I wanted this to be a 5 star read more than any book I’ve read so far this year. I love Casey’s writing style and stories so much. This one had so much to love- a non-binary main character, a dual POV that’s done well, and lots of fun side characters. My only issue with this book is it’s long, and it felt long. I got bored very quickly- even with the wonderful world being described on this tour through Europe.. it was difficult to get through the whole thing and I felt like I was forcing myself to finish it.

I'm admittedly not a big romance gal, but even I can't resist a Casey McQuinston book. And this book, like all their other books, was an absolutely joy to read. The story was sweet and silly, the characters were deeply endearing, It felt like a cozy vacation in a book. It's everything you could ask for, just an absolute treat.

Thank you kindly for the ARC, NetGalley!

THIS WAS SO FUN!! i love cmq's dialogue, the way they have their characters converse is so hilariously relatable (i think that we need to be friends but whatever)

i really enjoyed how the back story was revealed to us as we read, rather than having the plot be linear. i also have learned so much about food and wine (two things i don't particularly enjoy so what am i to do with all this knowledge i'm not sure) ?? the scenery of southern europe in the summer was gorgeous, and made me nostalgic for a vacation i've never been on.

theo's pov of their gender identity - along with kit's response/reflection on it - was so well done, and i feel that i've gained a new understanding of what it is like to struggle with this. i also feel more connected to cmq now, as i couldn't help but infer that they put a lot of themselves into theo.

circling back to the dialogue: this book has some of the nicest descriptions of feelings toward your friend that i have ever read. the way that kit describes how he feels toward theo is so beautiful, and something that all friendships should strive toward. i have so many annotations of me crying and hoping that my friends say those things about me.

lastly, i enjoyed the older-20's pov of these characters. they're each 28, so they still feel very baby to themselves but are starting to become real adults as far as the world is concerned, and this is such a deeply relatable struggle lol. seeing the unserious way cmq tackles that mindset was so fun and reassuring to read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. What an absolute delight! Casey McQuiston takes us on an incredible journey with this new book, traveling through Europe and into the hearts of Kit and Theo. There were so many things I loved about it: the setting, the beautiful detail of food and drink, the weaving of art throughout, the slow burn romance, the queer rep, the spice (whooooa 🥵). There were times that it was perhaps a bit TOO slowburn to the point of angst but it definitely was worth it and I found myself highlighting so many beautiful quotes. Loved this and I just can’t wait for more releases from McQuiston if they are anywhere near as fantastic as this one! 5 ⭐️

I was so excited to see this ARC in my inbox. The Pairing was my most anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint. Casey McQuiston has done it again, enchanting readers with their lovable/relatable characters, crafting the most ridiculously hilarious situations for said characters, and single-handedly keeping bi representation strong in the contemporary romance space.

Reading this book gave me the feeling of watching Call Me By Your Name for the first time - longing, bliss, butterflies - that sensual European summer feeling. I laughed, I ached, I yearned. I found myself constantly salivating over all the food and drinks described. This is a book for the senses.

The references to fine wines and European dishes, places, and people are all pretentious in an accessible way. If you don’t know the references, it doesn’t take away from the story or make you feel stupid for not knowing, but if you do know, your experience is made all the richer for it. I admit to not being much of a fine arts lover, but the way some of the classical pieces were described made me want to be an art historian.

By far my favorite character in this book was Kit Fairfield. He is the blueprint and I am truly addicted to that young man. The switch to Kit’s POV midway through knocked me on my ass in the best way possible. It was perfectly timed for maximum emotional impact. Absolutely adore Theo as well (and all of the minor characters). I wanted to be a part of that tour group more than anything!

Another favorite thing about this book is the fact that Kit (or anyone else) doesn’t misgender Theo at all after they come out. That is just *chef’s kiss*. Queer books don’t have to be traumatic or sad to be important!

And the perfect cherry on top to this book was the sweet ending!

A well deserved 5/5 stars.

Sometimes time apart helps old flames to recover and burn again. Theo and Kit have been childhood best friends, loves and now exes. The have a terrible break out and try to explore the world separately. But they once again are drawn together and make a friendly bet to see who can hook-up with the most people.

If I hadn’t been closely following every tiny announcement, mood board, and snippet of information about this book, I probably would’ve been caught off guard by it. However, McQuiston promised slutty bisexual exes on a decadent European food tour, and that’s what they delivered.

I did genuinely enjoy this book, and I liked that we didn’t go back and forth between Theo and Kit’s perspectives, but the first half was Theo’s POV and the second was Kit’s. The “miscommunication” trope didn’t even bother me, because I believed that these two did probably need some time apart before they could be good together.

I do wish that there was a little more of their backstory, because I’m all in on the childhood friends to lovers to exes back to lovers story, but wasn’t entirely clear on what made them so indispensable to each other as kids, and if they were truly that close for that long, how they severed any semblance of relationship in the way that they did.

