"The Pairing" by Casey McQuiston is a delightful and witty romantic comedy that perfectly blends humor, charm, and a touch of nostalgia. McQuiston’s latest novel follows exes Theo and Kit as they accidentally book the same European food and wine tour four years after their painful breakup. What starts as a setup for a hilarious and competitive hookup challenge between the two quickly evolves into a heartwarming and hilarious exploration of their past and present feelings. I adored the way McQuiston captured the complexities of their relationship, from childhood best friends to estranged exes, and how their time together on the tour allows them to reconnect in unexpected ways. The vibrant settings of France, Spain, and Italy are brought to life with mouthwatering descriptions of food and wine, making the reader feel like they're right there with Theo and Kit. The competition to win over the hot Italian tour guide adds a playful twist, but it's the moments of genuine emotion and growth that make this book truly special. McQuiston’s writing is sharp and funny, and the chemistry between Theo and Kit is electric and real. If you’re looking for a romantic comedy that’s as satisfying as a glass of fine wine and as charming as a European getaway, "The Pairing" is the perfect pick!

What a perfect book to kick off summer reading. This romantic tour through Europe is brimming with lush descriptions of art, architecture, food, wine, and rekindled love. The characters are so well-developed, and their love for each other is genuine, drawing the reader into their world and allowing them to care for the characters from the beginning. It was so captivating that I found it nearly impossible to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Due to the ongoing strike of st. martins press i will not be reviewing this book and will only be starring it because i have to.

I just love anything Casey McQuiston writes. This one is full of adventure, food, travel, and second chances being better than the first. The forced and accidental proximity of Theo and Kit on their European food and wine tour was so enjoyable. No one writes Queer representation quite like McQuiston and I will always want more.

I'm going to be honest. I couldn't finish this book. I didn't love either one of the characters together and I was honestly just bored. I am so sad because I usually love all of Casey McQuiston's books but this one, I didn't. I am so appreciative of #NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC.

This was just not for me. The tropes and set up were not my usual cup of tea, but I had hopes that since I have enjoyed other books by Casey that maybe this would end up working out. Unfortunately, I found the characters unlikable and I was not rooting for them.

I can see how people might enjoy this one, but it is not one I will be recommending.

This was a fun book! I would rank this as my second favorite Casey book, after Red, White, and Royal Blue, which is one of my all-time favorites. Theo and Kit are bisexual ex's who reunite on a European food tour. Going in, I did not realize this was a dual POV book, so I was pleasantly surprised when we shifted to Kit's perspective halfway through. It was fun seeing Theo and Kit through each other's eyes and it allowed me to fall in love with them as their characters do.

There was a lot of talk of various food, wine, and cities, which ended up being both my favorite and least favorite aspect of the story. I loved traveling to new cities and experiencing the same passion for food and wine that Theo and Kit do. However, some places were introduced without much preamble, so sometimes I didn't even know which country we were in or which language I was reading. Similarly, a lot of foods were described using ingredients I had never heard of, which only made me more confused.

Overall, I thought the story was really cute, unique, and a lot of fun. I just wish they had edited it for uncultured Americans (like myself) to help describe or cut out all the European/foodie references that the average American doesn't know. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A decadent road trip. Theo and Kit accidentally embark on the same foodie tour of France and Italy, years after they'd initially made plans to go together. As they board the bus now, it's been years since they've spoken. They have history -- rich and complicated, much like the country they're about to experience together. Along with their tour mates, they roll from town to town, discovering the local foods -- and the local.s. As they begin to scratch the surface of a friendship they've both grieved, they push each other to flirt with the people they meet, leading to a sexual conquest competition, in part to proved they've moved on. But have they? As they begin to trust one another, they reveal secrets about their past that put their history into a new light. Maybe it's too late now that their lives have forked. But they have this moment to indulge each other.

Reading this book is like floating down a chocolate river with a fruity cocktail in one hand and an art book in the other. Come prepared to linger.

Casey McQuiston has done it again. This book was so lovely and sexy. It’s full of lush descriptions that will make you feel like you’re along for the ride on Theo and Kit’s European trip as they fall in love again. This is such a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was such a delightful read that made me want to travel and eat delicious food. It was slow to get into and a bit slow throughout, but that was my only struggle with the book. The characters were beautifully written and the story interesting and I could not put it down for the last hundred pages!

I would love to rate this and tell you all about it. But alas, it's a St. Martin's Press title and I'm boycotting them for their lack of response to racist and misinformed remarks their employee made concerning Palestine.

Sucks for them for not being better humans and running a better publishing house. Generic three-star rating because I have to.

