I loved this story so much! The reality show/world travel premise was so fun. I loved both main characters and really enjoyed getting to know them both through dual POV. It was so beautiful journeying with them and witnessing them falling for each other. The writing style and their dialogue just gave me so much joy- I rooted for Theo and Asher from start to finish and their happy ending actually made me squeal with happiness! Thank you Netgalley for this eARC and thank you to this author for sharing this beautiful story!

This book was so cute. An amazing race type game show with MM fake dating? Yes please. I really enjoyed the game and how we actually got to see in detail the challenges and behind the scenes of the game show and how all of it affected the fake dating and brewing relationship of the main characters. I also really enjoyed how we got to see Theo reminisce on his own work/life balance struggles throughout the book and really take it all in especially at the end of the story. Asher is just the cutest, and I really enjoyed his character. The spice scenes were hot. The side characters were so so lovable. I could read a whole other book of these characters again because I was so invested in not only their relationship but also the game. Such a cutesy read, highly recommend!

QUEER JOY, SHEER QUEER JOY!

Chip Pons has stolen my heart with Asher & Theo. Not only is this story beautiful, but the tension between these characters was downright delicious. I devoured this story from start to finish. From Asher's crumbling relationship in the first chapter to the hysterical meet-cute over mozzarella sticks at a TGIFridays. This book has all the things that readers are looking for: tender romance, steamy spice, and witty dialogue.

The story follows an "Amazing Race" style of adventure, jet-setting across the globe, which I thought added a lot to the scenes. There was a rich setting to Asher & Theo's story that made it even more interesting. Then, adding in the competition style, added suspense, intrigue, sabotage, and other elements that kept things fast-paced and fun. The characters also competing in the game made this a lovable adventure, giving more heart to an already lovely story.

The emotional development of both the main characters makes this story worth it! Every page leads to a genuinely satisfying conclusion (even if the third act was a bit predictable). However, this story was just excellent and I cannot wait to read more from Chip Pons. Sounds to me like Mark's story would be an excellent next voyage, but regardless, check this love story out! You won't regret it.

I absolutely loved this book. Theo and Asher are both lovable and drew me in - their chemistry together is perfect. The use of the reality show as a catalyst for their fake dating was entertaining and unique, providing plenty of rom-com-worthy scenes. A nice blend of steamy scenes and romantic gestures, combined with some sweet and funny moments, made this a great read. There are some serious aspects to their journey together as well, Asher and Theo had some pieces of themselves to examine and heal, but the story as a whole was delightful. This was my first Chip Pons book, and I cannot wait to read his debut and his future work! Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

This was a really fun and moving story. This was definitely a fun approach to the fake dating trope, and while that aspect added a lot of tension and intrigue, I really felt for the scenes where these two MMCs would really come together and see and support one another. While they were working through their own issues, they were able to listen to and understand each other and see one another in a way that the other needed to be seen. And speaking of their individual struggles, I really connected with those insecurities and loved seeing them both get the chance to learn from and confront their issues and become healthier and happier versions of themselves. Their relationship really blossomed throughout the book and seeing them grow from strangers to friends to lovers was really rewarding. And I think the circumstances of the book really allowed for their growing connection to feel authentic as they really only had one another.
I also really enjoyed several of the secondary characters. I think that really helped to flesh out the narrative and make the story feel more rounded.

I will say, I was surprised that we didn't see Theo talking more about work--we are told that he is a workaholic who never takes time off and then he gets forced to take a vacation and basically never brings up his work or why he's so opposed to time off. I was waiting to explore more of that side of Theo, and while his military background, outing, and family circumstances were probably much more interesting, I couldn't quite let go of his workaholic nature (since that's how we met him).
I also struggled a bit with their self-imposed restrictions/rules. I couldn't grasp why they thought having feelings for one another would be detrimental to their fake dating situation. It felt like a contrived way to add tension that I just didn't really need and I feel like them just being strangers and questioning what's real and what's for the screen would've been enough.
Something else that I was surprised by was how the story sort of glossed over some of the nuances of Theo's past. I couldn't help but notice the racial disparities between Ethan and Theo, so seeing how their relationship ended, I was expecting to dive more into the likelihood that Ethan was believed not only for his "potential" but because of the world's proclivities towards whiteness and willingness to dismiss the minorty voice and experience in favor of his white counterpart.
I also, often, struggle with the 3rd act breakup and I didn't really buy that Theo would have such a strong reaction to Asher being stunned/shocked by his ex showing up. I like where Theo's story went after he left, I just wish there was a slightly different push for his character.

