This book is the next big thing in sapphic romance, I can feel it!

Never Ever Getting Back Together is about two women on a Bachelor-esque TV show where they are invited to re-date their ex-boyfriend for a chance to rekindle their relationship. Maya isn't jumping at the opportunity to see her cheating ex Jordy at first, until she realizes that this could be her chance at the ultimate revenge- public humiliation and rejection. But once she gets there, she encounters another obstacle she hadn't anticipated: Skye. Skye is beautiful and charming, but she also happens to be the girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. These girls are thrust together, along with four other ex-girlfriends, and must live in a mansion with each other over the course of the show. They form friendships, tackle all kinds of Jordy-related baggage, and participate in many group challenges and one-on-one dates.

This book sounded exactly like my kind of thing, and let me tell you: it was! I am one to watch the Bachelornation shows and pretend to make fun of them, but then secretly get invested and root for my favorite contestants. When I read that Never Ever Getting Back Together was all about the behind-the-scenes action of those shows AND a sapphic romance, I was immediately hooked and knew I had to get my hands on it immediately. The setting is beautiful and lush, but what really pulls you in are the characters and their relationships with each other. Each girl is so different from the next, and none of them felt flat or one-dimensional. They all had distinctive personalities and styles that I loved to read about and get to know as the story went on. Even the girls who left the show first I felt like I knew them well enough to miss them.

I would like to commend Sophie Gonzales for writing a male character that I absolutely hated, and I mean that has a genuine compliment. We are supposed to hate Jordy and boy did I! He is self-centered and manipulative and he gets every negative thing that's coming to him and more. I have some experience with similar men (unfortunately) and I have to say that he was written in a very realistic and textbook way when it comes to gaslighting and manipulation. It is very easy to hate him!

Never Ever Getting Back Together had me rolling with laughter, gasping at the twists, and kicking my feet with the romance. I will be rereading and buying this book when it is released, and I highly recommend that you do the same!

I received this arc from NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing & Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

I have received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely adore the bisexual representation in this book. I love reading the enemies to lovers trope, and this book is just that. Maya and Skye are fueled by hate for each other at the beginning and then come together to get revenge on Jordy Miller. This book is everything I wanted as a sapphic book, and everyone should definitely plan on reading it. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!

This is a hands down 5/5 star read! I binge-read this in less than 24 hours, really only putting it down because sleep was needed!

The humor & banter was hilarious. The queer / bi rep is perfection, especially because the drama did not revolve around Maya & Skye's sexuality. The plot with a reality tv show was at times over-the-top but still comical and well-done. The side / supporting characters had enough depth that they were wonderful.

Definitely another YA queer book I will be adding to my list to recommend to friends!

I love Sophie Gonzales, and I wanted so badly to love this. It's such a good formula! John Tucker Must Die is one of my favorite teen movies! I love a cheesy reality show book and I LOVE a revenge fantasy. But devastatingly, this didn't work for me.

It's fun! It's cute! But as characters I honestly couldn't really tell Skye and Maya apart, and I didn't feel that their romance or personal journeys were fleshed out at all. Jordy is such a one-note villain that I had a hard time caring about the revenge plot. I didn't feel any real sense of place from the Bachelor-like setting or Chalonne itself. I want there to be real emotional stakes in a reality show story! But everything here felt very surface level.

I'll of course be catching Gonzales next time, but this was a miss for me. Alas!

thank you to wednesday books and netgalley for the arc!

i have way too many words but also none at the same time to say about this book. Sophie Gonzales is honestly tied for my fav author so when she first announced this book i knew i needed to get my hands on it, i squealed when i got approved for the arc and immediately started reading it! i loved this book so so much! i am a sucker for dual pov at this point because i love getting to see both the characters slowly fall for each other and it was especially interesting to read maya's thoughts during the moments of revenge. skye was definitely my fav though! as a bisexual woman myself it was great to get to read about 2 bi women :) also even the side characters were great! perrie was a QUEEN and jordy was the perfect antagonist because it was really fun to hate him! overall i am very glad i got the chance to read this early because honestly speaking i would read literally anything sophie puts out <3

I loved everything about this book!!
It was such a fun read and I could not put it down!!! I loved the development of Maya and Skye’s relationship and how they hated each other at first. That switch to enemies to friends was perfect along with the build up of their relationship. Maya deciding that Jordy was no longer worth her time and energy and it wasn’t worth losing Skye over was everything
I loved Perrie too!!! She really came in clutch at the end of this book!

Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book in 3 words: Hilarious. Powerful. Rallying.

Maya joins a handful of her loser ex-boyfriend's exes on a reality TV show, Second Chance Romance, where Jordy tries to reconnect with past girlfriends. She accepts, revenge on her mind, hoping to show the public how terrible her ex really is. While hoping to find a way to have her truth heard and Jordy's genuine self exposed, she stumbles upon something (or someone) much more interesting, Skye, who just happens to be who Jordy cheated on Maya with.

YOU ARE KIDDING ME WITH THIS BOOK! I was sucked in and enjoyed it, start to finish. There are so many one-liners which had me pause and audibly cackle, here are my top 2 faves: "Jordy Miller is -- as his British relatives would say -- a fucking wanker" and "Hey, nice one, fuck you." Honestly hilarious.

In all transparency, most reality tv makes me want to physically gag. I will say, I do sometimes get sucked into a YouTube hole of show clips (mostly the Bachelorette... Alabama Hannah's season, to be exact). However, this plot point worked so well and kept my attention... I liked the behind-the-scenes feel.

Skye and Maya are quite the rollercoaster. The dual POV works really well for the overall delivery of the story but even better for their character growth. I liked them both, even when they hated each other.

Now, we can't let good ol' Jordy go without a mention --- here's to one of the most villainous, loser, misogynistic, and make-me-want-to-vom characters I've ever read. Sophie sure knows how to write a real DUD.

I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I'll post my review (Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram) closer to launch.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales: 5/5 stars

I was so excited when Wednesday Books made this available for 48 hours on Netgalley! I've been on a reality show romance kick lately, and two women falling for each other while trying to take down a terrible man is right up my alley.

Maya is invited on a reality show called Second Chance Romance, in which her ex-boyfriend Jordy will re-date some of his exes in an attempt to find the one that got away. At first she doesnt want to go anywhere near Jordy, but she realizes she can use the opportunity to make his cheating ass look bad on TV. She ends up getting roomed with Skye, the woman Jordy cheated on Maya with years ago. And then she ends up falling for Skye.

I loved this book. I thought it was well-paced, well-written, and had strong, realistic characters. They felt like real people, and I genuinely cared about all the women on the show and one of the queer male producers by the end of the book Maya's attempts to make Jordy look bad don't go well, Jordy's really good at being manipulative himself, and while I was rooting for Maya I also had no idea how well her plans would turn out Watching Maya and Skye fall for each other and confront their issues was beautiful, and I appreciated that Skye could call Maya out on her actions.

Never Ever Getting Back Together comes out December 6, 2022. I definitely recommend preordering!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me w an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is told from the perspectives of Maya and Skye, who are contestants on a reality dating show that gives them a second chance at love with their mutual ex-boyfriend, Jordy. Maya uses the show as an opportunity to take revenge on Jordy, who cheated on her with Skye. Maya and Skye slowly go from bitter rivals, to reluctant allies, to more in this hilarious and romantic story.

I want to preface my review by saying that the main reason for my interest in this book is the author. Sophie Gonzales has written some of my favorite YA contemporary romances of all time (Only Mostly Devastated, Perfect on Paper, If This Gets Out). No matter the plot of the book, Sophie’s witty writing style and unique characters come through. However, I wasn’t interested enough in the dating show to feel invested in the story. I found myself getting bored with the repetitiveness of the challenges, dates, and drama that made up the show. With that being said, I would still highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy reality TV.

An aspect of the book that really worked for me was the dual perspective. It was interesting to see how Maya and Skye’s perceptions of love, Jordy, and each other differed. I loved watching their relationship develop from both sides. The dual perspective also kept the story moving. Maya and Skye have distinct voices, yet I enjoyed both povs equally (I feel like I rarely read books where both of these things are true).

