The Pairing by Casey McQuiston: My Book Review

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The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is the author’s latest queer romance book and one of the most anticipated romance books of 2024. Check out my book review of this second chance romance below to see what I thought of it and if it’s a book you should add to your must-read list.

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is a new queer romance for 2024. Check out She Reads Romance Books' review.

The Pairing
by Casey McQuiston

Category: Queer Romance
Tags: Second Chance, Queer, Bi, Inspires Travel, Friends to Lovers
Published August 2024
Amazon | Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★
Book Boyfriend: ★★★

The Pairing Summary:

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.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but―yeah. It’s in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It’s not until they board the tour bus that they discover they’ve both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s fine.

There’s nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And 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.

The Pairing: My Review

I vicariously ate and drank my way through France, Spain and Italy along with Kit and Theo in this epic, second chance love story from McQuiston. I’ve never been so hungry reading a romance 😊!

I honestly think that if Casey McQuiston organized a food and wine tour like the one Kit and Theo went on and sold it along with this book at release that she would have made some serious coin. I would have booked that baby so fast in anticipation of eating just a smidge of the amazing food and drinking some of the incredible vintages and spirits that they describe in this book .

This book deserves the most epic charceuterie board to be devoured while reading it as well as several bottles of wine to consume.

The travel, the food and the wine are honestly the highlights for me of this book. While the incredible detail may make a few readers eyes glaze over given that these details are shared throughout the entire book, I actually sunk into every description, trying to imagine what they were seeing, tasting and experiencing.

McQuiston must have done some serious research or maybe they’re already a devoted foodie and art history lover because they did not scrimp on their descriptions to make you feel completely immersed as if you were on the tour right along with the group.

I seriously want to meet a Fabrizio in my life and have him lead me around Europe for three weeks. That is bucket list stuff right there that I didn’t know that I needed in my life.

So if you’re looking for a book that will inspire your next trip to Europe then this is the book, which is why it made my list of must-read romance books of summer in 2024.

This book also made my list of most anticipated romance books of 2024 because it had been over a year since McQuiston released a new book, having been busy I’m sure with the Red, White and Royal Blue movie that released last year.

So to say I was over excited for this book is an understatement.

I have to give McQuiston props that none of her books are copycats like the others. They are constantly changing up their stories, characters and settings while continually making a name for themself in queer romance.

Theo and Kit are bi childhood besties who had a major misunderstanding and fight that led to them cancelling their tour the first go-around and breaking up for four years.

I am a sucker for a second chance love story and I was totally pulling for these two who were obvious soulmates. You don’t throw that one-in-a-lifetime connection away so I was desperate for them to work things out.

Theo (short for Theodora) came across as someone who has ADHD to me and who struggled to find their lane but ultimately did with their passion for wine.

Kit was a pastry chef and lover of art who had the sweetest heart, so it was no wonder everyone feel for him so easily.

I loved how McQuiston wrote from Theo’s POV for the first half of the story but switched to Kit’s POV for the remainder of the book. I loved getting in both of their heads.

As for their little competition….I could have done without it quite frankly as I don’t think it added much to the story other than to make me think they were a bit immature.

Kuddos to them that they are pretty open to any and all partners but the tension between them was already there which is why I really didn’t see what this added to the overall progression of their reunion.

It also seemed a bit lucky for them that they could find a willing hook-up at the drop of a hat wherever they were but maybe I’m just naïve. That being said, I expected things to be a lot more explicit and a bit steamier than they were and since they weren’t I was able to just ignore it and wasn’t too put off by their competition as the story went on.

The resolution of their story arc however was perfection.

Red, White and Royal Blue, will forever be my favorite McQuiston book, however if you love their work then this queer romance surely deserves a spot on your TBR list.

I cannot wait to meet Casey on her book tour!

Buy on Amazon

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

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Check out She Reads Romance Books' book review of The Pairing to see what she thinks of Casey McQuiston's latest queer romance.

Leslie Murphy is the founder and creator of She Reads Romance Books, a site that has reached over 1 million readers a month looking for the best books worth reading. Called a "book expert" by CNN, Leslie reads over 150 romance books a year because she firmly believes that life is better with a love story. Find her in the She Reads Romance Books Book Club, listen to her on the She Reads Romance Books Podcast or dive into her book lists here on the blog.

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