diverse books

Review: Bitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Bitter Is the HeartBitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Bitter is the Heart took me by surprise. This story grabbed hold of me from the first chapter and never let go.

It was shocking, upsetting, disgusting, disturbing, toe-curling and eye-opening all at once.

In this novel we follow Tamar Glass, a woman haunted by childhood trauma who suddenly finds herself stuck caring for her abusive elderly mother, Ruth.

Tamar as a main character had my heart from the start. When I say she is haunted by her childhood, I mean it. There’s so much to unpack as far as her past relationship with her mother, as well as her father’s death, and even her relationship with her sister, Lovey.

Tamar is also starting to feel the effects of menopause and she has been through a divorce and is now on her own for the first time as an adult. Then mother arrives.

Ruth, Tamar’s mother, is reintroduced to her life in a disturbing way. Tamar wakes one night to find her Mom looming in the dark of her bedroom.

Ruth had been living in an Assisted Living facility 15-miles away and she had never been to Tamar’s house. How the heck did she end up there?

That scene set the tone for the entire novel. Hardy built out this story so well. She built the drama continuously. It’s brutal at times, but I was with Tamar all the way. I think some interactions between Tamar and Ruth could be shocking to some, but I feel like they felt natural and made perfect sense to me.

I feel like this book could have hit especially hard for me because I am close to the same point in my life that Tamar is, and while I can’t say I’ve been through the family struggles that she has, I can relate to a lot of the other aspects of her experiences.

I love that after her divorce she had returned to her hometown after a long period of time away. This did allow her to reconnect with people from her past, including her high school boyfriend, Miguel, who plays an important role in this story.

Incidentally, I also had a hs-boyfriend named Miguel…

There were so many scenes in this that left me with absolute chills, jaw on the floor, completely disturbed and needing more information. Once Ruth gets kicked out of her Assisted Living facility and moves in with Tamar, there was no turning back. It was high speed ahead.

Additionally, I loved the religious elements of this. Tamara is Jewish, and the Jewish faith was incorporated into this story in a big way. I had never read anything where it was done to this extent, and with this many impactful conversations. I feel like this will stand out in my memory because of that representation.

The only negative I can think of was there was a scene involving a puppy that I had to skip through. You’ll see it coming, Readers sensitive to animal content beware. Besides that, I was completely enamored with this story.

I noticed the synopsis recommends this for fans of Cassandra Khaw and T. Kingfisher. The Khaw comp I don’t get at all. I do see Kingfisher, for sure. While Hardy doesn’t include as much dark humor as Kingfisher does, the Domestic Horror elements and Tamar’s dry delivery of her thoughts do line up with things such as A House with Good Bones, The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones.

When I was reading this I kept thinking of Ainslie Hogarth’s Motherthing, which I really enjoyed a couple years ago. I ended up connecting with this one more though because I feel like this has a more cohesive and traditional narrative style, which was easier for me to follow.

I also saw my friend, Crystal, compare this to My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon and I completely agree with that. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself while reading it.

If you enjoyed any of the books or authors listed above, you need to check this out. If you enjoy Domestic Horror, or Horror that incorporates Religious elements, you need to pick this up. If you just love Horror and always enjoy diving into a fun, disturbing story, you need to pick this up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audiobook was so well done. I loved this and can’t wait for more from Mina Hardy!

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Review: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, #1)We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

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We Hunt the Flame, like many novels before her, has been living, unopened, on my shelves since 2019. Recently, I decided to pick this up for a Buddy Read and I’m so glad that I finally made time for it.

I really enjoyed the complexity of this story, but admittedly, did get confused some trying to keep track of all the characters, and their motivations, but overall, a solid read.

I loved the setting, the quest of finding a powerful lost artifact, and getting to know our two main characters: Zafira, the Hunter, and Nasir, the Prince of Death.

This is an adventure story first-and-foremost, featuring a quest for both of our mains. We alternate back and forth between their two perspectives; a great way to build out the world in a way that felt natural.

The chapters were short as well, which made this move along quickly. I was surprised how fast I made it through, as one of the things that kept me from picking it up for so long was that I found it intimidating due to its size.

Sometimes larger fantasy books can be a daunting task to undertake, but I never felt that once I started this. While I wouldn’t say I understood all the nuance to the story, I still have a fun time with it.

The aspect of this story I connected with the least was actually the romance. I thought it was going to be one thing, then it didn’t seem to be headed in that direction, then we were there and I was like, what just happened?

