I so wanted to love this book, It was on of my most anticipated reads because Casey McQuiston has been an auto-read/buy author for me for absolute years but I just could not get into it. I didn’t enjoy the characters; I preferred Kit over Theo and so the first half of the book was not fun for me to read, Kit’s POV was only slightly better. It really just felt like new city, more booze & more hookups which personally just isn’t what I look for or enjoy in a book.

Maybe I just wasn’t the audience for this book either is okay, even though I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean that others won’t and I’m still e cited to see more from McQuiston.

I so wanted to love this like I have her other books, but it fell short for me. It all just didnt work, too much of everything, hookups, charming food, wine and it just sucked the charactures away.

I think we’re all aware that I ADORED Red, White and Royal Blue, so it’s safe to say this was a highly anticipated read for me!

While I did have a lot of fun with it, it didn’t quite capture my attention as much and I did find myself pushing through to the end.

Don’t get me wrong, initially I was HOOKED and sped my way through a massive chunk of it! I think it was a combination of the humour, the brilliant rep and the tension between Theo and Kit that lured me in the most tbh 😅

BUT the mystery of what went down between them also played a role! I wanted to know how they became exes like I was desperate for the tea and I have to say I was a little disappointed to discover it was all down to miscommunication and not in a good way.

I think after that I felt a little let down and then started to lose interest a bit, HOWEVER! I did enjoy that you got both sides of the story and both POVs so you got a more fair view of everything, if that makes sense? 😅

I’m ngl, I was also living for the descriptions of all the food and wine and Europe when it’s not freezing cold 🤣

It genuinely made me hungry even though I’m not much of a foodie myself and I love how the language and descriptions that Theo and Kit used reflected their respective professions!

Ultimately, I did enjoy myself and giggled a fair bit at the pair’s antics. I also loved their journey to figuring themselves out as well as how to love themselves and others, in a way!

I’m just not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope and in this case it was a bit of a let down although I do recognise it’s part of their journey to growing!

This is definitely a case of right book, wrong time for me. Or it was initially.

I started reading The Pairing in like summer of 2024… and then my reading slump hit. And I just felt like I wasn’t connecting, I wasn’t hooked, and I was sure jt was going to be a flop for me.

So I left it, and then started the audiobook this year. Right book, right time. Maybe it was the change in media, maybe it was the change in me, but this book was perfect.

I fell so in love with both Theo and Kit, both flawed and messed and trying their goddamn best. The flashbacks, the change of point of view, all of this meant you could really get to know both characters, but also see both characters from the perspective of someone who utterly adores them and it was so perfect.

Each location visited in the book came so alive, that I both felt I was travelling across Europe on the summer while simultaneously yearning to be there. The food descriptions, and the way Theo and Kit approached food and drink and ingredients was so fun and really brought me into the book on another level.

I adored it. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time yet.

This was everything I wanted in a book... beautiful prose poetically describing of two of my favourite things (European cities and food), a badass and painfully relatable protagonist in Theo, and SO MUCH QUEER YEARNING. I could (and probably will) devour this book over and over again.

"Theo and Kit have been childhood best friends, crushes, lovers and, after a brutal breakup four years ago, estranged exes.
It’s not until Theo and Kit are trapped on board a tour bus that they discover that they’ve each had the same idea: to take their dream European food and wine tour – alone. And now they’re stuck with each other for three weeks of the most romantic sights and sensuous flavours of France, Spain, and Italy. But it’ll be fine. They’re absolutely over each other."

I really enjoyed this. The relationship between the two amidst the incredible European background and with all of that amazing food was excellent. While the sex scenes involved things that were very new to me to say the least (and I am by no means a prude), it was interesting reading and learning about the sexuality and sex of others.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the other books I have read by the same author though, as the characters were not as likeable as individuals for some reason. They weren't bad but I couldn't warm to them as much.

An immersive, engaging story that will make you root for the couple, as well as make you extremely hungry.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It's not until they board the tour bus that they discover they've both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they're trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It's fine. 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?

