Thank you to NetGalley, Casey McQuiston & SMP for a digital ARC of The Pairing in exchange for an honest review.

Another stellar book by Casey McQuiston!

Theo & Kit have an epic breakup on their transatlantic flight to their dream European food & wine tour. Needless to say, they did not go on the tour. They left each other in the dust and went on about their lives separately. However, with the 48-month voucher about to expire on at that European food & wine tour, they each, unbeknownst to the other, decided to take that tour, alone. So, now they get to spend 3 weeks together. This is going to be fun!

This book was everything – heartfelt, funny, romantic, steamy and so charming!

Told from multiple POVs with more pop culture references than you thought possible.

I love McQuiston’s continual inclusion in her writing & she does it so well!

I can’t wait for the next book & will highly recommend this one!

European food and wine tour. Bisexual exes. Travel and trying to prove they are both over each other? Check, check, check! Casey McQuiston does it again with a gem of a book that was a true delight from start to finish!

DNF @32%

I want to start off by saying I think this is a good book, I just don't think it's for me.

The beautiful and delicious descriptions of the places in France and the food the characters are consuming would make for such a better experience if I was interested in it and had the ability to visualize while I'm reading. And I do not. I also don't know what half the foods being described even are, which really pulls me out of the story.

I LOVE both Theo and Kit. Their characters feel so real and unique. I love that we have two bisexual characters, one being non binary, that representation matters! But the breakdown of their relationship was based off of one massive miscommunication, which is a trope I dispise and it has me more annoyed with this book than it deserves.

Rather than cause myself to feel slumpy, I am going to set this one aside. But please please don't let my review sway you from reading it if it sounds like something you'd be into!!!

Reading the story of Theo and Kit in The Pairing was a delight from start to finish. Their pain and angst and love were palpable, as were the gorgeous descriptions of France, Spain, and Italy. Europe (and its food and drink) felt like a third character! The Pairing was a lovely reminder of how people grow and change and still find each other in the end. Highly recommend!

The Pairing is such a triumph - a decadent, sexy tour of indulgences and the promise of second chances; I was rapt. McQuiston has always excelled at creating characters who feel like a new best friend in stories full of prose so beautiful you have to stop and highlight and screenshot lines, but nowhere has that been put to better use in their oeuvre than in The Pairing. It's impossible to not be immediately in love with Kit and Theo, to not be deeply invested in what they've left behind and what lies ahead for them. The premise sounds so gauzy and light - two exes who end up on a vacation together after 4 years apart and make a little bet about who can woo the most locals along the way, but it becomes the vehicle for this beautiful exploration of sexuality, identity, the dreams we keep and set free. The book sings - there are these big moments of bacchanal where the food the drink, the scenery are all so much but they put in stark relief moments of quiet introspection, of pining, of being surround by everything but wanting the one thing you can't have. This book is truly brilliant as it brings the journey of this tour and the journey of Kit and Theo's relationship together - you'll want to read past your bedtime and maybe have a cry with the best glass of wine you can possibly find or go sneak away to the French coast to drown yourself in sea foam or pastry - whatever you pick, you'll certainly be moved.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC! Like most, I first experienced Casey McQuiston with Red, White, and Royal Blue and have enjoyed reading her books ever since, The Pairing included!

If you've been missing the magic of Red, White, and Royal Blue - you will love The Pairing! This book took me on a lovely trip through Europe's food and wine scene which I got to enjoy vicariously through two young, queer characters who are figuring out themselves and their relationship along the way. The descriptions of meals and locations were delightful and the spicy scenes were... spicy!! I enjoyed this book a LOT and I will be recommending it!

Damnit McQuiston, quit writing more characters for me to fall in love with. I mean, for real. It's just unfair. There is definitely a pattern when you read a Casey McQuiston story and this one follows along quite well. 1) two people who fall/fell head over heels for each other but there's something keeping the apart. 2) a very fun cast of side characters that are just as loveable and quirky and diverse and unique (this time they don't resemble the found family as much as previous but they're still fun and I'm glad to have them along) 3) the YEARNING 4) the smutty mcsmutterson sexy time and this one has PLENTY of that! New to this offering is the mouthwatering descriptions of the sites, plates, and drinks of 3 weeks in the Mediterranean and hot damn that is just as horny-creating as the smut. Gah. I was to eat and drink all the things. Anyway. They are an auto-buy author for me, and although I was able to snag this on NetGalley (thank you, publisher!) I will absolutely be buying and reading this one again when it publishes in August 2024.

