I have watched a fair amount of reality TV and have definitely thought, “why don’t these girls just ditch this smarmy dude and date each other?” So for me, Never Ever Getting Back Together, was a dream come true.

I loved everything about this book! The characters were all great, even total narcissist Jordy was a perfect villain. The behind-the-scenes look at the fakery that takes place on reality tv contrasted so well with the authentic relationships between the contestants.

The enemies to friends to lovers path taken by Maya and Skye was well paced and kept you rooting for them and hoping they would go the distance. I would love to read a sequel with these two traveling the world together. Hopefully they’ll run into Perrie and Isaac along the way!

Thank you so much to Sophie Gonzales, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. This was my first book by this author, and I am very excited to read their entire back catalogue.

I love Sophie Gonzales, I will read anything Sophie Gonzales writes, this wasn't my favourite of hers. Super cute, loved the plot, but I felt like it actually might have worked better as an adult novel. There were a lot of plot things I wanted to poke at and I felt like aging the characters up would have given each a lot more depth, especially their relationships with Jordy. Great concept, fun writing, looking forward to her next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC! All thoughts going forward are conolpletslh my own. So this book had me hooked from the start. I loved the cover, the description, everything. I could not wait to get my hands on it. And when I tell you it did not disappoint, I mean it. If you love reality tv dating and wlw, this book is an immediate must read.

What could be worse than being on a reality show to win back the heart of your cheating ex boyfriend? Being roommates with the girl he cheated on might top the list. And that’s where we find Maya and Skye.

Maya and Jordy dated when they were sixteen, and they were as in love as two teens could be. When Jordy is forced to move, the two agree to long distance. But after being caught with another girl, Jordy back tracks and claims they were broken up. The story becomes a he said-she said tale for the next two years, with Maya being painted as a crazy, lovesick ex.

Skye, on the other hand, is the ‘other woman’, but doesn’t even know it. Believing Jordy was single the entire time, she is one of many convinced that Maya was wrong. Warned by Jordy ahead of the show about his ‘crazy ex’, the two girls start off with a whole lot of distain for each other.

However, when they finally figure out the truth: Jordy was lying to them both about the other one, /and/ that he suggested they be roommates on the show for “maximum drama”, their dislike finds a new mutual target: Jordy. Together, they decide there’s only one way for this to end: one of them win the show and reject Jordy in front of the entire world.

But there’s a lot they don’t plan for, including the other exes, a producer, and even Jordy himself. As Maya and Skye’s friendship begins to become something more, Maya is faced with a decision: give up revenge for a new love, or risk this newfound relationship for the chance to humiliate a boy that hurt her two years ago.

This book was so GOOD. Sophie Gonzalez seriously created such a fantastic story. I can’t stop gushing about how much I loved it. I loved the characters, the perspectives we got from Maya and Skye, the friendships they formed with Jordy’s other exes, and the way we got to see their relationship bloom into something more. By the end, I was rooting for them and hopeful Maya would make the right choice. It gave me “Red, White, and Royal Blue” vibes, so if you liked that book, this is one to check out.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Maya accepts to join this reality t.v show for one reason.. and one reason only. REVENGE on her cheating lying manipulative ex boyfriend Jordy (Yuck!!). Only she ends up having several "bumps" on the road to achieve her goal.Skye is ALSO an ex... THE ex who jordy cheated on Maya with... you can imagine how well this is going to go.
I love Maya and Skye and i love their banter and friendship.. the other girls on the tv show are also cute. The real stars are for sure Maya, Skye AND Jordy. Jordy is so well written... I swear I met him before. He is such a sleaze bag that if I could smack him silly I would!!
My main issue is that the ending of the book was predictable and i was able to see that coming from miles away... Thinking about it now I might change my rating to 5... Nothing is wrong with this book..except JORDY. * vomits *

"Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a clever story about two girls named Maya and Skye who get asked by their mutual ex, Jordy. to go onto the reality dating show, "Second Chance Romance" to see if absence, and time, really does make the heart grow fonder. The concept is a simple one, set in the world of television that so many of us have enjoyed, but has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes reality tv, especially something like "The Bachelor" or folks who like to see a slow burn turn into something passionate. All of the girls on the show are enjoyable, and tend to help each other out which is fairly refreshing. It truly feels like they gain true friendships, and get into the spirit of the show. Sophie Gonzales does a great job at setting a scene as well as giving depth to a character, so that it feels like you are there with them and feeling the things that they do.

