The book follows Theo and Kit, ex-lovers who reunite on a European food and wine tour. Theo is a non-binary sommelier, and Kit is a pastry chef. Their trip is initially a competition to see who can pair better with various culinary delights, but it quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery, love, and forgiveness.

This was a fast-paced read with a lot of heart. The characters are engaging and well-developed, and the story is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. I particularly appreciated the book's exploration of non-binary identity and the complexities of queer relationships, and I loved the European settings. The book was filled with vivid descriptions of each city Theo and Kit visited and all the amazing food and wine they ate that made me wish I was in Europe too. It was such a fun, queer romance!

In The Pairing, Casey McQuiston serves up a story of lust, longing, and languid food tours through Europe, all wrapped in the undeniable queerness that has become their signature. Theo, an aspiring sommelier, and Kit, a pastry chef, find themselves accidentally reunited on the food and wine tour that marked the end of their relationship four years prior. What starts as a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other soon unravels into a complicated mess of unresolved feelings and sexual tension. With scenic backdrops and sumptuous descriptions of food and wine, McQuiston delivers an enticing setup—but does the romance sizzle or fizzle?

McQuiston deserves praise for the unapologetically queer heart of The Pairing. Particularly, the scene where Theo comes out to Kit as nonbinary is handled with thoughtfulness and care, and their pronoun switch midway through the story feels authentic and affirming. Theo’s vulnerability in sharing their identity with Kit creates some of the novel’s most tender moments. Kit shows all the unconditional support and encouragement anyone could hope for, and it completely melted my heart! It’s rare to find queer representation so layered, deliberate, and nuanced, and McQuiston nails it here.

Unfortunately, the novel stumbles in crafting compelling characters beyond their queerness. Theo’s privilege as a “nepo baby” who opts to stay poor and struggling despite several people offering to help them throughout the entire novel feels contrived and frustrating. Their refusal to leverage their family’s wealth for the sake of so-called authenticity or some misplaced sense of validation or merit borders on tone deaf and feels hollow, especially when juxtaposed with their ability to casually flit through European cities. This, combined with their insufferable self-pity, makes it difficult to root for them.

Just when all of Theo’s internal struggles and bad decisions have them primed for some significant growth, the story abruptly shifts to Kit’s perspective halfway through the novel, undercutting any meaningful resolution. Kit, while less grating, brings little complexity to the table, beyond his complete and total adoration (infatuation?) for Theo. Together, their chemistry leans heavily on physical attraction, and the emotional weight never lands. Theo and Kit keep circling around the same issues, avoiding the hard conversations that would make their reunion satisfying. By the end, I was left craving more substance—something to make their love story feel earned.

With its vibrant cities and decadent meals, the European backdrop offers a feast for the senses; however, the execution—while meticulously researched—feels superficial. The bacchanalian parade of food, booze, and hookups quickly grows repetitive. I think this is partially because Theo and Kit don’t really develop, so it feels like nothing advances the plot. The tour becomes just as redundant as every scene between the two leads. The characters’ romanticized, tourist-like experience of Western Europe also leaves little room for authentic exploration of various cultures and cuisines. Furthermore, their near-magical ability to charm their way into every bed and social circle simply isn’t realistic. While escapism is often part of romance’s appeal, the sheer perfection of every encounter makes this story feel flat and predictable.

The Pairing struggles to balance its frothy, sexually charged premise with the deeper emotional work necessary for a satisfying second-chance romance. Some moments in Theo and Kit’s inner monologues are achingly beautiful—one, in particular, stands out when Kit sees Theo in Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, a depiction of the divine feminine, while imagining Theo admiring Michelangelo’s David, a tribute to masculine beauty. Kit wonders, with quiet longing, if Theo also finds pieces of them both reflected in the David. How romantic to discover your lover—and yourself—in the world’s most iconic works of art! Yet moments like this remain internal; the characters never bring such revelations into their shared conversations or let them deepen their connection beyond physical desire.

McQuiston’s hallmark wit and charm, evident in earlier works like Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop, are present but not as pronounced here. Some lighthearted moments occasionally sparkle, but a frustrating lack of narrative depth overshadows them. For readers new to queer romances or those looking for lighthearted escapism, The Pairing might hit the right notes. But for anyone seeking the heartfelt intimacy and layered storytelling that define McQuiston’s best work, this book might feel more like a missed opportunity than a perfect pairing.

Um? No, I don’t think I enjoyed this at all actually? Likely should’ve DNFd and given up on it when I wasn’t vibing with the story initially

I wanted to love this so much more but unfortunately I did not. The first half was weird with them sleeping around, I found myself rooting for Theo and Kit to be friends again but not to end up together. I found the second half to be pretty boring and was just excited to finish. The writing was good and the settings were very well written, but there were so many locations described that I eventually grew tired of reading about them. The ending was super cute though.

