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ellelockley's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Maya's cheating ex, whom the world adores, is the lead in a reality show where his exes all try to win him back. Maya agrees to join to get revenge, but Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on her with is there too. Is there more than friendship between her and Skye? I thought this book was a fun read, albeit a bit dull at times and was probably a hundred pages too long. I adored the trope of guy cheats on two girls and they date each other, I loved it so much. Maya and Skye were amazing, and a very well-written couple. They let each other become the best version of themselves. This book is a good light read and I recommend it to people who just want something lighthearted.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Minor: Car accident
mandathebiblio's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
**I got this book from Netgalley for my honest review, though I did get it in ebook form and I ended up listening to the audiobook**
So, to start this review, I want to say that I didn't realize this book was a young adult book until AFTER I finished it. I feel that maybe going into it knowing it was YA, I would have had a bit of a different opinion, though I doubt it would have changed my rating very much. And despite this being listed as a young adult, the characters are graduated from high school and about to enter college age. Though, this book is very mild of the sexual content and definitely reads like a YA, thinking back.
One issue that I had is that, despite the characters being VERY different and the character names being listed at the beginning of each chapter to show who's POV we were reading from, I found myself being confused on who is who. I couldn't remember which character had which issue with the guy. I just could NOT remember who was who. Which could have entirely been on me, not the book itself so I didn't really take that into too much account when coming up with my rating.
Though I will say, I REALLY didn't like Maya (I think). She was so set on revenge that she was willing to sacrifice herself for it and that just didn't sit right with me. Now, she is fresh out of high school, so I'm sure that it works for what a young adult WOULD do. But it just bothered me so much that I found myself not enjoying the romance between her and Skye. Skye deserved better, imo.
This just wasn't my favorite. I would be willing to try another book from this author, but this one just didn't sit well with me. I would probably recommend this for a younger audience, though. Maybe late high school, fresh out of which is the same as the characters of the book. I just feel that it may hit better with the target audience than did with me.
So, to start this review, I want to say that I didn't realize this book was a young adult book until AFTER I finished it. I feel that maybe going into it knowing it was YA, I would have had a bit of a different opinion, though I doubt it would have changed my rating very much. And despite this being listed as a young adult, the characters are graduated from high school and about to enter college age. Though, this book is very mild of the sexual content and definitely reads like a YA, thinking back.
One issue that I had is that, despite the characters being VERY different and the character names being listed at the beginning of each chapter to show who's POV we were reading from, I found myself being confused on who is who. I couldn't remember which character had which issue with the guy. I just could NOT remember who was who. Which could have entirely been on me, not the book itself so I didn't really take that into too much account when coming up with my rating.
Though I will say, I REALLY didn't like Maya (I think). She was so set on revenge that she was willing to sacrifice herself for it and that just didn't sit right with me. Now, she is fresh out of high school, so I'm sure that it works for what a young adult WOULD do. But it just bothered me so much that I found myself not enjoying the romance between her and Skye. Skye deserved better, imo.
This just wasn't my favorite. I would be willing to try another book from this author, but this one just didn't sit well with me. I would probably recommend this for a younger audience, though. Maybe late high school, fresh out of which is the same as the characters of the book. I just feel that it may hit better with the target audience than did with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexism, and Infidelity
Minor: Car accident
ramunepocky's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I dont think it's possible for sophie gonzales to write a book that I dont enjoy because everything about her books, from the characters, to the story, to the writing style is always so captivating and well executed and addictive. I loved this book so much, and thoroughly enjoyed it and Maya and Skye are absolute queens who I adored, but I particularly loved Perrie and Isaac so fucking much
Also Jordy is an absolute prick who had it coming
Also Jordy is an absolute prick who had it coming
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Car accident
amethystandherbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, and Bullying
Minor: Car accident
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Well, Sophie Gonzales has done it again. She's made me care about an admittedly pretty bland YA contemporary story full of privileged characters simply because she is THAT good of a writer and particularly because she writes bisexual teenagers VERY well.
