It pains me to say that I did not enjoy this book! Casey McQuiston's two previous books are amongst my favorites and I usually have one or the other on display as my library staff pick. I did not love this book, I didn't even like this book. I don't like the premise of "just because we are both bisexual that we should sleep with everyone we can!" I also did not care for all the fancy french talking and the constant talk about the darn fancy french food! Our library will most likely still purchase this book, as I am sure my personal tastes will not stop others from liking and enjoying it.

This is going to be the best book I read all year. I'm certain of it.

I love Casey McQuiston's writing and their ability to take me back a few decades to the heady emotional rush of my 20s. But where 'Red, White, & Royal Blue' struck a chord, 'The Pairing' sinks a knife.

And TWISTS.

The situation that thrusts Theo & Kit together would seem contrived and stilted in lesser hands. Instead, McQuiston skillfully weaves a story that is fresh, vibrant, and so REAL that I could taste the fine pastries and smell the sea air. The characters they depict are fully realized and complex, each with their own distinct voice, and the writing swings from hilariously contemporary & crude to a delicate lyricism as the two former lovers crash into each other's lives and try to bring their forced proximity to some kind of detante.

When I say this book took me back to my youth, I mean it reverted me to the overwhelming emotions and fragile headspace that took twenty years of therapy to fix. The novel’s halfway mark found me sobbing brokenly at 1:00am, and I openly wept through one more chapter because I just had to see it through.

I lost three nights of sleep reading this book.

This story has been living rent-free in my head ever since. I want to erase it from my memory so that I can experience it again for the first time. And then, I want to read it one more time out of order, like a special feature on the 'Memento' DVD. This book makes me want to go back in time and re-live my early adulthood again, grabbing it with both hands and owning my mistakes. I want to catch up with these characters when they're in their 40s and have made good (at least I hope so!) on all their beautiful potential.

But most of all, this story made me question a lot of things I thought I knew about who I am. It makes me want to blow up my life. to be as brave, and as confident, and at home in my own body & self as this pairing.

What a great book. I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I cannot wait for it to be released.

This was a really fun reading experience and made me open my eyes to the whole spectrum of sexuality. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve read about more queer people in one story before!

Oooph. Well, this was a disappointment. McQuiston writes a second chance romance with Theo and Kit on a food-and-wine tour bashing about Europe, but they can't make me LIKE Theo and Kit as a couple. I despise books in which everyone's a dick to each other, and this one was nonstop dickishness. Am I supposed to believe these two aren't teenagers? Because they speak like teenagers. Theo in particular is just an insufferable character, utterly blind to their own privilege. I wasn't much a fan of "One Last Stop" either, but at least side characters in that one shined. Here, there are no memorable side characters, just Kit and Theo and their merry-go-round of drama. I don't think you're supposed to root for a couple to get together in order to spare everyone else, but that's just about what happened with this one.

The pairing was a much anticipated book that I couldn’t wait to read and have an arc of. I love this author and her previous books with my favorite being red white and royal blue. It’s literally one of my favorite books of all time and I also have multiple copies and ways of reading it. The one last stop book was a close second and I really enjoyed that whole storyline as well. I even read I kissed Sara wheeler and that was just okay. But now going into this I was expecting something I was ready for another hit. This however felt flat which I don’t even want to admit.i received this arc from Netgalley and it’s been on my kindle for awhile. I struggled to start it and want to read it. The vibes wasn’t there. Once I actually started it The characters while I was happy for the lgbtqa+ was represented just seemed off like the chemistry wasn’t all there. Yes there was sex and that was okay but the actual chemistry was lacking. I got annoyed by some characters as well. And at the end of the day I just didn’t care to keep reading. Unfortunately this wasn’t a book I would ever read again and I wouldn’t recommend. I love this author and I’m grateful to Netgalley and the author for the arc but hopefully I can love the next one. For now I’ll reread one last stop and red white and royal blue

4.5 stars, and officially my second favorite McQuiston book (and I love McQuiston books).

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be "indulgent." Or maybe "decadent." Possibly "sensual." This was a delicious, slow, sexy story that begs to be read at the beach with a cocktail in your hand. Do you remember reading "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" as a kid and physically needing to have chocolate next to you because you were just craving it the whole time? This did the same thing to me, but with wine and cheese and tasty foods I've never tried before.

The plot is a second-chance romance following two people who broke up four years ago who find themselves together on a food tour through Europe. The whole thing is low on conflict and high on vibes. The plot honestly doesn't feel like it matters that much. It's just a dreamy, horny deep dive into an almost tactile atmosphere. I loved the characters, I loved their backstories and struggles, and I loved watching them interact with each other. I also really appreciated they were both bisexual in a way that felt like an active part of them, not a diversity checkmark.

As I mentioned this is a very sexy book, so if you don't want to read anything explicit maybe pass on this one.

4.5 stars!

Casey McQuiston has done it again! This hot, whirlwind second-chance romance will absolutely take the summer by storm. Theo and Kit's hedonistic romp across Europe was immaculate fun, and their path to healing will brighten your day.

First, the good, which there is a lot of! The writing in this is really gorgeous and I can tell the author's skill has improved since their earlier books (as much as I loved them). It still has all the humor and great heights of emotion you expect, but with a more lush and tangible setting that I really enjoyed. As usual, the cast of characters is extremely lovable and provide a great backdrop for the main romance. Theo and Kit's competition was so much fun and the tension...UGH. I just ate it up (pun intended). The smut was fantastic and super creative. I think smut tends to run into the same/similar scenes and positions over and over again but The Pairing really sprung for originality in that aspect and it was great.

