This didn’t feel like a YA concept. I think this would’ve worked much better as a new adult book, or even with characters slightly older than that.

So much didn't work here for me. I could not connect to the characters for starters, which is always a death kneel for a book. Part of that just boils down to the age of the characters. They were written as just out of high school (side note, I did not realize this, or I would not have requested this book - I do not enjoy YA), had YA level drama, but also had moments of acting like more NA aged characters. I think this would have worked a lot better if they had been written up a few years - like keep the same basic story, but with characters in their mid 20s, and write them with the life experience and emotional maturity of characters in their mid 20's.

It was cute. I requested it for the Taylor swift title. I am not a huge romance reader but sometimes it's nice to break things up with a simple romance and that's what this was used for and it did its job.

2 stars for the bi rep!!

unfortunately this book just fell flat to me. I really enjoyed the premise but overall the relationship between maya and skye felt very rushed to the point i couldnt really connect with the characters.

hope to read some of sophie's other works as i did enjoy their writing style.

thank you to netgalley and st. martins press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, this was kind of sad for me! I wanted to love it. Really, I tried. I was so intrigued by the second chance dating show. Then to see it’s going to have even more drama.

Maya is just kind of rude and Skye is hard to like. The book felt slow at times, and I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. It just seemed like the book was almost going to be amazing, but it wasn’t quite there. I just think it was hard for me to believe the romance when it had been done kind of like… oh. And I know you’re meant to hate Jordy, but it was just a lot of frustration on my end.

I love this author, and I would read more of her works. This one didn’t work for me, but it may work for those who like happy endings and based off reality tv.

This book was a sweet easy read, and a fun twist on a classic theme. I enjoyed that for the two female main characters, Maya and Skye, being gay isn’t “a whole thing.” They both already know they are. 10/10.

the reason this book isn’t a 5-star is that it was a bit bland. It’s missing a certain level of intensity and emotion. It’s not surprising or incredibly funny. The drama is engrossing but predictable. I would recommend this book to anyone someone who is feeling a bit delicate and wants a soft book with enough drama to keep them entertained, and a happy ending.

This book was so entertaining! I loved that it was set up like a reality show but with a twist. Jordy is trying for a second chance at love with his ex-girlfriends. Except Jordy is awful!!! Maya and Skye are two of the ex-girlfriends and after clearing up a miscommunication, their friendship and relationship grows.
I'm so glad this was dual POV between Maya and Skye so I knew what both of them were thinking and feeling. I switched between the book and audiobook and really enjoyed this one!

This book was archived before I was able to read it. I'll have to check it out from the library sometime.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is an NA romance book about Maya and Skye, both of whom dated the same guy, Jordi, and got invited to a reality TV show where they get a chance to win him back. Except Maya isn't there to win him back, she's there to get revenge.

I am a BIG Sophie Gonzales fan. I’ve read all of her YA romance books and loved each more than the last. If you haven’t read Perfect on Paper and If This Gets Out, you’re truly missing out. This also meant that my expectations coming into this book were really high, but I’m really sad to say it was a bit of a disappointment.

👍
+ This was quite a fun read. It was funny and easy to read. Especially if you like reality TV, I’m sure you will find this very entertaining. It reminded me of The Charm Offensive in the way it was a forbidden romance within reality TV and bashing the industry for how fake it is.
+ Bi main characters getting revenge! In this sense, it was kind of like Payback’s a Witch.
+ The main guy was such a big asshole, like a misogynistic psychopath (not really exaggerating). This made the revenge aspects of the book feel quite satisfying. Though I wish there was even more!
+ I liked a lot of the side characters in the show. Especially Perrie and Isaac were the most interesting characters IMO (even more than the main characters).

👎
-I didn't understand why this wasn't an adult romance, the concept of second chance at love just doesn't work when you're talking about 18-20 year olds.
- I couldn't connect to either of the main characters. They felt one dimensional, in a way that I couldn't even tell their chapters apart.
- For me the romance seemed to come out of nowhere. Knowing what the pairing was gonna be, I was looking for signs for their growing attraction to each other, but it seemed like after a few “she's hot” comments, we jumped into them kissing.
- There's so much girl hate, especially at the beginning. It does go away but can we just not? Can we just move on from it, especially in this day and age...

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5, rounded down

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

This story was delightful!

I loved the concept, and the characters. It was so fun to read. I’m always a fan of a bachelor-esque plot, and this one did not disappoint.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a love letter to hate mail for ex-boyfriends. If you have ever read a book or watched a love triangle movie and just thought “Screw that dude just date each other” That is this book. In general this book is just ridiculous fun. I read it in a day.

