This was such a fun read! I was immediately drawn in by the premise of all the exes under one roof. No doubt there was going to be drama and shenanigans! As expected, Jordy is the absolute worst, and Gonzales did a brilliant job of showing him as a self-centered git who knows how to smile for the camera. And I loved the main characters! Maya and Skye are the perfect sparring-match duo with undeniable chemistry. I had so much fun going through the journey with them and seeing the dating show timeline play out. Can’t wait to see what Gonzales writes next!

YAS GIRLS! We don't need no man! This is wildly funny, I love how both characters were like, wait this ex of ours sucks but hey girl heyyy. I was hooked from the start there was so many twists and funny moments, it was a thrill to read!

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

Do you have no guilt over watching your “guilty pleasures” TV shows? Did you swoon over that true life news story about two female contestants falling in love on a show? Do you want to spend a day with a cute book and end with a big smile? Here’s your book.

This book was a delight. For me, it's a super solid 4 out of 5 stars and I do not regret any time I spent reading it. There were a sprinkle of misses amongst the hits, but I think the majority of readers will love this book.

While I haven’t seen any of the various Bachelors, I have of course heard of it, and have watched other reality TV shows. I think even the most reality-TV hater may still find something to enjoy in this book, but enjoyment is definitely enhanced if you're a fan of the genre. This book playfully gave us a peek behind the curtain into the drama of reality TV, and the episodes they filmed will be very familiar to fans of dating shows, but I was happy to see that the TV aspect was well balanced with “off-camera” scenes. This book is not *only* about the show that is being filmed. Like I said, I think if you’re looking for a cute sapphic love story, but don’t like reality TV so much, you’ll still enjoy this.

In general I like to read for enjoyment and thus love the romance genre for giving me laughs and smiles. If a romance book is confusing, or makes me reread things to understand them, that is a demerit in my rating. This book took me a little longer than normal to finish because I had to reread a section here and there, or scroll back several pages to make sure of something. For me, the differences between Skye and Maya’s chapters and POV were not strong enough for me to always know who’s voice I was in. The “Skye” and “Maya” labeling is the same size and font (at least in my eARC) and there were a couple times where my eyes skimmed the name label and then had to backread because I wasn’t sure who was talking. I also had trouble really connecting fully to either character. This could be a personal problem, but both felt just a hair shy of feeling like fully fleshed out people. To be fair, Maya *was* singly minded on her quest for most of the book, and Skye was singly minded in her own way, but there are a few actions/choices here and there in the book that really left me scratching my head over their motivation.

I think my biggest issue is the ages. Knowing it was a reality show really made me visually imagine these characters as older, perhaps 20-25 across the cast of girls. Yes, I know there are plenty of reality shows with 18 year old contestants, but it really did feel like a Bachelor show (drama! drinking! hot tubs!) and thus felt like 20-somethings in many of their actions. But then a character will mention not being in college yet, or how they dated the bachelor Jordy as a younger teenager, and my brain would backfire a little, trying to “re-visualize” the characters as 18 instead of 20 somethings. Yet, to be fair to the plot content, some of the characters absolutely acted like messy teenagers and not 20-somethings. Overall, it was just a hard element for me to wrap my head around. I don’t think there was anything in this book that forced the characters to be 18 other than a somewhat-offhand college side plot.

Despite the confusion and reread necessity, it was a fun book. A tasty morsel of drama and reality TV show bad behavior, but not so strongly done that you ever truly dislike the MCs. They definitely have their messier moments (Maya especially), but they find a way to communicate and land in each other’s happy ending arms by the end. 10/10 swoon ending, both on camera and off.

Also THANK GOODNESS a certain someone got their comeuppance at the end. I would have been raging if it hadn’t happened in that last 5% of book.

After reading other reviews I realize I’m in the minority, but NEGBT was just an ok read for me.. The premise was interesting but I didn’t care for many of the characters and was not emotionally involved in the book.

This book is reminiscent of The Bachelor and other similar reality shows, with the twist that reality show cast is your ex and his exes as he attempts to reconnect with a potential missed connection. I won't give away the twists, or ending, but I will say the story and plot has so much potential! I love the idea of the plot, but the details fell a bit flat for me. The leads are about 20 years old, which makes the immaturity, or potential growth from said immaturity, a bit hard to buy in to. I often found the dialogue and interactions immature, which felt like the opposite of what the goal was. I think this story would work so much better if the characters were a bit older.

It is a lighthearted, fun read and if you're not bothered by younger and somewhat immature characters- you will love it if you enjoy dating shows.

Two years post break up and Maya’s still angry at the cheating jerk who broke her heart and convinced everyone it was her fault. Then her ex gets famous, and she’s asked to participate in a Bachelor style second chance show. With one goal, to call him out on live tv, she accepts. But will a run in with the Skye, the girl he cheated on Maya with, give her a new enemy or a partner crime and possibly more?

