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.

Loved the fact this book has not one but TWO bi characters! And laced through are super nerdy comments about food and wine (yes, I now want to go on this tour). I would have loved if the POVs switched each chapter, but otherwise, a great fun read especially for summer!

Another amazing read by Casey McQuiston. The story of 2 exes who both end up on a trip together where they inevitably are drawn to one another again. McQuiston has managed once again to create a beautiful, sexy, funny and heartfelt queer romance. While this was entertaining, it was not my favourite and some parts made me cringe but I will always be excited to see what this author does next.

I was so excited to get around to another Casey McQuiston book after previously loving One Last Stop, Red White and Royal Blue, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler. While I think this book is a perfect summer read, especially if you’re on holiday, it just didn’t land for me unfortunately. I did enjoy the switch of the POVs, I found the writing to be engaging and the characters so solid and real. The descriptions of food were amazing (it’s just unfortunate I’m not a wine drinker and nor do I care for a lot of the foods mentioned). My main issue I was having was that I struggled to connect with the main characters and not much was happening to keep me engaged in it, I wasn’t fully invested in their relationship and thought they’d probably would out better as friends. Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the review copy!

A delicious read! I was nervous at first because of the mixed reviews and my mixed feelings about McQuinston’s other books. I loved the cast of characters and plot in One Last Stop but felt that Red White and Royal Blue was too long.

Loved the plot and character development for the two main characters in The Pairing. So many steamy moments! I have a newfound appreciation for how erotic food and drink consumption is.

I also appreciated the writing style (funny one-liners throughout) and that the narrator changes halfway through. While I did find the second narrator a bit pretentious and tortured poet-esque, the writing matched that character’s personality and it was interesting to understand his POV.

I thought this book would be a quick breezy read, but the level of detail about the food and wine and sightseeing coupled with the plot development made me want to savor the reading experience.

If you’re in the fence about reading The Pairing, I would recommend giving it a try!

I am so sad that I couldn't find a reason to write this book. RWRB and IKSW are two of my favourite queer reads and The Pairing was chaotic and not in a good way. This book felt clunky, rushed and just over-all a rough read.

The Pairing is a love affair to Europe, travel, and all things pastry. Full of longing and emotion, I fell in love with Kit and Theo and absolutely devoured this. The raunchiest of Casey's novels, The Pairing explores sexuality and gender in the hot European sun. This book is one for the senses and would make a perfect summer romcom tv show!

This was not written well enough to be the "f**k you" i think it was meant to be.
Some of it was just in poor taste like the sex competition.

The Pairing was provided by Pan Macmillan through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. It was my first Casey McQuiston novel, but it certainly won't be my last !

The Pairing is like a rollercoaster of fun surprises, discoveries, sprinkled with mouth watering depictions of food and wine tasting. It was the novel of firsts times for me !

✈️ First time a book makes me so hungry I'm kind of mad that the food doesn't come with the book. I love how the sights, the smells, the tastes, the texture of everything is described on every single page. It makes the story so much more tangible.

I love how real the characters feel, both main and secondary. Shoutout to Fabrizio for being one of my new favourite book character of all time !

Theo and Kit especially feel real to me, I love them so much. I loved discovering them and their relationship through Theo's eyes, then get a whole new perspective through Kit's eyes.
I identify to Kit because I'm also French, I live in Paris, I love baking, and I'm a Tolkien nerd. We're basically the same 🥐
I wanted to hug Theo and swear to them that everything was going to be fine, so often ! The way Theo feels like they keep f*cking up things that they see everyone else do so easily, through no fault of their own, made me wonder if they have adhd.

✈️ First time I read a romance novel where both characters are bisexual. I was so happy when I realised, and they are so well written ❤️

✈️ First time I read a romance novel where one of the main character is enby. I didn't read the synopsis of The Pairing before requesting it on NetGalley, so it kind of took me a few chapters to get everyone's gender right 😂
- I assumed it would be a sapphic romance based on the cover, and what I've heard about One Last Stop.
- When I started the book, I thought Theo and Kit were men, because of their names.
- After a few chapters, I learned that Theo is short for Theodora, so I assumed Theo was a woman. I briefly thought I had been tricked into reading a straight romance 😂
- Then I finally realised that Theo is non-binary !

✈️ First time I don't entirely skip the spicy scenes. I tend to skip it because all it does for me, is make me bored or cringe super bad. I actually read it this time and I think those who enjoy spice will enjoy this. I like how Casey McQuiston focuses on feelings and sensations, instead of doing the usual gross nicknaming of body parts and awkward position descriptions that I tend to skip.

📚 When I recommend this book to people, I either do or don't tell them that there are non-binary and bisexuel main characters, depending on who I'm talking to. I know that some of my friend are looking for books where they see themselves represented in such a wonderful way. And I also know that some of them will be so happy to discover it like i did, like a surprise, through Theo and Kit's eyes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I absolutely LOVED this novel. Theo and Kit are completely developed and realistic characters, and I love a coming back together story more than an original love story (Persuasion always was my favourite Austen!). It's a great portrayal of personal growth and how sometimes it takes some time by yourself to realise who you truly are. I also adored all the secondary characters. This book is touching, hilarious, cringeworthy and absolutely adorable. Favourite romance book of the year, hands down.

Unfortunately I didn't finish The Pairing. I've loved so many of McQuinston's books but I struggled with the structure here. I think there's something about a romance with two leads that already have an established relationship that never quite works for me. I felt like the two mains had this history of emotion that as a reader I was never let in on and therefore struggled to relate to them or be invested.