The story was entertaining and I think fans of the reality dating shows will enjoy it. I really had a problem with the characters ages though, this just didn't seem realistic for 18 year olds. These girls all dated Jordy when they were young teens....the concept just seems more fitting if the characters were all like 10 years older.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this eARC!

I enjoyed the story overall, I am not much of a reality tv person but I actually really enjoyed that aspect of this book, especially with the fun twist. I also loved that it was LGBTQ+. Of course I was drawn to the book by its title, it is very memorable. The cover is also very cute and would stand out to me at the bookstore.

The only thing that was very minor for me was Skye and Maya's age. In my head I kept picturing them as girls in their mid 20's even though they were 18. It seemed to me like they were a little young to be going on a dating reality tv show, but honestly after the beginning of the book I didn't really think about it much. So if that is something that you think will bother you, or has once you've started the book, I encourage you to keep reading because it ends up not being an issue.

I loved the ending, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

This was my first Sophie Gonzales book and I'm excited to check out more.

I adored the premise of Never Ever Getting Back Together. I've never been a big fan of shows like The Bachelor but when I saw this was about two of the contestants falling in love I knew I had to read it. Happy to report that Sophie Gonzales did not disappoint.

Maya and Skye find themselves on a second chance dating show, despite the fact that neither of them really wants their ex back. Which is valid as Jordy is no special gem. In fact all of these girls are better off without him. They're pitted against each other immediately as Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye, and we know how the shows love to up the drama! This puts Maya and Skye in the same room, much to their dismay.

Maya wants vengeance and sometimes this was frustrating as she could see nothing else. She has harbored anger against Jordy for years, and Gonzales did a great job of making that come through,

I loved as they started to work things out and realize that they have feelings for each other, which sets a lot of other things in motion, and I was here for all of it.

My only issue is this is classified as YA, and the main characters are 18 or just over 18, but it read older, I wish they had just been in their early 20's instead, with a little life experience.

Rating: 3.75/5⭐️

It's been two years since Maya's ex-boyfriend cheated on her, and she still can't escape him: his sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and he captured hearts as her charming younger brother. If the world only knew the real Jordy, the manipulative liar who broke Maya's heart. Skye Kaplan was always cautious with her heart until Jordy said all the right things and earned her trust. Now his face is all over the media and Skye is still wondering why he stopped calling.

When Maya and Skye are invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance, they're whisked away to a beautiful mansion-along with four more of Jordy's exes- to compete for his affections while the whole world watches.

I had a lot of high expectations for this book… I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary romance but I thought the reality show on it would quirk things up - and it did! However, there were some characters/situations that made me feel a bit so-so about it… and therefore the 3.75!

First of all, I can say with all my heart that I despise Jordy. He’s the epitome of trashy boy/men. Like seriously, the disrespect that guy has for all of the girls is horrendous and I wanted to punch him every time he was either on the scene or called them “chicks”. And he made it sound so derogatory! The author truly accomplished in writing the most trashy guy I’ve ever read about!

I felt (and this is my personally view) that they could have been older. It felt a little off when someone says that Jordy commented that some of the girls were bad bed-partners, when actually, they were dating when they were all like 15? It just felt very off and wrong.

I liked the queer romance in it, it was a nice plot twist as you go in expecting one of them to end up with Jordy but actually he’s a waste of air and they pick themselves! So that was a plus!

Absolutely loved this. I’m a huge fan of Sophie Gonzales and this didn’t disappoint. I love a book set on a reality dating show, and I really loved the enemies to friends to lovers scenario we had here. I really liked the dual POV and watching the journey of these two girls. I raced through this in two days and it was such a great time.

Never Ever Getting Back Together, by Sophie Gonzales follows two protagonists, Maya and Skye. Maya and Skye have one thing in common: they both dated Jordy, who is both incredibly obnoxious, and incredibly famous (since his sister married the crown prince of the minor European country Chalonne). Then, they both get invited to go on Second Chance Romance, a reality show where the exes of one person are all brought together to get a second chance for their relationship. Maya, however, doesn’t go on the show to find romance. She goes on to get her revenge on Jordy after he cheated on her with Skye. Maya wants to expose Jordy for who he really is to the world, but while she’s on the show, she ends up finding an unexpected romance of her own.

I really liked how the book switched point of view every few chapters. Maya and Skye are so different, and have such different personalities that it adds a lot to the depth of the book to have it told from the different perspectives. The two girls also have really great chemistry, and their personalities mix perfectly.

Maya is a fascinating, frustrating, and truly endearing protagonist. There were times when I just wanted her to slow down, that she took things too far and got out of control. But she was also real, and her emotions were always so vivid. It’s hard not to root for her, and it’s also hard to stand by her every decision. She is complex in a way that draws you to her character even more.

