I've loved Casey McQuiston's previous books and expected to love this one as well, but I couldn't connect to either Theo or Kit. The book read very upper class, which also turned me off a bit. Would recommend for readers who enjoy a slow and literary romance with lots of descriptions of food.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

I don’t know if this was a case of too high expectations and being so excited for this book or if I still wouldn’t have loved it if my expectations were none existent.

It’s second chance romance: Theo and Kit end up on this incredible all over Europe tour for the summer and they are childhood besties turned lovers turned exes but still have been pining over each other for the last 4 years.

What did work for me was the quick quippy fun conversations they would have when they would talk, the descriptions of the food and drinks, the side characters and how sex positive everyone was.

What didn’t work for me was first and foremost second chance isn’t my favorite but I like it when the reason for breaking up makes sense and the character growth and communication shows that a hea is achievable… I didn’t see the character growth that I was hoping for. And probably should have dnfed around halfway when I got bored.

I did the audiobook and I liked the narrator for Theo just fine but the narrator for Kit wasn’t a new favorite-quite whiney.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

I don’t like wine. I spent years, in my twenties, trying to taste what everyone else seemed to taste, but though every once in a while it almost clicked—a very dry red wine on a very good Valentine’s day date with a very beautiful Valentine’s day date, a spicy-smooth bottle of Madeira (though does fortified wine even count?)—ultimately, I was wasting my time. The problem, I finally decided, is that when other people drink wine, they taste something more than overwhelming bitterness. Something subtle. Something much less like salad dressing. I say all this, because if I had even just a mild appreciation for wine, it is possible that I would have enjoyed this novel far more. It feels like an important caveat.

Casey McQuiston is a great writer. She has a way of taking a sentence where you don’t expect it that often makes me smile and sometimes makes me laugh out loud; a way of getting inside her characters so that they feel larger than life, but also like someone you used to know. And thank God she does, because frankly, just about the only thing this book has going for it is that Casey McQuiston wrote it. Two gorgeous, rich, basically insufferable 28-year-old kids on a three week luxury food and wine tour across Southern Europe. I think I would like them if they were my friends—their enthusiasm, their humor—but they're not my friends, they're characters in a novel, and I spent way too much of this book skimming endless pretentious conversations about wine and pastries and wishing they would, you know, shut up.

We see almost nothing of France, Spain, or Italy you wouldn’t see from a tour bus. Which, to be fair, is absolutely logical and realistic—but compared to what an observant author is capable of showing of a place, also utterly impoverished. When, in the second half, one of our leads starts reflexively quoting Rilke, it is almost a relief—at last, something like substantive engagement with human culture, a book actually read and loved and internalized, to enliven the never-ending parade of paintings and churches. That said, I settled in after a while, accepted the tour and novel for what they are: decadent, indulgent, shallow, capitalist, and basically realistic (if we set aside the ease with which threesomes seem to arrange themselves, at least).

No, the problem at the novel’s heart, for me, lies in the relationship, not the setting. Here, too, Casey McQuiston proves herself an exquisitely good author, equally adept at heartfelt conversations, unvoiced soliloquies, and raw, vulnerable, pleasurable sex (there’s a sex scene towards the end good enough to justify reading the book all on its own, honestly). But—and what follows could be construed as a spoiler, though I don’t think I ever really doubted it—our leads love each other on page one. They have always loved each other. They always will. Which means, in the novel, on the tour, they’re not falling in love, they’re miscommunicating. In three countries. By the end, I was more or less persuaded that their extraordinary sexual chemistry alone was grounds enough for marriage, but I spent much of the novel fending off the suspicion that they would really be better off if they just got over each other.

Four stars because almost everything I dislike about this book is contained in its premise, and honestly it’s so well executed on its own terms that I should probably be giving it five—but if I rated books based solely on how I feel about them in my heart, it might be closer to two.

Not sure how this got onto my shelf, and I would love to read and review this book. But I stand with Readers for Accountability and am withholding my reviews until SMP comes to the table and takes action to address the racism and homophobia from the employees.

I went into this reading being a fan of the author and at first I thought I was going to end up not liking this novel because the vibe felt very different from their other novels. However as I read on I fell in love with two chaos bisexuals on an European tour filled with horniness and repressed emotions.

I think this novel can be summarized in a few lines from the musical version of The Notebook.

The way we used to be
The things we'll never have

I still remember the first time we kissed.

I've even fallen in love with the way that you write a grocery list.

Two messy, horny, bisexual exes go on a food tour of Europe and quite literally fuck around and find out. That's it, that's the book.

And my God, I loved it.

This is McQuiston's most delightfully, unapologetically queer book yet. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this, and I felt swept away to the different locations. (Warning: reading this WILL make you hungry, and all I had to eat was leftover Domino's. Which is really, truly, not the same thing.)

This book is decadent, intimate, hilarious, and breathtaking. I absolutely adored it.

2.5/5 Stars

I really enjoyed previous books by this author, but this one was a miss for me personally. I felt like I was having a tough time staying invested in the characters and relationship. I also was a bit thrown off about the switch in the POV midway through the book, I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if it were alternating from the beginning.

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

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of the ebook and audiobook.

This wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. Exes who go on a sexual conquest bender across Europe to prove how over the other they are when they find themselves on the same trip sounded like catnip to me. This ended up not being quite right. I don't know if this was an audiobook problem for me but Theo's narration started feeling very manic in the first half.

I'm wildly annoyed that the initial breakup and years lost amounted to a miscommunication from two people who talk constantly and are relatively decent at having the hard conversations. The time apart was good for them but come on.

