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The Pairing

Casey Mcquiston
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The Pairing

Casey Mcquiston
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An Instant New York Times bestseller!
An Instant #1 Indie bestseller!
An Instant USA Today bestseller!
An August Indie Next Pick!
An August 2024 LibraryReads Pick!
A Best Book of the Year for The New York Times, People, Elle, Saveur, and more!

"Grab a snack first — this one’s spicy, sexy and absolutely delicious." - People

"The summer's best romance novel." - Rolling Stone

"Move over 'hot girl summer' – 'hot bisexual summer' is ready for its moment and Casey McQuiston’s new novel The Pairing is here to usher it in." - USA Today

"Fun, frothy, and full of fantastic food descriptions, this is the perfect romance to pack for your next gastro-tourist outing." - Saveur

"Sure to set your heart aflutter... Horny hijinks definitely ensue in this delicious summer romance." - Time

"The prose is welcoming and so enticing that readers find themselves neck deep into a full-throated novel about gender exploration before you can say ciao." - Rolling Stone, "20 Best Queer Romances of All Time"

"We don't really need to tell you more of a reason to pick up this new book other than it's by the one and only Casey McQuiston. But yes, you're absolutely going to be obsessed especially if you've been looking for a fun, food-filled, and very hot getaway. The author is back with a new read that will definitely become your favorite romance book of the year." - Cosmopolitan

"Casey McQuiston is back with another delicious queer romance... summer novels don’t get much more indulgent than this one." - Elle

"Basically a bodice ripper for queer food obsessives." - Bon Appetit

"This journey through Europe takes the cake for the most decadently written, heartstoppingly tender love story I’ve read in recent memory." - People

"This wrenching romance is the ultimate summer read and their very best work yet." - Paste

"It’s swoony and sexy and has so many lovely descriptions of food and the sea… literally what’s more romantic than that." - Lit Hub

"The Pairing can best be described as the sexy, food-filled Euro-trip you always wanted. Like a good eclair, I inhaled this book as fast as I could and craved more." - Conde Nast Traveler

"McQuiston's latest is a hedonistic delight, with gorgeous descriptions of the scent and mouthfeel of the food and wine the group consumes, the scenery of Bordeaux, Monaco, and Florence, among other destinations, and very sexy love scenes...Sensual and unabashedly queer, The Pairing cements McQuiston's place as our premier chronicler of millennial romance." - Booklist (starred review)

"The Pairing is what happens when an immensely talented and much-beloved author levels up. Casey McQuiston deftly crafts a complex love story, one that not just any writer could pull off...A Bacchanalian romp from Monaco to Pisa to Paris, The Pairing is best accompanied by a Campari spritz, ideally while seated in a little Italian cafe. But regardless of the location, you will devour this book with unbridled gusto." - BookPage (starred review)

"Lush scenery, well-drawn secondary characters, and believable, grounded conflicts lead to a sweet and satisfying ending for Kit and Theo in McQuiston’s funniest, sexiest novel to date." - Library Journal (starred review)

"The latest from bestseller McQuiston (Red White and Royal Blue) delivers all the hallmarks their readers will expect with lovable queer heroes and zany side characters aplenty...a near-utopian vision of queerness in which almost every character proves to be something other than heterosexual...a mouthwatering feast." - Publishers Weekly

"Two exes. On the same food and wine tour of Europe. By Casey McQuiston. Is there anything else to say? Fine: McQuiston is one of our finest purveyors of rom-coms working today, capable of delivering pure joy and happy tears alike, and people will be screaming about this book from its release until the end of 2024." - BookPage, "Our most anticipated books of 2024"

"It wouldn’t be summer without a big romance novel and McQuiston is here to deliver the chaotic bisexual European romp we all deeply need." - LitHub

"I am begging everyone I know to add this book to the very top of their summer reading list." - Book Riot

"The food and wine descriptions in The Pairing are mouth-watering. I also loved the way McQuiston subverted tired, harmful bisexual stereotypes – how often do we get a bisexual love story that’s this much fun? In my review, I wrote that reading The Pairing is like going on vacation yourself. McQuiston invites you to sit back and bathe in it, to lap up all the art, food and culture alongside the characters." - USA Today

"The Pairing is bursting with desire — for each other, for flavor, for wanderlust, for their hot tour guide. If you were into that peach scene in Call Me By Your Name, this is for you." - Bustle Books"

