This one didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. The story was predictable. I ended up skimming a lot. I was expecting more from the ending.

Sophie Gonzales was one of those authors who I was delighted to discover this year and I am so excited to see where she goes from here. Never Ever Getting Back Together is a fun sapphic enemies-to-lovers story that keeps readers entertained from the first page to the last.

Maya's ex-boyfriend cheated on her two years ago, then went on to charm the world when his sister married the crown prince of some European country or another. She's over him, but she wouldn't turn down the opportunity for revenge. Skye, meanwhile, never got over the boy who ghosted her after working his way past all of the walls she keeps around her heart. So when both of them are invited to compete on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance for the opportunity to win back Jordy's heart, they jump at the opportunity - for very different reasons. Along the way, they'll find out that maybe a relationship with Jordy isn't the real prize, after all.

Gonzalez can absolutely write a delightful story. Maya is so witty and sharp (sometimes to her detriment) but so open with her heart, while Skye is her perfect counterpoint, kind and loving and so afraid to let people get too close. Their enemies-to-lovers story is perfect. Jordy, meanwhile, is the intolerable, insufferable asshole we all expect him to be. The setting of some random rented mansion surrounded by production for a TV show is delightfully hilarious to read about.

Genuinely the only downside for this story is that it felt like it could have been written as an NA book instead of YA. The idea of a bunch of teenagers in a mansion filming a Bachelor-esque reality show, but with all of the naughty bits only hinted at, just felt a little off.

I have enjoyed every single one of Sophie Gonzales’ books, this one being no exception. I love the character-building in her stories and the LGBTQ themes without shoving it down your throat. They are simply characters in the story. I eagerly anticipate each new book and have been thoroughly satisfied each time.

As a thank you to Wednesday Books, and Netgalley I’m sharing my thoughts on Sophie Gonzales' latest novel, Never Ever Getting Back Together. I reviewed the audiobook as well and listened to the novel while following along .The novel follows (Natalie Naudus and Barrie Kreinik) Maya and Skye and their path to rekindle a prior romance in a reality based television show. However, love is not a linear path and finds love for each other during the process. During the novel it often was difficult to distinguish them as their individual voices did not stand out. If the characters were to be aged a little perhaps in their late twenties would have been the premise of them returning to each other that much more captivating. The characters were teenagers when they met and does not allow enough time to have past for they to have grown as people. The novel was enjoyable but not one I would re-read like Gonzales past works. I gave this novel a 3 star on goodreads.

DNF at 50%. Thank you to Wednesday books and Netgalley for the advance reading copy. I loved the premise - two women competing for a man on a dating show but fall for each other instead. However, the execution just didn’t work for me and I wasn’t feeling connected. I would set it down and forget that I was reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

This one was a rollercoaster for me. A lot of ups and downs.

It wasn’t a bad book by any means, I think I’ll call it “user error” in that I’m definitely not in the demographic this story is meant for.

I enjoyed Skye, she was much more realistic and interesting. Maya was a bit cringey for the first half of the book. I just have a very difficult time imagining 18 year olds in this situation and even handling it how they did.

I adore Sophie Gonzales’ books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.

If you love dating shows and drama this book is for you!

This was a cute love triangle story is was what would happen if the love triangle ditched the guy. This book is filled with that reality show style drama that so many people can’t get enough of. It’s your weekly guilty pleasure in book form.

A really well done enemies to lovers/romance novel. I really enjoyed the plot line and the reality show element of it. It was also a really fast read.

I really enjoyed this! It was an interesting idea, that a guy whose SISTER is with a prince is somehow this huge celebrity (sort of like Pippa Middleton) and he’s deserving of a reality show. And of course he’s not the picture that’s painted! I love the idea of this book. Some of it felt a little too fast and easy, but I still enjoyed it!

