Especially after Perfect on Paper, I already considered Sophie Gonzales an autobuy author, but Never Ever Getting Back Together solidified that for me. I've been enjoying the LGBTQ+ books we've been getting that are set on reality TV shows (i.e. Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, The Charm Offensive, Love & Other Disasters, D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding, etc) and I'm so glad Sophie Gonzales brought that trend to the YA genre. If you've ever had a horrible ex, wanted revenge on someone who hurt you, or simply thought it would be fun to be on a reality show, you should absolutely check out Never Ever Getting Back Together! Gonzales is a master at writing complex YA characters and Maya and Skye are no exception. I loved this book and inhaled it in two days (which for me is really fast)! I can't wait to see what Sophie Gonzales does next!

Also: This is dual POV and my favorite narrator ever, Natalie Naudus, is one of the narrators for this book, so I'd highly recommend the audiobook too!

Happy day-after-pub-day to Never Ever Getting Back Together. I dare you to read that title without singing Taylor Swift!
This YA sapphic romance involves reality TV show Second-Chance Romance where Jordy, who has recently found fame, has five ex-girlfriends compete for his love. The two main characters, Maya and Skye, are two contestants who previously dated Jordy. There is some confusion about whether Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye or Jordy cheated on Skye with Maya. While clarification might help, Maya and Skye begin the competition as enemies.
My favorite quote: “The opposite of love isn’t hate. Not by a long shot. Hate and love are cousins. Possibly even siblings.”
I switched back and forth between ALC and ARC copies, and I finished it wrapped up in my favorite cozy blanket during a rainy cold afternoon. The audiobook alternates two narrators, both of which are great. Thank you to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion. This was a fun read, but I read a lot of romance books and, while the premise had a lot of promise, this book isn’t one of my favorites. But I think it might be the right book for someone else, so if it sounds interesting to you, give it a try!

4/5

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the advanced listening copy!

When Maya gets a call asking her to be on a reality show with her ex-boyfriend, she's stunned. It's been two years since Jordy cheated on her with Skye, and suddenly they're both asked to be on a "second chance" dating show?! After much deliberation, Maya sets off to ruin Jordy's reputation by playing with his heart on national TV. On day one, she's told she'll be sharing a room with Skye and Maya is beside herself. Suddenly, her true motives are put to the test and her idea of "happily ever after" changes forever.

This book was such a breath of fresh air! I was so pleasantly surprised by the character development throughout and the ending! Jordy is a wretched man and such an annoying character, I was so glad that he was NOT the character we were rooting for. Maya and Skye are two badass women and easy to cheer for. The dating show setting was unique and fun to read about. This was a super cute second chance romance turned enemies to lovers and I really enjoyed it!

This started out so funny and entertaining that I was excited to read it; then it just sort of fell flat. The beginning with everything from Maya’s point of view was so vindictive and cold that it was fun and I couldn’t help but think that this was going to be filled with hate-filled pranks and scathing dialogue. Then Skye comes in and everything starts to sound the same; there is no real distinction between the two (other than labels) so they’re not very different and it all goes downhill from there. The fact that this is YA is implausible. It would make more sense with adults with real world experience and a chance to really pine for the lost love but they’re not even in college yet so how much experience can they have? And Jordy is an ass. I wish the book hadn’t fallen apart the way it did; it had started out so well. I can’t recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC!
What a story!! Just from reading the synopsis I knew there would be a lot of drama involved with this one, and it did not disappoint!
The story starts out with mc Maya getting an invite to be on a reality TV show. However, its not just any reality TV show, it is one starring her royal family ex-boyfriend who cheated on her. A second chance romance show and he is the bachelor.
Maya ultimately decides to do the show so she can use this as an opportunity to get back at him and destroy his life.
When Maya gets to the contestant house, she discovers she will be bunking with Skye, another of Jordy’s exes who he dated after Maya. Skye was warned by Jordy that Maya is crazy and a stalker… so this should be interesting.
Overall, I thought that this book was super entertaining. The show however, seems like a completely horrible idea and it made me angry for all of the women that did this ‘competition’. I also hate Jordy – he is toxic and sexist and just horrible. BUT the book was full of drama and crazy reality TV which is my guilty pleasure sometimes… so if that’s your thing, you should definitely pick this one up!

Well this was an absolutely delightful romantic comedy! Who doesn’t love a Bachelor-esque story?!

I love dating shows like The Bachelor franchise or the throwback ones from VH1 back in the day (did I just reveal my age?? Probably). This one definitely has the feel of the VH1 versions - let’s date the exes and see if there’s still sparks! I won’t lie, I’d watch the crap out of a show like that.

