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๐–๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ˆ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ was everything that I love in a romance - it was hopeful, buoyant and beautiful, while still touching on real issues of self doubt, overwork, and prejudice. I love that the characters actually communicate, and the found family aspect in this one was also really lovely. I loved the character development, and the tour of the world added quite a few things to my bucket list ๐Ÿ˜!!

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I very much enjoyed this sweet romance based within adventure travel reality tv! Asher and Theo team up last minute to compete after a sweet meet-cute at the airport. They agree to fake date, which eventually turns into much more once they both overcome their fear of opening up. Overall a fun, spicy read!

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I really enjoyed this book. Iโ€™m a big fan of amazing race and the author so when I saw this book I knew I would love it! I thought it was very unique still even though itโ€™s based off a tv show and the romance was really good as well. The spice level was a little high a little early on for me so thatโ€™s why I gave it four stars but I still enjoyed it.

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Thank you to Putnam for the advanced copy of this book!

This was a delightful MM romance! I was immediately drawn into this one with the premise of our main characters competing on an Amazing Race-type reality show. As a fan of this show, I was so excited to see Asher and Theo compete against other teams. Such a fun concept!

I do wish we had gotten more about the competition and the teams competing. I feel like it was a bit of a missed opportunity to not dial up their personalities and play on their quirks to make the competition aspect a bit more front and center.

Regarding the romance, for me, while the tension was there, it felt a bit forced and somewhat disjointed. Their first steamy encounter felt so out of left field, especially when up to that point, I felt it was far too early to see the connection between the two. Though these were my early thoughts, I loved to see the relationship build as Theo and Asher competed alongside one another. Seeing them work together, open up, and LOOSEN up as they got closer was so sweet.

The third act breakup though, was hard for me to buy into. Just from a logistical standpoint/timeframe - did they wait until Theo had full-on RUN away before they continued the argument? It felt very silly and definitely could have been handled a bit better.

Overall, this was a cute story.

Thank you to the publisher for the early copy!

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I really enjoyed this romantic comedy tale of two characters fake dating through a reality television show. Duo points of view with two characters that were both enjoyable to read and spend time with and I really enjoyed slipping into this world for a few hours to escape the current one. Definitely recommend.

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gimme a mozzarella meet cute in an airport STAT ๐Ÿฅน

after seeing @booksovrbros on his book tour at @fountainbookstore for this gem, i FLEW through it (pun intended!) and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. goodness, this is such an adventure full of queer joy and slow burns and HOT steam and the most tender heartfelt feelings. delightful in every way!!!

if you love reality tv shows that feel like amazing race, fake dating that gets reaaaaaal, incredible chemistry, and the steamiest love, this is FOR YOU. ๐Ÿฅฐ

โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโ€” amazing.
for more with this rating: #radfivestarfaves
for more with ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ: #radfourpepperreads

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Well this was a super fun and heartfelt story with international travel and a fake dating trope. The connection between Asher & Theo is so sweet and satisfying, with just enough tension to keep things interesting. Some of the plot was highly predictable, but the genuine characters and Asher's emotional growth were so lovely. It's a feel-good queer romance that leaves you with a big smile!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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It was refreshing to read an MM romance written by a gay man. It felt like the baggage and struggles the two mains had were raw and authentic. They both had excellent character arcs with great personal growth.

The plot, however was lacking. For an international travel reality TV show, there wasnโ€™t a lot of explanation about how it worked or much description of the locations and cultures. In fact, many of the challenges didnโ€™t seem to have anything to do with the countries they were set in. I wanted a lot more detail about the show and the other contestants.

There was lots of spice. Maybe too much proportionally? Less spice and more plot would have been better.

The third act breakup was a bit contrived and drawn out.

Overall itโ€™s a mixed bag with a good romance, but itโ€™s lacking in plot.

Thanks to @penguinbooks @putnambooks and @netgalley for the gifted e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

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Tropes:
~fake dating
~forced proximity
~road trip (in the form of a game show)
~mental health rep

This was super cute! I really enjoyed the romance and the way these two connected during the challenges. The one critique I have is that the game show they were on was a bit confusing to me, as far as how challenges worked, how pairs were voted off, etc. The nerd in me wanted a bit more structure and explanation of all that. But overall, it was an adorable read!

