Have you ever read about a relationship where the two girls are fighting over the guy and you are TIRED of it because he's just not that great so why don't the girls just end up together? No, me either. Until now. I inhaled this book, it completely consumed me with its plot and my need to finally see this story written somewhere.

Never Ever Getting Back Together hits the nail on the head for The Bachelor fans and queer rom-com lovers everywhere. Maya agrees to a reality show to have a second chance with a garbage ex-boyfriend because she wants revenge, he did cheat after all. Skye goes on the show because maybe this time around, they can realize they are destined together. The two girls are thrown together and forced to confront the fact that Jordy cheated on Maya with Skye, but every story has two sides.. or three.

Gonzales does a decent job at characterization, Jordy is manipulative and gross and fully fleshed out in his narcissistic toxic ways. Maya is on a revenge rampage and Skye is just trying to figure out who to trust. Although there were moments where I felt like Maya's actions made sense because her motivations were developed, Skye was almost the opposite. I didn't understand her level of guardedness until we are just told she is that way and are made to accept it. Of course, over time it made sense, but in the beginning, it felt incredibly jarring compared to the way Gonzales has fleshed out the remaining cast. Additionally, there were moments when I couldn't tell the two apart because the number of discernable personality traits was limited. I knew Skye liked music and Maya liked swimming, that's it.

The pacing, tone, and plot were all well done. I loved the premise of two girls falling in love with one another instead of the boy they are meant to be fawning over. I also loved how unhinged Maya was (even if it got annoying at times - but hey, she's 18, so it made sense). I know the biggest concern is the genre, the characters and writing feel very YA so I am not sure why people are upset. I don't think the story would have lost or gained anything by aging it into a New Adult/Adult novel.

In this fun and refreshing twist on reality TV Maya and Skye are scorned exes of obscure royalty. They're both brought on the show to get a second-chance to rekindle their flame, but the pair end up falling for each other in the process. Told in dual POV, this queer new adult rom com has major Bachelor vibes and is perfect for fans of The Charm Offensive. I loved the sharp humor and the twist on a second-chance romance with Skye and Maya being enemies to co-conspirators to lovers . While I loved getting a glimpse into the dates on the show, the age of the characters was a tad confusing, as much of the plot revolved around drinking, even with most of the cast just graduating high school.

This was was SO FUN and so so good!

What I loved:
🌹Bachelor-style reality dating show
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ representation
🌱 Themes of growth and female friendship
🥊 Badass bitches getting shit DONE!

This was such a fun NA read with reality dating show vibes (watch this instead of binging Love is Blind Season 3 - thank me later!), girl power and female friendships, with a side of REVENGE and a lil sapphic romance. Jordy was the real villain of the story who you just loved to hate. All the girls "competing" for his love were amazing and I loved the friendships they struck up. Plus Issac the producer was such an amazing side character. This book was such a fast-paced, fun read with lots of twists and turns and was just FUN.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When their now famous ex-boyfriend asks them to participate in a teen reality show, two eighteen year old girls—one bent on revenge, the other open to rekindling romance—get tangled up in an unexpected twist when they fall for each other instead.

Picture the Bachelor but as a rom com and you will fall in love with this book as much as I did! I absolutely love Gonzales’s writing style! The humor in the writing and the dialogue was phenomenal and just draws the reader into the book! I was laughing out loud at some points and just loved the interactions between the different characters. I also LOVED the different POV because you could start to see the viewpoints from the different characters and understand a little bit more about their motivation.

She does a fantastic job with the characters and just make them so lively and energetic and she has a wonderful ability at bringing them to life. There were a few parts of the reality show that just seemed a little unrealistic to me at times and definitely made me wonder how it would actually be a real reality show, but overall I loved how she approached the show and the satire that she brought to it. Overall, this is such a cute book that I devoured and absolutely loved!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Sadly this one just didn't work for me and I couldn't finish it. I loved the author's earlier books, If This Gets Out and Perfect on Paper; both are excellent and I recommend them. This one was not.

The premise is excellent, but from the beginning I stumbled over details like the made-up country and the hyperbolic email sent to Maya by the producer of the reality show.

Also, how old can Jordie be if he dated two eighteen-year-old girls fairly recently? Surely no more than twenty-one or so? He seemed a bit young to have garnered enough attention to star in a Bachelor-style reality show. Ultimately the biggest issue for me was that this material would have been so much richer and more interesting with older characters. YA is the wrong genre for this book.

This last criticism is on me. I am allergic to this type of sexist reality show so I thought I would love to see the main character undermine it. But my allergy got in my way and I quit pretty early. I will still check out Sophie Gonzales's next book, though. She's too good an author not to.

