This book is pure perfection. RWRB and The Pairing? GOD TIER.
Would say The Pairing is definitely for a more mature audience. Also, spice is pretty damn good.

How can we describe this? Friends to lovers, to enemies, to friends? To maybe more? All while on a food and experience tour though Europe. In a bi chaos. *chef's kiss*
This book has SO many tropes, and even the tropes I typically despise I was EATING THEM UP. I'm squealing, screaming, kicking my feet and crying. It's so much more than I thought.

It's a foodie's dream.

HOT BI SUMMER, HERE WE GO.

#ThePairing #NetGalley

5.0

Setting: France and Italy
Rep: bisexual nonbinary protagonist; bisexual male protagonist

When I started this I wasn't entirely sure - it doesn't read like a Casey McQuiston book, for starters because it's in 1st person while I have come to find that Casey is the master of 3rd - but I slowly fell in love with these characters and Casey's writing. O. M. G. The food. The travel. The emotions. The smut. This book has everything. It's basically a couple of horny bisexual sluts frolicking across France and Italy fucking and feeding and it was great. This would be a PERFECT summer read, especially if you're traveling across Europe too! As each chapter is dedicated to a different city, it would be amazing to recreate the same trip. Loved the queerness, the banter, the yearning, the discussions of gender and sexuality, and can we take a moment to appreciate the peach scene in Monaco?!

First of all amazing title. The Pairing means so much more as you get to know our favorite almost sommelier and each chapter has a pairing with the city!! This is a beautiful tribute to euro trips and now I want to go on a food tour real bad. Atmosphere on this one was top notch.
Character development between the two leads felt earned and real. I really loved the full backstory of Theo and Kit, I could tell there was a lot of thought put in to how their relationship would develop throughout the years. The POV switch happened at just the right time. Also really liked the exploration of gender and sexuality- the part where they were wearing the same outfit was just *chefs kiss*.
The original miscommunication felt like it was done with purpose, but the miscommunications that followed were a bit frustrating. I almost thought we were going to get a La La Land type ending, but it went for more HEA which while fun felt like it lacked the depth the rest of the book had. Overall I enjoyed the process of watching these two eat and sleep their way through Europe.
4.25

I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved this book. I loved the way the point of view switched in the middle, I love how Theo and Kit are meant to be but not in the way that makes it Hallmark cheesy; it’s more that you want to cheer them on. The characters are flawed and lovable and everything you want your main characters to be. You want to shake them and hug them at the same time, and the way it turns out is perfection. I will have to order this book to keep because I already want to read it again.

I wanted to love this more but I found myself reading so much about food than the characters. This was a queer love story, Theo & Kit are fabulous and I want to be friends with them!

It was okay! I didn’t love it but it was enjoyable enough for me. I felt the characters were incredibly pretentious, it made them not super relatable for me and that’s fine.

I'm so upset that I hated this book because I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop. But this book was absolute torture. I should have DNFed but I peeked at some other reviews and they told me it got better once the POV switched so I held out. My main compliants are that this book was so pretentious and unromantic. I hated the characters. I can only handle so many beautiful descriptions of food before my eyes glaze over. I think I need to avoid second chance romances for a while...

How do you get over the great love of your life? And when you find that you actually can’t, how do you live with that yearning in your heart–yearning for the person you love, what you had together, and who you used to be with them?

I absolutely adore The Pairing. I have never laughed so hard and cried so much over a book. If I were allowed to read only one book for the rest of my life, I would choose this one. It’s clear that Casey McQuiston put their entire soul into writing it and I'm endlessly grateful that it exists. Something I can’t get enough of with McQuiston’s writing is how they follow the most heart wrenching, tragic admissions of love with absolutely hilarious one-liners (trench foot of the heart??), and then top it all off (ha) with spice to end all spice.

What I appreciate most about this book is Theo. I relate to them in so many ways: with their fear into their late 20s of committing to being great at something and leaving their hometown, their fear of loving and being loved because they’ll inevitably fuck it all up, their journey with gender expression and loving themself. I discovered things about my own gender identity through Theo, and they made me feel incredibly seen and hopeful.