3.5 rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a digital review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

This was my first Chip Pons book and I definitely enjoyed it! I’ve followed Chip’s journey for a while since I followed his bookstagram before he published his stories.

This book didn’t quite hit for me but I do think that was mostly my fault. I started this back at the end of April before having to put it on pause until early June. I’m not sure if it’s because of that gap or the writing itself but I felt like Asher and Theo’s characters weren’t distinct enough for me. There were multiple times that I had to flip back to the chapter headers to confirm whose POV I was in.

I also wish the reality TV show aspect played into the plot a bit more. It attributed to the setting but didn’t factor into the plot as much. This was a very character driven story in my eyes, which isn’t a bad thing but with a reality TV aspect, I expected a bit more from that.

I did really enjoy the character driven journey. Asher and Theo were definitely the greatest soft bois and were super sweet. They each had some issues but were able to work through the complications their issues caused.

Ultimately, this was super cute and I already own Chip’s indie debut “You and I, Rewritten” so I’ll definitely be coming back to Chip’s writing in the future!

If you love a fake dating, forced proximity romance with a smidge of grumpy/sunshine, then this book is for you! Not only are the MMCs, Asher & Theo, adorable, the side characters are also so loveable! Def pick this one up ASAP!

I thought I couldn't love Chip's work or characters more than I loved Will and Graham from You & I, Rewritten, yet here I am swooning over Asher and Theo #Thasher just as much, if not more.

I read this on the plane over to England, and it almost felt like I was there with them on their globe-trotting adventures. It brought me even closer to these incredible guys!

It was an honor watching them both heal from the damage of their past relationships while growing their affection for and comfort with one another. Fake dating is my favorite romance trope, and it sucked me in once again here. A meet cute over mozzarella sticks?! COME ON. 🥰

This is also a celebration of queer joy, which we need to see now more than ever. Winging it With You is adorable, emotional, healing, and celebratory. It is honest, raw, and FUN. Don't sleep on this one, friends! Pick it up ASAP. You won't regret it.

Happy Pride Month, and congratulations, Chip! So proud of you, friend. 🩵

MM Romance
Reality Show Madness
4 Stars ⭐️


I adored this book and it showed up at exactly the right time. Here’s why. I love The Amazing Race. I binge watch it periodically and there’s even a channel that plays only TAR on Pluto TV. I had never watched it until about 5 years ago when I had some streaming service and was like WTF is this and why are there so many seasons? I had no idea how immersed into this show I’d become and if I didn’t have a jacked leg, I’d apply for it because who doesn’t want a full paid trip around the world doing crazy things you’d never be able to in real life? Sign me up. So season 26 just aired on this channel and the idea was so ludicrous. It was the first season that they had only dating couples on it and some of them were blind dates that only met on the starting line. It was a train wreck I couldn’t look away from and then I got approved for this arc. I requested it based on the cover, yes I’m shallow and I read somewhere it had a breeding kink (it does 🥵) but I had no idea it was about a show based on The Amazing Race. In this book it’s called The Epic Trek and Asher’s boyfriend Clint really wanted to go on this show so he had Asher sign them up only to get dumped in the airport a few hours before boarding time. Asher doesn’t know WTF to do so goes to a bar in the airport and serendipitously meets Theo. Theo is a pilot who is so work focused that he’s been told he needs to take mandatory leave because he hasn’t taken a day off in years. So these two meet, a deal of sorts happens and they become fake boyfriends to compete on the show and I ate this shit up.

They start this show as strangers and while participating in this race around the world pretending to be boyfriends, they fall for one another. I loved their natural progression from strangers to friends to lovers and all the tasks they had along the way. I actually would have loved to see more tasks but that’s only because I love the TAR so much but I thought the reality to romance ratio was done perfectly and it got pretty swoony the more I read it. I even used a credit on the audiobook because it has two of my favorite narrators on it. Lee Osorio aka Javi Wilder & Michael Crouch. I cannot wait to listen to this soon.

