I'm a Casey McQuiston fan and I had high hopes going into this book. I applaud anyone who tackles thematic content around worthiness and gender identity. I expect many will enjoy the bopping around Europe aspect - it's a fun summer read idea and I liked hearing about the different locations. Unfortunately though, I never felt connected to the characters. I wanted to really like it but I couldn't get settled in. There were countless side characters that I found hard to follow and didn't lend much to the story.. It felt at times that the story was just try to get from one sex scene to the next without much in-between. I struggled to get invested.

Sometimes I think we just meet books at the wrong time. At another time, I could have been along for the ride so I hope readers give it a chance.

Bi-sexual exes Kit and Theo coincidentally book the same European Grand Tour. A sexy romp encompassing the most romantic of cities. While secretly yearning for each other, instead of discussing their break up,these MCs choose to have a sexual competition of hookups. I had a hard time with this because of the deep feeling these two had for each other and many of their issues were caused by misconceptions.
What I absolutely enjoyed was the story told in halves. The beginning travel in Theos voice and the second part, Kits. You really got to know Theo without any physical description while Kit is initially fleshed out. The second half of the book all the pieces come together, their long history and Kits real feelings. Add in the details of food, drink and Art along their journey. Especially descriptions of things I’ve experienced - delightful! Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Griffin.

What a decadent book! The descriptions of the food and the intimacy were so delicious. The setting sets the story up to be a feast for all readers. I really loved this book. I feel as though the story and setting were the most wonderful part of the book and it almost made the characters themselves take a back seat. I don’t want to go into too much detail to avoid spoilers but the way the story goes into gender was perfect and authentic and beautiful. I did like one character more than the other, but the enjoyment I had being immersed in the culture and cuisine of Europe overshadowed pretty much both of them!

Don't read this one if you’re hungry…. 4.5 ⭐️

I dnf'd this. I love Casey's writing however this story wasn't for me. I thought it was going to be like a Queer Eurotrip with food and a Sex game. However there was no communication between the characters on their relationship. And i loved that both were Bisexual and that one was Nonbinary. Unfortunately it feeds into the stereotypes of Bisexuals being overly sexual and every corner. It also seemed like every character they came across was Bisexual and free for love. I know in different Countries They are more open but this seemed like it wanted to shoved the Queer identity in our faces. As a Queer male myself It just felt a little too overpowering and not in a good way. I know there is an audience for this but Unfortunately I am not the Audience. I still will read more Casey in the future.

3.75 stars

This book was a complete journey, a horny chaotic, gluttonous journey.

A second chance romance, with a lot of growth from both partners, Theo and Kit have a chance of finding their happiness together.

I absolutely want to go on the food and wine tour they were on, the author did a fantastic job of giving us the full experience of it. Their secondary characters were absolutely fabulous in this book as well.

This book is set up a little differently for a dual POV, but I feel like it gave the reader and extra sense of each character.

This was a completely different read than what I expected from Casey McQuiston, but one I still enjoyed.
It’s a second-chance romance, with the two leads finding themselves booked on the same European tour.
Kit and Theo were fun to spend time with, but the real treat in reading this book was how much of a sensory experience their journey was—full of gorgeous descriptions about food, wine, and scenery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC. This is my honest review.

Well, The Pairing wasn't for me and I admit I was disappointed. Food, wine, Europe, sex...I mean what wasn't to love??! Yet, there was just too much: too much talk of food. And wine, Yes, the food and the wine were sumptuous and made me want to jump on the nearest plane to France or Italy, but the descriptions felt like they overshadowed the main characters at times.

And there was way, way too much sex. I get it. Theo and Kit, two exes who inadvertently take the same European wine/food tour 4 years after their breakup, make a pact (a competition) to see who can sleep with the most people on their tour across the European Countryside. But enough already. There was no character development, just young, hot, horny characters ready for a hook-up all over Europe. Instead, I wanted to know more about the history between Kit and Theo who knew each other their entire lives, were best friends, became lovers, broke up, and are getting a shot at a second chance romance here...

What WAS great about the book was how McQuiston wrote the bisexual characters, about gender identity, and identifying as non-binary. As someone with a kid who identifies as bisexual, I appreciate her thoughtfulness and care.

I was definitely expecting more from the book, but I'm certain other readers will enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A delightful book about a life-long romance between two unique people whom you root for. The star-crossed lovers, Theo and Kit, meet when they are 8 and then their lives move apart and come back together over the next 20 years culminating in a three-week food and drink tour of France, Spain and Italy. On the tour they reconnect after being estranged for four years and gradually, under the influence of hot sun and amazing food and wine, find their way back to each other.

