I need to take this tour! The descriptions of food and drink are as exquisite as the rest of the story.

This is beautiful and I'm obsessed. I adore Casey's writing, and even though I was initially ambivalent about the topics, I am just constantly drawn in by their writing style, and it drew me into the book. Love this one!

I love all of her books, but I think this one was my favorite. I enjoyed the two POVs and just the plot going through all these places was great. The spice was there and I was here for it

I was so so lucky to receive an ARC for this one and I have literally never been happier. This book was EVERYTHING, the second chance of my DREAMS (with this and the ex vows pretty much back to back my little friends to lovers, second chance heart has never been happier).

This book was BEAUTIFUL, the writing was impeccable. I felt like I was right there with Theo and Kit, feeling and experiencing all these amazing things with them. The food and drink descriptions were incredible, the banter was top tier, the PINING AND YEARNING was everything, and all the messy feelings were just so so good.

This book was everything that I wanted and needed it to be. I loved it so much. Maybe it was just the exact right moment for me to read this book but this book just burrowed itself into my heart and is kind of living there.

If you liked anything Casey McQuiston you need to read this book please do yourself a favor and travel around Europe with Theo and Kit and I swear you will never want to learn about wine and food more.

P.S. make sure you’ve eaten before you read this because it will definitely make you hungry.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this gorgeous book.

What a book! I have to say, after both ONE LAST STOP and I KISSED SHARA WHEELER weren’t too memorable for me, I was scared THE PAIRING would also simply be enjoyable but not amazing. However, this was INCREDIBLE! I love it.

wow wow WOW. This book is just such a beautiful work of art, on top of being an absolute hornfest! I love to read books really fast, but I found myself savoring this book like a good piece of chocolate. I will never understand how Casey McQuiston and I have access to all the same words, and yet she's arranging them in ways I could NEVER. This book is horny and hot and a work of art.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

Did Not Finish.

The Pairing starts from Theo’s point-of-view and immediately begins with a break-up. So yes, the dreaded second chance romance trope is alive and well in this novel. And sometimes I can handle it.

I could not this time.

Theo and Kit are childhood best friends turned lovers then exes, and they meet up on the same wine and food tour through Europe. You may think “forced proximity! What a great way for them to reunite and emotionally connect!” False. All they do is flirt and hook up with other people.

And that’s not the kind of romance novel I like to read. Thus DNF. At least Theo’s narrator was pretty good though.

I'm not sure if a Casey book will ever work for me again like RWRB. This was messy but not in a good way. I didn't particularly like either character. I'm honestly so sad that I didn't enjoy this.

This book made me want to book a gastro-tour of Europe before I even finished it. But, since I'm broke, this immersive story will have to do! This book is so descriptive I feel like I could almost taste the food and wine and see the sights. The author did a phenomenal job setting the scene in each location and making the local characters loveable and relatable. The main characters show so much growth throughout the book and are absolutely precious best friends to lovers to not to lovers again. I read it on Kindle, but I feel like it might be even better on audio without my brain butchering French, Italian, and Spanish languages!

I loved everything about this book, including the characters, setting, and tone. Casey McQuiston is always original and never repeats as an author. Highly recommended.

This book took a bit for me to get fully invested in but once I was able to read from a different perspective the story opened up and I had a hard time putting it down. By the end I was a bit sad to see it end. I wanted to see the characters continue in their daily lives and how the story progressed from there. Definitely a solid read but it takes some time to find a good rhythm but once there it flourishes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I really tried to get into this story but unfortunately it was my cup of tea. The prose was disjointed for me and probably it's not the right book for me. However other readers might like it and it's just me.

This was really sweet, well written, and enjoyable to read. Definitely the strongest romance that Casey McQuiston has written so far.
The only reason I don’t give this 5 stars is because the story tried so hard to convince me that the main characters were conventionally attractive and their only flaws were “too romantic” and “too emotionally guarded.” It just didn’t make for memorable leads. That’s just a nitpick in what was otherwise a really fun read.

I've never wanted two people to be together but also stay as far away from each other more than now. I don't know how I feel yet, but I will say it's crazy that CMQ fans are critiquing this novel for being unrealistic. Their work is fun to read because they're idealistic. RWRB was set after the 2016 election with a woman president... and Texas flipped blue in it. Anyway, I'm gonna process how annoying and messy Theo and Kit were. But also how much I love that they're different from most book couples????

