I love whatever Sophie Gonzales writes. I love her characters. I love that her characters can be unlikable but likeable at the same time. I like that they make mistakes and learn and grow. I love Maya and how heated she is. I love Skye and how logical she is. I did wish there was more to Jordy, that he was more than just an asshole. I know that was the point but I do wish we saw a bit of… something else to him.

But this was a good book and I’m so happy to have read it and would definitely recommend.

I love stories about women getting together to get revenge on a man! It’s what they deserve! Jordy is an amalgamation of various men from my life and makes for an incredibly convincing, manipulative villain. I was a little bit frustrated at the beginning because of the hostile energy amongst the women on the show. If a woman told me that my boyfriend had cheated on me with her, I would 100% believe her without hesitation. I feel like Kim wasn’t developed super well - all that I picked up about her is that she’s stupid and in love with her best friend, who doesn’t appear in the book. I also would’ve liked more build-up concerning Maya and Skye’s romantic attraction. Overall, I really enjoyed this and am always happy to checkout queer rom-coms.

Alrightly. This book was something. We have a pretty cliche Bachelor style story with a revenge plot twist.
and holy quacamole this has a Sapphic romance!. This story is a page turner, you just really want to know if the main characters can get revenge on this narcissistic male lead of a reality show,
There were however some negatives for me. I found it really hard to buy that a show like "Second Chance Romance" could keep the male lead in a positive light when he has so many ex's so young. He would be torn apart on the internet by many female viewers.
I found also found the romance that blooms in this novel to be not quite developed enough to end up where it does.
the ending is great though. I 100% was cackling, and Sophie's writing is just so wonderful! I never find myself getting bored. I had a great time with this and I'm super excited to rave to my friends about this when it comes out in December!
Final Rating 4/5 stars

I have read and loved many of Sophie’s books and when I opened my inbox to an advance copy of her gorgeous upcoming release NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER it didn’t matter that it doesn’t release until 12/6 I just HAD to drop everything to read it!

What I love most about Gozales' writing style is how she jumps right in! Her books always grab me from the start, managing to make her characters so real and relatable they feel like friends and I’m instantly invested in what’s happening to them.

Having read a few reality TV set books in the past year or so, this one had a great spin that I was immediately giddy over the potential of. Gonzalez nailed it, making it unique with it being EXES competing for affection to win the heart of a bachelor that they'd each already dated at one time. Split into dual points of view by Maya, who we start the story with + Skye, the girl she believes he cheated on her with and then dated this one promised all the best drama and behind the scenes fun.

Taking second chance romance to a whole new level, this reality show has six women competing for Jordy’s affection and each of the characters brings something special to the adventure.

"I'm sure Hans Christian Anderson was just about to start on the tale of the six princesses who battled to the death for the prince who already dumped their asses once," Francessa says dryly. "That's some real magical shit, there."

For those of you like me, living in America the ONLY thing that threw me off about the book was that I had to remind myself this wasn’t based in America — legal drinking age being lower made a difference in the openness of alcohol in this particular story that had me wondering if this one fell in the YA category or IMO the much more appropriate "new adult" which I personally LOVE.

Maya in particular stuck out to me as a noteworthy character, how she was driven by her want for revenge as it related to Jordy and her determination to WIN Second-Chance Romance to humiliate him. As always Gonzales gives her characters such a witty, unique voice and I found her openness with being bi refreshing in a book of this setting. The contemporary, realistic viewpoints of her characters kept me giggling, and cheering for anyone BUT Jordy.

Thank you Wednesday Books + NetGalley for the chance to read this title prior to publication day, it was a pleasure to read and review!

I think this is my favorite book of Sophie Gonzales's yet. I binged this book in two days, so yeah, everyone needs to read this immediately.

I connected with Maya from the very first chapter. It was easy to see myself in Skye, too. I loved reading about their romance, and their revenge. And I just want everyone to know that Sophie Gonzales has succeeded in getting me to hate a fictional character with my entire physical being. Because yes, I hate Jordy Miller that much.