"This sounds like it has all the makings of being the summer’s hottest bisexual book." - Autostraddle

"Fresh, funny, exhilarating and outrageously sexy, Casey McQuiston is unparalleled in writing queer rom coms with heart, warmth and wit." - Laura Kay, bestselling author of The Split

"McQuiston’s horniest romcom yet! Greedy bisexuals rejoice – even the most hedonistic readers will be full from The Pairing's abundance of fine wine, food, and sexual promiscuity." - Lily Lindon, bestselling author of Double Booked'

New York Times, "The Best Romance Novels of the Year (So Far)"

Us Weekly, "The Hottest New LGBTQIA+ Romance Novels to Read in 2024"

Eater, "10 Food-Filled Beach Reads for Your Summer Vacation"

Parade, "The 29 Best New Book Releases This Week"

Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated New Romances for 2024", "Readers' Most Anticipated Summer Books", "Readers' Most Anticipated August Books", and "Readers' 48 Hottest New Romances for Summer"

Cosmopolitan, "17 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in Summer 2024"

Queerty, "The top 10 LGBTQ+ books to look out for in 2024"

Fangirlish, "24 Books We’re Looking Forward To Reading In 2024"

E! News, "Book It to the Beach With These Page Turning Summer Reads"

Electric Lit, "65 Queer Books You Need To Read In Summer 2024" and "The Best Books of the Summer, According to Indie Booksellers"

Book Riot, "12 of the Best Queer Books: 2024 New Releases", "The Best Book Club Books of August", "The Best New Books Out in August, According to Indie Booksellers", and "This Decadent Queer Romance is the Perfect Summer Read"

PureWow, "The 18 Best Beach Reads of Summer 2024"

She Reads, "Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2024", "Most Anticipated Romances of Summer 2024", and "Best Beach Reads of Summer 2024"

The Mary Sue, "The 10 Best Beach Reads of 2024"

The Nerd Daily, "Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2024 Book Releases"

Them, "The 7 Spiciest Queer Romance Books You Can Read on the Bus"

Brit + Co, "15 LGBTQ+ Books That Are Essential (And Fun) Pride Month Reads"

NBC Out, "Favorite LGBTQ Titles of 2024" and "11 nonbinary trailblazers to know for Nonbinary Awareness Week"

PureWow, "7 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in August"

Town & Country, "The Best Books to Read This August"

Praise for One Last Stop:

"Absolutely brilliant." - The New York Times

"One Last Stop is an earnest reminder that home - whether that means a time, a place, or a person - is worth fighting for." - New York Magazine

"The story of August and Jane's chance meeting is swoony, thoughtful, and one of those big-hearted romances you'll gush about long after finishing." - Hello Sunshine

"This delightful love story is everything you need for a feel-good day of beach reading." - Elle

"Casey McQuiston has done it again." - Hypable

"One Last Stop is an electrifying romance that synapses into the dreamy "Hot Person Summer" kind of story you wish you were a part of. McQuiston is leading the charge for inclusive happy-ever-afters, radiant with joy and toe-curling passion, and bursting with the creative range to make anything from electricity to social activism sound sexy." - NPR

"A dazzling romance, filled with plenty of humor and heart." - Time

"A funny, modern, and entertaining novel, One Last Stop will have you rooting for love that makes people feel free to be their truest selves." - Shondaland


Praise for Red, White & Royal Blue:

"[An] exquisite debut... It’s hard to watch [Alex] fall in love with Henry without falling in love a bit yourself with them, and with this brilliant, wonderful book." - The New York Times Book Review

"[A] fireworks in the sky, glitter in your hair joyous royal romance that you’ll want to fall head over heels in love with again and again. A+" - Entertainment Weekly

"A rivalry between the son of a U.S. president and the Prince of Wales turns into a whirlwind romance in this charming story about true love." - Us Weekly

"[An] escapist masterpiece... It’s a truly glorious thing to live inside the world of this book and to imagine it becoming reality, too." - Vogue

"The super specific love story you never knew you needed." - Cosmopolitan

"Effervescent and empowering on all levels, Red, White & Royal Blue is both a well-written love story and a celebration of identity. McQuiston may not be royal herself, but her novel reigns as must read rom-com." - NPR

Overall rating: 4.4615383 / 5 from 26 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The Pairing, a romantic comedy by Casey McQuiston, follows two bisexual exes on a European food and wine tour. Despite their breakup, they find themselves trapped together for three weeks, leading to a friendly wager and a European hookup competition. The book is praised for its smart, entertaining, and thoughtful narrative.

