I got sucked into this book right away. I really enjoyed this LGBTQ+ contemporary. It was really cute and had me laughing out loud a couple times. It was fast paced and a quick easy read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

This book was so funny! The romance, the characters, the plot; I loved it all. I definitely need more books with a similar premise, but not too many because I want this book to stay special. I'm not big on reality-tv dating shows, mostly because they are too straight; this book fixed that. It was everything I needed for pride month and I adored it.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an unexpected surprise. I love a book about royals and this was so fun to read.

I am a sucker for reality TV and the premise of this book was too good to pass up. I loved the idea of two contestants falling for each others while they are supposed to be "dating" their ex boyfriend. The part of the book with Jordy the Ex are so outragelously funny because he is so discpisable and you are just waiting for him to get his. The girls are so fun and I especially liked cool and collect Skye. She paired so well with hot and chaotic Maya. They were perfect enemies to lovers in the opposite attract kinda way. There were so many laugh out loud moments ( mostly when Maya got her self in too deep) and a very unique story. I would reccoment for anyone that loves realtity TV and sapphic romance.

ever seen a love triangle and just thought, "those two boys/ two girls should just cut their losses and date each other?" sophie gonzales wrote it.

this book was hate mail to all the ex-boyfriends out there who think all their ex-girlfriends still want to date him when really they just want to date each other. the book version of "Me and your girlfriend playin' dress up at my house". when your ex thinks you want him but you really want his girlfriend.

a sapphic revenge against men book. two girls, one ex-boyfriend, one dating show and one plan for revenge. screw the "right" thing to do. i want DRAMA i want CHAOS i want PETTINESS i want SWEET SWEET REVENGE. you know how they say the best revenge is no revenge? yeah no the best revenge is the kind that ends with a grown man being humiliated on tv.

i mean it was definitely catty. this book took the Bachelor reference seriously. it was every girl for herself for the most part. everyone believed the man every single time and i wanted to shake the characters at times and scream FEMINISM in their faces.

but honestly, it's worth just buying for the Taylor Swift reference.

thanks to netgalley for trusting me to review this and probably regretting it now.

When I started reading this book, I am not gonna lie... I wanted to DNF it.
Our main characters, Maya and Skye, go onto a reality tv show where they are competing to win back their ex-boyfriend, Jordy, who happens to be royal-adjacent after his sister marries a prince. Maya is still broken up about the fact Jordy cheated on her with Skye, and thinks this is a perfect way to exact revenge on him. What she doesn't expect is figuring out she has feelings for Skye and they end up falling for each other.
The reason I almost DNF it was because the ex-boyfriend, Jordy, really knows how to gaslight women to a point he has the rest of the women competing convinced that Maya is a psycho, and she invented this cheating story in her head because she didn't know how to move on. My husband was genuinely concerned I was about to chuck my phone out of the car because I was getting so angry! Thankfully, I continued reading it, and I was glad I did.
I felt like because Jordy is so problematic, and the gaslighting, it pushed me out of the story more than I would like, and it made me uncomfortable. I gave it a 3/5 for this reason. I still think it's a great story and would recommend it to anyone, because who doesn't love reality show contestants falling in love with each other rather than the person they are competing over?
Never Ever Getting Back Together comes out December 6th, and I hope you snag a copy!

This book was really sweet and unexpected. I loved getting to read about a TV show being filmed but the characters instantly grew on me and I couldn't wait to find out how it was all going to turn out. It was romantic and super gratifying.

As a fan of the author's previous work, and, admittedly, of dating reality TV, I had high expectations for this book. I think maybe too high.

I liked the premise of the story, that a cheating liar becomes the latest "bachelor" on a new reality show where he will give all his exes a second chance, to see if any of them were actually The One. But I felt like the setup didn't really work if I thought about the ages of the characters. Main co-star Maya is only 18! She dated this guy in high school. If the women had been 25-30 the story would have been more believable. Still being resentful and bitter and unable to move on since high school just made Maya seem so juvenile. I love YA but this is not a story built for the YA age range. It just doesn't seem realistic that the women (or their ex, for that matter) would have so much experience in romance or anything else at the ages they're supposed to be (18-20ish).

Of course, the element that most excited me was the sapphic romance, and I kept waiting and hoping for the two women to connect and begin their romance. But they ardently hated one another for 40 percent of the book, finally had their first moment of "does she?" at the fifty percent mark, and then finally kissed at 60 percent. But then it was just on. And I really wasn't interested because there was so little build-up for them to just be making out whenever they were alone instead of building an actual relationship.

I did like Maya's newfound girlfriend, Skye, for the majority of the book, but then there was a lot of forced drama towards the end of the story, and even she finally admitted she overreacted.

I felt like there was too little of the other women in the story. They were all unique and interesting but ultimately fade into the background to the point you know they don't have a chance at winning the show and they're only there to fill spaces. There's even a chapter where bachelor Jordy names all the women he wants to stay on the show and he forgets one of them (Lauren, at the end of chapter 22), so I actually thought she had been eliminated until she suddenly appeared again several chapters later (chapter 25)!