I’ve always wanted to travel to Europe, especially Italy and France. Kit and Theo have such a joyful sense of belonging here. Now, I want to experience these places–the food, drink, and art, and find these characters here, and share in their love, their grief, their joy, their self-discovery. If love is a haunting, Kit and Theo’s love will haunt me forever. Thank you a million times, Casey McQuiston.

Casey McQuiston has outdone themself. The Pairing is sexy, romantic, funny, and moving. The connection and romance between Theo and Kit is hot and tender, but manages to do so much more than that too. It's a reminder to savor the beauty around you - in food, in every sensory experience, in physicality, and in the people you care about. It's also a reminder that seeking your pleasure and fulfillment is not only important, but is revolutionary. This book is special and it is FUN. I can't wait to read The Pairing over and over and over again, savoring every phrase.

I believe this is Casey McQuiston's best work to date. I am huge fan of their writing; Shara Wheeler was incredible, THE EMAILS in RWRB, and who else could have come up with "Ghost" but on trains? But, The Pairing? Surpasses them all.

STRUCTURE

The Pairing is about two exes who accidentally redeem their vouchers for a three-week food and wine tour across France, Spain, and Italy at the same time. Instead of chapters, the book is sectioned into cities - the same cities our characters are visiting. This makes for the most cohesive and pleasant reading experience because I never got confused as to where we were because I'd read one city at a time. Each location also has a pairing to accompany it for any food nerds like me who what to look up the wines and pastries. Also- what is super cool is that instead of switching POVs. the first half of the book is from Theo's POV and the second half is Kit's. There are many reasons as to why this choice made the reading experience so powerful, but they are spoilers so I won't list them here.

VOICE

Casey McQuiston always writes relatable characters who are loved flaws and all. However, perhaps because I myself am more like Theo-and-Kit than any other McQuiston characters that I just really felt like they hit their stride in character voice and development with this book. There are parts of this book where the characters are in agony and my heart would pang along with them as if I was going through it myself.

OTHER THOUGHTS

I should point out out that while full of longing, this book really is silly and fun and carefree. It's a love letter to being alive and WANTING. It's an homage to horniness. It is McQuiston's version of Michelangelo's David. So, despite the hard-hitting come to Jesus moments, this book is about sluts deserving rights too. And I think that's wonderful.

Obv 5 stars. Would recommend for anyone who started drinking Negroni Sbagliatos as a way to feel closer to either Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, or both. Or for anyone who loved the Europe-centered Mary Kate & Ashley movies.

Literally a few days ago, I swore off all food-related books due to how much I’ve hated the majority of them but I had requested this previously and so, I was stuck. I loooooved Red, White, and Royal Blue but really didn’t enjoy One Last Stop, so this could’ve gone either way.

What made me finally cave on this was when, at 24% and already not loving it, there’s a very ~meta moment~ where Kit is describing the book he’s reading and says “do you know how sometimes when you read or watch or listen to something, there’s a… resonant homosexual flavor?” And yes! I do. We all do! But when that’s well done, it’s not told to you over and over (Theo is bi! Kit is bi! Both of them identify as bi!!!!!!!), you get the feeling through the story (which is exactly what he described!). I just truly didn’t care, and while I’m interested to see how their journey goes, I’m not interested enough to continue dragging myself through this when I could be reading something else I’m excited about.

“I don’t know if I love Theo because I’m queer or if I’m queer because I love Theo, but I know there’s nothing I need that Theo doesn’t have.”

dare I say… move over Henry and Alex? 🫢

CMQ REALLY did it this time, and Theo and Kit are fantastic additions to their line of incredible characters. Theo is a messy, raw, stubborn and relatable nonbinary bisexual and Kit is basically an (also bisexual) Timothee Chalamet but like… if Timothee was a real person. Ray of sunshine, stunning good looks, immediately well liked by all, etc. you get the picture.