I loved that the minute Theo had a conversation with Kit about pronouns and their identity, that was it. All the 'she's' used in the story to that point are retconned and that's all they wrote on the matter.

2.5 / 5 stars !

this book, being that it is written by casey, was one of my most anticipated and looked forward to books of the year, and for me, it disappointed severely.

the chapters are long and drawn out, a lot of what goes on seems to be repetitive, and the two mcs are very one dimensional to me, the only thing that they have is their one respective interests and that's sort of their entire personality.. if you don't share those interests, frankly you're bored like i was.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Casey McQuiston is usually hot or miss for me and I'm happy to report The Pairing was a mostly a hit! I found the book a little difficult to get into initially but once I found my groove I enjoyed the story.

Kit and Theo were in love and then they broke up and then they ended up on a European bus tour together. Theo's character was kind of hard to love - they are stubborn and the world's worst communicator. Kit isn't much better - it's no wonder they ended up splitting. There's some spice but not a crazy amount so if you enjoy that and the miscommunication trope or love to read beautiful descriptions of Europe and food you'll like The Pairing..

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Casey McQuiston does it again, brining us the perfect summer getaway read!

This book is filled with all the delicacies life has to offer while still brining that emotional whirlwind that makes the story feel more real. I absolutely devoured this and while the changing of the character’s POV did throw me out of the book for a hot second, I got sucked into this just like any other of McQuiston’s previous books. I’ve never read another romance book quite like this one and while it probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s worth the read just to hear about Theo and Kit’s trip through Europe while you sit at home wishing you were there too!

I will be withholding my review of this book in solidarity with the <a href="https://r4acollective.org/">St. Martin's Press boycott</a>.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin

2/5 Stars. This one just was not for me.

I've read everything Casey McQuiston has ever put out into the universe, but this one just hit all the things I'm not a fan of unfortunately.

Two exes find they've accidentally booked the same overseas wine and food tour and decide to slut their way across Europe in a competition that should also serve to prove HOW over each other they are.

As the great Sally Owens once said, "Since when is being a slut a crime in this family?"

I mean this book was a complete and unrepentant sexual romp. A bunch of young, rich, privileged kids who have nothing better to do than run a train on each other and eat good food. I mean, I love that for them honestly. That wasn't even my issue with the book.

My problem was that I didn't care about the main pairing. Granted, I am not generally a fan of "second-chance" romances or even the "friends to lovers" trope. I find it often boring, and weirdly expectant of at least one party. But this is CM, and as I said, I've read all of their published works. I enjoy their humor, their irreverence. I'm always down to give anything a shot once. But I couldn't connect to Kit, and Theo was. A lot. to deal with. And not in the good way. It seemed more about a couple of spoiled brats more than it was about a great love reconnecting through trial and error.

I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the headspace for this. Maybe I just really do not like the tropes displayed here. But I slogged through this book for months, missing the fun that I usually get from one of Casey's books. I'm sure plenty of people will love this. It is queer indulgence in book form, I will give it that.

The Pairing starts off very New Adult with a dramatic flair around how these ex-lovers come back together and why they broke up in the first place, with the backdrop of a grand European tour, and then turns into this queer, culinarily indulgent and hedonistic romp. Along the way the two MCs' stories and romantic feelings unfold.

I go back and forth on this book. In parts I loved this book, and in other parts I couldn't wait for the two MCs to realize what was happening and just get on with it. It felt like it could use a heavier editing hand and at the 65% mark I was like, "how on earth are we going to fill another 35%??"

I think this book will benefit from a great audiobook narrator; when I read One Last Stop on audio, I felt strongly that it worked in that format for me in a way that it wouldn't have in print.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for “The Pairing” by Casey McQuinston.

I couldn’t put this book down! It’s a lovely summer read full of European food and wine, friendship, and steamy scenes. The book is amazing in portraying queer sexuality and love as it includes trans and gender non-conforming people. I absolutely adore Casey McQuiston’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint. Amazing read!

As I put this book down I am at a loss of how to even put into words the beauty that is this story. I feel like I was right along side them as they navigated each obstacle in their way, even if it was themselves. The descriptions of the food, sights, and sex had mouthwatering. Casey McQuiston has found a way to make a story an immersive experience that I never wanted to leave but couldn’t put down.

This is a love story for anyone who has ever felt that their partner isn’t a missing puzzle piece but rather a compliment to what they bring to the relationship.

I am IN LOVE with this book! I finished it and immediately wanted to start it again. My wife and I read it together and WOW it was an incredible read. The characters are so relatable and loveable, we both saw parts of ourselves in both main characters. The story is inspiring - we were immediately wishing we could go on a food and wine tour through Europe - and my wife doesn't even like wine! Casey McQuiston has a knack for bringing you into the story and making you feel like you are a part of their world.

This is the book to read if you love books about food and wine. Each stop on the tour, the author talks so vividly about all the flavor notes in the wines and what ingredients go into the food. This book is about friendship, about love, about not giving up on someone, and sometimes no matter what happens or how much time goes by, some people are just meant to be.

Thanks Netgalley for the advanced ebook!

It didn't suck me in as much as other Casey work. However you will like it if you enjoy

Second chance romance
Bi rep
Wine
Food
Frolicking around Europe

A horny little European food and wine tour. If you're a fan of Under the Tuscan Sun, or Eat, Pray, Love you'll probably love this queer love story. This book will make you want to eat all the pastries, drink all the wine, and love wholeheartedly and if that sounds like a good thing to you then definitely read this book.