One thing that was lacking for me was well-rounded side characters. Something I love about Sophie’s other books is the supporting cast of characters, who add a lot of depth to the story. I think the other contestants could have been more well-developed characters. Towards the beginning of the book, I thought I was going to get that with Perrie, but she sort of faded out and became just a followers-obsessed influencer.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it unfortunately isn’t a new favorite. The story’s resolution left me feeling satisfied, but I didn’t walk away from the book with any strong feelings. Again, I think fans of reality TV would have a lot more fun with this book than I did- but I’d still encourage anyone who is intrigued by the premise to pick this book up!

Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for this eARC!

I couldn't put this down. I started it first thing Wednesday morning, and just had to keep going, with few stops in-between. I was just hooked.

I will agree with a couple other reviews I've seen that this book feels like it maybe should be filed in adult fiction, at the very least new adult. I kind of feel like, given that it's a rom-com in a dating reality TV series, Sophie maybe limited herself by making this YA, and it could have benefited from some of the spicier bits available in a NA book. I dunno, YMMV on that front. Maya and Skye also get together kind of with the flip of a switch...they learn they're not the enemies they expected to be and all is good, but the second they find out they're both bi (Skye might be pan, I'm not sure she ever gives herself a label, but I digress) they want to kiss one another. Maya makes the point of saying 'just because we both like to kiss girls doesn't mean we have to kiss each other', and while true, it feels like it was thrown in to distract from that fact that that's exactly how they're initial relationship comes across.

All that out of the way, I did like the pair of them, eventually. They were cute, especially when they got to be alone together. Most of the other girls were awesome, as well. Jordy was a complete tool, but one who did a good job hiding it, so unlike say The Lost Girls, I could understand why he fooled these awesome girls with his bullshit.

Definitely recommend. 4/5 stars.

Jordy was a conniving, manipulative, gaslighting bastard to the very end!!! It was honestly so frustrating to watch the girls tear each other down over this man but it was also beautiful to see them all come together at the very end. I can't think of a better revenge than to fall in love with one of your ex's ex girlfriends who also happened to be the one he cheated on you with. Jordy definitely got what he deserved and I'm all here for it.

I got this book as an ARC from St. Martin's Press and I enjoyed it so much! I was immediately hooked the moment I read the synopsis

I really enjoyed reading this book! The main characters were interesting and developed. I enjoyed the many twists and turns throughout the story and was genuinely shocked by some of them. The conflict and resolution were good, though a bit fast in some ways. That's really the only critique I have - some parts felt so slow and boring - but I'm no expert. Overall, I'd give it 3/5 stars but I'll bump it up a star because it did leave me thinking some of the themes after putting the book down.

i enjoyed the premise a lot. the romance was a slower burn than i anticipated, but still so good. i kinda wished the characters were a little older (the immaturity made sense for the characters but it got frustrating occasionally) but otherwise it was a super fun, super cute book.

3.5 stars.

I liked this book. The blurb of the book was what caught me because the idea of going on a dating show & ending up falling for another contestant was very intriguing to me so I was really looking forward to reading this. This definitely gave bachelor vibes & was a fun take on what goes on behind the scenes in a “reality” tv show.

First off, Jordy was a complete jerk & this is a good story to hopefully give others examples of huge red flags of what to look out for in potential relationships. Secondly, I loved the banter in this book. I laughed & smiled a lot. It was funny & smart. There were some cliché & predictable moments, but I still found myself enjoying it. I did enjoy the character development of Maya & Skye. I do wish the ending was a little different. I feel like the epilogue could have been a chapter & then have an epilogue for say a year or so later & how that would look because it felt like it ended quickly & I wanted a bit more.

This is more of a coming-of-age story. It's about figuring out who you are & what kind of person you want to be. If you like having steam/spice in your stories, this doesn't have it. It's fade to black. I read books with a variety of steam/spice levels so I want to make sure others are aware.

This is a cute, easy, & fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The premise was made clear in the description, but it took entirely too long for the queer action to happen in this one. The writing was elementary and some of the characters felt underdeveloped. I stuck it out to see if there was a big gay happy ending, but no spoilers ;)

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for sending me this eARC for an honest review :)!

Originally I had wanted to request for it but forgot. After one of my amazing friends had told me about how much she enjoyed the book, I knew I had to request it. I did immediately and this book is amazing. I definitely get a lot of “Bachelor” vibes from it and absolutely ATE IT UP.
The only minor dilemma I had was that I felt as if the situations in the book felt more ~new adult~ to me rather than young adult.
I absolutely do love the story line, bi representation, and just the characters themselves.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc; Here’s my honest review with, like, light spoilers.

