i love everything CMQ writes! thank you for the opportunity to read this book, sorry it took me so long to update!

The Pairing offers an intriguing premise which initially really interested me! The story unfolds in a captivating way, and the exploration of love was one unlike any ive read before.

However, I found myself wishing I could connect more deeply with the characters. While their journeys are compelling, there were moments where I felt a bit distant from their emotions and struggles. I wanted to feel their experiences more vividly and understand their motivations on a deeper level.

Despite this, the overall concept is refreshing, and I appreciated the way it challenges traditional notions of love. If you enjoy inventive narratives and thought-provoking themes, The Pairing is definitely worth a read!

As a big red white and royal blue fan this book was the perfect cure for my RWRB hangover, and I loved every second of it. Loved the banter and bisexual representation

If The Pairing has a mission statement, I imagine it would be “SLUTS FOREVER!” tagged in neon on the biggest yacht in Monaco. Casey McQuiston’s fourth romance is a novel of excess: a whirlwind of long, sticky summer days, dirty jokes, and hand-painted frescos. It’s the author’s most ambitious work yet and certainly their spiciest (genre-speak for most sexually explicit). At its core, romance is pleasure-reading. The Pairing is a paean to the genre, a celebration of pleasure in its many forms––art, wine, food, sex––and a portrayal of queer intimacy that expands the possibilities for romance as a genre.

Honestly, I think I should've DNFed it.
I also think it should've been shorter.
The best part was the end, but it took too long to get there.
I have learned that no matter how much I try to convince myself, CMQ is not an auto-buy author for me. 🙃

Essentially 300+ pages of a nepo baby circle jerk. Main characters need to be unique and sympathetic, not copy-pasted rich kids. The main couple spent more time sleeping with other people and the third act didn't rectify that.

not my cup of tea unfortunately.. .the second half dragged and i didn't like the mcs much. i felt that a lot of their development happened off screen, which is something i really dislike in my romances. also, as a european who's been lucky enough to visit a lot of the places mentioned in this book, a lot of things were very... stereotyped.

thank you netgalley and st. martin's press for the arc.

Just a little too slow paced for me, someone who likes character driven novels and more cozy reading for vibes and not plot would probably enjoy it more.

This book is not for everyone. It’s slutty and smutty and shallow - much more shallow than McQuiston’s other books. It’s an adventure through Europe that’s kind of fantastical with all the sexual adventures interwoven as well.

I thought I liked Theo but eventually grew tired of their “woe is me, I’m a nepo baby” routine. I was still rooting for them though. Kit was adorable and sweet and I appreciated his character more.

Maybe my least favorite trope is the whole “lack of communication” thing, so I was irked by that.

But the thing is… I really enjoyed this book. I read it quickly and wanted to be reading it whenever I wasn’t. So five stars. I love Casey McQuiston books. Her characters are always witty and interesting and the tension is always high. I know everyone won’t like this book, but I sure did.

I love Casey McQuiston, but this this book was not for me. I tried, but just couldn't finish it. It just didn't have the same feel as her other books.

As always...Caset McQuiston has a takent of writing stories because this story was really great. It pulled you in while adding some comedy pieces to it. Not only does it have romance in the story but it also has culture and food involved. I feel like she has this theme of always mixing in romance and laughter which is always refreshing. If you ever need a quick read then this would be perfect!

Casey McQuiston does it again! I loved this almost as much as RWRB. Give me all of Casey's incredible well written disaster bisexuals any time.

Thank you @netgalley for this gifted e-Arc. Review ahead!

I read this with the Romance Book Club @inkwoodnj, and TBH after hearing it was super spicy a n d about the PR boxgate I wasn’t feeling really confident that I’d like it. I had only read, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, (YA novel) by @casey.mcquiston to this point. While I really liked that one, I expected this would be a very different story than that.

I was sort of charmed by this, though. I thought Theo was an especially layered character and found myself wondering how much Casey had written themselves into writing them. The spice wasn’t /as spicy as I expected and there was plenty of plot in this second chance romance. I loved all of the Anthony Bourdain references, and for once the traveling trope worked for me. I’d take a star of for all of the massive miscommunication and the quasi break up (iykyk), but overall really solid recommend from me.

