Thank you to the publisher for reaching out to me to read this! I loved it! I've been a fan of the bachelor for a long time and I love books like this. Can't wait to get my greedy little hands on a hard copy of this!

Recommended: sure
for a cute reality-show-esque love story, for vengeance satisfactory, for characters who make bad choices often but you can love them anyway

Thoughts:
People say it's not about the journey, but the destination. In the case of this book, the destination is also incredibly satisfying. What I'm saying is I really liked the ending. This story is based on vengeance, and vengeance comes up constantly as it's the main focus for one of the MCs (at least one!). That comes with all the drama required of sacrifices made to pursue vengeance and questioning what truly matters in life. In this case, I enjoyed the way each character came to their final decisions, and the "results" of it all in terms of the show.

Of course, the journey was also wonderful! I loved meeting each contestant and hearing about how they connected to the main in question. Seeing them connect with each other was way more satisfying, though. The premise of a dude's house full of ex-girlfriends is obviously going to spark some drama, and that was certainly here, but there was an impressive amount of measuredness and level-headed decisions as well. It prevented it from falling into areas that were too angry or vindictive to be able to enjoy it or root for anyone. By the end, I'm pretty sure I loved all of them (barring that douche).

The best word I can use for this book is satisfying. And I mean that in a way that evokes smug smiles, and perfectly silky chocolate cake, and the fading notes of your favorite song. It's just... everything is done right. It feels like exactly the story it needed to be, and it was genuinely just so fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review. /26/arc-review-never-ever-getting-back-together/

Never Ever Getting Back Together meets 18(ish) year old Bachelor and contestants. Sophie Gonzales’s writing kept me interested throughout the story and rooting for two unlikely heroines to came to important conclusions.

Maya’s ex boyfriend, crown Prince Jordy, cheated on her. Since, she’s forever thinking of him as the bastard liar who can convince anyone to go on a date with him. Skye cannot keep her feelings quiet after Jordy sweetly tells her that she is everything that he needed.

One day, both girls get a call from Second-Chance Romance, the show where a bachelor gets another shot with his ex loves. Off to a mansion in the beautiful countryside, Maya is clear she wants to take Jordy down and show audiences his true colors. Skye just wants to see if the “spark” they felt is still present. As we all may know in reality television, buckle up. Things are about to go on a wild ride.

I enjoyed and felt amused reading Gonzales’s latest: Never Ever Getting Back Together. Gonzales has a way of crafting characters to make you care about them and I appreciate how she writes in her bisexual characters. However; I do feel that the plot would have worked a lot better if the characters were in their twenties and not of a young age.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and will be gifting and/or buying my own copy soon. Overall, the reviews for it seem positive, but I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t hit an average of at least 4 full stars yet. It was funny, an excellent mix of lighthearted and serious with a balanced emphasis on humour, romance, and angst plus, as you might expect, a solid HEA ending. I could not stand the main male character, which I know was the point; he’s charming but also horrible, and many people likely know (or know of) someone very similar. The main romance was a fairly slow burn/enemies to friends to lovers situation, and I really enjoyed it. The book actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times, and I ended up a lot more invested in the story’s events than I expected to be. I read and really enjoyed a previous book from this writer, though, so I shouldn’t be surprised. This novel was definitely a fun rom-com win for me, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I love some snarky inner thoughts and Maya had those in spades.

Never Ever Getting Back Together was an interesting concept: two girls go on a dating reality TV show and fall for each other instead of the bachelor they are competing for. Although Maya just wants to win for REVENGE, as all the contestants on this show are ex-girlfriends of the “star,” Jordy.

Maya and Skye start as enemies and obviously turn into fade-to-black lovers, but I did wonder where the relationship progression was. It seemed like they were enemies, and then they realized Jordy had played them both, and then they were “casual” lovers, but why? Their chemistry was lacking, but that may have had to do with the fact Never Ever Getting Back Together was YA and these characters were all 18-20 and SO YOUNG.

I still loved the dialogue and laughed out loud multiple times. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and came to really love these characters…even though they were both so stubborn at times.

Another entertaining read by Sophie Gonzales.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is a fun, YA romance about a dating show. I enjoyed this book and the behind-the-scenes look at a dating show.

Story Recap:
Maya can’t escape her ex-boyfriend, Jordy after Jordy’s sister married the crown prince of a small European country. Jordy is now one of the most eligible bachelors in America. However, the world doesn’t know that Jordy is a cheating liar, and Maya wants to destroy him after he broke her heart two years ago. So when Maya is approached to do a dating show with Jordy as the “prize” bachelor, she immediately refuses. But, after thinking about it, she realizes this is the perfect chance to expose Jordy for the lying cheat that he is. Once she gets on the show, she meets Skye, the “other” woman that Jordy was seeing at the same time as Maya. At first, Maya despises Skye, but once they compare stories, they realize that Jordy was cheating on both of them at the same time. Maya and Skye bond and form a plan to work together to take down Jordy.

