I absolutely loved this book! It was the most heartwarming queer romance and it got me out of my reading slump. The characters were so loveable and it felt like a hug in a book. The descriptions of the food and drink that they consume throughout Europe are so fantastically detailed that it feels like you're experiencing it all with them. It would be the perfect book to take with you on a sunny and warm holiday, especially to mainland Europe - perhaps even to one of the cities Theo and Kit visit!

Okay but this book is so much fun and full of so much *feeling*. The hookup comp is such a great structure for the story, especially as it’s in spite of the complex emotions Theo and Kit have for each other. We spend the first half with Theo, then Kit, and I loved the way McQ uses this mid-book pov flip to show the inner workings of both. As well as being great fun, The Pairing hit me in ways I needed — the discussions of gender, artistry and growth are thoughtfully done, and resonated with me deeply. And also, It’s such an incredibly beautiful story of two people falling in love with each other over and over! It’s desire and love and history and creation — not only of their own artistry but of the world they create together. I’m already planning on re-reading it, eating everything I can along the way. The Pairing is a decadent adventure through desire; for food, sex, Europe, and each other. This is Casey McQuiston’s best.

I've written and rewritten this review so many times because I don't know how to adequately put into words the way this book made me feel. Never in my LIFE have I been so utterly enraptured, so totally obsessed, so breathlessly incomprehensibly in love with words on a page. It's the perfect summer read, bursting with glorious descriptions of picturesque landscapes and the tastiest-sounding food you could ever imagine, all in service of the most wonderful queer romance. I genuinely think I now know the full extent of my emotional range because of this book. It reached into my very soul and kissed it on the forehead and told it everything is going to be okay. In as much as a book can heal a person, I think this book healed me. Thank you Casey, Kit, and Theo.

Okay but this book is so much fun and full of so much *feeling*. The hookup comp is such a great structure for the story, especially as it’s in spite of the complex emotions Theo and Kit have for each other. We spend the first half with Theo, then Kit, and I loved the way McQ uses this mid-book pov flip to show the inner workings of both. As well as being great fun, The Pairing hit me in ways I needed — the discussions of gender, artistry and growth are thoughtfully done, and resonated with me deeply. And also, It’s such an incredibly beautiful story of two people falling in love with each other over and over! It’s desire and love and history and creation — not only of their own artistry but of the world they create together. I’m already planning on re-reading it, eating everything I can along the way. The Pairing is a decadent adventure through desire; for food, sex, Europe, and each other. This is Casey McQuiston’s best.

4.5 stars Thank you to Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Warning: This book will make you absolutely STARVING. Have plenty of food in the house/on your person while reading! I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read Casey McQuiston's newest release ahead of publication - after adoring all three of their previous works, this is really a dream come true for me, first of all. This was such a delightful read - the FOOD for starters - like I was just drooling at all the food, especially those chocolates! I really appreciated the atmosphere; this is the perfect summer read, every chapter and city felt so full of sunshine and warmth. The characters go through some incredible growth, and I loved how halfway through the book, we switch from one perspective to the other! It really helped me to like Theo more, and to understand Kit. Misunderstanding underpinned their breakup four years ago, and this was a beautiful story of reconnection and rediscovering each other. I think what I struggled with, was that SO much of their reconnection revolves around sex, and I wanted more CONVERSATION and less of the hookup competition? I think the book would've been 5 stars for me even, if the competition wasn't part of the plot, because it didn't add anything for me. That being said though, this is a gloriously summery read, a beautiful story and I will read anything this author writes.