Another good read from Casey McQuiston. I will say this did not hold my attention as much as previous books did but I think it was because I read it at a busy time of year.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review,

Kit and Theo broke up very dramatically years ago on their way to a food and wine tour in Europe. Theo decides to go on that tour alone years later and of course Kit is on the same tour. (This is very realistic to me cause this stuff happens to me). They both have matured and changed a lot in their time apart.
I don’t know if I liked their competition to hook up with the most people cause they were trying to put aside their feelings. But they did talk out a misunderstanding that helped them understand what happened. They both are an amazing sommelier and pastry chef now so not all time lost. The tour sounded great as well!

The description had me at European food and wine tour. Unfortunately second chance romance is always a hard sell for me and lately I’ve been off romance in general so this had a steep uphill climb and just didn’t make it - decided to DNF. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook and audiobook to review.

I like McQuiston a lot and in theend liked this book but it was a challenge to get into at tbhe beginning because it was lkike too many backstories to get into. but in the end it was good!

I love Casey McQuiston, and all of their previous books, but this book was not my favorite.

The things I did like about it, I liked the relationship growth as friends to lovers. I also really enjoyed the reconnecting after breaking up previously and showing the growth of each when they were apart. I also loved the setting and the travel aspect.

With that being said I don't really think the travel and locations helped the story outside of the food aspect. There were also so many characters and I continously was unsure of who the characters were talking about.

The reason for the break up also was physically painful to read. I hated every second of the explanation and when it was revealed I almost did not finish the book.

I will continue to read Casey McQuiston, this book was just not for me.

I love all of Casey McQuiston's books, but this has to be one of my favorites. I loved the setting and the second chance romance plot. It's a great beachy read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Officially calling time of death on this one. I tried for months but couldn't bring myself to finish it after making it halfway through.

If you want 300+ pages of two exes having a hookup competition and drinking wine while traveling through Europe and never communicating about what actually matters, this may be a winner for you!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of the book. This did not affect my review in any way.

I was really excited to read *The Pairing* by Casey McQuiston, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The premise had so much potential—exploring love in a futuristic setting with a unique twist—but I found the execution lacking. The characters, while likable, didn’t feel fully developed, and I had a hard time connecting with them on an emotional level. The romance felt forced at times, and the pacing was uneven, especially in the middle where things dragged. I also struggled with some of the plot points, which seemed predictable or underdeveloped. Overall, I wanted to love it, but I just didn’t feel the magic I’ve experienced with McQuiston’s previous works.

This was a fantastic and sexy trip through Europe that left me hungry for more than just a good meal and wine pairing.

This book didn't grab me as quickly as other work by the author but it was a good read. Thank you, #NetGalley, for the arch in exchange for my honest review.

Another Casey McQuiston book — charming, funny, sexy. I had so much fun reading this one. Delightful characters and delicious settings, this book made me want to escape to Europe ASAP. Love me some CMQ always!

I loved the wine and food pairings. The travel content was amazing and I felt like I was visiting this places. Need to go to all of them asap.

Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Incredibly romantic. Casey McQuiston did a marvelous job writing this novel.

The characters had such depth and stark differences that they never came off flat. The complexities explored were impressive, well written and beautiful. She did a marvelous job of writing about the human experience as a whole.

I had a hard time putting this book down and the ending was perfect and wrapped everything up so neatly. This one was definitely a punch to the gut, or an arrow to the heart.

This is my favorite McQuiston book so far. I took forever to finish this one because life was busy, but also because I was savoring every damn word. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, romantic, sexy as hell, and represented the human experience in a way few books do. Thank you, Casey McQuiston. Your words hit me straight in the heart with this one - and the stomach!

The last chapter was the best part. It didn't quite make up for the fact that I didn't like these characters too much for most of the book - and had a hard time believing others were so obsessed with them, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance electronic copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to get an ARC of a Casey McQuiston book! I have enjoyed all of their books that I have read so far! This was not an exception. Theo and Kit had quite the complex relationship on several levels, mostly having to do with their history. Their unexpected reunion, on a food and wine tour they were supposed to take together before they broke up just brings it all to a head.

It's hard to say much without spoilers, but it is important to say that this is a VERY SEXY book. More so than any of McQuiston's other books, or perhaps it just seemed so because I also acquired the audiobook--but that's a separate review. Suffice it to say, this book definitely made me want to go on food and wine tour throughout Europe!