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The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

1 review

oxfordcommas91's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


First, huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I’ve never met a Casey McQuiston book I haven’t gone absolutely feral for, and this book takes it to the next level. 

“The Pairing” is about two exes, Theo and Kit, who had the fairytale romance of the century - until they break up on their way to their trip of a lifetime, where they’re going to eat and drink their way across Europe. Years later, both armed with a voucher for that missed trip, they find each other back on that same tour, each changed and having grown from years apart. Both still obviously have feelings for each other and maybe more than a little bit of trauma over how things ended the last go around, so they do the only logical thing: challenge each other to a hook up competition. Whoever has bedded more people in more cities by the end of the tour wins.

As I already mentioned, I’m a huge CMQ fan. But they really outdid themselves with the Pairing. What a sexy, fun romp. This is the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a long while - I truly didn’t want it to end. Each page left me giggling - and googling the food, beverages, and locations I didn’t recognize. The Pairing was somehow sneaky educational - I learned so much about the history, architecture, and culture of so many cities. McQuiston’s descriptions of the scenery, food, beverages, and architecture made me truly feel like I could reach out and run my fingers along the rim of the glass of white wine or across the bumpy stone of the old Tuscan villa. The writing is beautifully descriptive without being overly flowery or precious.

McQuiston has a true gift for creating characters that feel so real and honest that you swear you’ve known them your whole life. The dialogue they craft is truly unmatched. They are able to examine and tackle complex issues like grief, gender expression, sexuality, and loss in a way that feels true and authentic.

Anyway, back to the plot - is it slightly unrealistic that everyone Theo and Kit meet on their travels are both sexually fluid and always ~down for a good time~? Maybe. But there’s always an element of suspended disbelief in romantic comedies, and wow am I willing to suspend my disbelief for this story. 

Yes the book is sexy (like, really sexy, blush-worthy sexy even for a non-prude) but it’s also wildly sweet and written in such a believable way that somehow it’s not overboard or cloying.

I want to live in Casey McQuiston’s world. This book was magic. It is indulgent and seductive. It is the book equivalent of the first ripe peach of summer (yes that’s a reference to a very specific scene…), the expensive bottle of wine, the morsel of dark chocolate melting in your mouth. I would read a million sequels about Theo and Kit. 
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