Sophie Gonzales has done it again. I have read Sophie’s previous books and each time, I fall in love with how well it is written, the characters (besides Jordy), and the storylines that she comes up with. In this book, Never Ever Getting Back Together, Maya gets invited to join a reality tv show about her ex Jordy, trying to find love with his previous girlfriends. However, Jordy has badly scorned Maya, and she is out for revenge, but what she didn’t expect to do… fall in love with the person Jordy cheated on her with…

Never Ever Getting Back Together is for all reality tv fans who wish their was more queer representation, want a good laugh, as well as love a bit of chaos. I think my only critique was that I had hard time separating Maya from Skye in the first half of the book, due to this being an alternating pov book. I think they could have had more distinct voices/mannerisms, so they didn’t seem the same. However, overtime it did become more obvious and it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of this book! I found myself laughing several times throughout this book, and absolutely lived for how chaotic Maya was. I cannot wait to see what Sophie brings out in her next book, and I will definitely be preordering it!

Overall, this book was a 4.5/5!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

Type: Romantasy
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
🌶️
Age range: YA

Quotes:
- I’m the human equivalent of a blue screen.
- I’ve never wanted anything like I want her. Nothing could be enough. I could touch every inch of her, taste every surface, and I’d need to start it all over again.
- Just because she’s a morning person doesn’t mean she has to drag everyone else down with her.
- Getting this smile to stay on my face is like wrestling a lion into submission.
- “I’m sure Hans Christian Andersen was just about to start on the tale of the six princesses who battled to the death for the prince who’d already dumped their asses once,” Francesca says dryly. “That’s some real magical shit, there.”
- “Ah, so you intend to crush us into dust, but you’ll be nice about it?”
- “Let me be clear, Gwendolyn. I would rather be swallowed up into the bowels of hell and enter an arrangement with the fallen angel Lucifer than date Jordy Miller again.”

Review:
Get this book ASAP! If you like funny, romance, sarcasm (lots of sarcasm) and a few drop the jaw oh no moments this is a book for you. I hated that I had to stop reading to actually work because it had my attention and wanting to know what will happen next? Excellent read and will be reading this one again.

Tropes:
- Romantasy
- Hidden Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Close proximity

Two years ago Maya was cheated on by her now ex-boyfriend, Jordy. She's finally getting over the heartbreak, but she's still bitter at Jordy and the girl for cheating. Skye started dating Jordy right when he broke it off with Maya. Then one day he just stopped calling. She's never really gotten over him and wants to know why he just ghosted her.

Now Maya and Skye have been invited to be on a reality TV show called Second-Chance Romance with four more of Jordy's exes. Skye wants to win Jordy back, but Maya wants to expose Jordy for the cheating liar he is. As Maya and Skye spend their time competing on the show, they soon realize their happily ever after may not be what they were expecting.

I found the whole premise of this book to be very hard to believe. A group of six, 18-20 year olds on a dating show to vie for their old boyfriend who they were all once madly in love with. It's very hard to believe that they all were once in a meaningful relationship and fell madly in love with Jordy at such a young age. I found Jordy's character to be very unlikable. He was very narcissistic and manipulative. Maya and Skye spent a majority of the book hating each other, then all of a sudden, out of no where, they are attracted to each other with no type of meaningful relationship development having taken place between the two of them. There is very little character development, and the plot is not very interesting. The ending of the book was very awkward. The story just stopped, it really wasn't wrapped up very nicely.

4.5
oh my gosh, i genuinely loved this SO much. i loved the sapphic relationship, the taylor swift reference in the title, and even the silliness when maya was coming up with random names to call the band dude. that would usually annoy me, but, i don't know, i just loved this book so much. i think i could genuinely read every one of sophie gonzales' books. this was my favorite book of hers by a landslide. i really love the entire plot and concept of this book, and i loved the characters !! the plot/concept is filled with the exact characteristics that i really love and also some factors and things i've never read before. i'm definitely exacted for the books that will be released in the future by this author. i'm so glad i got this ARC, like, i was literally so thrilled when i saw it.
thank to st martin's press and netgalley for this ARC !

Very fun read! Sophia Gonzalves does it again with Never Ever Getting Back Together. Never Ever Getting Back Together is a mix between a feel good, romantic comedy, and reality television. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I found it to be fun and entertaining.

This one is an interesting concept, but it felt a little too close to other things I'd read recently to really get into the story. The characters were really entertaining!