My Thoughts:
At first, I thought that Maya’s need for revenge was a bit over the top, but as I got to know Maya better, I began to understand her need for revenge a bit better. I liked Skye the best, she has such a good heart and seems to balance Maya’s cynicism really well. Jordy was horrible, but he made a good villain for the story.

I liked the behind-the-scenes of a dating show, and in this case, I thought it sounded very authentic. What I especially liked was the way the producers could easily change the narrative and the perceptions of the participants. It was very clear that the show participants didn’t have much input into how they were portrayed and how these types of shows can be easily manipulated in order to please the audience.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Never Ever Getting Back Together to anyone who enjoys YA romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a cute take on YA, a take on reality TV geared more towards a young adult audience. It was a unique concept. A new dating show is premiering and it's all about re-exploring your past relationships. So when the famous Jordy, brother to a newly crowned princess, is picked to be the first lead of the series he starts calling up his exes.

One of those exes is Maya, a girl he dated for two years before cheating on her, dumping her, and then lying and spreading rumors about her. To say she's not interested is an understatement. Maya is not going to re-date the lying and manipulative Jordy and expose herself to heartache and humiliation again. Unless...

Unless Maya can flip the script, get Jordy to fall for her again and then eviscerate him in the finale. With that goal in mind she signs up. What she doesn't expect is that the girl Jordy cheated with, Skye, would be there too. This immediately throws Maya and she can't keep her anger and hurt in check.

Skye is here to see if the fleeting romance she had with Jordy might work out. He had certainly made her feel great when they dated and she knew that their relationship ended when Jordy had to move away. She doesn't expect this unhinged ex Maya to be there though. With a warning from Jordy to be careful of her and her manipulation, Skye prepares to defend herself and Jordy to Maya's claims. Why is she even here?

Much to their dismay Skye and Maya end up roommates. When their emotions boil over, Maya and Skye realize whose to blame for the contention: Jordy. They start working together to get the other contestants against Jordy to take him down once and for all.

But Skye and Maya don't expect all that comes out of this reality tv show excursion they've ended up on.

Gonzales wrote a fun and quick paced YA novel. I felt the development of Skye and Maya's relationship was really believable and genuine. The characters were realistic and flawed but not unlikeable (except for maybe Jordy).

Honestly I didn’t know much about this story going into it… so at first I was like UGH a love triangle… but boy was I in for a surprise. I honestly really liked the story it was cute and fun and gave such good bachelor/bachelorette vibes.

The bi representation in this was so cute! Oh my goodness!
I felt like I was watching the reality tv show with some popcorn! I was eating up the drama the scheming and all the fun crazy things these girls came up with to get back at jordy and the fact that this made the girls bond and basically fall in love for one another leaving jordy in the dust. I truly enjoyed this read. I freaking loved mayas character and personality. She is so outspoken and witty! And skye is so sweet and intelligent. The way these girls teamed up to get back at their ex on a reality tv show wow loved it all. I also really like Isaac and Perrie, their part in all of this was fun to read about as well. The romance the drama all of it!

I really enjoyed this one, but of course give me any book that’s about a woman who sets out to get revenge on her ex, only to fall in love in the process, and I will be happy. The twist with this book though? She falls for the woman that her ex cheated on her with. Do you see the vision? Sheer. Brilliance.

I loved Skye and Maya’s relationship. While I was worried that the animosity between them, and the rift that was caused between all the girls by default, would be drawn out too long, they were able to clear the air pretty early on in the story.

Now let’s talk about Jordy. Talk about the most PUNCHABLE character in any book ever. That boy was so manipulative he gave me the ick from the moment he was introduced. While I was glad that Maya put Skye and their relationship first by the end of the story, I was also endlessly happy that he got his comeuppance (Petrie will forever be my Queen).

If you want a fun and heartwarming love story with some amazing female friendships, then be sure to check this one out!

4.5/5⭐️

I LOVED this!!! A gay romance mixed with a new take on the Bachelor? I’m in!! Plus, it was dual POV and I’m an absolute sucker for dual POV so thank you Sophie Gonzales for giving me what I absolutely love!
This book was funny and entertaining and I couldn’t find it in me to put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed this!!!

So I don't watch these type of shows on TV, so I think that influenced my view of this novel.

Ok so it seems absurd that people as young as these characters are already chasing " A Second Chance at Love" on a reality show with their teen romances. All of the contestants are barely adults, and honestly they don't know a thing about love as they were just going steady and apparently being cheated on by the male suitor on the show.

And, the male lead is just awful. Honestly would a royal family let a member of their family on show where women are bad mouthing him and divulging his dirty little secrets.

