Duplicate info from my audiobook review This was really cute.

The audio book was decently done, but I hated the intros to every chapter.

I also had trouble buying into an almost sommelier spending time in Bordeaux at la cité du vin 🍷 as a former resident, #BordeauxMaVille this is implausible.

Well, I received this book so long ago and finally dove into it. I liked it, but it did not pack the emotional punch that I like in a romance. Theo and Kit's characters were well written but I felt that their romance was lacking. 3 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Pairing is about Theo and Kit, two childhood best friends turned lovers turned exes as they reunited unexpectedly on a food and wine tour through Europe. They have to come to terms with their unresolved pasts and feelings for one another while dining their way through parts of France and Italy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book but I’m not sure I loved what I got. It was a fun and sexy book to read (I mean who doesn’t want to read about eating and fucking your way through Europe) but it lacked some depth for me. The main conflict in the story felt more about each character and not the relationship. To the point that at the end I wasn’t sure it made sense for them to end up together. Some of the development definitely happened off page ( especially with the POV shift) so we just didn’t get insight into it.

All in all, it was a fun read but didn’t pack the emotional punch I wanted it to.

One of the few things I loved was Theo’s exploration of gender. It was wonderful to get into their head about their process and identity. And then to hear Kit’s POV on the parts of them he has always loved.

I love McQuiston's work and they are an auto-purchase for me. The main characters of The Pairing just didn't connect with me the way characters in their other books have. I will absolutely continue to buy and read their books though.

Reading a few reviews before starting this book I was a little worried it wouldn’t compare to the author’s past books that I’ve loved. It doesn’t top ‘Red, White, & Royal Blue’ or ‘One Last Stop’ for me, but the characters grew on me, even if I wanted to shake some sense into Theo and Kit at times. While some characters they met along their European adventure felt a bit over the top/exaggerated at times, overall it was a fun read (or listen) and exploring the touristy sights and tastes alongside Kit and Theo makes you want to start saving for your own trip. It won’t replace my other McQuiston favorites, but the book’s premise was fun, the cast of characters were entertaining, everything described sounded delicious, and the pining/angst was so real. I enjoyed the audiobook, including the narration, and the dual perspectives of Theo and Kit. If you enjoy messy love stories, fierce friendships, irreverent humor, and people just trying to figure their shit out, you’ll probably like this book.

Thanks for NetGalley for the book.

I think I liked this book, though at times I was very unsure. I loved the different settings and really getting into them, but these characters really grated at times. I enjoy Casey's books, but they're not must reads for me.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This was not good. I DNF'd at 20%, which was super disappointing for me as I've loved literally all of CMQ's other books.

The plot wasn't great but the character development was.

Unfortunately, I got bored with the story, it went on for too long and I got to a point I didn't care how it ended. I just asked a friend to sum up the ending for me.

GOD. this fucking book.

i’m so fucking lucky to have gotten a copy of this early; so thankful this went on read now on netgalley!!

i’m not an ebook girlie but i’ll be pretty much anything for Casey McQuiston LMFAOOO

this book was just phenomenal. so decadent. so raw. so hungry. so beautiful. so joyous. so delectable.

so much travel and food and wine and i was just drunk with it.

i absolutely adored Theo and Kit and was rooting for them the entire time. but also the side characters were all amazing?? everyone had their own personality and mini storyline and i just loved getting to know each one.

this book made me want to go travel and fall in love and have Great sex and love wine.

i read it slowly and i’m so happy about that because i really felt like i was able to savor it and get the most from it that i could.

reading this was the most glorious experience and i just cannot wait to be able to read it again and again forever.

A gorgeous and tender second chance romance with realistic and dimensional characters whose connection is steamy and believable.

I truly did not think I could love a book more than I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and then I read The Pairing. Decadent, sexy, hilarious. Deeply bisexual, and it had me in my gender feels pretty much immediately. If you want an extravagantly queer book, full of delicious descriptions, this is it!

Effortlessly charming and full of warmth! McQuiston delivers another vibrant, joyful romance packed with humor, heart, and undeniable chemistry. So, so hot!

This book was so cute! I loved the inclusiveness and it just had all the angst, along with the good feels.

another delight from casey mcquiston! i loved the characters, the different settings around europe, and the food

This book had me dreaming of food and a European vacation. Ultimately, I was not a fan of the sex pact plot line and didn't feel connected to either main character. I previously enjoyed this authors books and was disappointed in this one but I will continue to read their new books.

Oh my gosh I need a European vacation after reading this book! The settings and characters were delicious. I loved the characters’ stories and how they grew.

Ok I went into this one blind. I absolutely adored the author's previous book, Red, White & Royal Blue. So I was expecting to love this one too.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I was not really big on the sex pact plot line. It was more annoying than anything else. There was so much focus on it that I felt a lack of development and romance was missing between Theo & Kit.

I was also not a fan of Theo. They kind of annoyed me most of the book.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

This is a story about traveling the world to find your home.

There were parts of this I really enjoyed, and it made me laugh out loud. The travel abroad vibes and second chance romance elements were really fun and as always Casey nails the queer rep. The nepo baby struggles made me roll my eyes a bit, and it felt verrrrry long but it was overall still a cute book.

3.5. ⭐️ rounded to 4.

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the copy!

I first read Casey McQuiston’s writing back in 2022 with Red, White & Royal Blue, and that is one of my favorite books to this day. The Pairing was a delightful follow up for me in their work, and I absolutely demolished this story.

Theo is such a delightful and confidently awkward character — like their vibes are truly unmatched. I enjoyed their chapters the most.

Such descriptive storytelling with vivid imagery of the scenery and characters. I know we’re technically in the character’s heads in all books, but this time it REALLY feels like we are. Also, the way McQuiston describes the food and the scenery and everything in the setting — it’s like a vivid hallucination of Europe. Cheaper than plane ticket, but still a great experience.

And I haven’t even touched on the dynamic love story that is Theo and Kit. Ugh, they hurt my heart and pieced it right back together.

Also, I would kill to visit their combination patisserie/bar. I’m hungry and thirsty just thinking about it.

It’s currently -15C and snowing. It’s beautiful but I’d much rather be on a summer European tour with Theo and Kit. In The Pairing we follow these two bisexual exes as they each go on a trip to Europe, solo. Only to run into one another, stuck on the same tour bus. As they go from romantic city to romantic city, why not make a bet? To see who can hook up with their hot tour guide first. A recipe for success, definitely not disaster.

McQuiston blew me away with Red, White and Royal Blue and I loved One Last Stop. I was excited to get to this one but unfortunately it came up just a bit shy of a fave for me. I really wanted to escape to Europe tough, the food descriptions and the feel of being in Europe really seeped through the pages.

Still an enjoyable read I’d recommend if you’re looking for a fun rom com but it missed the “I’m obsessed with this” mark.