I enjoyed this book, with its alternating POVs between the main characters. The well placed, fun plot is the perfect read for reality TV fans. I would recommend this book to friends, however, in my opinion, its not truly YA as the characters are a bit older. Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

What happens when the ex-girlfriends of a faux royal are tossed together onto a reality TV show where they date him again in an attempt to win back his affection? Probably not what you’d think.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a charming novel about the power of female friendship and reclaiming your story and dignity. It’s also a super cute and unexpected love story. From the very beginning of the book, I adored Maya. She is witty and sarcastic and made me laugh out loud many times. Skye is sweet, if somewhat naive, and I loved watching her straighten her spine and not allow herself to be walked over by the end of the novel. Both of these girls have my heart and I want to be the third wheel on all of their future adventures.

The love story that develops between the girls is tender and lovely. I am not usually one for an enemies to lovers trope, especially when miscommunication/misunderstanding is the basis for the rivalry, but Gonzales does it in a believable way that didn’t feel contrived for a plot point. The portrayal of Jordy gaslighting Sky, Maya and the other girls into believing his altered version of their history rings true to the experience of having a toxic partner who wants to paint themselves as a victim in a relationship in which they are very much the villain. I loved that Skye and the other girls were eventually able to see past his facade and recognize him for the cheating dirt bag that he is.

The backdrop of a reality TV show with all of its unglamourous behind the scenes moments was something I thoroughly enjoyed. As consumers, we only see the polished product that producers present, but it is much more entertaining to take a peek behind the curtain and see what goes into creating these perfect stories. In an age where most celebrities have social media and often use it to give their fans unfiltered, behind the scenes content (or content presented as such), I think our culture is trending towards a desire for more authenticity from creators and enjoy seeing our idols as more like us than they seem on our screens. The setting of this book gives the reader that feeling of accessing authenticity and intimate knowledge, even though it is a fictional show.

Overall, I thought the book was fresh and delivered the positive bisexual representation that is sorely lacking even in LGBTQ+ media. Sophie Gonzales does it again!

I was elated to have the publisher reach out to me for my option on this book. I don’t read a lot of sapphic books, but I adore Sophie and her writing so I was so excited for this. There isn’t a single character that’s in this book that isn’t fantastic (despite his obvious flaws, Jordy is still as phenomenally written character). Maya and Skye share narrating responsibilities and each girl has their own unique perspective to keep every chapter fresh. Maya is more of the rebel…she’s going on the show literally for revenge and won’t let anything stop her. Skye starts off still very much interested in a relationship with Jordy, but as the truth comes out she turns into an equal badass. Their relationship develops so naturally…honestly some of the best flow for a budding romance I’ve read in a while. The only author I’ve found other the Sophie that pulls this off in this level is Casey McQuiston. The humor is this is odd the charts and is the main thing that kept me rolling through. I was literally laughing out loud I’m the airport reading this. This is an honestly wonderful and fun plot and had me intrigued from page one and I’m very happy I accepted the offer to review this wonderful book

This book was SO. FUN. I love books set on reality shows and this was no exception. This book begins with the casting of a dating show that closely resembles The Bachelor where a guy dates a group of his ex-girlfriends and eliminates them one by one. Most of the book follows the show itself and it goes round by round through the competition.
The story is told in alternating POVs of two contestants-Maya and Skye-who really dislike each other because of some drama related to the timeline of when they each dated their mutual ex (one believes he cheated on her with the other). The truth does come out eventually and they start to hate each other less...if you know what I mean...
Maya and Skye are both bisexual and I loved the way their identities were handled in this book. It felt authentic and natural to me.
The premise of the reality show is a little silly and dramatic (but aren't they all?) and my only minor complaint is that I think the characters should have been older and this should have been an adult romcom. The characters are a little over 18, but if they were mid to late 20s, it would have worked a little better.
Rating this a 4.5 but rounding to a 5 because it was so entertaining!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Would you join a dating show for a second chance with your cheating ex? Maya is invited to the dating show Second Chance Romance. A show that is set up for her ex-boyfriend Jordy to re-date his exes and see if there is a chance for romance again. Maya isn’t interested but an idea starts to develop. What if she join the show, woos him to fall in love with her again, and then breaks his heart? Sounds like the perfect recipe for revenge. Along the way though she develops an ally in Skye. Skye is the girl her ex cheated on her with. An unlikely duo for sure but they are determined to expose Jordy for the jerk he really is. Well sparks fly, and feelings change. Maybe there is a second chance for romance. But not in the way they expected!


