Ok bear with me this is gonna be long I have a lot to say.

This was a book I had a really hard time with from the beginning. I’ve been looking forward to it for a year and J really really wanted to love it but no matter how hard I tried, there were too many things that bothered me.

For starters, this book had basically no plot it needed so much more substance! It felt like every new country they visited was just a repeat of what happened before and by about halfway through the book, this started to drag and I couldn’t believe how much more there still was to read.

The entire plot just seemed like sex and really long food descriptions which started to get annoying. Like every single character in this book just wanted to sleep with everyone else all the time. That is not all I want from a romance! Give me actual romance! And it had so much potential like there was a whole cast of characters that could have added more substance but we never got to meet them fully or get to know them. I feel like we barely got to know our main characters honestly.

Both characters could be so frustrating at times and they felt childish I kept forgetting they were supposed to be 28. I know so much of this is just personal preference because some people with absolutely love this book but it just reminded me that second chance romance is not my thing. It felt like misunderstanding with a small side of plot and misunderstanding drives me a little crazy.

Now there were things I did like about this book! It definitely had a fun, European summer vibe and Casey has beautiful writing even if the descriptions got a bit out of hand. I found that when it was a good moment, the connection between the characters was beautiful and there are some really incredible quotes about love and connections. The ending saved this book from a lower rating because I did enjoy the way it wrapped up and I do feel like there was some character growth!

Anyway, this just wasn’t fully my cup of tea which makes me really sad because it was so highly anticipated.

Adored this new McQuiston story, even more than I was hoping to. The food and travel descriptions are lush enough to make you feel like you're along for the tour, and the richness of the friendship/romance between the main characters is perfection.

DNF at 16%
Which makes me incredibly sad. I was ecstatic when I got the email that I was approved for an ARC of this. I've read two of Casey's other books and loved them! This just was... Boring. I didn't even care about the main character because they annoyed me so much, whining about their family all the time. It wasn't even relevant? And maybe I'm just to basic but the food and wine descriptions had me snoozing.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston was kind of disappointing. I've read all their other work so I was excited when I got approved for the arc, but I was left feeling underwhelmed. I love second-chance romances, but I just wasn't feeling these characters—though their chemistry was off the charts. And everyone was having sex with everyone as they moved through Europe. I thought we'd get more about the food and wine tasting.

I really wanted to love this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Let’s start with the good:

-it was incredibly atmospheric. I felt like I was where they were, eating and drinking and swimming in the sea.
-the discussion of gender and sexuality was so top tier. This is what Casey writes so so well.
-the characters were likable and deep and well fleshed out in many aspects.

The bad:

-every stop along the trip had the same sort of cadence and it got old quickly. I wanted more variation. I wanted it to feel compulsive to read and it didn’t.
-the characters felt so underdeveloped in so many areas. I wanted them to be more extreme, more believable, more daring. I wanted to feel so much more yearning and love from each of them.
-it lacked conflict where the conflict should have been easy. This one was confusing to me. I wasn’t quite sure why it was difficult for them to do so, but it felt like there was a story under the story that needed a lot of editing to uncover.
-which leads me to my next point: it needed more editing. I LOVE that this book was something different than the others. It felt fresh and like they tried something new. However, I think the book needed to be shaped into a more refined version of itself. I didn’t mind all the food and sightseeing talk but I know others will dislike it and find it boring for that reason. I do think those aspects would make a bigger impact if it wasn’t such a play by play of every bite they eat.

All in all, I will read whatever Casey writes and always hope it resonates with me. I think this will be a hit with some and a miss for some.

Oh my. How can I describe my love of The Pairing by Casey McQuiston?

First of all, I need everyone to know that I love queer romance, and I love books that include descriptions of delicious food. …thus, I had a FIELD DAY (😏) with this book, y’all!

CMQ delivers (as always) with this steamy, decadent, and downright delectable novel.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to go on a food tour through Europe, this is for you! If you’ve wanted a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, this is for you! If you’ve ever wanted a slutty M/NB romance (Is that too niche? Whatever, *I* wanted it.), this is for you!

Our two main characters, Theo & Kit, go through some gorgeous character development over the course of the book, and I really felt like I KNEW them as people by the ending.

I’m not even sure how many lines I highlighted overall as I read, but it was an absurd amount because the way CMQ writes is just so heartbreakingly beautiful. I also laughed out loud countless times because, dang, some of the hijinks those two get up to are just hilarious. And it is probably worth noting that I sobbed my way through last 20 minutes of the book (which is a good thing, in my opinion). But…you’ve been warned!