Theo and Kit, two exes with a complicated past, were once childhood best friends, then crushes, and eventually in love—until a messy breakup tore them apart. Four years later, each decides to redeem their unused vouchers for a European food and wine tour, thinking they’ll travel solo. But they end up on the same tour bus, embarking on a three-week journey through the most romantic cities in France, Spain, and Italy. What starts as an attempt to prove they’re over each other turns into a playful hookup competition, but as they explore stunning locations, indulge in delicious food, and savor fine wines, they begin to wonder if their story is really over.
I’ve read all of Casey McQuiston’s books, and while The Pairing wasn’t my favorite, it was still a fun and enjoyable read. I found it a bit hard to believe that all of Europe seemed to be attracted to Theo and Kit, and I liked Kit more than Theo. The vivid descriptions of the places they visit, the food they taste, and the wine they drink really brought the story to life for me.
The audio version, narrated by Emma Galvin and Max Meyers, was well done, with both narrators bringing the characters and story to life. Thank you St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the gifted copies.

Theo and Kit started out as childhood best friends. Then they were each other's secret crushes, and they fell in love. They even discovered that they were bisexual and confided in each other about it. Theo came out later than Kit.

Now they are estranged exes. Theo and Kit break up on a flight for a European food and wine tour. At night, Theo works as a bartender, and during the day dreams of becoming a sommelier. Theo can taste the most subtle flavors in wine, like wood or leather, and has lots of casual lovers.

Kit, who grew up in Europe before moving to America, takes the flight they were going to be on and uses it to move back. He becomes the top of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Kit is an amazing pastry chef. He knows what flavors go together in pastry, like Theo knows what wine goes with what food.

He occupied any free time with one of his many casual lovers. All that is left of the past is an unused European tour voucher which was almost at its use within 48 months voucher expiration date.

Four years after the breakup, it seems like a good idea to take the trip separately. When they board the tour bus, they discover they had the same idea by sheer accident. Now they are trapped with each other for 3 weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy.

A big reason they had wanted to do this tour was that they were and are big Anthony Bourdain fans. They want to explore like he would have.

Theo and Kit decide to be friends on the tour and enjoy themselves. It's fine, there's nothing left between them, so much nothing in fact, that when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can get their hot tour guide to sleep with them, Kit is game.

Why stop there? Why not have a competition to see who can sleep with the most people while on tour? What could go wrong?

I love the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book, specifically as it pertains to bisexuality and gender identification. There are not enough books with these topics in them. As a member of the community, I place special importance on this. I also appreciated the fact that consent and respect play a significant role in the story. Their connection is not flawless, but I think it was essential to show the different aspects of the connection and the negative components that led to the breakup.

Another thing I love about this book is the descriptions: sight, sound, taste, etc. You name it; it is there. The one critique I have for this book is that I wish there were more travel and a few fewer sex scenes, but that is my preference. I will read from this author again because they write very well, and the way they write spice is not too over the top for me.

THE PAIRING was a beautifully written tale with two amazing main characters you can’t help but cheer for. The settings felt vividly real and as much part of the scene as the people - and the moments of sentimentality versus humor were well blended.

Really enjoyed this latest one by Casey McQuiston. It could have ended perhaps a touch sooner but otherwise a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review THE PAIRING.

I really enjoyed this book, Kit and Theo were 👌🏻I enjoyed their dynamic, and learning a bit about their history as we followed along with them in present day.

The twist on dual narration was cool, although I might have enjoyed a bit more back and forth. I didn’t love the miscommunication, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me.

What I loved
-childhood friends to lovers
- second chance romance
-loveable side characters
-delicious food descriptions
-great banter
-excellent spicy bits

I requested this book before I was aware of the St. Marten's Press boycott. While I loved the book, I refuse to share my full review until the boycott is over. #SpeakUpSMP

This book is armchair travel at its finest. The food and wine descriptions were amazing, and the sights of Europe as well. The main couple’s chemistry was great, and the closed door scenes well written. I thought the representation was great of nonbinary too. McQuiston has done it again!!