Headlines:
Whiplash affections
Competitive ex-lovers
Made me hungry

This fast-paced read felt kind of longer than I expected it to feel, probably because I never fully invested in the MCs Theo and Kit. These exes had a serendipitous meeting on a food tour-extravaganza across Europe and their reunion went from awkward, to flirty to placing competitive notches on the bedpost.

There was a lot of show with very little tell about these characters and when we finally got some credible deets about half way, I felt a little disappointed. Now most readers prefer show over tell, so this might just be me who was a bit slow on the uptake. When we finally got some Kit POV, I found that a refreshing change.

It goes without saying that the queer rep in McQuiston's hands was good and well-crafted in the MCs characterisation. The foodie vibes were incredible and I was figuratively drooling at times.

Some of the misunderstanding and miscommunications were a bit much for my taste. I wanted Theo in particular to slow down and use their words. By the culmination of this read, I felt half-hearted investment which was not where I wanted to be; I wanted to love this and that hype I set myself might have been part of the problem.

Overall, not my favourite McQuiston characters or storyline but it was a solid read in many ways.

Thank you to PanMacmillan for the review copy.

I had a love/hate relationship with this book when reading. It’s beautifully written and there’s no doubt we need some more bi representation in books. In theory I should have loved it more, as it’s travel based romance, in reality it came across as kind of – dare I say – pretentious. It might very well be that if I loved food and wine and Love Island style miscommunication tropes, I would have enjoyed it more than I did. The first part was sublime. Up until Kit and Theo decided on their competition, I was hooked. After that… not as much. I *do* think a lot of people will absolutely love it, and I’ve discussed it with other bookstagrammers already, who have thoroughly enjoyed it. I may very well be in the minority, it just didn’t entirely hit the mark for me. I think the double entendre in the title should have indicated WINE! I didn't pick up on the clues!

'The Pairing' is a great read for the summer. Like every single one of McQuiston's previous works, this book showcases their strengths as a writer. It delivers a compelling story about two characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves, even when they are trying to protect them from further pain.

This book has a big heart and that's apparent in every single page, delivering a vast array of emotions with each new stop of their journey.

If you like the chaos and the heart of McQuiston's previous stories, you'll definitely enjoy this new entry to their literary canon.

I did not think I would enjoy this book… I’m European, so I don’t get excited about old European things (aka architecture and stuff) like Americans do… I’m not a foodie or wine enthusiast… So this was not gonna be my thing at all…

but it’s written by Casey’s i was going to give it a try…

Boy, was I wrong… I enjoyed this immensely! I was right about all the food and wine stuff not being my thing… I skimmed all of those bits… But the love between Theo and Kit is what kept me glued to the book and I read 90% of it in one go.
I just fell in love with those two horny idiots! 💜

if you’re unsure, I suggest you at least give it a try! I don’t regret it at all!

TL/DR: I loved it, but hated it for about half the time I was reading it. Approach with an open heart and mind.

Now that's out of the way, let me say I adore McQuiston's writing. RWARB is one of my favourite books ever and when I saw there was a book that seemed to be essentially RWARB on an MM bacchanalic tour across the food of Europe I moved so fast I may have caused a small earth tremor. It was only part way in that I realised this wasn't quite the story I thought I was getting (the (view spoiler) was a big hint now that I look back, and there were others earlier). That's on me maybe, but I'm going to otherwise try and keep this review spoiler free. The book, more than anything else, reads like a love letter to European food, wine and culture, as seen through the decidedly rose tinted specs of the young, beautiful and wealthy. I grew up on the incredible Provence books of Peter Mayle, and by book 2 he was writing about enthusiastic international readers who had come to France and attempted to recreate down to the last glass of pastis every meal described in book 1. I guarantee this book will cause Americans to do the same. I expect the unofficial Casey McQuiston tour is already in the planning stages.

As for the romance, it made me ache. It made me give up halfway through chapters in a huff. It made me rush to find someone to read a passage that had made me smile so hard it brought tears to my eyes. I am not a fan of second chance romance (that's on me), and if you're on the fence about it this book may be hard for you. I personally found it heartbreaking to watch two characters so in love with each other participate in meaningless hookup after meaningless hookup.

I'm glad I stuck with it through the OTT sexscapades and nepo wallowing and all the other minor irritants because on the whole, it's a beautiful book, and one that reignited in me a fire for culinary discovery that's been buried a while. One for lovers of food even more than for lovers of romance. The overall feel of the book felt like a 3.5-star to me given how many times I nearly gave up on it, but the sheer amount of highlighted quotes I had by then end (each of them a work of art in their own right) pushed it up to a 4-star.

