"The Pairing" is Casey McQuiston’s latest book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The premise is that Theo and Kit, exes who had planned a European tour together, end up on that exact tour years later. We get to follow their antics through numerous amazing cities.

The narration style of this book was a delightful surprise! We get snapshots from Theo and Kit's past, and we also get a dual POV in a way I’ve never seen before. I think it nicely broke up the story, which was quite dense with descriptions of food and architecture.

As a foodie who has spent many days chasing the perfect gelato or croissant, I absolutely loved all the delicious food in this book. However, I do think the plot got lost at times, and the side characters were somewhat forgotten amidst all the food and drink. This might bother some people, but for me, it was such a feel-good experience that I didn't mind the focus being on the "vibes".

Lastly, as is no surprise with Casey’s books, "The Pairing" was unapologetically queer and filled with authentic representation. I felt particularly seen by the bisexual representation in this book, which doesn't happen too often.

Overall, I highly recommend "The Pairing" as your summer read, ideally paired with a sweet treat!

Theo and Kit are exes who split in a blaze prior to a food tour of Europe. Now Theo (Theodora) is finally using her rescheduled ticket to get away from things and take a break before her sommelier exam. But who should she meet but Kit, also redeeming his ticket. Things start off tense but friendship regrows out of a hook-up competition and Theo realises she's falling back in love with Kit.

The book is split into two halves, the first half narrated by Theo and the second half by Kit. I loved reading both their perspectives on both current and past events.

The characterisation of our two mains was beautiful and Theo and Kit were so well-rounded but a lot of the side characters felt flat and under-used, the rest of the people on the food tour for example.

Also as someone who is not a foodie and not a drinker the constant food and drink descriptions got a little boring. I preferred reading about the scenery and the local people more. Also excellent queer rep throughout, Theo and Kit are both bi/pan and there were multiple displays of this, plus side characters - those of which I'd have liked to have known more of their story.

I'm kind of at a loss for words, because I tend to love anything that CMQ writes, to the point where I've been desperately doing everything I can to get my hands on an ARC of this novel (thank you Netgalley & Pan Macmillan!).

There are many good things to say about it. The humor was there, the side characters were fun and delightful, the MCs were messy and true to life and made honest mistakes in a way that I love. Casey's characters are what I like the most about their writing, and they didn't disappoint this time around (Also, it's Fabrizio's world and we're just living in it).

I think ultimately it's just not my cup of tea, romance-wise. Although I love and respect the concept of slutty MCs, it feels disjointed when you're trying to get your readers to connect with the main pairing, pardon the pun. It doesn't feel like they're enjoying sleeping around with all these other people when they're yearning for someone else. The second half also took tension away from the final resolution, since we were already seeing them sleep together, but not really? The no-kissing rule felt childish and took away from scenes that could have been more interesting otherwise. I don't know! I wish I could properly express why the romance didn't make me feel anything, especially when I LIKED the characters and I liked them together.

I also understand wanting to describe lush and decadent meals and travel destinations and experiences and art. I get it. But it felt... like it was trying too hard? There were so many long paragraphs with historical and cultural anecdotes, and long-winded descriptions that my eyes just glazed over. Once again, I understand it! I see what they were going for! I just think it's a little too much. I was also expecting something with a little more meat, plot-wise, especially since the last book of theirs I read was Shara Wheeler.

I might revisit the book when it actually comes out and change my mind, but right now my thoughts are: it's a CMQ book so of course it's still going to be good, but I've DEVOURED and LOVED every single one of their other novels, and this wasn't the case at all.

Adore Casey’s writing as usual and while the plot was less to my taste than rwrb or ols, this book sucked me in and I had a great time reading it! Proper review incoming

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did – its focus on alcohol and food wasn't for me, but the characters were amazing, and I found myself rooting for Theo and Kit (or Theo-and-Kit) all the way through.

Minor spoilers follow.

