*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book truly feels like the content: decadent, indulgent, and gluttonous. The descriptions of the settings and food and drinks really transports you to this trip Theo and Kit are on and makes you feel like you're there too. The heat of the Italian sun, the sweetness of a peach, the bite of a good wine, it's all there in the story.

I was fully in this until the 75% mark, which is when it started to drag a bit for me. The book was overall a touch too long and a touch too self-indulgent, especially as you reached the last quarter and the ending was dragged out. I would rate the first 75% 5 stars, and the last 25% 3 stars.

That said, I did enjoy the way it did wrap up. The ending to the overall conflict was mature and showed a lot of character growth.

As a final note, this book is incredibly horny. Having sex is an integral part of both character's identities. I've seen some reviews that slam this choice by the author, but I thought it was well done. However, if you don't like that in your characters this may not be the book for you.

In terms of writing, I think The Pairing is Casey McQuiston's best. Their use of prose took this to the next level, and I commend them for that!

This author has been hit or miss with me. The Pairing falls somewhere in the middle of that. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it enough to stay interested. It seemed like a tv rom com and thats ok. I enjoyed what it brought to the table.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital review copy.

Casey’s books are a no brainer for me. They never miss and are perfect always, and this is no different. This book is PURE MAGIC. I’m not even going to say anything else. I can't. Just. Just read this. Please.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Foodies will love the detail!🍷⛲

3-3.5🌟 stars
I really liked the general concept of this second chance romance between twenty-somethings Theo(dora) and Kit, but it lost me frequently with all the drink and food exhaustively described. Never thought I was a foodie and my reaction here proved it. But the way Theo and Kit ended up abruptly separated four years earlier, how they coped in the intervening for years and their stop-start journey back to each other was a touching story. The book's final chapters were, in my view, the emotional highlight and best part of the story. It also has some great descriptions of visits to locations like Paris, Barcelona, San Sebastian, southern France, Florence, Rome, Naples and Sicily. Some discussion of iconic sights drew my interest, but with a heavy emphasis on each stop's best dining and drinking experiences.

As to the pair's hedonistic competition to pull locals in each locale their European gastronomic tour visits: it seemed Theo's idea was a mistake from the get-go and it baffled me with why it was included unless just to make the angst and pages more drawn out. Who wants to see the person they've pined for for years go off with some random hookup at every turn, in at least a few instances being an eye or at least an auditory witness? Did they really need an additional wedge between them?

The first half is told from American Theo's perspective, and I did not really gel with this character. They are very insecure and into hiding it with bravado. The second half, until the epilogue, is from Kit's view and, though I liked him better, this part of the story dragged on even slower than the first half. It's so slow burn when it comes to them drawing closer and actually communicating what they now want. The whole book would have been better for me if it had been shorter, with less on the foodie stuff and mechanics of the intimate scenes and more tightly focused on their emotional journey.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you in advance to the publisher for an early copy for review.

Story Review: this is going to be a difficult review to write. This book just simply was not for me. I have thought hard about who may enjoy this book, and I think I've been able to seperate that. For my own enjoyment, I just didn't. The two main characters were written in a way that felt very immature and unrealistic for me. However, I do believe that there are people who may share similar thoughts and actions out there, my own lived experience was just a little irritated by these characters. I feel like this book, let out a different part of Casey McQuiston's heart and desires and it should be consumed by people who could appreciate that. This story is very carefree, do what you want, be who you want, no consequences considered. There is nothing wrong with that, we all need a little of that in our life. It just didn't hit well for me right now.

One issue I had was with believability. This is a second chance love story, however, in the first 10 percent when they are meeting again, one main character start talking about how good at relationship-ing the other is and how perfect they are. Now, how could that make sense when it's your ex. I understand break ups are confusing and multifaceted, but we aren't even going to acknowledge that? I don't typically get hung up on these small details but they really bothered me in this story.

If you are at a point in your life where you want to experience a character who lives without thinking, has a ton of sex (including a competition about how much sex one can have), etc... then give this a try.

I don't actually think I should rate this book but because netgalley and goodreads makes me, I think a 3 star is a fair representation.

4.5 -“To me, Theo is the eternal foreground. I put them at the center of every room. It’s gratifying when the room agrees.”

This was really a joy to read. The dynamic between Theo and Kit is so compelling, and it was really effective to have halves of the book from each of their perspectives rather than by chapter. As with a lot of second-chance romances, they’re clearly in I’ve with each other but there’s a lot of doubt. We get small glimpses into their relationship-ending fight and the insecurities that they both have now that they're back in each other's presence.

Theo and Kit have a lot of vulnerable conversations, one of the more raw ones regarding Theo’s gender identity. They’ve recently come out to close friends as nonbinary, and Kit’s reaction is really beautiful. He is supportive and understanding, but also so proud that he gets to know this piece of Theo. I really liked how they had these conversations and how they started to get to know each other again. They've missed several years so they have a lot to catch up on.

“What tragedy that would have been, comfortable, diminishing love.”