As for things I struggled with, it's not a huge deal but the food descriptions got a little long-winded at points, although I just don't really care about food or wine so that's moreso on me. Even given that this is a wine tour, the characters consume a vaguely concerning amount of alcohol which made me feel a little off. I didn't really care about Theo's nepo baby guilt, particularly as someone who hears about a lot of privilege guilt.

Having said all that, I really loved this. It's more sex-focused than the author's other books and nearly strays into erotica so be conscious of what you're comfortable with before you crack it open. As always, though, we just need more queer joy in the world and McQuiston always provides that whole-heartedly.

Happy reading!

This book felt like a sunny trip through Europe, complete with delicious food and wine. I felt like I was traveling alongside the characters while also watching them fall in love. I really liked the POV switch, although I almost wish we would have seen some POV back and forth throughout the entire book.

This book was very, very spicy, to the point that I felt like it took away from the story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book.

I loved this book! It's a bit different from McQuiston's other work, but the charm and banter we've all come to love is still there. Theo and Kit are so delightful and the swap between the narrators about halfway through was a pleasant surprise. I loved their combined inability to talk about what happened and to just "be okay" because that's so very real. Having loved someone for over half of your life and having it end the way it did for them is traumatic and I was entirely with them not knowing how to talk about stuff. It truly felt like I was on the trip with these two fabulous characters and watching them figure things out. The third act breakup made perfect sense and I wasn't annoyed by it like I normally am by those. All in all, love love love love love. Bravo, Casey McQuiston!

A sweet and thoughtful romance story between two main characters I really loved. I enjoyed Kit's portion of the book most. Some of it was a bit melodramatic/sentimental for me, but it's great to read about such a beautiful friendship and love story that ends on a happy note. The descriptions of the different foods and sightseeing in Europe was super enjoyable. Fans of Casey McQuiston will love it.

Casey has created another masterpiece. This book makes me want to grab my passport and see the world. Each page is dripping with feelings and beauty. It’s refreshing to read a romance that focuses so much on self-improvement while at the same time fostering a healthy and heartwarming relationship. Kit and Theo are a triumph for loving with everything you’ve got. I was pleasantly surprised this novel contained non-binary representation that was so well done. If you’re into soul mates, jealously, and exploration of the self and world, then grab a copy of The Pairing and enjoy the ride!

The Pairing is a love letter to Europe, youth, good food, friendships, and sex. Lots of sex. A miscommunication was revealed early on but not resolved until the end, which felt a bit immature. Kit and Theo seemed like they were in their 20s with all of their escapades but they were actually in their 30s. At one point in the book they even made fun of themselves for the same thing. I struggled to get through the first half of this book written in Theo's POV because it was like a neverending love letter to food. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a foodie romance... I just found page-long descriptions of food to be a bit excessive for my taste. The second half of the book from Kit's POV redeemed the story for me. Kit really had it bad for Theo! There's a lot of humor and quick wit that you'd expect from Casey McQuiston. Overall, I liked the book and thought the concept was unique. It's not one I'll forget!

Definitely not my favorite by this author. It felt drawn out and unnecessary in moments. There’s definitely a lot more sex in this one than others and sometimes it felt like it didn’t aid the storyline. It was engaging enough, but not one I would recommend.

I loved the setting and the premise of the novel but the character's fell a little flat for me. I would still recommend this to people.

While the author clearly did a lot of research into the destinations, wines, and pastries featured in the story, I unfortunately found the relationship between the characters to be lacking the spark that makes a good romance. Theo and Kit both seemed a bit two dimensional, and I would have liked to see them both have some slightly more pressing/challenging external challenges to overcome-- it was hard to be sympathetic for such privileged and carefree people. The setting descriptions were lovely and well done, I just wish the plot had been a bit more satisfying.

Despite enjoying Casey's other works and finding the summary for this one entertaining, this book fell very flat. Right from the start, the writing style feels as though it is trying (too much, at times) and not as fun or enjoying in previous works. The two main characters have a confusing story that is barely explained - or even shown - until later. The main characters also, despite their age, are immature and act as though they are in a YA novel instead. Overall, my experience was negative and I wish it had been the European summer exes-to-lovers I had been hoping for instead.

I have to start this off by saying that I’m biased in that I absolutely LOVE Casey McQuiston’s books—all of them (and this one is no different). This book was so much fun and loved that “hoe life” was a part of it in all the best ways! Haha! This book was a fun, sexy, cute, and often irritating read (iykyk with these characters!) that I absolutely enjoyed. I loved the writing, the environment was an absolute blast, and the characters are always top notch in McQuiston’s writing. Loved it!

I have read THE PAIRING and am now deceased. Please bury me in cheese and wine.

But for real, this is the horniest, hungriest, dreamiest, wanderlustiest, queerest romance of all time. CMQ is magic. Read this book. Be prepared to blow all your savings on a European food and wine tour immediately afterwards.

Honestly, the only thing I need to tell you about this book is that it’s Casey McQuiston’s newest book. It has all the trademarks of the other beloved gay novels they’ve written; you’ll be highlighting six sentences on every page and biting a pillow to keep from yelling at the characters. This one takes place between a pair of bisexual exes who end up on the same trip across Europe. It’s full of food and wine and gorgeous locations and even more making out with all the other bisexuals who are out there traveling the world. It’s luscious and indulgent and just so very McQuiston.