It’s fine though. I’m never picking up this genre strictly for the romance. I’m much more invested in the quest, the dark magic, the relationship groups, but good romance can be a bonus when done well.

I also never really felt like I truly understood the magic system, but I did get the gist enough to at least recognize what was happening.

With all of this being said, Hafsah Faizal did her thing with this. It’s quite a detailed story, and she’s definitely intrigued me enough to pick up the sequel, which I hope to do soon.

I have a feeling the magic system will continue to develop throughout the 2nd-book, and I’m interested to see what the conclusion will be for these characters!

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Review: Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

~ megs14malloy

Ruin RoadRuin Road by Lamar Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Do I think Ruin Road will work for everyone? No. Was Ruin Road for me? Absolutely. This intriguing and heart-wrenching YA Horror was right in my lane.

Lamar Giles has quickly become a new favorite!

I first read from Giles when I picked up The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power a few weeks back. His story, The Protege, stood out as one of my favorites of that collection.

I knew after I read it, I would need to pick up more of his work as soon as possible. As luck would have it, I already had a copy of his latest Ruin Road, but with this absolutely STUNNING cover, I knew I wanted to save it for closer to Halloween, which is exactly what I did.

In this story we follow high school student, Cade Webster. Cade is star wide receiver, with the hopes and the potential to eventually be drafted into the NFL.

Cade works hard and stays humble. He lives with his parents and little sister, all of whom he loves and adores. Cade also attends a private school, where he is one of only a handful of Black students.

He’s sort of a guy living between two worlds; the one he grew up in, and the one of his peers at the posh private school. His quarterback drives a 911, or something insane like that. It’s quite different from the world Cade came up in.

Cade tries not to let those details phase him though. He just needs to stay focused, follow his father’s life advice and achieve everything he can in order to make an easier life for himself and the rest of his family.

No matter how hard he works, however, no matter how much he achieves, Cade always has some people judging him incorrectly. Y’all, can guess. He’s big, he’s fast and he’s Black. People keep their eye on him on the bus, let’s say.

With that in mind, one fateful night, when his helpful actions are misjudged, Cade is forced to flee a sketchy situation and ends up ducking into a pawn shop to avoid further altercation.

It’s there that Cade makes an impulse purchase, and utters a poorly-worded wish, that will change everything.

I loved this. It was such a perfect blend of hard-hitting Contemporary mixed with intense, brain-scrambling Horror-Thriller elements. The content and themes explored were so well done, but the character work was really the star of the show for me.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated Cade as a main character. First, I loved the fact that he was such a serious football player. Football is one of my passions and I’ve never really read any YA story that had that rep done so well.

Additionally, everything else about Cade was impressive. I loved being in his head, and getting his perspective, as this story played out.

The Webster family is so fantastic. It was nice to read about such a close-knit group, with both parents engaged and involved and with Cade loving on his little sister so much. You could tell he felt the responsibility of being a big brother, and I felt like that was such a special thing to read.

I also loved the set-up of the detour into the pawn shop being the match that really lit this fire. It was giving me Needful Things, or The Auctioneer vibes, which I loved to see.

Overall, this story was completely my style. If I am picking up a YA Horror-Thriller, this is what I am looking for. I would absolutely recommend this, particularly if you are a fan of Tiffany D. Jackson. IMO, this is giving the same level of quality as a Jackson work.

In other words, top-freaking-notch!

Thank you to the publisher, Scholastic Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. My next task is to deep dive into this author’s backlist. I’m looking forward to it, and whatever he has coming next!!!

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Review: Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker

~ megs14malloy

Come Out, Come OutCome Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

This book has so much to offer, including great rep and an unsettling atmosphere. I really enjoyed meeting these characters and going along on this journey with them.

It was always easy, actually it mostly wasn’t easy, but I appreciated how Fern and Jaq both grew over the course of the story. There was some great messaging involved with both of their stories.

I also felt it was a nice balance between the Horror elements and the Contemporary elements. For me, certain issues, mainly the Horror bits, were wrapped up a little too easily, but overall, a strong Queer YA Horror novel!!

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Review: The Bell in the Fog (Evander Mills #2) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

The Bell in the FogThe Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Bell in the Fog is the 2nd-installment of Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. If you are unfamiliar with these books, it’s a Queer Historical Mystery series, and it’s amazing.

I really enjoyed the 1st-book, Lavender House, when I read it in 2022, but I actually enjoyed this one even more.

I wouldn’t say it was because of the mystery components, or that this one is better written, it’s more increased enjoyment because of how attached I am to these characters now.