The writing is excellent throughout and the food and wines are lovingly described--as is the art and the various settings for their stops on the tour. A few small quibbles: I did find the book a bit long. Did the tour need all those stops? They kind of ran together for me after awhile and Kit's efforts to confess his love went on too long. I also found the story hard to get into for about the first 5-10 percent--took me a while to get my bearings in the plot. The over-the-top descriptions of food, drink, and place, while lovely, do get to be a bit much when everything is aphrodisiacal and paradisical. Still, I do wish the author had taken me on her research trips! Great queer representation!

Mille grazie et merci beaucoup for a delectable ride with two creatively-imagined and well-drawn characters in settings to die for!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I vicariously ate and drank my way through France, Spain and Italy along with Kit and Theo in this epic, second chance love story from McQuiston. I’ve never been so hungry reading a romance 😊!

I honestly think that if Casey McQuiston organized a food and wine tour like the one Kit and Theo went on and sold it along with this book at release that they would have made some serious coin. I would have booked that baby so fast in anticipation of eating just a smidge of the amazing food and drinking some of the incredible vintages and spirits they describe in this book.

This book deserves the most epic charcuterie board to be devoured along with reading it as well as several bottles of wine to consume.

The travel, the food and the wine are honestly the highlights for me in this book. While the incredible detail may make a few readers eyes glaze over given the shear amount throughout the entire book, I actually sunk into every description, trying to imagine what they were seeing, tasting and experiencing.

Casey must have done some serious research or maybe they’re already a devoted foodie and art history lover because they did not scrimp on their descriptions to make you feel completely immersed as if you were on the tour right along with the group.

I seriously want to meet a Fabrizio in my life and have him lead me around Europe for three weeks. That is bucket list stuff right there that I didn’t know that I needed in my life.

So, if you’re looking for a book that will inspire your next trip to Europe then this is the book, which is why it made my list of must-read romance books of summer in 2024.

This book also made my list of most anticipated romance books of 2024 because it had been over a year since McQuiston released a new book, having been busy I’m sure with the Red, White and Royal Blue movie that released last year.

To say that I was over-excited for this book is an understatement.

I have to give McQuiston props that none of their books are copycats like the others. They’re constantly changing up their stories, characters and settings while continually making a name for themselves in queer romance.

Theo and Kit are bisexual childhood besties who had a major misunderstanding and fight that led to them cancelling their tour the first go-around and breaking up for four years.

I am a sucker for a second chance love story and I was totally pulling for these two who were obvious soulmates. You don’t throw that one-in-a-lifetime connection away so I was desperate for them to work things out.

Theo (short for Theodora) came across as someone who has ADHD to me and who struggled to find their lane but ultimately did with their passion for wine.

Kit was a pastry chef and lover of art who had the sweetest heart, so it was no wonder everyone fell for him so easily.

I loved how McQuiston wrote from Theo’s POV for the first half of the story but switched to Kit’s POV for the remainder of the book. I loved getting in both of their heads.

As for their little competition….I could have done without it quite frankly as I don’t think it added much to the story other than to make me think they were a bit immature.

Kuddos to them that they are pretty open to any and all partners but the tension between them was already there which is why I really didn’t see what this added to the overall progression of their reunion.

It also seemed a bit convenient that they could find a willing hook-up at the drop of a hat wherever they were but maybe I’m just naïve. That being said, I expected things to be a lot more explicit and a bit steamier than they were and since they weren’t I was able to just ignore it and wasn’t too put off by their competition as the story went on.

The resolution of their story arc however was wonderful.

Red, White and Royal Blue, will forever be my favorite McQuiston book, however if you love their work then this queer romance surely deserves a spot on your TBR list.

I cannot wait to meet Casey on their book tour!

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press for the advance copy of this book!

If you are looking for a book to take you into another place, this may be the one for you. McQuiston is able to use their talent of words to make you feel as if you are traveling throughout Europe. Oh and the food. How I want to eat so many of the meals that were describe. You could tell that McQuiston did their research and likely travelled to all the locations mentioned just to make sure that it felt authentic.

I thought the format of this book was unique compared to not only other books they have done but other contemporary romances. The first half of the book is told from Theo's point of view and the second half is told from Kit's point of view. And I love how the chapters were broken up by different pairings with the city they are in. With that being said, the chapters are very long as they broken up by the time spent in country. As much as I was happy that it was descripted it just felt like it was taking forever.

