This book was an absolute hit for me. A title that is a Taylor Swift reference? Hell yeah; sign me up. And the plot is honestly everything I’ve always wanted to read wrapped up in one book.

While I came to the book for the plot, I stayed because of the characters. The way the book is written with the dual povs, it helps to strengthen my understanding and love for Skye and Maya. These girls feel real and the side characters are extremely developed as well. It was great reading their relationship grow and develop with each other as well as their relationships with the other girls on the show.

The fact that this book comes out at the end of the year so I have to wait months to hold this in my hands is the saddest part of it.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Gonzales's books are a little like best friends. Even if this metaphor started off as a little joke, I don't think it is anymore. I mean, think about it:

- who has you choking on your own laughter and crying past midnight?
- who is always there for you when you need comfort?
- who has you nodding yes when they call people out on things?
- who brings you so much joy while also making you realize deeper, darker parts of yourself?
- who do you love with all of your heart?

Exactly! Best friends and Sophie Gonzales's books!

As she's one of my favourite authors, I had high expectations of NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER, but it didn't miss any of these. It's full of humour and heart and, well, chaos. I mean, what else could you expect from a concept like this?

I have so many lovely things to say about everything in this book. Except for Jordy, that is. The jokes and the romance and the friendships and the overall girlpower, though? I am obsessed!

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER will inevitably become a new comfort read of mine, and Sophie Gonzales has yet again proven herself unstoppable in my eyes. I can't wait to hold this beautiful book!

Maya and Skye are competing against each other and four other girls for the chance to date Jordy. Again. With his recent rise to fame, he's decided to star on a new reality show that'll bring his exes back into his life-- after all, they all liked him before he was famous. The thing is, Maya hates Jordy, and she hates Skye, who Jordy cheated on her with, and Skye knew about it. Skye is wary of Maya, considering she's unhinged and obsessed with Jordy. But after the competition gets under way, they realize that maybe their opinions of each other are built on lies. Most of the girls on the show don't seem all that into Jordy, and the few who are seem to get sent home quick, which works in Maya's favor-- her plan is to be the last one standing, so she can humiliate him on live TV. But once Maya and Skye form a tentative alliance, the two grow closer. And suddenly, these two girls who've had a hard time moving on from Jordy-- because of their mistrust-- find that maybe the person they most dreaded meeting at this competition is the one they'll be most glad they did.

First of all, I adored this book. I loved absolutely everything about it. The girls (but especially Maya) seem drastically different when they're talking about or interacting with Jordy than they do when he isn't on their minds, which shows his toxicity right from the start. The absolute hatred between the girls-- the drama, the accusations, the name-calling-- all shows just how good Jordy is at playing them against each other, and how easy it can be to fall into that trap when the person laying it knows what they're doing. Both Maya and Skye grow a lot over the course of the book, but it seems that in Maya's case, it seems like a growth back to who she was before Jordy, which, as someone who had an ex a lot like him, was relatable and really nice to see. And once the girls all realize that maybe they don't have to hate each other, the solidarity among them is really beautiful.

I love any romance book set on a reality dating show, and the fact that this one pitted exes against each other and WAS SAPPHIC made it that much better. It was sweet, fun, and dramatic, and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. I absolutely flew through Never Ever Getting Back Together and know that I will definitely be rereading it-- probably soon.

"A girl 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." Let me tell you, this book most definitely lives up to its premise!

I absolutely adored the reality show setting -- this is only the second book I've read that utilizes it this well. Incredibly well written -- I loved the subtle comedy of it all and the incredibly relatable portrayal of the girls. It is quite clear that a lot of thought had gone into the creation of Chalonne, including the development of a language for it. The characters were brilliantly written -- Skye and Maya both distinct and likeable and the villain villainous in such an underhanded manner that you almost don't notice it. Maya and Skye as a couple simply have my whole heart. This book also has a few themes, most of them well fleshed out but kept to a subliminal level. One theme in particular felt like it had been left untied up at the end, but that is a very miniscule drawback. The ending surprised me for a bit but makes sense entirely within the context of the story.

Overall, a wonderful sapphic romance! Would most definitely recommend.

[I received an arc in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy!]

“When she smiles, I can’t help but smile with her. I didn’t realize it was so infectious.”

This book is absolutely beautiful. I don't know how many times I squealed and rolled over my bed while reading it. I haven't watched a lot of dating shows but I do have an idea of how The Bachelor works and this is similar to that. Instead of complete strangers the contestants are the guy's ex-girlfriends from before he became really famous. Without spoiling anything, I just want to say Jordy is absolute trash and all these women deserve better.

Maya and Skye are my loves!!! I loved their character development, and I really appreciate the dual POV in this book because we get to know them both better. I savored their every moment, and their internal monologues about each other are *chef's kiss* ten out of ten.

