I really really wanted to like this but man did it drag on for way too long. I think it could 100 pages shorter and we still would've gotten the same story. The chapters were broken up by city and that's it, so that made everything feel excessively long. If it would have been broken down a bit more, I think it would have been a bit more successful in the pacing. It started to feel repetitive and I found myself zoning out at times. This is a second chance romance but you get pretty much no flashbacks or anything to help you see how they fell in love and got where they are now. It's also one huge miscommunication trope, which I also do not usually enjoy. I know a lot of people will love this one, I just don't think it was the perfect book for me.

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

Casey McQuiston is BACK with an extremely sexy summer romp through Europe, which seems like something they were simply born to write. CMQ really hasn't disappointed me so far, and THE PARIING is no exception. Warning: do not read this book if you are hungry, or pregnant, like I am, and can't run to Whole Foods and stock up on fancy meats and cheeses and wines to eat like the characters do in this book!

Quick premise -- Theo and Kit were childhood best friends, both harboring secret massive crushes on each other. It isn't until after college that they finally get together, but quickly break up over some classic rom com miscommunication. Cut to a few years later, and they end up on the same food tour of Europe that they were supposed to go on years ago. But, of course, neither of them realize they booked the same tour.

It's a perfect set up for a sexy time, and as we slowly realize these two are meant to be together, CMQ does a fantastic job of also convincing us why they should be apart. Heads up = it gets VERY sexy. A hard R! Unexpected but steamy. It is also so great to read a rom com about two bisexuals, including one non-binary person. I don't think I've come across that in a romance yet and I found it very eye-opening. There is a LOT of food and wine talk, which I started to skim past eventually (hence the only 4 star rating) but over all I had fun reading this book and it was a great escape. I can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks!

Is there every a Casey McQuiston book that doesn't slap? This one, though, is really a different creature from their others. This book is unapologetically hungry, dripping with desire and rich sensory detail. I fell in love with the way McQuiston described the stunning landscapes of southern Europe but most of all, how the food was a character in and of itself. Oh! To be on this tour with Kit and Theo, if not for the sexy eye candy of each other and the beautiful Europeans surrounding them, but the food -- definitely for the food. If this trip existed, I would take it in a heartbeat.

But most importantly, this book is about queer sexuality and love. I mentioned in another book review how queer romance authors are still catching up with how to portray trans and gender nonconforming people on the page and in sex scenes, and they are all getting better and better at it. What McQuiston does in this book in particular is really show the reader how it feels to come to grips with these feelings, not just how to have sex with a gender nonconforming person, what it could and should be like. Theo's journey from AFAB to nonbinary, at least how it's portrayed on page, was an important on to articulate. So many of us can find ourselves in Theo, I think. And Kit! Kit is such a beautiful peach of a human. They really outdid themselves with characters to fall in love with in this one (I mean -- no one will be Alex and Henry, but I think these two will come close).

Anyway - read this book. It's a delight, a trip--a journey, even.

McQuiston's latest novel is an sensual delight, full of mouth-watering descriptions of the pleasures of a European vacation. Four years after they broke up, Theo and Kit find themselves on the same European tour that they meant to take before they broke up. To ease the tension, they propose a friendly competition to see who can sleep with their tour guide first. Warning: this book is sexy and will make you very, very hungry.

⭐️⭐️

I love Casey McQuiston so I was very excited to read The Pairing. I really wanted to like but unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.
I never felt invested in Theo and Kit’s story. I kept waiting to feel more for the story and the characters but it never happened.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis: Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It's not until they board the tour bus that they discover they've both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they're trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It's fine. There's nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can't have.

Review: This was hands down my favorite read so far this year. Not a single question in my mind. It made me cry 5 minutes and 33 seconds into the audiobook and it basically didn't stop pulling on my heart strings from there. I listened to about 30% and then read the other 70% in a single sitting. Just like RWRB, I could not put this book down. This is, in my opinion, Casey's best book. And yes, I've read them all. Just for an idea of this book, the quote five minutes in that made me cry: "Every person I take to bed from now on will be fighting his ghost for my attention." So, yeah. This book is a masterpiece.

The book is divided into two parts and I have vastly different opinions on both.
The first half was with Theo's pov was frankly so frustrating that I actually contemplated DNFing but only continued because of this being a Casey McQuiston book. Theo most times came off as a whiny teenager when even actual teenagers in Casey's previous work didn't sound so whiny. It's not all Theo though. The plot seemed to move at snail pace with barely any notable development at all. Both the MCs came off as annoying. Plus reading about the effortlessly charming and hot young people who everyone seems to want was tiring and all that traveling and even the delicious food got boring pretty fast for me which was basically all that happened for a long time. The banter was sharp and witty as in every McQuiston book though. And I liked the hookup competition they had going. The jealousy, the yearning I loved it all!

