I always love McQuiston’s writing, and the characters really came to life in this novel. I enjoyed the settings and the minor characters, but I almost felt like there was too much teaching going on of the food and wine. There were parts where it felt more like a travel guide than a novel, and I tried too hard to think about what I was supposed to be learning. That’s the only thing that made this novel 4 and not 5 stars. Still very enjoyable read and I will recommend it.

I wanted to love the latest romance from Casey McQuiston so much, and for a while I was really enjoying it. We're in Europe! Second chance romance slash kind of enemies to lovers! But then it just kept spinning its wheels - the same events kept happening and happening, and it honestly felt like the author was just delaying the couple admitting their feelings until we got to the end of the trip - because that's how it should be. Literally nothing felt even remotely realistic and everything was so simple and convenient.

On paper this seems like the perfect story, and some parts were enjoyable, but overall it just had me rolling my eyes :(

I have a very love-hate relationship with this book.
-Two exes run into each other on a food tour through Europe. Forced proximity, second chance, Europe, food?? LOVE
-miscommunication trope. HATE
-start a competition with your ex to see who can hook up with more people on this tour HATE
-ACTUALLY following through and hooking up with multiple people?? LOATHE ENTIRELY

Side note: I’ve never been to Europe but this book is trying to convince me it’s full of hot people ready to fuck our main characters over a smile. Maybe if you’re going to bars looking for a hookup but the fish monger? The chocolatier? The guy pouring wine? Random guy on a pier that owns a giant yacht? Sure sure, ok. If that’s the case, someone send my gay ass to Paris maintenant, s’il vous plait.

-Kit. LOVE LOVE LOVE
-CMQ’s comedic writing style. LOVE
-MORE MISCOMMUNICATION. DOUBLE HATE
-queer representation and how different that can look with each person. J’ADORE

I love McQuiston’s writing style so much and I was so ready for this to be my new favorite book but I feel so let down. I love a second-chance romance but you still have to earn my belief in their love. And perhaps I’m more traditional (brother eugh) than I thought because I absolutely did not like reading about them hooking up with other people. I needed them to be so in love, they didn’t even see anyone else. That’s what I enjoy reading about. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who love this book just the way it is and I’m so happy for them but simultaneously disappointed for myself.
I think I’m going to go comfort myself with a reread of RW&RB 😭
Thanks NetGalley, I guess

This story was a rollercoaster ride I had mixed feelings about that I took part in. To be honest, this isn’t really my cup of tea in terms of tropes, I’m not one for second-chance romance but I’m a fan of the author and I wanted to give this story a try. I’m sad to say that it wasn’t what I cracked it up to be. Objectively, the writing is great and it was more of an intellectual read but that can be attributed to the fact that the author took their time and did research on the topic that they’re writing about. I loved that fact because I was able to pick that up instead of being a confused reader. Now to premise this, just because it wasn’t my kettle doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, everyone’s different. The story follows Kit and Theo who went from childhood friends to lovers to exes to friends to friends with benefits with restrictions to lovers (yes, it really was one big rollercoaster😂). Their breakup was something that really boggled me in how unnecessary it was and it played to the miscommunication trope which I’m not privy to (frankly I hate it). However, I felt like the distance did some good in solidifying both character's individualities. Theo was able to come into their body more and Kit branched out and found himself. The story had a great setting with some fancy wines that I wished at times magically appeared in front of me(sadly that wasn’t the case🥲). The story between Kit and Theo was very simple and easygoing for their situation and I feel like it went back to their love for each other. Kits and Theo's love are two very different things and are expressed in a form that I wanted them to be both familiar with (they did and it was one of the sweetest things ever, knowing your best friend even when time flowed but the love remained). Kit was a prime example. Love his true name, wished it was exhibited more😅.

All in all, it was a ride that you would need to experience yourself to make a decision but from me, it’s not something that I want to do again. I loved Kit and Theo but the premise of the story didn’t stick out to me. Thank you to Netgallery and St.Martins Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I read this as an eARC but I want to buy a copy and eat it.

But more seriously this is one of the rare times I wished I had a physical copy while reading so I could annotate or at least make note of some things that really rang true to me -- Theo's feelings on gender and pronouns specifically, a lot of the way Kit sees the world so purely... special love for deeply loving faun fairy men like him...

