Another fun & sweet story from McQuiston about two bi exes who end up on a food tour of Europe together. First of all, the premise? *Chef's kiss* (no pun intended).The vibes of this story were immaculate -- I was salivating at every description of food and wine. However I did find that sometimes those descriptions slowed down the story and could drag. I appreciate how McQuiston manages to handle sometimes-serious topics with the gravity they deserve but also with joy and humor. Every character in this story felt absurd and also realistic, and watching the main characters grow together was great.

Casey McQuiston just keeps getting better. I found the writing quality to have greatly improved and the character depth to be much more interesting.

Kit and Theo broke up. Now, fours years later they are trapped on a cross-Europe food and wine tasting trip and they have one goal, to sleep with more people than the other. This book is filled with charismatic, sexy people, that you just fall in love with and continue to root for. This book is not for the weak as it is quite steamy. My favourite is the Moulin Rouge dancer that Theo picks up in the bar... talk about HOT. However, McQuiston is tasteful, and I'm not just talking about all of the pastries they describe. McQuiston delivers one of the most lovely POV switches that made me scream with delight.

A fantastic book to pick up for the summer, get ready to be jealous of these super sexy fictional characters!

This took me so long to read and for a long time I thought I might not finish, but I’m so glad I did because I adored the second half of the book.

The Pairing follows chaotic bi exes Theo and Kit who several years ago, were supposed to go on a European food and wine tour, but broke up on the way there. By chance, they both happen to decide to finally go on the tour by themselves only to find each other on it. Kit is a patissiere and Theo is a sommelier- will they find that this pairing is meant to be???? Who knows!!!


I had a hard time with the first half: I didn’t love Theo’s pov, the pacing was difficult for me and they have this idiotic sex bet to distract themselves from each other. Halfway through the perspective shifts to Kit and from there I really loved the love story and the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book!

This book feels decadent and indulgent – full of food, wine, travel, art, architecture, and sex.

Theo and Kit broke up while on the transatlantic flight to their dream European vacation and haven’t talked since. Four years later, they unexpectedly reunite abroad a tour bus – both intending to use the voucher from their previously cancelled vacation for a solo trip. Stuck together for 3-week multi-country vacation, Kit and Theo decide to engage in a hookup competition in an attempt to both prove they are over each other.

Reading this book felt like going to Europe with Kit and Theo. The book is full of vivid descriptions of food, wine, the landscape, the weather, art, and architecture. Theo is an aspiring sommelier and Kit is a pastry chef in Paris, so the descriptions of wine, bread, and pastries are especially detailed. The book made me especially hungry for Italian food!

The book was entertaining and funny. It made me smile a lot. The characters’ silliness was fun and lighthearted.

Theo is non-binary and comes out to Kit during their 3-week trip. I enjoyed reading a book with non-binary representation. Both Theo and Kit are bisexual, and I LOVED the descriptions of their experiences of bisexuality and what it’s like being a bisexual person dating another bisexual person.

I also appreciated the diverse depiction of sex and sexuality – the characters don’t assume that P in V is the only (or best) way to have sex.

The conflict keeping the two characters apart didn’t feel very compelling. The conflict was mostly caused miscommunication and making assumptions about what the other person wanted. As a result, the ending of the book felt a bit predictable.
I would still recommend this book for the vibes though. Reading it felt like going on a vacation, getting to watch your friends’ shenanigans, and celebrating bisexual joy.

I need my paperback copy of this book in my hands immediately!!! Casey McQuiston has done it again and better than ever…and that is saying something! This book ripped my heart out. It is a love letter to love and it feels like a gift to read it. The passion (of the author AND the characters) dances off the pages. Theo and Kit are everything to me now. This book pairs well with reminiscing about the trip of a lifetime you took all over Italy with the love of your life. I will endlessly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is truly extraordinary.

You might want to check your pulse if you're not enamored with both main characters by the end because YOU'RE INSANE.

Be prepared to develop an insatiable appetite, an unquenchable thirst, and a craving for adventure. The prose will intoxicate you, leaving you yearning for more. You'll find yourself mentally booking flights to Europe as you dive into the rich romance and captivating personalities of Theo and Kit. Their chemistry is electric, their banter infectious, making them the ultimate dynamic duo.

The narrative effortlessly weaves between Kit's and Theo's perspectives and between picturesque European locales, offering readers a sensory experience that's as vivid as it is tantalizing. From Spain's cobblestone streets to Italy's vineyards, every detail is rendered with mouthwatering precision.

