Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I picked this book up as a "read now" option on Netgalley in the hopes I would like it since I've liked a previous book from this author. I haven't been able to read any of their books since RWRB which is so disappointing and this book was no different. I did really like the concept of this book, but I felt like the execution was not great.

I didn't enjoy how we didn't get to read from the other main character's POV until the "bet" commenced, I didn't like how the bet was approached, and I didn't like the writing style. The details of the bet was definitely... a choice. I've now liked two books and disliked two books from this author. I try to stick to a three-book rule for authors, so the next book will be a game changer for me and this author's books.

I'm sure there are a group of people out there who LOVED this book, but I wasn't apart of it. I didn't feel like the characters were developed enough (something that could have helped was having the other main character POV before 50% into the book!!!) And I hate when all the development and emotional baggage that the characters experience are experienced OFF THE PAGE and i'm just supposed to know what they are feeling and how much they love each other. Truly detest that.

I loved that this book was SO QUEER, but it really failed me on all other fronts. I hope other readers connect with it more than me.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for a free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Look, I love Casey McQuiston's writing but I was so not into this book. Asshole sluts in Europe just do not do it for me, I suppose. I appreciated the queerness but i don't know this just seemed way more unrealistic than Casey's debut where a queer Mexican kid thinks Texas will turn blue. There are not that many hotties down to bone, I feel. Travel groups are mostly people you do not want to bone, in fact. And the romance? Inadequate.

i absolutely love this author, they are amazing.

i loved how the dual pov and how Casey used it in this story. It was really heart warming to see Theo and Kit reconnect surrounded by fun locations and food! I also really enjoyed all the quirky side characters that were in their tour group.

it was a really beautiful story about gender identity as well and i loved how they used the dual pov to reveal certain things about the characters.

3.5 Stars for The Pairing.

I love that I know what I am getting with a Casey McQuiston novel. I know I will get a heartfelt love story, with good queer representation, and an ending that will leave me happy. The Pairing held up to my level of expectations.

I received the eBook through NetGalley and got the Audiobook from MacMillan Audio and I ended up listening to the audiobook.

The narrators were great, and I felt really represented the characters well. Though the book was dual POV, it was not set up in the traditional way with alternating chapters. It was split into halves with each character getting to give their side of the story and experience within half the book, thus allowing you to compare the scenes of the book from both sides. Very fun way to go about it. The audio also had fun little European song intros for each chapter, which added to the experience.

As for the story, it starts out with a pretty big misunderstanding. I am not usually one for the misunderstanding trope, but it was way in the past, so it didn't bother me in that respect. This is very much a story of first loves and wanting what's best for each other, even if that means saying goodbye.

The connection between Theo and Kit was very real, best friends, turned to lovers, then separated over several years, they are brought back together by the trip they never took. A tour of Europe provides much in the way of hooking up by many, but also a rekindling of a relationship long in the making. Worth the read

I had high expectations for this one and i let me down. I wish it would've had better banter, conversation and deeper love. I just didn't really like the plot or writing style in this one.

Things I LOVED about this book: A non-bianary character, as one of the main characters and the ability to listen to their perspective and their romantic interest perspective. A forced proximity second chance romance, Theo and Kit have grow up together, dated and broken up and live across the world from each other. A pre-planned trip around Europe forces them back together and to face the feelings they had along.
I adore Casey McQuiston's voice for the queer community and this book definitely does what all their other books before have done before for me.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin for this free book for honest review.

An absolutely delightful romp. No notes. Casey McQuiston remains an autobuy must read author. This was spicier than other books from McQuiston and I kicked it off my fingers like fried chicken. Good soup.

Thank you for the ARC of this book. In the past I’ve very much enjoyed Casey McQuiston’s books this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

5/5 ı loooved this!

This book is best described as self-indulgent. Kit and Theo spend the entire book bemoaning life choices while eating and sleeping their way across Europe on a bougie food tour.

