Due to the mixed reviews, I will admit I was dubious going in.

Was there a bit too much Americanised touristy European fantasy? Yes.
And does someone trying to explain the leathery, dark fruity notes of wine usually give me the ick? Also yes.

But somehow in the world of Theo and Kit, it worked.

I can see why it may have not been popular. But I appreciated it didn’t follow the usual format of 2nd chance love. There was pining, but it was nice to see queer enjoyment with other people.

I liked that each half of the book was from a different perspective. It was a good choice to have Theo first, the dryer and more cynical of the two.

I had a soft spot for Theo and seeing them from Kits perspective, softened them in the latter half.
I will admit I enjoyed Kit a bit less, he lacked something that I can’t quite put my finger on. But together, they rounded each other out.

Beautiful descriptions of places, food and drink.
Overall, a good read. Best enjoyed on a summer day with a glass of red, paired with some fruit and cheese.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. 4/5 ⭐️

Thank you to netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The pairing is a highly anticipated novel written by a popular author, so I have no doubt that it will do well. My issue lies in the fact that this response will not be based on this novel's content.

Kit and Theo are, perhaps, the least convincing couple I have ever come across in literature and their lack of connection and chemistry made this a slog to get through. Typically I can enjoy a book if the characters are lacking so long as the plot is strong. Instead, we have a lengthy tale of pretension in which McQuiston series to tell the reader how much they know about Europe.

The entire premise is 'how hot are Kit and Theo? Everyone wants to sleep with them so you don't need to see any redeeming qualities-just trust me, no one (except one woman who wont play second fiddle to Kit ) can say no to them’ and frankly it gets boring quickly.

Two awful characters, no chemistry and a ridiculous plot made for a difficult read. The 2 stars are for the tour guide and the bus driver.

This is kind of the book of the summer for me. I didn’t know how much I needed bi 4 bi exes going on a food and wine tour of Europe while desperately trying (and failing) not to rekindle their feelings until now. The only way to combat them is with a little friendly competition; whoever can have the most hookups across the trip wins, if they don’t let their own simmering tension get in the way first. I thought the bisexual representation was so refreshing, especially since the characters were allowed to explore their own promiscuity without fear of stereotype. It led to some important conversations around sexuality and (at the risk of spoilers) gender identity, all of which was handled very sensitively. Even if I found it hard to sympathise at times, I found the element of nepotism added an interesting layer to things too. Plus, the lush descriptions of each city on the tour and how they were characterised by their food and drink were simply to die for. Overall, this book swept me off my feet in a whirl of wine and pastries, and I can definitely see myself returning to it in future for some summer escapism.

i adore theo and kit with every soul of my being <3 this is a childhood friends to lovers (and then they break up and don’t speak for 4 years), friends with benefits, second chance romance with a side of miscommunication!

THEO is the character that i connected with the most because i related to them so much! my heart physically hurt for them during his pov/“version”.

KIT really had down bad vibes for theo. the way he was willing to just love theo from afar, and waited for them even if theo never came back— he just never stopped loving them. his love for theo was unmatched and swoon-worthy.

i fully believe that they needed their break up and 4-year separation in order to go through self-discovery etc. i loved not only that they came back together, but the way they came back together.

i do, however, wish that we could have seen theo’s pov during certain moments that we saw in kit’s pov. regardless, this book was truly giving summer romance, in the best way.

I think this is the only Casey McQuiston book I haven't rated 5*, but it still had a lot going for it. Mostly the vibes. Those immaculate summery vibes. Food porn for days. Do not read while hungry. DO read on a sunny day. Even better yet, read while you're on holiday yourself, at the beach or by the pool or at a bar somewhere, so the jealousy isn't so strong when you raise your head above the surface, back into the real world.

Anyway, I guess what I was really looking for (for a 5* rating) was more humour, and more time with the background characters. What we do get is great, but I wanted more on that front as I loved those elements in the author's other books. I could also argue the pacing is a bit slow, but to be honest it fits with the lazy summer day vibes (probably why I enjoyed reading this more on sunny days). What I will say was a big plus was the development of the relationship - there's no big third act break up or anything, just normal, lowkey highs and lows that build to a happy ending. Nothing felt forced.

Overall this was a lovely summer read!