As a non-binary person, Theo's authentic representation meant so much. From a first-person perspective, I didn't know what pronouns to use for Theo at first, but I got the – as many queer people will experience – "vibe". It's so important to have romance books that aren't just gay or lesbian, but ultimately queer, and this book got it exactly right.

This book has everything you could want from a queer romance: authenticity, polyamory, threesomes, sex without focusing on binary genitalia, and more.

You'll love the Calums. Fabrizio will win you over. Sloane will support and irritate you.

I think this book especially appeals to people who are into more of an extravagant lifestyle: the idea of travelling across Europe, the descriptions of food and wine, and who might see themselves reflected in the eloquent and classy protagonists.

I loved this. I've read "Red White and Royal Blue" and "One Last Stop" so I had high expectations for this. Often, books don't meet high expectations, but this one exceeded all my hopes. Kit and Theo are now officially my new favourite couple. I loved the imagery and parallels between their relationship and food, the setting of a European holiday was perfect.

Perfect. No notes.

This book was disappointing. It took nearly two weeks to finish because I was reading other books in the meantime, I just wasn't as interested in this one.

The main issue with this book was that large parts of it were boring. It was funny at times, but for the large part I didn't really care about what was happening.
The book relies heavily on food and wine porn, with very detailed descriptions and I think for some people that could work. The descriptions were by no means bad and I think the author did research here. Unfortunately, I don't really care for wine and I'm vegan so the detailed non vegan food description sooner gross me out. This made the descriptions something I had to push through.

The book got a bit more interesting once the book shifted POV, a little more was happening, and I did like Kit's character a bit more, but in the end I wasn't super invested in either main character. None of the side characters feel super developed either, though some were entertaining.

There's a lot of sex in this book, and I don't always mind that but I also need sex to be about the connection between two characters. Here, a significant number of sex scenes were hookups with characters and I mostly skimmed over because I didn't really care about what was happening.

This is a book set in Europe written by an American author. Note: I am from the Netherlands, so not one of the countries depicted, and would recommend seeing if there are any reviews by Spanish/French/Italian readers, but some of the depictions of French and Italian characters felt rather stereotypical to me and the idea that the two MC's could get hookups of any gender anywhere with minimal effort and got invited to all these exclusive parties was a also bit unbelievable.

At times the book was funny and I did enjoy it a bit more in the second half, so 2.25 stars in total. I would not recommend it unless you think the food/wine porn and random hoopups will work for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The most delicious book you'll read this year: The Pairing is a queer summer rom com that is perfect for foodies. Theo and Kit are exes who reconnect on a food and drink tour across Europe, that they were suppose to take together 4 years earlier. In order to battle the awkward tension between them they start a hook up competition.

I will admit up top, I'm a big fan of Casey's work. But this book is definitely their best to date. I've not read a book in a long time that had me laughing out loud, hot under the collar and kicking my feet up in the air with giddiness but The Pairing really got me.

The first person POV really worked and I liked that the book was told in two halves, with Theo taking the first half and Kit taking the second. Theo and Kit are incredibly well rounded characters, I love that their flaws had me frustrated at times. It made them feel real and that's something romances can lack. The queer representation was top tier in general, (view spoiler)

I loved the descriptions, you can tell the research that's gone into it. The details might put off some readers but if you enjoy a sensory experience with a book, this is for you. I'll warn you now, the food descriptions are insane and you will need snacks. So many snacks.

Like most romances, you know where the plot will go and The Pairing does follow a format. But it balances tropes with originality really well. It was also really nice to see queer representation in these more 'cheesy' moments, like yeah I'm bi but I want my adorable love story too. I also loved how it showed different kinds of love and relationships within the tour group, each character is fleshed out enough that you will have a favourite by the end. (Fabrizio FTW!)

Make your summer more scrumptious & pre-order this book. Now I'm off to book flights to Paris ASAP...

I wanted to love this book so much.

