The Pairing

By: Casey McQuiston

Narrated by: Emma Galvin, Max Meyers

Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2024

"The Pairing is just a delight, thanks to both Galvin’s and Meyers’s game narration—whether in Italian and French accents or in the bedroom."—Vulture

"Emma Galvin is an appealing anchor for the performance while Max Meyers brings emotional depth as the two find their way back to love."—AudioFile

This program features special appearances by the author at the beginning of each chapter.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Casey McQuiston (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated New Romances for 2024"

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

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

"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"

The way they just get each other…

The way they just get each other’s references without having to over explain… even when the other doesn’t get it… telling them is the fun part. And they just get why it’s funny to you. Plus Face Off reference is everything. The love story is sweet and heartbreaking and heartwarming. I absolutely loved it!

An Ode to Worldly Joy

McQuiston explores pleasure, love, and gender expression so beautifully throughout The Pairing. It's a tale of what joy can look like in all it's ways. It also shows just how travel can influence the human perspective.

If this book is a feast CMQ is the ultimate sommelier

honestly I'm in no condition to dwell on words, i might need some business days to recover and let all these emotions sink in. But what I can say is that this whole experience of hearing this book is both everything and so much more of what I was expecting, Such a beautiful story, all the richness and lust and finding each other all over again. What a journey of laughter tears and so much love. Thank you KING

it's ok

I was so excited for this book, I usually like if not love casey Mcquiston work and for what I knew about this one I was sure to love it.I didn't.. it was a little less than ok,
overall is boring and whiny and again this miss communication thing than make no sense. can't adults be adults for ones and talk frankly? it wasn't exciting or funny, or engaging I just don't care enough for this couple or any of flat side characters.
the tour and the food and drinks descriptions was very good though.
Theo's narrator was good, Kit's narrator was bad, make Kit felt like he was crying the whole time

Euro summer adventures!

Beautiful prose, decadent descriptions, and a deeply tender love story! Another wonderful read from Casey Mcquiston.

Absolutely Stunning

Gorgeous story about love lost and found again, queer love and exploration and self-discovery, and mouth watering descriptions of food and drink. I adore all of McQuiston's work and this one is no exception! Theo and Kit are so utterly delightful, and I immediately fell in love with both of them as individuals and as a pair (pun intended). Highly recommend!

Good but not Casey’s best

The reading came alive in Part 2. Max ‘s reading as Kit was electrifying! Red, White and Royal Blue to me is Casey’s best ever.

Performances are excellent

The narrators really make this lovely title sing. Glad to have found this one. Good accents too, not sure why people didn’t like the accent work.

A Love Letter to Europe and Travel

This book was luscious - the food, the art, the freedom, the expansiveness. Ultimately a story about growth and redemption, and the methods we use to get in own way. Do I want to go live in France now with my lover? Yes.

Disappointed but ok

**Warning: There are potential spoilers in this review**

I loved Casey’s RWRB so I was SOOOOO excited for this book. Sadly, I was disappointed. The story trope had me planning on bad communication and a lack of self-worth or others character flaws to create the character tension but this story stretched the trope a span too far for me.

I am not someone that expects a story to be based on reality. I am happy to disconnect my sense of reality but this one did it ways that wore me out.

RERB was set in an alternate reality where the political results of the last eight years were completely made up; however, the characters relationship evolved in a way that felt very “real” and engaged readers deeply all the way to the end.

“The Pairing” started out strong but the longer I watched Theo have their internal monologue about their being a screw up with Kit being there on the sidelines the more I struggled. When I hit the point in the story where we start to get Kit’s voice and story I have to give credit to Casey—it surprised me but not in a good way. The fact these people have supposedly been friends since they were super young made those chapters really jarring for me and incongruent with the emotional connection they are supposed to share.

When we learn Kit’s version of events the incongruity was so bad that I lost trust in the authenticity of the characters, the relationship and the story.

I am certain there will be those that disagree with me—as there are already many positive reviews.

But for those who thrive on a story where the relationship is something they can connect with and look for a deeper authenticity, I am certain there will be those that agree with my frustrations as well.

The final note I want to add was the missed opportunity with Theo’s family. Casey could have created plenty of tension and even have other foil(s) for the characters that injected tension and excitement that would have allowed Kit and Theo’s storyline to be more authentic and less stretched—-missed opportunities.

I did finish the book but it was not with the frantic anticipation and wish for more that a truly great story creates.