The Pairing

Funny and spicy! Casey McQuistons new book is a lot more smutty than the previous ones. But like always there's a lot of witty characters. Theo and Kit are exes and meet again at the food&wine-tour they planned to make right before their breakup. The start of their reunion is filled with miscommunication. But can you really stay mad at each other if you're traveling through Europe and meet many hot locals, have good food and a meddling hot tour-guide. If you love good food descriptions you're gonna love this book! If you're hungry: beware!

CMQ newest book was such a fun summer time read! 'The Pairing' is definitely a bit sexier than their previous works but still more than just plain smut. I loved Theo and Kit alot. I could laugh at their banter, adored their friendship and thought both reacted reasonably considering their past. I am not usually a fan of second chance rmances but this one I actually really liked. Their break made perfect sense for them as individuals as well as a couple. I will say I would have prefered a bit less sex as it did seem a bit unsual they could always find hot and sexy bisexual people to f*** in any country but nontheless I had a blast!

Theo and Kit broke up shortly before taking a romantic trip through western Europe. Now, four years later, they unexpectedly meet again on that same food and wine tour and are confronted with their unresolved feelings. While tasting the most delicious food and getting drunk on wine, they try to convince each other they're no longer in love by betting who can sleep with the most people. Along the way they discover more about themselves and about what actually lead to their break up all those years ago. Casey McQuiston writes with their usual humour and takes you on a journey through France, Spain and Italy. You can't help but fall in love with the characters who are as flawed as they are authentic.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer read, pick up “The Pairing”! I adored all of Casey McQuiston’s previous works and couldn’t wait for their new release, even though I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of it. Let me say this much: they didn’t disappoint! I especially appreciated that the main characters are in their mid-twenties, which made the book soooo much more relatable. Paired with McQuiston’s quick writing, a mixture of deep lines and laugh-out-loud banter, it was the perfect read for the last hot days of the year. “The Pairing” is a love letter to Europe, that sometimes feels a bit over the top and more like a fantasy—with blooming meadows, friendly strangers and delicious food wherever you go—than a real place. But, even though it’s heavily influenced by an American perspective, the vacation’s portrayal is still charming and made me jealous of Theo’s and Kit’s trip. I loved the unapologetical horniness, the bisexual representation and the exploration of not only gender identity but gender presentation, the book is filled with all the gender shenanigans one can wish for and vulnerable discussions about it too. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but the way the book and the relationship between the characters was structured almost felt like a Jane Austen story or a classic novel with many ups and downs, instead of the established three act structure of modern storytelling. “The Pairing” is not only friends to lovers, but a second chance romance as well. And while certain scenes will be frustrating for readers who dislike the miscommunication trope, I personally adored the way we are introduced to the character’s conflict and how we see the world through Theo’s eyes and later Kit’s (which came as a total—but welcome—surprise). I loved reading Theo’s POV, but I think the idea and essence behind the novel only fully comes together once we cross the halfway point and switch POV. I’d also recommend “The Pairing” to everyone who liked “The Bear”, because there were far more food-industry/restaurant themes explored than expected!

I have weird, slightly complicated feelings about this book. I love Casey McQuiston's writing style. There were some sentences in this book that made me stare at the wall for a good moment, because they just hit the nail on the head very profoundly. And especially toward the end I did find myself rooting for Theo and Kit. However there were just a lot of things I disliked as well. The characters didn't feel real to me - there were just too many bizarre things going on with a lot of them. And then there was the wine thing. Maybe it's because I don't drink, but every time Theo started talking about the details of a certain wine - which was A LOT- it just sounded incredibly pretentious to me. And lastly, but most importantly, there was just too much back and forth. As a reader it was clear from the first few chapters that these two were still in love with each other. And as much as I love an idiots in love trope in fanfiction it was too much for me in this case. I genuinely lost count of how many times they both denied their feelings, because the other one couldn’t possibly feel the same way or it's just too complicated. I really hoped I would like this book, because I have loved everything else this author has published, but this one just wasn’t for me.