The Pairing is a second chance romance focusing on Theo and Kit, who upon them breaking up before their big food and wine European tour, decide to make the most out of a voucher they got as compensation by taking the tour solo before the voucher expires, without realising the other has made the same decision. As they taste and drink their way through Europe, they try to fight and hide their feelings for each other, because they are totally over each other and happier than ever, right?

I really wanted to love this book. I loved Red, White and Royal Blue, and One Last Stop has been on my TBR forever, but I can't remember the last time I struggled to finish a book like this. There were pages and pages and pages of descriptions of food and wine, which I get was the point of the tour, but every time it came up, which was every couple of pages, it felt like the story halte, and it did nothing to further the story. It got to the point I was skimming the descriptions until we got back to the what was happening, and then by that point it just felt like it was so disjointed. Don't get me wrong there was clarly care taken when describing these things, but it just became so repetitive, eat, drink, hookup, and it became a drag to get through.

Kit and Theo as characters were okay. Theo tended to be a bit insufferable at times, I just wanted them to stop being so tortured, and I have to be able to do this on my own and accept the help that was being offered to them by the people they care about. But at the halfway point, we switch from Theo's version to Kit's version, and they come alive in the way that Kit sees them. In Kits version it felt a lot more like the second chance romance it was meant to be, however there was no change in the way that food and drink got in the way of the story which was a shame. However as a testiment to McQusiton's characters, even if I didn't like being in Theo's head as much, I was finding myself wondering what their reaction to things would be as we were seeing them through Kit's eyes. Kit himslef was generally more likeable, and he seemed like such a hopeless romantic that despite not feeling much chemistry between the characters in Theo's version, I found myself rooting for them to get their act together, and just admit their feelings for each other.

I am a big fan of side characters with real personality and unforunatley I felt like this book really lacked in that area. Fabrizio was the only side character that I remembered, and even then he seemed like a very cliche written Italian man. They were in a tour with multiple other people, and it just felt like there was a brief mention of them in most repects, and they were more interested in who was hooking up with who, and it just fell a ittle flat to me.

I just really wanted to like this book, but in all honesty, I was really close to DNFing it, because I wanted it to be over. It was a 2.5 rounded down for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Casey McQuiston, and Macmillan, for the opportunity to read this early copy. All thoughts are my own.

I adored this book. I had such a fun time reading every page and didn't want to put it down - the characters felt realistic - even the more chaotic parts of their personalities -, I loved their love and care for each other, the tour itself was a lot of fun (especially with all the descriptions of the foods and atmopshere and locations), and I felt that Casey balanced the fun of the tour with the more serious moments between Kit and Theo really well.
I am really glad that it wasn't a then/now narrative, and felt the moments showing their past relationship, and who they were versus who they are now, were woven together in a way that didn't bog down the story but added to it.
There is a bit of miscommunication in their past (which makes sense since they did break up), as they were figuring out who they are in their early twenties, but some of it was tackled really early in the story, and it felt realistic to me that these two people took the time they did during the tour to become friends again and talk through their pasts hurts.
I also loved the side characters we got to know on the tour, and liked the little community that Kit and Theo nuture around them.
Parts of the story were hilarious, parts of it were a little bit heartbreaking, but I loved all of it so much.

Also the fact that there was no third act break up? 10/10

📚 r e v i e w 📚
the pairing - casey mcquiston

this book in a nutshell: chaos bisexuals who used to date end up on the same food and drink tour around europe and decide to do a hook up competition cos the best way to get over someone is to get with someone else right?

ngl this book made me hungry for food i hadn’t even heard of and made me want to tour europe looking at pretty people. this book also made me just want to bash theo and kit’s heads together because deep down i am a hopeless romantic and i just want them to kiss each other not the pretty europeans. seriously though, where are all these sexually free europeans?! i know none of them and i am european adjacent! also this book is hugely frustrating (not only in that way!) - kit is the exact tortured poet type i like, but theo. theo, babe, you need therapy.