What I loved:
- Bi Main Character! Love seeing that representation. Maya is absolutely perfect book girlfriend material. Heck so is Skye. Love them both LGBTQI+ representation was great in this read
- This was such a fun plot. I know I would be a little petty, and probably do the same thing. Maya was a likeable, and I really related to her.
- Enemies to lovers, my favorite tripe of them all
- Great pacing + great setting = quick and great read

This book has now made me a loyal fan of this author. I can't wait to browse her other books. I really enjoyed this book! Although I did find it would fit better in New Adult vs YA Adult. But that is just me being picky. Excellent read for any romance reader! 4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh boy, no one is more surprised by this review than I am. Let me start off by saying that I adore Sophie Gonzales. I think she is such a talented writer and I will read every book she writes. But, whew, this one wasn't it for me.

From first glance, this had all the makings of something I'd love. The Bachelor-esque type show, rivals-to-lovers, disaster bis, LGBTQIA+ rep on reality tv, etc. It had ALL THE GOODS to be what I enjoy. Especially because I loved If The Shoe Fits and The Charm Offensive, I went in so excited to read this book, but by the 30% mark, I was ready to give it up and it was a struggle to finish. First, I was hoping the show would be set up differently enough to fit for a YA audience (since this is a YA book?), but it's not. It's a Second Chance Romance for a lead who is 20 years old and most of the girlfriends being 18/19. So that's weird to get past. Then, it felt like it took a long time for me to fully like the MCs, especially Maya. And I loved when they finally started working together for the revenge plot, but when their actual romantic relationship started it felt a bit forced? Like it happened a lot sooner than I expected. It was a bit insta-lovey so it took me some time to fully feel their romantic chemistry.

Overall, this isn't my favorite Sophie Gonzales book, but it did have some charming aspects to it and I have no doubt it will be a favorite for many!

What’s the strongest motivation? Love or Revenge?

When Maya is invited to star on a reality tv dating competition with her cheating ex Jordy, she leaps at the chance. The opportunity to finally get her side of the story out and clear the air, and maybe knock the golden boy down a few pegs.

Enemies to lovers fans, this one is for you! The tension, the snide remarks and side eyes, the absolute disdain for each other is palpable. Alliances are made, lines are crossed, and unlikely friendships are formed. This book is messy and fun!

My only wish is that this had been new adult, with the characters 25-30. The timeline would work so much better than a group of exes Jordy dated between 16-18.

Sophie Gonzalez is one of my auto-buy authors at this point! As soon as I heard the concept for this book, I was hooked.

I always love her characters (they're flawed and messy and super relatable) and Maya was no different. The romance felt a little stilted and underdeveloped but since that's the vibe of reality dating shows, it didn't bother me too much. I thought the reality TV aspect was excellent, along with all the fake storylines and scripted lines. It really made me want to go back and watch the Bachelor. I do wish this could have been an adult romance but the story still worked in a YA framework.

Sophie Gonzales is one of my favorite authors at the moment and this book did not disappoint. The plot and pacing were perfect, and I really liked both Maya and Skye. My only issue is the ages of the characters. To me, this story and setting would make more sense as a New Adult romance instead of a YA. The characters are mostly 18 to 20, yet I am expected to believe that this 20 year old has a string of 6+ exes? All of which were semi-serious, some more? I just find it a little hard to suspend my disbelief there. However, if the characters were 20 to 25 it would be more logical, and I believe it would raise the stakes a little in terms of the actual show. Serious relationships tend to happen after the early 20s and therefore the appeal of a show giving a second chance at real love at an age where most relationships do not last also seems a little silly to me. The majority of reality TV shows today centered on romance and dating focus on people in their mid to late 20s—it feels odd to have your main characters be 18 to 20.

Regardless, once looking past the age issue, I really believe that this book is a good one. I like how the issue of revenge was framed and later wrestled with, as well as discussion of who to believe when a relationship ends badly. The concept of choosing to get revenge or reduce the hurt that a loved one feels was a central plot point that I enjoyed. I think that many people want to get revenge on a person who has done them wrong and screwed them over, but how far would we be willing to go?

