Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is an exploration of past love, finding self respect despite one's circumstances, and second chances. What was quite interesting about this title was it's ability to critique reality tv without shaming people who find enjoyment and opportunity in it. When I heard about this book I immediately wanted to pick it up because of the title (those who get it, get it) and the really intriguing cover. I actually had no idea what this book was about until I started reading it, and I think that made my experience much more enjoyable because I was just there for a good time.

Unlike other books in this genre, the side characters are interesting and continue to stay prevalent in the story, enabling the reader to pick a favorite that is not a leading character and continue to hear about them throughout the book. The plot is predictable, but that is forgivable in this instance because I don't think someone who is picking this up is intending to have a very unpredictable and shocking storyline. The writing was engaging and did not pull me out of the story like so often occurs with YA books. As someone who is silently but quickly inching out of the YA genre, I am pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who is looking for a good time.

If you love watching the Bachelor, skimming the news for info about the Royal family and reading Young Adult Romance with LGBTQ+ representation, then this book may be for you.

I enjoyed the dual perspectives of our main characters and contestants, Maya and Skye. The reader quickly learns that Jody, our Bachelor a.k.a Second Chance lead, is beautiful, narcissistic and manipulative. To me, his character was more of a plot device. He moved the story along and added all the angsty emotion any good Young Adult book needs. Enemies to Friends to Lovers is always a fun trope and I think the transitions were believable as Maya and Skye found the truth and trust in each other. This was a quick and easy read with a little drama and a nice happy ending.

Great book about a 2nd chance dating show and some of the contestants fell in love. I loved that there were friendships and helping each other out. I liked the girls and this did feel like a dating show. The show was fun and loved that they all worked together in a way. Loved the romance.

You can be swept off your feet,” I say, wrapping my arms around her middle and hoisting her up as she lets out a gasp of surprise. “No bruising required.”

I loved this book so much! It was lighthearted and sweet and just incredible.

Summary:
It’s been two years since Maya dumped her cheating ex-boyfriend Jordy, and now he wants her to compete on Second Chance Romance, a reality show where he dates his ex-girlfriends again to find “the one”.

Maya sees this as a chance to show everyone who Jordy really is, aka a major idiot. So she decides to win him over then reject him at the finale. Easy enough, right? Nope, think again.

Enter Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on her with. She didn’t expect Skye to be so beautiful and charismatic, and she definitely didn’t expect them to become friends.

But as they get closer, Maya finds an ally in Skye, and as they plot to take down Jordy, they just might find themselves falling for each other.

OH my god. This book was so perfect. The concept, the characters, the writing.... everything. I loved how unique it was and I found that I was intrigued the entire time. I really fell in love with the characters and found myself routing for them the entire way through. This book was a real page turner and the humour was perfect! I will definitely be recommending this to my friends. 4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for a review.

This book was a DNF for me, unfortunately. The concept was difficult to follow and I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. I'm sure this book will be enjoyable to others, especially if you loved The Charm Offensive, but it was a pass for me.

Great romance that keeps you turning the pages! I really enjoyed this tale of two lovers who fate determines they WILL be together

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is a fun one! Jordy is the brother of a girl dating a prince of a fake European country. He has found fame in that time and decided to go on a reality dating show featuring his exes! One of those exes, Skye, is the woman he cheated on another, Maya with. Jordy has spun the story in a different way: Maya was crazy, refused to accept their breakup, and stalked Jordy and hated Skye for it. There’s tension between the two ladies, which is made worse by the fact that they’re rooming together in the mansion!

This was a great read for me. All of the girls were so likeable and Jordy was so unlikeable that reading the scenes between the girls felt like you were chatting with your best friends and watching the scenes where Jordy gets what’s coming for felt almost as sweet as I’m sure it felt for the girls.

It’s also a sapphic love story, which always wins a place in my heart. The romance between Skye and Maya is so sweet and I love how they both overcame their own issues for each other.

I’m a big fan of Sophie Gonzales from her previous books and this one was right up there with her other books. If you haven’t checked any of her stories out, you’ve got to give her a shot!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC copy in exchange for a review!

Review I really enjoyed this book and ended up reading it in a day! The concept of two contests on a bachelor type show end falling for each other instead of the lead had me so interested. While having the competition centered around teenagers was weird it didn’t take away from the story for me. I also really enjoyed the love and relationships that formed between the girls on the show. Nothing brings women together more than the shared hatred of a man and I was loving for it. It gave me such John Tucker Mist Die vibes and I was living for it and hyping up these girls and just waiting for the revenge and karma to hit. On this not Jordy was so perfect, like a terrible person but so perfectly written and characterized that he was easy to hate. Now our MCs. I loved chaotic bi Maya, who really lives up to the chaos. I was rooting for her even if I questioned some of her choices. Skye on the other hand I didn’t like as much on her own at the beginning but she grew on me and I really like her with Maya. I liked watching their relationship change and grow through this book. I thought the two of them were really good together and I loved that epilogue.

Overall, I really liked and enjoyed this book and would recommend that you read it when it’s released!