Casey McQuiston laced this with something...what a journey from start to finish. The Pairing is dual POV, with the first half of the book being from Theo's perspective and the second half being from Kit's perspective. Theo and Kit have known each other since childhood. They were best friends, roommates, and finally lovers. A couple of years before the start of the book, they broke up and never spoke or saw each other. But their coupon for the three-week trip across France, Spain, and Italy for wine and food tasting is set to expire, and neither of them expects the other to have booked the trip. The last thing they expect is that the exes are stuck together on this trip. The tension and awkwardness are brutal, and to avoid ruining each other's trip, they make a bet...who can sleep with the most people across their journey.

Of course old feelings arise. The tension is palpable and truly this may be the most sensual book I've ever read. It is super queer, bi-for-bi (I don't want to spoil what else this contains but there are characters questioning gender identities as well). The way McQuiston writes about food and drink and travel and the sights builds and plays on the emotions, the devastation and the tension between Theo and Kit. When did it become so sexy to describe eating a peach? The slurping of oysters? The taste of wine on the tongue? I felt insane! Hats off. You really feel like you're traveling all over Europe with these characters, who just have so much love for each other (and maybe obsession) that you just want them to hook up already. I loved this so much.

I can't say enough about this book! Perfection!

A unique part of the story is as the characters travel to a new city, the book includes a pairing for that city. Instrumental music accompanies each of these sections, but it is done in a simple way.

The first half of the story is told in Theo's POV. We get the beginning of the story from them and a good part of the trip as well. The transition between the characters was done well. We get a brief view of both before it completely switches over to Kit's.

This author wrote this in a way that it brought each city to life . The story includes a diverse cast of characters along on the trip were funny, friendly and added to the story.

I highly recommend this book! I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and somehow this story is even better.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

5 Perfect Pairing Stars!!!

EXCUUUUSEEE MEEEEE??? Casey McQuiston writing a genderfluid person as the MC????? AND I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE IT UNTIL LATER???

I THOUGHT IT WAS M/M AND REALIZING THAT THE MC IS GENDERFLUID JUST PLACED THIS AS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVES!!!!

The book is an experience that you really need to have for yourself. The main characters both have their own struggles and motivations and regardless of how things are going, you really do want them to end up together. I usually hate the miscommunication trope, but honestly?? With their personalities and the circumstances?? It was the only possible conflict between two people that are so meant for each other!

Casey McQuiston, I am so eager for this book to hit the shelves because you best believe I’m recommending it to everyone and their moms, dads, and friends… literally everyone haha!

Misunderstandings and miscommunications lead Theo and Kit to break up on the eve of their dram European food and wine tour. Four years later, as the tour vouchers are about to expire, they individually decide to go on the excursion only to crash into each other again. Decadent food and perfectly paired drinks, beautiful vistas, and second chances for a pair of bisexual exs who definitely still love each other make this romantic comedy a winner.

Let me first start out by saying, this book will not be for everyone. I, (un)fortunately, will read everything Casey McQuiston writes, probably, because their first book grabbed me by the neck and never let me go. This book is extremely queer, extremely horny, and extremely smutty. If any of those things are not up your alley, look away!!! While the first half of the book is a little too brash and explicit for moi, what I loved about this book was the characters traveling through Europe on a food tour. It transported me to a very European summer, the likes of which I have not felt since Chelsea Fagan’s A Perfect Vintage.

Listen - CMQ is an incredible writer, and I will forever read and rave about anything they decide to write for us. The Pairing is no exception - the imagery is beautiful (that one metaphor early on <spoiler>about diving underwater and past memories flooding in was literally perfect</spoiler>), the pacing keeps me turning the page, and the fully-fleshed out background characters make the novel's world feel so much more real and complex and alive.

But, gorgeous writing and world-building aside, I really struggled to connect with Kit and Theo. They aren't the kind of characters I would really ever want to get to know or care about, and so this book wasn't for me. I probably would have DNF'd this early on, but I trust Casey, and I thought I would like them more as I got to know them better, so I stuck it out. Instead, I found that the more I learned about their backstory, the more annoying I found them. Still, the ending was satisfying, and some of the sex scenes were fun, and I still think The Pairing is would make a great pool-side summer read. Even if you disliked Kit and Theo the way I did, the European food tour you get on the side is actually pretty fun. I'll most likely purchase a physical copy just so I can figure out how to recreate some of the dishes described.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the advanced copy!

When I received the galley for this book, I screamed. I love CMQ and everything they've published. The Pairing was the perfect summer read. The descriptions of the food, the tangibility of the countries, the art ... chef's kiss! It did feel a little long in the tooth, especially at the end, but it was an amazing reading experience. Definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I eagerly anticipated this novel given how much I enjoyed the author’s previous work, but it pains me to admit I didn’t care for this. What drew me in with the author’s previous work were the characters, found family, and unapologetic queerness. The unapologetic queerness was here, but it was more about boning than giving meaningful representation. Characters were all quite one-dimensional. As a result, the found family was also absent because none of the side characters were fleshed-out. Everything I loved about Casey McQuiston’s previous writing was sadly missing. Characters, setting, dialogue, plot, vision, and representation were all painfully underdeveloped. Overall, The Pairing felt superficial to a cloying degree.

