A game show based romance with fake dating?! Sign. Me. Up. and it surely did not disappoint. Theo & Asher romance was everything; the chemistry, great banter and an overall swoony worthy story that had you bought in. I loved the writing style, a plot that was engaging and keeps the reader engaged the whole way through. Characters were so well written, with complexities that were done with grace and many people will be able to relate to, while getting the fuzzy feels of a good romance. This is a new auto buy author for me & 5 stars!

Theo and Asher had a fantastic meet, cute chemistry, and apparent physical attraction from the beginning.

Competing together on an around-the-world reality show, there was lots of opportunity for fake dating moments to turn into real feelings. I loved the attention to detail in each local. Each date/ challenge/ activity Theo and Asher were doing reflected the location and genuinely felt like a book where they were traveling.

I thought there was a good balance between the reality show moments and Theo and Asher having time alone to build their relationship. The book's pacing worked really well!

The premise of being on a reality show allowed their evolving feelings to feel real and made their shared connection very believable. I loved how mozzarella sticks played into their story and the way they approached the lead-up to discussing heavier topics.

The secondary characters were really well done, particularly the way Theo and Asher interacted with their competitors, Jenn and Ellie. They were the perfect foils for Theo and Asher.

I loved how down bad these two were for each other. I am a sucker for character characters lasting after each other, especially within a closed proximity/fake dating situation. Chip Pons can write some spice, and that shower scene was excellent. Also, YAY, let's normalize the use of prEP.

I really enjoyed the moments when Theo was able to communicate with his family. It really added to the book to see his vulnerability and understand more of his backstory. Theo’s arc with his family and their love of him were some of my favorite elements!

The last third of the book felt a little rushed, and while I loved the resolution of Theo’s arc, I feel like the book would’ve benefited from seeing how Asher dealt with the fallout of the trauma. It felt like there was room for nuanced feelings, and I was left wanting a little bit more.

Overall, this was a fun, flirty trad pub debut, and I cannot wait to read Chip’s next book(s)!

3.5- rounding up

This book had me hooked from the very first page! There was so much going on from the very beginning and I loved it. I thought it was going to be so much more cringe than what it was I actually enjoyed it so much more than I thought. It was a lot more realistic and unexpected. I loved how it was so detailed when it came to describing the show.

Th author did such a great job on their back stories and the mental health aspects, and how we treat our Vets. I just found it to be such a great story on self love and self worth that doesn't often get told and we need more of.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC on exchange for an honest review, as always all words are my own.

Overall: 4.25/5
Spice level: 2.5/5
Tropes: fake dating, reality TV, forced proximity, one bed, strangers to lovers, opposites attract

This was a cute story! I really loved the chemistry between Theo and Asher. Theo's golden retriever, go with the flow energy was exactly what Anxious Asher needed in his life.

In this reality TV, adventure-based plot, the pacing was fast, but not difficult to follow.

There was great character development and a unique plot. I really enjoyed this new to me author.

Chip wrote an absolute stunner with this one!!! I loved the romance, travel and location settings, side characters and family, and the concept of The Epic Trek. The spice was well-written and I was engaged in the story throughout.

The only thing I didn't like was the 3rd act conflict, it felt a bit out of left field and didn't 100% make sense. It also annoyed me personally lol, I hated Asher's ex! But the conflict didn't detract from my overall love for the book and the characters. I highly recommend this one and am so honored to have received an ARC!

I loved “You and I, Rewritten,” so was so excited to receive an ARC of Chip Pons newest book.

Asher and his long term boyfriend Clint are checking in for their flight to do an Amazing Race style reality show when Clint drops a bomb: not only does he no longer want to do the show but he also wants to break up.

While drinking away his woes at the airport TGIFridays, Asher meets Theo, a pilot who had just been grounded for the month because of flying too many hours. Theo agrees to come on the show as Asher’s boyfriend since he has nothing else to do for the next few weeks and is looking for an adventure.

What follows are challenges around the world while Asher and Theo fall in love. I absolutely loved these two guys. They were both guarded but kind and honest and knew how to apologize.

This would have been a 5-star for me if Asher hadn’t literally just been dumped by his boyfriend of SEVEN years. I just could not get past being with someone for that long and just jumping into something that turns out to be your HEA. Other than that detail, the book was pretty perfect.

I received this Advanced Readers Copy via NetGalley. It releases on June 10, 2025.