If you’re a fan of the bachelor, or any other dating reality tv show, make this your next read! A unique twist on the average dating show with likable and relatable contestants. This novel is Karma by Taylor Swift on pages.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I love the premise of this book. Two young women, Maya and Skye, join a reality dating show for their ex-boyfriend and end up falling for each other. The fact that their ex is royalty adjacent makes it double fun. While this book strains believability, overall I found it really readable and for the most part pretty fun.

I've seen some reviews that said that it shouldn't be a YA book and I definitely think that this veers New Adult, but the "youngness" of the characters does make the already out there premise sort of even more wild - particularly with how much of the book revolves around drinking.

I really wanted more of both Maya and Skye. I didn't ever really feel like I knew their characters and the love story didn't build as much as I would have liked. All of a sudden it was a thing. Due to the nature of the premise, the entire book revolves around a guy which was, at times, frustrating for me as the reader. Every conversation and plot device was about Jordy, even the end which I thought was a bit rushed.

Overall though, it was a pretty zippy book with sharp dialogue and if the premise intrigues you then I think you will find stuff to enjoy about this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So unbelievably fun and cute!

Maya's ex-boyfriend invites her to join him on a new reality tv dating show where one guy (in this case, her cheating ex, Jordy) gets all of his past girlfriends together to live in a mansion and compete against each other to date him again. If it sounds totally bonkers to you, then Maya would agree with you, but she decides to go on the show--bent on sabotage and revenge. And I was here for every second of it!

Maya and one of the other contestants, Skye, start off on the wrong foot and are set up to be rivals by the producers. It isn't long, however, before they team up to take Jordy down while growing closer and closer as they scheme!!

Did I mention it's a sapphic romance?! ENJOY friends!!!! It's a lot of drama, but it's so well done.

I loved:
-dual perspectives
-bisexual MCs
-fast paced, unputdownable
-Maya can be a bit unlikable at times, especially at the beginning of filming, but has a great growth arc!
-chemistry and very sweet romance!!

I recommend this for fans of YA romance, the movie John Tucker Must Die, or any of the reality tv show romances that have come out recently that show the predatory production side of competition shows.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Wednesday for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Never Ever Getting Back Together
By Sophie Gonzalez

I requested this digital ARC as the story’s premise caught my attention and the author’s Charm Offensive was well received. I was up for something other than your typical rom-com.

After two years, Maya is still trying to get over the sting of her ex boyfriend’s betrayal. Unfortunately, as the famous brother of a royal, Jordy seems to be everywhere. He has charmed and captured many hearts. Maya only wished the world knew what a manipulative liar he is. She gets her chance when invited to participate in a reality dating show - Second Chances. Jordy is to court several of his ex-girlfriends on international tv to see who will win his heart the second time around. A revenge plot starts to form in Maya’s mind for how to expose Jordy for who he really is. Will Maya get her vengeance? Or will she find love again?

While an interesting plot, I found its writing to be rather uneven. There were times when the story moved along but at other times it dragged and was repetitive. I especially found it hard to buy into the fact that the characters were teenagers. All the characters acted and sounded more like they were well into their twenties. In the end I was disappointed.


My thanks to @NetGalley and @WednesdayBooks for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When a bachelor-style reality show casts a semi-famous royal-adjacent Jordy to star in their second-chance romance show, 6 of his ex-girlfriends answer the call. But Maya isn’t there for the same reason as the others. She wants revenge on Jordy for the way their relationship ended after he cheated on her with Skye. When Maya and Skye also end up as roommates, drama ensues! But once the truth is revealed, the two of them discover there may be an attraction to each other more than Jordy.

This book was funny and sweet. The character personalities really showed through, and I loved the banter between them. The only thing a little weird was the timeline. They would move from one week of the show to the next, so days that weren’t filmed would go by in between that we didn’t really see, but then they’d reference the “weeks”. It felt like we missed all that in-between time were character storylines surely would’ve continued.

Overall I’d give it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet and funny LGBTQ romance!

My confession of the day is that I have never watched a full episode of either The Bachelor, or The Bachelorette. Of course I have watched clips and understand the general idea, I'm not a savage. I also recognize it is an absolute sensation and many people love it. After having so much fun with this book, I think I may need to binge some!

The set-up of Never Ever Getting Back Together feels very ode' to The Bachelor and frankly I was living for it.
We follow rich, related-to-royalty, arguably-charming playboy, Jordy, getting his own reality television show, Second-Chance Romance.

For the show, ex-girlfriends of Jordy's will be living together in a mansion, interacting with him and each other, participating in challenges and generally biding for his attention. Week-by-week, Jordy sends one girl packing, until the time comes for his final selection.

Maya dated Jordy two-years ago and the break-up was rough. He cheated on her for months before ultimately calling it quits suddenly when she called him out on his behavior.