My Opinion

I have read and enjoyed a few books by Casey McQuiston and so I have been looking forward to reading The Pairing. Casey has written a great second chance romance. The Pairing has had mixed reviews but if you have previously read a book by Casey McQuiston, you will know what to expect. Theo and Kit are both likeable characters – join them on their tour of European wine.

Rating 4/5

God i loved this book so much! I'm a CMQ fan overall but this was my fave so far, i consumed it in one go and love these characters so much!
Such a fun summer read!

Loved the characters and the storyline and I was massively rooting for the characters. I loved the POV shift too

(Apologies for the short reviews, I've not been well and hope to revisit these titles soon)

Casey McQuiston just has something special, and The Pairing is no exception. Beautiful, real characters, so many feelings and stunning rep all wrapped up in a brilliant story.

3.5 stars rounded up. I feel like parts of this didn't quite work for me, but that might partly be due to the fact that I am European and some of the descriptions of the European tour element didn't ring quite true to me, but that could just be because I've never done that kind of guided tour experience!

I do love Casey McQuistons writing style, their ability to write yearning and realistic messy relationships is unparalleled and I will continue to read anything they write. Also I respect their willingness to write somewhat unlikeable characters as well, while I liked Kit and Theo I can see where others will not or where they will find them irritating. Also appreciate that not one of their stories so far has felt the same, this one in particular feels different perhaps because the characters are older and are already exes, so it doesn't have that first love feel as their other books.

Recommended to those who are looking for a emotionally messy adult romance, second chance romance, or just romance while travelling through Europe in general.

Though this unfortunately did not become my favorite Casey McQuiston book, as I thought it would be, The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is overall an entertaining second-chance romance set on a European food tour. Childhood friends turned lovers, Kit and Theo reconnect after a painful breakup, only to find their lingering feelings bubbling up as they compete to hook up with others. McQuiston’s trademark humor and relatable characters shine, particularly with Theo, a sommelier, and Kit, a pastry chef, whose passion for food adds depth to the story. While the book's Americanized portrayal of Europe and some details feel off (and I say this as an American who has lived in Europe for the last decade), the book delivers a delightful mix of humor, yearning, and rekindled love. It’s perfect for fans of McQuiston’s charming, emotional romances.

3/5

I always love the way Casey McQuiston champions queer romances, but these characters were not for me! There was also so much sex and if you like that, good for you, but it's, once again, not for me! I'm sure this book has its readers and I do appreciate how McQuiston plays with classic romance tropes and weaves a compelling story, I could just never connect to it.

Romance books are truly all about the characters and so when the characters fall short it just ends up being a wholly disappointing book. I could not stand the circles the main two characters went in, the miscommunication, the complaining-about-being-from-rich-families. So frustrating! I have no empathy!

I don't honestly have that much to say. I didn't absolutely hate it, but I most certainly didn't like it. I just kind of have a 'it's over, good, I can read something else' feeling, which isn't really a feeling I want to have when I've just finished a book. If it sounds interesting to you you might like it, but I don't know, this one seems to be missing the sweet spot for a lot of people, unfortunately.

A perfect second chance romance full of love, food, travel and feelings.

Such an enjoyable read I couldn’t put it down!

I want to start this review by saying that I’m giving this book 4.5 stars and that I adore it. I think I need to, because my real review is that I should hate this book. If I were to break it down into components, they are all things that I don’t enjoy. Self absorbed rich kids sleeping around, self indulgent notes about travel or food or drink or art, caricatures of characters that lean into every stereotype going. HOWEVER. I hate none of them, and together it just WORKS. Basically Casey McQuiston could hand me their shopping list and I’d happily read it.

So components. Theo and Kit. They are a little annoying, especially as you get to know them at the start, and very obnoxious in places (the sex competition and getting onto the boat come to mind as obvious examples), but I fell in love with them and they grew on me even more as the book progressed. And I love that they were acting like the worst versions of themselves out of fear and out of regressing back to the people they used to be. Not only had they grown since then but they grow through the book. I can’t put my finger on why I love instead of hate them, I just do. I also love that they are both disaster bis in different ways, and that they found ways to share that with each.

