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A review by illstoptheworldandreadwithyou
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
4.5
Estranged childhood friends-turned-lovers-turned-exes, Kit and Theo, unknowingly book the same European food and wine tour four years after they were originally supposed to take it together. They went from being childhood best friends to lovers to never speaking again, and now they’re stuck together on a tour bus for the next three weeks.
They’re full of hurt and pain, longing and tension, and four years’ worth of memories they didn’t make together.
This one has two tropes guaranteed to make my heart hurt—friends to lovers and second chance romance—so going in, I already knew I was going to spend a good chunk of the time with an ache in my chest.
Oh my poor heart.
The writing is beautiful.
The location descriptions made me want to pack my bags.
I loved the focus on seeking wonder and the bits of humor peppered throughout.
And don’t even get me started on how the food and drink descriptions had me salivating.
This one is dual POV, and whereas most books written in that structure have alternating points-of-view throughout the story, this one is written with the first half from Theo’s perspective and the second from Kit’s.
That change in perspective was a game changer for me.
Oh gosh, I sure do adore Kit.
There are definitely moments and decisions made that feel less than mature, but ultimately, I could see where each character is coming from and I was happy with the ending.
Additional highlights: all the Anthony Bourdain references, the other people on the tour, and Fabrizio, the gregarious tour guide
As for the audiobook, I feel like Emma Galvin’s narration captures Theo well, but I especially enjoyed how Max Meyers brings Kit’s sections to life. As a fun bonus, Casey McQuiston reads the interludes between the chapters, detailing the pairings for each location.
I received an advance copy of the ebook from St. Martin’s Press and an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.
4.5⭐️
They’re full of hurt and pain, longing and tension, and four years’ worth of memories they didn’t make together.
This one has two tropes guaranteed to make my heart hurt—friends to lovers and second chance romance—so going in, I already knew I was going to spend a good chunk of the time with an ache in my chest.
Oh my poor heart.
The writing is beautiful.
The location descriptions made me want to pack my bags.
I loved the focus on seeking wonder and the bits of humor peppered throughout.
And don’t even get me started on how the food and drink descriptions had me salivating.
This one is dual POV, and whereas most books written in that structure have alternating points-of-view throughout the story, this one is written with the first half from Theo’s perspective and the second from Kit’s.
That change in perspective was a game changer for me.
Oh gosh, I sure do adore Kit.
There are definitely moments and decisions made that feel less than mature, but ultimately, I could see where each character is coming from and I was happy with the ending.
Additional highlights: all the Anthony Bourdain references, the other people on the tour, and Fabrizio, the gregarious tour guide
As for the audiobook, I feel like Emma Galvin’s narration captures Theo well, but I especially enjoyed how Max Meyers brings Kit’s sections to life. As a fun bonus, Casey McQuiston reads the interludes between the chapters, detailing the pairings for each location.
I received an advance copy of the ebook from St. Martin’s Press and an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.
4.5⭐️