** spoiler alert ** I give this book more than a 5/5 if I could! It made me deliriously happy and infatuated with Kit and Theo's romance and story! I loved the book on 5 points: The romance, the storyline, the characters, the pairings of food and wine, and the easy humor! And probably more, but those come to mind first.

I loved the romance because it's not just the romance that blooms during this trip but also the romantic history it's built upon. I alternated between hating that they were separated due to miscommunications and insecurities, but I liked that their love for each other grew and grew. I liked how the book was written in both their POVs so that something one person says or imagines doing is shown, and we can see both of their reactions. At times, it felt like I was screaming at them just to get together already! Both of you are falling in love over every little thing; why can't you see it? But I liked how the reveal presented itself in the form of the song they had a history with. Throughout the book, I felt like an outsider looking into their relationship, like the other passengers on their Europe trip, and I was reading in earnest until they were together again. Then they were, and I was deliriously happy again!

I loved the storyline, how we saw bits of their romance along with pieces of their lives and the lives of the people they were traveling with. Every character had their unique characteristic, and I liked every one of them, especially Fabrizio, who cracked me up! I loved the trips from city to city, learning the history and the food. Oh the food was making my mouth salivate, and the drinks! I really want to make some of them! I look forward to the book's release! It felt like a journey, not just because they were on a journey through Europe but also with themselves. I haven't visited some of the cities on this tour but really want to now!

All the characters were phenomenal! Kit and Theo, I loved getting to know both of them and seeing them grow and bond together! Fabrizio is amazing, the best tour guide and role model and the suggestion from Theo about him at the end was just perfect. I can imagine it in my head! I liked all the other characters as well: the older couples, the newlyweds, and the friends traveling together (with the surprises at the end). I liked the Calums, Montana and Dakota, and all the others!

The pairings of food and wine sounded like bliss, and I want to try them now! I've made coq au vin once after someone made it in Emily in Paris on Netflix! I really like learning new cocktails as well, and all of the different ones they talked about in the book were intriguing, as was the wine. I liked how one followed the journey of where a wine bottle comes from and how the earthly components can be tasted from it. The food sounded amazing! I want to try all of it, but I think I wanna try making an arancini first because it sounded good.

There was so much laughter, jokes, and things that made you smile in this book; I could barely stop smiling until I finished it. It constantly kept me going, page by page, chapter by chapter, from Theo to Kit, and it was just as magical and inspiring and full of life and love as the other books Casey McQuiston has written. They have a wonderful gift in the stories they write, and I feel lucky that I got to read an early copy to review here. I can't wait to buy a copy :)

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

REVIEW: The Pairing ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5)

I was so excited to see that The Pairing was written by Casey McQuiston who also wrote another book that I love, Red, White, and Royal Blue.

There are so many things that I love about The Pairing. First of all, I love the representation throughout the book of bisexuality, nonbinary, and other kinds of relationships. I really loved the chemistry between Theo and Kit, and you could tell that they really care about one another. The Pairing also has a whole lot of spice because Theo and Kit have a contest to see who can sleep with more people on their vacation. Casey McQuiston also does such a fantastic job on descriptions. Describing the different locations on their trip, the various food and drinks, and even the characters they meet each gives us a strong image based on their descriptions. It was also fun that at the beginning of each chapter, there was the location, food and wine pairing, and music (in the audiobook) from wherever they were. I really enjoyed the narrators in the audiobook as both of them were very expressive and even got some excellent accents down.

The only thing that I thought could be changed was that the first part of the book was all in Theo’s POV, and the second part was all in Kit’s POV. In each section, I wondered what the other character thought or felt during an event. I would have preferred to have their POVs switch off each chapter so that we could experience both sides together.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Pairing. It was a great European adventure with many laughs and romances throughout. This book is excellent for anyone who loves a good slow burn, second chances, spicy scenes, and a fun European tour.

Thank you, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

McQuiston is back with an absolute banger. I have not loved one of their books so much since Red, White, & Royal Blue. Kit and Theo's story simply captured my heart. Childhood friends to lovers to exes who unexpectedly reunite on a food and wine tour of Europe four years after their breakup? Perfection. The dual POV is extremely successful; I needed 100 more pages of Theo and Kit loving each other, It also helps this book made me feel like I was on a European vacation without ever leaving my apartment. I might actually love this book more than Red, White, & Royal Blue, which feels sacrilegious to say but is true!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF'ed this one at 17%. The characters felt very surface level and most of the emotional growth happens off the page. There's nothing here that makes me feel for either of the main characters. They dated when they were younger, broke up for a reason so far unsaid, and now are circling around each other while still having the most casual (and off page) sex with locals at each stop of the European tour.

