot rave about it enough!! It’s incredible plot hooks you immediately and I am such a sucker for an enemies to lovers plot!

Maya and Skye begin their story as mutual exes to minor celebrity Jordy Miller and have not so pleasant ideas of the other. However when they’re forced together on a reality show with all of Jordy’s exes, their relationship and understanding of each other begins to grow. With lovable characters and a completely innovative and hilarious plot, this book is something unlike anything I have ever read.

Anyone who is already a fan of Sophie Gonzalez needs to pick this one up. And anyone who isn’t already a fan, will become one after reading this amazing story!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of Never Ever Getting Back Together!

I enjoyed this, but it was predictable. I still really enjoyed reading it and plan on purchasing a copy for my daughter, thank you for the opportunity to read it

So imagine "The Bachelor" for teens and you've got this book.
What a great read. I flew through it. The story was really interesting, there were some twists and turns, and the characters were so much fun.
There is so much to enjoy when reading this. And you get a backdoor glimpse of how these reality shows really work. What a treat!
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

If you are fan of the Selection. This is the book you didn't know you were waiting for! I loved watching the drama and love unfold. A truly lovely romance for anyone who loves reality TV.

This book is The Bachelor meets John Tucker Must Die. Maya gets the opportunity to go on a reality dating show featuring her ex, Jordy, that cheated on her. After some misunderstandings with the other girls, they decide that Jordy is really the one in the wrong and needs a taste of his own medicine. Overall I really liked this book. It was an interesting plot and even had some LGBTQ+ representation. The book seemed a little drawn out but mostly a cute, fun read.

It was good but very predictable, so I can’t decide if I liked that. I liked the plot, but it just felt a little too long. All of the exes seemed interchangeable and even the dual narrators sounded remarkably similar. It would make a fun movie, but could have been shorter.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for the eGalley through NetGalley.

sophie does it again!!

this was an absolute delight. one of the reasons why sophie is one of my autobuy authors is that she writes so many nuanced characters and storylines and this is no different. this book was such a treat. so much fun and a nonstop delight from page one to the very end.

sophie also write bi characters in a way that is so authentic and relatable that is always so personally beautiful to read.

my only qualm is that this could've been na instead of ya? i love a good ya book but given the premise of a reality show about dating it felt a little weird. but all in all it doesn't make it less enjoyable!

and finally i believe in jordy's rights. rights to shut the hell up!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martian’s Press for letting me read this book early! I enjoyed this book so much and I will for sure be recommending it to people. I love Sophie Gonzales’ writing style and how she shapes her characters and stories. This is the second book that I have read by Gonzales and I will be on the lookout to read more!
This was exactly the kind of cute romcom that I wanted right now and it was such a fun read. I loved the twist on such a popular piece of pop culture and it was so entertaining to read about. I loved the relationship between Maya and Skye and how it was developed throughout the book. I was really happy with how the story turned out and I think it was really well paced and though out. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who has interests that align with the story.

Maya is one of six ex-girlfriends who agree to star on a new dating show. Jordy, their royal-adjacent globally adored ex, is taking a second chance on romance. But Maya has a plan - he cheated on her and then lied about it and made her look foolish. She is not going to let him get away with it. Will things go according to plan? Especially when, on the first day, Maya finds out she is bunking with Skye, the woman he cheated with.

If you're a fan of reality TV , especially dating shows, this is a fun read. You get to know each ex (some better than others) and witness some of the banter and BS that goes in to these things. Overall it was a 3.5-3.75 for me, so I rounded up to 4. Each chapter is told from Maya or Skye's POV, and Maya is a smart MC until she isn't. Her motivations are clear if not well thought through, but some of her inner monologue didn't land for me as realistic to her character. It also felt like we only skimmed the surface in some areas and I would have liked to learn a bit more about Maya's school situation, for example. Overall though it was a fun read and enjoyed it!

This was such a cute book. A bisexual girl enters a reality dating show. She wants to get back at her ex. She falls for another girl in the show. I really enjoyed the romance. Such a great cheesy sapphic romcom. I really liked the main characters,
*thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the arc!!!


I was so excited to read this book because the plot sounded amazing! I sadly didn’t fall in love with it. There were a lot part about the book that I enjoyed but there were a lot that I didn’t! I loved the characters, all of them but I wish there had been more of an insight into the actual relationship. Like they went from enemies to friends to lovers a little too quickly! There wasn’t a good build up. They ran through the trope. I also wished that the shit talking towards Jordy was more believable. It felt flat for me. I don’t know I feel like there some disconnects throughout the book that I wasn’t expecting. This in reality is more of like 3.70. Which I’m really sad about because this was one of the books I was most excited for this year.