This was a difficult storyline for me to get through… I considered giving up several times but I stuck with it hoping it would get better (spoiler alert… it never did). I’m sad about this because I’ve been a fan of most of McQuiston’s previous releases, though I struggled with One Last Stop also, though nothing like this. RW&RB is one of my faves ever, but they let me down this time… and I was so looking forward to this new release!

Theo (Theodora) and Kit were bffs in grade school, eventually leading to being in a relationship. They’re both bi, but being together just fit. After graduation they took a big trip to Europe together, but a big fight about their future on the plane ended it and Theo flew home while Kit took a train to Paris (he had been born there and his family was there), to begin his future. Four years later, they both decided to use the tour voucher they received from the company before it expired and wound up together on the same trip.

They end up having a contest to beat each other with how many people each can sleep with as they travel through Europe - kind of disgusting, when they both clearly still have unresolved feelings for each other, and the storyline is clearly heading to a resolution of their relationship. Theo also has something major she needs to tell Kit so the reader is guessing about this the whole way.

I gave up on the audio at about 35% since I needed to get through the story so much faster by skimming to see how much I could skip over without losing the plot… I couldn’t speed up the audio fast enough to make it any better. I’m a huge proponent of audiobooks (15+ years), but can’t recommend the audio in this situation - I’m sorry to say! I’ve loved Emma Galvin in the past, but even she couldn’t save this terrible plot with her normally great performance. The other narrator, Max Meyers, was unfamiliar to me, and also couldn’t keep me listening.

If this wasn’t an ARC & ALC, I would have DNF around 50%. I barely struggled through to the end, and it was mostly skimming the last half. The storyline was truly not good. It was just bad. I’m sorry for those that enjoy it - they are normally a great author! I see there are plenty of other reviewers of the same opinion…

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest opinion and feedback.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I truly squealed when I realized I was able to get an early copy to read and review. I usually don't read ARCs this far before pub date (6 months) but I truly could not stop myself from picking this up and devouring. I started in the evening and stayed up until 1am reading. Casey is an auto-read, auto-buy author for me and this book did not disappoint in any way.

There are a lot of descriptions of food, wine, locations, and art - it does perhaps get a little wordy at times but honestly I still loved every second of my reading experience. For those of you who can visualize what you're reading, I think you'll have a particularly good time with this book because of the lush descriptions.

I really loved both Kit and Theo so so much. I think they're both really complex characters and I'm glad we got a chance to be in both of their heads. This is one of the more unique dual POVs I've read - instead of the POV alternating every chapter, the first half of the book we get Theos POV and the second half we get Kit's. I think this actually worked really well for the story!

This book is also HOT and HORNY. Like GODBLESS at two separate points I had to put the book down briefly because I was blushing so hard and I read some of the smuttiest smut. I just ATE this up with a spoon

I really loved the dual narration by Emma Galvin and Max Meyers, both of who I'm not sure I've listened to before.

Truly I already can't wait to reread and this is now just behind RWRB on my Casey scale (RWRB will always be number 1, no exceptions)

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh how I loved this! Casey McQuiston knows how to wring so many tears out of me. Thank you to @netgalley for the ALC!

The Pairing is about two bisexual people, Kit and Theo, who loved each other since they were children. When it was time to move forward together as young adults, they could not … but years later, they’ve moved on. Theo is now a sommelier and owner of a traveling drink business and Kit is a pastry chef. They run into each other when they cash in on their expiring voucher for a European wine and food trip that they had planned to go on together.

They couldn’t still possibly love each other, and so to prove that, they decide to have a sexy “hookup” competition. The spice was 🥵🥵🥵 for real.

I loved the LGBTQ rep, the adoration of food and wine, and the angst. Told in dual POV, but we are in Theo’s perspective for the first part. I was dying to Kit’s POV when it finally came around!!

Sooo sweet. I ugly cried. As sexy as this was (read: explicit sex scenes), the love was palpable and the history of their relationship was presented so clearly - I was willing them back together. Just precious.