It's a quick and fun read, and I am sure that many people will enjoy it just as much as I did

**Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Y'all, Y'ALL. When we talk about the enemies to lovers trope, this book? This book is the goal.

Let me just gush about everything that I loved because I truly have zero critique.

The shiznit I loved:

💞 Sophie, you made me root for a bachelor style show. (Outside of The Charm offensive) I have hated every minute of every bachelor and bachelorette show on the market, but let me tell you I was INVESTED in every behind the scenes moment. Skye's baby angel vibes and Maya's fiery fury were the perfect combo for dRaMa.
💞 The ex-girlfriend revenge plot had me screaming from beginning to end. I wanted to best friend tackle Maya in so many different capacities throughout this story. You couldn't help but root for Maya with every stupid glistening ab shot from that white bread bland man-boy Jordy. Also, what person doesn't want revenge on their jerk of a cheating ex?
💞 THE ACTUAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS! Seeing the tension build, putting these ex-girlfriends in two camps, and then seeing the evolution from hatred to pure unadulterated sexual tension was 😍🥵
💞 The twist at the end was super well done, and not what I was expecting before their reunion

So it is, perhaps, my fault for the way this one went down. Because I think I misconstrued the plot a bit when I clicked request and that makes it a me problem instead of the book problem. But, I suppose, that still doesn't change how the book was not it.

However, having now reread (or maybe properly read it for the first time..) the synopsis, I think maybe I just stopped at the tagline.

I initially had this big long rant about timelines and how I found them hard to keep straight when it came to the ex-boyfriend’s relationships, because there were just so many for such young people (this would've been more believable had everyone been aged up and this not been YA) but it got deleted -- notably, for December-me, I wrote this in July on the day half the country lost our internet, so, haha, fun nostalgia times! Hope things are better in the future! And ultimately, being that this is such a me thing, for all I know it’s just something I couldn’t follow as opposed to being an issue with the plotting (though this usually isn't the case). I would’ve appreciated a flowchart though. And I really wished it had been clearer when he had become famous as a result of his sister marrying royalty. That would’ve helped. Except, again, the summary seems to make this clearer than the book ever did. Which is frustrating.

My frustration about timing aside, that was merely a drop in the bucket when it came to how frustrating it was to live through all of the ex-boyfriend's dialogue and actions. Part of what I misunderstood about this book was I didn't actually think the ex was supposed to be as much as a dirtbag as he was (could be the colourful illustrated cover gave me the wrong idea about the vibes, too). He does expose himself a few times before he gets his real comeuppance but unfortunately he does a great job of selling himself to be perfection. That said, the highlight for me, not just when it came to getting revenge but also just a highlight of the book in general, is when Maya comes up with a drinking game with the other contestants to showcase his behaviour. Genius.

Also, if I never see the word “chicks” again, it’ll be too soon.

Complaints about the evil ex aside, though.. I wanted to root for the romance. I wanted to cheer for these girls. But they felt incredibly inconsistent; or, rather, Skye did. She just wasn't fleshed out. Maya, however, was the more solid of the two and there were times I actually enjoyed her (though maybe not when she was drunk, that was just silly.. in a dumb way). The one thing that perplexed me was this whole issue about college that seemed very shoehorned into constant discussions that were framed around her intelligence. Which wasn't a her problem but a people-around-her problem. But I'm mad on her behalf. And also because it was a weird thing to lean into. But they didn't stand out, not any of them, because their identities were just too much about the ex.

I took a risk on this book because I've enjoyed the author before (notably only PERFECT ON PAPER though) but I knew the competition element could be my downfall. And it sorta was. There wasn't as much girl-on-girl scheming and hate as there could've been but there was enough. I don't love this set-up and this has solidified that I likely will avoid the concept in the future. But I thought, with my misinformation at hand, this author behind the wheel, and a queer love story coming out of having each dated the same boy, there could be some magic here. But there wasn't. Again, this is mostly a me problem, though, so you may very well enjoy this. And I hope you do.

