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

I loved Chip Pons’ debut novel ‘You & I Rewritten’ - so I was hoping for the same magic from his sophomore novel… and he delivered!

Reality show romances are very hit or miss for me, so I was a little nervous going into this, but it exceeded all my expectations. The premise kept the plot moving forward - and building up - at just the right pace.

This novel is very steamy, but is also full of heartfelt moments. You’ll also find some of your favorite tropes in here like fake dating + only one bed!

And extra points for the cute cover!

PUB Date: June 10, 2025

Rating: 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: mozzarella sticks

“If I were a betting man, I would never put money on an airport terminal TGI Fridays becoming a time-honored tradition of mine.
But here we are, seated at our usual spot at the bar-yes, we have a usual spot-about to eat our weight in mozzarella sticks”

Triggers: outing, homophobia, sexual content

I LOVE YOU GOOD M/M ROMCOMS. for some reason we are in an utter and complete drought of them, and so i was a little scared to pick this up— unfairly, because i ended up adoring winging it with you. extremely silly reality tv times, great spice, and chemistry that literally sizzles. chip pons is a star.

Cheesy but cute!!
I read Chip Pons debut and can wholeheartedly say his writing has grown since publishing that book. This book flowed better. I really liked the main characters more. Theo and Asher were everything I needed and more. A meet cute involving mozzarella sticks is always gonna catch my attention. And then the dedication being something said by Taylor Swift!? I am SOLD. This book is a fake dating strangers to lovers book. Theo is just what Asher needs and honestly vice versa for Theo. He needs Asher just as much.

The humor is what made this book. As much as I caught some second hand embarrassment from some of it. The book starts with Asher regaling an airport bartender with the story of how his ex just dumped him. And the bartender wants no part of it. I laughed so hard and it was only the first few pages. This really set the tone for the book as Asher meets pilot Theo and convinces Theo to come be on the tv reality show Asher and his ex were headed to when they broke up. So not only do we get a sweet, slightly spicy, m/m romcom. We also get a witty and banter filled reality show.

i loved this book so much! id never read a book that takes place during a reality tv / game show and this was So much fun!! the two main characters in this book are both dealing with some pretty difficult internal issues and you see them each overcome those struggles and find comfort in each other, the romance between these two is so sweet and tender and HOT!!!
also i think this was my first book that had fake dating and omg i must read more!!!! the tension is just so good!!

CHIP!!! What a phenomenal book. Nobody does queer joy, trauma, adventure, heartbreak, or love like Chip. His debut knocked my socks off, so I was originally very worried about this one. However, I was BLOWN AWAY!

Starting off, Asher is the kind of guy we all know and love. A little down on his luck, Theo was right there at the best moment to pick him up. I loved the spontaneity in the beginning. It was textbook “let’s hop on a plane to start the reality tv game show we signed up for”. I am a MAJOR fan of reality tv game shows, so I was SOLD. Having the behind the scenes view at the production, the other contestants and the staff was so fun. It added so many extra layers to the book that I really enjoyed.

The love in this book was amazing. Theo and Asher both had their own struggles that we were able to observe. The ups and downs were present the entire book which really helped humanize these characters. I was really impressed with the pacing because I felt like it helped paint a really solid picture of their relationship and who they were as people.

Lastly, I’ve never been a huge fan of spicy scenes, but these were HOT HOT HOT!!! Maybe I just need to read more gay romance by gay authors because I was SHOCKED about how good it was. My favorite part was that Chip included the reallll tea of gay sex and I sincerely appreciate it.

Overall, this was top tier. Loved every piece of it.

“Winging it With You” is a sweet romance that tells the story of Asher and Theo. Asher has just been dumped by his longtime boyfriend right before they are set to appear on a reality show together. He finds Theo at the airport and somehow convinces him to join him as his faux boyfriend on the show. Despite their romance being fake, it doesn’t take long for real feelings to develop.