Add it to your TBR if you like the following:
-crabby/sunshine
-golden retriever energy
-open door scenes
-reality show challenges

When the opening quote is credited to "Dr. Taylor Alison Swift," I automatically am like "oh, this one is going to be super pretentious." And it 100% was! This book glossed over the meet cute, claimed a pilot carried poppers in his carry-on (they're flammable), there were way too many pet names, and did not do justice to the Amazing Race inspiration. The author is a little too in love with his story, if that makes sense.

But, like, parts of it were still really good. Pons can definitely write the spice, and he does a nice job of including a balance of queer trauma with a heaping dose of queer joy. I also liked Jo, Ellie, and Jenn as side characters. You can tell that Pons put in a lot of his favorite things in this book (i.e. Ben and Jerry's, elephants, La Tomatina, etc.), and it was nice to see his own queer joy on the page.

I'm trying not to be a complete asshole, so that's why it's three stars. But as an Amazing Race fan, this one was NOT IT. The challenges were stupid, the incompetence of the two leads pissed me off, and the social media elements read as someone who has never been on social media (which I know isn't true of Chip Pons). I get wanting to make it your own, but when it is so clearly ripped off a real show, at least do it justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic read. Chip does a great job of creating likable characters whose relationship builds naturally through well written events using a fun travel game show premise.

Asher Bennett creía que su relación iba bien hasta que lo abandonan justo antes del reality show de la competencia mundial de viajes, The Epic Trek. Theo Fernandez es el único piloto que nunca se ha tomado vacaciones. Mientras se pregunta cómo disfrutar de su nuevo tiempo libre, se topa con la oportunidad perfecta. El chico guapo que le "robó" sus palitos de mozzarella en su restaurante favorito de la terminal tiene una repentina vacante para una pareja... en un reality show televisado a nivel nacional.

La trama con un toque de aventura fue entretenida, pero simplemente creo que no logré conectar con los personajes y el desarrollo de la relación.

3/5⭐

4🌟 This story was beautiful! I loved Asher & Theo so much. From the meet cute over mozzarella sticks to the steamy shower scenes, this story had me rooting for this couple so hard. The premise of the book kept me engaged and I loved the forced proximity aspect of the book.

What’s inside:
MM Romance
Fake Dating
Forced Proximity
Emotional Depth

The cover, the book, the characters are all best! 🩵🩵

Reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram will be posted on June 10th, 2025. Links included below to my overall profile where the review will be shared.

This book is everything I love in a rom-com 🥰 it grabs you from the very first mozzarella meet-cute, and doesn't let go.  As Asher and Theo travel the world and get to know each other, and fall for each other, you feel like you're falling right along with them.  Seriously, this book made me laugh, cry, and squeal with giddiness!  But along with all the fun and adventures these two have, there's some heavier topics woven in that I thought were handled really well, and that balance made the book even better.

PS/ If you saw me giggling and blushing in the coffee shop while reading this... no, you didn't 😘

Winging It With You releases on June 10th, and you absolutely don't want to miss it! Now, excuse me while I go and find some mozzarella sticks!

A completely delightful, wild ride of a book. I adored it! This fresh take on a reality TV romance, complete with two heroes I was rooting for from page one, had me hooked right through to the end.

I'm rounding up to four stars on this, because I do think it's better than three.

Let me start with a pet peeve that may be utterly unimportant to other people: I can cope with "cum" as a noun. It's not my fave, but fine. As a verb, though... please leave that to p0rn. Just ew. (As I said: I may be the only person on the planet who feels this way.) Also, "cumming would literally solve all my problems right now"? Really?

Now, the story. I was all in with the implausible rom-com premise. No problems there. However, if you're going to write a book about a reality show, I think you need to flesh out the show better, rather than having it be something that's kind of going on in the background while you talk about your MCs. For example, is Jo supposed to be assigned just to Theo and Asher? Like, each couple has their own liaison (not to mention driver)? Because she sure seems to have a lot of time to spend on them (as does Arthur, the driver)... but we never see any similar people for the other couples. And then, with occasional exceptions, the other couples and the challenges are pretty much invisible. Yes, spending more page space on the "reality" of the show would leave less room for the main romance, but authors need to find a way to balance those demands.

As for the romance, I liked seeing the characters grow and heal over the course of the book. But all that healing made the miscommunication/breakup that much less plausible. I won't go into spoilery details, but... seriously?