The story's backdrop is a supportive canvas for Theo's and Kit's personal journeys, from fractured relationships to newfound connections. Their character development is masterfully nuanced, revealing layers of growth and vulnerability.

This book isn't just a feast for the senses; it's also a celebration of intimacy and communication. The evolution of Theo's and Kit's relationship is both tender and passionate, a testament to the power of understanding and empathy.

Prepare to laugh, cry, and gasp as you embark on this unforgettable literary journey. It's a story that begs to be savored time and time again.

I am truly so grateful to have received and eARC for this book from Netgalley and SMP. I loved it so, so, so much!

Casey has a way of making you feel the emotions of their characters so genuinely whether it be a feeling you know, something you've never been through, or emotions you long thought you were over. If possible this is even more true with Theo and Kit. So many of the moments in this book pulled me back to ones from my own life. Younger me would have sobbed their way through this book. And to me now part of it felt like healing. And I feel so very connected to and invested in these two beautiful beings. I feel like I've known them forever. I see so much of myself in Theo from their gender to their perception of themself and just so many other pieces. And in Kit I feel seen in his romanticism and his perception of Theo. One of the themes that hit closest to home is this idea of relearning someone you once knew so deeply and in the process discovering pieces of yourself. Along with this, a couple of my favorite lines mention haunting and roots. I think there's this idea of people and moments and things following you but knowing that they can grow and change as well. This book not only pulled me in with it but made me feel seen and known. I will never stop being grateful for Casey and their words.

On top of all of that this is one of the sluttiest and hottest books I've ever read and I loved ever second if it. We need more unapologetically slutty books.

Reuniting with your ex while stuck together on a beautiful European food tour. What's not to love. The backdrop of this story was incredible and really plated such an important character in this book. The imagery and use of the senses feels was spot on and really transported me into the story. This is a tale about queer love and how we all tend to change as we grow and learn more about ourselves. Highly recommend.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is a delightful tour through Europe with Theo and Kit, two exes who never really got over one another. I am not a huge romance reader, but I am drawn to McQuiston’s work because of how they write bisexual characters with such care and attention. On that front, this novel certainly didn’t disappoint! Worth noting that it is more explicit than their previous romances, so be aware of that if that’s not something you’re into. Personally, I really enjoyed it.

I finished this book about a month ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. As always, CMQ's writing feels like being draped in a soft blanket whilst holding a cup of tea next to a burning fire. That is to say, it's cozy and endearing and hot. There were several moments in this book where I had to put it down and take a lap around my house to cool off. I don't know if I've read hotter scenes in a book before.

When I finished reading I was a tad disappointed with how ideas of gender identity were handled, mostly because CMQ promised big things and I couldn't tell if they delivered or not. With some separation from the book and talking to a friend, I think they absolutely did. Reading about how a nonbinary character is perceived by other important people in their life was truly life changing to me. I think about myself differently now all because of CMQ's writing. There are specific parts of this book, dealing with gender, that I know I'll come back to time and time again. Kit and Theo might be my new favorite CMQ characters.

You can tell that CMQ spent time researching this book, specifically in the detailed descriptions of the food/wine and monuments/landmarks visited. It really did feel like I was there on the tour with everyone and it made me want to try all the food they were trying. I wish the arc had a map included in it because I found it hard to visualize where everything was taking place and found myself on google maps a bunch (But that could be because I need to get better about geography). As vivid and enticing as the descriptions are, I think sometimes the book got bogged down in them. Sometimes they're wonderful and transportive and do add to the story, but other times it felt like we were meandering off course only to recorrect a few pages later. But overall, that wasn't a huge issue and I'm always a fan of CMQ's prose.

All that being said, The Pairing might be one of my favorite books I've read recently. CMQ hit several classic romcom tropes without making them feel contrived or overdone. They've taken the friends to lovers trope and made it something special and exquisite that I think will touch many people's hearts (including mine). I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I adore Casey McQuiston and this just might be my favourite book yet! Theo and Kit are messy but absolutely loveable and you root for them to realize their feelings while also understanding why they are acting the way that they do. I loved the way that each got to tell the story from their own POV without switching back and forth. I also loved all of the food and drink descriptions, and the steam is REAL! This is a book to take on vacation, to read outside, or to dive into when you need to be immersed in a new location.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

it's been a while since i picked up a new casey mcquiston book, but as always, i could not put this down. casey has a way of writing such atmospheric queer books, and they transport you to such a cozy world full of heart-warming and endearing characters, and i loved getting to know theo and kit. admittedly i had my critiques, and i don't think this quite measures up to some of their previous works, but i have to say that i am really impressed with the attention to detail here. so much of this book revolves around food and geography and descriptions, and even though i cannot for the life of me know how accurate anything is, i applaud the skill and knowledge it took to write all these foods and ingredients and smells! my favorite part was definitely kit's chapters - even though theo is such a fantastic character and person, something about kit is so sweet and poetic, and i just loved the way he saw the world.