🖤 Where has been your favorite place that you’ve traveled and why?
Idc where I am tbh, but give me a book, a cocktail and either a pool or a beach and I’m good 👌

#thepairing #caseymcquiston #nonbinarypositivity #romancereads #anthonybourdain #netgalleyreads #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookthoughts #earc

(3.5 stars rounded down to 3). The Pairing by Casey McQuiston focuses on Kit and Theo, two bisexual exes who end up coincidentally booking the same European food and wine tour using a return voucher, just four years after they broke up en route to the same food and wine tour they had booked together. The book follows the next three weeks of their trip as they navigate the heartache and unresolved pain they had buried for so long, desperately seeking the closure they never received.

Kit’s perspective in the second half of the book was far more enjoyable for me. I found it to be more insightful and interesting and I felt as if I could actually understand the inner workings of his mind. Oh how deeply and vastly he loved Theo. On the other hand, I quickly found Theo’s perspective to be irritating, as they make a habit of running away from their problems and proceed to hook up with every living and breathing person in Europe. I was annoyed by how 28 year olds can be so emotionally stunted and continue to blame the world around them for all their problems. I also found myself frustrated by Theo’s nepo baby complex and wanting to cosplay as poor - people who don’t come from generational wealth and are actually forced to create names for themselves entirely on their own would kill for the money and resources Theo had access to and simply decided they were too good to use because of their misguided pride. Both MCs were fairly unlikable (especially Theo), I was not rooting for them to get back together, and frankly found myself not caring whether or not they did. And even more disappointingly, the side characters were so one dimensional, uncharacteristically so for CMQ.

Despite this, I love love and I loved how Kit and Theo found their way back into each other’s gravitational pull, despite my hesitations about whether they are actually good for each other. I adored the food and wine and gorgeous scene descriptions and the general acts of love and friendship that existed in this story. BRB as I research food and wine tours in Europe.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

i was worried about whether i would like this because after loving red white and royal blue, i have felt progressively less into cmcq's books. but i really liked this one. it was funny and caring and definitely the sluttiest book i have ever read--which i say having read a 37-book/story polyam kink community romance series last year. this definitely takes the cake. loved that.

This book is basically the definition of hedonism. Food, alcohol, sex, love. The relationship between Kit and Theo - the history there - was interesting. However, I felt like I cared more about the places they visited and was more interested in the descriptions of the food they ate than the success of the relationship between the two of them. Which wouldn't be a problem if this weren't a romance.

Mostly this book made me want to go on a tour of western Europe. I didn't care much for either of the MCs.

This book is the definition of horny to be honest. But other than that it doesn't have enough going for it.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and delicious food. The book follows two exes, Theo and Kit, as they navigate their complicated relationship on a European food and wine tour.

McQuiston has a knack for creating relatable characters with witty banter and endearing flaws. Theo and Kit's dynamic is both charming and frustrating, making their journey towards reconciliation all the more compelling. The author's vivid descriptions of food and wine add a sensual element to the story, making it a feast for the senses as well as the heart.

While the plot is predictable at times, it's the characters and their interactions that truly shine. The book's exploration of friendship, love, and self-discovery is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. If you're looking for a fun and heartwarming read with a dash of romance, The Pairing is definitely worth checking out.

3.5/5 Stars

Theo and Kit are exes and haven't seen each other in over four years after a messy break up. They accidently book the same European food and wine tour, and challenge each other to a hook up competition.

I liked how the first half of the book was from Theo's POV and the second half was from Kit. It allowed for us to see inside both of their heads, and learn more about how they were feeling towards one another. I think both of them went through a lot of growth through out the story, and I liked watching them reconnect with one another. I do think the reasoning behind the breakup was a bit weak once it was revealed. Their issues could have been resolved in literally one conversation with each other. I also thought that the hook-up competition got very repetitive very quickly. I did really like the setting of the European countries and all the food they were getting to taste left my mouth watering, it all sounded so delicious.

Not my favourite of Casey's books, but still an enjoyable read!

This is my second read by Casey Mcquiston and I loved it just as much as red white and royal blue. I thought this was well written and a funny and compelling story

This book is lush with descriptions. It was a great read over the summer. A story with ex’s who wind up on the same trip across Europe, it’s the perfect second chance romance setup. This setup makes the chapters fly by and allow you natural stops between trip stops.
The descriptions of the food and wine is delicious. It almost makes you feel the tastes. But the romance is HORNY! It’s great. The sex and gender identity is at the core of this story. It leaves you feeling warm and gooey and you root for them.