Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

When I saw this book announced, I was immediately excited!! I love the Amazing Race, and Chip Pons' spin on the fake dating trope sounded right up my alley. Theo and Asher were the perfect complements to each other, and I found myself rooting for them the entire time. The spice was perfect balanced (that first mutual self-care scene?!!!! Rent-free in my head) with their emotionally intimate moments, and I think this book will find a home with lovers of adventure romance and queer joy alike.

Winging It With You by

Releases June 10, 2025

Thank you @penguinbooks and @netgalley for the ARC!

Rating:

Review: First, I saw @juliesoto recently about how she read this book and loved it, so I immediately ran to netgalley to request the ARC. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. At all. I read literally 90% of this book in one sitting. The only reason it wasn't the entire book is because I started it at 11pm and literally fell asleep with my kindle in my hand because I didn't want to stop reading it. I loved the character development we see both Theo and Asher go through, I loved the amazing race vibe of the book (and I loved that it didn't ever feel like it was over powering the story or romance). Definitely add this to your tbr, you won't regret it

Synopsis: Asher Bennet thought his relationship was just fine. Until he’s unceremoniously dumped at the Boston airport ahead of the world-wide travel competition reality show, The Epic Trek. Armed with only a ticket and righteous indignation, Asher finds the closest solace he can: a mimosa and mozzarella sticks combo at an airport TGI Fridays. Still, Asher is determined to find a new partner and luckily, right in front of him is a smooth-talking airline pilot ready for takeoff. 

Theo Fernandez has been grounded. He’s the only pilot that has never taken a vacation and the edict has been passed prove you're prioritizing a work-life balance or say goodbye to your wings. As he struggles to bask in his new downtime, without reconnecting with his family, he stumbles upon the perfect opportunity. The handsome guy who "stole" his mozzarella sticks at his favorite terminal eatery has a sudden opening for a partner . . . on a nationally televised reality show.

Theo and Asher buckle up to fake date for the cameras, but as they do the undercurrents of attraction make them wonder if their on-screen chemistry hints at something bigger. Do they have the courage to leave behind their baggage, and wing it together for another chance at love?

Winging It With You
Chip Pons
Five stars

Thank you Putnam for this eARC of one of my top anticipated books of 2025!

Let’s start right off the bat by saying that this book IS SO FUN!
Between the hilarious one liners, the countless adventures and games, and the insane chemistry between Theo and Asher, this book has something for everyone!

Our first male lead Asher has been planning and saving for months to be a contestant on a popular game show called Epic Trek, where duos take on the challenge of traveling around the world to different locations to compete in an array of challenges all for a grand prize of 1 Million dollars! Except, when it comes to finally take off for their show, Ashers longterm partner Clint breaks up with him at the ticket counter in the airport. Feeling frustrated and determined, Asher leaves Clint behind and seeks to figure out a way he can still compete in the show as he has big dreams of creating an Own Voices in STEM program for the LGBTQIA+ students in his community.

Insert our second male lead, Theo Fernandez. Theo, a former naval pilot now airplane pilot, has been grounded due to his lack of vacation and extensive overtime hours and as fate would have it, meets Asher at the airpot TGIFridays over a basket of mozzarella sticks. Luckily for Asher, Theo agrees to be his fake boyfriend for the filming of the show and the two take off on weeks of adventure, only one bed, and some seriously steamy chemistry.

I’ll tell you that THE Theo Fernandez Effect is SO real! He’s so smooth and charming. Constantly smirking his beautiful smile and going along with the flow so effortlessly, you’d never believe him and Asher aren’t a real couple. Asher on the other hand, our over anxious, constantly strategizing little Type A is a bundle of nerves until it comes to be comfort that Theo provides. These two fit like pieces of a puzzle. Ying and Yang. Watching them from from strangers to friends, to something more than friends and eventually lovers was just so heartwarming.

Chip does an amazing job of mixing the fun with the serious in all his books. Asher needs to come to terms with his actions with his past relationship and how he allowed Clint to erode his personality, his wants, and his relationship values so badly, leaving Asher with no real sense of identity. Theo, after experiencing a terrible discharge from his military career needs to learn to trust again and accept himself as a gay man despite never fully coming out to his supportive and loving family.

The locations and challenges were all so well thought out! I felt like I was watching a tv show rather than reading a book! Each chapter was either a new POV ( we get Asher and Theo’s) or a new location, making this a fast paced story that had you itching for more. While the story takes place over several weeks, you really feel the characters grow separately as well as together. The complexity to their personalities and background were so deep and rich that by the end of this story I felt as if Asher and Theo could be real life people. And our side characters- while their parts may be small they were definitely big, descriptive, and fully fleshed out individuals that brought so much to the story.

This story will surely be THE book of the summer in 2025 as queer joy should not only be represented, but celebrated and Chip 100% delivers with this MM Romance!

♾️⭐️ for this book 🥹🫶🏼

“Sometimes, a life detour comes along when you least expect it. And if you are brave enough to lean into it, that little detour - or the right person - can change everything. Like Theo has. Like only he could.”

