I really enjoyed reading this book, and found it to be as pleasantly steamy and queer as I have come to hope for from McQuiston's books. The forced proximity trope is one that I really enjoy and I think it worked really well here. I also identified with some of the more negative traits in our protagonists: Theo's lack of self confidence, Kit's belief in his own ability to manage the world and those around him. Despite having empathy for the characters, I often found myself feeling exasperated with them and with the narrative in a way that wasn't wholly positive. The circumstances of Kit and Theo's breakup, the constant misunderstandings and missed connections, Theo's immense capacity to assume things without evidence, Kit's misguided self-denial--most of the story felt real at the level of individual interactions/decisions ("oh, I see how x character could assume that," "y character's feelings are really relatable") but in aggregate these themes led to an aura of immaturity that wasn't totally endearing. I'll still read anything McQuiston writes and I had a good time here but I wish I had left feeling more satisfied.

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I think this fits into McQuinston’s other books, it’s lovely and queer as they typically are. However, these characters were a little immature and I hate miscommunication so much. The foodie bits were honestly the best, definitely a love letter to food and those parts were the best.

As a foodie, the decadent descriptions of all the meals and pastries were my favorite part of THE PAIRING. Sure, Theo and Kit’s gallivants around Europe were pretty touristy and baseline, but who cares! What I wouldn’t give to eat some of those meals with some of those backdrops!

Unfortunately the character work was the weak link for me. Second-chance romances are always a tough sell, but in general I think it's a bad idea to have your second POV wax poetic about how smart and interesting the other character is when we just saw from that POV how decidedly dumb and annoying they are?? Idk!!

The spice was fun, but I did find it a bit insane how quickly they both were able to find fellow bisexuals willing to jump into bed with them at any given moment. Wish it were me!

This book is a love letter to Europe - to the cuisine and wine across the continent. As we experience these places, we do it through the eyes (and taste buds) of our protagonists, Theo and Kit. It is a story of their relationship, past and present, as told through vignettes of the past and current experiences.

I appreciated the perspective change mid-book - we spend the first half of the book in Theo’s mind, which is kind of a tumultuous place. I don’t remember if it was mentioned explicitly, but they are probably ADHD with time blindness, which creates some challenges in the “business side” of their business. But oh can they do wine - in fact they are millimeters away from passing the sommelier exam and we get to spend 300+ pages with them identifying wines through Europe with astounding accuracy and beautiful descriptions.

About halfway through the perspective switches to Kit - a little of the ground we have covered is retread, in a way that helps to clarify how Kit and Theo experienced some of the same events. Kit’s mind is a more settled place, but as he battles his own demons, it’s not simple.

I have really enjoyed most of McQuiston’s books, but this may be my least favorite. I think that is in part because I don’t love second chance romances or books where a substantial part of the plot is driven by miscommunication, which this book has in spades. While I enjoyed watching Theo and Kit reconnect, and I kind of loved the vignettes of gorgeous European locations, I didn’t love Theo or Kit as people and it felt like they could have figured their stuff out much earlier. It also bothered me that somehow on this expansive (and expensive) food and wine debauchery for some reason they stayed in hostels? It’s a small thing, but also real enough that it intruded on my ability to completely immerse myself in the story. I'm rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read an ARC of Red, White, And Royal Blue years ago, so I was excited to read this book early too so I could shout about it to the world. Unfortunately it fell a little flat. Now, that's not to say it was bad, because it wasn't. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I just don't think I was the exact right audience for the book in the first place, and I had a few complaints about plot and style choices as well. Now, when I say I wasn't the right audience here I mainly say that because this book is about a food and wine tour across Europe, and thus food and wine play a very large part in the story. So does Europe. I don't mind Europe, and there were times when this book did make me want to visit wherever the characters were at the time, but I don't care about food and I don't drink wine (in fact I don't drink at all) so all of that just did not appeal to me at all. Unfortunately it was a HUGE part of the book, which means a large portion of this book focused on things I just had no interest in at all. That being said I can tell McQuiston really enjoyed any and all research done for this book, because the food, wine, and travel aspects were all fairly well done (at least as far as I could tell coming from someone who has never really traveled and doesn't care about food and wine). Now onto the plot and style choices. Plot wise the basic idea of the book just didn't work for me. These two characters who had once been together and in love end up forced together again and decide on seeing who can sleep with the most people over the course of the vacation. It says this in the description, but apparently I didn't read it close enough. That part is on me, but I don't care for this trope in a romance novel. I don't want to read about the main characters flirting with and sleeping with other people when they're supposed to be falling in love (or in this case falling back in love). It just doesn't work for me. There are also MASSIVE amounts of miscommunication all throughout this book, which I despise. Now as far as the style choices go. The first half of the book is told from one POV, the second half from the other. Didn't care for it. I wanted to know what both characters were thinking at one time, not only one, and then only the other. It just didn't work for me. It's quite possible there was some deeper meaning/reason behind why this was done, but whatever it was I didn't get it. Now, that's not to say that this book was bad. It wasn't. I read it fairly quickly and I did enjoy the writing. And once the main characters got over themselves for the most part it went okay. I'll still be curious to see what McQuiston comes up with next, but this one was more miss than hit for me.