Maya broke up with her cheating ex Jordy two years ago. When he reaches fame when his sister marries the crown prince of a small country, Chalonne, she can't seem to get away from him. While out to dinner and drinks for her sister's birthday she receives a phone call from the head producer of a new show, Second-Chance Romance, inviting her to rediscover if there is still a spark between them. The last thing Maya wants to do is date Jordy Miller again, let alone on tv, but Gwendolyn is persistent and it appears, so is Jordy. Then she realizes she could use this opportunity for payback. All she has to do is beat out five other girls, including Skye, the one he cheated on her with. Easy, right? The unexpected factor is sharing a bunk bed with the beautiful Skye Miller. How are the two supposed to room together for six weeks and come out alive at the end? And staying on the show proves to be harder than she thought, especially after nearly getting herself kicked off in week one. As sparks fly, the journey proves to be far more interesting than Maya ever expected, and the joke is on Jordy.

NEGBT is full of witty banter, musical references that made me giddy with happiness, friendship, and romance. I was a little nervous to read about a reality tv show, because I don't particularly like shows in that vein, such as The Bachelor, but I absolutely loved it. The only thing I didn't like is that I had to put it down to do real-life things. I can't wait to see what Sophie has in store for us next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sophie’s books!!! 4 stars ⭐️

Another cute & fun read from Sophie Gonzales. I enjoyed this one, and read it in one night 🙈 I absolutely LOVED the reality TV setting and the group of girl characters! It really did feel like I was watching a show. I think the book could’ve been more compelling if it had been a New Adult or slightly older characters but still super fun!

Quick thoughts
-Sapphic romance 💕 bi main characters
-Jordy was a great villain and was an even sweeter take down 😏
-Skye and Maya had such a sweet romance, I liked seeing them get to know each other especially after they got off on the wrong foot.
-Girl. Power. 👊🏻

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC✨💙

after reading the charm offensive by allison cochrun, i was super excited to find out that sophie gonzalez, the author of only mostly devastated and perfect on paper, two romance novels i loved, had written a queer reality show romance. she most definitely did not disappoint. this book is so so so funny, the chemistry between maya and sky is amazing, the characterizations are top-tier, and the plot is very entertaining. some of the reality show-ness was a little too much for me, but other than that, i loved this novel.

As a Swiftie and diehard reality TV/Bachelor Stan, this book title and synopsis intrigued me. The set up of a Bachelor style show with exes dating their former boyfriend was interesting for sure.

I thought the main characters of Skye and Maya were okay but kind’ve one dimensional. They did not have many distinct personality traits between the two of them and I found myself constantly checking back to see who was telling the POV during that chapter. There was also a bit lacking for me with the suspense that you come to suspect with a book about reality tv dating.

I thought the behind the scenes situations were interesting and enjoyed the girls’ relationship with their producer Isaac. Overall, this book was unique and those who enjoy YA rom coms with a reality tv twist may enjoy!

Bachelor-style reality tv show?
enemies-to-lovers?
sapphic happily ever after?

WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT???
This book genuinely was such a fun ride. I think it hovers somewhere between a 4.5 and 5 star rating for me. I really loved Maya and Skye and seeing them together made my heart burst. I think it was really cute to see how their distinct personalities interacted. The conflict didn't feel out of left field or forced, instead it felt like a natural extension of what was already posed as a concern in the book.

I was really pleased with the pacing throughout the book. Sometimes books with a reality show trope can feel too dragged out, other times I feel like you don't get enough of that TV feeling...this book was perfect. The pacing was good, the challenges were good. I liked that it highlighted some of the things that reality tv fans would recognize, like the "villian" trope, or filming over and over, or disastrous editing.

Finally, I am so happy with how this ended. I like books that showcase female friendships and where justice is served. The onset of the book had me skeptical because I was worried that all the girls would be competitive and catty, which is NOT a trope that I like to see. It always makes me happy when women support women, so I was happy to see that dynamic throughout the book. And then for a while there I was worried about getting a satisfying finale, but I can confidently say this one delivered with such a sweet HEA

I loved Maya and Skye! They are so perfect and love the whole premise of the book- it was unique and fun! Sometimes I felt there was a little too much going on but I always got drawn back in!

When Maya is contacted to go on a reality show about getting back together with her ex, she knows what she needs to do. This is an ex whose sister married a royal; an ex who cheated on her; an ex who gaslit her. She will expose him and get the revenge she deserves...except she falls for one of the other contestants. What will she jeopardize to put her ex in his place?