I had the absolute honor of getting to beta read this book for Chip at the end of 2022 and following along on his journey with getting it traditionally published. I’ve read multiple versions of it, some with a completely different title, but one thing never changed - the wonderful love story that is Asher and Theo.

I don’t think I could love two book characters more. The “Amazing Race” themed challenge really pushes these two, basically strangers, through a whirlwind of challenges all around the world, and opens them up to the type of love they’ve both been looking for their entire lives.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to fully express how much this book means to me and the way these characters and their story will live rent free in my head forever - but for now, all I can say is to just read it. This book is likely to become one of your new favorites.

i really enjoyed Chip’s debut novel, so I was thrilled to get this! this book is perfect for those looking for a steamy, fake-dating romance where the two characters use their fake scenario to really uncover their own personal truths.

i think Asher and Theo work really well together as a romantic pair. they have enough differences to create a great bit of pining and tension, but are also able to see where they can meet each other in the middle and really bond. oh, and the banter is great!

but i really loved Theo. i think he’s a fascinating character and has lived quite the life. it was great to get to know him with every page.

it works like that for the two of them. the characters and romance at first play into the tropes you’re looking for, but the deeper it all gets, the more layers we find to these people and it makes the experience all the better. it’s really impressive!

this book has everything you’re looking for when you pick it up. as someone who always wanted to compete on The Amazing Race, the adventure show back drop really heightened my enjoyment of this story.

and, yes, it has all the fun adult stuff you’re looking for. and the best part was these moments and scenes were presented in a way that was authentic to queer people and their experiences.

i’ll say it forever: it will forever be important to read queer books by queer people.

loved this a lot, and you’re in for a treat.

This was a decent, cute, run of the mill MM romance. I found it a little slow at times but I did enjoy both of the main characters and thought they were cute together.

I absolutely adored this book! It was the perfect book to start off the new year. Love Asher & Theo's meet cute so much! Totally different and unexpected. Loved being a fly on the wall while they "fell" for each other. I was smiling and so happy the whole time i was reading this story. I'm sad that I finished the book already. I'm not ready to let these 2 go!

I’ve been waiting for this book for almost a year now, ever since it was announced, and I loved every minute! Theo and Asher have my entire heart and I want more of them! I think that’s my only critique - I wanted more. When the book ended, it felt unfinished. Pieces felt a little rushed, like there was more to each of their stories that could have been teased out a bit. I will read anything Chip writes, honestly, and I can only hope his next book is as heartwarming as this one!

If Chip writes it, I’m going to read it & chances are (like actually 100%) I’m going to love it.

Winging It With You was such an enjoyable read full of laughs, swoon, spice, and raw emotions. Chip does such a nice job of weaving raw topics into his romance novels & his writing style is full of passion!

WIWY follows Asher & Theo on their journey competing in The Epic Trek. With this comes their story of fake dating, lots of one bed moments, and frequent “is this real or fake?” inner thoughts. What more could you want in a romance book?

10/10 recommend this book!

this was SO good. when asher gets dumped right before leaving to compete in a reality tv show (similar vibes to the amazing race) he’s stuck trying to find someone to be his fake boyfriend before take off. luckily for him, he crosses paths with a grounded airline pilot (theo) who was told he has to get his work-life balance under control before he can come back. they have to figure out a way to fake-date in front of the world as they compete for the million dollar prize.

this was SUCH a unique premise, i don’t think i’ve seen another romance novel where they’re partners on a competition show?? theo was such a sweetheart & asher was a bit of an anxious grump, i love them both with my whole soul. sweet and surprisingly steamy, this was a perfect book to wrap up my 2024. i already downloaded the author’s debut novel, i want every single bit of chip pons’ writing memorized okay?

i’m already recommending this to anyone & everyone i see, so get your preorders ready for june 10, 2025!!

thank you so so much to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!!

If I could give this infinity stars, I would without a single hesitation. The way the author has the ability to describe the scene to the point of me feeling like I can even smell what the characters smell is seriously something I have never experienced with any other authors writing. The humor was top notch and the serious emotions and topics throughout brought on the tears multiple times. I wish there would have been a more in depth conclusion to the very minor story line of the producer, but even how it was wrapped up was great.

I now have added multiple things to my bucket list after reading about #Thasher’s adventures around the world.

thank you netgalley and putnam for this e-arc!

wow, 5/5 stars, no notes! The author created such a heartwarming story of two strangers with their own experiences, falling in love. Asher and Theo did not give insta love but they definitely gave insta attraction. I respected Asher’s vulnerability with Theo externally but once Theo started becoming vulnerable, I just wanted to give him a big hug. Both men have had heartbreak, they have internal struggles with how the world might see them. I appreciated Asher and Theo’s “ mozzarella sticks” because we got to see them be honest to one another. I hate nothing more than a miscommunication trope. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend and I hope to read more of Chip’s work in the future.

Chip Pons does it again in this type of book, it had that element that I wanted from the romance genre. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and was engaged with the world being told. It had that romantic comedy element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. I hope to read more from Chip Pons and was glad I got to read this.

4.5 stars

For fans of The Amazing Race, fake dating, and feel good romance.