I’m a big Casey McQuiston fan so I was excited to dive into The Pairing. While it’s not my favorite read from McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue still holds the top spot, it’s still a pretty solid read, especially for fans of spicy romance.

Theo & Kit are bisexual exes who accidentally reunite on a European food and wine tour. Theo and Kit were childhood best friends turned crushes, who eventually fell in love. They were originally planning to take this food and wine tour as a couple but instead actually broke up on the flight to Europe. Now nearly four years later, they both realize their vouchers for the trip are expiring and end up accidentally booking the same tour dates.

Fans of the forced proximity and second chance trope will enjoy this story as Theo and Kit end up stuck together for this three week tour. After a rocky start, the two of them start to reconnect as friends and decide it would be fun to casually hook up with as many people as possible while on the trip. While the goal is in essence to prove they’re over each other, what it really does is reveal that they aren’t over each other at all.

I enjoyed the overall premise of the story, and of course the trip through so many wonderful European cities. The downside for me was that the story felt too long and repetitive after a while. Three weeks seemed like a long time for a tour, especially since we get detailed chapters for each city that featured both Kit and Theo’s interactions with each other as well as their hookups with other people. I think it would have been a much stronger read for me if the tour itself had just been a bit shorter. I definitely still liked the story but didn’t love it like I expected to.

I adored this book! Casey clearly did their research because I felt like I was on this tour trip with Kit and Theo. The relationship between Kit and Theo was told so beautifully, and I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long, long time.

This was a messy and lustful gallivant across Europe, following Theo and Kit along their second chance romance. These two bisexual exes find themselves on the same European food and wine tour and end up engaging in a hook-up competition to see who has truly moved on from their relationship long ago. I was originally on the fence, given the vengeful and flippant sexual encounters, however ended up finding both these characters to be a bit damaged, emotionally complex, and overall charming. Plus the descriptions of European destinations and food/wine was a major plus!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Someone I follow on IG mentioned she hasn't enjoyed any of Casey's books until this one and I wonder if there's something to that. For me, RW&RB was top-tier. Each once since has been progressively lackluster (I don't remember a single thing about Shara Wheeler).

I went into this with the best of intentions, but something about it just didn't click with me. I initially DNF'd at 29% then came back a few days later to try to push ahead, ultimately calling it quits at 59%.

From the very first page, I was hooked. Theo is this lovable, realistic character on a journey of self-discovery, learning to trust themself, and faced with well, their greatest heartache on a beautiful food tour in Europe. It’s just so classically queer. Kit is endearing and thoughtful, quietly holding onto the aches in his heart in the hopes of gifting others happiness. His grappling with his family’s past, life choices, and also seeing his ex on a food tour take him on an introspective personal journey. Of course, it wouldn’t be two queers trying to make this impromptu run in any less awkward than adding a little competition between friends.

