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ambrosiablue's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Have you ever borrowed a book or read an ebook/audiobook that you immediately knew you had to own? So you can reread it whenever you want, loan it to a friend, write in the margins, or really, just to know something that beautiful is in your home in easy reach. This was that book for me. I read The Pairing as an advanced reader's copy, and preordered the hardcover before I even finished because I had to physically own a book this perfect.
Theo and Kit are two bisexual disasters on a romantic European food and wine tour-- only four years and a nasty breakup too late. Stuck together on what was once the vacation of their dreams, they try to keep it from dissolving into nightmare by having a "friendly-but-horny" competition to see who can seduce more locals. The book ends up being part romantic comedy, part traveloge, with so much loving detail painting each city, dish, and drink that you're completely transported. August 6th cannot come soon enough!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Ableism
oxfordcommas91's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Drug use and Dysphoria
skudiklier's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I keep wanting to say this is my favorite of Casey McQuiston's books, but I know that it's been a couple years since I've read their other ones, and I'm biased by the fact that this is the one currently making me feel A Lot of Things. But that said!! This book was amazing. McQuiston has done it again.
There are so many things about this book that I loved. The friendship. The heartbreak. The different kinds of love and relationships and sex and closeness. The queerness of it all. The way it shifted perspectives at the best times. The way it handles Theo's gender. The way even when I thought I could see a problem coming, it always managed to surprise me instead.
This book made me feel so many things. It made me tell my partner that he's my best friend. It made me want to go back and reread McQuiston's other books. It made me want to taste everything and see everything and experience everything (and it made me very excited for my upcoming trip to Europe haha). I don't know how to compare this to their other books, since again, it's been a couple years since I read those. But The Pairing exceeded my expectations and I can't wait for my friends to read it so I can talk about it with them.
(My only complaint that isn't a standard romance "why didn't you talk to each other ugh" is so minor I hesitate to include it, but I will here just to get it off my chest, and so people who know me don't read this and think I loved this part of the book too: oh my god the rich white people vibes of this book. Any time all their bougie LA nepo baby shit came up I was struggling not to roll my eyes. In some ways the book addresses and makes up for this, but in some ways it doesn't. But. Again. I'm still giving the book five stars, so. Take all that as lightly as possible!!)
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.
There are so many things about this book that I loved. The friendship. The heartbreak. The different kinds of love and relationships and sex and closeness. The queerness of it all. The way it shifted perspectives at the best times. The way it handles Theo's gender. The way even when I thought I could see a problem coming, it always managed to surprise me instead.
This book made me feel so many things. It made me tell my partner that he's my best friend. It made me want to go back and reread McQuiston's other books. It made me want to taste everything and see everything and experience everything (and it made me very excited for my upcoming trip to Europe haha). I don't know how to compare this to their other books, since again, it's been a couple years since I read those. But The Pairing exceeded my expectations and I can't wait for my friends to read it so I can talk about it with them.
(My only complaint that isn't a standard romance "why didn't you talk to each other ugh" is so minor I hesitate to include it, but I will here just to get it off my chest, and so people who know me don't read this and think I loved this part of the book too: oh my god the rich white people vibes of this book. Any time all their bougie LA nepo baby shit came up I was struggling not to roll my eyes. In some ways the book addresses and makes up for this, but in some ways it doesn't. But. Again. I'm still giving the book five stars, so. Take all that as lightly as possible!!)
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Blood
Minor: Dysphoria and Transphobia
jennikreads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent
angelanoelle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
casey mcquiston really put everything i’ve ever loved or wanted—LOTR references! devastating rilke quotes! a european food and wine tour with chaotic bisexual exes!—into a blender, added a bottle of champagne, and wrote THE book of the summer. beautiful, devastating, hilarious, un-put-downable; i loved it and i’ll be dreaming of kit and theo until i can get my hands on a physical copy in august.