The dating challenges themselves were quite reminiscent of the reality TV I love, but I felt like the women didn't react very strongly after the initial setup of recreating their first dates with Jordy. And there were days where they did nothing at all, which I suppose could be accurate in reality but did not feel realistic. At least, those series always make it *seem* as though the other contestants are kept busy behind-the-scenes.

At first I was extremely disappointed that Maya decided not to out Jordy's bad behavior in favor of showing Skye what (and who) mattered most to her, but a viral video showing everyone what he'd done worked almost as well and still let Maya accomplish all her goals. It just didn't make sense to me that Perrie was the one who exposed Jordy when she was the one who had talked Maya out of doing it in the first place. That did not make sense at all. Isaac could have done that himself, or mean girl Francesca might have been the more likely choice.

I didn't like main character Maya. I think that was my main disappointment with this book. She did not come across as cute, funny, attractive, or charming in the least. I'm not sure what Skye saw in her. I'm not sure what Jordy saw in her. She was crass and rude. I was rooting for her in the first chapter but as soon as she showed up at the mansion she became unbearable. I just couldn't connect with an 18 year-old character who was THAT hung up on her high school boyfriend.

There were some laugh-out-loud, hilarious lines that I really enjoyed in the book:

"I'm pretty sure it might be illegal in some states to refuse your sister a favor on her birthday. Or maybe that's a mafia thing."

"First up, Dominique drags Jordy to his feet to use him as a prop. To my delight, she seems to be showing him the respect he deserves: absolutely none, he's not fucking royalty."

"I assume they're keeping us as separate as possible so the losers don't break into Jordy's room and steal his skin or whatever."

Maya had some zingers. I just wanted more of that attitude, the thought that Jordy was trash and beneath her and not worth caring about. But a lot of times she acted as though she still felt utterly betrayed that he cheated on her...two years ago, which was a longer period of time than the time frame in which they dated!

I thought the book was a quick, easy read. But it's not something I would want to read again and therefore am not likely to purchase. Thank you for the opportunity to read and advance copy.

Okay, this one was fun! Usually not super into the Romcoms involving people on sets of movies or TV shows but this really worked for me. Basically, a reality show like the Bachelor but where all the women were ex's of this one asshole, Jordy. Maya was cheated on by Jordy with Skye so there's some bad blood at first. Maya was pretty immature and annoying but there's some growth. The fact that most characters were super annoying but you were still interested perfectly encapsulated the reality show vibes. Things heat up wiht Maya and Skye. Being roomates they end up spending a little more time getting to know one another...who needs some misogynistic dude anyway, am I right? I wish shit like this really happened on one of those type of shows more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A reality dating show where the suitor brings back all of his ex-girlfriends to decide if one is the girl that got away… what could possibly go wrong?!? If you like watching trash reality TV (like I do) then this book will entertain you. A quick read that has a cute story and some good characters.
I was provided this advanced readers copy for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A YA romance but make it college? Check.
Reality tv dating show setting? Check.
Taylor Swift lyrics as the title? Check.

I loved this one. Never Ever Getting Back Together focuses on Maya and Skye, two ex-girlfriends of Jordy who is famous-adjacent thanks to his sister marrying the crown prince of a European nation and spun that minor celebrity into his own dating show (of dating his ex's). Admittedly, I am a sucker for any romance set at a reality tv show but this one is a fun twist on a Bachelor-style dating show. It even plays on the "here for the right reasons" trope in all the best ways.

Some might be annoyed at the early use of the miscommunication trope to drive the conflict between Maya and Sky but I actually thought it was a good depiction of how men gaslight their romantic partners and how women are socialized to view each other as competition. Like it was WILDLY frustrating when Skye buys Jordy's lies about Maya being a "psycho" after their break up but it's 100% believable given how pervasive the misogynistic "crazy ex-girlfriend" narrative is (I mean they made a whole show about it for a reason). Also Skye and Maya are *young* -- this is still a YA romance after all. Jordy does border on caricature at some times with his shirtless preening but also... it's still not that detached from reality!

In general the book is campy ridiculous fun. If you liked Perfect on Paper you'll like this one.

I am always delighted by Sophie Gonzales' writing and this was no exception. I loved the premise and the set up of this book and it was even better than I hoped for. As someone who loves reality dating shows, I'd say Sophie absolutely nailed the stereotypes of the people who appear on them and also offered more humanization of them, making them pleasantly three-dimensional, which will likely positively affect the way I perceive the contestants of this year's Love Island (maybe). The romance was sweet and sexy, and both MCs were so well written and had such distinctive voices. I always love a dual POV book, especially with romantic elements, and this one is probably my new favorite. All in all, it was so enjoyable, pleasantly unpredictable, and instant re-read worthy.

Ok new favorite thing: reality show romances. They work so much better than I expected in book, or perhaps just in this book.