I have the privilege (???????) of not liking wine so I could easily enough get lost in the scent descriptions without having to have that disappointing (for me!) hand-in-hand alcohol-taste along with it, nor am I good enough at picking up notes in scents or food, so for me a goodly chunk of this book is just a feast for my eyes (reading.. words...) and imagination into the depths of a Western European tasting tour, of a second-chance romance from childhood best friends to lovers to young adults who made mistakes and the adults-of-four-years-later who will still make mistakes but this time are better equipped with understandings of themselves and the humans they've grown into to sort of... work with said mistakes and into making their lives better, both as individuals and together. I enjoyed the slut-romp through Europe (though somehow I was expecting more of that??) and the fact that sex really wasn't described much/open door until the two of them were involved.......... one way or another (including thoughts, many thoughts).

Maybe the longer I sit with this instead of my habit of slamming up reviews for NetGalley books ASAP there will be things that linger in my brain as less than my initial outcome of ~vibes~ but there was a lot in here that spoke to me personally and even outside that I had a good time!

Like so many of us, I really enjoyed Red, White and Royal Blue vand Casey McQuiston. So I was THRILLED to get an advanced copy of their latest book, The Pairing which is out TODAY!!! This feels unlike any book I've read before - and that is some high praise! I devoured it in less than 24 hours. And ooooooh this one was SPICY!!

Kit and Theo are many things - childhood best friends turned lovers turned partners who broke up in an epic fashion - on an airplane, in the middle of a mid-Atlantic flight. They had saved up to do a food tour across Europe, but they didn't make it. They didn't speak after the plane landed. Until they shockingly end up on that same tour four years later.

They've both changed a lot - they've explored, they've evolved, and at first they don't know how interact. Slowly, but surely, between trying new pastries, exploring some of Europe's hidden gems, they begin to get to know each other again. And yet despite the years, some things have remained the same - their love of food, exploration, and a good competition. So in an attempt to ward off the sparks between the two of them, they decide to engage in a contest of who can bed more locals on their travels. And while the men and women these two bisexual exes find catch their eyes, Theo and Kit still keep finding themselves drawn to each other.

It is a story of love, of loss, of exploration and of finding yourself. It is also a story steeped deep in food, in travel, in self discovery and in lust. It is both one of the horniest books I have ever read, and one that made me want to immediately book a food tour in Europe. And truly, what more could we want?!

Happy Publishing Day to Casey and this FABULOUS book! Please read it so we can talk allll about it! And of course big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for letting me experience this one early!

Will post on my bookstagram @scottonreads, goodreads and retail sites.

I am so lucky to have gotten to read this book early;
I want to start by saying I love Casey McQuiston. Their writing of characters is so in depth and fully fleshed out and REAL. seriously, I feel like these are real people, their personalities and likes and dislikes and mannerisms are all so real, I felt like I was watching a documentary of two people falling in love again.

This book wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in my mind, though. I absolutely hate to speak anything negative about a book by a beloved author like McQuiston, but I promised I would be honest in my reviews. I guess the documentary comparison is apt, because man was a big portion of this book boring. I found myself skimming paragraph upon paragraph of minute details about the wine they were drinking. Like, okay, I get it, it’s good wine. I don’t care to read about it for three pages. That’s barely an exaggeration. Maybe some wine connoisseurs will appreciate the depth this book went into about it, but I definitely didn’t.

In addition, I found the writing and characters to be a bit pretentious. Like I said, the characters were super fleshed out and real feeling, but that doesn’t mean I liked them. They had this air about them that made them feel better than everyone else, even when they had moments of “doubting” themselves. Like only they mattered. I get it’s a romance book and they’re the main characters, but there was very little fleshing out of side characters apart from Fabrizio. The wine talk, the feeling of superiority even if it’s not explicitly stated in the text, just made for a very pretentious read. Like the text wanted to prove that it was “sophisticated” and more “cultured” than you. I’m definitely being too harsh here…. But am I really?

Apart from overall being way too long, the ending was very underwhelming and like everything just fell into place. I liked the direction it was going in the beginning of the end of the book— it was realistic and kind of a twist on your run-of-the-mill romance book. No spoilers, it’s still a romance after all! But the end-end just seemed… dull. I mean, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. After a whole build up of fighting feelings and hiding declarations of love, you would think the ending would have been a big showcase of the pent up feelings, but it wasn’t. At least to me it wasn’t. Again, no spoilers, because I couldn’t really predict how this book would end… I just didn’t love it when I got there.