I loved the concept of this book - a European tour based around food! I am huge foodie so the descriptions were very detailed. I also loved the representation - two bisexual main characters and one who is also non-binary; it's not a spoiler but the change of pronouns as the dynamics of Theo and Kit's relationship changes was super meaningful. Overall, I can see the appeal of this book to many - it's fun, sexual and cultural. I just couldn't help but feel that as the main characters were previously friends, their interactions feel a bit as if we know who they both are and know a lot about their past already, so I think it's just missing a bit of backstory.

"Wonder if heartbreak will fuck you if you learn to love it enough."

Sticking to my gut feeling of this being a 4 star read to me.

I understand why this book will have so many mixed emotions and feelings towards it, I understand that this won't be some readers' cups of tea but I'd love for readers to give this a chance if they enjoy romance books out there with messy characters.

I enjoyed following along with the main characters, I majorly enjoyed that this was a romance that showcased queer characters and a nonbinary main lead. It was nice to see a romance story that showcased the romance and spice between two characters whilst allowing these characters the messiness that comes with discovering your gender, sexuality and the universal struggles of a romantic relationship.

Yes, you can get frustrated in the inactivity of characters admitting their feelings and emotions but I enjoyed that this was incorporated into the self-discovery and healing journey of the character. It's good to see writers allow the characters to be messy and not fit into boxes to allow them to have better development and story arc overall.

The plot of the story I enjoyed, the movement and flow of it lends really well in creating a good pace for the characters and scenes to keep moving. The different locations, cultures and food added a richness to the story and whilst giving a break for the romantic focus of the story, it allowed the reader to connect more to the characters and the love that they expressed through their passions.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an eARC copy, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Have you ever wanted to travel around Europe tasting all the food and drink on offer whilst also falling in love? Then, The Pairing is the book for you. It is a joy of a book that is full of humour, charismatic characters and beautiful settings.

The Pairing has been at the top of my anticipated releases list for the majority of the year and for good reason. Casey McQuiston has once again written a spectacular novel that you can’t help but fall in love with.

Theo and Kit have been best friends, crushes, lovers and for the past fours years, estranged exes. It isn’t until Theo and Kit are trapped on board a tour bus that they discover they’ve both had the same idea. That is the dream to take a European food and wine tour. They planned on doing this alone but now they’re stuck together for three weeks traveling through France, Spain and Italy. It’s fine though, they are absolutely over each other.

So, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot tour guide first, Kit is game. In fact, why stop there? Why not have a full-on hookup competition? But, it makes them crave the one thing they can’t have.

I loved that this book is told from dual POVs. The first half of the story is told from Theo’s perspective and then the second half, from Kit’s perspective which I enjoyed. I loved them both. We get to see Kit discover who they are and what they want from life. Then, we get to see how Theo starts the book feeling out of place and goes on a journey to find their place in the world.

There are so many different themes in this book which are weaved together excellently. These include found family, childhood friendship, finding yourself, self-sabotage amongst many others. All of these add depth and an element of complexity to the story which I thoroughly enjoyed. Plus, there is incredible representation of non-binary and bisexual characters and this representation is done with care and is realistic.

On top of all of this, I loved the plot. It was a lot of fun to go on a road trip around stunning parts of Europe. Not only that but we have a sommelier and a pastry chef at the centre of the story which allows for the descriptions of the food and the drinks to be next level. Every time I finished a section of this book I was hungry.

Casey McQuiston is still one of my favourite authors out there. Their books are always incredible and such fun reads. Their writing is so easy to immerse yourself into and makes it impossible to put the book down.

Overall, The Pairing is an excellent book to read if you are dreaming of a road trip. It is full of joy, humour, beautiful settings and a lovely romance. I would highly recommend it!

In my opinion as a reader, that the best kind of books are ones you experience. The ones you keep thinking “this would make a great screen adaptation”
The Pairing was exactly that.

There’s a couple of tropes that I’m just not a fan of, friends to lovers for example, isn’t always done well enough for my liking.
Only in such case Casey Mcquiston truly took over and said “hold my beer,” gave us Theo and Kit, the best friends to lovers to exes I’ve read in quite a while (if not ever).

These two are on a bus ride all through Europe, competing who’s the sluttiest -literally taking points on who gets laid faster- until they can no longer fight the true attraction and emotions that they always had which are only strongest towards each other. Stuffing their faces full of exquisite sweets. And slowly combing through the tangle of miscommunication that turned then into exes in the first place.

The Pairing is also the kind of book that makes you fall in love with every single side character mentioned. Even the sheep bumping Kit’s thigh as he talks with Theo on the side of the road.

The perfect summer slutty read.
I hope everyone loves it as much as i did, though i may be biased as i would read anything Casey puts out. And love every minute of it.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc!!