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๐š๐šŠ๐š๐š’๐š—๐š: 4.5โญ๏ธ
๐™ถ๐šŽ๐š—๐š›๐šŽ: contemporary romance๐Ÿ“š

๐™ผ๐šข ๐šƒ๐š‘๐š˜๐šž๐š๐š‘๐š๐šœ:
A fun and swoon worthy queer rom com that left me craving mozzarella sticks

๐š๐šŽ๐šŠ๐š ๐š’๐š ๐šข๐š˜๐šž ๐š•๐š’๐š”๐šŽ:
Reality TV
Romantic comedies
Fake dating
Strangers to lovers
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Dual POV
Emotional baggage
m/m romance
Travel adventures

๐šƒ๐š‘๐š’๐š—๐š๐šœ ๐™ธ ๐š•๐š’๐š”๐šŽ๐š:
Witty banter
Great chemistry

๐šƒ๐š‘๐š’๐š—๐š๐šœ ๐™ธ ๐š๐š’๐š๐š—โ€™๐š ๐šŒ๐šŠ๐š›๐šŽ ๐š๐š˜๐š›:
Starts off a little slow
Third act miscommunication
I wish we had gotten more of the reality show

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Iโ€™ve been a huge fan of the amazing race, mozzarella sticks, and spicy books for a while nowโ€ฆ and this book had all of that and more! The romance between Asher and Theo was so good! Literally had me swooning. They literally found each other when they both needed it the most. Overall, this was such a fun read. I can proudly say that this author is now on my list of auto buy authors.

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*Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

Are you ready for an epic trek? Because I had absolutely no idea what this book was about when I started, and mannnnnnnn. A MM fake dating reality competition show romance between a workaholic pilot and a STEM manager who just got dumped in the airport? Sign me up.

What I didn't expect was how tender the love story would be. Set against the reality competition Epic Trek, I knew it would be a high octane race to the finish. But very quickly, Theo and Asher realize that winning Epic Trek and convincing America of their fake relationship is going to be a bit more than they expected. Luckily for them (and us readers), they quickly spice up their team dynamic... and hotel bedrooms! And in between challenges and "mozzarella sticks", we learn so much about Theo and Asher's personal lives and the events that shaped them. I'd recommend this to fans of The Amazing Race, fake dating, and anyone who needs a little more queer joy in their life.

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โญโญโญโญ ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

I really enjoyed reading this one. The characters were both so interesting/dynamic. A lot of times in romance novels, characters are so set in stone as the grumpy one or a golden retriever or any other characteristic. However, in this book both characters showed an actual range of emotions. The reality TV show, fake dating storyline was super entertaining. My one complaint about the book is that it is a bit insta-love for my taste.

Read this book if you like:
*The Amazing Race
*fake dating
*hot guy in glasses
*elephants
*snakes
*food fights

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Thank you to Putnam/PRH Audio for the advanced copies. All thoughts are my own!

I thought this was such a fun premise and all the different adventures around the globe were so cute. Sometimes insta love can be a tough sell but I thought it made sense given what close proximity they were to each other. Asher and Theo had such a fun dynamic, especially when working together during the show's different challenges.

There was also some fantastic commentary on LGBTQIA+ issues like being outed and how negative memories can affect how you enter into new relationships. My heart broke for both of these two as they worked their unresolved traumas, but I loved how these two came together in the end.

I listened to this on audio and the narrators (Lee Osorio and Michael Crouch) did fantastic jobs. They both really embodied Theo's golden retriever and Asher's house cat energies really well. Both of them brought these characters to life and I would definitely check out other projects these narrators are on.

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4.5/5๐ŸŒŸ
3/5 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ (2-3 long detailed scenes)
Would reread? Yes
Would recommend? Absolutely!
Vibes: โœˆ๏ธ ๐Ÿ’ผ ๐ŸŽซ ๐Ÿƒ ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿง๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธ

Just me, Theo, & Asher on some adventures!

Loved all the DEEP conversations that the couple have with each other but also with the other characters. Rarely do I read a romance book where they are ALL strangers who develop friendships and relationships right on the page - refreshing!