Skye dated Jordy directly after Maya. In fact, Maya's reputation precedes her. Jordy warned Skye how jealous and crazy Maya got after he broke up with her. Skye can't believe Maya is joining the show too. Isn't she like a security risk or something?

When Maya learns Skye, the girl who stole Jordy from her, is going to be participating on the show as well, she's furious. This girl knowingly dated Jordy behind her back for months. Who does that? Filthy liars, that's who.

Arriving at the mansion the two girls learn an even more horrible truth, they're being forced to room together. They're quite literally bunk-mates. They try to muscle through it, they might even be contractually-obligated to, but it ain't gonna be easy. Along with four other girls, Maya and Skye start to settle into their new normal and compete for the ultimate prize: Jordy.

Maya's no fool though. She knows Jordy too well to fall for any of this smoke in mirrors. Jordy hasn't changed and that's fine by her. Maya isn't dreaming of becoming Jordy's one-true love, she's dreaming of revenge.

I had a lot of fun with this. Particularly the set-up, it was adorable. The narrative alternates between Skye and Maya, beginning a little before they even agree to be on the show. The backdrop of the mansion, filming the reality show, it was great. I felt like I was getting a real glimpse behind the scenes of an actual show. It felt very realistic.

I also liked the mix of personalities that the contestants had. They all had their own motivations for being there and few of those actually revolved around Jordy, or love. Skye and Maya's interactions, as they got to know one another, as they battled and then began to drop their defenses; I thought that was really well done too.

My only slight issues with this story would be that I feel like it may have worked better if the story was actually written as New Adult, or Adult. It could have gone farther in the exploration of the relationships. Also, I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. I didn't find the romance that ultimately transpires believable.

These are tiny critiques though and both of these things are simply my personal opinion. Overall, this book is adorable as heck and I really enjoyed following the concept through to the end.

I was lucky enough to listen to an audio copy and definitely recommend that medium. The narrators did an incredible job bringing this story to life.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am absolutely looking forward to more from Sophie Gonzales!!

I was so excited for this book and was ecstatic when I got approved for this arc because the premise sounded great and like something I’d enjoy. However, this was not it for me. DNF @ 27%.

I disliked the petty teen drama and Maya may just be one of the most unlikable characters I’ve ever read. I found myself rooting for Skye more, even though I thought her character was under-developed as well. This was supposed to have a royalty aspect to it with Jordy being part of the royal family, but instead he came off like a D-list celebrity.

I don’t think I’ll be recommending this one to anyone, but I’d be open to reading other novels by this author in the future.

This was pretty cute and a super quick read. I’m also a big fan of a revenge story so that was fun to read! I enjoyed getting to know all of the side characters and would love to see Perrie get her own show one day!

But I have problems logistically with this book. Who is the intended audience for this show they are on? Who is going to watch a dating show with a bunch of 18 year olds? With that being said I feel like this could have been better as an adult romance rather than YA.

Also what did these girls ever see in Jordy? He’s a jerk in every scene it is hard to imagine that all these girls where ever into him - and would be willing to try to win him back.

I love the concept though and I have a few other books from this author on my TBR that I am excited to finally check out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars. This YA book begins with a silly premise. The brother of a woman who marries into the royal family of a small European country gets his a reality dating show. Jordy, is hot and sought after for his new fame. But the idea for the show is to bring his past relationships back and see if there is a second chance for someone who knew him before his royally related hype. These people are barely coming out of their teens so it’s hard to think he was that serious with anyone.

Maya Bailey has come on the show for one thing, to get revenge. After Jordy cheats on her, he claims publicly they were broken up and that she is stalking him. Even her own friends didn’t know who to believe. She wants the world to see him for the sleaze he is. Skye Kaplan was the romance after Maya. She is Canadian, sweet and never knew about Maya. The show for her is to connect with someone that she had a brief time with but didn’t get too serious as they were heading to different cities. Jordy intentionally tries to rile up Maya thinking her drama will help with the ratings.

After a bumpy beginning Maya and Skye find they actually like each other. A lot!!! The other women in the competition also get some moments of bonding and fun as they vie for Jordy’s attention. The fake-ness of the dating show is cleverly written. It had me laughing at how easily things can be manipulated. My favorite moment with the girls is the brilliant, Never Have I Ever with Jordy scene. It is bonding and eye opening for the girls at the same time.

The romance between Maya and Skye is handled sweetly with some realistic roadblocks. This is YA appropriate with kissing and no descriptions under the covers. The author takes a cute read and elevates it. I saw my star count rising as she brings everything to a win-win conclusion. I will be on the lookout for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.