I have so many mixed emotions about this book. On the one hand, I loved the concept and spin on the reality tv shows we have all seen. There is a fun behind curtain quality about it. Plus, the bisexuals team up to get revenge on their ex and fall in love arc was super cute.

On the other hand, I feel like something was missing. It took me until about a third of the way through the book to realize it was YA, which I somehow skipped over initially. None of the main characters in this book are over the age of 20, it’s YA, but the storyline feels like the characters should be mid-20s to early 30s. Some of the girls dated the “bachelor” when they were 15 years old for a few weeks or months, and I just found it all a little unbelievable.

Thank you, @stmartinspress and @netgalley, for the e-arc! I was given the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Never Ever Getting Back Together centres around two girls, Maya and Skye, who share the same ex, Jordy. With a new reality dating show called Second Chance Romance, Jordy invites Maya and Skye to compete to see if they will end up together again.

I was super intrigued when I found this book. Although I am super bad at watching dating shows (*cough* bachelor nation shows *cough*), they are honestly a guilty pleasure for me. The premise of this book had me hooked instantly.

I enjoyed seeing the way that Maya and Skye went from hating each other in the beginning to where they ended up once the show was over. Rather than show the picture-perfect idea of a reality show, Never Ever Getting Back Together is not a fairytale story with the prince charming as the male love interest. Instead, the male love interest is a want-to-be prince who thinks he deserves the best, and the two girls he wronged are there to get closure.

Although I love the book, the most challenging part for me was remembering that it took place over seven weeks. When you read the whole thing in two days, you sometimes forget that so much time passes in the actual book, but that was not a book error; that was more of me reading it super quick and forgetting how time works in error.

Overall I enjoyed Never Ever Getting Back Together. It was a cute story, with great romances and a fantastic ending. If you love second chance romances, LGBTQIA romances, and reality dating shows, you should pick this book up!

Oh. My. Gosh.
Y’all. I am not exaggerating when I tell you this book by @sgonzalesauthor is one of the best books I have read this year. I’m pretty sure the reality TV show trope will become one of my new favorites!

This book was full of hilarity and heartwarming moments. Never have I hated a character as much as the antagonist in this book. That speaks to Sophie’s writing that she was able to write such a character that made my blood boil.

This is the sapphic book I needed in my life. And I am so sorry to tell you that you’re going to have to wait until December to read this book. But let me tell you it’s ABSOLUTELY worth it. So thankful to @netgalley for approving me for this arc.

bless this book honestly. 5 outta 5 stars.

uproariously funny and straight addictive to read, I adored Never Ever Getting Back Together. I'm not usually a huge fan of contemporary stories, let alone ones focused on reality tv contestants, so I picked up the arc of this book with some trepidation. I was worried I wouldn't like it; I abhor giving negative reviews to books that aren't even published yet and consequently can't defend themselves. however !!!! absolutely no worries on that front because this book was phenomenal.

some quick notes, to see if you might be interested in reading this book;
- teenage girls are incredible. their superpower is adults consistently underestimating them and the teens killing it anyway
- if you like the Bachelor, you might really like this book. if you hate the Bachelor, you might really like this book. I'm in the latter camp but I am a sucker for revenge arcs and honestly? this book has it all
- all the contestants were so interesting. none of the girls were simplified by the author; Gonzales shined a precise light on all these characters' fascinating hearts and depths
- this book is genuinely hilarious. I was laughing out loud so often that I had to appropriately time when I read it, to be considerate of my housemates' schedules
- at its heart, this book deals with toxic relationships and gaslighting. I loved the exploration of the latter; it's not something you see in many books, and I thought the author did a great job balancing the solemnity of gaslighting with the lighter tone of the novel

as a final thought -- I can guarantee you'll like this book if you like girls absolutely slamdunking sexist boys 💅


thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I had such a blast reading it

Never Ever Getting Back Together (love the Taylor Swift reference) is a fun filled book, full of drama, petty revenge, and even a bit of romance. I immensely enjoyed the plot, it was funny, witty, and creative. Fans of the Bachelor, Love Island, and Love is Blind will appreciate this dating show story (with a bit of a twist). The main characters, Maya and Skye, were very fun and emotionally driven characters, and i liked reading in both of their perspectives.

I appreciate the buildup to the relationship, and the enemies to lover's arc, but I just don't see Maya and Skye 's relationship working out in the long-run. I feel like they have a toxic history that hasn't been fully resolved and I can see that leading to resentment towards each other. I like the romance they have in the book, but I don't think it progressed well, it moved a bit too fast, and was very sudden. I would've preferred it if we got to see both of their internal growth and feelings towards each other change before they were spoken out loud.