Summary topics

  • Readability: 25%
  • Book Quality: 45%

Review topics: ["book","read","characters","novel","writing","story","food","girl","written","couple","work","scenes","exception"].

Review highlights

  • "The writing is smart and witty, nicely steamy in parts and a really great read!" — Daryl
  • "book was very cute , easy to read, had me giggling majority of the time and i love food" — Shelb
  • "A really smart, entertaining and thoughtful read!" — Karen

Reviews

Makes me want to be in Europe

"love me a Casey McQuiston novel! -- less gripping in terms of relationship but a fun journey through Europe and a fun read altogether."

— Monana (5/5)

Back In Love Again

"The author captured what is feels like to be in love, to fall out of love and then to fall all over again for the same person. The main characters are both bi and one is nonbinary so its a very inclusive book. I took one syar off because there was far too many very in depth intimate scenes that leave no details off limits, which I feel slightly took away from the main plot. Overall the book was good to read but maybe a little overpriced for basically the same intimate scene being played over and over again with different people."

— Avery (4/5)

Second Chance at it's finest

"Great book and really good characterization. As a foodie I more than loved the way that the characters used and connected with food. I loved that they were able to reconnect with eachother through their shared love."

— Emma (5/5)

Travel Diary with a bit of romance

"The Pairings by Casey McQuiston 🤔 I’m still torn on how I feel about this one… 24 hours later and I can’t tell if I loved it or hated it. 🫣 I went in expecting another Red, White & Royal Blue experience (because I loved it sooo much), but this was more of a travel diary with romance than I anticipated. :airplane_departing:🍝 If you’re planning a European getaway, this book is PERFECT for travel inspo! But personally, I felt the constant descriptions of food and places kinda overshadowed the romance. 🌍❤️ The couple was cute, and I did get misty-eyed at least once and laughed out loud twice – so definitely some emotional moments! 😭😂 The spice? 🔥 Hot. I’m usually a comfy 3-spice kinda girl, but this was a solid 4, making me blush and giggle like a schoolgirl. 😳 Would I recommend this to my book bestie? Probably not… but I’m still curious to see what’s next from Casey McQuiston! ✨"

— My A. (3/5)

New book

"Great book, came in great condition and can’t wait to read it!"

— Amanda (5/5)

A romantic journey of finding love <3

"Casey McQuiston has done it again! This book is just a marvel of a read! The characters, the locations, the tensions, all so deliciously well written! I’ve never been to Europe myself but the way Casey describes the places Kit and Theo visit really makes me feel like I was there along side them, drinking wine and dining on the most mouthwatering, tantalizing cuisine! I almost don’t have enough words for it. It’s truly a beautifully composed piece of literature and I can’t recommend it enough!"

— Clarissa97 (5/5)

Gripping!

"This book kept me entertained right through to the end."

— Susan (5/5)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

"I love love LOVE this book, can't get enough of it. It makes me so giddy and I feel so enamoured by the characters. If you loved Happy Place by Emily Henry, you'll love this one too!!!"

— Ceara (5/5)

Maybe I'm Biased, but. . .

"I read a lot of reviews before picking this book up that complained about certain things and claimed it's McQuiston's weakest work yet. But they didn't deter me, and I'm glad, because I really enjoyed this book! I read through it pretty quick, because I was having so much fun. It made me want to drink wine—and I don't really like wine! But perhaps I'm biased because I saw a lot of myself in Theo. The way they describe their gender identity was simply perfect, and really spoke to how I understand myself as well. I really appreciated reading a romance with queerness that transcends MM and FF, spotlighting a non-binary love interest/MC. So even though the book isn't perfect, doesn't have the most exciting of plots (could have been more conflict), I think I'll always have a soft spot for it because of the representation. I need more characters like Theo in romance."

— JK (4/5)

Queer storytelling at its finest!

"Casey is a master of telling fun, interesting, complex queer stories, and this is no exception."

— August (5/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Aug 06, 2024
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 432
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9781250365842
  • Dimensions: 5.4" W x 1.1" L x 8.2" H
CASEY MCQUISTON is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, including One Last Stop, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, and Red, White & Royal Blue, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with a poodle mix named Pepper.

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