This was a five star read and possibly one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. It is just absolute perfection in its plot, tone, pacing, and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Say hello to my new favorite Casey McQuiston 🩷🩷🩷
First off, I'd like to say I really love how McQuiston dealt with gender in this book. It takes a bit for us to get introduced to the first MCs gender and it is totally intentional. This book is really just about the love and passion between two people regardless of gender and that made my heart sing.

People love that quote "a reader lives a thousand lives" and I typically I think they're referring to fantasy novels, but the trip Theo and Kit find themselves on is awesome and I'm glad I got to live through them in it. Experiencing all the cultures and foods through this European tour was magical and fell head over heels with every part of it.

My favorite things about second chance romances are how two people can find their way back to each other. When they remember the things they like but also are attracted to and infatuated with the new things about them. And of course remembering so much of each other and so much of themselves that were shaped by each other. This book holds ALL of those thoughts and emotions and it explores them in the most wonderful way. I loved it to pieces and it's beautifully written. I found myself wanting to laugh, cry, and smile on nearly every page.

Quite possibly my favorite read of the year!

Lovely food and setting descriptions - makes me want to find a euro food tour asap. Theo is, however, insufferable. least fave CMQ main character thus far, simply bc of the crying about family money/nepotism. Love kit and sloane and the fun euro gang though, although everyone being gay in this book is veryyy far fetched 😅

Really. A "who can sleep with the most people competition"? What is this, a film from 2002?
All the incredible food and beautiful travel descriptions couldn't wash out the sour taste in my mouth after this one.
Two of the most self-absorbed, unlikeable brats I may have ever read. Literally every other character they encounter is more interesting.

Deeply romantic, emotionally fraught, and brimming with love and self-discovery, The Pairing whisks readers away to a place and time where two best friends are reminded why they’ve loved each other their entire lives.

From the vast and intimate settings scattered across Europe’s wine country, to the reckoning with your best and worst selves, this book has so much to offer readers.

Okay... This will probably be my favorite romance of the year. I don't see how anything could top this chaotic bisexual European road trip ROMP. Between the sex and the food and the secret feelings of love returning to these characters after years apart, I felt so swept up in the joy and emotion and sensuality of this book! A genuinely great time. Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley!!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
That being said, I am DNFing at 43%. It was rubbing me the wrong way almost immediately, but I really wanted to give it a fair shot since I was able to get it so early.
I didn't like anything about this story. I really didn't like the characters or the plot. I thought the sex war aspect was a weird move. It felt like a lazy way to push on the reader that both of the main characters are bisexual.
This book should be called The Ick instead of The Pairing.

Right away I realized I liked Mcquiston’s writing style. Sharp descriptions of characters, especially accents that had me imitating them out loud, mixed with witty humor, just paints a fun picture of each character.

This is a story of 2 ex bisexuals who book the same European tour. Theo and Kit must be very hot, because every person they meet in Europe wants to have sex with them. My favorite thing about this book was the travel content. So many of the stops in Europe were places I’ve been (Cinque Terre, Pisa, Rome, Barcelona, San Sebastian), and several more stops in places I haven’t been but want to go. I could picture the surrounding, accents, smells….a vacation in a book. I love all the Anthony Bourdain references.
This book has so much sex. Much of it is spicy, but much of it is anticipation. Spice 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Rom Com Summer 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Release Copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The first time I kiss Kit, he tastes like jalapenos and apricots ”
Here are reasons to read the Contemporary book:

Couple trip - Theo and Kit have planned a fun european adventure
Breakup - but on the airplane the way there, they break up.
Reunion - And while they both get vouchers to take the trip at a later time, they both chose the absolute last minute to travel, before it expires four years later. Cue the unexpected reunion.
Food and Travel - they embark on a 3 week trip through europe, eating food, and rediscovering why they loved each other in the first place.

I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t caution you about this book. ONE - you will want to eat food every time you pick up this book. The descriptions are fantastic. TWO - if you do not like spice in your books, this is not the book for you. Believe me, the spice was very unexpected and frequent. But the story of these two, the beautiful travel adventure, is very fun. So if you don’t mind all the hooking up, then read this summer book!

** spoiler alert ** I give this book more than a 5/5 if I could! It made me deliriously happy and infatuated with Kit and Theo's romance and story! I loved the book on 5 points: The romance, the storyline, the characters, the pairings of food and wine, and the easy humor! And probably more, but those come to mind first.

I loved the romance because it's not just the romance that blooms during this trip but also the romantic history it's built upon. I alternated between hating that they were separated due to miscommunications and insecurities, but I liked that their love for each other grew and grew. I liked how the book was written in both their POVs so that something one person says or imagines doing is shown, and we can see both of their reactions. At times, it felt like I was screaming at them just to get together already! Both of you are falling in love over every little thing; why can't you see it? But I liked how the reveal presented itself in the form of the song they had a history with. Throughout the book, I felt like an outsider looking into their relationship, like the other passengers on their Europe trip, and I was reading in earnest until they were together again. Then they were, and I was deliriously happy again!

