Bubbling up with Helena

• Title: The Pairing
• Author: Casey McQuiston
• Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
• Release Date: 8/6/24
• Genre: Romance
• Age Range: Adult
• Rating: ★★★★
• Publisher’s Summary: In #1 New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston’s latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—except they’re definitely not. 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 sex 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.

I’ve been a big fan of Casey McQuiston’s work since I first read Red, White, and Royal Blue. I love how different each of the stories of their books are, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one. The Pairing has McQuiston’s signature wit and charm, but with a European backdrop.

Throughout The Pairing, Theo and Kit visit some dreamy cities in Europe. They go to Paris, Piza, Rome, Nice, Barcelona, and many more. In each location, the delicious food they eat is thoroughly described. I definitely wanted to join them in the pizza, pasta, and pastries they eat throughout the book. I had a hard time containing my wanderlust while reading about all of the sights and meals they were enjoying.

I love a good second chance romance. Theo and Kit were in a relationship for years, and they were friends for years before that. From the beginning of the novel, it’s clear how much they care about one another. In fact, it felt like it took too long for the two of them to admit they still had feelings for one another. In their narration, Theo and Kit both talk about how much they love the other, but they still pursue hookups with other people for much of the novel.

Dual point of view is another one of my favorite things in romance novels. I enjoy getting into the mind of both of the protagonists in a book, and I also love the dramatic irony it creates. I was suprised when The Pairing switched from Theo to Kit’s point of view, but the change was certainly positive. Kit is more likable and compelling than Theo, which made his perspective a pleasure to read.

About halfway through the book, Theo tells Kit that they identify as non-binary. Of course, Kit immediately accepts them for who they are, and he makes sure that he is using Theo’s correct pronouns. Non-binary representation, especially in romance novels, is so important, and I was so glad to see it here. Not that I would have expected anything different from Kit, but the way he handles Theo coming out also sets a great example.

Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop, two of McQuiston’s other books feature friends and friend groups very prominently. While Theo has a close relationship with their sister, Sloane, the reader doesn’t really get much information about her. The reader does get some information about the tour guide, Fabrizio, and other people on the tour like the Calums, but there is still a distance there.

The Pairing is not my favorite of McQuiston’s books, but it is a fun and perfect summer read. It’ll have you immediately wanting to hop on a plane to Europe to enjoy a pastry. It is a book that I will certainly return to in the future, and it had me wanting to revisit McQuiston’s other books.