The travel - I don’t drink so this exact tour isn’t for me, but in every other way this tour is something I would love to do. I desperately want to visit all these places! For this and the art it does feel a little like showing off but it works to draw you in and set a scene. For someone who doesn’t visualise as she reads, I was so able to feel like I was in that setting, feeling everything. The same is even more true for the drink, though in an exaggerated sense. As I said, I don’t drink, so I didn’t connect with this, and I’ve always found wine people to be obnoxious lol. This was true in this, but it didn’t really matter. And I hope for people that do like wine and cocktails that it really adds to the atmosphere and makes you want to drink some of the creations!

The side characters - OH the stereotypes. Some I think worked better than others. Fabrizio was indeed fab, and I think worked for me in ways I have seen others say they didn’t enjoy. I think my main quibble with the stereotypes is we didn’t see enough people who weren’t one to make those who were really work. Because some people really are like that, but most aren’t. And a lot of the characters in this book are. Having said all that I would still die for a lot of the side characters - I want MORE about all the Flowerdays, there’s such a good story there, I know it. I want the story of the Calum’s (and the girls) - WHAT HAPPENED?? I am dying to know. I want whole backstories for every person they met and whole futures for those at the start of their journeys.

This book is a riot of extremes. It is beautifully, indulgently, written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, frankly, as I am going to be telling everyone to read it. 4.5 stars.

Unfortunately this was one massive American clichéd view of Europe, and because of that this lost me within the first 25 pages. This is just not a realistic take on Europe. And I get that it's a book, it's fiction, but at least try and put some effort into making it feel authentic and not one massive stereotype. I'm so tired of Americanised views on the world.

Aside from that this really just wasn't to me personal taste. I hate books about food etc and so while this would probably appeal to a foodie, that's definitely not me.

If I want a romance set in Europe, I really need to start looking a little closer to home.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of The Pairing.
Ohh I love Casey McQuiston's book. They are absolutely amazing.
I loved the friends-to-strangers-to-acquaintances-to-lovers thing in the book. I also really loved the whole food-related setting of the book. It was so fun to read and I really enjoyed it.

Kit and Theo were lovers, partners, and best friends until an argument on a plane on the way to their tour of Europe caused them to part ways. Five years later, they find themselves seated next to eachother on the bus for the same tour, having both coincidentally decided to use their ticket before it expires.
With tensions forming, and past feelings resurfacing, the pair form a pact - whoever can sleep with the most people during the tour wins, and everybody is on the table.
Set in the most gorgeous European locations within France, Italy, and Spain, with enticing descriptions of food and drink, this book follows the pair on their tour and through their encouters, and the delights each location has to offer them.

Having previously read and adored Red, White and Royal Blue, I was confident that Casey McQuiston would win me over again, and of course she did!
I absolutely devoured this book, the descriptions were so inviting, the tension so riveting, and the food so delicious I could almost taste it through the pages! The deep research into the locations, food and drinks was so clear, combined they wove such a complex tapestry and made me feel as though I was standing there with the group.
The queer rep was strong as ever in this one with a particular focus on bisexuality, and nonbinary identity, as well as a very open and diverse discussions around sex and sexual desire.
I'd also like to give a special mention to all of the Lord of the Rings references, as a big fan of LOTR, these gave me a huge smile each time and even had me sobbing at 'beyond all jewels'.
Overall, this has been one of my favourite reads of the year, and I'm sure I'll revisit it again and again in the future!
Thank you to Casey McQuiston, Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for access to my early copy of this book which is published in the UK on 6 August 2024.

DNF at 15%

I wanted to love this so bad.

I just couldn't.

From the writing style and the writing structure to the characters not a single word of this book made me want to read past the 1st page.

The word vomit on this was weird. It was like someone had read a travel guide about London and just spat out all the facts they ever learned about the place. We had Trafalgar Square. West Ham, Westminster Abbey, Pimms with Scones and Tea.(?), Spurs Lads. It was just weird and confusing as I couldn't see the connection between any of them other than all being in London.

Then Theory kept referring to herself as the Steve Irwin of fitting in with Lads in Bars.

Unfortunately, not my favourite of the year and I did end up dnf’ing to pick up another time.

However, this book wasn’t written for me and the own voices readers will surely love it!

The characters are loveable and both have quick wit and relatable characteristics.