Book 20 of 2025 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons & Chip Pons for an ARC of Winging It with You, in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve followed Chip Pons on social media for a minute, and was so excited when I got approved for Winging It with You. That cover, the plot - sign me up! Our protagonists, Asher Bennett & Theo Fernandez, meet at an airport TGI Fridays after The Epic Trek contestant Asher & his ex breakup, and pilot Theo has landed after a flight. The fake dating trope was beautifully done by Pons, and he uses the miscommunication trope in a unique way, outside of the relationship. While I’m not the biggest fan of a 3rd act breakup, Pons makes it makes sense and executes it flawlessly. I’m also not usually drawn to books that are set in the entertainment industry or are entertainment industry adjacent because I work in TV - somehow, I was able to focus on the travel/Amazing Race aspect of it all, without being taken out of it.

This was a fun, sweet and occasionally steamy romance, and it was a lovely pride month read. 4.5/5 ⭐️ s & 2.5/5 🌶️ - I will definitely be reading more of Pons’ work! #NetGalley #WingingItwithYou ✈️ 🧳 👨🏽‍🤝‍👨🏼

Winging It with You is about Asher, who is dumped right before he and his boyfriend were supposed to participate in a competition show, and Theo, a pilot who has been grounded because he needs to work on work-life balance

This book had a lot of things I love: fake dating and forced proximity (due to participating in a reality competition show)? Yes, please. I enjoyed reading about Asher and Theo's relationship development and how they both had some things to work on individually to have a successful relationship in the future. I would have liked to see how things turned out with their individual life circumstances and how the show wrapped up at the end, but overall, it was a fun read!

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

What a pair of lovable guys!

This story was a great blend of humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments.

I found the side characters very likable and the main characters relatable, which is always a bonus. I think there are many people who have thrown themselves into a job, a relationship, etc., and in doing so, lose some of themselves. I loved that this adventure helped both of them rediscover who they are and what they want in life.

That said, the spice between the characters happened a little too quickly for me, especially considering what had just happened to Asher before meeting Theo. I thought a slower burn might have worked better and made their connection feel more earned.

For the most part, the pacing was well done—until the ending. Something about it felt rushed, random, and incomplete. I was really hopeful that the two of them would find each other, band together, go back on the show and compete—maybe not win, but at least compete. I wanted them to finish what they had started. While I was glad Theo reconnected with his family, it did leave me a little unsatisfied.

Overall, this was a solid 3-star read for me that I would recommend.

Winging it with You is a dual POV story about Asher and Theo. Asher is at the airport checking in to fly to LA for a reality travel competition show when his boyfriend dumps him. He decides to go on the show without his boyfriend and propositions Theo, a pilot just told he is over his hours and is grounded for three weeks. As luck would have it Theo agrees and they both fly to LA and compete as a couple.

This was such a cute and wholesome story. I loved that both men had relationship baggage and worked through it together as partners while pretending to be together on a crazy, hectic reality tv show.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this, it was adorable and spicy and a little bit heart wrenching at times. I loved both of our main characters and while the story of how they met was a little bit out there I kind of liked how it just shoved two people together who knew nothing about each other. Also, I really want some mozzarella sticks nows.

This was so good! Chip has cracked the code for writing a fun romance with so much heart. Asher and Theo's connection was so real. Their chemistry was palpable and they brought out the best in one another. As a hetero female, the sex scenes were hot! This was the perfect read for PRIDE month. I cannot wait to read Chip's next book.

first of all, as someone who watches reality tv shows, it's interesting to see a book with the amazing race plot as a concept for this book. and second, if there's a book that i want to re-read if ever i have a reading slump, i will pick this.

so, i will say that theo fernandez is the greenest green flag character (i cannot forget the first challenge, to be honest). i have the soft spot between asher and theo everytime these two are together. and the found family part? yep, got me crying.

but at the first 30%, both mc's kept describing their eye color from one pov to another. it's giving the predator by runyx. next, for the reality tv show part, i already know the conflict for this before the 70% mark. also, they both met at the airport then falling in love for 3 weeks (or more) is impossible (for me) to fall that fast 😔

Adorable strangers to lovers / fake dating love story. This gives the vibes of The Challenge Mary Kate and Ashely movie + the Great Amazing Race tv show. The moment you met Archer and Theo, you were rooting for them.

They started on some hiccups but they really work with each other and created a loving story for the “show viewers” but they started to feel more and nothing turn out to be fake. There was deep meaning in this story with coming out stories + the military. I just wanted to hug Theo and let him know nothing was wrong with him. The mental health he had to go through to recognize his grief and for him to realize his family was always there. Beautiful! A charming story to read for pride mouth 🏳️‍🌈

This is my first book by this author. I did enjoy the romance quite a lot between the characters. At times It was slow to get through but thay was probably just my mood reading at the time.

Very grateful to Putnam for the ebook and PRH for my audiobook I took the immersive approach to this story, so I could highlight my favorite parts.

Are you a fan of the Amazing Race? Love reading about exciting places all around the world while seeing contestants do ridiculous things to try to win money? If you answered yes to these questions and are in the mood for a romance between two amazing men - grab your copy of Winging it With You now.