Also, I don't know if I'm slow or what, but it took me way too long to realize Theo is a woman. Naming your characters Theo and Kit with a cover design like this doesn't help anyone figure out if your two bi-sexual leads are male or female. It doesn't really matter, but it's hard to form a mental picture without that info.

I mean. It's perfect. Casey McQuiston's writing is just so easy and effortless and lovely - I'm someone who is (sometimes against my will) hyper-aware of little repetitions and awkward bits at the sentence level and they just have none of those. And the plot? And the setting? And the food and the wine? This is a dream of a book.

I was really really looking forward to reading this book. I just could not get into it as much as i was hoping. They characters felt forced to me and in my opinion not realistic. I was as shocked as anyone that I just did not like this book.

I think many people will love this book but it was not for me.

2 stars
——————

I’m a big Casey McQuiston fan, but this one was a major flop for me.

The concept of the book was interesting and caught my attention. I loved the idea of scorned lovers reuniting years later on a tour they were set to do together in the first place. But my excitement didn’t last. This book felt entirely too long. There wasn’t enough interesting plot to fill all the European stops so the plot felt incredibly drug out over the course of the book. Even going so far as to interrupt important moments with things like, “Hey, is that your dad?” to prolong it. The idea of a hookup contest is fun, it just wasn’t executed how I expected it to be. I wanted it to be a bigger focus than what it was and without so many rule changes. And without the expectation that there were horny singles everywhere they went. What I did love is the European tour elements, the descriptions of monuments, restaurants, life. It was such a background element, but I loved it.

I liked having the book from both perspectives, but I wish it had alternated chapters instead of doing one chunk by Theo and the ending chunk by Kit. It would have been nice to see both sides of the story as it progressed. I think I just wanted to like Kit and Theo more than I actually did. I found them both pretty annoying and pretentious. I didn’t see the chemistry at all.

Super disappointed in this one.

This was insane. It started off at a decent pace, not painfully slow, but still slow enough to understand what was happening. I loved how we got to see so much of the history of Theo and Kit, I thought that was really important so we could understand just how deeply they were in love. Truly, they were obsessed with each other and neither of them knew it until the end. Their little competition was soo funny to me, I loved how everyone was so slutty, bisexual, and horny. Made for a super interesting read. Overall, my favorite part was the middle. The ending wasn’t bad, but I hated what almost happened. I can’t see the characters doing that at all, and why would they? Anyways, this was a really fun and light read, you guys should definitely check it out!

I devoured “The Pairing” in like a day, nearly in one sitting. So thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin Paperback publishing for the free e-arc!!

This book is, without a doubt, a complete joy to read. The food, the longing, the incredible imaginations of the two characters in regard to food and drinks. It's all so magical in a way that tickles the soul. The longing sways between soft and intense, but always center stage in most of the writing, and I find that so realistic. Not everyone longs intensely 24/7, but they are thinking constantly, even if it's just in the background. There are quotes from the book that have stayed with me like an aftertaste to a delish, satisfying meal. I find myself thinking about these quotes as I drive to work, feeling the pull toward this state of recognition of wanting to love and be loved. To do that, to have someone think of your book afterward like this is such a feat, and Casey is a master. I live for the words on their pages, tangible to the soul.

There are things about this book that were a misstep for me. I found myself not liking Theo as much, as many others didn't, but that drew me into the story because it caused me to reflect on the myself. I know Theo is fictional, but how can I judge them, full of flaws myself? Kit is very standard perfect, and I think that's his fatal flaw. He's too perfect to the point that it doesn't feel obviously sincere, which we see cause spirals for Theo many times in the book. I still love Kit vividly, but he's not real to me. I felt like there was a lot lacking in the plot at times, as much as I loved the writing. The trope is very overdone, and this wasn't horrible, but definitely not a fresh take.

I think so many people want soulmate stories where characters are the perfect pairing, and they compliment each other in every way. I think that might be Casey's intention with these two, but I don't think these characters completely compliment each other perfectly and THAT is what makes them endgame. Love is a choice, one we make when we do match energies but so very importantly when we don't. These two don't communicate the same and don't solve problems similarly, and have different expectations. If that's not the most realistic part of this book, I don't know what is.