Skye is more rational a lot of the time, and is truly the opposite of Maya. Her complexities stem from trying to understand why Maya despises her so much at first, to realizing what actually happened, and how Jordy wasn’t in any way the boy she thought she knew. I really enjoyed reading about Skye’s character, and reading from her perspective. She’s thoughtful and empathetic, but also knows how to prioritize herself, and what she knows what’s best for her well being.

And onto the boy the whole reality show is centered around: the extremely despicable Jordy.

Sophie Gonzales does an absolutely amazing job making him sound like a truly terribly guy, to the point where everything he says is hilariously stupid.

“My life was already good, you know? I was born good-looking and rich. Everything was easier before I
became nobility.”

When Maya corrected him with “you’re not nobility,” he just brushed her off with a simple “close enough.”

Even while insanely rich and at the top of the world, Jordy even exaggerates his own standing. Then, he goes off and complains about how hard it is to be so famous and well known. He’s insufferable, and it’s honestly very entertaining.

And the main characters weren’t the only ones who got depth and complexity. The other girls on the show, and members of the crew of Second Chance Romance were all brought to life in a way that made the book feel like I was getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the show.

Perrie, Kim and the other girls all had their own backstories, their own experiences with Jordy, and their own reasons for being on the show. I particularly liked Perrie, and her friendship with Maya. She was a really interesting character, and one who I liked reading about.

Another character I loved was Isaac, who worked on the show and was Maya and Skye’s supervisor. He gave a neat look into the inner workings of the production of the show, and he was also hilarious.

“Let me guess: You get a bonus if one of us wins?” I ask. “If one of you wins, you’ll be sending me and my
boyfriend to Phuket for Christmas.”

And a true highlight of the novel was all the stuff related to the show’s production company. From endless references to other reality shows the company had produced, to the invitation that the girls received to be on the show, it was all fantastic.

The host of the show, Grayson Gains (who none of the characters have actually heard of) is referenced to have worked on the shows Velveeta or Volcano, and Marrying the Enemy. And we can’t forget Cooking Under Constant Criticism, which he apparently also was the host of.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is from the FAQs in the email invitation to be on the show, and Maya and her sister Rosie’s reaction to it.

Yes! All of our contestants are paid in memories, laughter, and, if they’re lucky, a healthy dose of
romance! How can you put a price on the chance to find true love? It’s worthless! “I think they mean
priceless,” Rosie stage-whispers. “That, or they’ve gotten to know Jordy,” I say lightly.

As well as being hilarious and full of amazing jokes, the writing is descriptive and delicate, and brings a lot of depth to all the characters, and to the storyline.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is fast paced, which I found to be really nice. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump over the past few months, and it was refreshing to read a book that was so fun, and that moved so quickly.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is hilarious, well written, and is full of characters with vivid stories and emotional depth. If you’re looking for an entertaining and fast paced sapphic YA romantic comedy, this book is for you!

This was SO CUTE. I don't read a lot of YA anymore but if they were all as good as this one, I would get back into it. The perfect mix of tame romance with a bit of spice, and the cutest, sweetest, most lovable characters, with bi women featured at the center of it all - so much fun. AND a revenge plot, and a bunch of women (teenagers really) getting along with each other rather than having catty drama - what a joy. I loved everything about this book.

I can't get over how much I loved this book.

An homage to Taylor Swift in the title? Yesss.

Enemies to lovers where the enemies share an evil ex? Yep!

Reality TV show drama? Mhhm.

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER focuses on Maya and Skye, two exes of celebrity Jordy who have been asked to join a reality TV show where he dates his exes to see if he rekindles his relationship with one of them.

This checks so many of my boxes and manages to make a point about toxicity -- of tabloids, of reality tv, of some relationships, of how we pit women against each other -- while still being a fun read with joy and fun. I'm not sure I've ever hated a villain as much as I hate Jordy, the girls' ex, and I read a lot of thrillers.

I would say it's more NA than YA -- and I love NA so that worked well for me.

My only complaint about the book is that the storyline around Jordy being the brother of a princess felt very unnecessary and dropped in.

Thank You Netgalley and Wednesday books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Maya gets a call to be on a show for a chance to get back together with her ex she says no way do I want the chance. Then she realizes this is her chance to get revenge on him.

Skye who is also another contestant is warned by the bachelor that Maya will also be on the show and that she is a crazy ex who might have it out for Skye for helping Jordy cheat on Maya.

I liked the behind the scenes on how a reality show might work. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The chemistry just wasn’t real with any of them. Just seemed very juvenile.