Narration by Emma Galvin and Max Meyers was fantastic.

Unfortunately, this just didn't have the magic that Casey McQuiston brings to stories. I am fairly sure that's because this isn't the typical romantic comedy. Honestly, this book isn't romantic in the least. It's giving half erotica and half messy that's meant to be relatable.

The Pairing is a fun romp around Europe following two foodies, Theo and Kit, on a trip they had originally planned to take together, only it's 4 years after they've broken up. You can tell immediately that the two MCs are not over each other, and this trip is going to be their second chance romance. The story switches from Theo's POV to Kit's POV at the halfway point, though I wish it had been dual POV the entire time. The two main threads to the story are the food tour and the hookup contest Kit and Theo decide to have to prove they are definitely over each other. The descriptions of the food and restaurants were a highlight, though the hookup contest as the main driver of the plot didn't quite work for me (anyone picking this up should be aware this is the thirstiest book! every character!). However, the bananas situations they continually find themselves in really kept my attention the entire time, and had me wanting to pick up the book again every time I tried to set it down.

Overall, I had such a fun time with the story. I really didn't mean to read the entire thing over two sittings given how long it is, but I couldn't put it down! This is such a different tone to what I've read previously from Casey McQuiston (RW&RB and One Last Stop) that I can absolutely see this one getting incredibly mixed reviews, especially since having a romance where the MCs spend the majority of the book with other people is a big no for many readers. I would recommend to others as long as they are aware of what they're getting into before they start!

I found this book to be really great in the representation of LGBTQIA, but ultimately found the story to be lacking. I found the two main characters to be a little annoying and one note.

I found the first half a little slow, but then things got much more spicy and more interesting. Overall, worth the read.

Casey McQuiston has done it again. “The Pairing” is the perfect ode to old flames, food/wine culture, and European tourism. It’s the type of book where it’s better to know less information going in, so you can fully understand Theo and Kit.

I absolutely loved how McQuiston split the POVs in half, especially how each side was labeled the narrators’ version. This was such a clever plot device and one that not every author could pull off.

The audiobook narrators did an excellent job bringing Theo and Kit to life. It was also a delight to have McQuiston provide their voice to the narration.

✨ALC Review ✨

Oh my stars! I’m in love. I’m in love with a tasting tour of Europe. I’m in love with art and atmosphere. I’m in love with travel companions. I’m in love with being completely yourself and unapologetic about it. I’m in love with being authentically loved. But mostly I’m in love with Theo and Kit.

Y’all. The pining. The yearning to be with the one person who has ever been your everything.

With a backdrop of France, Spain, and Italy, this book is truly a feast for the senses. The food and wine descriptions are top-notch and make ME yearn to go on this tour.

Ok, back to Kit and Theo: they’ve been best friends since they were children and finally admitted they were in love with each other in their early 20’s and things were good until they weren’t. This story picks up four years after they broke each other’s hearts.

I positively loooved the dynamic between these two warm, caring, hurt people. I loved the way they acknowledge attractive people with each other and how open they are to sexual experiences. I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say they are both bisexual and hot and very much enjoy flirting with literally everyone. It’s fabulous.

And y’all, the spice is spicin’. I was driving home from work when the Monaco yacht seen was happening and almost slipped out of my car seat.

This book is sensual in the absolute best, original meaning of the word. It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s heartbreaking and romantic. It’s over-the-top glorious.

The narration is absolutely perfect for each character. I don’t think I’ve heard either of these narrators before, but they were sooo good. The subtle and not-so-subtle character pieces, the pronunciations of a metric fuckton of French, Spanish, and Italian. Bellissimo!

I received an ALC from #netgalley and @macmillan.audio in exchange for a review. All thoughts are mine alone.

#alc #thepairing #kitandtheo #romance #contemporaryromance #lgbtqia+ #spicybooks #bookstagram #igreads #emmagalvin #maxmeyers #caseymcquiston #audiobooks #narrators #voiceactors #voiceacting

Ugh this book dragged on and on, I'm so happy to be finished. While I loved the characters, the plot was so boring. It felt predictable from the beginning and then nothing happened for pages on end. It was so hard to pick this up, it felt never ending. There were a few one liners in this book that were hilarious. Casey McQuinston is a great author, but this book was such a miss for me.