I loved the storyline, how we saw bits of their romance along with pieces of their lives and the lives of the people they were traveling with. Every character had their unique characteristic, and I liked every one of them, especially Fabrizio, who cracked me up! I loved the trips from city to city, learning the history and the food. Oh the food was making my mouth salivate, and the drinks! I really want to make some of them! I look forward to the book's release! It felt like a journey, not just because they were on a journey through Europe but also with themselves. I haven't visited some of the cities on this tour but really want to now!

All the characters were phenomenal! Kit and Theo, I loved getting to know both of them and seeing them grow and bond together! Fabrizio is amazing, the best tour guide and role model and the suggestion from Theo about him at the end was just perfect. I can imagine it in my head! I liked all the other characters as well: the older couples, the newlyweds, and the friends traveling together (with the surprises at the end). I liked the Calums, Montana and Dakota, and all the others!

The pairings of food and wine sounded like bliss, and I want to try them now! I've made coq au vin once after someone made it in Emily in Paris on Netflix! I really like learning new cocktails as well, and all of the different ones they talked about in the book were intriguing, as was the wine. I liked how one followed the journey of where a wine bottle comes from and how the earthly components can be tasted from it. The food sounded amazing! I want to try all of it, but I think I wanna try making an arancini first because it sounded good.

There was so much laughter, jokes, and things that made you smile in this book; I could barely stop smiling until I finished it. It constantly kept me going, page by page, chapter by chapter, from Theo to Kit, and it was just as magical and inspiring and full of life and love as the other books Casey McQuiston has written. They have a wonderful gift in the stories they write, and I feel lucky that I got to read an early copy to review here. I can't wait to buy a copy :)

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

REVIEW: The Pairing ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5)

I was so excited to see that The Pairing was written by Casey McQuiston who also wrote another book that I love, Red, White, and Royal Blue.

There are so many things that I love about The Pairing. First of all, I love the representation throughout the book of bisexuality, nonbinary, and other kinds of relationships. I really loved the chemistry between Theo and Kit, and you could tell that they really care about one another. The Pairing also has a whole lot of spice because Theo and Kit have a contest to see who can sleep with more people on their vacation. Casey McQuiston also does such a fantastic job on descriptions. Describing the different locations on their trip, the various food and drinks, and even the characters they meet each gives us a strong image based on their descriptions. It was also fun that at the beginning of each chapter, there was the location, food and wine pairing, and music (in the audiobook) from wherever they were. I really enjoyed the narrators in the audiobook as both of them were very expressive and even got some excellent accents down.

The only thing that I thought could be changed was that the first part of the book was all in Theo’s POV, and the second part was all in Kit’s POV. In each section, I wondered what the other character thought or felt during an event. I would have preferred to have their POVs switch off each chapter so that we could experience both sides together.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Pairing. It was a great European adventure with many laughs and romances throughout. This book is excellent for anyone who loves a good slow burn, second chances, spicy scenes, and a fun European tour.

Thank you, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

McQuiston is back with an absolute banger. I have not loved one of their books so much since Red, White, & Royal Blue. Kit and Theo's story simply captured my heart. Childhood friends to lovers to exes who unexpectedly reunite on a food and wine tour of Europe four years after their breakup? Perfection. The dual POV is extremely successful; I needed 100 more pages of Theo and Kit loving each other, It also helps this book made me feel like I was on a European vacation without ever leaving my apartment. I might actually love this book more than Red, White, & Royal Blue, which feels sacrilegious to say but is true!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF'ed this one at 17%. The characters felt very surface level and most of the emotional growth happens off the page. There's nothing here that makes me feel for either of the main characters. They dated when they were younger, broke up for a reason so far unsaid, and now are circling around each other while still having the most casual (and off page) sex with locals at each stop of the European tour.

Also, I don't know if I'm slow or what, but it took me way too long to realize Theo is a woman. Naming your characters Theo and Kit with a cover design like this doesn't help anyone figure out if your two bi-sexual leads are male or female. It doesn't really matter, but it's hard to form a mental picture without that info.

I mean. It's perfect. Casey McQuiston's writing is just so easy and effortless and lovely - I'm someone who is (sometimes against my will) hyper-aware of little repetitions and awkward bits at the sentence level and they just have none of those. And the plot? And the setting? And the food and the wine? This is a dream of a book.

I was really really looking forward to reading this book. I just could not get into it as much as i was hoping. They characters felt forced to me and in my opinion not realistic. I was as shocked as anyone that I just did not like this book.

I think many people will love this book but it was not for me.