Okay, that’s a lot of negatives. I didn’t hate this book as much as it may seem. Again, the characters were super interesting and real— while pretentious— and the backstory really added to the overall plot in an entertaining way, I just feel it could have been written so differently to make it more intriguing. You can appreciate the culture and environment of Europe without making it your whole personality (*cough* Kit *cough*) or making it the whole book. For example, (I hate comparing books but I feel this comparison is necessary) in Edward Underhill’s This Day Changes Everything, New York City as a setting actually acts as a character in the book, and I think that’s what McQuiston was trying to do here, but it ended up taking over the whole story and overshadowing the MCs. It didn’t work WITH the story, it stepped on its toes. Maybe even its whole foot.

I did love the representation in this book, and how everything just seemed to be accepted and understood— it was refreshing. It’s so important to see in books, and I think coming from a genderqueer (I hope that’s the right term) author it makes it even more impactful.

I didn’t hate the book, I just had very high expectations for it after reading Red, White and Royal Blue. Yes that one had a lot of politics, but it didn’t overshadow the story, it worked with it. I hope I got my point across.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Casey McQuiston for allowing me to read this book early. All opinions are my own.

DNFed @ 45%

I wished that I had more to say about this book, however I just really don't. There was nothing particularly bad no note on, but there really wasn't much good either. It was actually kinda... boring, which is sad to say because I absolutly loved the authors previous releases. I am far from the only one excieted to see them return after their 2022's I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

While I liked Theo and Kit individually, I found them almost dull when they were together. Even though they did have a lot of steamy moments, it felt hollow because I just didn't get what they saw in each other besides just the physical. Other than that, the whole plot was very repetative and I wasn't too keen on finishing a book I wasn't invested in.

two stars

This book was just OK. I love Casey and their writing so I think I expected more than I got. I enjoyed the premise as well as the development of the relationship. There was just some thing off that I can’t put my finger on which kept it to 3.5/5 for me.

I'm sorry to say that this one just didn't work for me. I tried and tried but I just couldn't connect with it. Everything felt so superficial and the second chance romance didn't work for me at all.
It's so unfortunate because I've loved Casey McQuiston in the past.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Having read and loved One Last Stop, I was excited to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately, I think my expectations were a bit high and this one left me hanging just a little. The premise is good, and the characters are intriguing. The duel narrative worked well as well, because frankly we needed both points of view. I simply wanted more- more sweetness, more comunication, more memories. What I got, was a great caste of characters, food porn, drama and sex. Lots of sex. If they aren’t having it, they’re talking about it- making bets on it- which I have no problem with… unless it takes over the entire plot.

Theo has some issues they need to take a serious look at- and it does look like they had some character growth so that’s great. They are interesting and charming, whip smart and capable… but they feel worthless in many ways. They feel like they can’t do anything- like they are letting down their famous family. Kit is a fixer- the man with a plan and goals. His issue- he doesn’t always ask what the other person wants and instead creates plans for them. It’s one of the reasons the two find themselves estranged. Parts of them- banter, memories, games- are easy. It’s part of who they have always been. They never learned how to communicate in a relationship. It’s painful and a bit immature. You want to love these characters- they’re great. I just, couldn’t get past the immaturity. I really wish I had liked it more- I wanted to. For me, it’s three star at best. It’s not bad, and there were some great spots, but in the end it’s not going to stick with me- it’s forgetable.

⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
As far as adult content goes- there’s sexual content- betting on it, talking about it, portraying scenes in detail (level six spice)… it honestly took too much of our main characters’ identities. Then there is language and lots of drinking. I want to say that it is meant for adults, but with the level of immaturity it’s going to appeal to new adults.


I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley working with St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

I've been a huge fan of Casey McQuiston's work since Red, White and Royal Blue, so as soon as The Pairing was announced, I was so excited to read their next adult romance! I was intrigued by the book's structure and the dual first-person point of view as it is so different from the structures of Casey's previous books, but it works so perfectly for this one. Experiencing the emotions and the pining from both Theo and Kit only made the slow burn even sweeter, and the POV switched at a perfect pivotal moment in their story. I really enjoyed the decision to set Theo's and Kit's unexpected reunion in a food and wine tour - I know fairly little about food and wine so most of the details went over my head, but I learned a lot along the way, and I loved experiencing the tour through Theo's and Kit's expert eyes. Casey has an incredible talent for crafting the most fascinating ensemble characters in their novels, and I loved every side character that Theo and Kit met during their tour as well.