I know that this book won’t be for everyone—it’s definitely got more sex than CMQ’s other books. And the premise is built around having sex with other people (and not in the “we baited each other into this competition but can’t actually go through with it” way.) Another review that I read said that they liked that the sex was genderless/not what you typically see in a romance, and I agree that I liked that aspect a lot. I hope that Casey McQuiston continues with this level of steam in future novels.

This book did not live up to the hype that the other books by McQuiston created. It was just unrealistic at times and represented the pan/bi lifestyle as just a free for all. I'm also not a huge "foodie" and so I just wasn't interested in the premise. I wanted to like this book because I love the author but it just wasn't a well developed story or romance. The nepo baby concept is annoying along with their "Struggle" and almost patronizing, the connection between the characters just wasn't explained and I don't even know how or why they loved each other. All in all this book just fell flat.

The Pairing is a fun bus tour through France Spain and Italy with two exes who never expected to see each other again.

Casey does such a great job with describing each location to really make you feel like you are along for this ride.

You also get some fun knowledge on wine , did I check if it was right? No but it was fun.

I really liked Theo and Kit and how they feel real and are a mess and not having their life together but make it work.

The contest that goes on is fun and adds some spicy moments.

Thank you so much to Net Galley & Casey McQuiston for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I thought I was going to love this so much, as I love Casey McQuiston's other two books wholeheartedly, and the premise of this one sounds fantastic. Two bisexual exes on a European tour having a hookup competition? That sounds stunning. However, this book was a huge flop for me. Something I love about RWARB and OLS are the side characters, as they're all super unique, well fleshed out characters. The side characters in this story, however, were pretty insignificant and mostly just used as potential hook ups for Kit and Theo. Theo and Kit also are, in my opinion, not nearly as memorable as Jane and August, or Alex and Henry. The banter was good, as Casey is a phenomenal writer, and I loved the writing and how very queer this story is, I was just disappointed by all the characters. The Pairing was missing the super lovable characters that drive their other books, and so I didn't like it, but I can't wait for Casey McQuiston's next book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review an advance copy of The Pairing.

First - I think a lot of people won't like this book. Of course it is unapologetically queer, sensual, erotic. The main characters are not exclusive and there is a lot of descriptive sexual encounters with others. The premise and characters exude privilege, whiteness, wealth with no consequences. It is a fantasy where everybody is cool and everybody is desirable and anybody that isn't cool or desirable isn't named or centered. The two main characters are epicurean lushes who don't communicate with each other properly, are pretentious and honestly insufferable in their self-absorption, and have so many feelings without having any real problems. It is kind of unclear why they love each other other than "they love each other so much" and are sexually compatible.

However! Big however! I really loved reading this - as I read, I began to approach it as a beautiful fantasy novel where everybody can eat and drink what they want without getting a tummy-ache or hangover; where everybody is up for casual sex with any gender partner at any time; where NB and queer characters are welcomed and embraced wherever they go; where lifestyles can be sustained by service industry jobs. The descriptions of the architecture, art, and food and drunk is so sensually stimulating and beautiful.. I loved that the descriptions of the sex was different than the norm, that it was genderless, that it was quite honestly dirtier and rawer than I almost ever read in mainstream novels. Kudos to Casey McQuiston for breaking some of those norms and barriers.

I would say I loved this book despite its deficiencies and narrow snippet of the world that it shows us - it is delectable and deliborately pushing the usual "romance" reader's boundaries in a way that is quite delightful as long as we can recognize this is nowhere near the real world for most people.

Have you ever borrowed a book or read an ebook/audiobook that you immediately knew you had to own? So you can reread it whenever you want, loan it to a friend, write in the margins, or really, just to know something that beautiful is in your home in easy reach. This was that book for me. I read The Pairing as an advanced reader's copy, and preordered the hardcover before I even finished because I had to physically own a book this perfect.

Theo and Kit are two bisexual disasters on a romantic European food and wine tour-- only four years and a nasty breakup too late. Stuck together on what was once the vacation of their dreams, they try to keep it from dissolving into nightmare by having a "friendly-but-horny" competition to see who can seduce more locals. The book ends up being part romantic comedy, part traveloge, with so much loving detail painting each city, dish, and drink that you're completely transported. August 6th cannot come soon enough!

I don’t normally review DNFs, but since RW&RB is one of my all time faves, I wanted to explain why I’m stopping at 35%.

I'm sure there's an audience who will love this book. But there was just too much sex for me. Sex thoughts, sex banter, lots of sex with strangers. I thought McQuiston’s witty banter + a European food tour sounded amazing.

But the food tour setting means all the side characters are constantly changing, and the story focuses on Kit & Theo — exes currently having a competition to see who can sleep with the most people in the most cities. I was actively disliking it & trying to make myself keep going, to see if there’d be payoff at the end, but I just couldn’t do it.