*advance e-book copy provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
*advance e-book copy provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Blood
ninabubblygum's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars? I don't know. I'm not good at rating books 😭 I really liked it and it's well written, but I have mixed feelings (a lot of feelings in general). very beautifully written all around but I was skimming a lot of the highly descriptive paragraphs about food and art because I didn't understand most things and it's a lot to keep googling. and that's okay! it still does well to paint the scene and makes it very easy to picture yourself being there.
the miscommunication and self sabotage is sadly realistic but so frustrating to read because so much feels like it could have been different if they'd just communicated - but then if that were the case, the entire book would have gone differently, so i suppose some of it was necessary for things to happen the way they did. it all seems to get repetitive after a while as far as the plot and what's going on, but it's still enjoyable and i was fairly hooked. overall, it was a decent pace and a balance of art and feelings and cuteness and hotness and angst.
the miscommunication and self sabotage is sadly realistic but so frustrating to read because so much feels like it could have been different if they'd just communicated - but then if that were the case, the entire book would have gone differently, so i suppose some of it was necessary for things to happen the way they did. it all seems to get repetitive after a while as far as the plot and what's going on, but it's still enjoyable and i was fairly hooked. overall, it was a decent pace and a balance of art and feelings and cuteness and hotness and angst.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Grief
downtown_kb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“They wanted to be loved, and eat good food, and make art, and f*ck.”
“The human condition,” I agree.
This book reads like a travel fantasy come true: a completely immersive sensory experience as C.M. lets you feel, smell, hear and taste your way through France, Spain and Italy. The entire time I was reading it I just desperately wanted to go to all these places. Do they actually have tours like this at a reasonable price?
I enjoyed getting to know Theo and Kit and they had such a great connection and truly come alive in this story. I was rooting for them to work out their issues especially once I pieced together the clues for their HEA. This has some of my favorite tropes: childhood friends to lovers, second chance, only one bed. There is also some heavy mutual pining. The hardest thing about second chance romances is doing it well. Pulling off a believable romance and break up and then selling that it was a big enough issue to cause the split but not so big that it ruins the future. This one didn't get there for me, unfortunately. Personally my least favorite way for a couple to reconcile is by a chance encounter. It's so unromantic. This also deals heavily in a miscommunication, another least favorite thing, and lack of communication which occurs the entire book. This undersold the belief I had in their great connection and once the issue was revealed, I lost patience in the drawn out angst. (I did some skimming.) For sure, insecurities getting in our way is a universal human condition, but for Kit and Theo...I just couldn't believe it. That being said, I still will be thinking about Theo and Kit for a while to come. C.M. crafted some wonderfully memorable characters. And this story is so much more than just a romance or maybe it's that new weird category we find some many romances in these days? Finding ourselves while we find love - not "chick lit" but can this be bi-lit or nonbinary lit?
This book is so horny and sensual, the writing is immersive. If you love food and wine this book is for you! If you get offended by casual sex, this book is not for you!
It is slow paced rekindling of trust and romance mixed with growth and discovery. The wonderful imagery catapults the reader into a sort of travel fugue state. I went into this for the romance and came away inspired to travel!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
“The human condition,” I agree.
This book reads like a travel fantasy come true: a completely immersive sensory experience as C.M. lets you feel, smell, hear and taste your way through France, Spain and Italy. The entire time I was reading it I just desperately wanted to go to all these places. Do they actually have tours like this at a reasonable price?
I enjoyed getting to know Theo and Kit and they had such a great connection and truly come alive in this story. I was rooting for them to work out their issues especially once I pieced together the clues for their HEA. This has some of my favorite tropes: childhood friends to lovers, second chance, only one bed. There is also some heavy mutual pining. The hardest thing about second chance romances is doing it well. Pulling off a believable romance and break up and then selling that it was a big enough issue to cause the split but not so big that it ruins the future. This one didn't get there for me, unfortunately. Personally my least favorite way for a couple to reconcile is by a chance encounter. It's so unromantic. This also deals heavily in a miscommunication, another least favorite thing, and lack of communication which occurs the entire book. This undersold the belief I had in their great connection and once the issue was revealed, I lost patience in the drawn out angst. (I did some skimming.) For sure, insecurities getting in our way is a universal human condition, but for Kit and Theo...I just couldn't believe it. That being said, I still will be thinking about Theo and Kit for a while to come. C.M. crafted some wonderfully memorable characters. And this story is so much more than just a romance or maybe it's that new weird category we find some many romances in these days? Finding ourselves while we find love - not "chick lit" but can this be bi-lit or nonbinary lit?
This book is so horny and sensual, the writing is immersive. If you love food and wine this book is for you! If you get offended by casual sex, this book is not for you!
It is slow paced rekindling of trust and romance mixed with growth and discovery. The wonderful imagery catapults the reader into a sort of travel fugue state. I went into this for the romance and came away inspired to travel!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
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