I also felt that the plot sometimes felt buried under the beautiful and intense descriptions of all the places visited, food and wine consumed, and art seen. I've been to some of these places personally, and while Casey's descriptions are so insanely accurate, I felt like they were heavy weight. I understand why it's there, completely. I felt like I was standing next to them, watching it all. I just found that it wasn't what I wanted from the book, and I know that's just a personal opinion, not a genuine reflection on Casey or their writing. But if you get overstimulated like me from a lot of descriptions, names, adjectives, you might find yourself skimming some of the descriptions. I did so, and I found it didn't take away from the plot or the enjoyment at all.

There's so much more I could say, but I think the most important is that there's three ways, as I see it, to view this book. Through Casey's eyes as they intended, through your eyes as the reader with your unique perspective, and then finally through simple eyes, void of perspective or expectation, but just with an open heart. The third option is what I recommend, reader. I think it pairs well that way.

Casey, you magnificent artist. Thank you for showing us your mind over and over again. It's truly a magical place.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and letting me review this book! All thoughts are my own.

I liked the escapism in this story, and I wrote down many notes during the Italy scenes ahead of my trip, but ultimately it wasn’t for me.

The two main characters were pretentious, and the “big reveal” in the middle was given away early on by language choices.

I've been putting off writing this review because I am a pretty big Casey McQuiston fan, but unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations.

The good:
- I was surprisingly into the nepo-baby plotline. It balanced Theo's struggles and the actual privilege of it all, in that I understood where they were coming from but also didn't just stay at "man I wish my parents were less rich".
- A lot of the imagery about the destinations and the food was very vivid, and I found myself hungry while reading more than once.
- There were isolated scenes between Kit and Theo that worked well and were really heartfelt. It was enough for me to believe they were in love, even if it didn't quite work at pushing the story forward.
- Kit's POV had some really well-written lines, especially in the first few chapters.
- The humor didn't work for me as much as some previous books, but I still had a few good laughs.

The bad:
- There were so many zany Europeans in this book. I understand that the main characters are supposed to be hot, but how is it that every single person they meet is trying to sleep with them. Every single side character was either having sex with them, or giving them a deep life lesson. Maybe it's because I've never been to Europe, but I imagine ugly people also exist there? Or at least average-looking ones?
- I had a hard time believing/being invested in the tension between the two main characters. Miscommunication is generally a trope I dislike to begin with, and outside of that I had a hard time understanding what other issues they were, so a lot of the book just felt like it was drawing out an inevitable conclusion.
- Kit as a character is severely lacking. I enjoyed most of the scenes he's in because he's good for a zinger, but I knew very little about who he is as a person by the end of his book. Most of his POV just talks about Theo non-stop, which almost feels unfair given Theo had the opportunity to talk about other aspects of their personality.

I'll definitely pick up the next Casey McQuiston book, but unfortunately this one is not for me.

I'm so sad that I didn't enjoy this one. RW&RB is one of my all time favorite novels, so I was so excited to get this ARC. Theo and Kit both read so young and immature. The entire plot hinges on so much miscommunication, it all could have been so easily avoided. Most of all though, there was no heart to this book. No well fleshed out side characters, the same routine almost every chapter of an insane amount of food, getting drunk, and casual sex with apparently an all too willing European crowd. There is one moment in the second half that made me happy, but otherwise I could not care less about anything these two MCs did. It gets two stars for the queer representation and the sweet moment.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
Genre: romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up

🧡Queer rep
❤️Second chance romance
🧡European travels
❤️Hook-up competition
🧡Lots of steam (I mean, see above 🤣)
❤️Dual POV with a twist
🧡Some found family vibes
❤️Sommelier and pastry chef

I’ll admit it - I didn’t read the synopsis beforehand, and I’m glad I didn’t! I think if I did I would’ve had some preconceived notions about the book. But going in not knowing much really helped me appreciate the book more, especially as a reader who is newer to queer romance.

I think that this book may not be for everyone, but I thought all of the spice was SO HOT and well done. Seeing Theo and Kit fall for each other all over again really added to the steam as well. The tension. The flirtiness. The connection!!

I really appreciated the POV chance halfway through the book. I haven’t read any books like that, but I loved it. It gave us so much perspective, and I squealed when I found out Kit was still in love with Theo!!!

The writing is so funny but still full of heart. I laughed out loud multiple times.

This book this great if you’re taking a European vacay or if you want to feel like you have! I enjoyed how close knit the tour group became - gave me a hint of found family! And all the food and wine pairings at the beginning of each chapter made me salivate.