The tour group is also such a fun addition, and I particularly loved Fabrizio. He provides such a great comic relief, but he also has a beautiful speech at the end of the tour that is so heartwarming. I do think it feels just a bit long and there are some filler moments that could have been cut to tighten up the story a bit. I also wish we got a bit more of Theo and Kit’s past relationship. But overall this was just such a great read and I enjoyed every moment.

(3.5 stars, rounded to 4) I believe this is the first book I’ve read with an enby main character, and I love that the author is also enby and is writing from that lived perspective. I enjoyed Kit and Theo as characters and the sweetness of their relationship.

That being said, this book was a little long with not quite enough plot for me. The “hook-up contest” angle got a little boring, especially since everyone they hooked up with was nice/interesting/into them. It was very hedonistic - lots of descriptions of good food, drinks, art, landscapes and sex. I wish it had either been a little bit shorter or had a little bit more action.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect summer rom com with enemies to lovers and long lost love to boot. The setting is lush and McQuiston delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Alexis Neuville, and Casey McQuiston for an eARC of The Pairing in exchange for an honest review. 

Following Casey McQuiston on Instagram for a while, I’d seen all the mood/vision boards for this story and I was very excited for what I was to actually experience when I was finally able to crack the book open. These boards don’t do the story enough justice.

This story is so rich and full like a dark red wine. The way that the narration flows and how the characters interact is so smooth and carries the story along so well.

I loved all of the witty banter between Kit and Theo. I was laughing out loud through the whole story and could really connect to both main characters throughout various parts of the story.

I enjoyed how queerness and sexuality was so normalized in the story; it is refreshing and a great escape from the world we currently live in.

All of the location and food descriptions made me feel like I was another member of the tour group, experiencing the same views and meals as all of the other characters. They often made me jealous that I was just reading from my bed in the states. :)

I rate The Pairing 4.5 out of 5 stars. I had a good handful of quotes that I liked and I feel like there are great takeaways to be had, but I wish this book made me feel for the characters a little more than it did.

This work is by far McQuiston's most sophisticated book, which readers of all ages will appreciate,, but it took a while before this Gen X-er to find my way with it. McQuiston has herself downplayed what she's doing with the novel, stating in interviews that her main characters are horny bi-sexual exes who end up in a sex competition while on a food and wine tour of Europe. On one level, it certainly is that, at least for the first third of the book. But that's when you're gulping the words, trying to get through the exposition to learn about Kit and Theo, why they were together and broke up, and what they're doing on this tour together. The action was pretty m At some point though, I noticed I was starting to read the book the way Theo savored and translated the various wines as we moved from location to location. That's when I realized that we were really traveling with them and needed to read like it. . The point of this book is to move slowly, to savor the sensuality of the descriptions of place, of food, of art, of the characters. This is a post-Edwardian Room with a View, where George and Lucy are free to explore the senses much more intrepidly than through playing concertos or making out in a field. McQuiston gets pretty down and dirty in the sex scenes. . Still, the theme is wondrously the same as Forster's, who book Kit is reading on the tour. "Only connect." If we can connect with ourselves and the world around us, we will become brave enough to confront our fears and live our best selves. Will Kit and Theo allow themselves to overcome their fears and connect in every way? If you rooted for George and Lucy, you'll root for Theo and Kit.

The Pairing is unlike any romance I've read. It is unapologetically slutty while still being tender.

In the book, exes Theo and Kit both end up on a food and wine tour that they were originally scheduled to partake in during their relationship. First, we get Theo's perspective as they struggle to prove to Kit that they are doing great/have won the breakup/etc., so Theo and Kit make a bet to see who can have sex with the most people during their trip. The second half of the book gives us Kit's perspective, and I greatly appreciated the longing in this section.

The lowlights for me were that the story got a bit repetitive at times (travel to a new city, find someone to hook up with) and, perhaps because of the repetitiveness or the possibly excessive wine details, the book felt long. The highlights were the thoughtful exploration of gender and sexuality and the second chance romance emotions being well-handled (the anger, the longing).

Casey McQuiston has outdone themselves! The Pairing is a must-read book for the summer!

I read this while on vacation myself, and I couldn’t have imagined a more memorable experience! Theo and Kit have stolen my heart and I’ve never been happier.

The travel/destinations in this book were immaculate! As someone who has always wished to visit Europe, exploring Paris, Bordeaux, Monaco, and Florence (among others) was a dream! I am forever grateful for stories like these that allow me to travel to places I’ve never been, and may never experience in person.

This book is spice at its best! McQuiston always delivers on this front and I am happy to say that The Pairing is no different. In fact, it is on a whole other level!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
Release Date: 8/6/24
Format: audio/ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This book took me a month to read. Normally that means a book was a slog or I didn’t like it, but that certainly wasn’t the case with The Pairing. It felt like a book that, much like the food and wine Theo & Kit experience along the way, deserved to be savored.

This book had so much of what I absolutely adore about McQuiston’s writing. They give us impeccably hilarious pop culture references, top notch found family vibes despite this being a romance book, and a queer romance that feels truly unique.