Evander Mills, who goes by Andy, is a fantastic MC. He is everything I would want a lead to be. He contains a lot of depth. I love his back story and watching him forge a new path for his future.

Admittedly, in addition to the great stories, quite a bit of my enjoyment comes from the fabulous narration of Vikas Adam, who so far has narrated all three of the installments.

We are told these stories solely through Andy’s perspective, and Vikas Adam IS Andy to me. I will never be able to hear another person reading as Andy and believe it.

The tone and quality of Adam’s voice channels such a period-appropriate film noir feel to these audiobooks; I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you are going to read them, you really should check out at least one of the audiobooks if you have them available to you.

To help set the scene, it’s 1952, in San Francisco, and Andy is trying to get his private detective business off the ground after being let go from the SFPD after getting caught in a compromising position at a gay bar. He’s in desperate need of a new case when a familiar face walks through his door, but it’s not someone he’s excited to see.

It’s James, Andy’s lover from his time in the navy, who mysteriously disappeared years before. Even though he wants to immediately kick James out, Andy, ever the gentleman, decides to let him state his case.

James needs help. He’s being blackmailed. He wants to find the person behind it and put a stop to it before his entire life and career is flushed down the drain.

Andy is not pleased to see James again, but honestly, he can’t afford to be picky. A case is a case, and blackmail shouldn’t be too hard to clear up.

The web of deceit is much thicker than Andy could have anticipated though, and soon, everything seems more at risk than ever. We follow Andy in a fast-paced scramble as he tries desperately, not just to protect his client, but everyone he holds dear.

Y’all, this is such an engaging mystery and entertaining series. I feel like it needs more buzz, as I’m not hearing enough people chatting it up.

The classic Detective Fiction vibes are here, but super gay. I love the setting, the entertaining cast of characters and the representation, which includes a wide range of Queer identities and romances.

The community that Andy has found himself, though often complicated, is also heartwarming. There’s something about these characters sort of carving out a safe space for themselves in an otherwise hostile world; it’s hopeful, while at the same time not negating the serious dangers they face day-to-day, which I appreciated.

The early-1950s setting enhances this story by allowing Rosen to give a subtle, respectful nod to those who came before. To show what they went through, it’s eye-opening and was handled in such a tactful way.

As you can tell, I love this series. I’ve already started the 3rd-book Rough Pages, and I am hoping there are many, many more to come.

I feel like I haven’t come across too many Queer Mystery series, so if that is something you also feel is lacking in your reading life, you definitely need to check this one out.

With this being said, Queer or not, this is a great mystery series, period, and I hope more people discover, and love, Andy Mills and friends!

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Review: Rough Pages (Evander Mills #3) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

Rough Pages (Evander Mills, #3)Rough Pages by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I love this series with my whole heart. Andy Mills is a phenomenal main character and I adore the classic film noir vibes just rolling off these pages.

The mystery, relationships and setting are all equally fantastic and compelling. I need more!

If you’re unaware, Rough Pages is the 3rd-installment to Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. These are Historical Mysteries set in early-1950s San Francisco and follow a diverse cast of characters.

This story kicks off with Andy being drawn back to Lavender House for a missing person case involving Pat, the butler. Pat has been volunteering his time working at a book store specializing in a subscription service for Queer books.

The proprietor of that bookstore, Henry, has mysteriously gone missing, along with his address book containing the list of all their subscribers. Trust that in the early-1950s, this is a very valuable list. If it falls into the wrong hands, a lot of people would be in danger.

Andy discovers the book shop also had begun publishing Queer books, and it appears someone didn’t want them to release their latest project.

Evidence leads Andy to believe there’s a mafia connection and that they may have purposely held onto the subscriber list for future blackmail purposes.

It’s a race against time as Andy tries to put the pieces of this dangerous puzzle together before his whole world comes crashing down around him.

The mystery, again, was great and I have become so incredibly attached to this cast of characters. It’s not just Andy, but also the found family he has surrounded himself with since his termination from the police department.

I loved how at the start of this, he returned to Lavender House, which he didn’t do in the second book. So, that was fun to revisit that special place and I like how Rosen incorporated those characters again.

The film noir, classic detective fiction, vibes are so strong in this series. I urge anyone who has a soft spot for those classics to pick this series up. Rosen has nailed that style and when I am reading one of these mysteries, I can see it all playing out in my head like my movie. I love it.

Andy went through so much in this one. He has a budding relationship and he did have to confront a bit of his past again, this time in the form of his former employer.

