This is my second book by the author that I have read and didn't capture me the same. I absolutely loved Red, White, and Royal Blue and this one fell kind of flat for me. It could be that for some reason I though this was going to be an MM romance or the overwhelming, overly descriptive talk about food and wine.

I loved the concept of a second chance romance especially overseas in all the beautiful destinations I desperately wish I could visit, but this book was not the one for me!! It was way too overly descriptive (which I admit I skimmed through A LOT) and less actual plot and romance between the two characters. I say that because there was quite a lot of sexual innuendos, sex, and threesomes between other people.

The two make a pact to see who can sleep with the most people by the time their wine tour comes to an end., and they completely ignore their own reawakened feelings for one another. Due to the pact, the side characters in this book were more for their competition and thus had no depth.

Theo and Kit's ignored chemistry and sexcapades were a fun plotline but were repetitive along with the endless wine and food descriptions. The only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the gender positivity, queer love, and gender norms. You don't see that enough in books. In the end, I often found myself forcing myself to read and skimming more than anything. I hope someone else can enjoy the European vibes, food and win talk, with a touch of romance and lots of sex!

A million stars. Infinity stars. I’m pretty sure I just read my favorite book of 2024. I know this book has a permanent place on the short list of “my favorite books of all time.” I feel changed for having read this book, these characters and their love is something I’ll carry with me. Casey McQuiston’s writing is a whole experience that I feel incredibly lucky to get to take into my mind and heart. I could see the sights they were seeing, I could smell the sea and the yeast and the lavender, I could hear the accents of their fellow travelers-turned-friends, I could feel their love and longing. I know I will visit them again and again in my mind and secondhand memories, and I plan to re-read this via audio as soon as I can.

Mon dieu. I adore this book. The evocative, transporting writing, the surprising humor, the horniness, the pining, the tenderness, and the heartache. I am absolutely drunk on all of it.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is doing things I didn’t know I needed from a romance novel, and now that I know I might be ruined for all others.

This book is a celebration of wine, food and queer love. It is sex-positive, poly-positive, self-love positive.

And the spice. The spice level is high with this one!

Nothing will ever compare to Red, White, and Royal Blue but The Pairing is my second favorite Casey McQuiston book. I enjoyed getting flashbacks to Theo and Kit’s relationship mixed in with their present day situation.

Delightfully funny and heartbreakingly moving, a story of love and friendship, fear and loss, and the beautiful and delicious things in life that inspire us and fill us with joy. This is a story of love lost and found, of the happiness that follows risking everything for a life you can barely even dream of, of the peace of knowing you’re in the right place at the right time with the right person. It’s also a love letter to Europe (especially Italy, Spain, and France), to its rich food and complex wine, to the vast and varied culture and cuisine. I dare you to read this book and not immediately want to book a European food and wine tour.

Theo and Kit’s story made me so sad at first because I could tell they really loved each other and the primary reason they broke up was major miscommunication, followed by hurt feelings, wrong assumptions, and bitter regret. It was difficult living in just Theo’s remembrances at first because they were always so down on themselves, sure of their unworthiness, angry at Kit’s betrayal. I could tell something wasn’t right, though, and was so relieved when the truth of their epic misunderstandings came to light.

In the end, though, their biggest issue wasn’t that they each thought they’d been abandoned by the other, it’s that there was a deep disconnect in what they each thought or assumed the other wanted. Kit thought he was doing Theo a favor setting their lives up for them and making all the decisions, but Theo just wanted to be ASKED what they wanted.

I have to also mention, though Kit makes his fair share of dumb mistakes and assumptions, he gets a few things absolutely right. When Theo finally comes out to him as nonbinary, he is absolutely supportive, asking their pronouns and other preferences, and even telling them how that totally makes sense. Kit’s easy acceptance of Theo is a real weight off their mind. Second, he honestly and sincerely apologizes for the mistakes he made in the past, tells Theo about his regrets, and listens when Theo explains how they feel. Kit was always a kind, generous soul, but he really grew up through his time of separation and self-reflection.

As much as Theo and Kit were meant to be together from the start, I think they needed some time apart to truly realize what mattered most to them in life, to think about what makes them happiest, and experience some of what doesn’t. And thank goodness they came to their senses and realized being just friends wasn’t good enough when they were in love, and that wasn’t going to change. They are so sweet and funny and charming together, and seeing them happy makes me happy, too - I’m not surprised their whole tour group was watching them like a reality show, rooting them on. For all that Theo and Kit were in the dark about each other’s true feelings, it was completely obvious to me and everyone else, even strangers they met in random cities, let alone people traveling with them in close quarters for weeks. But maybe we just can’t see what’s closest to us when so many feelings are involved.

Speaking of the tour group, they were all so delightful in their own ways, starting with the delightful Fabrizio and dependable Orla, and following every else down the line - the Calums, Montana and Dakota, the Swedes, the newlyweds, and Steig. I completely agree that there’s nothing like a trip together to make you life-long friends.

I always love ready books set in places I’ve been, or going to places I’ve read about in books. Part of it is I lack the ability to picture things in my mind alone, so having a memory to set a scene in is really helpful for me. It helps me connect to the story more, and feel like I’m part of it - I can remember walking through the Coliseum and Roman Forum, and spending hours admiring Bernini’s sculptures at the Galleria Borghese. I’ve walked across the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, marveled at Michelangelo’s David, gazed at Botticelli’s Venus, admired the Duomo’s majesty. I’ve walked the winding streets of Monte Carlo, though I definitely didn’t party or do anything else on a millionaire’s yacht. But when Theo and Kit are experiencing these places together for the first time, it all feels wonderful and real and inspired. And it makes me want to visit all the other places they go, too, and eat all the delicious food they try, and read this book again along the way.

I should also mention since this is a romance book at its core, that there’s a wide variety of spicy time starring two hot bis who spend half the book pretending to not want to have sex with each other by having a hooking-up-with-locals competition, and the other half having sex with each other. I would say it’s a 4🌶️ read, so be prepared if that’s not for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

I always love a good Casey McQuiston book! They never disappoint! I loved how both Theo and Kit ended up on the trip together and got to explore different cultures and foods while navigating their relationship. I’ve always wanted to travel Europe so I lived vicariously through them and thoroughly enjoyed their hot bi summer ☺️

Kit and Theo were best friends, then epic loves, then seminal heart breaks. But when fate puts them on the SAME food tour of Europe four years later (it's the non-refundable one they broke up on the way to - whoops), they have a second chance to figure out where they went wrong and to figure out what they would like to become.

The premise is SO STINKING CUTE. Who wouldn't DEVOUR a book about eating the best food, taking in the best sites, drinking the best wine, engaging in a silly contest to hook up with the most European hotties, and FALLING BACK IN LOVE?

For the first half of the book, I was awed and delighted. No one does cute and heartfelt better than McQuiston. At the midpoint, we switch POVs from Theo to Kit, and I felt that the writing was much weaker. I saw some other reviewers compare the writing in this novel to Wattpad and while I think that's an unfair comparison overall (plus some Wattpad writing is excellent!), I did see moments of that in the second act. The end was also such an unnecessary and underdeveloped roller coaster.

However, a highlight of the second half was a really thoughtful and nuanced portrayal of evolving gender identity and delightful, surprising, slightly scintillating spice scenes that queered typical romance tropes.

I had a good time reading it! The first half is a solid 4/5, and the last half is more of a 3, so it deserves to be bumped up to a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

*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.