Overall, Never Ever Getting Back Together, is a witty, fun filled romance, I would recommend to any reality TV fan.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow at times but I love a good Romantic comedy. It was a Quick and fun read. It was sweet, dramatic and cheesy. I feel like the Characters could have used a little more depth. I loved the LGBTQIA+ Representation. The love the fun and colorful cover. It’s a closed door romance. It’s a must read if you like the Bachelor/Bachelorette!

Sophie has a way of writing exceptionally well-rounded characters. I really enjoyed watching the dynamic between all of the women involved in the story over time. Every time I’ve watched the Bachelor, a franchise I am not fond of, I’ve always wished 1. that we got more BTS scenes with the contestants (something that wasn’t even added to the show narrative here!) and 2. that a big twist would happen a la Maya and Skye.

That said, I enjoyed the premise of this book more than its execution. I felt like it dragged for me about 3 quarters into the book (then again, I also think a season of the Bachelor drags on unnecessarily). I read to the end to find out if Jordy got what he deserved, and while I appreciate that he finally did in the end, the story took way too many twists and turns to get there. I thought the drama was FINALLY going to hit 3 separate times, before it was quietly squeezed in at the end. Pretty anticlimactic end when I was waiting for a revenge blowout.

3.5 / 5 stars.

This book was unexpected—in a good way. I did not realize this was an LGBTQ+ romance, as the description hints at this but does not call it out officially. The relationship between Skye and Maya felt natural as it developed, and I thought Maya's character growth, while slow to happen, was satisfactory in the end. It was a fun take on a "Bachelor" based novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This was so cute! A wonderful romance, filled with witty banter, delightful characters, and just enough steaminess. A must read for romance lovers!

This was bad. Like, epically bad. I hated the main character, the plot was so far-fetched, and there was zero chemistry - friendly or otherwise - between any of the characters.

Who is creating a reality dating show around an 18/19/20 year old-ish guy and bringing back his "former flames"? The main character has this almost creepy vendetra against the guy and they dated for less than a year...when she was 16. Then she got mad when he moved away, didn't formally dump her, and started dating someone new. And now she wants to ruin his life on national television? Girl needs to be in therapy, not on a reality show. Idk, this just fell really flat for me.

Never Ever Getting Back together by Sophia Gonzales is the first book I’ve read by this author. The idea for this story is great. If you like reality TV and can imagine the behind the scenes goings on, then this book might be for you.

The story takes place during a Bachelor style reality show about women getting back together with their ex-boyfriend, Jordy. They fly in several of Jordy’s ex-girlfriends and they all basically need to bend to his whims in order for him to deem them worthy of a second chance.

The main characters Maya and Skye have a bit of history since Maya and Jordy were still dating when Jordy started to date Skye. Skye has no idea because Jordy told her that Maya was crazy and that they had been broken up before he and Skye started dating. You know the old trope of the ex-boyfriend making the ex-girlfriend sound hysterical and crazy. Which is definitely something in 2022 that we all want to read about and perpetuate.

I had a really hard time with Maya’s character, she was so angry and focused on revenge for a really big portion of the book. I get being angry, I even get coming on a show to get back at your ex but her attitude and antics would have probably gotten her sent home day one.

This book was tough for me to get through. Jordy was such an asshole that it was hard for me to understand how or why any of these women would want him back. If the Bachelor is your brand of entertainment then this might be right up your alley but as a feminist it’s hard to read about women being that desperate for love that they’d still be interested in such a self-centered jerk.

I wanted more from the story, I wanted a bigger better love story for Maya and Skye.

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I felt like the main characters weren’t relatable, and their demeanors didn’t match those of people who would’ve allowed a man to manipulate them like that. However, I liked the ending in which his exes ended up starting a relationship with one another. At least things ended well for them!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy light read and it was fun being pulled into the reality show world of Maya, Skye, and Jordy.

This book focused around a reality show featuring Jordy and his ex-girlfriends for a second chance at love. The thing is Jordy is awful and some of the girls want revenge. There are lots of twists and turns along the way and I was hooked until the end to see who Jordy picked.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and I recommend to anyone who enjoys romance books.

They always say the best revenge is being happy, and that's what Maya and Skye discover after trying to get back at Jordy- the guy who broke both of their hearts. Imagine their surprise when they realize they have feelings for each other. The author does a great job of making the story entertaining yet real, and the characters are sweet and vulnerable, and you can't help but root for them along the way. Take that Jordy! Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a digital copy of this book.

This was such a cute book and is definitely going on my shelf for a re-read. Maya gets to go on an exotic trip to see if she is able to rekindle her romance with her ex who did her dirty with Skye, who is another contestant on the show. But an unlikely alliance forms between Skye and Maya, as they team up to show the world just exactly who Jordy is.