i loved seeing casey navigate the friends to lovers to exes to friends to lovers dynamic and i think it was really beautiful to see a relationship that was not about falling in love but rather falling back in love and watching someone you love grow. i was drawn to this book partially because i'm 28 at the moment, and i saw so much of the late-twenties struggle in the pages of this book. the idea that you are fighting against your childhood and adolescence, that you want to be more than the thing you've always been, but also realizing that sometimes the thing you've always been is what's most important and that doesn't make you less.

in some ways this felt like a gayer, hornier version of people we meet on vacation - if only because the vibes are somewhat similar. definitely makes you want to eat european food on a fancy vacation, definitely makes you want to fall in love. i had fun!

(side bar: it's so funny that i just finished reading the lord of the rings before starting this book because there is actually a decent amount of middle earth in here!)

I don’t know if I have the words to describe the wonder and joy I felt reading this book. Casey McQuiston is a fucking artist. I have EMOTIONS.

Both of these characters tried to protect their hearts so hard. My heart hurt wanting them to figure it out. McQuiston wrote such vulnerable, wonderful people who love so much and I felt so invested always.

For a book about traveling, I felt like I was there in each place they went to. You could smell the sea air and taste the food and wine. It’s a book about sensation and pleasure. Yes and sex. The SEX. Kit and Theo are unapologetically sexually liberated and it’s as Casey McQuiston put it “their horniest book yet.” All I’ll say on that front is, BLUSHING.

Honestly though, as visceral as this book felt, the story is really about Kit and Theo leaving each other and growing to be the people they need to be when they meet again. It’s about vulnerability and bravery. It’s lovely and silly and passionate and about how the stakes always are high when the cost is love. I just loved every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

There is definitely an audience for The Pairing, but it's not me.

First, let me say I did enjoy the premise of the book - exes who end up on a European vacation together in a group. They are childhood friends, which I love too. As the weeks pass, they clear up their misunderstandings and no one will be shocked there is a happily ever after.

However.

I honestly don't know what the line between erotica and romance is, but this was past my line for how much I want to hear about sex in a book. The MCs are both constantly making dirty jokes, thinking about sex, and having one-night stands to the point of making it into a competition.

There are no charming side characters, and honestly I only really enjoyed the half of the book from Theo's POV (the second half is Kit's).

While the MCs are 28, I feel like this could definitely still fall under new adult.

McQuiston is an excellent writer, but I missed the sweetness of their past books. But like I said, I think this book will definitely appeal to many - it just wasn't for me this time. And that's okay.

So rich and gorgeous, a full meal of a book!! Theo and Kit are ex-partners who accidentally book the same European wine and food tour on the 4th anniversary of their breakup. Ignoring old and deep feelings for each other, along with an admiration for how much the other person has grown, the two embark on a hookup contest as they sample all the indulgences that summertime Europe has to offer.

Casey's depictions of the towns in France, Italy, and Spain make them into more than just backdrops: each place is a main character in its own right. Transportive and filled with excellent banter and LOTS of spice! I'm not a big romance reader but Kit and Theo's relationship was so compelling and layered that I was all in. Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc!

5 Stars!!! Casey McQuiston did it again! They always have me giggling and kicking my feet. Loved the Nonbinary rep!! It's so important to have books like these on our shelves. I cannot wait till it comes out so I make everyone I know read it!

This book was a beautiful love story that takes place in the most beautifully described locations. I NEED a Fabrizio tour asap. I really enjoyed how the first half of the book is told from one perspective, and then it picks right up in the second half from the other side. I was invested in the story from the beginning and the author made it really difficult to pick sidesin the drama. You just want them to be together ❤️

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is still my favorite book Casey McQuiston's written but this one is a close second! A heady, dazzling work featuring the messy bisexual protagonists of my dreams.

I found this book completely insufferable. For me this was overly sentimental and extremely repetitive—one can only read so many food and wine descriptions before they all blur together. Kit is unbelievably boring as a narrator and character, And while I found Theo irritating (the human embodiment of a Millennial™) they were at least an interesting narrator with some personality. Intriguing and promising premise but ultimately this was a huge miss.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I will give my thoughts once SMP addresses their readers with an explanation. Until then, all my reviews will be withheld.