I laughed and cried and highlighted my way through this entire book. McQuiston steps out of young-adult and into adult romance with their usual wit, pop-culture references, and incredible character-building skills. It feels like a McQuiston novel, but with sensuality and adult humor, and personally, I just loved it. I enjoyed the long food descriptions, the fellow tour attendees, and the absolute unhinged sexual chemistry that they all carried with them. I know there are people out there who aren’t as comfortable in their own sexual nature, but this book so perfectly captured that many are very comfortable and I found it authentic. Plus, the food innuendos were *chef’s kiss*.

On a more personal note, I highlighted the heck out of this book. Theo’s self-discovery was so relatable for me. Kit and Theo’s childhood friendship, their love, and their absolute desperation for one another to be happy was so beautiful and profound. I cried and cried and cried some more. How a book can be both laugh out loud funny, super gay, and also full of heart is something only McQuiston can answer, because they did this.

Find me reading this book every summer. I’m sure I can find 20 more standout scenes to highlight. It was fun and queer and horny and had a lot of heart. With beautiful food descriptions, incredible settings, and a pile of spice, The Pairing is the summer read.

Casey McQuiston can do no wrong! While this book is a little different from their others, I still got immediately encapsulated in the world of Theo and Kit and couldn't put the book down. It's so refreshing to read a romance about two people who are so sure of themselves and their sexualities. I loved the usage of dual POVs and getting to read each half of the story from a different point of view, it made me connect so much deeper with both Theo and Kit. Thank you Net Galley for this e-arc!

4.5 ⭐️

A second-chance romance, friends-to-lovers romp around Europe on a food tour? Sign me up!

Kit & Theo were best friends turned lovers…until they broke up on a transatlantic flight to Europe. Four years later, the pair find themselves thrust back together — on *that* European food tour. There’s nothing left between them, so why not challenge each other to a hook-up competition? Nothing can go wrong…right?

Things I liked:
🍇 Tour of Europe through food & drink — It truly felt like I was there (which was a much needed escape during the last few weeks of pregnancy)
🍇 Non-binary rep! I loved that once Theo came out, Kit immediately accepted them. I truly felt for Theo — they didn’t feel like they fit in…
🍇 I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers (even if this book was just basically one huge miscommunication!!)
🍇 Dual POV (part one from Theo’s perspective & part two from Kit’s)

I was very excited for a new McQuiston book, and it truly did not disappoint. I picked m this up *right* after I read Call Me By Your Name… and while the two are very different books, I felt there were some comparisons. The sexual tension, European summer love, angst…

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just couldn’t get into this book, I tried a thousand times to get thru it and I just couldn’t.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer because I love One Last Stop and Red, White and Royal Blue.

This just wasn’t it- I don’t understand why the POV was spilt the way it was, I think it would have been more bearable if Theo and Kits POVs were back and forth between chapters.

This was just a huge let down.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finally going on the trip of a lifetime, Theo never expects to find the person who broke her heart - and who she was supposed to go on the original trip with - sat next to the only available seat on the bus. Kit had been her best friend, and partner, and broke her heart. Now trapped for three weeks on a romantic European wine and food tour, they have to make the best of a bad situation, and try and come out the other side with their hearts intact.

I've been putting off writing this review for so long. Like the rest of the world, I loved Red, White and Royal Blue, and found I Kissed Shara Wheeler enjoyable too. So I was expecting that The Paiing would be as good too, but I found I was forcing myself to finish the book, and was just pushing myself to the end so I didn't have to DNF it. I mean, the book wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either, at least in my opinion. I found this book so frustrating. It was the biggest case of miscommunication and dramatic actions that I've read in a long time, and both Theo and Kit were characters I found lacking, and I wasn't engaging with them. I found myself not bothered about their love story, or even if they got together in the end. Not something I would expect from this author, and I'm not wary on reading another of her books in the future.