This was such a fun book! If you can overlook the fact that Theo and Asher meet at a bar and then presumably within the hour are taking off to compete on a weeks-long reality show where they, complete STRANGERS who know literally nothing about each other, will be sharing a room and pretending to date, then this is a really enjoyable story with really believable chemistry. I am willing to suspend my disbelief in a romcom as long as the rest of the story makes up for it and this one definitely delivered! I loved seeing everyone compete in all the challenges and I liked all the little glimpses you got of the culture of each place. Throughout the competition you get to see Theo and Asher open up to each other and get to know each other and the buildup of their relationship felt really authentic and natural. I really enjoyed them as a couple and I was rooting for them to win.
I also liked the storyline with Theo’s family. You got really good closure and some really sweet moments that almost made me cry.
This was a really fun and heartwarming romance and I have nothing but good things to say. If you are a fan of The Amazing Race I think this will be right up your alley, and even if you aren’t this book has so much to offer and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC!

Asher Bennett is dumped before a major reality show and teams up with Theo Fernandez, an airline pilot grounded by work, to compete in a travel competition. As their fake dating turns real, sparks fly, leaving them both wondering if they’re ready to take a leap into love.

This book though??? First of all - a moment for this cover. I love the colors, the body language, the cutie pies, all of it. It’s wonderful.

I loved how this book started, with the mozzarella sticks and a bet. How Theo was game for anything. How Asher was grumpy but for good reason! Asher seeing himself and allowing himself the opportunity to be happy made my heart sing. I loved Theo’s energy. The competitions were wild fun. How they learned to trust each other through their biggest fears and shared their heartbreak. They went through a LOT to get to each other.

The sexiness of the spice cannot be overstated for this book. That mutual scent had me sweating. How vulnerable they were with each other. Enthusiastic consent. The adoration. The care. The good boy. It had it ALL!!!

The side characters were so great, from the other contestants to Theo’s family to the producers. It was fun! But that embarrassing scene with *****??????? I felt it in my bones!!!

Oh and I cried at the end with the grand gesture. And the family love. I just had such a good time reading this one

Leaving you with a few quotes that stand out to me. 💙🥹

“I’ve always been too much. Too loud or too impulsive.”

“When your heart suffers a loss or takes a hit, all you can do is cling to whatever happiness you can find. Because you will be happy one day. I have to keep telling myself that—over and over again so that I believe it.”

“If you’re lucky, home can be a person.“

*thank you to @putnambooks and NetGalley for a digital copy to review

Let’s be honest: we’re here for the smut and a fun time, not a literary masterpiece. Loved escaping reality into this Amazing Race meets Fear Factor reality TV show, fake dating romance. Asher and Theo are adorable together.

Thanks to the author and Penguin for the ARC!

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

This was a really cute forced proximity story about a guy who gets dumped en route to a travel competition show and has to scramble to find a new partner.

Asher and Theo were very cute together and I enjoyed their chemistry. The transition from getting to know one another to attraction/physical intimacy felt rushed to me.

This is the second book I got to read from Chip. I already liked the first one, “You & Me, Rewritten”, it was a great book - it gets even better when you remember that it’s his debut - and sometime ago I read in his Instagram profile that he used to read all the reviews he’s gotten and that he took his time learning from them to improve his work, and I have to say that he’s clearly done it because he took this second book to the next level.
I loved “Winging It With You”. It’s the type of romcom that you click with right away, and you just can’t stop reading it. It was lovely, funny, heartwarming and beautiful. It shows how you can find true love and a happy ending even in the most unexpected ways. The characters were well developed and written, and it was impossible not to fall in love with them or relate to them or to do both things (in my case, I could see so much of myself in Asher - and I’m pretty sure the man of my dreams looks a lot like Theo right now).
I was very pleased reading this book, I’ll definitely recommend it to my friends and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Chip!

Expected pub date: June 10, 2025


This was my first book by Chip Pons, so I wasn’t sure what to expect—but it turned out to be absolutely amazing. The story takes place during a game that spans several weeks, where contestants face challenges to win a million-dollar prize—a concept I loved since I haven’t read anything like it before. Theo and Asher’s fake dating made it even more interesting.
The romance between Theo and Asher had me swooning! Both characters were so well-written and complex. The ending was absolutely perfect for their story, and the epilogue seemed to hint at a sequel. Hopefully, that happens—I can’t wait to see them grow even more.
This was definitely a 5-star read. Chip Pons is now an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to check out his debut.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

It has been far too long since a book sucked me in and held me tight by all my emotions to the point that when it was over, I couldn’t let it go. Winging It With You did that for me and I couldn’t have loved it more. This book takes place in an “amazing race”-esque show, which makes the plot so exciting. And the “fake dating” is done so well, because we truly get to see Asher and Theo go from complete awkward strangers to friends to more. It’s such a beautiful relationship arc.
WIWY had me giggling out loud, tearing up, clutching my pearls (jk, I was DYING for those spicy scenes)…all the feels. Chip Pons knocked it out of the park with this book and I cannot wait to see what he puts out next.
PS- the spice is perfection. I definitely felt like a fly on the wall, which is everything I hope for in a good open-door romance. Chefs kiss, no notes.