<i>Never Ever Getting Back Together</i> is a YA Romance about two bi girls who wound up dating, and now re-dating but for TV and/or love, the Male Manipulator of the Century (He feels stripped from my real like experience, faux British accent and all; honestly sort of uncanny.)

Our main characters get right into hating each other, and it hits all the dramatic notes one expects. I enjoy miscommunication, so while I would’ve selfishly enjoyed more of it, it was more appropriate for the genre for this to resolve as it did, swiftly, and with minimal residual hurt from their initial spats.

That doesn’t mean the hurt ends there! There’s a lot more of that where it came from. I enjoyed the more self destructive tendencies of the POV characters. I was shocked, though, how little they initially wanted to discuss their relationship as it started to shift from friends to more. I think it's only really of note because of how much time they seemed to spend around each other, I wasn't convinced someone wouldn't've pressed the issue. I felt like some parts of the book resolved too quickly and could’ve had some of their idea's expanded upon, to get a better sense of what the characters are going through. I remember a few times, towards the middle of the book, wishing that the POV would’ve shifted, because what was implied to be happening elsewhere would’ve given some nice insight into Maya and Skye as characters.

The quality of the writing makes for a quick and easy read, though. It’s enjoyable and in depth enough that you have a sense of the goings-on, without being dogged down in the details. Overall, yeah it’s pretty good, and I think I lot of people will really enjoy this book.

5/5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book- it was incredible. I was honestly sort of expecting an average ya contemporary about this girl on a reality tv show, but it ended up being a lot deeper and better than that.

The description and setting of the book was great. It almost felt like I was watching a movie, and this is one of those books I could definitely see being adapted into a movie or tv show.

The characters were great. I especially loved our main characters, Maya and Skye. All of their reactions and decisions made sense, and they went through a lot of positive character development! Jordy was truly an…interesting character and liked how all the girls didn’t have good opinions of him by the end.

The best part of this book was the romance. I feel like I’ve been looking for forever, and the execution of it was incredible. Our love interests had excellent chemistry, and I loved all the queer rep.

Overall, I’d highly recommend Never Ever Getting Back Together. I went into it without any expectations, but it was such a great book. I read it in one day. If you’re considering reading it, you definitely should. Never Ever Getting Back Together was one of the best ya contemporaries I’ve read in a while!

I thought this was such a lovely romance. I was able to get through it in one sitting. The banter between characters was some of the best I've read in a really long time. Truly my only complaint is that I wish the characters were all a bit older. However, it was incredibly refreshing to get such a sweet sapphic romance. It's unfortunately all too rare. This book will have you laughing and smiling and kicking your feet. It's the literary equivalent of eating and ice cream cone on a sunny summer day. Just sweet and perfect.

Everything about this book was pure entertainment.

I love Sophie Gonzales’s books, and with this premise, I knew it was gonna be a hit. Why wouldn’t I want to read about a self-proclaimed bisexual disaster (Maya) who agrees to go on a reality TV show with her cheating ex (Jordy) so she can expose him, only to fall for the girl he cheated on her with (Skye)? A recipe for success!
I was incredibly busy when I started this, as I was caught between traveling and other life commitments - and yet I still managed to finish this in 2 days! I was glued to the page as Maya and Skye go from enemies fueled by resentment and spite to partners in revenge to friends to something else altogether. Their romance was very sweet, though I didn’t feel particularly swooney over it. Like, it was fine. But it didn’t affect me past the surface level.

I enjoyed the other girls on the show and the way the group as a whole ends up developing this friendship and camaraderie. And I found Jordy the perfect villain. Like, one moment he’d do something so genuinely evil that I’d actually get mad. And then the next page, he’d unironically say that he worked very hard by making money off of stocks which made me laugh aloud. Utterly awful but in such a fun way.

I do have to admit that this was a bit of a popcorn read for me – like I said, pure entertainment. But not quite anything more. This was one of those books where you sit down to read, turn off your brain, and have a fun, good time. Tbh, reading this was a bit like watching an actual reality dating show, which seems fitting. And honestly, that’s exactly what I wanted and needed when I picked up this book, so it was a definite win for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an early copy to review.