Sophie Gonzales has such a way of creating characters and dialogue that really sucks you in and makes you feel part of the story. Cannot wait to recommend this.

Imagine being on a reality dating show but the bachelor is your douchey ex boyfriend who cheated on you. But all the other contestants are also his exes. Including the girl he cheated on you with.
You scheme a revenge plot. The twist?
You fall in love with the girl he cheated on you with.

The entire premise seems super dramatic, but in all honesty, there wasn't as much drama as I thought there would be. This was still a fun little quick read, thought it was missing a lot of back story and depth for what I wanted from the new relationship between Maya and Skye.

I received a free eARC of this book via NetGalley.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a charming contemporary YA romance told from the POV of Maya and Skye, two ex-girlfriends of quasi-royal Jordy Miller. When they both end up on a Bachelor-like reality show to see if there's a second-chance spark between Jordy and any of his exes, Skye is excited for the opportunity to rekindle their romance. But Maya, who was still dating Jordy when he cheated on her with Skye, is more interested in exposing Jordy's nightmare behavior to the whole world.

Unfortunately for them, Maya and Skye have to room together, and they hate each other. But as Skye learns more about Jordy, she turns on him, ready to work with Maya to get revenge. "Working together" quickly turns into something more, and Maya and Skye have to decide whether their budding relationship is more important than their revenge plot.

This is a romance, so it's pretty clear how the story ends. But I <i>really</i> enjoyed the process of getting there—I kept reading through the middle of the night to find out how Jordy would get what was coming to him without ruining Maya and Skye's relationship. It's rare that romance novels have a true villain, but Gonzales kept peeling back the onion on Jordy bit by bit, so that by the end of the book, the fact that he cheated on Maya and Skye is the thing you're the LEAST angry about. He's incredibly fun to root against.

Maya and Skye are surrounded by a coterie of competitors in their reality show mansion, each of whom is more enjoyable to read about than the next. Gonzales does a fantastic job of allowing the contestants to have their own personalities while also finding ways to draw them together. At the beginning, you'll hate them all (as well as all the show's produers). By the end, you might feel a little differently.

The romance between Maya and Skye builds really well—particularly so on Skye's part, where she notices every little detail about Maya before realizing that she's actually into her. Some of Skye's insecurities are a little frustrating, but they ultimately balance really well against Maya's drive for revenge.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is an awesome read that I crashed through in one night because I was having too much fun to put it down and go to sleep. I can't wait for readers to get to experience these characters!

This was fun! If you are someone who enjoys making some popcorn and watching the sheer mayhem that is reality tv, then you're going to enjoy this one! I was really curious and drawn into this book based on the plot being a satire on dating reality tv shows except with the plot twist being that two contestants ditch the guy and fall for each other. This is a layered story that begins as a revenge story and slowly morphs into a slow-burn romance, with a refreshing layer about rejecting the narrative of women being pitted against each other and instead forming an alliance against the not-so-great-cheating-cheater-who-is-playing-all-of-these-wonderful-women. We all know or have met a Jordy. A seemingly sweet guy who is secretly a slithery snake underneath all of the charm. Maya and Skye make it their mission to expose him for it and maaaaybe catch feelings for each other. It is a fun and eventful ride along the way.

Overall, if you love the drama and chaos that is reality TV, enjoy reading about competitions, love the takedown of sleazy men, enjoy all the tropes, love slow-burn sapphic books, and are a fan of slightly messy but lovable heroines then this book is for you!

I had two qualms that didn't push this over the edge of five stars. The first being that I felt as though the plot was too slow-paced for me and the timeline of events made me feel like I didn't fully buy into Maya and Skye's love. I feel as though they didn't have enough bonding/connecting moments to amount to such strong feelings for one another and their connection building began too late for me. I had to remind myself that this was meant to be a romance between the two of them since there wasn't any in a good portion of the beginning. I don't want insta-love at the beginning of a book, but I do oddly feel like it still read as insta-love even though it was a slow burn because their connection started a bit late and there weren't enough instances of connection so it made me think "how did we get to this point??". Although, this may just be me and my preference and I may not be formulating my thoughts correctly so take these thoughts with a grain of salt as you may feel their connection timeline and amount is just fine.