There is so much to love about The Pairing!
The storyline is emotional and poignant with some past misunderstanding coming to light. I fell in love with Kit right away but it took a little longer with Theo, but after seeing them through Kit’s eyes, I was a goner.

“We were doing such a good impression of old friends who’ve never seen each other naked, and now I’ve dumped our nudes on the cobblestones.”

One of my favorite things is the book’s vivid scenic descriptions. The author paints a stunning picture of the beauty of the places Kit and Theo visited. Each setting is brought to life with such detail that I could almost feel the warm sun and gentle breeze. Also, I was all in for the food and wine pairings, describing each dish and vintage with mouthwatering precision, making me crave the sumptuous meals and exquisite wines.

The author’s voice and dry humor that I’ve come to look forward to in previous books came through in this sexy but slow burn story.

“Those men are terminally straight.”
“Nobody’s straight on a European vacation.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I observe, picturing Kit picking up tourists at bars in Montmartre.
“Historic precedent. They switch everyone to bisexual at passport control.”
“Damn, that’s what the stamp’s for? Could’ve skipped the line.”

I might be showing my age but there was a little too much ‘fast and loose’ for me especially with different and varied partners..It seemed that everyone was constantly horny and not very particular ;)
All in all I did love reading Theo and Kit’s story.
-4.5 Stars-

I have loved every CMQ book i've read, but this one was my asbolute favorite! I couldn't put it down and the way the story was built up and then unfolded was beautiful in so many ways, while also being funny and lighthearted and entertaining. would fully recommend to anyone needing a little dose of happiness in their lives.

thank you to netgalley and st. martin's press for the digital-ARC.

This is a second chance romance where it follows our two main characters who meet again after 5 years on the same trip, and follows there love story from there. This book contains a number of food references (honestly makes sense with the title). However while I could appreciate the pop culture references, I could not resonate with the characters.

Big big fan of Casey McQuiston!! Red, White and Royal Blue is one of my all time favorites.
This story is about Theo and Kit. And a whole lot about food and wine and their travels overseas.
I was a bit bored with this one. It just wasn’t grabbing my attention like I thought it would. I kept putting it down and then was always hard to pick it back up. The story itself is good, I just don’t think it was for me!

The tour sounds so romantic and it's quite ironic that these jilted lovers happen to choose the same time to take the tour. Sometimes life just happens like that. I love the writing style of Casey McQuiston. She really adds so much to the story beyond a typical rom-com. Forced proximity for the win!

4.25/5 stars, rounded down

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced reading copy!

This was a super fun, super smutty journey through Europe! First off, setting was 10/10. Reading about all of the cities, big and small, that the tour group visited was super fun, and the food/drinks they consumed made me want to book a flight immediately. The descriptions were well-written and gorgeous. I thought this was really well done and added a lot to the story, but didn't take up too much time. The romance itself was pretty cute and a well-done second-chance romance. Theo and Kit had pretty good conflict resolution in the present and no super annoying misunderstandings. The POVs were done REALLY well, giving us a non-traditional glimpse at the past and present from both characters' eyes. This book was SUPER smutty. These scenes were creative, steamy and fun. Having bisexual characters with varying gender identities added so much unexpected dimension to the spice that was pretty cool to read. There were definitely parts of this book that I just didn't quite connect with and I think this was just a bit too long, but I enjoyed it overall!

SYNOPSIS -- Theo and Kit always said they would go on a European food and wine tour together. That is, until they broke up almost 2 years ago. Now, the last month to use the nearly-expired voucher, Theo is determined to go on the tour alone and enjoy it themselves. Enter: Kit. Theo and Kit have been childhood besties, deeply in love, and now, estranged exes forced to spend three weeks together traveling Europe. While the last two years have been pretty different for each of them, they're both determined to reconnect as friends, and prove to the other that they're totally okay with the breakup. So okay, in fact, that they set up a sex competition to see who can hook up with more people throughout their trip. Only one rule: they can't hook up with each other. This will go well, right?