"It's not just that I want him. It's that he taught me what wanting was. Anyone would have a weakness for that."

Also what I found so fascinating and I even was asking about this in a buddy read I did on this book, is how open everyone was with hooking up. They would each meet these people and suddenly they were being whisked away to go make out or more. I am not judging or anything but I just thinking are they not going to get to know each other, is the consent implied, is the nature of the relationship implied? It also made me chuckle that Theo agreed to do this competition when we knew that they were so in love with Kit. Heck even one of the conquests picked up on it. I felt bad for Theo as they just had no idea how Kit felt while they were thrust together on this trip.

Once we got to Kit's point of view, I could not believe how in love that boy was with Theo. I love the way McQuiston did a quick flashback to the start of the trip and picked up in real time. Kit's love for Theo was so unconditional. He loved Theo for who they were and did not want them to change. ""They showed me the galaxy then made me feel it. That's one of Theo's natural gifts, the way beauty moves through them like stained glass. It illuminates them and they transform it in kind." As much as I felt like I related to Theo more, I think my favorite chapters were told from Kit's point of view.

I believe this is McQuiston's spiciest book and it was so beautiful written. Overall I really enjoyed this book and think that McQuiston has this special talent of writing love between two characters. They also are SO good at side characters! In each of the books I have read by them, you find those side characters that will make you laugh and you just will want more of them on page. In this book was no exception.

Theo and Kit have split up. For good it seems, after being childhood besties, friends, and then in love together, they are over. In a dramatic fight on their way to an opulent European food/wine tour, they go their separate ways.
But the tickets were non-refundable, but... could be rescheduled. And so when the tour vouchers are about to expire, they both decide they better use 'em or lose 'em.
At the same time. On the same tour.
There was a lot I enjoyed about this book- the food/wine descriptions were opulent.. delightful.. made me want to go wander Italy, meeting people and enjoying new meals at different restaurants every day.
Fabio's enthusiasm for showing his tour guests around was fun to read.
Kit and Theo... not as much. They spent a lot of time getting in their own way.. self doubt, self sabotage... instead of just ignoring the emails from a demanding client and then throwing in the town, how about being upfront and saying I will be out of town for these dates.. and perhaps having cancellation fees etc in the contract esp for materials already purchased? They were not ready to run a business, and could have used family advice, even if they refused the money.
Kit was a little better, but still indulged in the bet about having more partners on their tour, but we really didn't get much from him until the second half of the book, and it was all intense longing for Theo.
It wasn't bad, it was a fun read overall, but it was not my favorite of McQuiston's titles.

HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE @casey.mcquiston EVER!!!

The atmosphere, the tension, the love, the quips…JUST EVERYTHING!!

Also listening to it via audio was seriously the way to go 1.) because it added a whole additional layer to the story and 2.) it ft. the author (which is secretly my favorite thing that happens in the audiobook world. A fun little Easter egg if you will)!!!

5✨

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book!!!

I loved Theo and Kits story so much. It was so special to follow along with them as they got to discover these new versions of themselves and each other.

I'm bummed. I was hoping to like this book as much as Casey's other books, but this book was not it for me.

Maybe it's because I've never traveled. Maybe it's because I'm not a foodie. I'm not sure.

This book was so wordy. Unnecessarily wordy, in my opinion. I think it would've been the same book with 1/3 less words. At least.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

DNF 20%

I really really tried to read this book, but I could not vibe with it at all. I LOVED Red, White and Royal Blue and was hoping the writing style and connection was going to be similar. The only connection was the food and wine. I’m really sad because I was really looking forward to this story.

Genre: contemporary romance

Before Kit and Theo split up, they had planned to take a multi-week food tour of western Europe. 4 years later, and at the end of the limit of the travel voucher, Theo takes a risk and hops on a plane, only to find Kit doing the same. Theo, the daughter of famous movie producers and sister of two movie stars, finds their own life a series of failures and is looking to reclaim joy through food. Kit has been working in Paris since he finished pastry school, but is looking for another spark. While it seems as though the only way these exes can get along is in direct competition sleeping with the attractive men and women of France, Spain, and Italy, their trajectory will inevitably bring them back together.