The second half with Kit's perspective was everything that was right in this book, it was so beautifully written. Kit is just pure poetry. I related and felt more for Theo through Kit's pov too. Seeing Theo through Kit's eyes actually made me love them. The chemistry between the MC's really came alive in the second part. I can see why the author did it this way but if the book was only in Kit's perspective I would've loved it more.

I absolutely adored this story, and it was accidentally perfectly aligned with summer reading and Pride month!

Kit and Theo are so perfectly flawed, I was invested in their personal stories, friendship, and love story from start to finish. This is a love letter to queerness and acceptance, showing our characters growing into themselves and accepting each other fiercly.

The cast of side characters throughout the book didn't take away from the main progression, but provided just enough charm and humour.

While I'm a big fan of Casey McQuiston's previous novels like One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue, I found The Pairing to be a bit of a miss for me. The premise of two commitment-phobes making a wager to see who can hook up with more people during a trip across Europe had potential, but the execution fell flat.

I’ve been trying to narrow down what my issues were, and what I think what hits the hardest for me -- is that I just did not like the MC’s. They just were not likable, and I didn’t have enough information about their previous time together to really get why they might be destined or why I should like them. Someone else referred to them as “blowhards” and I kind of tend to agree. I also got tired of their super seduction skills, and just kinda came across as shallow, but yet not fun either?...It honestly pains me to write this review because I wanted to love this book so much!

I am still a Casey McQuistion fan, and this book was well written, sharp and witty as you’d expect. I will be there for the next one! This story just wasn’t it for me, and the characters didn’t endear me -- but could very well be loved by someone else!

Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I didn’t enjoy this book and it’s partially my fault.

The whole premise of their lack of relationship was so frustrating. I hate miscommunication tropes as is, but this was so extreme that it was ridiculous. It also wound up being fairly inconsequential in the end, which made everything more annoying.

I found the switch to Kit’s POV odd and confusing at first because it wasn’t clear. I also thought it was kind of a weird choice to have Theo’s conversation about their gender happen while we were in Kit’s perspective?

The part that’s my fault is that this book was so sex-centric which is not for me at all. Had I known this going in, I wouldn’t have requested it in the first place, but here we are.

Bottom line: would not read again.

I am sure this book will be someone's new favorite, but it's just not for me. It felt reallllyyyy slow. It was just a lot of food and drink and reminiscing. I wish we saw their previous friendship & relationship because without it, I found it hard to be invested in their story.

I am mad because I want to really enjoy Casey McQuiston books; I absolutely adored Red, White & Royal Blue but I DNF'd One Last Stop. I was coming into this 50/50 but I had an open mind.

Theo was one of the most insufferable, whiney main characters I have ever encountered. The flip to Kit's perspective somewhat saved the book for me, but he was also incredibly frustrating.

Kit and Theo were supposed to be in their late 20s but this read like they were 18. I wanted to take both of them by the shoulders and shake them into reality. An abroad moment was supposed to make for a really romantic, unexpected reuniting but they turned it into a challenge to see who could sleep with more people while undoubtedly hurting each other further while doing it instead of just talking to each other?

OH AND this all started because they broke up and didn't speak for four years because of a stupid miscommunication that somehow was never addressed among mutual friends the entire time? Come onnnnn. I'm happy I stuck it out to the end, but this was not for me.

Years after a terrible breakup on what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, Theo cashes in on the European excursion before it expires…only to arrive and find their ex Kit *also* booked the same re-do trip. Both have their own lives now - Theo a hustling bartender and aspiring sommelier, Kit a pastry chef in Paris — but somehow this trip brings back old feelings and the two must grapple with either reuniting and letting the past go, or stick to their separate paths.
I enjoyed the setting and could easily picture the settings throughout Europe. However i found the MCs somewhat unlikable. Grown adults lacking basic communication skills and found Theo to be immature and annoying…and the “nepo baby” of it all didn’t click. I would’ve loved more of Kit’s backstory.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, and for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I unfortunately did not finish.

At the very beginning of the book, the main couple (Theo & Kit) have a very sudden break up without any details on what happened.

Post breakup they go no contact in order to heal/recover. As a final “celebration” of getting over breaking up Theo decides to use a travel voucher for a trip they had planned together. Big shocker, they end up on the trip together.

Both Theo and Kit are passionate about food, wine, cooking etc so when they end up on the same food tour they decide to put aside any animosity and be friends so they can enjoy the trip.

With the breadcrumb details of their relationship paired with the awkward circumstances of their meet up, I found it difficult to like the characters.

Another factor that contributed to my inability to connect to the story was how much emphasis was put on PARIS. It’ is not a new concept to romanticize Paris in books and movies but unfortunately I felt like the romanization was an attempt to distract from the characters and it didn’t work for me.