I don’t really have anything bad to say about this book, it is a (mostly) lighthearted romance with some spice. I really liked the characters of Asher and Theo as well as some of the supporting characters they meet during their time on the show. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for this eARC!

THIS WAS SO FUCKING CUTE. I am famously not a romcom girlie but this one worked for me because although it did have some silliness, it also has a lot of heart and character and the amazing race reality show aspect was so much fun. maybe I believe in love again!

I absolutely adored this gay rom com, fake dating and a competition they compete together in? It itched every scratch for me and left me wanting more because of how much I adored it can’t wait to see what else chip comes out with.

Thank you Netgalley PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the arc

SPECTACULAR! 10/10! 5 stars! This MM romance checked off all my boxes and then some. Chip Pons has crafted a story that is equal parts heartwarming, emotional, and utterly unputdownable. I absolutely adored both characters—their chemistry, their growth, and the way their relationship unfolded felt so natural and heartfelt. I am still not over it and I NEED A SECOND BOOK!

From start to finish, this book had me hooked. I couldn’t put it down, and even after finishing, I found myself thinking about the characters and their journey. I would recommend Winging It With You over and over again to anyone looking for a well- written, feel-good romance. This book is pure magic, and I can't wait to see what Chip Pons writes next! Let me go read all this other novels RIGHT NOW!

Ohhh Chip, how I love your author heart. This book was just so unbelievably fun! I lived for the banter and flirty energy. I didn’t necessarily believe this story was romantic, but to be honest, that’s totally fine because I had such a blast diving into this Amazing Race type romance. Also we loooove a queer romcom so much 👏🏼

My only complaint, which is so minor, is that the writing style had SO many adverbs. It was nuts!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Winging It With You was amazingly sweet and heartfelt. Asher and Theo have a not-so meet-cute and it turns into the adventure of a lifetime for both of them. I was rooting for them to get together the entire time and loved getting to see Theo’s softer side, especially at the end.

I wish I could rate this book 10 stars. It deserves all the praise it is going to get in the MM romance community. I loved You and I, Rewritten by Chip when I was able to read it early and I am so excited I got to read this new book early as well. I will read every single book that Chip writes and I know I will never be disappointed. If you love romance books and especially MM romance then I highly recommend this book.

Asher is supposed to compete in a traveling reality tv show with his longtime partner Clint, until Clint breaks up with him at the airport. Not sure what to do, Asher meets Theo in an airport bar and convinces him to join him on a wild adventure.

This story was so stinking cute. As a big Amazing Race fan, I loved this idea immediately of a couple of strangers fake dating while competing on a similar show. What I was pleasantly surprised by was how much I loved Asher and Theo. I did feel like the story jumped forward a few times and kind of wish it had been a bit longer with more of those relationship developing moments. But overall I loved reading this around the world love story.

Tropes
* Reality TV
* Fake Dating
* Travel
* Only One Bed
* Forced Proximity
* Strangers to Lovers
* Complicated Ex drama
* "Cheesy" Meet Cute

4.5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this. I think I'll be setting this one aside for now. It has some really cute moments, which is when the writing feels the strongest. But those moments have been limited by the competition plotline, which doesn't bear much resemblance to The Amazing Race. The travel element isn't there, it just seems like they get flown around random places to do an underwhelming challenge. Both POVs are super similar and I often thought I was reading Theo's chapter when I was actually in Asher's and vice versa. Stronger edit needed for the over-reliance on the word 'this', both in standard and italicized forms.