Why not 5 stars? Well, there was some OTT reality show drama that happened that I honestly could have lived without and it did get a bit too sickly sweet for me near the end but here’s the thing, had I listened to this first with my fav narrators, there’s a high chance I would have 5 starred it so nothing that happened was a deal breaker. I would have loved about one more sex scene but I’m just being greedy at this point and my favorite scene was the elephants. 💗

Anyway, highly recommend this one. Best arc I’ve read in a while.

Thank you netgalley for the arc and letting me have it despite my absolute junk feedback ratio. I enjoyed myself and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Well, Chip Pons just became an auto-read author for me. I’m going to be honest here and say this was a first MM romance for me, and I went into it not quite knowing what to expect. Anddddd I absolutely. Loved. It !! I mean, devoured this book from start to finish. Asher Bennett and Theo Fernandez have a mozzarella meet cute at an airport TGIFridays, not long after Asher is dumped by Clint 🥴 (his partner of 6+ years). They’re supposed to be heading to a reality tv show competition that takes place over the span of a few weeks. Asher needs a partner, and Theo needs an adventure. Insert — fake dating. Did I mention this is one of my favorite tropes?!

Asher and Theo are both so complex while also so incredibly easy to love. Theo is quite literally a golden retriever boyfriend. Asher is — kind of? — our black cat. But together they were PERFECTION. From faking it as strangers while on national television, to realizing they don’t want to pretend anymore, setting us up for the most incredible slow burn of true soulmates. The banter, the wit, the romance, and the spice. Everything from start to finish was so well done. Winging It With You was FUNNY, while also heartfelt, and refreshingly light even when full of pain and emotion. I hated the third act breakup, but that’s not to take away from Chip’s writing style because third act breakups piss me off just about everytime 😅

Thank you SO much to Chip, @putnambooks and @netgalley for an ARC. I am forever grateful I was given the opportunity to read this amazing romance and I cannot wait to see what Chip has in store for his readers in the future. Will we have a sequel?!

read if you love:
queer joy, reality TV romance, meet cutes, catching flights and feelings, one bed, strangers to lovers, fake dating, LQBTQ+ rep

3.5/5

Asher and Theo have to navigate a reality show contest as a couple right after they meet. This book is a very cute rom-com. It has a lot of funny and light moments which I loved. Both main characters are lovable and makes for a sweet story. I am not a fan of insta-love trope but still enjoyed the overall story. Everything takes place in as they navigate the reality show together and falling so hard and fast when you are navigating challenges in a contest and have zero insight into the regular life of character was a bit hard for me to buy.

But it was a very quick and enjoyable and fun read. Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much to Putnam for the advance copy of this book!

This book is out on June 10th.

This is Chip's second book but first under a major publisher and I have to say I think I enjoyed this one way more than the first. I thought this was fun, flirty and oh so spicy!

I thought the concept of this book was a good time. This was not my first book that centers around the MMC needing to find someone to compete on a game show with. I love how Chip wrote their meet cute and just immediately how they fell into step with one another. They were fake dating for the camera and it just came so natural for the two of them. Of course I love the force proximity of it all - traveling with someone new, doing challenges!

Asher is coming off a breakup where he had essentially given himself up for the relationship. He had to quickly get things together to figure out what he was going to do on this trip and competition. Enter Theo who desperately wanted mozzarella sticks that Asher had, conversation happened and Theo agreed to do this competition with Asher. Theo needed to take a vacation as he always had prioritized work so it would a perfect situation.

What I found funny was how Asher made the ground rule of them not having any sort of relationship and being intimate and yet it quickly went out the window. Like wait a second what just happened here. Not that I was mad about it but I just found it humorous how the table seemed to change so fast. And boy did Chip give us the SPICE!! The chemistry between Asher and Theo was so good!! Over the course of filming this show, they just slowly began to fall for one another and really got to connect on an emotional level. I'm always a fan of when romances have dual POV and I love being able to have Theo's point of view throughout the book!

This was just such a fun time from start to finish. If you are looking for a stranger to lovers, reality tv, fake dating romance book - give this one a read!

