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A review by ee1000
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you may come across a book that is perfectly written for you. A book that fits perfectly with your interests and what you’re looking for that you just get lost in it while you read. This book was that to me.
I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and I enjoyed One Last Stop so having the opportunity to read and review Casey’s new book was a delight. I was thrilled to find a book so beautify written that charm and warmth oozed from every page.
First, this book is a love letter to food, wine, and art. For someone who did study art history and then went to Europe and visited a lot of places that Theo and Kit visited, this book is also a trip down memory lane reminding me of places I’ve been before. (A fond memory of mine is eating in Florence, this book took me right back there.)
The love for each of these subjects is apparent in every page. You can feel the sun and imagine the taste of every dish. I walked away from this book missing Europe most of all and wanting to take a trip like Theo and Kit did desperately.
Of course, our main couple is the star of the book and I loved both Kit and Theo. I’m glad that we got to hear from both of them, and the point of view switch timing was innovative, surprising, and such a smart move. I love that we get to know Theo and then get to see Kit learn about how they’ve changed over the years and embrace their identity. Brilliant planning and writing.
As far as second chance romances go, I believed in Theo and Kit so much. They truly belonged with each other, there wasn’t any other way for them to move forward other than together. I did get frustrated with them every so often because they just needed to hash things out. But at the same time, I get where the fear of losing each other again came from. (It did drive me a little mad though so that’s where the .25 star was deducted.)
I loved the humor and friendships that developed through the book. This book is less found family and more reconnecting with family, but those family relationships also felt authentic and I loved how they grew through the book too.
Overall, this is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time, and when I dream tonight, you’ll find me on the shores of Italy, glass of wine in hand and sun on my face wishing to wake up in Europe tomorrow…
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for a review.
I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and I enjoyed One Last Stop so having the opportunity to read and review Casey’s new book was a delight. I was thrilled to find a book so beautify written that charm and warmth oozed from every page.
First, this book is a love letter to food, wine, and art. For someone who did study art history and then went to Europe and visited a lot of places that Theo and Kit visited, this book is also a trip down memory lane reminding me of places I’ve been before. (A fond memory of mine is eating in Florence, this book took me right back there.)
The love for each of these subjects is apparent in every page. You can feel the sun and imagine the taste of every dish. I walked away from this book missing Europe most of all and wanting to take a trip like Theo and Kit did desperately.
Of course, our main couple is the star of the book and I loved both Kit and Theo. I’m glad that we got to hear from both of them, and the point of view switch timing was innovative, surprising, and such a smart move. I love that we get to know Theo and then get to see Kit learn about how they’ve changed over the years and embrace their identity. Brilliant planning and writing.
As far as second chance romances go, I believed in Theo and Kit so much. They truly belonged with each other, there wasn’t any other way for them to move forward other than together. I did get frustrated with them every so often because they just needed to hash things out. But at the same time, I get where the fear of losing each other again came from. (It did drive me a little mad though so that’s where the .25 star was deducted.)
I loved the humor and friendships that developed through the book. This book is less found family and more reconnecting with family, but those family relationships also felt authentic and I loved how they grew through the book too.
Overall, this is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time, and when I dream tonight, you’ll find me on the shores of Italy, glass of wine in hand and sun on my face wishing to wake up in Europe tomorrow…
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for a review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content