Jordy Miller, brother of Princess Samantha of Chalonne (a fictional kingdom near Switzerland), is quite adept at putting forth a positive image -- reading to orphans, giving to charity, etc. -- and making sure that negative events are spun in a manner that garners him sympathy. Maya Bailey is all too familiar with the latter. Maya and Jordy dated for nine months, but the final few months were long distance, and Jordy found a new girlfriend (Skye). When Maya found out, Jordy portrayed her in the media as a deranged ex-girlfriend who could not accept that their relationship ended when he moved away. Maya is not exactly a Jordy fan, and when the producer of a reality show called Second Chance Romance calls her and says she wants Maya to be one of the ex-girlfriends who "date" Jordy on the show to see if the spark that prompted their initial relationship can be rekindled, Maya tells her that she would rather date the devil.

However, Maya later changes her mind, deciding that if she dates him again on television, she can try to win him over, and then reject him on live television, exposing him for the villain he truly is. That plan gets off to a very rocky start. Among the six young women chosen for the show is Skye Kaplan, the person Jordy cheated on Maya with. However, Skye does not know that Jordy was still involved with Maya when they dated, while Maya believes Skye knows and doesn't care. And the producers have arranged for Maya and Skye to share a room, hoping for fireworks that will make for great reality TV. Maya makes friends with Perrie, another one of the women, who believes her when told the story about Jordy cheating, and whose primary interest is using the show to bolster her social media following. Yet, in addition to Skye, she manages to alienate the other women rather quickly with her attitude and her negative comments about Jordy.

Somewhat surprisingly Maya manages to survive the first week and not be the first woman asked to leave. She and Skye have a conversation that is a long time coming and Maya is able to show Skye that Jordy was a cheater, but also realize that Skye was an innocent victim. Project Jordy Revenge has a new participant, and one who has skills and abilities that Maya lacks, increasing the odds of success. However, this newfound partnership will have some rather surprising ramifications. Furthermore, Jordy is not about to go down without a fight. Maya will be forced to decide how important it is to her to get her public revenge.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

“But the way I feel about you is bigger than those problems. It drowns them out. Because I love you.”

So grateful for Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this arc! When I stumbled upon this book I couldn’t help but request this book!

Never ever getting back together reminded me of Taylor swift and the blurb was too good to pass on. This book revolves around a guy named Jordy (basically a scumbag) who does it all for the fame (which he got when his sister married royalty and he thinks he’s the shit????) Jordy is truly a pos and the character I hated the most. He is a liar, a cheat, gaslighter, and so many other colourful words. Anyways this scumbag gets a chance of a reality show where all his ex’s and hookups are called so they can have a second chance at their “romance” Those girls were brilliant and it was a shocker they dated he who shall not be named.

Maya’s sister tells her to go so she can get “revenge” now now I love me some good revenge stories!! Sophie Gonzales did an amazing job conducting the whole story, the plot was amazing and it kept me on my toes!! I usually always predict endings but this one was so nerve wrecking and unpredictable that i just couldn’t put it down and read it in one setting alone! The smooth flowing plot and such a simple yet beautiful descriptions made this book so much better!

My heart literally burned in the first few chapters as Maya went through shit (okay maybe i am a little biased) but then everything sorts out and the story takes on a lighter note. And then we have a happy ending :)

I have never rooted for a couple more than I have for Skye and Maya. Those two were adorable. You can bet this was an easy 5 ⭐️for me.

Oh my god. I always forget how much I love Sophie Gonzales' writing until I'm reading her novels, and I don't know why I just don't remember how amazing her writing is. This is the third book of hers that I've read so far (I still haven't read her trad-pub debut, Only Mostly Devastated), and I adored all three of them so, so much. It's always the perfect blend of romance and comedy, and super relatable teenage (and sometimes twenty-something year-old issues too!).

