thank you netgalley and putnam for this e-arc!

wow, 5/5 stars, no notes! The author created such a heartwarming story of two strangers with their own experiences, falling in love. Asher and Theo did not give insta love but they definitely gave insta attraction. I respected Asher’s vulnerability with Theo externally but once Theo started becoming vulnerable, I just wanted to give him a big hug. Both men have had heartbreak, they have internal struggles with how the world might see them. I appreciated Asher and Theo’s “ mozzarella sticks” because we got to see them be honest to one another. I hate nothing more than a miscommunication trope. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend and I hope to read more of Chip’s work in the future.

Chip Pons does it again in this type of book, it had that element that I wanted from the romance genre. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and was engaged with the world being told. It had that romantic comedy element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. I hope to read more from Chip Pons and was glad I got to read this.

4.5 stars

For fans of The Amazing Race, fake dating, and feel good romance.

This was such a fun book! If you can overlook the fact that Theo and Asher meet at a bar and then presumably within the hour are taking off to compete on a weeks-long reality show where they, complete STRANGERS who know literally nothing about each other, will be sharing a room and pretending to date, then this is a really enjoyable story with really believable chemistry. I am willing to suspend my disbelief in a romcom as long as the rest of the story makes up for it and this one definitely delivered! I loved seeing everyone compete in all the challenges and I liked all the little glimpses you got of the culture of each place. Throughout the competition you get to see Theo and Asher open up to each other and get to know each other and the buildup of their relationship felt really authentic and natural. I really enjoyed them as a couple and I was rooting for them to win.
I also liked the storyline with Theo’s family. You got really good closure and some really sweet moments that almost made me cry.
This was a really fun and heartwarming romance and I have nothing but good things to say. If you are a fan of The Amazing Race I think this will be right up your alley, and even if you aren’t this book has so much to offer and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC!

Asher Bennett is dumped before a major reality show and teams up with Theo Fernandez, an airline pilot grounded by work, to compete in a travel competition. As their fake dating turns real, sparks fly, leaving them both wondering if they’re ready to take a leap into love.

This book though??? First of all - a moment for this cover. I love the colors, the body language, the cutie pies, all of it. It’s wonderful.

I loved how this book started, with the mozzarella sticks and a bet. How Theo was game for anything. How Asher was grumpy but for good reason! Asher seeing himself and allowing himself the opportunity to be happy made my heart sing. I loved Theo’s energy. The competitions were wild fun. How they learned to trust each other through their biggest fears and shared their heartbreak. They went through a LOT to get to each other.

The sexiness of the spice cannot be overstated for this book. That mutual scent had me sweating. How vulnerable they were with each other. Enthusiastic consent. The adoration. The care. The good boy. It had it ALL!!!

The side characters were so great, from the other contestants to Theo’s family to the producers. It was fun! But that embarrassing scene with *****??????? I felt it in my bones!!!

Oh and I cried at the end with the grand gesture. And the family love. I just had such a good time reading this one

Leaving you with a few quotes that stand out to me. 💙🥹

“I’ve always been too much. Too loud or too impulsive.”

“When your heart suffers a loss or takes a hit, all you can do is cling to whatever happiness you can find. Because you will be happy one day. I have to keep telling myself that—over and over again so that I believe it.”

“If you’re lucky, home can be a person.“

*thank you to @putnambooks and NetGalley for a digital copy to review

Let’s be honest: we’re here for the smut and a fun time, not a literary masterpiece. Loved escaping reality into this Amazing Race meets Fear Factor reality TV show, fake dating romance. Asher and Theo are adorable together.

Thanks to the author and Penguin for the ARC!

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

This was a really cute forced proximity story about a guy who gets dumped en route to a travel competition show and has to scramble to find a new partner.

Asher and Theo were very cute together and I enjoyed their chemistry. The transition from getting to know one another to attraction/physical intimacy felt rushed to me.

This is the second book I got to read from Chip. I already liked the first one, “You & Me, Rewritten”, it was a great book - it gets even better when you remember that it’s his debut - and sometime ago I read in his Instagram profile that he used to read all the reviews he’s gotten and that he took his time learning from them to improve his work, and I have to say that he’s clearly done it because he took this second book to the next level.
I loved “Winging It With You”. It’s the type of romcom that you click with right away, and you just can’t stop reading it. It was lovely, funny, heartwarming and beautiful. It shows how you can find true love and a happy ending even in the most unexpected ways. The characters were well developed and written, and it was impossible not to fall in love with them or relate to them or to do both things (in my case, I could see so much of myself in Asher - and I’m pretty sure the man of my dreams looks a lot like Theo right now).
I was very pleased reading this book, I’ll definitely recommend it to my friends and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Chip!