So, all in all, I liked the characters well enough, but this isn't something I'll be going back to reread.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

HUGE thank you to Chip Pons himself for this ARC. This was undoubtedly one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I was giggling, kicking my feet, and hollering at the love (and let’s be real, the SPICE BABY) that flowed through this one. I’ll leave it at that for now, and I gotta say - this is a MUST-ADD to your tbr when it comes out in June. Do it, you won’t be sorry!

Things I loved:
-Exploration of grief and processing all life throws at you
-Exploration of vulnerability, trust, and knowing you deserve good things
-Theo Fernandez, period.
-Asher’s relationship with Ellie
-Twist my arm, the spice!!

Winging It by Chip Pons was an absolute WIN for me! From the very first page, I was hooked. A high-stakes reality competition, wild challenges, and a fake dating trope? Say no more...I’m so in! I absolutely adored Asher and Theo. Their chemistry was electric, their banter had me grinning like an idiot, and their romance was just the right mix of sweet and swoony. There were so many moments that had me kicking my feet, and I lived for their dynamic. Both characters were so well-developed—layered, complex, and incredibly easy to fall in love with. First-time Chip Pons reader here, and yep, I’m officially obsessed. This fangirl is a fangirl for life, and I need more from him ASAP!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion and review!

When Asher’s boyfriend (and partner in competing for a million dollars on a hit reality completion show) dumps him moments before they are set to board the plane, his dreams - and heart - are crushed. It’s through a chance meeting with Theo, a workaholic pilot that’s been placed on administrative leave, that Asher’s problem suddenly has a very handsome solution. The two strangers agree to compete together, but under the falsehood that they are a couple. In the midst of grueling challenges on the set of a popular television show, the lines between what’s real and fake for the basis of their relationship become blurred.

I enjoyed this book! It moves very fast (sometimes a little too fast) but it also makes for a very quick read. It has all the spice and wit that anyone who enjoys romance books requires. While it’s entertaining, I do wish the author gave us a little more insight into the television show plot line. I also wanted to get to know some of the supporting characters a little more as well. We spend a lot more time with Asher and Theo individually than we do as they compete together in a crazy televised competition. But all in all, I thought the story was cute and feel good. It would make a great movie.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chip Pons, & Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me early access to the ARC. ♡

Any book that contains a reality travel show is going to have me hooked! I loved the premise of the book - guy gets dumped by his partner (both romantic and game show partner) right before he goes on a gameshow, grabs a stranger in the airport, and they fall in love while traveling the world and competing on the show. The reality is that I didn't love love the characters or writing, but it was a fun premise and I was definitely rooting for these two. Loved Theo.

Winging It With You- By Chip Pons
coming June 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Theo and Asher’s story kicks off over a plate of mozzarella sticks—and from that moment, the adventure and chaos, begins. Asher, very black cat energy, convinced Theo to be his fake boyfriend on an adventure reality TV show after being dumped at the ticket counter in route to said show. Theo, a golden retriever who is good at running from his problems, was just grounded from his pilot job for a month. The story that unfolds after is full of snark, laughter, heart and the kind of romance that has you smiling through the whole journey. Chip Pons has a unique way of crafting characters, allowing readers to truly know them—not just through their own perspectives, but also through the eyes of those around them. Jenn and Ellie are the side characters that really add depth and richness to the story.

Queer joy radiates off the page while still holding space for the hard stuff that makes Theo and Asher’s story one that is both utterly romantic and real in a way that is rare to find in books. The third-act conflict wasn’t one I fully anticipated, and I appreciated how the story allowed Theo and Asher the space to confront their pasts, grow individually, and ultimately choose each other in a way that felt earned and deeply satisfying.

When I read a romance novel, I want to be swept away—to feel the joy, the longing, and the magic of love. This book delivered all that and more. I encourage you to jump on board, enjoy Chip’s writing and tagging along with Theo and Asher, it’s an absolute treat.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

Typically I really enjoy the tropes in this book, and they weren't poor by any means but they felt a bit flat with the characters and the writing not popping out as particularly unique. I feel like I've read this exact book many times over the last few years.

Fake dating, forced proximity, one bed all wrapped up in a slow burn? Yes! I absolutely adore Theo and Asher--this book was cute, fun, and a Queer romance worth reading (I mean most of them are to be honest).
Another thing I really enjoyed is the growth Asher and Theo go through. I love a dual POV that shows me what the characters are thinking.

Read it!