A review by alylentz
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad 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

3.5

As always, Casey McQuiston writes romances with such a fun cast of fully-realized characters that you grow to really love over the course of the novel. I really enjoyed getting perspectives from both Theo and Kit, and their romance felt really deep and heartfelt while the food tour, summer across Europe elements were very fun and light. However, at times I did feel like this got a little too montage-y in a way that held the reader at a distance. Second-chance romance is also something I struggle with because I feel like we never get the appropriate depth and history of the relationship, and unfortunately I felt that missing with this book as well. Still, I think this would make a great summer read on the beach or by the pool or on a plane--there's a fun, joyfulness here and the gender stuff was so cool to see in a big romance release like this. Casey continues to go exciting places in their career, even if this one didn't hit quite as high for me as their other titles. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.