anyway, this is just a bunch of horny people enjoying indulgent food and i am here for it. it’s like call me by your name and eat pray love had a baby and that baby decided to do a coach tour around the continent.
this book isn’t going to be for everyone, i’m not even sure it’s for me (rw&rb will forever be my fave) but it’s fun and hey, if i can’t afford to go on the most homoerotic food and drink tour around europe in existence then i will live vicariously through those who can!

the pairing is out in august. thank you @netgalley for the early copy.
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What a disappointment. I was so excited for Casey's new book after reading RWRB. But there was no life to this story. The side characters were bland and only existed to either have sex with or to fulfill a stereotype of the country’s locals.
The book is mainly descriptions of each country but to be honest, I wasn’t drawn in. I was tired of paragraphs upon paragraphs of food and wine. And then the other half was just sex.

I found in irritating that almost every character is good looking and straight away willing to have sex with either character, or even both. It made the “competition” too easy but it really reduced what should be an in depth person- to a person whose only purpose is to pleasure either Kit or Theo.

I preferred Kit’s half a little more than Theo. He was the one that really showed that he still loved Theo, and was hurt the most from the breakup. But I still found this book irksome and I’m mad I wasted my time reading it

I can't think of a better way to put this. This book is pornography. Let me be clear, there's a lot of sex and it is just as well written as ever despite the increased frequency, but the entire book feels like voyeurism. The descriptions of places, food, drink, people- all of it is as sensuous as the actual intimate scenes. I feel like I should be reading this entire book between my fingers. Now that is absolutely a huge selling point for some people, but I will admit it made it hard going at times. I am not a seeker of "spice" and the increased level here made it a bit much. This will certainly be a 5 star for a lot of people, even if it didn't land for me.

When it comes down to it though, this wasn't a problem, just a mismatch of tastes. The real falling down point for me was the reason for the break up. I despise miscommunication as a trope at the best of times and I don't think this was a particularly great example. The characters are certainly consistent in this level of idiocy based on how obviously they're still hung up on each other and how long this book remains after that particular revelation, but it makes for infuriating reading. And it is a shame because both characters seem to have really developed and worked on themselves since the break up and it would have been fascinating to see them learn how they fit together in their newest editions rather than trying to cram back into the old shape, but that's where the narrative preoccupation with sensuality falls down. We're in our feelings, our senses, and not so much in our grey matter. We get more focus on food and general horniness for anything and everything than we do the complicated emotional nuances of still being hot for your ex you broke up with for mindnumbingly stupid reasons. We do get glimpses of more towards the end and in the epilogue but after 300+ pages of nonsense it is not enough to turn things around.

I think my biggest problem with this was that it would have been under 100 pages if people would just communicate. Idiot plot can only sustain for so long before the contrivances become frustrating. For two people who have been friends since childhood Kit and Theo have apparently never learned how to talk to each other. "We can't keep doing this" Kit says to himself about yet another bout of misunderstanding/ miscommunication/ mishap, and yet they do. The appearance of tropes like the "only one bed" could have felt like a nod to a knowing audience if both the characters and the narrative were a little more self aware of their own nonsense, but they aren't so it's just another example of extreme convenience in a conga line of drunken wish fulfillment.

Essentially what this all comes down to is this is a book as rich and saccharine as the food and drink of the tour. It is a gluttonous paradise of excess in fulfillment of desires, just don't expect to plumb the same depths with character development or motivation. If you're just here to enjoy the ride you're going to have a good time.

(Also Sloane the nepo baby actress can claim all she wants that she gets what she gets because she's talented but be so hecking for real Sloane: "Do you think I have what I have because of Mom and Dad?" Hecking of course you do. Theo absolutely has a nepo chip on her shoulder but so does Sloane and it's all kinds of ridiculous.)

I’ve been a massive fan of Casey’s work since I read their first book many years ago and they are an auto-buy author for me. As soon as I saw this was available for request, I knew I needed to read it NOW.

The premise of the book sounded exciting and new. I was so excited to jump into this book, but found I wanted the skim the majority of it. I guess if I cared more about food/wine, the book would have a bigger hit with me. But as I’m not, the continuous paragraphs and dialogue about the pair made me want to give up.