After reading and enjoying Red, White & Royal Blue, I was excited to read an advanced copy of Ms McQuiston’s latest novel, The Pairing. It’s the 2nd chance romance story of Theodora “Theo,” a nonbinary sommelier, and Kit, a French pastry chef, who are former childhood best friends turned lovers. They accidentally book the same European food and wine tour 4 years after their breakup and then challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other (they obviously aren’t). There is a definite focus on sex throughout the book, and more miscommunication than I like, but it’s also an escapist novel where each stop on the tour has a signature dish and cocktail. The story is told from each of their points of view. Theo presents as immature and I preferred Kit’s POV. I appreciated that the 2 characters were voiced by different actors in the audio version. Theo and Kit need to overcome their own insecurities and the logistics of living an ocean apart before finding their happy ending. This will be a fun summer romcom for the right reader. 3/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. 8/5/24

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝟐.𝟓 ⭐️ 𝐈 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤—𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬) 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤-𝐮𝐩—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒇’𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 (𝐩𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝). 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫, 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲) 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱. 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 (𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓈𝑒𝓎 𝑀𝒸𝒬𝓊𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓃, 𝒮𝓉. 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓃'𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

3.5 rounded down

After loving the author’s Red, White & Royal Blue, I was excited to read this book. However, it fell pretty flat for me. One thing I think caused part of that, was that we didn’t get to see the whole falling in love story to begin with. (Besides the couple short chapters at the beginning.) So I didn’t get a whole lot of romance from it but just pure spice. If you’re a fan of spice, this book has it in heaps. I’m a fan of it when it advances the storyline, but it didn’t feel like it added to it in this case. I felt more love being described when they ate food than anything else. I really wish I had enjoyed this one more, and I’ll still read McQuiston’s work in the future, but unfortunately I can’t give this any higher stars.

As for the narration, I wasn’t a huge fan of McQuiston narrating either. I kind of got annoyed with Theo as a character, and I’m not sure if that’s because of how he was narrated. The second author that covered Kit’s side was somewhat better.

3.25 stars★

“and every person i take to bed from now on will be fighting his ghost for my attention”

Theo and Kit called it quits right before embarking on a European bus adventure. Fate had other plans as their expiring free bus tour vouchers led them to reunite on the very same bus tour. The tale unfolds through Theo's lens initially, then transitions to Kit's viewpoint as they journey through France, Spain, and Italy, exploring not only the cuisine but also the transformations they've undergone over the past four years.

had an enjoyable time with this one after not clicking with a book for a while. reading this felt like a beautiful modern love story between two individuals who are undoubtedly destined for each other, navigating the challenges of being together. I found the change in perspective halfway through the book to be a fantastic method to gain a deeper understanding of both characters.

anyone who knows me knows I love Red White and Royal Blue effusively and wholeheartedly. I reread it every year, sometimes multiple times a year. I’m so pleased to say, this book may be even better than RWRB, or at least on par, and that is the highest praise i could ever give a romance book. I loved how freaking stupid in love these characters were, and watching them fumble through their journey of coming back together, and all the help they got along the way. I loved the bet, I loved the Callums, I loved the whole cast, and I loved how deeply flawed both of these characters were. One thing I deeply love about Casey McQuiston is they are not afraid to show their characters for who they are on bad days and good days, at their silliest and at their worst. It makes their books ones that I can always return to and notice new things about both the characters within the book, and in myself. To me, that is what makes a book a classic. And this book? This book will always be a classic to me. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the audio ARC, and thank you to Casey McQuiston for writing books that remind me what it is to be loved and to be seen. I can't wait for the rest of the world to read this gift of a book.

rep: nonbinary bisexual MC, bisexual LI, queer cast, side characters of color

spice: sooooo much sex

A delightful European romp with sexy ex sex and two hearts who find they still love each other after four years apart. Fantastic will they, won’t they tension, and I appreciated the nonbinary storyline. Another amazing rom-com from McQuiston. Pairs well with a beachside resort or couch with a furry friend and a glass of vintage. Chef’s kiss!