There were high stakes, tense moments, as well as discussions about books and sharing of stories. I appreciated how a lot of the plot revolved around this idea of subversive books. That was an interesting avenue of exploration.

This series doesn’t get enough hype, IMO, so just know, it comes with my highest recommendation. I haven’t come across a lot of Queer Historical Mysteries, but I have a feeling, even if I had, this series would still be the tops.

In addition to the overall series recommendation, I also highly recommend the audiobooks, if that’s an option for you. They’re all narrated by Vikas Adam, whose narration style lends itself so well to the film noir feel of these stories. Vikas is Andy to me.

Thank you to the publisher, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I am not sure what the future holds for this series, but I certainly hope we get a lot more cases to solve with Andy and friends!!

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Review: The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power, edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker

~ megs14malloy

The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and PowerThe White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power by Terry J. Benton-Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

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From the publisher:
13 SCARY STORIES. 13 AUTHORS OF COLOR.
13 TIMES WE SURVIVED THE FIRST KILL.

The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power is a YA Horror Anthology with something for every Reader.

Spoiler Alert: I loved it!

Everything from the set-up preceding the stories, to the diversity of topics, the subgenres of horror displayed, to the narration was fantastic. I def recommend the audiobook.

The stories included are as follows:

1.) All Eyes On Me by Faridah Abike-Iyimide. Buzzwords: Circus setting, clowns, ‘good for her’ Horror, Queer.
2.) Hedge by Kalynn Bayron. Buzzwords: Sibling relationship (brothers), grief, argumentative teens, hedge maze, Eco-Horror.
3.) The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake. Buzzwords: Korean-American MC, sibling relationship (sisters), rich kids behaving badly, revenge ghost.
4.) Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon. Buzzwords: Indigenous MC, LGBTQIA+, Body Horror, (view spoiler).
5.) The Protege by Lamar Giles. Buzzwords: Absent parents/kids fend for themselves, sibling relationship (brothers), magician ((the showman kind, not the magic school kind)), Secret Society.
6.) Docile Girls by Chloe Gong. Buzzwords: Asian-American MC, High School drama, Teen Scream, Slasher, Revenge Thriller.
7.) Grey Grove by Alexis Henderson. Buzzwords: Southern Gothic, paranormal, podcast element, cold case investigation, seance.
8.) Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson. Buzzwords: Mixed media, obsession, disturbing behavior, hiding in plain sight.
9.) Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar. Buzzwords: Futuristic, post-apocalyptic, Eco-Horror, creature feature, isolation.
10.) Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia. Buzzwords: Iranian-American MC, non-binary MC, Persian culture, archeology, gender identity, ancient entity.
11.) Wasps by Mark Oshiro. Buzzwords: Latinx MC, gentrification, generational story/responsibility/lore.
12.) Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong. Buzzwords: Demons, possession, religion, Queer.
13.) The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-walker. Buzzwords: Southern Gothic, Queer, haunted house, sense of place, unique perspective.

I really appreciated the diversity of topics which these authors brought to the page, and also, the arrangement of the stories within the collection.

I was always excited to see what was coming next. There were no two stories, even remotely similar, close to one another. It kept me fully-engaged and on my toes.

As someone who loves many Horror subgenres, I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite, but some standouts for me were from Edgmon, Giles, Gong, Jackson and Strong. With this being said, I would be happy to pick up more work from each and every one of these talented authors!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

‘Tis this season for this type of collection and I absolutely recommend it for your Autumnal TBR!
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Review: Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

~ megs14malloy

Old WoundsOld Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really strong. I enjoyed the set-up, character work and action. I liked how the Social Horror elements were more frightful than the Monster bits…

Old Wounds is an intense and engaging YA Horror story featuring two Trans-MCs, who while on a road trip across country, end up getting stuck in a small town where they must fight for their survival.

Max and Erin are estranged friends who used to date. Max wants to go to California and ends up convincing Erin to go with him. Erin is a little confused by this, considering Max broke up with her abruptly 2-years ago.

We follow the kids from the start of the trip through to the bitter end. It was a little awkward at first. They both have a lot of thoughts swirling through their heads, but are getting comfortable communicating with one another again.

I was hooked into this from the start. I felt like the character work, from the first moments, was so well executed.

I loved getting to know both Max and Erin. They’re very different, but have a lot of history and are connected by many experiences.

As I learned their reasoning for making the trip to California, it made me sad, but I could definitely appreciate their reasoning. I think for Erin, she was more concerned for Max than herself. I liked that dedication to a friend.