Finally — my first 5* book of the year, and I am so happy it goes to The Pairing.
Summer-sweet, liquor-drenched, this book is an absolute delight from start to end. The food and wine descriptions are mouth-wateringly sumptuous, and they made me crave every single item mentioned in every location. I was transported to the old squares in Florence, the beaches of France, and it is testament to McQuiston’s writing skills that no place ever felt the same.
But, the romance! Deliciously sexy, Theo and Kit — with their adoring, poetic metaphors for one another — are the summer’s hottest literary couple. McQuiston writes connections, relationship history, and top-tier dialogue like no one else, making every couple feel so established and so destined for one another. I was rooting for this pairing, for The Pairing, and I was not let down. An absolutely glorious European summer romp that pulls at your heartstrings even as it titillates. Everyone read this!

The Pairing follows Kit and Theo, childhood best friends turned lovers, who, after a bad breakup on a transatlantic flight, find themselves on the same European food and wine tour. To distract themselves from their lingering attraction to one another they embark on a hookup competition, but old feelings rise to the surface quickly. The Pairing is original in its premise, wildly different to McQuiston’s previous novels, but still has their signature humour, something I greatly appreciated about this book. It truly is a love letter to food, wine, and travel, and this shows through both Kit and Theo’s passion for their craft. Their descriptions of their experiences and surroundings made me want to drop all of my responsibilities and embark on an impromptu backpacking trip around Europe. I really enjoyed the pov switch halfway through the novel as it allowed me to see how strong the yearning and pining was for both Kit and Theo, and to see them from a different perspective, making them far more complex as characters. The book does use the miscommunication trope quite frequently and Theo does suffer from a nepotism baby complex that may irritate some readers. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it as the perfect summer read.

This was an engaging story with some relatable characters. I love the way Casey always makes sure that these books are representative and if they are all this good I’ll never stop buying.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early release 🙂

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
🍷 second chance
🧀 foodie holiday romance
🍷 LGBTQ+ rep
🧀 it’s always been you

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
Kit and Theo, bisexual exes, accidentally book onto the same European food & wine tour 4 years after a brutal break up. They challenge each other to a “hookup competition” to try to prove to the other that they are over them 🫠

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
This felt like a book of two halves for me! Quite literally actually - the first 50% is in Theo’s pov, which I didn’t love, and the second 50% is in Kit’s, which I did!

Kit’s pov reminded me why I love second chance so much, he truly never stopped loving Theo, and the pining is 🤌🏼 Once we start to hear his side of things I was rooting for these two so hard, they really are soulmates 🥹

Having said that I didn’t love the first half - a combination of the “hookup competition“ (I don’t want to read my MCs getting with other people, no thanks x), and also the fact that Theo isn’t all that likeable. We needed a lot of character growth from them, and unfortunately because we switch to Kit’s pov we don’t really see it!

I loved all the food & wine across Europe! 🧀🍷 The tour & the foodie-ness did feel pretty (ok very) cliched and potentially googled (a sommelier remarking on the novelty of pairings which are fairly commonplace for example!), but as a big fan of both travel and food & wine I still found myself really enjoying it!

This doesn’t take the top spot of Casey McQuiston’s books for me (RW&RB 🥹), but I was fully won over and shed several tears for the beautiful ending! 🥲

The Pairing is a decadent summer romance, full of McQuiston's trademark humour, style, and so many fun pop culture references!

I'm a massive fan of McQuiston's books, and I really love how all of their characters feel so incredibly real. Kit and Theo's incredible chemistry, highlighted through the dual POV, is a real highlight. Both have clear flaws, and are not without their troubles to seek, but are so determined to try their best in the situation they've found themselves in, and it was lovely to see the world through their eyes.

I loved every moment of this book, and was only left looking for more! Perfect for hot euro summer!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 by Casey McQuiston [ARC] • 4/5 ⭐️
(childhood-friends-to-lovers, second chance, Europe road trip, bisexual representation, pastry chef x sommelier, slow burn)

𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟼𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺

• 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. […] Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.”

• I was so excited to receive an ARC for this book, not just because it was my first ARC ever but because I genuinely like books written by Casey McQuiston.

• I expected something similar to RWRB and while that wasn’t exactly what I got, I still liked this book very much. First of all, this book gave me such Call Me By Your Name vibes. In addition to that I had Chappell Roan songs in my mind, the whole time I was reading this. I loved the feeling it gave me.

• The story was also very interesting, not something I normally read. It was definitely an adventure and that is to say, not just because I felt like I was on this road trip with them. It was also quite spicy and full of sexual tension.