This book gave me drama, friendship, and "kilig" and there's nothing more I could ask for.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book surprised me in a good way. It’s an odd premise for YA, which made me skeptical. But I love “the bachelor” themed books. This one is a bachelor style dating show where the suitor dates his exes looking for the one that got away. The characters are 18-20 which helps and the tone is more new adult though they’re not in college yet. I thought the banter was witty and the pacing great. The MCs voices and personalities are different enough. The author handles the romance beats really skillfully. The only thing I wanted a little more from was the chemistry and the epilogue, but as it stands it’s entertaining and kept me turning the page throughout.

Short summary: Cheated on, dumped, and gaslit, Maya never wants to see Jordy again. Until she’s given a chance that might lead to revenge. But then she meets Skye, the girl he cheated with, and they’re forced to share a room..and well, you can guess the rest. Or can you?

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars
going into this book, i knew it followed a bachelor-style
reality tv show and was centered around the main characters revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend. while i believe there is a difference between a cheater and a bad person, jordy, who is the forementioned “cheating ex-boyfriend” happens to defy the odds and be both.

but this story is not about him. it is about maya and skye, the two girls who were wronged by his deception and how their love developed over the course of the 7 weeks the show was filming their false pursuit of jordy in order to humiliate him to the public.

i think this book is especially good with pacing. i was intrigued from beginning to end and i don’t think any scenes were too long or shorter than they needed to be. also i found the character building to be well done. many novels i have read with such a vast group of central characters tends to clump traits together, however i feel by the end of the novel i could accurately describe each central person’s characteristics.

my critical opinions are focused mostly on the dual perspective. though i enjoyed reading from the perspectives of both maya and skye, i feel like certain chapters could have benefitted from reverse perspective or inserting short chapter that reflected on the other’s thoughts. specifically, i would have liked skye’s perspective on the rock wall and in her hotel room following the phone call. because i think skye is overall more emotional than maya considering the feelings she keeps pent up inside, her internal dialogue could have done a lot more to build the relationship by demonstrating the emotional roller coaster such a strong connection can bring. also i felt the chemistry between maya and skye was kind of lacking but i think that viewpoint is because i haven’t read ya romance in a while and adult romance focuses a lot on lusting and longing that maya and skye do have, but not to the same degree.

overall i enjoyed this book and i would like to read other books from this author.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a YA LGBTQIA2S novel about Maya, Skye, and their shared ex-boyfriend Jordy. I love to see the representation of historically marginalized people expanding into the YA genre. This was my first novel by Sophie Gonzales, and I enjoyed her light sense of humor and her style of writing.

There were points where I was smiling as I was reading the story, but I wouldn't say the humor was really "laugh out loud" funny for me. I would describe this story line more on the PG13 side of things, and I would have enjoyed some more romance, but the lack of romance did not detract from the plot and the character arcs explored.

I felt a bit mature reading this book (aka when did I get so old?) and I would associate that with the stage of life that I am in, in comparison to where the characters are in their young 20's. As a younger person, I am certain I would have loved this book, so I am happy to have had the opportunity to read it.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Never Ever Getting Back Together DID NOT DISAPPOINT, THIS BOOK IS A 5 STAR BOOK AHHH. I loved how the book made me feel like how reality tv shows would go like fake emotions and the twists were just so good and unexpected. I loved how the author showed us that the characters in the story are not perfect, which is by making scenes highlighting their flaws. Those particular scenes helped me understand the characters more. AND without spoiling much, I really liked how the author made us understand why Jordyn’s fans would fight anyone who hates him or says “false” claims about him even though he cheated on Maya. I would definitely recommend this for those who like drama and gossiping. Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for letting me review this book. I literally loved every aspect of this book.

Arc provided by st martins press

how surprised and happy i was when i got the chance to read this one! sophie gonzales is one of my favorite author!
i wasn't a big fan of the plot, but i made my way into this book and turned out i really enjoyed it!!!! I loved the female bound in this book and how determined they were to achieve their goal !

This book is about a dating reality show. like The Bachelor, but with ex-girlfriends instead of strangers in the mansion. Oh, and they're all 18 and 19 years old. So, that was a bit cringey because all of the girls chosen for the show had relationships with Jordy between the ages of 14 and 18. Jordy is a good-looking smooth-talker who apparently gets around, using the same lines on every girl he meets.

Our story follows both Maya and Skye, two girls who dated Jordy two years ago, when they were 16. Yeah. Apparently Maya is bitter and hasn't been able to move on since their breakup. Now at 18, she's in the summer months before college starts. And receives a phone call to appear on a reality dating show called Second Chance Romance and the "prize" of course is Jordy. The boy who broke her heart by cheating on her with Skye, also a contestant.