The story is rich with typical CMQ detail, I could practically taste the foods and wine they enjoyed, smell the oceans they swam in, and feel the intense range of emotions between them. Casey is so good at weaving in tropes without making them obvious, that I don’t even realize they’re happening until they’re over with. (“Wait, there was only one bed!!!”-me three pages later)

Thank you CMQ and netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC, and undoubtedly, this will be THE gay book of 2024. ❤️

Huge thank you to Net Galley for this ARC!
First of all, I love a Casey McQuiston book so I immediately requested this book and boy, am I glad I did (and super thankful I was approved).
This book was what Kit and Theo would describe as an experience. There were notes of romance, growth, friendship, exploration (both of the world and of the self), etc.
I felt so connected to the characters and inspired by their experiences.
It’s friends to lovers, it’s second chance, it’s found family, it’s lgbtq+, it’s amazing. If you are into any of the aforementioned, read this book. ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, I thought this book was fun. I loved all the descriptions of each place the characters went to, the food they tried, and the wine they drank. Theo and Kit were also interesting people, but sometimes I felt like they stood in their own way too much. The first half of the novel had me hooked. But then, after reading Kit's perspective of their break-up, and the miscommunication that happened (where there were likely many opportunities for it to have been saved before it was too late), the story kind of lost me. I am very happy the tour descriptions were present, because that is what kept me hooked. I am happy for both characters and their resolution because of the growth they went through, however I did feel like there was a lot of immaturity on both of their parts for a large duration of the novel. This would be a great summer read, especially if you happen to find yourself on the beach in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, or some other beach, dreaming about any of the places Theo and Kit visited.

“If I can give my whole heart to love without fearing the cost, I will regret nothing.”

this story follows kit and theo, two exes that are on a european food and wine tour while trying to avoid their feelings towards each other.

i loved this story, as i have all of cmq’s work. i can see when it can come off as repetitive or ‘too much’ to other readers, but i have noticed that cmq puts so much detail and information in their books that it can come across as filler to the wrong reader. this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was an incredible read and a beautiful story to follow.

check content warnings before reading!

i am so thankful to have received an arc for this story from netgalley! thank you!

RATING: 2.75/5 STARS

This is a difficult review for me to write because it's one of very few books that I have finished through to the end while actively disliking its core elements, the plot, almost everything about it... I will start by saying I have loved Casey McQuiston's previous books RW&RB and IKSW. There was an earnest and refreshing quality about those books that I connected with. Even ONE LAST STOP I didn't consider a favorite but I didn't dislike it either. I think some readers are going to enjoy THE PAIRING, but here more details on the aspects that irked me and why:

1) The characters in THE PAIRING were so pretentious. The most pretentious I have ever read. And that is saying something because THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is one of my five star books. The entire plot of this book relies on miscommunication which I fully acknowledge is often necessary to create tension, and I don't hate it as a trope, but the miscommunication + snobbishness of the leads was too much for me personally. I wanted to like them, I really did. Reading their dialogue felt dry to me, full of references that were supposed to make them seem cool but just kind of alienated them from me as a reader.

2) The name dropping of random European food, and wine, and more wine, and more food... At times this book felt more like a dramatic food catalogue than an actual work of fiction. I like immersive European atmospheres as much as the next person, but this felt like a tacky recreation of a European food tour with random concepts just mashed together. I found myself thinking what the purpose of all of it was? Besides to just be pretentious (reference point 1).

3) The side characters were caricatures who occasionally made or were the subject of crass jokes... For a book mostly about the two romantic leads having flings with everyone BUT each other, none of the other characters they interacted with were actually three dimensional. They felt like they were plucked out of a cartoon about French and Italian people? I don't think many Europeans will like this book. I had heard that this book was giving Emily In Paris, but less endearing, and I totally agree.

There was a reason I finished this book, though. If you filter through the asphyxiating fluff there were some really genuine moments between Theo and Kit as they reconnected and Theo's nonbinary identity was explored. Those scenes demonstrated what I enjoy about CMQ's writing.