NetGalley granted me access to the audiobook for this one and it was perfect. While I do wish there had been multiple narrators for the multiple POVs, the singular one did a fantastic job with the story. With the thought processes and different personalities of our characters, the story really unfolds with just the right amount of everything - drama, twists, friendship and of course - love. I mean, can’t have a dating show without love, right?

The epilogue was longer than I expected and I was very glad. I had so many questions when I heard the narrator say “epilogue”, but it really look the opportunity to fill in the blanks with the story and with give us a conclusion to the story. I like the way that this story has concluded, but we could easily get more from the couple in the form of a sequel or spin off. I’m happy with the ending but I wouldn’t be mad about more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This might be one of the most fun books I've read all year! Fans of The Bachelor, Love Island or reality TV in general will absolutely devour it! Filled with sass, sarcasm and laugh out loud moments, this was a fast and fun rom com that answers the age old question: why the two girls in a love triangle don't just cut their losses and date each other?!?

ALL the drama, ALL the chaos and ALL the charm that I ever could have wanted! Absolutely loved it!

Sophie Gonzales has written some of my favorite bisexual characters ever. Maya and Skye join a six-week reality show for a second chance with their ex-boyfriend Jordy. Some of the girls have more pure intentions than others.

Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye two years ago and had told Maya that Skye knew about Maya so when they are assigned to be each other's roommates for the show they are less than thrilled. When Maya and Skye finally talk about what went down two years ago they realize Jordy played both of them and scheme to take him down.

Jordy is a menace to society and I dislike him with everything in me. He is a charming shallow manipulator. He is the definition of the “nice guy” that ends up being a total bellknob.

Gonzales explores the way people react to grief and healing from relationships in different ways in a way that I loved. I saw a bit of myself in each of the six girls.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is a book for all of us who've ever read about a woman who ends up with an unworthy dude and wished she would have just gotten together with her frenemy instead.

Main character Maya would still love to get back at ex Jordy for cheating on her two years ago when she's asked to go on a new reality TV show called Second Chance Romance, where all his exes will vie to get back together with him. Maya doesn't want him back, but maybe her time on the show would be worth it, if only to tell the world who Jordy really is (and protect the other women from him). But naturally that's a tall order -- and the woman Jordy cheated on Maya with, Skye, will be there.

I've never watched the Bachelor but thought this was a delight. It definitely scratched the itch left by all the romances that have left me wanting the two -- wonderful -- women to just get together already and forget about the less deserving man. I'd have appreciated more characterization of Maya and Skye but still wholeheartedly recommend this one.

I really liked the narration by Natalie Naudus and Barrie Kreinik -- both were easy to understand, and their voices seemed to match their respective characters.

I just adored this book!

What's better than a reality tv dating show? A reality tv dating show in book form 🤗

What a great YA contemporary romance! I loved that the storyline went against the grain with the two main female characters choosing each other over the male love interest!

Maya and Skye both previously dated Jordy, a now celebrity due to this sister becoming a royal through marriage. It turns out Joeyy cheated on Maya for 2 months with Skye when he moved from America to Canada. Which wouldn’t be so terrible, if Jordy didn’t paint Maya to be a crazy jealous ex-girlfriend to the media and has haunted her for the last 2 years.

In a bizarre twist, Jordy is offered a reality tv show where he dates his ex’s once again to see if they can rekindle their romance. Since this is a YA book, I kind of find that aspect a little off but knowing how popular reality dating shows are, it makes for a great concept. While you go into the story waiting for the revenge plot to unfold from, I was so happy to see a romance bud between Skye and Maya after they settled their differences.

It was at times difficult in the beginning to differentiate between the dual POV’s as to whom was actually speaking but by the middle of the story you got a sense for their personalities. Overall, a great story and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio & St Martin's Press for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you were given a chance to get even with your ex?
After being incredibly hurt by her now-famous ex, Maya agrees to go on a "second chance at a romance" dating show a la bachelor. She has no desire to get back together with him and all the plans to get some sweet revenge. Life certainly adds a plot twist when she and Jordy's ex Maya fall for each other! Does the plot go out the window, or do all the women finally get the payback they wanted?

I really enjoyed this story, however, some details didn't really make sense. Most of the women are 18, meaning they were all in relationships with Jordy at 15-16. It did not seem very believable that producers would want to make a second-chance dating show involving a bunch of teens!

Everything else works out well. You love the girls, you hate Jordy, and you end up with a sweet love story in the end.