The story was pretty cute, if you could imagine that these were older girls (maybe 20-somethings with the college years behind them and a bit more maturity). But the fact that this is a story about reliving the romances of teenagers when they're still teenagers is awkward because, let's face it, eightteen is still eight-TEEN. Lots of drama, but teens will probably love it.

Ex on the beach meets bachelor with Jordy dating a select few of his ex’s. After his sister married royalty, he thinks that he should be treated like royalty too. Maya is so over Jordy after he cheated on her with Skye, but after Jordy begs, she agrees to go on the show. There are eliminations just like the bachelor, but the girls on the show were selected by Jordy from his past. Maya and Skye come in hating each other but end up working together to spice things up.

was lucky enough to receive this book as an e-ARC.

Pub date: December 6, 2022

I have to say, Sophie Gonzales might have just become an auto-buy author for me.

The premise of this book is AMAZING. Think: The Bachelor but with ex-girlfriends instead of strangers.

This book follows two main people: Maya and Skye. Both of which have dated the new Princess’s brother, Jordy. He has invited both women along with several of his other ex-girlfriends to join a new reality show, Second Chance Romance. The kicker is, he cheated on the both of them. During the story we learn why both women decided to join the show again and just what they’re hoping to achieve 😏

There were 3 things I felt worthy of note taking during my reading:

Maya’s level of pettiness is 👌🏻

Jordy is super cringe and I have no clue how he pulls as many girls as he does.

Notte Infinita is AWKO 🤣🤣

When this book gets released everyone needs to run to get it 👏🏻

This book made me laugh out loud several times which is something that can make or break a rom-com…some times it’s hard to make people laugh through paper!

Read if you like:

🌹 The Bachelor/reality tv
🌹 Enemies to lovers
🌹Revenge plotting
🌹LGBTQ representation
🌹Loads of drama and sarcasm

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but honestly I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. The tension, the romance, the REVENGE, every single minute of it was perfection. 10/10

Super cute reality revenge plot turned sapphic love story—I loved Maya and Skye and the rest of the crew, minus Jordy, who sucks! But we know that was coming. I enjoyed the premise behind this story and the build up to the grand finale! Definitely a cute YA story!

If you love reality TV drama, with emphasis on the drama, you're in for a huge treat. I know having a lot of drama is often seen as a bad quality in YA books, but in this case I promise it's part of the fun!

I have to admit I don't really like reality TV, but for some reason I love to read about it. And this book was just... so much fun from start to finish. I read it in one sitting because I was just having such a good time.

The concept of this book - having a dating show where the contestants are the guy's exes - is so incredibly fun, and this book lives up to it entirely. Jordy was truly the worst, and I loved the main characters overcoming the drama he set them up for and falling in love with each other.

This was a cute, fun peek behind the scenes of a reality TV show where six young women have a "second chance" to win back the supposedly charming guy they all previously dated. It is told from the point of view of two of the women who start as enemies and then become romantically attracted to each other. I enjoyed the realistic development of their relationship, the fact that the other women on the show were fully fleshed out, and the behind-the-peek at the creation of a "reality" TV show.

I read this book in like 2 days!!! It kept me hooked the whole time and the romance was so good. The book was fast paced and the character development was perfect. The miscommunication trope at the beginning killed me though, through the whole book I was just thinking this all could be solved if they believed her. Overall thought the characters we loveable and the book was such a fun read!! Definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and I hope everyone loves it as much as I did!

This book was an absolute delight to read. If I wasn't well versed in ridiculous reality tv I might think that the show in the book would be too out there but I could see Netflix getting ideas if they read the book. Maya and Skye were both sympathetic and fun. The book had lots of funny moments that stuck with me. I don't always love the use of miscommunication in books but it was well-done and not overly frustrating. Jordy was a fairly realistic portrayal of a manipulative man who thinks he's entitled to anything he wants while also having a victim complex a mile wide.
My only issue with the book is it felt like the characters should have been older and the story should have been adjusted for New Adult. The concept was great and executed fairly well but the idea that a 20-year-old man would have this many exes invested enough to want to compete on a reality show is just not plausible. When I was reminded of the ages it took me out of the story.

3.75
first off the Taylor swift title reference yes 10/10, if there is ever anything to get me excited to read a book withoutknowing anything about it then that would be it!
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we are never getting back together, bachelor and selection vibes but with more adorable witty banter.
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seriously though this book was too freaking cute loved the constant drama the banter and the revenge plotting so so much! The reality television setting is always a favorite of mine to read about and this one was no different.
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Going into this book I had no idea that it was sapphic and that was such a pleasant surprise especially because the relationship was just so much fun.
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Overall this was such a fun and light YA read perfect for the summer time