To start off, this book was SO fun. It was exactly what I wanted from a revenge book with a side of romance, and it's humor balanced things out perfectly. I loved the way all of the girls competing actually felt like they were competing, without actively dragging each other down in a misogynist mess. A lot of time it either comes across like that or as something a little too saccharine to feel realistic, but Gonzales found the perfect mix of competition and female friendships. Out of the secondary characters, Perrie in particular was my favorite, but all of them had distinct and interesting personalities. I absolutely adored the dynamics that Skye and Maya had with each other, both when they were fighting and friendly. Their banter made what could have been a dark story lighter, and while they didn't seriously talk often, they obviously deeply cared for one another.

My only critique is that I did feel like parts of the book were written for characters a few years older than the ones in it (17-20, if I remember correctly), but I understand why Gonzales chose to do that for more of a reality dating show feel. This was a super minor thing though, it was just something I thought I'd mention, since it definitely makes it fall into the older YA category.

Overall, if you're looking for a fun sapphic romance, a revenge story or just a good time, pick Never Ever Getting Back Together!

When I first heard about Sophie Gonzales’s “Never Ever Getting Back Together” I absolutely lost my mind. I heard sapphic love story, reality TV setting, and a title reminiscent of a Taylor Swift song and new immediately I had to get my hands on it. This book did not disappoint!

Maya gets the call that her ex-boyfriend, Jordy, is set to be the leading man on a new reality TV dating show called Second Chance Romance, where he reunites with his exes to see if the spark is still there. When Maya is asked to be a contestant, she devises the perfect plan to get to the end and enact her revenge on Jordy for cheating on her 2 years prior. The only problem: the girl he cheated on her with is her competition.

I devoured this book. The plot was intriguing and kept me interested throughout. By the end, I was so eager to see what would happen that I couldn’t tear myself away. The stakes felt so high that I almost forgot what I was reading was fiction and not watching actual reality television. Gonzales has great comedic timing that fit in well with the setting. Maya and Skye were a believable couple with a few really wonderful golden moments that I really appreciated as a sapphic reader.

I only had a couple issues with this book. One was that it doesn’t feel like it should’ve been a YA novel. The fact that it is felt more like Gonzales was making it YA because that’s what she knows rather than that’s what it should’ve been. I had to suspend disbelief to believe anyone would actually want a reality dating show about 18 year olds rather than adults.

My other issue was that sometimes it felt like characterization took a backseat to driving the plot forward. I didn’t feel like I really knew the characters beyond their motivations within the show. I would’ve liked to see more development of them as individuals so I could really get invested in their relationship.

All this being said, I think this is a great pick for existing fans of Sophie Gonzales, as well as fans of “Love & Other Disasters” and “The Charm Offensive.”

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a heartfelt and empowering YA contemporary novel that left me with a smile on my face. Our main characters, Maya and Skye, are both contestants on a reality show where their shared ex-boyfriend, Jordy, is supposedly looking for the one that got away. However, Jordy is not the sweet and charming man that the world thinks he is, and Maya is out to expose him for the jerk she knows him to be - except she just might end up falling for Skye along the way.

This book is dual POV between Maya and Skye and I adored reading from perspectives of not just one but TWO female main characters who are both bisexual. Watching Maya and Skye fall for each other was sweet and adorable. I also found all of the female side characters, the other contestants on the show, to have strong, well-developed personalities. While I would have enjoyed a bit more of an epilogue to the ending, this book is an enjoyable read about friendship, love, karma, and letting go of the anger that controls you.

I love this author. I've read two of her other books so I was excited to read this! The Taylor Swift song title? The synopsis? It's like the bachelor but just with exes? Also it's SAPPHIC? This was such a funny concept. Way better than watching the bachelor. I actually didn't really like the climax/ending, felt a little too miscommunication trope and didn't like the fix, but I loved the actual show part, the characters and also the female friendships in this book. I'd recommend if you like the bachelor and are LGBT+.

I absolutely adore this concept. For starters, I love all dating reality show books (If the Shoe Fits, The Charm Offensive, etc.) so that's already a great base. And having two same-sex contestants catch the feels for each other and leave the d-bag lead to himself? Sold! Throw in the concept that they're all exes and the lead is royal-adjacent, and we have all the makings of a fabulous YA read.