This is Casey's first book with a nonbinary main character, and they did such a fantastic job with emphasizing the importance of Theo's gender identity while not making it the main focus point of the whole book. Kit also has such a beautiful reaction to Theo trusting them with this insight into their identity in a scene that is one of my favorites, and it was such a nice change to see Theo's identity be immediately embraced by someone who has known them for as long as Kit has. I am so excited for so many nonbinary readers to get to see themselves in a love story as moving as Theo's and Kit's!

The Pairing is a true chaotic bisexual romance novel, and I enjoyed every second of reading it - I cannot recommend enough. Thank you so much to the publisher for the privilege of reading this book early!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this as an ARC.

I absolutely love this book. I loved Kit and Theo as individuals. They both have their own distinct personalities and lives outside of each other. Seeing their lives at different times really helped with truly getting to know them. I also loved them as friends, as a couple, as everything they ever were to each other. Their relationship was so believable at every stage. McQuiston really had me feeling like I was in the book, feeling the same emotions as the characters. I also loved all the side characters. So many different personalities and they all vibed together. One of my favorite things about this book is all of the different locations. The writing made them seem so vibrant and I felt like I was there. I loved the importance of food and art to the characters. There were a lot of complex and important subject matters and I am impressed with how everything was handled.

My favorite by McQuiston so far, and I can't wait to see what they come out with next.

I received an arc from netgalley in exchange for my review

Two bi exes go through an abrupt breakup on their way to a European food and wine tour with no closure, ended with one living in Paris. Luckily they both get vouchers to reschedule the food and wine tour. Unluckily they book the same tour years later.

I loved Theo and Kit together, I love a second chance romance especially when they have known each other since childhood. However these two decide they’re basically going to sleep through Europe, but not with each other. They basically have a sex competition, whoever can have the most one night stands. I found that hard to connect to because they’re both extremely bonded but are hurting each other deeply.

Casey McQuiston's "The Pairing" is a captivating romance that deftly explores the complexities of love and second chances. Theo and Kit's tumultuous relationship is brought back into focus when they both unwittingly embark on a long-postponed European food and wine tour. The vibrant settings of France, Spain, and Italy serve as a stunning backdrop for their rekindled connection, with McQuiston's descriptive writing bringing each location to life. The chemistry between Theo and Kit is palpable, and their competitive wager to seduce the hot Italian tour guide adds a humorous and spicy element to the narrative.

The strength of "The Pairing" lies in its character development and the emotional depth McQuiston brings to Theo and Kit's journey. Both characters have grown and changed during their time apart, and their reunion is fraught with unresolved feelings and lingering attraction. The story skillfully balances humor and heartache, making their path to rediscovery both entertaining and poignant. While some plot points may feel predictable, the authentic portrayal of their relationship's ups and downs makes this a thoroughly engaging read. "The Pairing" is a delightful romance that reminds us that sometimes, the best things in life are worth a second chance.

Happy publication day! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a second-chance romance filled with wine, food, traveling, and debauchery. It had it all… including, I fear, an unlikable main character and a miscommunication trope that will make you want to chew nails.

⇢➤ Plot: Theo and Kit are childhood friends, turned lovers, turned exes, turned travelers sharing the same European tour bus. The two begin a competition to see how many people they can hook up with on their European tour.

⇢➤ Pros: This was by far McQuiston’s prettiest novel in terms of descriptors and setting. Each city provided a unique experience from vineyards, to canals, to the beachside. Adding the flavors of wine, fruit, and spices elevated the descriptors.

Kit, you were the good egg. The novel significantly improved when viewed from his lens. He is so hopelessly in love with Theo, it reminded me that I was reading a romance.

There is bisexual representation, non-binary representation, and polyamory representation. There is a beautiful description where Kit contrasts the masculinity in Micheangelo’s David with the femininity in Antioch’s Venus, recognizing both in himself and in Theo.

⇢➤ Cons: The representation I typically adore in McQuiston’s writing felt like a tool to stuff characters into expected categories. Kit and Theo’s bisexuality is a backdrop used to explain their promiscuity. The polyamory group on the tour is only hinted at through innuendos and group sex. It was very unrewarding to read. The non-binary rep is the one that felt the most authentic, and it isn’t discussed until 50% in.

I hated Theo’s character. I can’t tell if that was the intent of the author, but I truly hated their unwillingness to communicate, to accept help, or to understand their privilege as a “nepo baby.”

