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.

I DNFd this one. I tried but just couldn’t get into it or connect with the characters. I wanted t come back to it but never felt the pull.

I loved Red, White and Royal Blue, and enjoyed One Last Stop, but this one was just okay for me. It was slow moving and I couldn't get excited about it.

Casey McQuiston knows how to write smart dialogue and that's something I always appreciate about her books. I think her character development could have been stronger here, but I still loved the story.

*The Pairing* by Casey McQuiston has that perfect setup: two exes, Theo and Kit, who magically end up on a glamorous food and wine tour through Europe. The idea of them competing to see who can get over the other first (while sleeping with other people) sounds fun, and the European settings—with all the food and wine descriptions—are rich and satisfying for escapism.

At first, the banter and sexual tension between Theo and Kit are super entertaining. But after a few rounds of some very steamy sex scenes and rich-people problems, the spark fizzles a bit. Watching these characters lounge around Europe’s most beautiful spots while arguing and hooking up was interesting, but eventually felt repetitive, like watching hate-watching it.

The book is light, romantic, and has some great moments of LGBTQ+ representation that McQuiston fans will appreciate. If you’re looking for a breezy vacation read that’s equal parts travel porn and light drama, this one is good for a beach day—but it’s definitely not McQuiston’s best. Solid three stars!

Thank you to the publisher for granting me a digital ARC of both the book and the audiobook. I’ll admit, I was hesitant to pick this one up. Unpopular opinion time: I didn’t love Red, White & Royal Blue as much as the rest of the world did. However, I absolutely adored One Last Stop and was incredibly disappointed by I Kissed Shara Wheeler. But McQuiston has been very public about their inspiration for this book on social media, and sharing snippets worked—my curiosity was piqued. So, I went in both excited and hesitant.

As the publication date approached, I still hadn’t started it until one day, someone whose book opinions I value raved about it. The fact that she called it "literature" had me intrigued. So I dove in, and almost immediately encountered the phrase, “a stranger whose perineum I could describe from memory.” I cracked up, took a screenshot, and sent it to her with the words, “Literature, you say.” But honestly, even though it didn’t feel like literature at that point, I was already hooked by Theo’s story, even as I struggled to find the so-called “literature.” Then came the shocking POV switch, and Kit’s side of the story blew me away. Plus, the heavy sprinkles of Rilke quotes definitely helped elevate things.

This book revels in the hedonism of the main characters, and it was a vicarious pleasure to read—even as certain events (and characters) frustrated me. At one point, I thought, "If cock-block was a book, this would be it." Seriously, I have never been more annoyed by a horn, and I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with air horns in life.

Knowing McQuiston and knowing myself, Theo’s big reveal wasn’t shocking, considering all the clues peppered throughout the book. But even though Theo’s POV felt a bit weaker compared to Kit’s, it was still a compelling read from start to finish. Plus, the supporting characters, though some bordered on stereotypes, were a lot of fun.

Overall, I’m giving this book five stars. If you want to lose yourself in a world of gorgeous locations, good food, good drinks, and mostly good sex—this is the book for you!

usually, I really like Casey mcquiston but this one just didn’t do it for me. The characters were hard to relate to and it just didn’t find myself excited to pick this up. I dnfed this at 40%

I was so looking forward to a bisexual romance between two exes. Spicy? LGBTQ+? European food and wine tour? It sounded like the perfect combination. But it fell flat. The two MCs were written so shallow. There was no depth to the story. And it seemed there was no real research into the background. It just...happened. And we were expected to believe it. Having been to Europe on a food and wine tour, I didn't.

well, I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book was definitely...different, per say.

I would not label it a romance at all, considering there was no romance... a lot of the main characters having relations with others?? which is just wrong?? hurtful??

I don't know, its not my cup of tea but can be someone else's.

This was a great read. It had good character development and a well written plot. The book was an easy read with lots of excitement. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good romance novel.

The very best thing about this book is the description of Europe. It's so rich in detail and you can just get lost in it. I felt the tension and spark between the main characters was stronger at the beginning than near the end, but I still enjoyed it. I thought this would be a five star for me, but it ended up being a four.

Loved this latest Casey McQuiston! Lots of playful antics, miscommunications, and pining. I loved Kit's perspective specifically, and I'm always a fan of friends to lovers. I thought having dual perspectives where the first half of the story was told entirely by Theo and the second half by Kit was a fun narrative choice that I don't think happens a lot when you see most dual perspective novels. The story wasn't afraid to get silly which made me laugh a lot, and it took a hard look at adult life issues and mental health without going into the melodramatic. Overall, a very solid read even if you weren't already a fan of this author.

This was such a fun book. This might be a hot take, but I actually thought the wine pairings at the start of each chapter didn’t really add anything to the story. I did enjoy Kit and Theo and watching their relationship unfold amidst a cast of quirky side characters.

"The Pairing" by Casey McQuiston offers a charming blend of romance and humor, set against the backdrop of a quirky culinary competition. The characters are likable, and their chemistry is palpable, making for some delightful moments. However, the plot can feel somewhat predictable, lacking the depth and twists that McQuiston's previous works have delivered. Overall, while it’s an enjoyable read, it falls a bit short of the author’s usual brilliance, earning three stars for its lighthearted fun.