I'm NOT the demographic for this novel, and I did not enjoy this read.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the complimentary copy.

i've been going back and forth on whether or not to rate this book a three or four star. for now, i've landed on three stars, but who knows. there's always a chance i'll think more on it and change it later.

but, what i can say for now is that i really did enjoy my time with this story. sophie gonazlaes knows how to write a funny and quick-read story, that's for sure. i felt like i flew through this story, and enjoyed my time with it. and after reading another of her releases earlier this year i think it's so interesting to see how she likes to write about individuals in famous (or, i guess, famous to be) positions. i'm not a fan of bachelor-type shows but this was still entertaining. and the concept of following participants in these shows go down avenues of not following the expected outcome of dating shows, will continue to fascinate me.

i do, however, wish this book was aged up to a new-adult age group. i just think a lot more could have been accomplished considering we are following college-aged characters. i wish we were able to see more of the consequences of jordy's actions and just more about the actual issues that maya went through before the start of these events. it felt almost too pushed aside for the love-story. which is definitely fine, because it is a ya contemporary. but yeah, it's something i would've loved to see more of. i also wish we were able to spend more time with the group of girls, getting to know them and see more of their blossoming friendships. but, even without those extra moments, i appreciated that they stuck with each other and supported each other, even after a rocky start.

i think, overall, if you're a fan of ya books but also love the bachelor (or the many dating reality shows), this will be a fun and interesting read.

Probably actually 3.5 stars. I didn't fall in love with this book as much as I was hoping to based on the premise and how much I loved Perfect on Paper. However, once I got to the point where Maya and Skye started working together, I ended up having a pretty good time reading it. There's just as much fun as the premise promises, and there's a great cast of characters. The plot had a few moments that I couldn't quite buy into, but also really great parts that got me really invested in the story. Overall, an enjoyable read that just didn't quite live up to my probably-too-high hopes.

CW: manipulation, gaslighting, sexism, infidelity

I have loved anything that I've read from this author and this one was no exception. This is a "The Bachelor" inspired book and it was so funny and cute. I loved all the girls in the book and the relationships that they had with each other. The sapphic romance that was at the forefront of this book was very cute and I was rooting for them throughout.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this sapphic, revenge fueled romance. The reality show of it all was done so well and was a really clever setting. I loved Sophie Gonzales’ writing and banter.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise is that it is a reality show bringing one man's ex-girlfriends back for a -Second Chance Romance.

Jordy is the primary contestant and they bring back about 6 women that dated him in the past. Some willingly and some that had to be coerced. It sounded like they portrayed the whole reality experience pretty accurately. A few of the women are their for the attention, a few are there to see if there is a chance and a few are there for revenge.

Jordy's true colors are exposed to some and friendships and more are formed among the women. I liked the some of the relationships around them and the fluidity among them, but it was a little bit too predictable.

One of these days I’m going to read an unproblematic Sapphic story that does not center men.

I’m an avid reader trying to branch out into Sapphic reads. And though I’m looking for a love story between two women, I keep picking up books where that love story is overshadowed by a man. Never Ever Getting Back together is one such story.

I remember reading the blurb for this book and thinking the premise was cute. But I didn’t think beyond that, so I’m not sure how I expected this one to play out. Almost immediately - just as soon as the MCs arrived in the fictional country where the reality TV show was to be filmed - I became wary. When reading books featuring female characters, I prefer those stories where women join together and support each other. This book is about division and a group of young women tearing each other down in order to capture the attention of lying, manipulative man.

Great. Just wanted I wanted. A story about women that centers men. /s

Indeed, Jordy is centered throughout the book all the way through the closing paragraphs of the epilogue. The women in this book spend so much time thinking about Jordy and scheming to spend time with Jordy that Jordy himself completely eclipses everything else about this book, including the romance.

If you want to read about love between two women, give this one a pass. If you want to read about a really gross royal prince and what everyone thinks about him, this one is for you.

This book had me CACKLING! Oh my gosh, I can totally see what @nuclearfiction has been talking about over the past couple of weeks here because this book was hilarious. The drama, there was so much and it was so unnecessary but it made it so much better of a read. I loed it. I laughed and I laughed HARD as I was reading this book.

The amount of miscommunication had me absolutely cringing. Like, all the girls had to talk to one another and none of this would have been an issue. Honestly, Jordy was not worth all of the problems that arose throughout the course of the book. Who knew that a reality show as a book was exactly what I needed at this moment in time.

Overall, this book was hilarious and made me love Maya, Skye, Perrie and all of the other girls as well. There were some rough moments for sure and there were definitely more than one cringey thing that happened, but honestly those moments just added so much more to the plot that it was totally worth it! If you love reality tv shows, this is definitely the book for you! Its just unbelievable enough to be believable.

⚠️TW: toxic relationship, gaslighting, infidelity, abandonment, cursing, misogyny, biphobia, bullying, car accident

Having read Perfect on Paper and loved it, I was eager to read this. A spin off of The Bachelor but with ex girlfriends and no roses. I thought the age of the characters were a little young. It would have felt more realistic if everyone was about 5 to 10 yrs older. I loved how the story went as it was unpredictable. Very entertaining.