At first, I hated both female leads. I thought one was annoying and the other one felt too forced. HOWEVER, the more you read and begin to understand their backstories and their priorities, they clicked so well. This book was equal parts cute and dramatic. The ending was top-notch (even though it was definitely predictable)

This was SO cute! Such a fun story and I really loved the characters. I was laughing but also it was so heartfelt at times. A great read for pride month.

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is a compelling and fun YA Romance that follows the stories of Skye and Maya. When they’re both invited onto a Reality TV show by their ex boyfriend, Jordy Miller, tensions rise between them. They soon realise there had been a serious miscommunication and they begin to plot to take down Jordy. Feelings blossom between them and before long they’re together, but there’s still Jordy to take down.

Jordy Miller made me unbelievably angry, but I think that was the point. In that case, Sophie Gonzales did a great job. I loved Maya and Skye’s relationship, their wit to begin with and then with the development of their feelings regarding one another.

This was a fairly quick read and I basically finished it in one day, if you count reading one or two chapters one day and then reading the rest of it another. I stayed up late on the night before an exam to finish this, I was enjoying it that much. Sapphic stories make me happy and this definitely did. I loved the bi rep—how both Skye and Maya were bi. As a bi person myself, that spoke to my heart.

The side characters were interesting and I was sad when Francesca got sent home. They all had quite a bit of character development, especially Kim.

The one criticism I have of this book is that it felt more adult than young adult. I’m not sure if that’s because both of the characters were out of high school and were around college aged, but it definitely didn’t feel young adult to me. The characters were fairly mature—not that ya characters aren’t mature, more like they felt more mature than your typical ya character in some scenes—and I’d expect them to be in a new adult book, or adult book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed the other three books of Gonzales’ that I have read. I can’t wait for her other book now.

Never Ever Getting Back Together was the first novel I've read by Sophie Gonzales and I'll picking up more ASAP. Very much in the style of Ashley Blake Herring-it's engaging queer goodness with a very nice twist.

While watching a reality dating show that focuses on straight relationships I have often thought, 'what if two girls fell in love instead?' and this book completely answered my question. I loved this book so much and enjoyed every second of it! This book follows Maya, who was cheated on by her ex-boyfriend Jordy and Skye, who he cheated on Maya with, as they spend time with each other and their shared ex-boyfriend on a reality dating show that follows Jordy as he searches for "the one that got away". The premise of this sounds interesting and this book definitely followed through. The initial tension between Maya and Skye was dealt with in a realistic way that made me understand both sides of the story and I loved reading about the progression of their relationship. Maya was very hot-headed while Skye was a bit more calm and their personalities really evened each other out, especially when dealing with the show. I really enjoyed reading about both characters but particularly liked Maya as she was a flawed character but that was what made her realistic in my opinion and although she made some bad decisions and some decisions that were definitely morally questionable I really liked her character. And I found that although Maya was one of the main characters she wasn't the only realistic one and the other girls on the show were also very flawed but in that realistic way that makes them enjoyable to read. Jordy, the 'villain' of the book, was also an extremely flawed character (he had way mre flaws than redeeming qualities) but I did like how this book made him seem very real by providing rationale for his
decisions and in a way I understood some of the things he was thinking and feeling at times although that didn't lessen my hate for him at all. Reading about the show aspect of this book was really fun for me because I love reality dating shows so it was nice to get some behind the scenes and reading this book truly did feel like I was just watching another reality show at times. I also liked how this book really focuses on the relationships between the girls because often times in reality T.V. shows girls are seen being pit against each other and the way the girls really stood up for each other and pushed against the typical stereotypes of 'all girls being jealous of each other' made me really happy. There were also tons of funny moments throughout the book and I spent a lot of my time laughing while reading this book. Maya and Skye were absolutely adorable together and I found myself rooting for them to get together from the beginning and especially towards the end when things started to get a bit more complicated. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable and fun sapphic read as a quick pick-me-up!

If you’re looking for a book that’s like a tell all from behind the scenes of “the bachelor,” then you’ve come to the right place!

Dual POV, the story follows Maya and Skye, two girls wronged by the same guy, Jordy, then convinced by said guy to come on a reality dating show, with him as the prized endgame. Seems legit.

What he doesn’t realize (because he apparently knows nothing about anything) is that girls talk, and generally end up on the same side when it comes to shady guys, even the girls that you secretly pitted against each other.

Skye and Maya’s relationship had me from the very beginning, and it was entertaining to watch it evolve throughout the book.

Fun and lighthearted.

This book was definitely outside of my regular genres, and I felt out of my element the whole time. I thought it was boring, and Maya was not a likable main character…

I watch The Bachelor (yeah, I hate myself, too), but I still didn’t find that part interesting. I thought it took way too long for Maya and Skye to join forces… and I was too bored to continue after that.

I was unexpectedly pulled into this book way more than I thought. The whole reality show premise was interesting and the forced proximity it created made for lots of tension. I was so invested in the path Maya and Skye took when it came to their priorities and handling media attention. Great read!

Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this Digital Advanced Copy