This book was overlap super fun and a bit campy in a good way. It requires a some suspension of disbelief and willingness to just go along for the ride, but when you accept it for the joy it is and don't examine it as a literary masterpiece, I don't see how you can't have a smile on your face reading this one. The ending is also pretty perfect in the way it ties everything up, and I was extremely pleased with the how thinks worked out. Also, I'm obsessed with the cover.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I was so happy to get an ARC of this book, romance is not always my first pick of genre to read, but this book was a satisfying escapist read. I appreciate well written LGBTQI books and this is definitely one of them! The only downside is it does not come out until December so everyone else has to wait to read this marvel!

DNF @ 70%

I was *so* excited to receive this ARC as Sophie Gonzales is one of my favorite YA authors, and throughout he novel I kept pushing myself to continue just in case it got better, but I'm about 70% through and it's not getting better and I fear I'm going to be put into a reading slump if I try and finish this one out, so I'll outline why I DNF'd in case anybody else finds it helpful.

#1: the main characters. I love the idea of two girls on a dating show falling for each other instead of the man they're supposed to be chasing, so I was super excited for this romance. However, the main characters literally neither had any personality traits beyond their (justifiable) dislike for the main guy, who is both of their ex-boyfriend. Both characters were SO dry; I couldn't connect to them at *all* because they literally didn't have any discernible personality traits. It was odd!

#2: There is no reason why this book was YA instead of adult. The whole concept of being on a dating show where 6 different contestants are competing to get a second chance with their ex-boyfriend is just /so/ not YA. Firstly, how does this guy have so many ex's at his young age lol?? But also I just found it unrealistic that a bunch of 18-19 year olds would be put on a dating show, and it would be so much better if it was new adult (a la The Charm Offensive) instead.

Lastly, #3: the writing. The writing was so stilted, and just not a good quality. Not very descriptive, and not very atmospheric. This kinda goes back to the characters-having-no-personalities thing, but the book just felt kinda corporate...? Maybe thats the wrong word, but it felt as though the author wasn't actually passionate about what she was writing, and was just trying to grind out a novel. The love in this book just didn't come through to me at all. Which again, was so disappointing because I loved Sophie Gonzales's other novels.

Overall, I'm already seeing this book get tons of good reviews, so I don't want to necessarily discourage others from reading this book, but I just didn't like it at all. TY to Wednesday Books for the ARC :)

I love Sophie and was so excited for this book. I do think the revenge plot was pretty heavy and I really could have used more of her romance writing. It felt a little more forced/rushed in this one compared to her other books. I think because of that, I found myself putting this book down a little more than the other ones I have read by her.

Sophie Gonzales did it again. I don’t know WHAT it is with her writing, but I’m always 100% sucked in immediately. That’s exactly what happened here.
Never Getting Back Together follows Maya as she goes on a bachelorette style-dating show to get back at her cheating ex boyfriend, and along the way, she teams up with Skye, the girl he cheated on her with.
All six of the girls on the show are amazing characters in their own ways. Did I like them all? Absolutely not (although each one grew on me). Gonzales did a wonderful job showing diverse personalities and goals with each one, making them realistic, and making their actions understandable. While Maya and Skye are the focus of this book, all these girls are important to the story, and I think that’s great.
This book kept me on my toes. I was stressed. I was excited. I easily felt immersed in the characters thoughts, emotions. I understood them, felt for them, worried for them.
It’s also a genuinely fun book. Drama aside, Maya and Skye’s interactions are delightful, especially the closer they get to each other. The other girls join in on it too, at times. Perrie, especially, is wonderful. She’s definitely one of my favorites in this.
10/10 if you like drama, getting back at shitty ex-boyfriends, and girls loving girls (both in the gay way and the platonic way).