Review of ‘The Pairing‘ by Casey McQuiston. A vivid travel romance with compelling characters, but an overabundance of miscommunication. This book takes readers on a picturesque journey through European cities, capturing the essence of each stop. Dive into this review to explore the highs and lows of McQuiston’s latest novel and see if it’s the right fit for your next read.

Casey McQuiston’s ‘The Pairing‘ is a whirlwind of a book that takes you on a journey through some of the most picturesque spots in Europe. I really loved how each chapter is a stop on their trip. As someone who has visited places like Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bordeaux, and San Sebastian, I found it delightful to see these cities through the eyes of the characters. McQuiston’s descriptions brought back fond memories and made me feel like I was walking those charming streets again.

The plot is engaging, but let’s address the elephant in the room: there’s a lot of sex. And I mean, A LOT. The graphic scenes are plentiful, involving not just the main characters but others as well. While I didn’t mind the explicit content, the sheer volume of it might be overwhelming for some readers. The book is about a European hookup competition, but I feel like it could’ve been toned down a bit. In essence, the book felt like it was about food, drinks, and sex. In the beginning, it was very entertaining, but as the story progressed through more stops in different cities, it became a bit predictable. Also, a quick warning: Theo does swear quite a lot. I swear a lot too, but in ‘The Pairing‘ it felt really exaggerated. Every other sentence Theo said had some swear word in it, which was such a contrast with Kit.

A major downside for me was the heavy reliance on the miscommunication trope. I generally dislike this trope, and this book was packed with it. Theo’s handling of situations, especially considering their close relationship with Kit, felt off and often annoying. Their behavior sometimes bordered on frustrating, making the constant misunderstandings feel excessive and tiresome. I also wasn’t a fan of the nepo baby trying not to be a nepo baby storyline.

On a more positive note, I appreciated Theo’s journey of self-discovery. It was a significant part of the story, though I wish it had been explored more deeply on the page. Kit, on the other hand, was an absolute gem. Reading his POV was both heart-wrenching and compelling. His experiences and the way Theo often put him in difficult situations made me root for him even more. Kit was definitely my favorite character. I would’ve liked to see more of the other characters as well, such as Theo and Kit’s siblings and parents.

A bit of a reality check was needed. The fact that nearly every character in the book was queer and willing to engage in sexual activities felt a bit unrealistic. While I understand and appreciate the intention of representation, it stretched believability to the point of distraction.

Despite these issues, I was entertained and couldn’t put ‘The Pairing‘ down. I just kept reading and wanted to know how Theo and Kit’s story ended. I read until late at night just to finish the book. McQuiston does have a writing style that really works for me.

Would I recommend it?

Overall, ‘The Pairing’ is a mix of vivid travel, intense romance, and self-discovery. Despite its flaws, it offers an engaging read with memorable moments, especially if you enjoy travel-themed stories with a touch (or multiple) of heat.

6,5/10

I really really REALLY wanted to love this book. No one, absolutely no one, was manifesting a 5 star read for months with this book more than I was. I have been waiting for this for months. I needed it in my body and soul because who doesn’t want to read about two bisexual ex’s touring Europe’s finest Wine and Food spots whilst partaking in a sex competition?!

But this just wasn’t it for me. I am so disappointed it didn’t quite deliver like I thought it would.

It’s a long book with a lot of food and wine descriptions at quite a niche level (Googles “is Casey McQuinston a certified sommelier), and I actually quite liked how detailed it was. It felt immersive and homely throughout Europe and the vivid descriptions of the European cities and food within it was very atmospheric; I felt like I was standing there right beside Theo and Kit. I also loved how queer it was; yes everyone they met was the most attractive person you’ve ever seen and conveniently bi or pansexual, but I liked this alternate fiction where sexuality is fluid and the norm.

But on the negative side, we were told way too much of Theo and Kit’s past relationship and were never shown. Straightaway it was very difficult to connect to them and care about their stakes of will they / won’t they get back together. So whilst it did have some really tender and touching moments throughout between them and their own self realisation, the majority of the chemistry felt either forced or flat.

For the most part, The Pairing also includes a lot of McQuinston’s humour and character banter back and forth. But whilst the dialogue is quick and funny with one liners and rude jokes, it’s amazing how on an individual level both are quite boring people? They barely have a personality other than they’re both beautiful and a little bit sad. Throw in a nepotism baby complex which makes up all of Theo’s personality, and an art history major which makes up Kit’s, and we’ve got a two people that coexist on this trip together that are constantly miss-communicating.

