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!

Maya and Skye go on a reality TV show to re-date their mutual ex-boyfriend but end up finding love elsewhere instead. This book was a super fast read and has quickly become one of my favourites. I loved the characters and the dual perspectives. Maya and Skye were both likeable and I was rooting for them to succeed. This inside view of the reality TV world, and character commentary, made me laugh often. I was reminded of Alison Cochrane’s The Charm Offensive, another one of my favourites. This book very much met and surpassed my expectations and I would highly recommend for lovers of rom-come and reality tv.

3/5 stars

I really, really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. The chemistry between Skye and Maya is just nonexistent for the first 3/4 of the book, even after they realize they like each other, and Skye and Maya are both SO unlikeable. Maya gives a lot of interesting rhetoric about Skye stealing Jordy from her, and is strangely (at least for me) hellbent on revenge on a guy who cheated on her two years ago. Skye is just an uncharismatic character for me who I couldn't have cared less about.

In fact, all of the characters were two-dimensional and kinda frustrating to read about. All of the other contestants were pretty much reduced down to one of their characteristics (Lauren's obsessed with the royal family, Perrie is an Instagram influencer, etc.) and Jordie was just a stereotypical bad guy and general douchebag with really no motivation for being so, aside from... he can be. For a book about a reality TV show, I expected a lot more drama, romance, and general shenanigans.

This book had thankfully a good deal of snark and sass, which made it somewhat tolerable, although sometimes it veered into the cringy territory, and there were some pretty funny moments. I will say it wasn't a drag to get through, it was pretty well-paced, the main issue was with the characters, so if you like well-nuanced characters with interesting backgrounds, I wouldn't recommend this to you, but if you're looking for a fun book with no thoughts required, just vibes, then this is it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC

This is every reality TV fan’s (genuine or ironic) perfect escape from all that is terrible in the world.
Okay, so we’ve got Maya, a girl just trying to live her life the summer before college starts when she gets a call and is asked to be on this reality show that stars Jordy, Maya’s terrible ex boyfriend and his ex girlfriends in an attempt for him to find “the one that got away”. Think The Bachelor meets Unreal meets Ex On The Beach. Maya reluctantly agrees to appear on the show in hopes to take Jordy down, but she’s surprised to find Skye, another one of his exes, a little distracting…
You guys. If the Bachelor had a season like this, I would actually last until the end instead of getting so bored I dip before we even get to hometowns.
This story was just so much fun to read. I could picture each scene so clearly in my head and the ending was so satisfying.
Maya is the chaotic bisexual character that I needed. I loved seeing Skye break down her walls (can you tell I’m trying to use reality TV clichés?).
The romance between Maya and Skye was lightly hinted at before it happened, but when it did happen, it was still kind of shocking. You get a couple will-they won’t-they instances before that leave you kind of yearning for it, which makes it so addicting to read. The banter was funny and reminded me of my friends and me. Jordy’s character was the perfect amount of unlikable without being painful to read about.
I started reading this as a way to get my mind off of having to say goodbye to my sweet big dog Sam a few days ago, and it definitely gave me such a nice break from all the sad feelings that come along with loss.

As a Taylor Swift fan, it was hard not to love the title of this book and instantly request it!

BUT what I did not expect was to love this book as much as I did. I am not one to give five stars easily but this book was such a great presentation of bi characters that I really want everyone to read it! I cried and laughed in a span of five minutes. Sophie's writing style is nothing short of beautiful and her ability to make you feel emotion is just something I am always in awe of!

Would HIGHLY recommend!

If you've ever watched The Bachelor and thought, man I want to know what it's like behind the scenes - this is the rom com novel for you. Fans of reality dating shows will love this book about a group of girls who've all dated the same man - who are brought together to "re-explore" their connections with him, but things take a turn when two ladies with a complicated past are forced to spend time together during the show's filming.

It's a modern take on the classic, enemies to lovers novel with an LGBTQIA twist and some shocking moments along the way - cue the suspenseful reality TV music with a line of women longingly staring at a man who is either going to choose them or dump them over the next several weeks.

Could this be THE MOST DRAMATIC reality show romance novel we've ever read?

Did I request this because the title reminded me of a Taylor Swift song? Maybe. Behind the scenes of The Bachelor meets John Tucker Must Die with a bit of Red, White, and Royal Blue vibes thrown in. This was so cute and charming. A nice rivals-to-lovers, the girls win in the end, quick read. I really enjoyed this. Bi rep, diverse characters. Jordy sucks. I was rooting for Skye and Maya the whole time.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book and that is 5e best was to go in. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming and I loved the reality TV setting and getting a glimpse behind the scenes. While 5e author previously has published YA, this title is definitely adult. 5e characters are all in their 20’s if barely. I truly enjoyed this book, probably more than I thought I would. The characters were brought to life in a realistic way and having multiple points of view added even more to the story. If you’re looking for a fun read filled with surprises Never Ever Getting Back Together is the book for you.

god i hate jordy...

when i first saw NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER, i was immediately excited. i love a good rivals-to-lovers, especially when it's sapphic, and i'm happy to say that it's delivered. it's funny and lighthearted, and the romance is cute.

i enjoyed the characters, and gonzales does a good job of crafting maya and skye and allowing us to see both their perspectives. the supporting characters were also well-flushed out and nuanced. i loved the friendships that formed on the show, and the relationships were well-written when you take into consideration the stressful and weird setting around these characters. every character (at least the ones on the reality show) had depth. shout-out to perrie by the way...she's so cool.

the reality-tv show aspect was also done well! i'm not a big watcher of relationship reality tv, but i thought it felt mostly accurate! the scripted lines, faking your emotions, stuff like that is what makes reality tv Reality TV...so it captured that well.

the romance!!! it was well-developed and i liked seeing maya and skye grow closer as they tried to take down jordy. it wasn't too fast or too slow.

also this book is funny.

overall, i quite enjoyed reading this book! sophie gonzales is a good writer and i enjoy reading her works.

Like if the selection and behind the scenes of the bachelor had a baby but worse. I had high expectations but this didn't follow through. I disliked all the character they're very annoying and unlikeable. There's no build up between our MCs it went to like 30% of them fighting to them kissing the next chapter and basically having a full relationship. And the miscommunication that made Maya hate Skye, and Skye be afraid of Maya was because the man that was nothing but rude to them lied to them, but neither of them for one second was like,,, hey, maybe I should,,, believe other women who was also wronged by this man.

One singular girl out of the like eight or so that start the show actually like him and I'm pretty sure it's just because he is royalty and he sends her home first. None of them like him, they all hate him, the production staff are trying to make the dates seem romantic but he's stiff and the girls are awkward and bad actors. Also the timeline moves so fast we're skipping days left and right.

Like I said I had high expectations, I added this book to my goodreads when it had no cover photo and only a bio of it. Bisexual bachelor vibes where the constants fall for each other instead but have to stay on the show to stay together longer. It sounded so good, but I think I was expecting almost a love triangle where the love interest bachelor was likeable so the MC was struggling to choose between the other constant and the bachelor. Because one is her ex with a past relationship she still had love for and this other one is so fresh and new. But that wasn't this.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC from NetGalley and St. Martins Press.