Themes & tropes:
-LGBTQ+ rep
-fake dating
-strangers turned found family
-heart to hearts
-Amazing Race style reality TV show
-forced proximity
-family building and repairing
-open, honest, HEALTHY communication ๐Ÿฅต

๐ŸŒน
As someone who grew up watching Amazing Race and always wanted to participate , I LOOOOVED the plot and the premise. The details to the destinations were cool and felt well-researched when culturally relevant.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, Netgalley, and the author Chip Pons for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I also had the pleasure of chatting with the author about his book, and it was so great to hear from him about his inspiration, feeling, and writing process.

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Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Dumped on the way to compete in a reality tv challenge, Asher randomly asks Theo to stand in as his partner, can they fake it to win the whole thing?

Read this for:
- fake dating
- reality tv
- behind the scenes
- dual perspectives
- amazing side characters
- fighting attraction

My thoughts: this is super cute! I loved Theo and Asherโ€™s characters and how Chip gave them flaws that felt real and in tune with reality. The side characters (especially the mother daughter team) were amazing and I loved their interactions with Theo and Asher. The romance that develops between the two of them is adorable.

Love to recommend!

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โœจ Review โœจ Winging it With You by Chip Pons

Thanks to G.P. Putnam and Sons, PRHAudio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

When youโ€™re on your way to an epic reality show adventure traversing the globe...and your boyfriend dumps you at the airport on the way there...then you find a hot pilot, woo him with mozzarella sticks, and set off on the adventure with him.

In this steamy and adventurous romance, Theo and Asher fake date for TV, but quickly find some IRL chemistry too. I thought this was such a fun jaunt across the world, but with challenges that brought these two closer together, and in dialogue about their experiences, their fears and hesitations, and their desires. I was fully invested in both of them across this entire book!

From elephants to mozzarella sticks, to snakes and boat mishaps, this book was just a lot of fun!

โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Genre: m/m romance
Setting: all around the world!
Pub Date: June 10, 2025

Read this if you like:
โญ•๏ธ reality tv
โญ•๏ธ fake dating
โญ•๏ธ grand globetrotting adventures

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โ€œ๐ˆ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐š๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฎ๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ๐š๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ซ๐ž ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐œ๐ค๐ฒ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐›๐ž ๐š ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง.โ€

Itโ€™s not hard to fall for Winging It With You, a story that celebrates queer joy and love.

Asher Bennett expects to be on a plane with his boyfriend, heading to compete on reality show The Epic Trek; he doesnโ€™t expect to be broken up with at the airport and scrambles for a solution. Enter Theo Fernandez, a pilot who is required to find a work-life balance, and agrees to โ€˜wing itโ€™ with Asher, but will they be able to fool the cameras into believing they are in love? Chip Pons creates two characters whom you canโ€™t help but quickly fall in love with. Asher and Theo are swoon-worthy, each with baggage, but find in each other a comfort they almost didnโ€™t know they were needing. I love the concept of fake dating on a reality television show; it offers an opportunity for great side characters, distinct settings, and unique challenges to bring Theo and Asher together (speaking of challenges, I SQUIRMED alongside Asher at the one with the snakes). I love the bond that the boys have with fellow contestants Jenn and Ellie, alongside producers Jo and Arthur. In fact, I wish that there was even more scenes with them to develop those characters further. I also loved all the food references, and knowing Pons they make a lot of sense; in his writing and his own life, food is strongly linked to experiences, memories, and connection with those we love. Asher and Theoโ€™s chemistry builds very quickly, leading to some SPICY scenes - Pons definitely knows his way with words to create the heat! I donโ€™t usually like when characters spend so much time connecting only for a third act argument to happen, but I didnโ€™t mind it as much here, as it led to Theo reconnecting with his family, with Pons not ending the story with a quick makeup (there were still a few chapters to go).

Winging It With You is a joyous romance of finding the belief of being worthy of love, and knowing that home can be a person as much as a place. I love seeing the growth in Ponsโ€™ writing and anxiously await what comes next for him. Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC and the physical gifted copy!

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This was sooo fun! I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was a reality tv show romance between two strangers who ended up competing on an amazing-race type show together. Reality competition shows are my favorite thing to watch on tv, and Iโ€™m finding that I really like fictional versions in books too. Sure this was a little cheesy and unbelievable at times, but overall I had a lot of fun and would easily recommend it to anyone who likes tv shows, internet celebrities, queer romance, and steamy scenes!

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I adore Chip and his stories forever and ever. This was one for the books, just like I knew itโ€™d be. Theo and Asher forever

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