Two strangers, Theo and Asher, set upon an epic journey. Coupled in a fake relationship for a reality TV show, the two trek across the globe in an attempt to win weekly challenges and prize money. Only time will tell if these two broken souls can figure out that winning real love is the best prize of all. 4.5⭐

"Two strangers must face their pasts to win a future they never saw coming. An epic trek for the heart." - Arc Review

3.75 stars. A meet cute that takes place in an airport bar over mozzarella sticks? That's so me coded. WINGING IT WITH YOU by Chip Pons is essentially THE CHARM OFFENSIVE by Alison Cochrun, but instead of a dating show, it's basically "The Amazing Race". Although, this is slightly better because Chip Pons is an actual gay man, and I don't care if this is divisive, but MM romances written by gay men are top tier because they get the trials and tribulations of men romancing men firsthand - plus there are references to Sean Cody, jockstraps, and Taylor Swift dedication quotes. GAYYYYYYY. This is an mm romance about unbecoming, and shaking loose everything you’ve been to find and love yourself again. It's about taking the jump, and making a detour in hopes of changing your life for the better.

Asher is a people pleasing science guy who just got dumped in the airport by his douchey boyfriend, and Theo is a broad and chiseled airline captain asked to replace Asher's ex on an exhilarating trip based reality show. So you have fake dating, neurotic/sunshine, reality show, forbidden romance (slightly), forced proximity, one bed, and a slow burn that takes place across the globe. While the reality show aspect feels rather rushed and underbaked, I found our couple to be obnoxiously sweet - in the best way. Theo has golden retriever vibes on the streets, but dom daddy vibes in the sheets. And Asher is one of those smart, but quiet, glasses wearing hotties you'd find in a science lab. I'd watch that corn. Speaking of, there are some pretty steamy scenes that had me grabbing my PrEP because that tension...and eventual eruption...was both sweet AND spicy.

Besides the physical, I really squeed over these two because they help each other become better men. After years of molding himself for others, Theo teaches Asher to say yes to himself and shows him he's lovable just the way he is. And after feeling such shame over being outed and discharged from the military, Asher shows Theo that he can trust people and fall in love again. I'm gonna need my own personal Theo stat because there's no way that a man can be that hot, kind and charismatic in real life. AND FLY ME PLACES?! You must be joking. And apparently kissing him is like coming up for air while simultaneously being set on fire and screaming thank you...so yea, I want that. Pons says that if you're lucky, home doesn’t have to be a place, it can be a person. So if I'm single, does that make me homeless? Just kidding, I love myself.

This isn't the most groundbreaking MM romance that I've ever read - it's quite repetitive, there's silly third act miscommunication, and the side characters are severely underdeveloped...but if you can deal with the laughable Ben and Jerry's challenges, you might swoon over these two. Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Chip Pons’s newest release brings us to an Amazing Race style romance with a fake dating situation just scratches that itch! We start the story with Asher getting dumped at the airport by his boyfriend while they’re about to leave to compete on the TV competition show, Epic Trek. Theo is also at the airport and is down and out because he’s being forced into mandatory vacation time by his airline. Quickly the chemistry and attraction grows between the two. This chance meeting between the two and the faking dating plot that ensues was so fun to read! This was my second book that I’ve read by Chip and he doesn’t disappoint. There were so many emotions weaved throughout the story. I knew I would like this because I’m a diehard reality competition show stan! I loved that aspect of the book because it really did help lead the story, but it also wasn’t too competition heavy. There was room in the plot for everything!

I had a lot of fun reading this and it definitely deserves a spot on your TBR!

Winging It With You by Chip Pons is a sparkling, five-star gay rom-com that completely exceeded my expectations! From the very first page, I was hooked by the whirlwind adventure and charming chemistry between Asher and Theo, who impulsively team up to compete in a reality show. What starts as a fake relationship for the cameras quickly turns into a heartwarming and tension-filled exploration of self-discovery, vulnerability, and love. Chip Pons does it again—this book has it all: laugh-out-loud moments, swoon-worthy romance, and a refreshing dose of authenticity. Asher and Theo's journey made me believe in second chances and the beauty of embracing who you truly are, baggage and all.

If you love romantic tension, swoon-worthy moments, and characters who grow and evolve, Winging It With You is a must-read!