This is (or at least feels like) an extra long novel that doesn’t have a lot of interesting side characters playing any part in the story other than to make it convenient that sometimes Theo and Kit have a buffer for their conversations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so, you know, I'm a fan of all the other books this author has written (can't talk about I kissed Shara Wheeler, yet, since I still need to read that one, but I love the other two). This one just wasn't it for me, even though I had high hopes to love it as well. But I'm sure it will be the book for someone else, because I can see why people will love this story.

Let me start with that I for sure did like some things in the book, because otherwise, I wouldn't have finished reading it. But it still took me like 40 days to read it, which is a lot for me. Anyways, maybe I should have read better what this book is actually about, because then, I probably would have decided beforehand that this wouldn't be the book for me. I'm not a fan of anything food related, so a book which follows a food tour might not be the best reading choice.

Okay, so, I did love the characters. Especially Theo, I loved their character and their growth. I felt a little less connected to Kit, but I enjoyed reading his pov more than I did enjoy Theo's. I don't know, but I think Kit's pov came when the story also got a bit more deeper, and that made me love his pov more. Also, I loved the vibes. I can't really explain that one, but the right vibes were in the story, and that made me keep reading. I also wanted to know whether or not these two would end up together again, and if they did, when that would happen.

And honestly, I didn't really care for the rest. I know now that I'm really (and I mean REALLY) not a fan of like a sex competition?? Like, what was that even necessary for. It felt like all the side character were in the story, just because they have a good body and they could be a possible sex partner for Theo, Kit, or both. I missed some deeper meanings with all the other characters, who were pretty prominent in the story, but never had any depth if you ask me. Also, WHY was like everyone ready to have sex after just having met. Like, you know, I loved the queerness in this story, but that part could be less. That would also have made things a bit more realistic.

I did love one scene very much, when Kit and Theo get to Fabrizio's house. If you have read it, you will know what I'm talking about. But safe to say, that scene made me laugh a lot. And also made this book a bit better.

Also, their struggles sometimes didn't feel that realistic? I mean, I get that Theo hates to be a nepo baby. But the fact that they couldn't establish something in the business world felt weird. I mean, you keep hearing how their entire family is so wealthy and well-known. I mean, they could easily get some business off the ground just by using their name. And the fact that they did play to be some poor young person, felt absolutely wrong. They just kept going on about how they were a failure in life, and refused any kind of help. That just irritated me a lot of times.

Anyways, this story did have some cute scenes, especially, when Theo and Kit start really talking to each other again. But overall, this wasn't the story for me. And that's okay. Because it will be the story for someone. I will just enjoy the other books this author has written, and when a new book comes out, I will look again if that book is something for me or not.

This book was certainly not bad, but I just didn't like some big parts that were going on in the lives of the main characters. Even so, I loved reading about the main characters themselves. Oh, and I really recommend you to look up fan art about them, because it is super, super, cute.

This pains me to write, but I did not enjoy this book at all. I loved RWAB and One Last Stop but really struggled with Shara Wheeler, so going into this I was hoping that it would grip me again and remind me why I enjoyed McQuiston's writing. Unfortunately, I was just so bored reading this. It felt unfinished and rushed and I just didn't care about the characters at all. Sorry!!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Pan MacMillan and Casey McQuiston for a complimentary e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to disclaimer this review by saying I had to DNF this book at 50% which is something I hate to do for an early release copy but I had to do this for my mental health. This book just isn't right for me at current and whilst I may attempt to complete it one day because there were bits I genuinely loved about the book, the negative aspects were too much for me right now. Apologies.

Let me start off by saying that there is nothing wrong with the writing in this book - in fact, I adore the writing and I think Casey McQuiston has a very readable and inviting writing style which really draws you into her stories. I absolutely loved Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey and gave it five stars and I felt much the same feelings with the writing style in this book. I would definitely read Casey's other books but for me at least, the plot of this book just was really not for me.
We follow Theo and Kit (the first half of the book told from Theo's perspective and the second half from Kit's), former lovers who haven't seen each other in around four years since they broke up before a trip of a lifetime. When Theo books the European tour they were supposed to have gone on finally, they discover that Kit has booked the same one and the two are going to be stuck together for the next couple of weeks. It's clear from the get go that Theo at least is still very broken up over Kit - indeed both parties have spent the last few years in casual hook ups and haven't explored any other romantic relationships. Both have grown up and matured but can they put past their break up and try and be friends again - and the perfect way to do that is with a little healthy (COUGH it's really not healthy COUGH) competition of who can hook up with the most people on their trip across Europe, right?