First off, happy pub day to Sophie Gonzales for this wonderful book! And thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me the audiobook early to review!
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I am so glad I was able to listen to this story as both the narrators, Natalie Naudus (Maya) and Barrie Kreinik (Skye) did an amazing job bringing these characters to life! I have listened to a few of Natalie’s other voicing works and have always enjoyed them and this one was no exception. I also really liked Barrie’s narration style and I think it worked well with Natalie’s. The only thing I could critique about the audiobook is that the two narrators sound very similar at times and you can forget which POV you’re listening to. Other than that, it's a fantastic audiobook and I highly recommend it if you are looking into it!
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Apart from the audio, I also really enjoyed this story! The only book of Sophie’s I have read before is ‘If This Gets Out’ and I really loved that one, so I had high expectations coming into this one. And I was not disappointed! This book gives me ‘Do Revenge’ the Netflix movie vibes and I’m obsessed! So if you loved that movie as I did, definitely check out NEGBT! I really adored all the girls in this book and their characterization. At first, I was worried I was going to mix up the other girls and they would just fade into the background, but I was wrong. As the story progressed, each girl had solid characterization and felt like real people. I also love the miscommunication trope, enemies to lovers, reality tv, revenge, and overall craziness this book brought! Also of course a happy ending! 5 stars!

I listened to the audio version and liked the narrators a lot. The book itself was pretty predictable but I thought it was well written and fun. I liked the reality show aspect of it.

I really liked the premise of this book, the dating show contestants falling in love with each other was such a fun story. I found the back story a little unbelievable but I didn’t mind and just enjoyed it anyways. I loved the way Maya and Sky went from enemies to friends to lovers. Their relationship was adorable. The narrator was also great, and I loved listening to the story.

This is a great book if you love Taylor Swift, reality dating shows, getting revenge on a bad ex, girls sticking together or rom coms.

I'm all for an enemies to lovers trope and this one did not disappoint!

Maya and Skye are enemies by circumstance. when the boy they were dating cheated on one with the other. When they're offered a chance to "date" him again two years later via a dating show similar to the bachelor, they both say yes for different motivations. It doesn't take more than the first week for the two women to decide that banding together to humiliate Jordy like he did to them is to play the game.

The more the two scheme together the more they fall for each other instead. I really enjoyed this one. I liked the plot, the characters, and all the scheming that goes on throughout the book. I enjoyed the audiobook and thought the narration was done well. I definitely recommend it!

usually I am not a fan of reality tv show books but this took me by surprise! I throughly enjoyed the love triangle that was happening between the 3 characters. I was so surprised when I learned that this was a YA novel when I started reading it. It certainly didn’t read like one! I will definitely be picking up more from this author!

This was my second Sophie Gonzales novel, and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the premise, but I could easily imagine this plot as an adult novel. The character development was well-written and I enjoyed the two leads. The audiobook was great, and I appreciated that the two lead characters had their own narrators.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced audio ARC.

I loved this story! So much so that at 75%, I drove to my local B&N to see if they had a copy out early. They did! I bought it.

The characters were so relatable. Skye is a little rough around the edges at first and Maya seemed kind of an entitled brat, but boy did I fall for both of them as they plotted to get revenge on Jordy, whom is a first class asshat (and that is the nicest thing I can say about him).

Who wouldn’t want to get a public revenge on a partner that cheated and denied it and is a closet asshat? Sounds delightful and this book let’s me get that revenge from the comfort of my sofa.

Have you ever consumed media featuring a fmf love triangle and thought “fuck that guy, the ladies should just date each other”? Do you remember that season of the bachelor where the two contestants ended up marrying each other? Well mash those two things together and you have ‘Never Ever Getting Back Together.’

Gonzales captures a few things expertly: The pettiness and toxicity of reality television culture, the frustration of being gaslit by someone who’s extremely charismatic, the messy complexities of having your heart broken but not yet having closure, and the reality of being an out bi woman but still feeling like you’re coming out all over again every time it comes up with a new person. These aspects and the revenge plot make this an exceptionally fun read. But once again, as a Canadian, I find myself reading a Canadian character and being convinced the author has never been to Canada or even spoken in depth to any Canadians about what it’s like there (see also: The Love Hypothesis)— a small nit pick to be sure, but one that always seems to matter to me. And on a more legitimate, objective note: While both POV characters end up having achieved the character growth goal the reader wants for them, both Skye’s and Maya’s turnarounds feel a bit unearned and abrupt.

The narration from both Barrie Kreinik and Natalie Naudus do a wonderful job. Succinct enunciation, the right amount of emotion, and great impressions of the other’s POV character voice on both accounts.

It’s a mixed bag for me, but if you’re looking for a light-hearted, queer, fun revenge read with a Happy for Now ending you’ll have a good time of ‘Never Ever Getting Back Together’

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio of the chance to listen to and review this ALC.