In order for me to want to read a book I need to feel invested in the characters first. The pacing of the story was not for me and I do not plan on finishing.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin publishing for the advanced copy for my honest review.

this book has done a lot for me in different ways that i don’t know if i’ve fully figured out myself yet. i regret not reading this sooner once i received my copy but also glad i waited at the same time. i’ve been a big fan/supporter of casey for a while and this was probably one of my most anticipated reads for 2024, if not the number 1. i apologize in advance if some of my thoughts don’t make perfect sense or i seem like a jumbled mess because frankly i am.

i went into this book with just the information ive seen and heard from casey directly but i fear i was absolutely blindsided (in a good way, atleast i think) by every little thing about both of these characters, especially theo. while in theo’s pov i felt like i was almost sitting on they’re shoulder watching all of it happen with them even thought its in first person pov. now i kept thinking to myself throughout the book and more so while in theo’s pov that the senses descriptions were nearly overwhelming. i felt like my brain couldn’t keep up with theo unpacking everything they ate drank and smelled while also traveling and taking in every monument and building the world as a reader. i slowly fell in love with theo and kit but something was missing for me. i don’t know if all the sex was too much or if they were too horny for me to connect on a deeper level with them character wise, but like i said i felt like i was floating along with them as the first half of the book went on while i feel like in reading the other cmq books it was almost easier to connect with the characters. i know i know each book is different, especially in this case, but i wasn’t expecting to feel almost left out for a good portion of the book. i don’t know if that even makes any sense but im just trying to decode my thoughts as i go.

i feel like a big turning point in the book for me was theo telling kit they are non-binary. at that point i no longer felt like i was hovering over them watching the story unfold. all of theos pov started to unravel in my head and piece by piece everything made more sense. while i knew before even reading the book there was non-binary representation i wasn’t sure how casey would write it. seeing kit explain how every feeling and thought about theo all of a sudden made even more sense was thrilling and absolutely beautiful. watching both characters fall back in love with each other over and over again honestly made my heart flutter in ways i don’t think ill ever be able to describe.

there are moments i look back to that i felt dragged out and over used or even underdeveloped but what is a book if it’s perfectly wrapped in a bow? something i don’t think will ever exist. as i sit and think about this book more and more i know i will come down from the high i feel and have more thoughts but i will sit here for hours typing about everything and no one wants that. will i have more negative thoughts? who knows, but as of right now, less than 12 hours after finishing this, i can say that this book will sit with me for the rest of my life. i feel some connection with it that i don’t even think i fully understand yet. i cannot wait to reread it later this year and unpack everything all over again.

while i’m sure my review sounds like nothing but praise, there are things i didn’t like about this book, but i don’t trust myself to talk about them in a way i feel is accurate and how i actually feel. i’m sure some of my feelings will change as anyone’s would. maybe i’ll update this review as i unpack more of my thoughts but let’s be honest probably not. thank you casey again for another novel i can buy every copy of and add to my cmq collection. cheers to theoandkit.

I love CM so much. They’re the first LGBTQ+ author I’ve ever read and I love all of their others books. This one just did not hit the mark for me, unfortunately. It was hard to root for a couple who kept booking up with other people and the European culture of everyone being obsessed with you and wanting to hook up made it worse. I didn’t like how every single character blended together to me because they were all just horny side characters. I will always be loyal to CM though and read whatever they want to write!

This book is pure bi for bi unserious mess and I loved every second of it. It made me want to kiss a stranger! Exactly what I needed to start off this summer season!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC! "The Pairing" by Casey McQuiston is a delightful and heartwarming romantic novel that blends humor, charm, and a touch of drama. Set in the world of fine dining, the story follows Alex, a charismatic sommelier whose life takes an unexpected turn when he meets the intriguing Henry, a talented chef with a reputation for perfectionism.

McQuiston's writing is witty and engaging, bringing to life the bustling New York City restaurant scene with vivid descriptions of food and wine. The characters are vibrant and endearing, with Alex and Henry's relationship unfolding amidst kitchen chaos and personal challenges. Their chemistry is palpable, and their banter adds a delightful layer of humor to the narrative.

The plot is well-paced, balancing romantic tension with moments of introspection and growth for both protagonists. McQuiston explores themes of love, ambition, and the courage to take risks in pursuit of happiness.

Overall, "The Pairing" is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy stories about food, career ambitions, and the transformative power of love. McQuiston delivers a heartfelt and engaging novel that leaves a lasting impression.

All I could think while reading this was "Casey's back!" I think you're either RWRB or One Last Stop and this book will hit for RWRB fans. Is it realistic to assume that everyone wants to have sex with you at every turn on a European vacation? Maybe not, but let's be honest, I'm not here for the reality. It's a romp in the best sense of the word.

I really enjoy some books by Casey McQuiston, but this one reminded me of One Last Stop. I could not get into it. I have to really enjoy the characters in a book and I found that Theo's character felt a bit flat. I enjoyed some chapters, but overall this one missed the mark for me. I am sure some people really enjoyed it, but I found I just couldn't pick it up. I also despise a miscommunication trope!