Finally, the pacing felt off to me. The main conflict of the story is miscommunication. One of the central reasons for Kit and Theo’s break-up comes to light 25% in as a miscommunication. This felt like a natural arc to the story and instead we just… continued touring Europe. And stewing in resentment about something they refuse to discuss. And drinking wine. And then getting offended by something that was misinterpreted. Rinse and repeat for 400 pages.

The Pairing is perfect for your foodie romance readers! Theo and Kit's story takes readers not just on a journey across Europe but on a journey of self discovery as we look back on their long friends to lovers arc. Theo's growth and acceptance of themselves as nonbinary is gradual and raw. To Kit, it doesn't matter how Theo identifies, he just wants Theo in his life. This one is a joy to read but make sure you have a glass of wine and a snack nearby.

Fair or not, I am going into a Casey McQuiston book with sky-high expectations. They are one of my favorite romance authors, an auto-buy, and just overall one of the best writers in the game. The Pairing is clearly a passion project for McQuiston. The book is an indulgent feast with descriptions of scenery and food so vivid I highly recommend not reading this book hungry. Indulgent is a good word for this book that is beautifully written and is in itself an idealized if well-researched, literary tour of France, Spain, and Italy. However, as beautiful as the prose is, it is probably my least favorite of McQuiston's romances. The structure of the book is fascinating, we begin with Theo's POV for the entire first half of the book and then Kit takes over, allowing the reader to see the misconceptions Theo has about their relationship and the other side of the various miscommunications that led to their breakup.

The thing with a second chance romance is you want to fully experience the two characters falling back in love and to luxuriate in the love story. For better or worse, Kit and Theo never fell out of love. Accordingly, the conflict is a bit weak. Starting with Theo's pov is necessary for the way the story develops as well as the very clever way McQuiston wants to interrogate certain assumptions about gender. However, in my opinion, the story suffers a bit in Theo's pov. Theo, while clever and fun, stands in their own way a bit which is frustrating for the reader. However, once Kit takes over, the story really clicked for me. Kit is patient and understanding with Theo and Kit's pov contains that longing and pining that I wanted to really feel from the relationship.

I am still rating this book four stars because I love Casey's writing and although some of the overly descriptive and quite frankly, fantastical depictions of the travel in this book are a bit too much for me, by the end of the story Casey did get me to buy in the love story and root for the main couple while also craving french pastries I'll never get.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for letting me read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this was my reaction to seeing that I was approved for an early copy of this book!) The Pairing is an adult romance about childhood friends and exes who accidentally reunite on a food and drink tour of Europe. I am obsessed with Casey McQuiston and will read absolutely anything that they write, but this book really felt like it was written for me... in that I would also like to be on a food and drink tour of Europe in the summer. While not in the cards for me this summer, the next best thing is reading this book!

Andddd let me tell you, it did not disappoint!! It was an absolutely perfect summer read. I read most of it while drinking wine or a cocktail on my balcony, which I highly recommend. I had such a great time with Kit and Theo. I loved learning about food and drink in different European regions. The detailed descriptions of each dish really made me feel like I was on the trip with the characters. I also enjoyed Kit and Theo's relationship and getting to know the other people on the trip. Truly, this was my favorite and most atmospheric read of the summer.

If you can't already tell, the Pairing was a solid 5 stars from me! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

In my opinion as a reader, that the best kind of books are ones you experience. The ones you keep thinking “this would make a great screen adaptation”
The Pairing was exactly that.

There’s a couple of tropes that I’m just not a fan of, friends to lovers for example, isn’t always done well enough for my liking.
Only in such case Casey Mcquiston truly took over and said “hold my beer,” gave us Theo and Kit, the best friends to lovers to exes I’ve read in quite a while (if not ever).

These two are on a bus ride all through Europe, competing who’s the sluttiest -literally taking points on who gets laid faster- until they can no longer fight the true attraction and emotions that they always had which are only strongest towards each other. Stuffing their faces full of exquisite sweets. And slowly combing through the tangle of miscommunication that turned then into exes in the first place.

The Pairing is also the kind of book that makes you fall in love with every single side character mentioned. Even the sheep bumping Kit’s thigh as he talks with Theo on the side of the road.

The perfect summer slutty read.
I hope everyone loves it as much as i did, though i may be biased as i would read anything Casey puts out. And love every minute of it.