Read if you like:
✨Non-binary representation
✨ Queer Rom-coms
✨ Adult Fiction
✨ Art & Wine
✨ A hookup competition

I'm going to start this review with a personal snippet, I am non-binary. Reading a book with a non-binary MC that has struggled, felt, and dealt with their coming out in similar ways, this really really hit home with me.

Okay first up, what is this about? Theo and Kit have been everything to each other at one point in time or another, childhood best friends, lovers, and now exes. After years apart, of course they would both book the same trip for at the same time, the trip they were supposed to take 4 years ago together. 3 weeks of wine and food and art, it's fine, there's nothing left for them to hold on to so of course they start up a hookup competition to see who can sleep with the most people across Europe. Nothing bad ever happens when you do that.

And if you can't tell, I adore this book whole heartedly. The romance, the banter, the questioning and honesty. The way the author creates such a visceral emotion to wine and food and art and passion and romance and language. I felt as if I had been on that trip myself, seeing the sights and hearing the sounds and tasting the food, it was a magical journey that I am so thankful I took. And if I have anything to say about the supporting characters, they are a hoot and I loved each and every one of them.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Casey McQuiston, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

So, I just finished reading "The Pairing" and let me tell you, it's like diving headfirst into a gourmet meal. The atmosphere is so rich and vivid, that you can practically taste the dishes described on the pages. But here's the thing, around the 100-page mark, I started feeling like maybe I'd eaten a bit too much, if you catch my drift.

Despite that, the descriptions of food made my stomach growl constantly.

And Theo? Oh man, even when the point of view switched, Theo was still the one steering the relationship ship. It was like they had this magnetic pull that kept everything moving forward. One thing I really appreciated was the bi representation. It felt genuine, which was so refreshing to read. Thank you to the publisher for hooking me up with the advanced reader copy. Overall, "The Pairing" was a tasty read, even if it lingered at the table a bit longer than necessary.

Where do I even begin with this one?!? Casey McQuiston has cemented themselves as one of my top authors with their fourth outstanding novel, The Pairing. I laughed, I cried, I reflected on life, and I got really really hungry while absolutely devouring every page. Theo is a person you can’t help but to fall for and their dynamic with Kit is one people spend lifetimes chasing. With a wildly lovable ensamble of characters met along the way, you get to follow Theo and Kit as they discover the joys that can be found off the beaten path and in low lit bar in the wall or two. There is humor, lust, love, art, history, pastries, wine, and all the delicious food you could ever imagine in these pages and it makes for a simply gorgeous story. This is one that should find its way to every summer reading pile this year!

Rating 3.5 stars.

This book is best described by a quote from one of the main characters: "They wanted to be loved, and eat good food, and make art, and f*ck." I don't think I could summarize this book any more succinctly than that. With 2 bi MCs, The Pairing's premise does the least to debunk the promiscuous bisexual stereotype. Apparently, we're taking the slut pride/sex-positive route instead and I'm still here for it.

The Pairing was an ode to many of life's sensual pleasures: fluid gender, fluid sexuality, art, food, wine, beautiful settings, beautiful people... it was debauchery and gluttony on a level that would have made the Ancient Romans proud. According to Kit and Theo's story, everyone in Europe is bonkers hot and 100% DTF at all times. **books plane ticket**

I loved the first half from Theo's perspective, but once we switched to Kit's perspective halfway through the middle dragged for me. The storyline took a while to build back up again after the switch. Although the food, drink, and European description was beautiful there was A LOT of it... it got in the way of the MCs storyline a bit. I started to feel like I was reading a Frommer's Travel Guide to Europe. (Not that that's not a good read. It just wasn't what I was there for).

Anyway -- This book was beautifully written: a thoroughly stunning exploration of gender and sexual fluidity, food, and drink. The setting is GENEROUSLY described sometimes at the expense of pushing the story along. If you're short on cash but want to go on a sexy European vacay... this is your book!