I found the relationship between Kit and Theo to be one of beauty. I wanted to see more from them, but I think the book got carried away on other parts. I felt like I was constantly waiting to get back to them being together and rebuilding their relationship after so many years apart.

The dual narrative was a really nice touch to the plot of this story. Getting to read the story and see it through both of their eyes makes you love them even more. The yearning love between the two was beautifully written. It was so pure I wanted to swim in it.

Also, seeing how much Theo grew into themselves and figuring out who they were was a brilliant journey to be a part of.

I think this is definitely a book that could have done with less on the food/wine and more on the love.

This book wasn't for me. It felt like I was reading a fanfic tagged with PWP. When reading the description, I knew what i signed up for, but I expected that there would be more plot than sex. It was overall incredibly boring.

Now, I couldn't care less about both main characters. I didn't find them interesting, so it made reading 400 pages about them a living hell. I also found the romance between them a little flat. I didn't really feel any chemistry between them and i truly didn't care if they got together or not. When they eventually got together, I wish it were a lot earlier instead of the last 30 pages of the book.

The one thing I did like was the tour through Europe. I loved watching them visit a different place every chapter and get to know more about the culture.

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you love romance? Do you love LGBTQIA romance? Do you adore fast paced addictive novel? if the answer to these is yes then this is your jam. Right from the very start of this book we are immersed in the story, its insightful, romantic, humourous and cultured.

I received an early e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big Casey McQuiston fan so I had high hopes for this book, and it didn't disappoint! The Pairing is a fun romp through Europe, with 2 bisexual exes on a food & wine tour. The book has a really fun cast of characters. I found Theo a bit annoying at times, but Kit is an absolute sweetheart. It starts off pretty awkward, but I really enjoyed how their relationship developed as they found friendship again. This book is spicier than Casey's previous books, so be aware of that going in.

I really enjoyed this book! The writing was fab and I found it a nice, laid-back easy read. I don't recommend reading this book while hungry though, as the descriptions of food will leave you salivating!

.Second chance
.Eurotrip
.Childhood friends
.One bed
.Mutual pinning

If there's one specific trope that always wins me over, it's the childhood friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. Rare as it is, when I stumble upon it, I'm instantly hooked. And this book nails it. Someone needs to adapt this into a movie, and convince Luca Guadagnino to direct it. I just need the nostalgic feel of his films to translate this book into reality.

Now, onto the critique. While I truly enjoyed this book, it does lean a tad too heavily on European stereotypes. I know this author is from the US, and this book’s target audience is mostly for the US, but as someone who lives in Italy and has had the pleasure of travelling to most of the book's settings, I can vouch for the fact that it romanticises European culture a bit too much for my taste.

Speaking of Guadagnino, it's hard not to draw parallels to "Call Me by Your Name." Our protagonist, Kit, feels like a Timothy Chalamet doppelganger, and yes, there's even a peach scene.

But let's focus on the positives. I loved our two main characters and the way that they experience and thrive in their sexuality. The side characters serve as the perfect comedic relief, balancing out the narrative beautifully.

Now, if you're expecting the next "Red, White & Royal Blue," you might be disappointed. This story dives deep into themes like art and architecture, with a richly researched backdrop. By the time you're done, you'll feel like you've earned a master's degree in the subject, and that's the kind of depth I enjoy in my romance reads. When it’s not only the love story that remains, but also everything else.

Casey Mcquiston writes yearning and angst so well in this book. I loved our 2 main characters i just wish they didn't spent half the book hooking up with other people

This book was a struggle and I really can't find the words as to why this didn't work for me. It just felt... incomplete to me. There was too much lacking in plot and characterisation to really pull me in. The descriptions of food were a little much for me, especially when the word count could have gone towards actual plot and character development and the relationships and the dynamics within said relationships - you know the actual supposed focus of the novel.

But I know certain demographics will eat this up and enjoy it in a way that I sadly couldn't.