Right away I have to say that I hated the competition aspect of these two trying to sleep with as many people and it was plain pretty much from the beginning that all this was doing was hurting one another as we see Theo at least succumbing to jealousy pretty much straight away seeing Kit with someone else. I really hoped that it would become clear to them straight away that this was a bad way of patching up their 'friendship' but it took many repetitions of this toxic cycle before it became obvious to them both that they still had complicated feelings for one another. As a reader it was very clear that the two still felt deeply for one another (even that Kit did, seen from Theo's perspective) and this just made the whole storyline for this very depressing, just watching these two messed up people mess each other up even more. I really was rooting for Theo and Kit to get back together and I did like them both as characters (though Theo definitely frustrated me a lot with their emotional immaturity) but I really didn't want to witness the long path to them getting together as it felt like it was a path filled with so much hurt and pain. I didn't WANT to see these two people randomly hooking up with other gorgeous people who they then proceeded to forget completely - it made the competitive aspect just feel really shallow.
Ultimately I just found the storyline really upsetting and I'm not someone who gets affected by romance issues in books very often - I put it down to Casey's amazingly emotional writing that it hit me as hard as I did which is as much as a compliment as it is a negative for me in this case.
I've seen from other reviewers that the second half of the book, told from Kit's point of view is a much better ride but I gather other people are sharing the same feelings as me as to the actual storyline for this book. I really really wanted to love this and whilst I definitely found great parts throughout such as hearing about the couple's past relationship and their sweet moments and I did enjoy the european food and drink tour aspects (though it was a bit MUCH at times), it was just overshadowed by the constant step backs that their relationship took every few pages back into pain and jealousy. (A side note also but I wasn't entirely keen on the depictions of many of the side characters in the different countries and the depiction of their tour guide - it all felt a bit like racial stereotypes).

Full disclosure: I DNF'ed this. I got about 47% in before I finally bailed, although I did rapidly skim the rest of the book just to see if it would pull me back in: it didn't. It was a long, unpleasant slog to that 47%. I wanted to like this so badly, I absolutely loved RWRB and OLS and had high hopes for this from the blurb but it didn't live up to expectations.

I found this far too pretentious and redundant. The cast felt shallow and one dimensional and I just found the whole traipse through Europe thing so banal. Theo was insufferable, Kit wasn't much better, and I hated their interactions. The background and exposition were also incredibly hard to push through. There were a lot of descriptions of things that didn't really further the plot, and the plot itself was just... boring.

The writing is fairly strong, as always with McQuiston but the story itself was a major letdown. I wish I liked this more. I'm giving it 2* instead of 1, because I didn't finish it the full way through and maybe it managed to better somewhere that I missed.

2.5 stars, but I've rounded up to 3.

I'm sad to say I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book. I found it quite longwinded and boring at times, I much preferred the second half when it was through Kit’s pov, but there wasn’t really anything to keep me hooked. Though I did love Kit’s reaction when Theo told him something big, I thought it was very sweet.

Oh god this book is so good! The voice is so confident. The writing is so evocative of place, time, smells, all of the senses. The characters are likeable, even all the side characters. And it's SO damn sexy. Did I mention it's sexy as hell? It's McQuiston's most accomplished book to date.

dnf at 55%

I really did try to like it but there’s no plot. It’s so repetitive and it just drags and drags on. The romance is so not there, both main characters have sex 24/7 with different people due to a bet. There’s so much of it there that it literally makes the book so boring and hard to read. The characters both are nearly 30 but act as horny teenagers.

Theo is an insufferable person to read from. He’s a nepo baby who wants no help from his family like he’s there struggling with bills knowing that he’s in the position where he’s able to get help financially from his family and he just doesn’t take it. Most of his pov is him complaining about his troubles.

