I DNF-ed at about the fifty percent mark. The prose is good, but the narration is not working for me. I also find it difficult to buy into two characters having so much rizz that everyone is constantly falling all over them.

The Pairing

OH MY HEART THIS BOOK! Pairs well with literally anything, it was so delightful.

Theo and Kit were childhood best friends, then they were lovers, and now they are living two worlds (and continents) apart. Their voucher for the food and wine tour of Europe they booked before they split up is about to expire and they unknowingly redeem it on the same tour. So many wonderful adventures across different cities of Europe. Among the art, food, wine and friends, they set off on a competition to who can find more lovers on all their adventures. However, these two must accept that the ultimate pairing is really each other.

Such a wonderful story from Casey McQuiston. I absolutely adored Theo and Kit, they way they came together as they are now, acknowledging their past but moving into their future together. The rest of the characters on the tour were also a huge delight and so fun to watch throughout the book.

The narration was absolutely wonderful. I loved how the dual POV worked - switching halfway through the tour instead of alternating chapters as is common with dual POV. Hearing the different languages read to me was also a true delight. I alternated between the eARC and ALC but preferred the audio for the language and accents.

Check this one out if you're looking for:
- Second chance romace
- Non-binary rep
- European adventures
- Food and wine pairings galore

I'll just say - if Casey McQuiston writes it, I'm going to read it. I am amazed and I think this is an important story. I hope everyone reads it.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Macmillian audio for the ARC/ALC. The Pairing is on shelves August 6th, 2024! My opinions are my own.

I do not even know where to begin with this! I never thought I would love a book by Casey McQuiston more than I loved One Last Stop, but they have done it again. The Pairing is smart, sexy and indulgent.

The Pairing tells us the story of Kit and Theo lifelong best friends and former lovers. While on a transatlantic flight to the food and wine tour of their fantasy the two have a brutal break up and exit each other's lives forever. Time apart has done the two of them very well, Theo has found a calling of bartending and studying to become a sommelier with the occasional lover here and there. While Kit who has never returned to America becomes the God of sexual conquers in his pastry school in Paris and eventually the head pastry chef at one of the finest dining establishments in Paris. Sure, they still think of what they had with the other on occasion, but it's also the furthest thing in either of their minds as they discover themselves.

When they both independently decide to use the tour voucher, they received that was good for 48 months after the tour they missed they never thought the other would have the same idea.

So here they are, ex lovers, ex friends, essentially no one to the other trapped on the same tour for 3 weeks. In an effort to hide all emotions the two enter into a friendly competition of who can better sleep their way around Europe, but somethings you crave more than once....

This story blew me away. The sexuality this book oozes from every aspect is done in such a brilliant way! My jaw was on the floor throughout a lot of this book. The sensuality of cooking and art and cocktails mixed with the history of your old best friend, there is something so romantic about the idea. I was so absorbed into this world; it was all I could think about. I wanted to get on a mountain top and scream at everyone to read this book.

While its main themes are heavy into the culinary world, art history and classic literature it also spans the theme of what sexuality and gender are. McQuiston is no stranger to these themes as their YA debut I Kissed Shara Wheeler explored the same themes, The Pairing does so in a more concrete way. These are two characters so aware of who they are physically and emotionally, and they are not afraid to show it or explore it. This book is full of gorgeous prose and passion and I could not get enough of it!

I recommend this read to anyone who especially misses Anthony Bourdain, lovers of White Lotus, foodies, wine lovers, lost and exploring queers, anyone experiencing gender dysphoria and lovers of smut!

The Pairing is out August 6th, preorder your copy now! I sure did!

Thank you Netgalley and McMillian Audio for this digital arc!

Summary: "Two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over each other—except they're definitely not."

I have read all of Casey McQuiston's novels, so when I got a chance to read the latest, I jumped on it. For me, this one just fell flat. I did not relate to either one of the characters, or get into their stories (I felt they both needed to just grow up honestly...). I loved the idea of a travel romance with a second chance, but it was honestly just travel from city to city, food, booze, and hooking up (and the book book was pretty sexually explicit).

All in all, not terrible, but not a favorite for sure.

The prose was great, the dialogue sparkled, and now I want nothing more than to do a three-week food/wine tour through Western Europe, but........... the conflict was essentially resolved like 40% through the book??

HELLO I LOVED THIS.

Two exes end up on the same European bus tour and must come to terms with being together for a few weeks. This entails finding the truth about the breakup and deciding what’s next for them. WHILE EATING AND DRINKING EVERYTHING AND IT IS DELCIOSO!

I felt like this was one part travel blog, one part study of the service industry, and one part romance. It was a delight to listen to - full of accents and wonderful foreign language moments by excellent narrators. It had incredible queer rep, queer joy, and some “finding themselves” types of moments, concerning queerness, gender fluidity, and also the way brains, experiences, fears, and relationships work. Casey is so careful with Kit and Theo, and I trusted that nothing bad would happen to them, even if the road was rocky.