Both of the main characters were generally unlikable, especially Theo, which is unfortunate because they would have been the appropriate choice to ground us representation-wise. Theo is a nepo baby and waxes poetic incessantly about food, wine, art, and their hard life not wanting to take their family’s money. It was a lost opportunity that Theo’s nonbinary identity was revealed halfway through after the chapters they narrated. There was a lot that could have been examined with their identity through Theo’s own voice, but instead we get all the nonbinary exposition through Kit. Why is the cis man telling us about Theo’s nonbinary identity? No matter how much Kit loves Theo, it created a degree of separation between the reader and Theo that was unnecessary. As a character, Kit is more likeable, but honestly he’s just a bisexual Timothée Chalamet sex god and I didn’t feel his character was particularly developed either. Worse, they are unlikable and have zero chemistry other than sexual desire for each other.

The plot loosely centers around lost love rekindled between Theo and Kit. This is cheapened by the two acting like American Pie-esque teenagers via a sex competition. It’s hard to build the relationship dynamic between the two when they’re distracted bedding side characters for half the book. These side flings weren’t particularly interesting either. The thing with one-night stands is most people feel a bit dirty and cheap after them and filling a book with them gets redundant as they didn’t significantly advance the plot or character development. Perhaps the sex competition idea would have been better executed if the one-night stands were written with a comedic touch juxtaposed against the real intimacy between Theo and Kit, but that isn’t how they were written. Again, a lost opportunity.

Let’s dive into the sex scenes. I’m all for a good queer sex scene that would make some in a straight audience clutch their pearls. However, some of the sex scenes in this made me cringe simply because they were inherently odd choices (the peach scene, the boat scene, the exes moaning across the alley as they engaged with separate partners, the final sex scene between Kit and Theo). It felt like they were there for shock value or being unconventional for that sake alone. They often accomplished nothing else, making them as one-dimensional as the characters. Worse, when the two main characters were together, I didn’t like the characters nor feel compelled that their feelings for each other were authentic. Thus, when they actually rekindled their love, it felt like the sex scenes just walloped you. It was as if the sex scenes were written first and the rest of the plot was written poorly around them, which felt rather odd. The final sex scene is Theo (nonbinary, bisexual) finger blasting Kit (male, bi) and calling him a slut. I mean, go off queen, I guess. But for characters I didn’t particularly like, it was a bit jarring and didn’t fit with the way the characters were written either. It was like they were written at times to try to show their depth or sweetness, but then BAM they’re back to just being the sex gremlins they were the rest of the book. If you’re going to write very sexual characters, you need to make their personalities fit their actions. Also, if this was about queer sexual liberation, SAY THAT. That can be an empowering theme, but you have to devote even minimal page time to dive into it, otherwise it’s just comes across as meaningless sex.

When trying to lump this into the lighter romcom or spicier smutty romance genres, it fails to execute either and not in a unique genre-blending way. It occupies this awkward pubescent phase between the two—not light, funny, or charming enough to be a romcom, and not passionate enough to be a smutty romance. This is highlighted starkly by the fact that McQuiston knew how to go between both genre’s seamlessly in RW&RB and One Last Stop.

What turned me off most was the incessant reliance on food, art, and pop culture references in internal and external dialogue. This pretentious voice felt forced and was off-putting. Authors who over-rely on references to other’s art/words often do so because they lack the originality to convey the feeling needed in a scene with their own voice.

That leads me to my last critique, the one that made me go from feeling aloof to actually disliking this. McQuiston borrows significantly from Call Me By Your Name and cheaply pokes fun at it. That came across as unprofessional and even gross. Call Me By Your Name was the first piece of queer literary fiction I read and I identified with it very much despite its flaws. The author is also still alive so it’s not like McQuiston poking fun at, say, Shakespeare or Fitzgerald. This is their modern peer. I would love to hear André Aciman’s take on this novel. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some choice words, but I cannot speak for him.

Look, Challengers and Call Me By Your Name are movies I love, so a bisexual steamy romance isn’t a particularly hard sell for me. I also went into this wanting to love it because of the author’s other novels. Frankly, if you can’t sell it to me, you’re going to struggle to find an audience for this. This was a resounding flop for me and not a book I would recommend picking up. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Casey McQuiston is an auto-read for me. I don't care what the book is about, I am getting it. This book did not disappoint. Following Kit and Theo on a star-crossed lover's adventure through Europe was an absolute delight. What starts as tension and stress blossoms and grows into a lovely story about redemption, lost love, and closure. The writing itself creates a kind of sensory overload in the reader with the descriptions of food, wine, places, and people. There is quite a lot of language in native tongues so I will be listening to the audiobook. A true 5-star read.