Eighteen-year-old Maya and Skye go on a brand-new reality TV show called Second Chance Romance, supposedly to win back their ex, Jordy, who is now somewhat famous because his sister married a prince. Skye has fond memories of Jordy and actually thinks this might work. Maya is still furious at Jordy for cheating on her (with Skye, no less) and plans to reject and humiliate him on TV. Nothing goes quite the way anyone expects after Maya and Skye are forced to sleep in the same room and start bonding.
If you enjoy reality TV show stories, sapphics getting revenge on their horrible exes, and well-written bisexual teenagers on the upper end of YA, I definitely recommend this one.
I do wish some of the side characters had been more developed and that Maya and Skye had been given more distinct aesthetics. I'm really sick of how many sapphic couples are two thin feminine cis white women with different hair colors. Sophie Gonzales please write some trans and/or gender nonconforming sapphics!
Also, the premise truly makes no sense in a YA context. No second-chance romance reality dating show would ever cast people this young.
Well, Sophie Gonzales has done it again. She's made me care about an admittedly pretty bland YA contemporary story full of privileged characters simply because she is THAT good of a writer and particularly because she writes bisexual teenagers VERY well.
Eighteen-year-old Maya and Skye go on a brand-new reality TV show called Second Chance Romance, supposedly to win back their ex, Jordy, who is now somewhat famous because his sister married a prince. Skye has fond memories of Jordy and actually thinks this might work. Maya is still furious at Jordy for cheating on her (with Skye, no less) and plans to reject and humiliate him on TV. Nothing goes quite the way anyone expects after Maya and Skye are forced to sleep in the same room and start bonding.
If you enjoy reality TV show stories, sapphics getting revenge on their horrible exes, and well-written bisexual teenagers on the upper end of YA, I definitely recommend this one.
I do wish some of the side characters had been more developed and that Maya and Skye had been given more distinct aesthetics. I'm really sick of how many sapphic couples are two thin feminine cis white women with different hair colors. Sophie Gonzales please write some trans and/or gender nonconforming sapphics!
Also, the premise truly makes no sense in a YA context. No second-chance romance reality dating show would ever cast people this young.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
jazhandz's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Car accident, and Sexual content
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is for those of us who watch The Bachelor and think, "I wish these women would date each other instead of this loser guy." It's the greatest premise.
- I loved watching Maya and Skye fight the reality show trope of women catfighting over a man. The two of them are a great pair and the relationship felt organic, even in the over-the-top setting.
- I do wish this book would have been a full-on adult romance novel rather than somewhere in the YA/new adult space. I kept forgetting they were supposed to be college aged and it muddled things a bit. Regardless, it was still great fun.
- NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is for those of us who watch The Bachelor and think, "I wish these women would date each other instead of this loser guy." It's the greatest premise.
- I loved watching Maya and Skye fight the reality show trope of women catfighting over a man. The two of them are a great pair and the relationship felt organic, even in the over-the-top setting.
- I do wish this book would have been a full-on adult romance novel rather than somewhere in the YA/new adult space. I kept forgetting they were supposed to be college aged and it muddled things a bit. Regardless, it was still great fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual content, and Car accident
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's been two years since Jordy cheated on Maya, and yet she still can't seem to escape him. Since his sister is marrying royalty, he's been all over the news. And yet no one seems to know how awful he truly is. On the other side, Jordy is the only person Skye has seriously dated, but since they broke up, she doesn't understand why they keep calling.
When Second-Chance Romance enters the scene, both Skye and Maya are invited to compete to win Jordy back. Skye is skeptical Jordy can win her back, but Maya has other plans: expose Jordy for who he really is. But what they both don't plan on is falling for each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! I'm honestly not really a fan of reality shows, but reading about fictional ones can be really fun. If you love the drama of reality TV, I'm sure you will devour this book in one sitting because it definitely delivers on the reality drama.