• I have to say, at times I found the MCs a little annoying because I just thought “It could be so easy if you’d just talk to each other.” But I guess it’s like this most of the time. Let’s be honest, I would be just as scared to talk about it as they were, so I think that’s quite relatable for me.

• Also, there was so much food talk which taught me a lot but also made me hungry all the time 😂

• Would I recommend it? Yes, just note that it’s not necessarily your typical sweet romcom. ✨

This was an unusual read giving this author's historical novels - it seemed more indulgent, overtly sexual and adult but also more authentic. The characters popped off the page and for the first three quarters of the book the European food tour vibe was really effective. However, much like a couple of the writer's previous works, it just goes on a little too long or it's a little over-egged. Despite that, really glad I read it.

The Pairing is a very atmospheric travel romance which follows former childhood sweethearts Kit and Theo as they accidentally traverse Europe together. Will they fall back in love? Or is what they had once gone forever?

I've never read a book which is so open and accepting of so many sex and gender elements, and it was so refreshing, with a wonderful level of spice. The detailed descriptions of places and food and drink were very well written but did slow the romance pace a little - although if you're a fan of the Eat Pray Love-style travelogue and you love a romance then The Pairing is 100% up your street.

Warning: This book will make you absolutely STARVING. Have plenty of food in the house/on your person while reading!

I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read Casey McQuiston's newest release ahead of publication - after adoring all three of their previous works, this is really a dream come true for me, first of all.

This was such a delightful read - the FOOD for starters - like I was just drooling at all the food, especially those chocolates! I really appreciated the atmosphere; this is the perfect summer read, every chapter and city felt so full of sunshine and warmth. The characters go through some incredible growth, and I loved how halfway through the book, we switch from one perspective to the other! It really helped me to like Theo more, and to understand Kit. Misunderstanding underpinned their breakup four years ago, and this was a beautiful story of reconnection and rediscovering each other. I think what I struggled with, was that SO much of their reconnection revolves around sex, and I wanted more CONVERSATION and less of the hookup competition? I think the book would've been 5 stars for me even, if the competition wasn't part of the plot, because it didn't add anything for me. That being said though, this is a gloriously summery read, a beautiful story and I will read anything this author writes.

I am so sad to say that I struggled to get into this.

I partly blame myself for not looking into the tropes beforehand, but as I have enjoyed Casey's previous work, I requested this arc hoping for the best.

I found the overall romance to be extremely lacking and felt next to no chemistry between the MCs. This was a shame as I believe they had huge potential, with their history, but the way they interacted from the start put me on the defensive and lead to me disliking both characters. I did like how Casey split the book into two parts, but by the time Kitt's part came around, I was just waiting for the book to end.

The atmosphere Casey creates in the book is superb, one thing this author does is set a scene, and the European food trip of my dreams they did create. The descriptions of food got to be too much for me at around the mid-way point but I can see this appealing to a different audience. McQuiston’s witty dialogue is a standout feature throughout as you'd expect.

If you are a fan of the tropes included, I would say give this book a go - but please be aware this is very different (in my opinion), to the authors other work.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ is one of my favourite books, and also now one of my favourites movies. I honestly can’t express how scared I was to watch the adaptation and the pure joy in finding out that it’s just as wonderful. I really enjoyed both ‘one Last Stop’ and ‘I Kissed Shara Wheeler’, but they never hit the heights of Alex and Henry’s story. ‘The Pairing’ did.

It hit every single note that I hoped it would.

This book feels like a return to a real love story woven up with conflict, lust, and the most delicious tension.


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.

So, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is game. In fact, why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.


Something that I look for in a novel is a vividness of setting, a strong sense of place; I like to be able to imagine that instead of laying in bed reading, I’m sweating under the Tuscan sun along with the characters. ‘The Pairing’ delivers that in spades.


We travel with Theo and Kit through France, Spain and Italy in the heat of August, trying local delicacies, drinking their fill of wine and getting swept up by the magic of summer in countries that were made for the season. As we jump from place to place, at the beginning of each chapter there is a local delicacy and the accompanying wine, which we then get to see the characters experience. The descriptions of the food and drink are so rich and sensual that they’re an experience all there own and it becomes an integral part of the setting, the characters and the atmosphere of this novel. I don’t even like wine and it got me googling wines for people who don’t like wine because I want to experience some of that joy and awe as Theo flaunts her sommelier skills while she drinks around Europe.

Theo and Kit are so well crafted that I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they’re real people. They’re flawed and have histories and traumas that shapes them, and it’s really cool to see their growth since they were together without even having a split timeline. But there is a split POV. There’s so much depth added in the mid-book POV switch from Theo to Kit.

The connection between them is electric and I couldn’t read fast enough. It’s a five star read for me and I’ll be recommending it endlessly.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the review copy.

Written by Sophie