I really wanted to love this. Dating shows and LGBT representation, sign me up! Not to mention the title is a Taylor Swift song. Swoon. My main problem with the book is I couldnt tell if this was YA or new adult, the writing felt stilted and it just didn't work for me. I didn't really like any of the characters. I did like the dating show premise and thought the author did a great job at explaining how dating shows work. How they are toxic, isolating and .. fake. Although this wasnt a favorite I will look out for more by Sophie

I’m conflicted.. I really wanted to love this book, but I have some serious problems with it, is it YA? Is it Adult? 18 and has enough women to have a Bachelor type show? I just don’t buy into it, make them 28 and we have a different story, at least something I can believe, I like enjoy YA, but I guess I’m not ready for The Teenage Bachelor. All of that aside, I thought the characters were underdeveloped, and the story felt a little disjointed.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley which I voluntarily reviewed.

Girls getting revenge on their crappy ex and finding love?! What more can you ask for?? Never Ever Getting Back Together is a fun reality dating show story. Maya and Skye (told from both of their perspectives) are both ex’s of Jordy - the royal princess by marriage brother. They both decide to go on the show with different ideas on what they want/need from Jordy. Things go a bit crazy and feelings get tangled and you just fall in love with these characters ! So much fun and banter. Highly recommend

I adored this book!! This was a cover pick so I had no idea what it was about. My first thought was that it was Maya and Jordy rekindling their romance— then I met Jordy and was like ‘no way’. Skye was a fantastic character and I loved her dynamic with Maya, and their subsequent relationship. The characters really showed growth throughout this novel, which allowed them to start a healthy relationship together, free of the past.

And as I’m sure every reader does, I really liked how Jordy got what he deserved in the end.

3.75 stars ☆ The Taylor Swift reference <3. I don't have a lot to say about this book other than that I had so much fun reading this. Definitely recommend if you liked watching The Bachelor but make it sapphic. Skye and Maya are so so cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC !!

I can see why everyone says that this book is hilarious—it is quite funny!! However, some of the characters and the storyline fell flat for me. I don't think the premise is a good fit for YA, and it would have been much more believable to me if the characters were adults. Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much @WednesdayBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 29 November 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Jordy has been selected as the eligible bachelor for a second chance reality tv show where the goal is to rekindle the spark with his ex-girlfriends. Maya is one of those ex's & she was devastated when Jordy cheated on her with Skye. Skye thought they had broken up & also fell for Jordy, but he ghosted her. The girls are forced to room together & battle it out to win Jordy's affection again.

WHAT I LIKED:
- had very similar vibes to The Charm Offensive
- I'm a sucker for a reality tv romance show plot line (I'm currently binging Love Island & having the best time)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- Maya & Skye's relationship just didn't make sense to me. They have very little in common apart from both sharing the same ex-boyfriend & I didn't find myself rooting for them.
- it's also kind of odd that a teenage boy has so many ex-girlfriends (I think the characters should have been aged up to their mid 20s for the premise of this plot to make sense)
- there is a lot of girls hating on other girls which I could have done without
- Jordy is obviously cast as the villain but he truly had no redeeming qualities

I'm not at all a reality-tv watcher, but this behind the scenes look was really fun. The concept is fantastic - bringing the ex-girlfriends of one guy onto the show with him to see who can rekindle a romance, and then having two of them fall for each other is the love triangle resolution we all want to see (well, in addition to giving the jerk what he deserves). This is a laugh-out-loud drama-filled queer romance with an ending that made me want to cheer. Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advance digital copy!

This is a hard one. The story itself is cute, but the ages of the MCs threw me off a LOT. None of it seemed realistic for someone just out of high school. I think the book would have felt a LOT more natural if the characters were in their mid to late 20s.

This was a cute, fun quick paced romance book that I got through pretty quickly. Enemies to lovers/friends to lovers isn't really my typical trope but I really enjoyed this! It gave me "The Bachelor" vibes. Can't wait to read other novels by Sophie Gonzales.

Never Ever Getting Back Together mixed the best of the reality-tv dating show genre (a new trend in romcoms) and the second chance love story, with an amazing twist. It was fun, breezy, and the characters were great. I highly recommend it!