There's a lot going on in this book (in a good way) so there are a lot of components to unpack. I love Casey McQuiston's adult books, and this feels the most mature and most exploratory (both with the food tour plot literally, but also with experimenting with gender and sexuality and expression of self). It's both a comfortable and also a challenging read, because of the topics it tackles. The rich descriptions of food and wine are amazing, and I dare you to read it and not want to grab a fresh baguette with cheese and a glass of French wine.

The relationship between Kit and Theo is messy... it's second chance, and they are still so young, but it's fully believable. The reason for their breakup was a little tough to swallow, but its aftermath is very very realistic. I kind of love how this book breaks the cardinal rule of most romances - Kit and Theo spend a lot of time sleeping with other people -on page- in direct competition with one another to see who can get laid more on this food tour. And yet, it works, because of the type of people they are and the type of romance they have.

The Pairing is a very queer bi4bi M/NB romance with beautiful expressions of love, sex, and romance. And food. Truly, the food is the third character in this relationship, and it works well.

A childhood friendship, then an adult relationship, all ends when Kit and Theo ended up splitting up on their way to a guided European food and wine tour they’d both saved up for. They haven’t so much as laid eyes on each other since.
It’s been four years, and the voucher for the non refundable ticket is about to expire so Theo decides to finally take the trip alone.
Boarding the tour bus, grabbing the last open seat and it’s next to - surprise! - Kit

Sooo I think this one is going to be divisive

They called this book ‘sluts in Europe’ and if you can enjoy it just for that you’ll love it. The travel descriptions, food and drinks, sooo much flirting, interesting side characters - it’s fun!

But - if you are a person who only wants the MCs to have eyes (and hands, and…etc) for each other, then you are likely not going to enjoy this one.

I think I have fallen on the ‘very strong like’ side of the rating spectrum
Throwing away almost two decades of connection over one fight and a misunderstanding that could have been cleared up in a moment - such a waste. And sometimes their pining for each other seemed So Obvious, I wanted to shake them for throwing themselves at literally anyone and everyone else
But with that said I *do* like myself some angst with a happy ending, and I was *fully* invested in their story. This was the sluttiest sad pining ever, and the spice was there for sure.
I was entertained by their flirtatious (and more) antics, but that never stopped me hoping they’d find their way back to each other (even when I wasn’t sure what that would look like)
This was an emotional journey - the second half more than the first - and I enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the arc

Theo and Kit are childhood best friends and exes that end up on the same food and wine tour of Europe. Theo and Kit are real and messy and make mistakes. They were really refreshing characters to read about. I enjoyed seeing them fall back in love with each other throughout their adventures.

There is the typical banter and humor you would expect from McQuiston but this is a much different book for them. You can tell that they have really grown a lot as a writer.

There were some issues for me regarding the pacing, particularly in the first 30%, and some of the food and wine descriptions became a bit repetitive. The writing was stunning but as someone that’s not an adventurous eater, I had a really hard time imagining the foods they were eating (and that’s a huge part of the book!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of The Pairing in exchange for an honest review.

I was hesitant about The Pairing after Casey McQuiston’s last adult novel, One Last Stop, didn’t land with me, but I’m very happy I gave it a chance!

As with their previous novels, McQuiston plays fast and loose with realism in The Pairing, this time portraying a utopian Europe where everyone is horny, queer, and disarmingly perceptive. But this time, it worked for me — the heightened depictions of sexuality and food mirroring the heightened emotions with which protagonists Theo and Kit navigate the world and their relationship. And yes, all those heightened elements can be a bit much. But while Theo says some truly cringe-worthy things, and Kit verges dangerously on manic pixie dream boy, they so earnestly adore each other that it made me want to adore them too. 4*

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

This was a good read! I definitely assumed this was going to have more sex based on previous reviews. I am not mad at it though! I was lucky enough to have my birthday fall around the time I was reading this and got to go out for some fancy French food, because this book made me HUNGRY! 🤣 I was already a fan of Casey McQuiston but there is some objectively great writing in this book. Other reviewers may feel some components in this book were a little farfetched or they really had to suspend their disbelief, but it's fiction! Maybe for once in a long while I was in just the right mood, but I really enjoyed the authors descriptions of the food, the art, the settings...it all sounded great to me. By the time we got to the end of the story and Theo and Kit decided not to continue their relationship, I was fine with it. It made sense that they would have some kind of growth from this experience and work on themselves when they had that closure. I also didn't mind that Theo shows up just as Kit comes to the realization that he needs to make a mad dash to the airport, and I think usually this kind of switch would throw me. I just genuinely enjoyed the ride and I don't have any real complaints. I will definitely be reading more of their books. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!!!