I really enjoyed this book! When I read in the synopsis that a hook-up challenge was going to be a main plot point, I was a little worried that it was going to come off as "trashy" or that there would be too many awkwardly written sex scenes with terrible euphemisms for body parts, but none of that was the case. Instead, we were given two (impossibly, in a good way) sexy main characters and wonderfully done fade-to-blacks until the MCs actually got together.

This second chance romance was well done. It was nice to see how the characters both knew each other intimately and were strangers when they reunited after four years apart. Anyone who has ever re-connected with an ex or an old friend knows that feeling, but it is often overlooked in books. Like most in this trope, it relied heavily on miscommunications, both to cause the breakup and to slow down the getting back together, but that allowed for a very compelling story to unfold.

i had to give up on this one which is a shame because i've generally appreciated casey mcquiston's books in the past, but this was a mess.

we're introduced to theo, who is headed out on a dream food and wine tour of europe for the summer. when they get to the train, they run into their ex, kit, years after he left them behind. to be clear, i don't like second-chance romances because i think they're rarely done well enough to make me feel invested in a couple. i don't know why theo was the way they were about kit, but it drove me absolutely crazy. theo constantly obsesses over the break-up, assumes that a woman standing next to kit must be his girlfriend and doesn't ask for clarification, changes their drink order because they don't want kit to have the satisfaction of knowing what they like to drink. so your goal is to... be less of an authentic person out of spite? and i'm supposed to root for you? it felt so childish and strange.

and this is truly on me. i saw casey mcquiston, i clicked request. i didn't see this part of the synopsis: "There's nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?"

i truly should have known this wouldn't be written either well or responsibility. there's an issue with how bisexuals/pansexuals are written as super hypersexual and this book truly struggles from that. that's not to say bisexual and pansexual people can't be hypersexual, but this book orchestrated random hook-ups out of thin air. everyone was attracted to everyone. everyone was sleeping with everyone. i hated that.

the other problem is a sex competition. funny, yes. but it felt pretty disgusting for two adults to make a bet over sleeping with an unaware, non-consenting adult, then after the act is done regaling each other with intimate details of the interaction in a public forum, including making jokes about straps and pegging, like the third party isn't an actual human being. it felt bro-y and gross.

i also felt theo's non-binary identity was an afterthought to sell books, really. i get that mcquiston is non-binary themselves, but i feel like nothing was made clear about theo's gender and there was some really bizarre writing that read like they were wistful to... be a woman? so that kit would be attracted to them?

this is the least of the book's problems, but still a no from me: theo is a nepo baby. a sister that's a major hollywood actor, parents in the business, etc. and theo framing themselves as "poor me, my life is so hard" was so tone deaf and weird to me. i have a long-time hatred of poor little rich kid books, so had i known this was part of the book i probably would have avoided it all together.

food descriptions were dope, though. the drinking was really excessive for me, though.

I really wanted to love this book, but I sadly found it and the characters pretty boring, and the whole food and wine thing pretentious. I also felt the miscommunication trope was overdone and relied on too heavily.

I think dividing the book into two halves, the first with Theo's perspective and the second with Kit's, was a mistake. I definitely liked Kit's POV more but by the time I got to it, I'd stopped caring about these two getting together. It was hard to root for them, and the amount of pages detailing all the people they each slept with to one-up the other didn't make it easier imo. The peach scene was also a Choice.

I tried to trudge through, but if I realized if this had been written by anyone else I would've DNF'ed long ago, so I decided to finally call it quits at 68% since I wasn't enjoying the book.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. For some reason, I thought this was a YA book. It was not haha The cover threw me off.

I really enjoyed this book, but the characters were a little immature along with an over emphasis on sex. Now, I love a spicy book, but this was not done in a way that worked for me.