4.5

Winging It with You was an incredibly sweet adventure and I couldn’t put it down!

Asher and Theo team up for a reality show competition after a chance encounter at the airport bar and thanks to some mozzarella sticks. They take on the competition while fake dating, sharing one bed and starting to fall for each other for real even though it was against their ground rules. These two are opposites in so many ways, but complement each other so well - their chemistry is undeniable.

As a huge fan of The Amazing Race, this story was right up my alley - I loved traveling with Asher and Theo around the world to do all kinds of crazy challenges. While they took on the challenges in front of them on camera, they also took on more personal challenges off of it, leading to moments of vulnerability, reflection and growth that made their characters feel incredibly real. Both Asher and Theo took on big challenges head on and helped each other overcome them in a way they didn’t see possible before they got together.

If you’re looking for a fun, adventurous, spicy read this summer, this is definitely one to add to your TBR!

I have been hearing chatter about this book for a while and when I saw it was available, I jumped on it. I’m so glad I did, because this may end up being one of my top reads of the year. The book starts with Asher getting ready to check in for a flight with his long-term boyfriend, Clint - only to be dumped at the check-in desk. And although the pair were supposed to be on their way to compete in a reality TV travel competition (all Clint’s idea btw), he decides he’s going to do it without him. Only problem? He needs to find a new partner ASAP. Enter Theo, the cute pilot at the airport TGI Fridays who is under direct orders to work on his work-life balance. In a bet over mozzarella sticks, Theo finds himself on the way to LA with Asher as his new competition partner - oh, and fake boyfriend.

This book had me hooked and laughing from the first chapter. Chip’s humor was seriously unmatched and had me entertained the entire time. I loved seeing Asher bring down his walls and come out of his shell throughout the book. And watching Theo become more and more vulnerable and confront his trauma as so well done. Not to mention their dynamic and chemistry was absolutely fantastic. I also think Pons did a stellar job at setting the reality TV scenes and kept it engaging and fun. I definitely felt like I was right there on the set of The Epic Trek an could see it as a “Fear Factor meets Amazing Race” spin. I seriously can’t say enough great things about this book and am so excited to tell all of my friends to read it. I will definitely be moving Chip Pons to my “auto-buy author” list.

4 stars.

This book was incredibly endearing.
I love the chemistry between the two leads.
If this gets an audiobook, I will for sure be picking that up, because I just know it will be a giggling and kicking your feet good time.

The only thing that I didn't love about this book was that some of the descriptions were a bit over the top and were hard to imagine what the author was actually trying to get across to the reader, but it didn't take too much away from my enjoying the story.

Winging It with You was INCREDIBLE. I absolutely devoured this book and could not stop giggling or squealing. I'm a sucker for a reality t.v. game show, and this one made me feel like I was watching it happen live. Asher and Theo were perfect together, and their stuck at sea moment had me cackling out loud. No spoilers, but please read this incredible book! I can't read more from Chip.

A really solid debut! I loved the concept for this book - two men that just met (under less than ideal circumstances) traveling around the world together competing to win a reality tv show. It was so fun to read! I wanted to connect with the characters a little bit more, but found some of the conflict forced and feeling a little bit insta-lovey for my taste. Overall, such a fun read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a such a cute book! I loved it so much. I loved Theo and Asher and their relationship, it was so fun watching them get closer, and watching their relationship grow and develop! The game show aspect was also really fun!!

ARC Review! Spoilers have been removed. Full review is on the site.

I thought contemporary romances based on reality TV shows would have gotten old by now - but I’m so happy to be wrong! In Winging It With You, Chip Pons channels the essence of international travel competition shows with a sweet twist of fake dating, undeniable chemistry, and mind-blowing sights that makes you envy every adventure shared by Theo and Asher.

Finalizing the checklist to make sure Asher Bennet has everything he needs for The Epic Trek? Check. Arriving at the airport hours early to appease his boyfriend? Check. Having said boyfriend break up with him at the check-in counter, just hours before takeoff? Funny how that wasn’t on the checklist. Now, Asher finds himself at an airport TGI Fridays, frantically trying to find a new competition partner - who also has to pretend to be his boyfriend (no small feat). Running out of ideas and just a little amazed at how quickly mimosas hit on an empty stomach, Asher orders some mozzarella sticks, never realizing that those golden bites of fried cheese would be the answer to his prayers.