All in all, highly recommend the audio AND the print/ebook so you can read AND listen to the words, recipes, and pairings. 🩵

My only note that knocked off half a star is the amount of sex - and casual, random hook-up sex at that - that made its way around both the leads. I just…. Couldn’t get behind why it was necessary to the story? But the rest of the book was such a hit for me I’m sure I’ll read it again!

What a fantastic book! This was charming, and I loved how real and relatable the characters felt. The main characters' emotions as they navigate the past, present, and future of their relationship. There are also a number of compelling and fun secondary characters. Their travels around Europe will make you feel like you're right there with them experiencing the different sights and especially the food! I was told this was "the spicy one", and it is, but if that's not your thing, it's also easy enough to skip or skim those parts without losing the story. Casey McQuiston has written in multiple different genres and has been successful in all of them, and this is another triumph!

Casey always manages to write fun, inclusive novels without it feeling overly forced. Discussing how those that are LGBTQIA are so similar to those who aren't felt so important.

The Pairing was a fun second-chance romance novel that involved culture, friends, and lots of sex but in a great way. It felt like two young people traveling around the world and just having fun. It is exactly what everyone pictures for traveling through Europe and staying at hostels in my mind. It felt realistic but also not so realistic that it doesn't feel like fiction. I enjoyed the references to places I have been in Europe as well as foods I have always wanted to try. I loved the connection between all the characters and how food/wine brought them together.

Casey does write REALLY long chapters though. For me, that is why the audiobook was perfect. I am not a fan of long chapters and I find long chapters to be a struggle to get through but the audiobook helps. I do wish that it was set up to go back and forth between the two characters POV instead of first half/second half but that is a personal preference.

Casey McQuiston has been an auto-buy author for me ever since RW&RB, so The Pairing was one of my most-anticipated books of the year! I don’t normally love second chance romance, so the idea of exes running into each other on a european tour made me a little nervous. But I should have trusted Casey! Theo and Kit were such interesting, dynamic characters and I really felt for both of them for the entire book. I loved the format of the novel, with one perspective for the first half of the book and the other for the second half.

Theo’s identity, as well as the sexualities and identities of all of the characters, was handled with such care and nuance and was truly a joy to read.

The author promised that this was their horniest novel yet and that was the TRUTH! I’ve literally never read about two hornier characters. Definitely go into this prepared for smut!

I loved having two narrators for the different perspectives and particularly enjoyed Theo’s narrator!

McQuiston writes some of my favorite romcoms - they're hilarious and endearing (and sometimes spicy). I enjoyed Theo and Kit's adventures across Europe, even though they left me craving pastries and wishing for a cocktail or a glass of wine. The first half of the book is first-person from Theo's perspective and I love that we get to know Theo so well but never find out what Theo's pronouns are. We get to know who Theo is and when we find out Theo's pronouns halfway through, it truly adds to our understanding of who Theo is instead of being a core descriptor that sets the tone for everything else. The second half of the book is from Kit's perspective and I enjoyed that part but not as much as Theo's, I think. The characters are nuanced and getting to know them was almost as fun as their second chance love story. I could have done without the miscommunication elements and the contest, but that's generally a me problem and not something I'd consider a negative about the book. This one had me laughing out loud as I listen to Theo and Kit's adventures, and I was sad to say goodbye to them.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Readers who enjoy books with the below vibes will connect with The Pairing!:
-Second Chance Romance (childhood friends)
-Mutual Pining
-Forced Proximity
-Escapist European travel
-Books heavy on food and wine
-Found Family
-Open door spice
-Queer Representation

I listened to my complimentary audiobook of this one, and while I was swept away by the sights, smells, and tastes of a European vacation, I just never fell in love with Theo and Kip as a romantic couple. I also just felt like the book was heavily grounded in miscommunication and them hooking up with everyone but each other which frustrated me. Is it realistic and messy?? Yes. But maybe I wanted a little more heart to help me root for them. It is still a well-written romance that will absolutely delight readers, it just wasn't up to my RWRB standards.

I haven't read a McQuiston book in a minute so it was a joy to jump back into their writing.

This book was so funny! I forgot how good McQuiston is at saying it like it is, but in the driest, funniest possible way. I laughed out loud multiple times. Theo was a great character to lead the charge with dry and grumpy humor.

Also, another big plus was the descriptions of food and drinks. It felt like I was with the characters on this European foodie tour, eating and enjoying myself. I'm not a foodie myself so it amazes me that people can know so much about how to pair food and each little component that can be found in drinks and pastries. The foodie bits of this were so well written and presented that I was genuinely impressed. And I loved the intros before some of the chapters. In audiobook form, it was nice to get a little song dependent on the country and the food being talked about.

The plot wasn't my favorite which is where most of my lower rating comes from. It didn't have a clear direction (and exes on the same wine/food tour can only go so far). It felt like we were ambling around a while. And while, yes, there was a hook-up competition, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel like it was leading the characters back toward each other romantically. I wanted more conversation and activities in Europe and less randos in and out of hostel rooms. It was nice that Theo and Kit spent so much time together, but not always in ways that felt right. I wanted more from the plot. I needed to be engaged more.