Author Chip Pons is so talented at writing stories that come to life with humor, wit and vulnerability. Theo and Asher may start this adventure in a mildly chaotic way but their story will have you hooked. I really enjoyed everything about this book minus the challenge that would be my own personal nightmare. Other than that part I was there for every single moment. With narrators Lee Osorio, Michael Crouch you are hooked in from the beginning, Pass the cheese sticks and soar into this new romance today.

When Asher’s boyfriend dumped him at the airport ticket counter before the start of a reality tv game show, he found himself without a relationship partner and a game partner. To console himself, he ends up in the airport TGIF bar where he met Theo who was recently grounded for exiting his flying hours. Thanks to a game of flip the coin, they found themselves in a fake dating situation where they have compete as boyfriends.

This story was so wonderfully written, I love the way Asher and Theo just healed each other. The force proximity was so well done and the chemistry was chef kiss. And the side characters were also amazing.
If you want some own voice achillean romance you should definitely check this one out.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing to review this arc

This was cute I guess. I would recommend this book to a first time mm romance reader. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

Theo and Asher were such a fun read! Chip created such a safe space for these two characters to grow with one another, and the added backdrop of being on reality tv made for the perfect setting. Theo and Asher are two characters who experienced hurt at the hands of someone they trusted and loved, and we get to see them heal together. Theo is very much a golden retriever character. He is bright and sweet and ever the optimist. While Asher has more of a black cat energy, where he’ll take tummy rubs when he wants, but won’t beg for them. And while they have to navigate faking a relationship while experiencing very real feelings, we see them give one another spade to sit in their personalities. Asher doesn’t try to dim Theo’s light, and Theo doesn’t try to make Asher into someone he isn’t. Chip wrote a book where two people are able to learn how to allow the hurt they experienced in the past teach them how to love in their present. The story was light and fun, but didn’t shy away from delving into difficult conversations. They were also hot as and got down and dirty, which we love!

When Asher's boyfriend ends up leaving him before the start of The Epic Trek, and Theo is officially grounded from pilot duties, the two decide to team up IN AN AIRPORT BAR to go on the race together. pretending to be head over heels in love with a stranger you literally just meant definitely was not on their bingo cards.

This was a super fun read and the perfect summer romcom! I love watching the Amazing Race and seeing Asher and Theo fall in love was so much fun and cute. A perfect airplane read!

asher only agreed to compete on a popular travel competition reality show to be a good boyfriend, but when his boyfriend dumps him at the airport as they’re leaving for filming, he decides to go through with it anyway. pilot theo has been grounded for his lack of a work-life balance, so when the cute guy he runs into at an airport TGI Fridays tries to recruit him as his new partner (and fake boyfriend), he agrees to it. what follows is a feel-good romp about winging it and choosing the people who bring us joy.

winging it with you is one of those books that starts off strong and then gradually loses steam. for a book about a fake couple accidentally falling in love while filming a reality tv show, the whole reality tv angle was frustratingly underutilized. it felt like the author was more interested in the pun in the title than actually taking advantage of all of the fun potential complications of the scenario. instead, the competition becomes little more than set dressing for a generic romance with a particularly foolish third act breakup.

excellent concept, mediocre execution.

This was such a well-written romance with great character development, so many emotions, a bit of spice and a wonderful happily ever after. Recently single Asher is in need of a new partner for a reality show contest. Enter Theo, a pilot out on leave. They enter into a fake-dating relationship for the tv show, but it ends up becoming real. Now enter all the exotic settings, honest emotions, and intimate and steamy scenes. The found family trope secede a nod as well, acceptance is underrated! 4.25 stars

I really wanted to love this but there was just something about it that fell a little flat for me. I loved the meet cute and the concept of the story was good, but I found myself skimming the chapters at times. And the reality tv aspect felt off to me…like if there were people sabotaging others I feel like they would get called out, there would be a conversation about the behavior and possibly they would get booted from the show (at least with the reality tv shows that I watch).

I did love the fake dating and the M/M representation. But at times the POV’s tended to blend together, and I forgot who it was. Overall, I really did enjoy the love story aspect and Theo and Asher were great characters, both dealing with past relationships and other issues.

I enjoyed this book. It’s hard to go wrong with forced proximity, chemistry, and fake dating. I am not a big fan of adventure story lines, so I think that part brought my rating down a little, but if you like that in books- this will likely be a 5⭐️.

Thank you to GP Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for access to this title!
This is a phenomenal queer romance for anyone who loves fake dating, reality tv and travel! Theo is a pilot who never stops long enough to have a relationship (romantic or otherwise). He's just along for a good time. Asher is dumped by his long term boyfriend right before they are supposed to fly to LA from Boston for a reality TV show a la the Amazing Race. Sitting in an airport restaurant, over mozzarella sticks, Asher and Theo meet and after a bet, Theo joins Asher on the show for the ride of a lifetime. Obviously it is fake dating that becomes real but the character development and backstories are what made this an excellent romance.

I love queer joy stories and this one is full of it. Yes, out main characters, Asher and Theo, have hang ups and issues from past relationships that they're going to have to work through, but they do and they are able to have real moments of joy THROUGHOUT this story. I also appreciate romance stories written by anyone who is not a straight woman because let's be real, romance can be a little gatekeepy about who writes romance. Chip Pons is a great addition to the romance genre and I hope he continues to write! Funny, tender and romantic!

This one exceeded my expectations and I read it in one day. The Amazing Race-style competition was secondary to the character development and relationship (and sexy scenes).