The actual romantic development of Skye and Maya was precious. I am a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers, and while they technically were not enemies, I still think this book has a strong transition with proper pacing of the relationship development. There were some sweet moments throughout, but I especially appreciated how dedicated they were to looking out for each other in various uncomfortable situations.

I wish we had had a few more scenes with Maya and Skye together in the end, but that is a common wish I have for novels that focus on getting together instead of the more “fluffy” aspects of the romance. Overall, I will definitely be reading again when this novel comes out and am so glad that such a cute story with two girls falling in love was written. Sapphic books are always needed, and Gonzales did not disappoint.

So great! Reality show revenge with a sapphic twist. The characters were well developed and likeable, except for Jordy, who was the worst guy ever. I was so happy with the growth shown by Maya, particularly towards the end of the book, and am looking forward to reading through the rest of Sophie Gonzales' books.

**4.5 stars**

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, so I was so excited when I got the opportunity to read it ahead of the release. Let me just say, it was everything to me!

I was sold from the second I heard the plot would be Bacheloresque dating show but with two girls trying to take down their ex boyfriend (plus a sapphic bixbi romance). Sophie Gonzales delivered such a well executed book. I loved each of the girls with all my heart and absolutely DESPISED Jordy with the heat of a thousand suns. The parts throughout the book that covered the show read very accurate and the romance felt super realistic. Maya+Skye=forever <3 <3 <3

After loving NEGBT and ITGO I will definitely be picking up more of her works.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much! So much wit and heavy sarcasm and women sticking together. I loved the progression of all the characters, especially Skye and Maya, and I already want to read it again. We need more books like this! More honest, sarcastic and realistic books where women don’t need to be pitted against each other, even in a reality competition show. Love love love!

Sophie Gonzales is one of my favorite current YA authors, and I was so excited for this book, but I just didn't love this. I didn't feel like the two POVs had distinct enough voices, and I just didn't really like Maya as a character in general. This was such a good concept, and I'm sad I didn't love the book.

*happy, content sigh* I don't know what it is about reality dating competition-based romances, especially since I don't watch any in real life, but I love them and every one I've read was exceptionally well done, especially this one.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a queer YA romance about a girl who "enters a reality dating competition to get revenge on her cheating, royal-adjacent ex-boyfriend, and ends up falling for another girl on the show—in fact, the girl he cheated on her with" and it's as good as the blurb promises.

It's original and unexpected with smooth, genuinely hilarious writing. I loved the characters - though everyone had a vivid personality, none of them succumbed to stereotypes - and they felt real. (I definitely have known a narcissistic charmer like Jordy in the past.) The conflict was believable. It was such a pleasure to read, I didn't want it to end.

I really enjoyed this book! I accepted an ARC through Netgalley from Wednesday Books and I’m so thankful I did!

This is a sapphic love story between contestants on a reality dating show, who went on to “date” their mutual ex-boyfriend and fell in love instead. It deals with the cheating ex-boyfriend and the lies he told to each girl.

It was a great book and the ending had everything I could have wanted for it.

OH. MY. GOSH. I loveddddd this book! As an avid reality tv watcher and a book enthusiast this book was EVERYTHING!!! It was so cool to get a behind the scenes of what these girls go through being on a reality TV show. I really liked Skye and Maya! You should 100% invest in this book!

I had very high expectations for this book and it did not disappoint at all!!! It was so clever and captivating, also the writing was just phenomenal. The characters were so enjoyable and complex, the plot was so well developed. I can’t point out a single flaw!!
I will never stop recommending this book!
considering myself a Sophie fanatic from now on:)
As always thank you Netgalley and St. martin’s press for my copy!!!

Loved this, finished it so quickly! A great enemies to friends to lovers romance that I couldn’t put down. Couldn’t recommend more!

This book is so much fun. You will love to hate the male lead and love to love all the women. It's funny, romantic, and irresistible.

Can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading something. This was a delightfully enjoyable queer romcom about very cathartic revenge/scheming, learning to be vulnerable, and falling in love with someone who actually deserves you. It’s Princess Diaries meets John Tucker Must Die, and I very much loved the heart of it all. Great characters, great romance, great banter, great vibes. Highly recommend!