While I enjoyed Kit and Theo as characters, the European setting felt a little too self-indulgent for my taste. I can sniff out an American glamorizing Europe the same way I can smell out an author writing a small town who's never left New York City- it's not my favorite look. It just felt very "hot, rich kids with hot, rich people problems" and out of touch with reality. I don't know how else to word it. Honestly, I kept the 3 stars only because I have to admit McQuiston can write a damn description and one-liner like no one else.

Romance has never been my genre, either, so I admit that might be part of the issue.

While I loved Red, White & Royal Blue and thoroughly enjoyed I Kissed Shara Wheeler, this one and One Last Stop were misses for me. Hopefully, I get along with their next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this title. I didn't really connect with the characters like I thought I would. I will be looking out for the next title from Casey McQuiston.

this is such a lovely escape from reality -- a second chance queer romance that's spicy and slow-burny and soooo swoony!!! i can't decide who i am crushing on more -- kit or theo, and their chemistry not only with each other but with (apparently) every hot european they meet in their travels was HOT. casey writes queer love like nobody else!!!

These two might be the last real lovers on this planet. They are real yearners. But! They are also real liars. Because in no way shape or form do I believe for a second that everybody in Europe is this rich and fuckable.

Regardless, Casey McQuiston has yet another masterpiece on their hands. No one is surprised.

This is spicier McQuinston's other titles, but so much fun to read! Super into their love story and the way it was told. Highly recommend.

I was so happy to receive an arc of this book! This was a very fun queer book that I will be continuing to recommend for a long time. Thank you netgalley.

I could not get into this story. I appreciate that it will resonate for others, but it was not for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and have a good time! However, I felt the main premise of the characters Anton each other but entering into a competition to who could sleep with more people so out of the team of my own reality it did take suspended disbelief. I felt that the tour director was cheeky and charming and enjoyed the reveal of his wife at the end who was just as lovely.

3.5 stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 💫

What a romp! Unabashed, erotic, and most importantly fun, I was rooting for Theo and Kit the whole time. Theo in particular spoke to me as a character. Casey McQuiston is an auto-read for me.

I was drawn to *The Pairing: Special 1st Edition* because the premise sounded fun—two exes reuniting on a European food and wine tour, with a side of competition and potential romance. However, despite the promising setup, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story's overall tone.

Theo and Kit's dynamic felt like they were trying too hard to rekindle old flames through banter and rivalry, but it came off as immature. The constant references to their past, while intended to create tension, just left me frustrated. I couldn't understand why they hadn't moved on after four years, and the competitive hook-up challenge felt more awkward than amusing.

The writing style also didn't help. I expected humour and charm, but instead, I found the dialogue repetitive, and the pacing was uneven. The setting of Paris, Spain, and Italy should've added depth and romance, but it just felt like a backdrop for more petty drama.

While I appreciate the idea of a second-chance romance, this one missed the mark. It was hard to get invested in a story where the chemistry felt one-sided, and the characters seemed stuck in the past. There were moments of potential, but they were overshadowed by everything else.

Here is the thing about The Pairing. It's Casey McQuiston (CMcQ)'s queerest book. Rather than tell a queer story in the vein of a heterosexual romance, CMcQ has worked to liberate the story from straight conventions. Monogamy isn't the default or even that important. Characters stay friends with some exes. Pegging! When comparing The Pairing with RW&RB, you can see how much CMcQ is taking chances with their writing and storytelling. The descriptions are lush and evocative. I literally dreamt of the Citrus Foundation months after reading the book.

And yet. And yet, this will never be a comfort read like RW&RB, and I'm not sure I feel the need to reread it at all. Maybe I'm not the intended audience (too old, too straight-passing, too conforming), but I don't want to shortchange CMcQ, who knows how to writing compelling specific stories that also touch on the universal. Ultimately, I didn't love this book because Kit and Theo didn't work for me. I never felt like they even liked each other that much. And while second-chance romances are tricky, I came away from this book thinking, "I don't think either of them bring out the best in the other." Which is a must-have for a romance. The sum must be greater than the parts. And while they have what seems like hot sex and they both like hospitality, I got to the end of The Pairing thinking that Kit & Theo would run their course as a couple before too long. It just didn't work as a romance.