This was a fun story. I really enjoyed that it takes place in different parts of Europe. I felt like I really got to know the places and the characters.

While I enjoyed the main characters, I also really loved the side characters. There were so many different personalities!

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Another fun & sweet story from McQuiston about two bi exes who end up on a food tour of Europe together. First of all, the premise? *Chef's kiss* (no pun intended).The vibes of this story were immaculate -- I was salivating at every description of food and wine. However I did find that sometimes those descriptions slowed down the story and could drag. I appreciate how McQuiston manages to handle sometimes-serious topics with the gravity they deserve but also with joy and humor. Every character in this story felt absurd and also realistic, and watching the main characters grow together was great.

Casey McQuiston just keeps getting better. I found the writing quality to have greatly improved and the character depth to be much more interesting.

Kit and Theo broke up. Now, fours years later they are trapped on a cross-Europe food and wine tasting trip and they have one goal, to sleep with more people than the other. This book is filled with charismatic, sexy people, that you just fall in love with and continue to root for. This book is not for the weak as it is quite steamy. My favourite is the Moulin Rouge dancer that Theo picks up in the bar... talk about HOT. However, McQuiston is tasteful, and I'm not just talking about all of the pastries they describe. McQuiston delivers one of the most lovely POV switches that made me scream with delight.

A fantastic book to pick up for the summer, get ready to be jealous of these super sexy fictional characters!

This took me so long to read and for a long time I thought I might not finish, but I’m so glad I did because I adored the second half of the book.

The Pairing follows chaotic bi exes Theo and Kit who several years ago, were supposed to go on a European food and wine tour, but broke up on the way there. By chance, they both happen to decide to finally go on the tour by themselves only to find each other on it. Kit is a patissiere and Theo is a sommelier- will they find that this pairing is meant to be???? Who knows!!!


I had a hard time with the first half: I didn’t love Theo’s pov, the pacing was difficult for me and they have this idiotic sex bet to distract themselves from each other. Halfway through the perspective shifts to Kit and from there I really loved the love story and the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book!

This book feels decadent and indulgent – full of food, wine, travel, art, architecture, and sex.

Theo and Kit broke up while on the transatlantic flight to their dream European vacation and haven’t talked since. Four years later, they unexpectedly reunite abroad a tour bus – both intending to use the voucher from their previously cancelled vacation for a solo trip. Stuck together for 3-week multi-country vacation, Kit and Theo decide to engage in a hookup competition in an attempt to both prove they are over each other.

Reading this book felt like going to Europe with Kit and Theo. The book is full of vivid descriptions of food, wine, the landscape, the weather, art, and architecture. Theo is an aspiring sommelier and Kit is a pastry chef in Paris, so the descriptions of wine, bread, and pastries are especially detailed. The book made me especially hungry for Italian food!

The book was entertaining and funny. It made me smile a lot. The characters’ silliness was fun and lighthearted.

Theo is non-binary and comes out to Kit during their 3-week trip. I enjoyed reading a book with non-binary representation. Both Theo and Kit are bisexual, and I LOVED the descriptions of their experiences of bisexuality and what it’s like being a bisexual person dating another bisexual person.

I also appreciated the diverse depiction of sex and sexuality – the characters don’t assume that P in V is the only (or best) way to have sex.

The conflict keeping the two characters apart didn’t feel very compelling. The conflict was mostly caused miscommunication and making assumptions about what the other person wanted. As a result, the ending of the book felt a bit predictable.
I would still recommend this book for the vibes though. Reading it felt like going on a vacation, getting to watch your friends’ shenanigans, and celebrating bisexual joy.

I need my paperback copy of this book in my hands immediately!!! Casey McQuiston has done it again and better than ever…and that is saying something! This book ripped my heart out. It is a love letter to love and it feels like a gift to read it. The passion (of the author AND the characters) dances off the pages. Theo and Kit are everything to me now. This book pairs well with reminiscing about the trip of a lifetime you took all over Italy with the love of your life. I will endlessly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is truly extraordinary.

You might want to check your pulse if you're not enamored with both main characters by the end because YOU'RE INSANE.

Be prepared to develop an insatiable appetite, an unquenchable thirst, and a craving for adventure. The prose will intoxicate you, leaving you yearning for more. You'll find yourself mentally booking flights to Europe as you dive into the rich romance and captivating personalities of Theo and Kit. Their chemistry is electric, their banter infectious, making them the ultimate dynamic duo.