Four years ago, Theo and Kit were on a flight to Europe for a food and wine tour when they broke up… Now, the tour voucher is about to expire and Theo is ready to take the tour and move on. Only problem is… Kit had the same idea. As Theo and Kit navigate this trip together, they realize they’re not over each other.

As someone who was obsessed with Alex and Henry in RWARB, this book was super disappointing. I’m not a foodie, but I do love wine and traveling through Europe and I’m a baker. And I still didn’t enjoy it. Theo and Kit try to prove they’re over each other by having a competition on who can sleep with the most locals on their trip. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t want to read a romance book where the main “couple” is hooking up with a bunch of other people. The second half was better when it was from Kit’s POV and they were acknowledging they still had feelings for each other. But that’s not to say I didn’t still want to throw the book out the window multiple times.

Casey has done it again with a fun, sexy, sweet rom-com. I loved every minute of this book. The food, wine, and travel gave me serious envy, and honestly reading the whole thing made me just want to romp around Europe with my girlfriend.

There was a little more L O N G I N G in the book than I was prepared for based on the blurb (the sex bet is really just a mechanic for wishing they were together), but there's also a lot of fun to be had here.

One note about the *gender* of it all - I hope reviewers respect Casey's initial wish to keep some of that obscure in reviews and have the reader discover it organically. I thought the way that developed (iykyk) was impeccably, thoughtfully, and respectfully done. It's a shame that they've had to speak about it publically and that some reviewers are not taking their wishes into account.

I was astonished when I got accepted to review an early copy of The Pairing, as I have enjoyed many of Casey McQuiston's books in the past. I've always been turned down for "big" books like these, and I realize why I was accepted when I saw the publisher: St. Martin's Press. Until they address the concerns raised by us readers boycotting, I will be withholding my review. Please read this article https://prismreports.org/2024/01/18/bipoc-book-creators-boycott-st-martins-press/ or Google "St. Martin's Press boycott" to learn more about the publisher's unequal treatment of BIPOC authors and creators, and anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic remarks made internally within the imprint. I will be withholding from publicly promoting any St. Martin's Press titles and I encourage anyone with a soul to do the same.

The Pairing takes us on the kind of gluttonous, lustful European road trip of which even the most prudish among us occasionally fantasize. From the outset, the all-too-coincidental post-relationship meet cute sets up the implausible, but enjoyable story of Theo and Kit's reunion as they venture across France, Spain, and Italy, exploring all things sexual, gustatory, and deeply buried within themselves. In a lesser writer's hands, the artifice and superficiality of the whole thing would make this book unreadable drivel, but McQuiston shows real mastery, rendering it a fun, escapist romp that will leave you wanting to plan your own culinary tour of Europe.

Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach! The descriptions of food will leave you STARVING.

Casey McQuiston is an automatic must read for me, and The Pairing did not disappoint. Its representation of bisexuality, and the journey of discovering new parts of yourself as you mature as an adult, made me feel so seen - and it’s all wrapped up with the angst, heartbreak, and epic love that make a romance novel great. This was one of my top anticipated reads of 2024, and it met my every expectation!

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

This book IS Bisexual representation. This is easily Casey Mcquiston's funniest, smuttiest and most indulgent work so far. Theo and Kit are the most believably broken bisexuals to ever bisexual, and their delicious dance of a journey is the perfect pairing of heady and cathartic. So rarely do we read romances where we get the journey on both sides, and here, Casey not only gives us two distinctly different voices, but the unfolding of their story together is so seamless that it feels as lived in and familiar as Kit and Theo to each other. There's one thing Casey never fails to give you in their books, whether they ultimately work for you or not, and that is a cast of found family that shines so vividly that you half expect to see them in the very real places the journey of the story takes you. That said, the length and the internal monologues do start to feel a bit on the circular and self-indulgent side. But am I really mad about this unabashed gift of hot horny bisexuals languishing in art, food, drink and (SO MUCH) hot queer sex across Europe? Absolutely not. Can't wait for the audiobook release.

It pains me to do this but unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 60%.

What I liked: I loved the queer representation in this book about two bisexual exes who end up using their vouchers for a European tour at the same time years after their breakup. This premise was intriguing and the backstories of the two main characters were unique and well-developed.

What I didn’t like: The story was very repetitive… In each new city the characters visit, there would be detailed descriptions of food, drinks and the tourist attraction, then they would find a young attractive bisexual person and have sex with them. This book has a LOT of casual sex in it. To me, it felt like a lot of pages were wasted with over description and I just didn’t vibe with what the plot turned into. The book just really dragged for me until I convinced myself to give up on it.

I wish I could’ve enjoyed this more as I’ve loved McQuiston’s other books. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC!