A reality dating show where the suitor brings back all of his ex-girlfriends to decide if one is the girl that got away… what could possibly go wrong?!? If you like watching trash reality TV (like I do) then this book will entertain you. A quick read that has a cute story and some good characters.
I was provided this advanced readers copy for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A YA romance but make it college? Check.
Reality tv dating show setting? Check.
Taylor Swift lyrics as the title? Check.

I loved this one. Never Ever Getting Back Together focuses on Maya and Skye, two ex-girlfriends of Jordy who is famous-adjacent thanks to his sister marrying the crown prince of a European nation and spun that minor celebrity into his own dating show (of dating his ex's). Admittedly, I am a sucker for any romance set at a reality tv show but this one is a fun twist on a Bachelor-style dating show. It even plays on the "here for the right reasons" trope in all the best ways.

Some might be annoyed at the early use of the miscommunication trope to drive the conflict between Maya and Sky but I actually thought it was a good depiction of how men gaslight their romantic partners and how women are socialized to view each other as competition. Like it was WILDLY frustrating when Skye buys Jordy's lies about Maya being a "psycho" after their break up but it's 100% believable given how pervasive the misogynistic "crazy ex-girlfriend" narrative is (I mean they made a whole show about it for a reason). Also Skye and Maya are *young* -- this is still a YA romance after all. Jordy does border on caricature at some times with his shirtless preening but also... it's still not that detached from reality!

In general the book is campy ridiculous fun. If you liked Perfect on Paper you'll like this one.

I am always delighted by Sophie Gonzales' writing and this was no exception. I loved the premise and the set up of this book and it was even better than I hoped for. As someone who loves reality dating shows, I'd say Sophie absolutely nailed the stereotypes of the people who appear on them and also offered more humanization of them, making them pleasantly three-dimensional, which will likely positively affect the way I perceive the contestants of this year's Love Island (maybe). The romance was sweet and sexy, and both MCs were so well written and had such distinctive voices. I always love a dual POV book, especially with romantic elements, and this one is probably my new favorite. All in all, it was so enjoyable, pleasantly unpredictable, and instant re-read worthy.

Ok new favorite thing: reality show romances. They work so much better than I expected in book, or perhaps just in this book.

At first, I hated both female leads. I thought one was annoying and the other one felt too forced. HOWEVER, the more you read and begin to understand their backstories and their priorities, they clicked so well. This book was equal parts cute and dramatic. The ending was top-notch (even though it was definitely predictable)

This was SO cute! Such a fun story and I really loved the characters. I was laughing but also it was so heartfelt at times. A great read for pride month.

NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is a compelling and fun YA Romance that follows the stories of Skye and Maya. When they’re both invited onto a Reality TV show by their ex boyfriend, Jordy Miller, tensions rise between them. They soon realise there had been a serious miscommunication and they begin to plot to take down Jordy. Feelings blossom between them and before long they’re together, but there’s still Jordy to take down.

Jordy Miller made me unbelievably angry, but I think that was the point. In that case, Sophie Gonzales did a great job. I loved Maya and Skye’s relationship, their wit to begin with and then with the development of their feelings regarding one another.

This was a fairly quick read and I basically finished it in one day, if you count reading one or two chapters one day and then reading the rest of it another. I stayed up late on the night before an exam to finish this, I was enjoying it that much. Sapphic stories make me happy and this definitely did. I loved the bi rep—how both Skye and Maya were bi. As a bi person myself, that spoke to my heart.

The side characters were interesting and I was sad when Francesca got sent home. They all had quite a bit of character development, especially Kim.

The one criticism I have of this book is that it felt more adult than young adult. I’m not sure if that’s because both of the characters were out of high school and were around college aged, but it definitely didn’t feel young adult to me. The characters were fairly mature—not that ya characters aren’t mature, more like they felt more mature than your typical ya character in some scenes—and I’d expect them to be in a new adult book, or adult book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed the other three books of Gonzales’ that I have read. I can’t wait for her other book now.

Never Ever Getting Back Together was the first novel I've read by Sophie Gonzales and I'll picking up more ASAP. Very much in the style of Ashley Blake Herring-it's engaging queer goodness with a very nice twist.

While watching a reality dating show that focuses on straight relationships I have often thought, 'what if two girls fell in love instead?' and this book completely answered my question. I loved this book so much and enjoyed every second of it! This book follows Maya, who was cheated on by her ex-boyfriend Jordy and Skye, who he cheated on Maya with, as they spend time with each other and their shared ex-boyfriend on a reality dating show that follows Jordy as he searches for "the one that got away". The premise of this sounds interesting and this book definitely followed through. The initial tension between Maya and Skye was dealt with in a realistic way that made me understand both sides of the story and I loved reading about the progression of their relationship. Maya was very hot-headed while Skye was a bit more calm and their personalities really evened each other out, especially when dealing with the show. I really enjoyed reading about both characters but particularly liked Maya as she was a flawed character but that was what made her realistic in my opinion and although she made some bad decisions and some decisions that were definitely morally questionable I really liked her character. And I found that although Maya was one of the main characters she wasn't the only realistic one and the other girls on the show were also very flawed but in that realistic way that makes them enjoyable to read. Jordy, the 'villain' of the book, was also an extremely flawed character (he had way mre flaws than redeeming qualities) but I did like how this book made him seem very real by providing rationale for his
decisions and in a way I understood some of the things he was thinking and feeling at times although that didn't lessen my hate for him at all. Reading about the show aspect of this book was really fun for me because I love reality dating shows so it was nice to get some behind the scenes and reading this book truly did feel like I was just watching another reality show at times. I also liked how this book really focuses on the relationships between the girls because often times in reality T.V. shows girls are seen being pit against each other and the way the girls really stood up for each other and pushed against the typical stereotypes of 'all girls being jealous of each other' made me really happy. There were also tons of funny moments throughout the book and I spent a lot of my time laughing while reading this book. Maya and Skye were absolutely adorable together and I found myself rooting for them to get together from the beginning and especially towards the end when things started to get a bit more complicated. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable and fun sapphic read as a quick pick-me-up!

If you’re looking for a book that’s like a tell all from behind the scenes of “the bachelor,” then you’ve come to the right place!

Dual POV, the story follows Maya and Skye, two girls wronged by the same guy, Jordy, then convinced by said guy to come on a reality dating show, with him as the prized endgame. Seems legit.

What he doesn’t realize (because he apparently knows nothing about anything) is that girls talk, and generally end up on the same side when it comes to shady guys, even the girls that you secretly pitted against each other.

Skye and Maya’s relationship had me from the very beginning, and it was entertaining to watch it evolve throughout the book.

Fun and lighthearted.

This book was definitely outside of my regular genres, and I felt out of my element the whole time. I thought it was boring, and Maya was not a likable main character…

I watch The Bachelor (yeah, I hate myself, too), but I still didn’t find that part interesting. I thought it took way too long for Maya and Skye to join forces… and I was too bored to continue after that.

I was unexpectedly pulled into this book way more than I thought. The whole reality show premise was interesting and the forced proximity it created made for lots of tension. I was so invested in the path Maya and Skye took when it came to their priorities and handling media attention. Great read!

Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this Digital Advanced Copy

This one was so cute! Over the past two years, I've learned I'll love anything Gonzales puts out, so I was eager to get my hands on Never Ever Getting Back Together. Although it's not my favorite of her books (that's either Perfect on Paper or If This Gets Out), it was still a super solid read.

First up, I've gotta address the conflict here. I loved it. The whole quest for revenge was immaculate. Sure, it may not be the "right" thing to do, but it was fun. It was amusing, and it was everything I wanted. Watching Skye and Maya scheme was addicting, and even when their schemes went wrong, it was fun.

I will admit though, I wanted more from the reality dating show backdrop of this one. It was just... bland. Really, there was almost no action. The girls would spend a chapter doing something, and then nothing would happen other than dialogue for entire chapters. It got boring fast, and instead of being unputdownable, it was easy to put down.

Jordy though, Jordy was a great character. He was the perfect dumb, spoiled male character. He was perfectly ignorant and vapid. He was the perfect target for the girls. He was a horrible guy, but he was the perfect guy for this book.

