Never Ever Getting Back Together has a fun storyline following 2 girls as they enter a dating show who’s bachelor is their ex boyfriend. While the premise caught my attention and had me intrigued, I lost interest quite early in the book. Both Maya and Skye were too immature for me, Maya being overly ambitious in her revenge and Skye being naive in the ways of her ex. I’m sure others will enjoy this book, it just didn’t capture my attention like I had hoped.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Never Ever Getting Back Together is my first book by Sophie Gonzales, but after having a delightful blast with its comedy and charming romance, I’m sure it won’t be the last.

This New Adult follows the alternating POVs of Maya and Skye. Both girls have agreed to participate in Last Chance Love, a reality show on which they’ll compete to get back with their mutual ex, Jordy. As the competition tightens, the girls will have to decide if they want to impress Jordy, the audience, or each other.

As a fan of competitive reality tv, though not of The Bachelor-like programs, and as someone who works on live television, I found the exaggerated drama —and all the ways in which Gonzales made fun of the genre— hilarious, without feeling insulting. The whole book felt a lighthearted homage of the genre, poking fun at its over-the-top-ness without being meanspirited. So, if you’re a fan of reality romances, this book will be right up your alley.

Favorite things:

1. All the girls. I absolutely loved the camaraderie that quickly developed between the female contestants. Though the characterization of some of the girls titled ever so slightly into caricatures, this always seemed to match the book’s overall tone, and I truly appreciated the lack of petty rivalries and senseless jealousy.

2. The romance was adorable and built-upon the initial miscommunication quite well. It felt believable, that Skye would like Maya, and vice versa. The attraction and chemistry never felt contrived, nor did it feel rushed despite the book’s short time span. Without giving much away, I’m sure it’ll satisfy fans of enemies-to-lovers (like me!), despite not having dragged the first half of the popular trope. I found it quite impossible not to squeal once the girls got together, really.
3. There’s decent representation all around; although all the leads were white, the supporting cast included black, South-Asian and Middle Eastern representation. It goes without saying, but the queer rep was great.
4. Though the general tone is light-hearted, the book honestly explores the aftermath of toxic relationships, cheating and gaslighting, and didn’t shy away from showing the emotional toll it has on its victims.

All in all, Never Ever Getting Back Together was a delightful romp: funny, cute and appropriately irreverent-of and full-of-love for realities.

This was an enjoyable, fast paced read. I, personally, would’ve preferred if the characters were a little bit older. There were parts where the dialogue got confusing and I couldn’t keep up with which character was saying what. Jordy’s character was very 2 dimensional & I think could’ve used a FEW redeeming qualities to make the readers see what the contestants were seeing in him. I loved Maya & Skye’s character & thought they were very well developed. I was bummed we didn’t get a ton of Perrie and Maya’s friendship after the first few chapters.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I think the whole concept of it doesn't quite work for a YA novel. It would have been so much better as an adult romance, in my opinion. A teenager having this much dating history is just a little odd and seems to be a weird basis for a reality show.

I also didn't think Maya and Skye had that much chemistry. I didn't care about them as much as I have cared about other relationships in the author's previous books. Part of it was probably the short amount of time they were together, which didn't really allow them to get to know each other super well. I just wasn't really invested in their relationship. It was cute, but I wanted to care more.

And I also HATED Jordy. Like I get that he's suppose to be a creep, and I'm glad he got his comeuppance at the end but the fact that the entire plot of the book revolved around him honestly got a little boring. Because the whole story wouldn't exist without him, and he was just the absolute worst.

Obviously, I'm all for the bi representation, and I think that was done really well (but that's never an issue with Sophie Gonzales). It was a cute story, but that's it. It was all just very surface-level for me, and after how much I've loved her other books, I was a little disappointed.

This book is exactly as advertised and so very satisfying. One woman goes on a dating show seeking revenge the other is looking for a bit of fun but not much more. Instead of falling for the guy, they plot to take him down and fall in love in the process.

Deeply fun and satisfying!

I really enjoyed this book! I think the second half was stronger than the first. The romance here, though quick, feels natural and unforced. I really bought their connection and their miscommunications felt realistic and not red flag-y (especially since the reality TV environment lends some plausibility to miscommunication in general). The one hangup I had with this book was the idea that someone 20 years old had enough viable exes to populate a full set of 6 on a dating show- I think the premise would have worked better if the author had aged the cast up 3-6 years, which also would have raised the stakes. With that being said, once you suspend your disbelief, this is a lot of fun. Act 3 packed a lot more punch emotionally than I anticipated, and brought this up to a 4 from a 3.5 for me.

Maya and Skye are invited to participate in a reality dating show by an ex boyfriend. Instead of falling for him, they fall for each other. Though I enjoyed Perfect on Paper, the premise of this book never engaged me. I am not a fan of The Bachelor/Bachelorette series so the whole concept here was not appealing to me. I think it was aimed at a different audience. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was such a fun read! It is one of those books where you close the last page and immediately wish you could start again on the first, if only dive into the story all over again.

