Things I LOVED about this book: A non-bianary character, as one of the main characters and the ability to listen to their perspective and their romantic interest perspective. A forced proximity second chance romance, Theo and Kit have grow up together, dated and broken up and live across the world from each other. A pre-planned trip around Europe forces them back together and to face the feelings they had along.
I adore Casey McQuiston's voice for the queer community and this book definitely does what all their other books before have done before for me.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin for this free book for honest review.

An absolutely delightful romp. No notes. Casey McQuiston remains an autobuy must read author. This was spicier than other books from McQuiston and I kicked it off my fingers like fried chicken. Good soup.

Thank you for the ARC of this book. In the past I’ve very much enjoyed Casey McQuiston’s books this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

5/5 ı loooved this!

This book is best described as self-indulgent. Kit and Theo spend the entire book bemoaning life choices while eating and sleeping their way across Europe on a bougie food tour.

While I enjoyed Kit and Theo as characters, the European setting felt a little too self-indulgent for my taste. I can sniff out an American glamorizing Europe the same way I can smell out an author writing a small town who's never left New York City- it's not my favorite look. It just felt very "hot, rich kids with hot, rich people problems" and out of touch with reality. I don't know how else to word it. Honestly, I kept the 3 stars only because I have to admit McQuiston can write a damn description and one-liner like no one else.

Romance has never been my genre, either, so I admit that might be part of the issue.

While I loved Red, White & Royal Blue and thoroughly enjoyed I Kissed Shara Wheeler, this one and One Last Stop were misses for me. Hopefully, I get along with their next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this title. I didn't really connect with the characters like I thought I would. I will be looking out for the next title from Casey McQuiston.

this is such a lovely escape from reality -- a second chance queer romance that's spicy and slow-burny and soooo swoony!!! i can't decide who i am crushing on more -- kit or theo, and their chemistry not only with each other but with (apparently) every hot european they meet in their travels was HOT. casey writes queer love like nobody else!!!

These two might be the last real lovers on this planet. They are real yearners. But! They are also real liars. Because in no way shape or form do I believe for a second that everybody in Europe is this rich and fuckable.

Regardless, Casey McQuiston has yet another masterpiece on their hands. No one is surprised.

This is spicier McQuinston's other titles, but so much fun to read! Super into their love story and the way it was told. Highly recommend.

I was so happy to receive an arc of this book! This was a very fun queer book that I will be continuing to recommend for a long time. Thank you netgalley.

I could not get into this story. I appreciate that it will resonate for others, but it was not for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and have a good time! However, I felt the main premise of the characters Anton each other but entering into a competition to who could sleep with more people so out of the team of my own reality it did take suspended disbelief. I felt that the tour director was cheeky and charming and enjoyed the reveal of his wife at the end who was just as lovely.

3.5 stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 💫

What a romp! Unabashed, erotic, and most importantly fun, I was rooting for Theo and Kit the whole time. Theo in particular spoke to me as a character. Casey McQuiston is an auto-read for me.

I was drawn to *The Pairing: Special 1st Edition* because the premise sounded fun—two exes reuniting on a European food and wine tour, with a side of competition and potential romance. However, despite the promising setup, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story's overall tone.

Theo and Kit's dynamic felt like they were trying too hard to rekindle old flames through banter and rivalry, but it came off as immature. The constant references to their past, while intended to create tension, just left me frustrated. I couldn't understand why they hadn't moved on after four years, and the competitive hook-up challenge felt more awkward than amusing.

The writing style also didn't help. I expected humour and charm, but instead, I found the dialogue repetitive, and the pacing was uneven. The setting of Paris, Spain, and Italy should've added depth and romance, but it just felt like a backdrop for more petty drama.

While I appreciate the idea of a second-chance romance, this one missed the mark. It was hard to get invested in a story where the chemistry felt one-sided, and the characters seemed stuck in the past. There were moments of potential, but they were overshadowed by everything else.

Here is the thing about The Pairing. It's Casey McQuiston (CMcQ)'s queerest book. Rather than tell a queer story in the vein of a heterosexual romance, CMcQ has worked to liberate the story from straight conventions. Monogamy isn't the default or even that important. Characters stay friends with some exes. Pegging! When comparing The Pairing with RW&RB, you can see how much CMcQ is taking chances with their writing and storytelling. The descriptions are lush and evocative. I literally dreamt of the Citrus Foundation months after reading the book.

And yet. And yet, this will never be a comfort read like RW&RB, and I'm not sure I feel the need to reread it at all. Maybe I'm not the intended audience (too old, too straight-passing, too conforming), but I don't want to shortchange CMcQ, who knows how to writing compelling specific stories that also touch on the universal. Ultimately, I didn't love this book because Kit and Theo didn't work for me. I never felt like they even liked each other that much. And while second-chance romances are tricky, I came away from this book thinking, "I don't think either of them bring out the best in the other." Which is a must-have for a romance. The sum must be greater than the parts. And while they have what seems like hot sex and they both like hospitality, I got to the end of The Pairing thinking that Kit & Theo would run their course as a couple before too long. It just didn't work as a romance.

Representation: Dual POV, both MCs are queer, and one is also trans

Rating: 5/5 I immensely enjoy Casey McQuiston’s work, and this is no different. I loved this adventure across Italy, immersing in all the different foods and drink while also experiencing the ups and downs of their relationship. This is a second chance romance, and I think it was done really well. There was still anger from the hurts, they had to work on their communication, and healing those wounds. It wasn’t some magical fairytale where all the mistakes just melted away and they were happy again. I loved every single one of the ensemble characters, they all really had their own personalities and gave something to the story, to the MCs while they were working through their shit. I really enjoyed that even though they already knew each other pretty well before, they were still rediscovering each other and what the other liked/didn’t like, and of course all the new things that they each had learned or picked up on during their year of no contact. This felt like a very authentic love story with a lot of depth.

I think this is a fantastic book, but maybe just not for me! And that's ok!! Casey's writing is stellar, as always, and their characters are rich and developed. Forever an auto-buy author for me, and that won't stop now! I didn't really connect with the story in the same way, I think because I am a hopeless romantic who does not wish to see my main couple engaging with ~other~ love interests. That being said, still so appreciative of Casey's work and talent.

I absolutely loved McQuiston’s latest. It was so sexy and fun and I loved seeing queer storylines not only front and center but normalized. I truly felt transported to this tour across Europe and I added so many places and foods to my bucket list throughout this read. McQuiston really took us into the minds of our main characters, and while the switch from Theo to Kit’s perspective was a little jarring at first I came to love it as it added more dimension to both characters, and I loved seeing them through the others’ eyes. The side characters honestly stole the show though, Fabrizio supremacy iykyk.

While a lot of the book really was just a fun sexy traipse through Europe there’s also so much heart here. The Pairing dealt with love and heartbreak, death and grief, gender identity and sexuality, class, nepotism, the meaning of home and family, and the classic existential crises I think we all have at some point in our lives. There’s so much here to dig into, and I’ll definitely be revisiting next time I want to take a reading journey through Europe

I normally really like Casey McQuiston's books, but I'll admit I didn't realize what this one was all about when I requested it. Though I like their writing, I didn't like the premise of this one---it failed to live up to McQuiston's other books. That said, some of their fans may enjoy this.

What a BOOK!!!!! I love Casey I love this book I love the indulgent feel of reading this and learning about pleasure and food and forgiveness. I love second-chance romance books, it's one of my favorite tropes. Everything about this book felt slow and decadent. The POV change surprised me, but truly in the best way! I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who will listen.