The narrative effortlessly weaves between Kit's and Theo's perspectives and between picturesque European locales, offering readers a sensory experience that's as vivid as it is tantalizing. From Spain's cobblestone streets to Italy's vineyards, every detail is rendered with mouthwatering precision.

The story's backdrop is a supportive canvas for Theo's and Kit's personal journeys, from fractured relationships to newfound connections. Their character development is masterfully nuanced, revealing layers of growth and vulnerability.

This book isn't just a feast for the senses; it's also a celebration of intimacy and communication. The evolution of Theo's and Kit's relationship is both tender and passionate, a testament to the power of understanding and empathy.

Prepare to laugh, cry, and gasp as you embark on this unforgettable literary journey. It's a story that begs to be savored time and time again.

I am truly so grateful to have received and eARC for this book from Netgalley and SMP. I loved it so, so, so much!

Casey has a way of making you feel the emotions of their characters so genuinely whether it be a feeling you know, something you've never been through, or emotions you long thought you were over. If possible this is even more true with Theo and Kit. So many of the moments in this book pulled me back to ones from my own life. Younger me would have sobbed their way through this book. And to me now part of it felt like healing. And I feel so very connected to and invested in these two beautiful beings. I feel like I've known them forever. I see so much of myself in Theo from their gender to their perception of themself and just so many other pieces. And in Kit I feel seen in his romanticism and his perception of Theo. One of the themes that hit closest to home is this idea of relearning someone you once knew so deeply and in the process discovering pieces of yourself. Along with this, a couple of my favorite lines mention haunting and roots. I think there's this idea of people and moments and things following you but knowing that they can grow and change as well. This book not only pulled me in with it but made me feel seen and known. I will never stop being grateful for Casey and their words.

On top of all of that this is one of the sluttiest and hottest books I've ever read and I loved ever second if it. We need more unapologetically slutty books.

Reuniting with your ex while stuck together on a beautiful European food tour. What's not to love. The backdrop of this story was incredible and really plated such an important character in this book. The imagery and use of the senses feels was spot on and really transported me into the story. This is a tale about queer love and how we all tend to change as we grow and learn more about ourselves. Highly recommend.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is a delightful tour through Europe with Theo and Kit, two exes who never really got over one another. I am not a huge romance reader, but I am drawn to McQuiston’s work because of how they write bisexual characters with such care and attention. On that front, this novel certainly didn’t disappoint! Worth noting that it is more explicit than their previous romances, so be aware of that if that’s not something you’re into. Personally, I really enjoyed it.

I finished this book about a month ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. As always, CMQ's writing feels like being draped in a soft blanket whilst holding a cup of tea next to a burning fire. That is to say, it's cozy and endearing and hot. There were several moments in this book where I had to put it down and take a lap around my house to cool off. I don't know if I've read hotter scenes in a book before.

When I finished reading I was a tad disappointed with how ideas of gender identity were handled, mostly because CMQ promised big things and I couldn't tell if they delivered or not. With some separation from the book and talking to a friend, I think they absolutely did. Reading about how a nonbinary character is perceived by other important people in their life was truly life changing to me. I think about myself differently now all because of CMQ's writing. There are specific parts of this book, dealing with gender, that I know I'll come back to time and time again. Kit and Theo might be my new favorite CMQ characters.

You can tell that CMQ spent time researching this book, specifically in the detailed descriptions of the food/wine and monuments/landmarks visited. It really did feel like I was there on the tour with everyone and it made me want to try all the food they were trying. I wish the arc had a map included in it because I found it hard to visualize where everything was taking place and found myself on google maps a bunch (But that could be because I need to get better about geography). As vivid and enticing as the descriptions are, I think sometimes the book got bogged down in them. Sometimes they're wonderful and transportive and do add to the story, but other times it felt like we were meandering off course only to recorrect a few pages later. But overall, that wasn't a huge issue and I'm always a fan of CMQ's prose.

All that being said, The Pairing might be one of my favorite books I've read recently. CMQ hit several classic romcom tropes without making them feel contrived or overdone. They've taken the friends to lovers trope and made it something special and exquisite that I think will touch many people's hearts (including mine). I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I adore Casey McQuiston and this just might be my favourite book yet! Theo and Kit are messy but absolutely loveable and you root for them to realize their feelings while also understanding why they are acting the way that they do. I loved the way that each got to tell the story from their own POV without switching back and forth. I also loved all of the food and drink descriptions, and the steam is REAL! This is a book to take on vacation, to read outside, or to dive into when you need to be immersed in a new location.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.