The romance wasn’t there at all, their miscommunication that led to the breakup in the first place was overall dumb. Don’t take me wrong I did really enjoy Kit but by the time U reached to his pov, I just didn’t have it in me to care for the story anymore. Also the whole dividing the book in half with first half Theo pov and the second Kit was honestly so stupid. It should’ve just been a normal dual pov which probably would’ve made it so much easier to read.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who's adored the Casey McQuiston's previous novels, I was very excited for a new one. However, The Pairing wasn't quite for me. I didn't dislike it, but didn't love it either.

On the one hand, the author's writing is always absolutely beautiful and evocative. At times, I could barely stop reading because I was so drawn into their words. They never fail to amaze me with the way they can create magic with words.

On the other hand, I wasn't sold on the story itself. I understand where it wanted to go, but I felt it was too much, too pushed on the erotic and extravagant, turning everything in Europe into a chance of seducing and having sex with someone new. The spicy scenes were beautifully written, but often felt out of place, and the romance felt more like pure physical attraction than any other feeling. Second chance romances can work, but I didn't feel this one enough. I also wish the side characters were a bit more fleshed out, as there were interesting premises there but everyone was left without any depth.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read The Pairing as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect dose of romance that I was after - with enough depth to make me really care about the characters, enough angst to keep me on my toes and a beautiful love between two people.

Casey McQuiston writes characters so well; I started the book feeling so sorry for Theo and really rooting for them. I disliked everything that had been done to them by Kit and just wanted them to have a chance to be happy. But then the second half of the book totally threw me through a loop when we switched to Kit’s perspective and all was not quite as it seemed.

The backdrop of the romance is gorgeous, I love that we got to tour through Europe with them and a small group - were there some stereotypes thrown in for good measure? Sure there were, but did I care? Not even a tiny little bit.

All the talk of food and drink did get a bit dull for me in places but I get that it was about adding context to the characters so it didn’t bother me too much.

The ending of this book was just lovely.

Such a gorgeous book.

Terribly disappointed by this book, especially after what fun Red, White, and Royal Blue was. But I will give it one star for McQuistion's incredible research skills, and for the non-binary main character. I loved how the pronouns changed midway.

But the book...well. It has no plot, two terribly pretentious and privileged main characters, and the narrative style of a mediocre travel memoir. There were repetitive phrases and ideas that started to grate, like how familiar the beings and bodies of Theo and Kit were for each other; how whole and pure their relationship was; and the rinse-and-repeat drama being played out at each stop of the European tour, including its extremely attractive and sexual inhabitants.

I must have skipped about 40% of the book, jumping to the end. Looks like I missed absolutely nothing.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

dnf. okay exes to lovers?? the trope of all time. i loved the yearning. the angst. the flashbacks. but this book was personally too rich white american tourists in fancy europe vibes for my taste lol. 75% of this book is just drinking and hooking up and i felt myself skimming so many parts. and i KNOW i shouldve gotten used to this by now and i know the author is making fun of people on instagram for saying this but there was wayyy too much smut for my taste that turned me off lmao. massive downgrade from shara wheeler jsfkhgdjfkh

I loved the unique perspective of a protagonist who's non-binary and bi. And the descriptions of the places we see on the tour made me wish I could travel literally anywhere. Especially because of the descriptions of food. They're mouth-watering, well-researched descriptions.

Plot-wise, I loved watching these idiots fall back in lust, and eventually love. Watching them make dumb mistakes whilst being aware, as a reader, that there's only one way this can end, and it's with them back together again.

And then when we swapped to Kit as a narrator and found out just how insanely in love he is and always has been with Theo - just plain old adorable. The book really picked up with the second half, told from Kit's POV.

I did, however, spend large portions of my time reading wishing that I could bang their heads together because they just would not talk about their feelings and realise they both love each other. And they just kept keeping secrets from each other - mostly Theo with their struggles in life and lack of money but refusal to take money from their sister, and their gender identity - but then Kit kept a phone call secret at one point, so Theo can't be entirely blamed.

The whole book is just so rich and indulgent in its descriptions of everything, from food, to architecture, to art, to sex, to wine. I've never wanted to travel so much because of a book before.

Amazing amazing amazing,
I've honestly said the words "this is a life changing read" multiple times whilst reading the pairings.
Wonderfully paced, horny in all aspects. deliciously done. I don't want to leave them!
Who wants to go on a food and wine tour of Europe with me!