I must be the luckiest person alive because I got an early copy of this book on NetGalley and once again Sophie Gonzales has outdone herself. I was a bit worried because I am really not a fan of reality tv, but I did not have to fear. She took the basic concept of reality tv and enhanced it with dynamic characters and an entertaining plot. I immediately fell in love with Maya and Skye and despised Jordy, so it was delightful to watch them fall in love and work together and take him down. I also did not expect to care so much for the side characters in this book, but as annoying as some of them were I couldn’t help but root for them. Sophie Gonzales cemented herself at the top of my favorite authors list with We Are Never Getting Back Together.

What’s the best way to get back at your cheating ex? Go on a reality TV show to compete against all his other exes to get back together with him, win, and then publicly reject him. That’s Maya’s plan, anyway, when she agrees to go on Second Chance Romance despite never wanting to get back together with Jordy. All she wants is revenge. She isn’t going to give him or Skye, the girl he cheated on her with, a chance. Except it turns out Skye isn’t that bad. In fact, Maya really likes her. Will her second chance at romance end up being with someone she never could have expected?

This was a relatively lighthearted romance told in alternating first person chapters between Maya and Skye’s points of view. The romance doesn’t actually take up much of the book, and to be honest, I didn’t see a lot of chemistry building between Maya and Skye throughout the story. I’ve read some of Sophie Gonzales’s previous books, If This Gets Out and Only Mostly Devastated, and I believed the relationship in both of those books more than in this one, so I’m not sure what this disconnect was for me here. I did really love that their relationship started as enemies, turned to friendship, and then grew into a romance over the course of time. I also loved the friendships they had with the other contestants on the show, who each had unique personalities.

I think one thing that really didn’t work for me was the alternating chapters. I usually love seeing both sides of the story in a romance, but I kept losing track of whose chapter it was. Despite being very different people, Maya and Skye’s voices were so similar that their narration felt the same. Again, I don’t recall having that issue with If This Gets Out, which also had alternating chapters, but that may be a different case as it was written with a cowriter. I think this book may have worked better for me if it had just been from Maya’s point of view. Most of the interesting content comes from her, and we could have seen a lot of what Skye had been feeling by showing it through the eyes of Maya, who was so focused on revenge that it would have been clear to see why she didn’t understand how Skye was feeling even if the audience did.

That said, the concept was fun (if cringey at time when it was clear Maya was being set up to be embarrassed) and it’s always a good time to see a group of girls take revenge on a guy who was absolutely terrible to them. I was a little worried the end wouldn’t feel satisfying, but I ended up really liking it.

Overall, not the most chemistry-filled romance I’ve read, but an easy, enjoyable read. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

This is one of my most anticipated 2022 reads and it did not disappoint!

First off, this book is amazing and has a trifecta of greatness: Taylor Swift title reference (starts playing WANEGBT (TV)), Sophie Gonzales (who honestly can write no wrong), Girls joining forces against their awful ex (and falling for each other!).

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a book you can't put down. It may be part Bachelor-esque dating show and part revenge story, but it has a lot of heart, too. There's a lot of girls supporting girls moments and it's just nice seeing characters with decent support systems.

I loved Maya and Skye both individually and together! I loved how their relationship developed! Plus the other girls (who had the misfortune of dating Jordy) were pretty cool! Perrie kind of stole the show in moments, and we love her for it!

Also, the characters are all eighteen or older, so Never Getting Back Together almost feels like a young New Adult book. Most, if not all, of the characters are out of high school. Skye and Maya are trying to navigate life post-high school. It's kind of neat to see this YA/NA adjacent part of life play a background role in a YA novel!

All in all, if you like revenge stories or secretly (or not-so secretly) root for the girl to ditch the jerk guy and date her romantic rival instead, add Never Ever Getting Back Together to your TBR!

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC! I really appreciate the opportunity to read NEGBT! Thank y'all so much!

*4.5

I really enjoyed this book and seeing the relationship develop between Maya and Skye. I do think that they should have actually talked about their feelings a bit more but besides that I loved it. Also Jordy is such a piece of shit.

I received an arc through netgalley.