THE ENDING MADE ME SO HAPPY. It was perfection. At the end of the day, this book was SO FUN to read and enjoyed nearly every second.

Absolutely loved this spicy romance centered around food and travel. McQuiston pushes the boundaries of your everyday romance by adding in quite a variety of non-monogamous experiences/thoughts. And there is quite a bit of spice in the novel as well. I loved the gender queer exploration of identity and romance set firmly in adulthood - not everybody comes to their identity as a teen and this book felt very affirming. Plus reading about all the food experiences gave another sensational pleasure as well.

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book.

Very exciting to see another release by Casey McQuiston, as I have been a fan of theirs for awhile now. I definitely saw the bits about their writing that I love (it's hard to put into words, but there's just something about their style that just hits for me), but otherwise I really didn't care for the plot that much. It just wasn't for me.

All the stars for just the food.
All the stars for just the sex.
All the stars for the agony i went through, the angst between the two lovers.
I also love when someone is working on who they are, their identify and what they really want in life.
These two people are pining for each other for years and while they knew how to be without each other, it didn't feel right until they were back together and I love that. I feel this left no room for questioning whether they were soul mates. They for sure 100% are.
The descriptions, the writing, everything about this book is A++++

Some things taste better together. Those things are not Kit and Theo.

Kit and Theo are bratty, insufferable, and immature exhibitionists. If I were to meet them, even in passing, I would hate them so viscerally. Their lack of communication and common sense is astounding and ridiculously annoying. They’re in their late 20s acting like 17 year olds. Why are you betting who can have a higher body count by the end of the trip instead of, oh, I don’t know, having a conversation? These are two characters who do not belong anywhere within 500 feet of each other. There is no chance they would stay together (happily) long term.

What I enjoyed:
The transitions between chapters where they told me some pairings. I also appreciate the amount of research the author clearly did about food and wine.

What I didn’t enjoy:
Everything else.

Theo’s struggle with being a nepo-baby is so whiny and unrelatable. Oh no! My super rich and famous parents and sisters are willing to fund whatever passion project / interest I would like to pursue. That sucks so bad! Like stfu no one can relate to that. People are dying, Kim.

Kit was annoyingly pretentious and had the worst superiority complex. Oh, you carry around a notepad and FOUNTAIN PEN? You’re so cool and everyone wants to be your friend.

Also — why is the entirety of Europe so horny, sexually fluid, and DTF? Is no one just here for food, wine, and relaxation?? Aren’t you tired, sweaty, and stinky after all these excursions??

I was SO EXCITED when I heard the premise of this book, but have been deeply let down.

If this book has no haters, I am dead. I knew from the prologue I was going to hate this book, but I did not trust my instincts. By the time I realized I should have DNFed, it was too late. I am done reading McQuiston’s work, unless they do something more in the Shara Wheeler wheelhouse, as I am realizing that is the only book of theirs I enjoyed.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Netgalley.

First thing's first. I think this novel showcases McQuiston's writing on a whole new level. I highlighted countless passages, and I know they will go down as some of my favourite book quotes of the year. The descriptions of food and drink and the European settings were phenomenal, and it truly made me feel like I was a part of the experience.

Now for the part I had trouble with. The first half of the book is written from Theo's perspective and I just did not feel a connection to their character at all. When the POV switched to Kit, that's when I really began to feel invested in the relationship. I wish the Theo POV had been more flesched out.

The Pairing is a delightful and steamy read that I absolutely loved. The book brims with sexual tension and engaging romance- it's another charming Casey McQuiston romance. Theo and Kit are relatable characters whose dynamic and chemistry keep you hooked, and the angst woven through their story adds depth and intensity to their relationship.

The premise might not appeal to everyone, with a competition where exes sleep with others to realise their true feelings, but I found it entertaining, funny, and sexy. The backstory of their breakup made me root for their reunion even more, and their interactions were on point, building up to a satisfying reunion between them.

The side plots, including family dynamics and life changes since their breakup, add further layers to the narrative, making both characters more sympathetic. The descriptions of food and wine were so vivid they made me hungry. Additionally, the nonbinary representation and related discussions were refreshing and important, offering visibility in a traditionally published romance novel. This book is a must-read for fans of heartfelt and steamy romantic comedies.

After the onslaught of lukewarm reviews, I'm so happy I read it. It's a unique story and I loved how engaging it was.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.