Expected pub date: June 10, 2025


This was my first book by Chip Pons, so I wasn’t sure what to expect—but it turned out to be absolutely amazing. The story takes place during a game that spans several weeks, where contestants face challenges to win a million-dollar prize—a concept I loved since I haven’t read anything like it before. Theo and Asher’s fake dating made it even more interesting.
The romance between Theo and Asher had me swooning! Both characters were so well-written and complex. The ending was absolutely perfect for their story, and the epilogue seemed to hint at a sequel. Hopefully, that happens—I can’t wait to see them grow even more.
This was definitely a 5-star read. Chip Pons is now an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to check out his debut.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

It has been far too long since a book sucked me in and held me tight by all my emotions to the point that when it was over, I couldn’t let it go. Winging It With You did that for me and I couldn’t have loved it more. This book takes place in an “amazing race”-esque show, which makes the plot so exciting. And the “fake dating” is done so well, because we truly get to see Asher and Theo go from complete awkward strangers to friends to more. It’s such a beautiful relationship arc.
WIWY had me giggling out loud, tearing up, clutching my pearls (jk, I was DYING for those spicy scenes)…all the feels. Chip Pons knocked it out of the park with this book and I cannot wait to see what he puts out next.
PS- the spice is perfection. I definitely felt like a fly on the wall, which is everything I hope for in a good open-door romance. Chefs kiss, no notes.

I loved this so much. Asher and Theo have my whole heart, and I adored both the literal and figurative journeys they both went on. The lush places they traveled to for the reality show swept me away, but not as much as their tension and romance did. The emotional beats felt real, raw, and earned. The ending had me kicking my feet and so happy!

What an honor it is to fall in love with Asher and Theo so early! The spice was perfect (although we all wish we could wish for more) and the story had so much love and heart into it. It felt personal and it felt like I was interrupting!!!!!!

You can tell Asher and Theo really needed each other. And I’m throughly obsessed to see a (possible?) sequel if there is one. Becuase I need the weeding! The future kids! The development of their story.

They make love feel real and they make love real easy.

Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley, for the eARC!

Rating: 5/5 🌟

What an absolutely fun and cute story! I loved the "Amazing Race" TV game show setting that was the book!

Asher's world just shattered when his long-term partner left him at the airport before they were supposed to take this trip of a lifetime. Enters heartthrob/golden retriever pilot Theo, who enters into a bargain with Asher over a basket of mozzarella sticks without knowing what he's got himself into! (Leaving it at that! Read the book!)

Theo must be protected!!

I’m always a big fan of the forced proximity and fake dating tropes. Luckily, WINGING IT WITH YOU did an excellent job with both tropes and I loved Asher and Theo’s story. Both characters seemed so real with great depth and I want to be friends with both. Recommend. Round up to 4.5 stars.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Asher and Theo were so damn precious and the limited but impactful spice scenes were great! Just really loved this. Will be reading whatever else Chip releases 🫶🏻

I loved every second of reading this book! Thank you so much Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC! I’m a sucker for fake dating close proximity romance books and this one has everything! I loved Asher and Theo and all this adventure had for them! The steamy scenes were 🔥😈, loved them! Bravo Chip, this story was so fun and I loved all it had to offer! I’ll be recommending to everyone!

An enjoyable friends to lovers romance set against the backdrop of an "Amazing Race" style television show. When Asher is dumped at the airline counter moments before he and his boyfriend are set to take off for The Epic Trek, he heads to the airport bar to drown his sorrows. While there, he runs into Theo, a recently grounded pilot who has been ordered to "have fun" and offers up his time to Asher. There is very little that is unpredictable about the relationship that develops between Asher and Theo, but they each have their backstories that make them hesitant to take the leap from faux romance for the cameras to real romance for each other. Through in a pushy producer and a manipulative host, and things get a little bit messy along the way.

One weird thing I have to point out. It was a little freaky that the Fernandez family address is actually the address of our close friends. I always assumed authors fudged street addresses a little bit, but I guess not.

Overall, this was a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

If you enjoy romantic comedies, you will love *Winging It With You* by Chip Pons. This delightful book combines elements of fake dating with a reality competition vibe similar to Alison Cochrun's *Charm Offensive*.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe it would be the perfect read for spring break or a summer beach read. Even vacation-deprived readers (like Theo) will appreciate the globetrotting, whirlwind adventures featured during their travel contest.

Moreover, it’s a well-written, well-paced, engaging story filled with spice and romance, sincerity and humor, as well as love from both biological and chosen families. What more could you ask for?

I highly recommend this charming read. Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

3⭐️

Theo and Asher are so cute! I love the setting of how they meet and them going onto a gameshow together. It prompted so much cute banter and chemistry building.

If you play Stardew Valley you know any man named Clint is a walking red flag. Like why was he not impressed by Asher's job and accomplishments? What??

I feel like the ending conflict could have been resolved in the moment, but I appreciated the following scenes and how we got to know more about Theo and his family. Theo is my favorite.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot.

What an absolutely charming read! The way Asher & Theo have so much emotional depth. Chip Pons wrote characters that feel like the most genuinely kind and real people, who you’d want to be best friends with, and are rooting for right from the beginning. Watching them grow over the course of the different challenges and cities they visit for the show was a fun backdrop to tackle some serious issues too. Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for this ARC.