Secondly, I believe this book would have been best fitted in the NA category. All of the characters were 18+ and while 18-year-olds can still fit under the YA umbrella, I think it would have made more sense to be NA and more believable to me. I am the type of person that reads about an 18/19-year-old going on a bachelor-esque dating show to re-date all of his exes and thinks "c'mon how exes many could he have?? and how many could have been a long-term relationship?". Overall, I just think this storyline would have been better suited to be marketed as NA.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Queer Representation: two sapphic bisexual MCs with different POVs. WLW relationship. Gay SC.

Holy shit. I have been blessed by the gods to read an early copy of this. I’m not even sure how to put into words how much I loved this book, but I do know that I will be ordering a physical copy as soon as the paperback format comes out. I’ve already been gushing to my friends (and my chiropractor?) about this book.

Let me start off by saying, if you loved the first book of The Selection and you wanted MORE of that dating show drama, this book is for you. Never Ever Getting Back Together follows two girls, Maya and Skye, who both dated Jordy, the charismatic charmer who is now-famous and everyone loves. They’re invited to participate in “Second Chance Romance” which is a bachelor-esque reality TV show, with all of Jordy’s exes seeing if they can rekindle something.

The twist? Maya isn’t there for Jordy. She’s there for revenge. According to Maya, Jordy cheated on her with Skye and Skye knew about it. According to Jordy, he tried to break up with Maya but she said no and went crazy stalker ex on him. Let the drama ensue.

Congratulations to this author for making me hate this fictional guy more than I’ve ever hated any other. He is detestable in the most believable way. Truly, this book is the ultimate “the guy sucks lets just get together instead” and I’m so here for it.

And remember, never trust a guy with a J name.

*Spoilers after this point*

Pros:
-The communication! If you’ve read any of my other reviews you know that I hate the miscommunication trope. Yes the trope was still there in the beginning, but it was believable. Skye had been told one thing and Maya had been told another. They didn’t dance around the issue for 60% of the book either. Maya called out Skye very early on and Skye called out Maya in return. It also wasn’t resolved right then and there. Which to me was so incredibly believable! This happens in real life all the time, especially in romantic situations.

-It wasn’t instalove. Even after calling each other out, it wasn’t resolved until proof was provided. And even then, it took a little bit for the two to realize how much each other meant to each other.

-Jordy was so detestable in a horrible yet believable way. Men like Jordy exist. Men who know the right things to say, both to women and in regards to politics.. Who are actually just weaponizing their “feminism” and “inclusivity” for their own agenda. The type that will say they support women but drop subtle hints or backhanded comments to put other women down, slut-shame, and try to find a way into someone’s pants.

-This book brought in the reality TV aspect really well. We saw a lot of the behind the scenes and falseness of “reality” TV shows. There was a lot of showing instead of just telling, where we saw the frustration over and over of having to retake reaction shots and people lying about their history so they could get more exciting screen time.

-Revenge. Oh how I love revenge. I was so worried that by the end Jordy wasn’t going to get what was coming to him. I loved the game that Maya came up with to show the girls how fake Jordy was and I was so glad to see that turning point. I was so scared that Kim was going to end up dating him even if Maya rejected him. But I’m really glad the author wrote the end the way she did… where Maya realized Skye was more important… but someone happened to leak the destructive video to a certain popular influencer who published it.

-Skye was upset that Maya chose Jordy. You might be saying “but I thought you just said that you hate miscommunication!” I do. But again, I think this was resolved very well. Skye had self esteem issues and did think Maya left her for Jordy in the beginning, but this was resolved pretty quickly. She found out Maya did it so she could actually have revenge… and to Skye, that still meant Maya chose Jordy, even if it was in a hateful way, over Skye. Which again, I think is very realistic (or as realistic as you can get with a situation like this.)


Cons:
-I want more. I think the author needs to write another book based on the show “Second Chance Romance.” Maybe make the main guy not an asshole and make it a polyamurous relationship?

Thank you net galley for the book!
I was super excited about the premise of this story. The sapphic and the television show were all I needed to hear before I wanted to read it. My one note is I don't know why this is marketed as YA as it seems like a standard adult romance. Other than that it was really fun and I had a great time reading it.

I love Sophie Gonzales and her writing/characters and this book is no exception. I love this story and the sisterhood that these girls formed, even when it was rocky at first. This love story is cute and felt so real to me. The idea of two women coming together that have both been hurt by a single person is so beautiful. I am giving it 4 stars ⭐️ because at points it was a bit slow but in all a great read!