The pros: I really enjoyed the characters in this. Gonzales does a good job of making them fully fleshed out, even though there's quite a large cast on the show. They all have uniquer personalities, and when they're all together, there is great chemistry between them. For a reality TV based romance, I think this is super important. Maya and Skye also have great chemistry, and the way their romance develops works well for the setting of the story.
However, I don't think this works super well pitched as YA. It was hard for me to figure out exactly what the ages of the characters were, and setting it as teenagers in a reality show doesn't sit super well with me. Personally, the story would have worked better as an adult romance, with the characters aged up to their early or mid-twenties, think more Bachelor aged. It didn't make a whole ton of sense in a teenager context, so I'm not exactly sure why it's being pitched for a YA audience.
Despite that, there are a lot of people who will have a lot of fun with this premise, especially since Sophie Gonzales has made a name for herself in YA. While I don't think this is her best work, fans of romance will definitely be entertained.
When Second-Chance Romance enters the scene, both Skye and Maya are invited to compete to win Jordy back. Skye is skeptical Jordy can win her back, but Maya has other plans: expose Jordy for who he really is. But what they both don't plan on is falling for each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! I'm honestly not really a fan of reality shows, but reading about fictional ones can be really fun. If you love the drama of reality TV, I'm sure you will devour this book in one sitting because it definitely delivers on the reality drama.
The pros: I really enjoyed the characters in this. Gonzales does a good job of making them fully fleshed out, even though there's quite a large cast on the show. They all have uniquer personalities, and when they're all together, there is great chemistry between them. For a reality TV based romance, I think this is super important. Maya and Skye also have great chemistry, and the way their romance develops works well for the setting of the story.
However, I don't think this works super well pitched as YA. It was hard for me to figure out exactly what the ages of the characters were, and setting it as teenagers in a reality show doesn't sit super well with me. Personally, the story would have worked better as an adult romance, with the characters aged up to their early or mid-twenties, think more Bachelor aged. It didn't make a whole ton of sense in a teenager context, so I'm not exactly sure why it's being pitched for a YA audience.
Despite that, there are a lot of people who will have a lot of fun with this premise, especially since Sophie Gonzales has made a name for herself in YA. While I don't think this is her best work, fans of romance will definitely be entertained.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, and Misogyny
Minor: Biphobia, Bullying, and Car accident
applejacksbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I soooooo enjoyed this book. It had rivals to lovers. Second chance romance in a better way, where the original couple doesn't get a second chance (because helloooooo you broke up for a reason), but someone else does. AND it's sapphic.
Maya and Skye join the cast for a reality tv show, where they have to date their ex-boyfriend Jordy (gah even his name sucks). At the start of it Maya is under the impression that Skye knew about Jordy cheating on her and Skye is under the impression that Maya overreacted to Jordy breaking up with her. After figuring out that the other person isn't so bad, the two women team up to try and break Jordy's heart.
Overall, I think the writing was pretty decent. There was some times in the middle where it was hard to differentiate which POV I was reading because Maya and Skye read kind of similarly, but other than that I think it's a pretty solid read. Plus the assbag ex-bf reaps what he sows in the end.
I soooooo enjoyed this book. It had rivals to lovers. Second chance romance in a better way, where the original couple doesn't get a second chance (because helloooooo you broke up for a reason), but someone else does. AND it's sapphic.
Maya and Skye join the cast for a reality tv show, where they have to date their ex-boyfriend Jordy (gah even his name sucks). At the start of it Maya is under the impression that Skye knew about Jordy cheating on her and Skye is under the impression that Maya overreacted to Jordy breaking up with her. After figuring out that the other person isn't so bad, the two women team up to try and break Jordy's heart.
Overall, I think the writing was pretty decent. There was some times in the middle where it was hard to differentiate which POV I was reading because Maya and Skye read kind of similarly, but other than that I think it's a pretty solid read. Plus the assbag ex-bf reaps what he sows in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Cursing, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Bullying, Classism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Biphobia