Read if you’re looking for…
•Bi MC
•WLW relationship
•Bachelor type Reality Competition
•John Tucker Must Die
•enemies to friends to lovers

Let me start by saying Jordy is suchhhhhh an asshat. I mean I haven’t disliked a character so much in a while. Maya and Skye team up after finally learning the truth and it makes for the cutest rom com read I’ve read in a while. Such a good fast paced read with so many b.a female characters. Love love this one.

A few years after Maya's ex-boyfriend, Jordy, moves away, cheats on her, and then dumps her, Maya finds herself agreeing to go on a Bachelor-esque show to "win back Jordy's heart". Ready to confront him and the girl that he cheated on her with, Maya is out for revenge on the public, televised screen. The premise of this book is so fun, especially for who enjoyed The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun.

This book was a fun, quick read with great bisexual representation and authentic, lovable characters (except for the gaslighting ex, Jordy). I think I would have enjoyed this story more if the characters were older, closer to the age of real contestants on those Bachelor-type shows. It took me out of the story a few times to picture these high school or just graduated HS- era teens in these kind of settings, or to think that Jordy has been able to rack up these different exes all over the world at a mere age of 20? or around there?

Totally a fun read that I would recommend to friends as a fun summer beach read! :-)

I don't think I actually ever read a wlw romance I loved this much, but "Never Ever Getting Back Together" has all a modern romance should have: beautiful girls fighting for true love - and not against each other for once - a good amount of drama and a soundtrack that has had me screaming all over the place!
I love the two leads, they are super sweet girls and I actually really saw myself and my own issues in them and it was very beautiful see them navigating those issues and coming victorious from their fights.

I loved how, even though the setting could have lead to much misunderstanding and many "cat-fights", the author was able to have the girls team up against the real villain of the story! I might actually go as far as say that this book is feminist in how it shows the strength of betrayed girls coming together to face a foe.

The only things I feel weren't up to my satisfaction were the villain, that I feel like was more mask than substance: he was just a faceholder for a terrible man who abused people trust in him, but if it was not him it could have been anyone else, with any name or face.
I would have liked to see more of him and his cruelness and motives, because I feel like I couldn't hate him enough with what I knew of him.

I also would have liked a few more pages about Skye because I feel like she had less screen time that she deserved!

Anyway, I LOVED this book and I'm surely getting all the other books of this author, 'cause Sophie Gonzales is majestic with her writing.

Two years after Mayas boyfriend Jordy cheats on her then dumps her, she finds herself agreeing to go on a dating show featuring her ex! One of the contestants is the girl Jordy cheated with, who Maya absolutely hates. With all the exes locked in a house together competing for another chance at love, will they survive & who will be the winner?
This book was really fun. I liked the characters & it totally sounded like a show I would watch! I liked the ending & the romance story twist. Good read!

First of all - Do not turn your back on this book just because it is YA!

The premise of this book start off with Maya (the main character) getting a call to be on a reality tv show with her ex-boyfriend (Jordy) and multiple of his other exes. This reality show is called “Second Chance Romance” and Jordy is going to re-date each of them to see if a spark is still there.

Maya agrees to the show only to seek revenge on Jordy. However, things do not go as planned and she ends up falling in love…

This is a great book to read if you like strong female characters who band together together to defeat the villain, bi-sexual characters, and crappy reality tv shows!

This was such a FUN book!! Maya was WAY too good for Jordy from the moment we met him. Moving on and getting revenge all in one fell swoop, yes please!! This is an incredibly cute love story and I am fully on board!! I have never wanted to watch a reality dating show more.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARK of Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales! This novel is really unlike any other book I’ve ever read and reminds me a lot of the show “unreal” that follows a reality tv show. Fans of the bachelor will also love this book! I was really loving the revenge troupe and was praying this wouldn’t be a redemption story. A great beach read that is an easy one day book.

It was such a good book. At first I was like "okay so this is a retelling of the Selection" but as I kept reading it became really clear that it had its own unique storyline. I LOVED Skye and Maya and I don't think I have wanted to hit anyone upside the head with a chair harder and more so than Jordy. Thats really7 all I have to say about this book.

A quick, funny read.

I was worried that the story would follow the trope of Maya actually getting back with the ignorant, two timing Jordy. But like the title states, the book took another route and another surprise pairing amongst Jordy’s exes.

Cute read.

The premise of this book is something every one of us who has been jilted by an ex-lover dreams of: to be able to win back our ex…and then reject them in return!

This book that features Maya, the rumored crazy ex of a near-prince, Jordy, who has the opportunity to appear on a Bachelor-style reality show. Her mission? Show the world what a tool he really is!

Teaming up in a mansion with Skye to make Jordy pay, and regret he ever crossed them, leads to both girls getting a little more than either bargained for, and oh, cue the swooning!

This was a fun one to read again!

Fans of the Bachelor will enjoy this one!

There's nothing better than trying to get revenge on your ex right? That's what Maya thought until she met Skye, one of the many ladies who are vying for a second chance with their shared ex boyfriend Jordy.

I enjoyed this quick read, full of witty banter, a male character we all can despise, and bi representation. I do feel that this book could have a stronger story if the characters were a tad older, the immaturity of some of them comes through and it's a bit off putting in some scenes. Otherwise this is a fun read