Theo Fernandez can’t believe he’s been grounded! Well, okay - technically, he’s been placed on "mandatory administrative leave" for three weeks. After his supervisor emailed to inform him that he exceeded his flight hours for the third quarter in a row, Theo is also required to prove he’s working on his work-life balance. Not sure what to do with himself, Theo heads to TGI Fridays with his best friend Mark, keeping up their time-honored tradition of grabbing mozzarella sticks whenever they fly together. Except - the kitchen is closed. The last basket of mozzarella sticks belongs to some cute guy at the counter - and he’s not interested in sharing. Never one to back down from a challenge, Theo bargains for the mozzarella sticks, not realizing that a simple coin toss over fried cheese will change his life in ways he never imagined.

I adored the dynamic between Theo and Asher. Their personalities were like night and day, the perfect grumpy-sunshine pairing! Watching them influence one another, grow closer, and find healing in each other’s presence was what made this story so memorable for me. The cherry on top was the secondary characters. Emma, hands down, was my favorite. And don’t even get me started on the places they visited! I never knew Ben & Jerry’s had a flavor graveyard, and learning about La Tomatina was such a fun surprise. I had to stop and Google so many of the places they visited. If I had a bucket list, this book would have added at least two or three items to it!

That said, I struggled a bit with the competition challenges. I’m not sure if they were overly descriptive or not detailed enough, but I had a hard time trying to visualize them. Most of the time, I just accepted them at face value, which caused them to lose their intended emotional impact - especially the first challenge with the ice cream. Another hiccup for me was the occasional plot hole or lack of setup for key moments.

As for the chemistry between Asher and Theo, every encounter will leave you breathless. A close whisper, a soft caress, a longing look - each one perfectly captures the desire between these two characters. And as hot as those moments were, they didn’t even come close to the lava-level heat when they finally slept together! Bravo Chip! That voyeur/exhibitionist shower scene still has me fanning myself.

Beyond the chemistry and humor beats the true heart of the story: learning to live in the present while breaking free from the chains of the past.

Throughout the story, we got to see both Theo and Asher take baby steps toward a safe space they found in each other. A space with no judgment, no demands - only support. A place where they were seen, accepted, and welcomed exactly as they were. And it was a truly beautiful thing to witness.

Winging It With You is an incredible story about growth, healing, and learning to embrace who you are - flaws and all. Yes, it’s delivered in the mold of a contemporary romance, with humor to keep it from tugging too much on your heartstrings, but the message is there, and it is clear. As this is Chip's second book, I have to say - keep up the great work! I may just need to check out his debut novel, You and I Rewritten.

Spoilers have been removed.

I loved this book so much! It was fun but also deep in places and it was semi slow burn but didn't feel like it dragged. It has just the right amount of tension and ah when are they going to kiss? energy.

I liked that they both had different (very valid) reasons to be cautious with their affections but they fell anyways and it felt very real and organic because of the environment and situation they were in. The forced proximity was so key to really push these characters.

I thought the reality game show aspect was so fun and for me wasn't overly cringy (if snakes are a problem for you maybe skip that part of that chapter when you see it's coming up). I liked that we saw some of the challenges and that some of them were only mentioned as the entire show was about a month and think it would've felt like too much if he had gone through every single challenge. It felt very balanced.

Asher felt just grumpy enough and I liked that you knew he was very smart but he wasn't entitled or condescending and you could really tell he was passionate about his job.

Theo. THEO. I loved him so much! I love a positive golden retriever man and Theo was perfect. I love that he went through his own growth journey and it didn't change him so much as just let him be even more himself if that makes sense. His family was also so wonderful and I teared up a lot during some of their interactions.

I do wish we would have gotten a little scene at least with Ashers family towards the end as well.
And I hope wherever Ethan is he eventually gets his 😡 iykyk.

Some of the chapters were very long so if you're a fan of shorter chapters it's something to keep in mind.

I knew I would like this because I know I enjoy Chip's writing and the teasers he was giving were great but I loved this so much. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and I know I'm going to be thinking about these characters for a long while and I'm not mad about it.