This second chance romance is indulgent in every single way possible. I’ve read early reviews saying it is too much…too much sex, too many long winded food descriptions, too pretentious. I agree it might not be for everyone, but I thought the entire on page journey felt so true to these specific characters. I truly adored it.

Let yourself go and get lost in these pages. I think it’s more about the journey and while I would have loved a litttttttle more on page character or plot growth and development, I understand why McQuiston wrote this the way they did and freaking loved it overall!

3 stars!

I have so many mixed thoughts about this book. I read Casey McQuiston's debut, Red White and Royal Blue when I was first getting into reading and loved it, so when I got approved for this ARC I was so excited. I waited until this summer because I am also in Europe and I wanted to read this as I am fully immersed in a similar experience as the characters.

There were some things about this book I absolutely loved: the rich descriptions of food and drinks, Kit is a perfect human, and there were parts of the writing that made me cry especially when Kit described Theo.

However, I disliked the first 50% of this book so much I had to take a two week break from reading it. While I can understand and appreciate Theo's struggles, at points being in Theo's head was extremely insufferable. I did not feel sympathetic towards this issues about being a nepo baby, and I was BEGGING them to just talk to Kit and finally have a conversation. It was also really hard for me to be invested in the relationship between Kit and Theo in the beginning because a lot of the first half of the book is watching them hook up with other people for a competition across Europe, which was in the synopsis, but I didn't realize the book would also include details of their hookups. This was just hard to read because I was trying to get invested in Kit and Theo as a couple together, but then there would be paragraphs about other hot people in Europe they wanted to be with. Also, unfortunately the continuous cycle of new city, food tour, and meeting some sort of local connected to the tour excursion to hook up with, did get kinda repetitive.

Overall, three stars for how the second half of the book really made things better, and for the emotion this book and some of its quotes made me feel, but I am a little disappointed unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think I was hoping this would be better than it was, but I still enjoyed it by the end. To be honest, I think the first 75% was a bit of a drag. They're basically going around a city, eating food, drinking alcohol, having sex, repeat. I got tired of it pretty quickly and skimmed through parts of the book. My interest was really piqued at the end when they finally clear up miscommunication, where the author explores the roots of their relationship and how two people can make it work when there are so many other factors in their lives.

Dear every reviewer who didn't listen when CMQ said this was going to be their smuttiest book yet and to be prepared: I am sorry you were not ready for this majestic Dionysian venture. God damn it I sure was.

Are you perpetually online and now an avid reader of the smutty smut smut world where problems are solved with sexual tension and sex bets are a fully logical way to express your feelings? Welcome, this book is for you!

I want to say, there are some interesting conversations to be had about character development/depth/purpose and we've all been blessed with some lovely, deep CMQ books in past. This one for me walks that line in a more complex way - where there is some unreliability to the "nepo struggles" as I've seen them called of one of the main characters, I found this book actually sparked a lot of pure emotion for me and really touched on my own struggles with inadequacy and fear. Also, I am personally pro sex-as-character-development. It's real. It reflects some of the messy crazy shit we get into in real life. And, in the glorious context of this book, ITS SO PERFECTLY QUEER.

So thank you CMQ, I loved every god damn bit of these disaster gays trying to eat drink and sleeeep their way back to wholeness. May we all be so guided by Dionysus back to our true loves and selves

This was such a fun read about friendship, second chances, and exploring sexuality and relationships. I loved that the setting of this book took place all while traveling in Europe and we got to experience so many different things with our main characters. Reading this book feels like going on the journey alongside of them and it made for the perfect way to have a second chance romance.

Welp, devoured it (pun unintended but terribly appropriate) in under 24 hours! And I regret NOTHING! Total wish-fulfilment escapism, very sexy, very foodie, very funny and sweet. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as McQuiston's other Adult novels, literally the only thing that appealed to me when I was pitched The Pairing was who wrote it - but you know what, I loved it. Couldn't put it down and didn't want to. Will definitely be reading it again the next time I want to feel all fizzy and glittery!

FIELD DAY FOR THE WIN!

Read This Book If…you’re a foodie and mayyybe a little bit of a slut!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Genre: queer romance
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: Europe
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: second chance romance, friends with benefits, road trip, one bed, body count competition

My Thoughts:
Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes and so this book was exactly what I wanted! The food and drink descriptions throughout Europe were delicious, as was the spice.

I was a little skeptical of having a body count competition in a romance book, but the author pulled it off! I especially enjoyed the POV switch halfway through the book.

There’s great Queer rep throughout, including an exploration of bisexuality and gender identity. This book made me want to jet off to Europe for a month!

Memorable Quote: “I don’t know if I love Theo because I’m queer or if I’m queer because I love Theo, but I know there’s nothing I need that Theo doesn’t have.”

Probably the horniest book I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something! I will alway love the banter in a McQuiston novel, and I really love the queer narrative presented as an assumed thing (I think this works even better with the heavily European cast). I also really loved the food talk, but did leave this feeling so hungry for both this food and Europe. I can’t put my finger on why this wasn’t a 5 star, maybe the repetitive nature of the travels or the half and half POV (I would have preferred switching off!), but this was really fun!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!