Audiobook specific things: As I mentioned, I like the quick little songs in the intro pages that came every so often. Those were the bits that Casey themself would narrator which was also a treat. The main narrator was sooo good! Very funny in their delivery of Theo's lines and so good at doing the accents of all the side characters that we meet along the way. No complaints.

Overall, this had a lot of components that I really loved (humor, food descriptions, European vibes). But it also had one big thing I wasn't a fan of. Maybe it's my fault for not knowing from the synopsis if I would be a fan or not, but can't say for sure. Not Casey's best book, but still a delight in so many ways.

Temporarily DNFing for now; I'm not a huge fan of the narration and I don't want that to hinder my reading experience! Audiobook narrators are make or break for me.

I read this during Pride month and absolutely loved it. While I explicitly focus on Queer and LGBTQIA+ books during Pride month, don't forget to read queer all year.

Childhood sweethearts to exes in a forced proximity vacation? SIGN ME UP.

Casey McQuiston never fails to make me fall in love with her characters - this was such a fun set up, and a truly heartwarming story of love and growth - any fan of hers, and any fan of the romcom genre will love this one!

Even though I knew that this book was going to be a steamy experience (considering it’s about two bisexual exes’s serendipitous food and wine tour of France, Spain, and Italy) I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the level of heat Casey McQuiston concocts for their readers in The Pairing. So spicy!

A variety of readers will enjoy this book, but it feels truly meant for the lovers of fine food, wine/cocktails, art, and deep, intimate connection. It’s hard to decide which was more intoxicating; the description of the French pastries, Italian dinners, Spanish pinxtos, and all the boozy beverages that accompany them or the incredibly descriptive, insanely sexy hookups the two main characters were enjoying throughout their European travels.

Yet even more well written is the unique bond these two characters share and their immense love and yearning they have for one another. I think every reader will be left wanting a Theo or a Kit in their lives once they’ve finished reading The Pairing.

Even beyond their compassion, McQuiston’s characters are also endearing for their sensitivity when it comes to challenges surrounding gender, expression, and how open and accepting they are of every character’s preferences. Their descriptions of Theo, Kit, and the other tourists have left me dreaming about galavanting around the Mediterranean with similar such caring queer people.

The audiobook, narrated by Emma Galvin and Max Meyers, was incredibly well done and very fun, but I did find myself preferring the voices of Kit and Theo better as they were read by Emma Galvin. While Max Myers was a wonderful Theo, I had a hard time getting into his voice for Kit. But this little quirk by no means ruined the enjoyment of the story. It just led to a little bit of cringing here and there.

Overall, I highly recommend The Pairing in its audiobook form, by Casey McQuiston, and think it is THE perfect read for a hot summer’s day.

A big, satisfied thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the pleasurable opportunity they provided in accepting my request to listen to the ARC of The Pairing.

The Pairing is set to be published on August 6, 2024.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review
3.5/5
Spoilers!
Although I did enjoy listening to this book, even found myself oohing at some parts and laughing at others. I am not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope, and that is what brought the score down for me mostly.

The Pairing is such a triumph - a decadent, sexy tour of indulgences and the promise of second chances; I was rapt. McQuiston has always excelled at creating characters who feel like a new best friend in stories full of prose so beautiful you have to stop and highlight and screenshot lines, but nowhere has that been put to better use in their oeuvre than in The Pairing. It's impossible to not be immediately in love with Kit and Theo, to not be deeply invested in what they've left behind and what lies ahead for them. The premise sounds so gauzy and light - two exes who end up on a vacation together after 4 years apart and make a little bet about who can woo the most locals along the way, but it becomes the vehicle for this beautiful exploration of sexuality, identity, the dreams we keep and set free. The book sings - there are these big moments of bacchanal where the food the drink, the scenery are all so much but they put in stark relief moments of quiet introspection, of pining, of being surround by everything but wanting the one thing you can't have. This book is truly brilliant as it brings the journey of this tour and the journey of Kit and Theo's relationship together - you'll want to read past your bedtime and maybe have a cry with the best glass of wine you can possibly find or go sneak away to the French coast to drown yourself in sea foam or pastry - whatever you pick, you'll certainly be moved. And the narration only adds to how delightful the experience is - we spent half the book with Theo and half the book with Kit and it's so delicious and a little dramatic and I loved what this pair of narrators brought to the story. The interstitial music and pairing notes from CMQ themself was a perfect touch!

After 26% of the book was done I was still... just not interested. The prose used to describe the beautiful European country and the food was amazing. I love the representation of a queer character who is more genderfluid. This isn't something we see a lot in literature. However... I didn't get enough details about our two main characters to keep me invested. I'm surprised that I didn't enjoy this book as other books by this author are five star reads for me.

I am a huge fan of Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop and I Kissed Shara Wheeler. Red White and Royal Blue was good too (but not great). The Pairing was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I checked Netgalley frequently to request it as early as possible. Unfortunately, this one really let me down. I just really did not enjoy it. I hated all the cliche stereotypes, the excessive hooking up and the lack of chemistry. It just made me so sad.