I thought the characters in this book were fresh and the reality TV show setting was endlessly fascinating to read about. The twist that our two teen female main characters - set up to be rivals, vulnerable for the public's critique - team up to take down our male main character, who ends up being slimy and rude, had me reading with a giant grin on my face. This. is how we often wish the bachelor franchise would end. It is the perfect read for those craving a fresh take on the contemporary romance genre. I cannot wait to recommend it to all my friends.

The Bachelor meets Ex on A Beach meets hot mess express. I loved the concept [even though for real life this sounds like a sick form of torture!] of the re-kindling an old romance dating show. Even more what I loved....let's just get rid of the middle man and you fall in love with his other ex instead.

She hit the nail on the head with revenge, humor, love, bi-MC and more. It was petty and catty and extremely entertaining!

Admittedly, I wanted to love this book so much more than I did, but simultaneously acknowledge that while I didn't personally love it, I think a YA audience 1000% will!

This sapphic revenge/bachelor-esque novel is paced extremely well, with constant twists and developments in each character's story arc and growth. The female friendship in this one, despite many of the characters being extremely catty and petty, is really powerful, especially within the context of the show that they're on.

Ultimately, this is a cheesy sapphic YA rom-com that is easily digestible, will make you laugh, and perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good read.

3.5/5 stars.

This was a fun book to read. I love the bachalor-esque nature of the book. The idea was cute but overall the book lacked depth for me. I had a difficult time differentiating the female characters from each other. Other than Perrie whose only personality trait was wanting more followers, all of the other women were underdeveloped enough that they ran together for me until the very end of the book. Even the personalities of the two female main characters were not developed enough for me to feel like I knew them. I appreciated the bisexual representation. I agree with other viewers that the age of the characters made it a little bit weird to read about, especially since Maya is JUST out of high school. Overall I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read but did leave me wanting more in certain areas.

(4.25⭐) Taylor Swift songs: “daylight”, “call it what you want”, “We are never ever getting back together” (obviously)

This is one of the most entertaining, original concepts for a ya Romcom I’ve seen in a long time. Two girls going on a second chance dating show with their shared ex just to fall in love with each other? Genius. This was told in dual pics of the two girls, and it’s enemies to friends to lovers. This was not only incredibly sweet and romantic, but also surprisingly super funny!! The banter and fellow hating on the shared ex bf was so funny and so clever/witty. If you want a YA Romcom with Bi rep, this is for you!! I am a sucker for shows like the bachelorette/bachelor, so seeing this second chance dating show and how calculated it is was very interesting as well!! Overall, I thought this book was extremely original and entertaining, and very well done. It also had a lot of depth and complexity. I highly recommend! I will be looking for other books from this same author in the future!

Age rating: 14+ (closed door, but language)

Thank you Netgalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two years ago Maya’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her and she unfortunately can’t escape him. His sister married the Crown Prince of a European country and now he is all over the media as the charming little brother. Too bad the world didn’t know the real Jordy. Skye had always kept her heart under lock and key, until she met Jordy who said and did all the right things. Maya and Skye are personally invited by Jordy to star on a reality dating show called - Second Chance Romance. They are whisked away to a beautiful mansion and joined by four more of Jody’s exes to compete for his affection in front of the whole world. Skye wonders if she and Jordy can’t have a second shot at love, meanwhile Maya has a full plan of revenge. Does each girl get their own version of happily ever after?

This story reminds me of a blended version of the TV show The Bachelor and Ex On The Beach. This book is your feel good, fuzzy rom com and to be honest - not everyone is going to love it. It is a young adult novel with the characters being the age of around 18. But honesty - I liked it. I spent the majority of the book wanting to punch Jordy in the face. He is your typical lying, cheating, self absorbed ex-boyfriend who thinks that he is all that, especially now that his sister is married to royalty. Maya and Skye are both sweet girls who are coming into their adult years trying to figure out what the next big steps are in their life. Without giving away too many spoilers, you get to watch a genuine romantic relationship blossom and it might not be the one you think.

Sophie Gonzales just keeps getting better with every book. I will admit to being a little biased because having two Bachelor/ette contestants fall in love with each other is my dream scenario (and if it is yours you should also look up Vietnamese bachelor on youtube and it'll be the first thing that comes up and it will make your heart sing) and also just the bisexual feelings of it all. But this book moves so quickly and is a delight. A hard recommend for anyone that enjoyed Charm Offensive, or just enjoys a queer love story. You will also want to punch [redacted] in the face one million times, which is also fun to think about!