As some other reviewers have said, this could've (and probably should've) been new adult. It would've given the author a lot more wiggle room, and for a dating show, it was very tame. I wanted more irrational anger, more heat, and more maturity. I know YA is what Gonzales has written, but it would've been great to have seen her branch out for this one.

Although I do have some minor complaints, I still really enjoyed this one. It was super cute, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Never Ever Getting Back Together follows Maya who two years ago breaks up with her boyfriend Jordy. One day se gets a call to be on a show called Second Chance Romance. It is a show were Jordy will redate his ex's to try and find the one that got away. Maya wants to go on the show make to to the finally and reject Jordy. When Maya gets to set she runs into Skye who is the person Jordy cheated on Maya with. At first they hate each other. But then will do whatever it takes to bring Jordy down.

Overall this was a really cute romance novel. I liked how in the end the characters you did not expect to get together did. I will say the one thing that I did not like about this novel is that the writing felt a little young. There was also a little bit to much drama in this one for me. But I thought the plot was overall really good. But this is not my favorite Sophie Gonzales book. I did enjoy it when reading it. But I do not think this is one that I am going to go back to over and over again.

I'm in love with this author's writing style and will gladly read anything and everything she ever writes. Here, Sophie provides us with a reality dating show where the contestants are all ex-girlfriends of the now royally-adjacent bachelor who's greatly in need of being knocked down a few pegs. Really enjoyed watching the girls sort out truth from lies and develop friendships, and a romantic relationship, in spite of the bachelor and the reality show set-up.

Highly recommended LGBTQIA YA Contemporary read.

The moment I heard about the concept of this story, I knew I needed to read it. I mean, two girls go on a reality show to date their douche-bag ex but end up falling for each other instead? Sign me up!

I really enjoyed Maya and Skye and the other girls on the show. Jordy, the narcissistic ex not so much but that was the point and he made a great villain. Overall, I had a good time with this book though I wasn't a huge fan of the in-your-face humor and at times found Maya and Skye's voices too similar and got confused whose point of view I was reading in. I liked how things wrapped up in the end concerning the show, but in terms of Maya and Skye things are left very much in the air. Not their relationship, but what they're doing next in life. It was done on purpose, but I think I would've liked more closure for Maya who was really struggling with whether or not she would go to college.

If you're looking for a fun, easy read in a reality show setting you should definitely check this out!

This books is so freakin' good! At first, I will admit I wasn't a huge fan, primarily because all the characters are around 18. They really could have been aged up by at least 2 years so its less high-school. The characters don't act like they are in high school though, which is why the age thing just seems weird. Once I ignored that and pretended they were all at least 22, the book was so good. Literally, did-not-put-it-down good. There was not a single dull moment. The smaller number of contestants on the show was perfect and not overwhelming. I liked that we learned more about them, but Maya and Skye were still the main characters. I liked how Skye was always true to herself and really stuck to her values and her worth. Maya had some growing up to do but it was written in such a way that it was understandable and not annoying. Her dry wit had me laughing out loud. This book was amazing and how it ended was just perfect. Also, bonus points for using a Taylor Swift song as the title. Amazing job!

Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I was drawn to this book out of a love of queer romances set on reality TV shows and this didn’t disappoint! I had so much fun getting to know the characters through outrageous scenarios and seeing Maya and Skye fall for each other. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, would definitely recommend!

I liked the premise in this one but it felt a bit young to me. It wasn’t listed as YA but certainly felt like it. I enjoyed the main characters but didn’t necessarily feel the chemistry between the leads. I love the queer representation and the overall growth of the main character was well done.

I really loved how this story came together. From unlikely friendships to revenge to a beautiful love story. I would definitely like to see a follow up book to see how the story continues to unfold. I felt the epilogue didn’t pull everything together and give it a better ending. It did leave more open for a continued story so I hope we get that! All in all a solid read and I’m so happy to have gotten the pleasure to read and review it!

This reality tv inspired romance romp is such a treat!! I love the fact that having two bi characters adds a twist that viewers of the show don’t know is coming. This was such a fun read and I love the overarching message of not settling for someone who doesn’t treat you with the respect and honesty you deserve. If you’re into the Bachelor franchise, you’ll be into this, trust me. Thank you to NetGalley for the delightful ARC in exchange for my opinions!