This was a fun, quick and sweet read. I enjoyed the two main women and thought it was an enjoyable story. It is obviously based off of the Bachelor so I am sure this book is targeted more for people who watch and enjoy that show. I have seen one season so I am familiar enough with it to understand the references. I liked how the author emphasized that everything on reality TV is fabricated and filmed multiple times to get what the producers want. However, the only part of the story for me that I really care about was the Sapphic romance. I know we were focused on Skye and Maya's stories and POV's but I was still left wanting more of just them and their relationship without Jordy.

3.5⭐️
This is a super fun, quick read. I am a HUGE bachelor/bachelorette fan so the idea of this book really stood out to me and drew me in. Overall it was a good read and kept me entertained with the drama and storyline.

With that, i found that the age of the characters was weird to me. It would have made more sense to me if they were much older being that they all ranged 18ish. The romance scenes were very cringy in some aspects as well. I wanted more character personality from Skye and Maya as well.

I love the representation in this book tho! The dry humor was also very well done and has me laughing out loud while reading.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for supplying me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

Do you like reality dating show romcoms with queer representation? If so, this could be a book for you! In this version, the main prize is a dude and all the contestants are his ex-girlfriends. Our MC Maya was cheated on by Jordy with Skye two years ago but she decides to go on the show, pretend to want him, and then humiliate him when he chooses her for a second chance at the end. Then, to her horror, she is roomed with Skye! The girls soon learn that what they were told by Jordy was lies and team up to make Maya's plan happen. As they get closer, however, they each start to develop feelings for someone unexpected: each other. I loved Only Mostly Devestated by the same author so I was looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint! This is what I think is considered "new adult" genre, as in a step above young adult because they aren't in high school. I would have enjoyed even more it if it was more adult adult but otherwise it was excellent!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC! Find this book when it is released Nov 29/22. You can find this review in my story highlights called ARC Reviews on my IG.

2.5/5 stars! I have read and enjoyed Sophie Gonzales books in the past, but this one just seemed to fall flat for me.

Maya's ex-boyfriend, Jordy, cheated on her two years ago, but she can't escape him, as he is on the news all the time, because his sister married a prince. Skye is who Jordy cheated with, but Skye doesn't know it. He told her she was single. Maya and Skye are invited to a new reality T.V., Second Chance Romance, where Jordy attempts a second chance with his exes, including these two. Maya goes set on revenge on Jordy, while Skye goes to see if she can give him a second chance. What they discover is a different happily ever after than they expected.

I liked the book, but it just felt like it had less dimension than Sophie's previous books. I wanted more in this book, I wanted more backstory, and to feel more connected to the characters. I also found the two voices of Maya and Skye to be quite similar, so I often did not know who's chapter I was reading. When reading a dual POV book I need my characters to have distinct voices so I know who I am reading from.

I did find that some of the pettiness with Maya and her obsession with getting revenge dragged on to long. It took her a lot longer to have her "ah-ha moment" than I felt it should have, but when she got there, she got there with gusto. I also think that the young age of the characters made it difficult to be believable. That there were six young women looking for "love" with an ex, when they were mostly 18 years old, just was low on the believability scale for me.

I am giving this 2.5 stars, but I know this book will be for some. There are some funny parts (the dates), and there are some lessons to be learned. I always love when a book has positive representation and Sophie does this always. She writes bi-rep in such a positive, beautiful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Never Ever Getting Back Together focuses on Maya and Skye, who have a mutual ex boyfriend. Now Jordy is a small time celebrity since his sister married the prince of a fictional European country. Jordy has been selected to be the first lead on a new reality TV show that has the lead's exes live together in a mansion and see if they want to date any of their exes again in a Bachelor style format. Maya and Skye are two of the exes who grow more interested in each other than Jordy as the show progresses and have a shared goal of exposing Jordy's lying past.

I liked this but it fell flat for me at times in the book. I liked the Bachelor style show the girls were in and the fun challenges but thought the revenge plotline wasn't for me. Maya was ridiculously petty but I started to enjoy the book more as her romance with Skye started. It was a lot more fun to read about them falling in love than Maya trying to expose Jordy and ruin him. Jordy was insufferable as a character and every time he opened his mouth he was awful but I liked the other girls who were featured in the show. I also think this should've been an adult novel instead of YA since everyone in the book was 18-20 and it seemed like Jordy had a lot of exes for only being 20. I don't think a reality show like this would have a bunch of high school relationships in it.

This was like the Bachelor behind the scenes with a dash of Princess Diaries but sadly this wasn't for me and I think it's a pass. There are better sapphic romances out there and this is just ok.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

There was moments I loved this book. The characters worked well off each other and told an interesting story but there were also points of the story that’s dragged on and the Main antagonist was very one note with not much personality which made it hard to care for the character in any way.

I did like the reveal at the end but the ending just happened and was very abrupt. It just didn’t feel resolved and left me wanting.