It doesn’t take long before they get to the small town where they get stuck. This is where the main action will play out. I loved the Horror vibes of that. The creepy small town feel, it was like you could feel the walls closing in on them.

That’s one of my favorite Horror tropes; protagonists ending up in strange town where the locals aren’t behaving normally. You just know that some scary stuff is about to go down. That the MCs are in serious danger.

Kisner nailed that set-up. It was very cinematic.

The kids meet a few locals, after having some car troubles, and they’re told a legend about the town involving a monster. To me, it sounded like a story of sacrifice, but Erin and Max didn’t see it that way. At least not initially.

You follow Max and Erin as things get weirder and weirder, and as their circumstances get increasingly more dangerous.

This is all you need to know about the plot. It gets wild and crazy. It had me glued to the pages. There’s a ton of social commentary and I need to doff my cap to the author for the way it was all presented.

The social elements were seamless with the rest of the narrative. Everything flowed smoothly after the incredible character development and plot set-up. It was easy, as the Reader, to interpret what I believe the author was trying to get across, without it feeling forced.

I’m NGL, this is a heavy read and I would recommend being sure that you are in the right headspace when you read it.

Overall though, I think it was beautifully done. I could have done with a little more towards the end, but that could’ve been because I was attached Erin and Max by that point.

I was impressed by this. I went in with zero expectations and Logan-Ashley Kisner has captured my attention. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really hope this book gets the attention it deserves. Well done!

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Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

~ megs14malloy

Raiders of the Lost HeartRaiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this Adult Romance was way more ewww than awww for me. As in, complete cringefest.

I am sooooo glad it’s over!!!

Let’s start with what I liked. The cover is adorable. It immediately made me what to pick this one up. I love the colors and how cute both of the characters look. It’s also giving strong adventure vibes.

I also enjoyed the very beginning of this story. I appreciated how quickly it kicked off. The author didn’t waste any time with filler stuff. We’re immediately swept away with Corrie as she’s pulled into an expedition in Mexico.

Also, I do tend to really enjoy the academic rivals-to-lovers trope and it seemed obvious that’s where this was going, which I was excited to see play out.

Very sadly, this is where my likes end. I won’t give you the full list of dislikes. I’m not here to be salty looking to turn anyone off from giving this book a shot, but I do like to keep it real with my personal reading experiences in my reviews.

After the successful set-up, nothing really happens. I was waiting for something to happen, something more than pointless bickering between our mains. Then they started hooking up and I WISHED WITH ALL MY HEART we could go back to nothing happening.

The steamy bits are soooo not to my tastes. I was legit yelling, ewwwwwww, at my audiobook and I’m not even joking. I wish I was. Descriptors like ‘lapping’ — just don’t and I def don’t want to hear about smooth, VEINY skin.

Before y’all come at me, it wasn’t just the steamy bits though, although that was huge part of it. I also hated both of the main characters.

Corrie was so annoying and I was beyond sick of hearing about how hot her body was and what horrible problems that caused for her. Her stunningly jaw-dropping double-Ds and taut ass had plagued her her whole life. Poor thing.

Ford was a jerk, who would fly off the handle over nothing and I detested the way they interacted with one another, both when they were fighting and then when they were all over each other. It was completely cringe. There’s honestly not a better way to describe it.

Uneventful, lackluster, boring, icky and disappointing. Clearly, not a new favorite, but alas, I am moving on and will wrap this up with the same thing I say every time I write a not so positive review:

Just because this didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. There’s a Reader for every book and book for every Reader. If this sounds good to you, check it out. If you love it, please come back and tell me how wrong I am!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I never give up on an author after one try, so would consider picking up more from Segura.

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Review: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

~ megs14malloy

The PairingThe Pairing by Casey McQuiston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Kit and Theo were childhood best friends, whose relationship finally blossomed to more as young adults. They were in love, but that was 4-years ago.

After a vicious break-up, in the airport, of all places, Kit and Theo went their separate ways and have been estranged ever since. Until now. Things are about to shake up…

At the time of their break-up, they had a food and wine tour planned, which they subsequently canceled. They couldn’t get their money back, but the vouchers were good to use for another 48-months. Separately. Alone.

As the 4-year mark approaches though, it’s unsurprising that they’d both come up with the same idea. It’s time to cash in the vouchers, and take that tour.

Unfortunately, they don’t discover that still think very much alike until they are actually boarding the tour bus. Oh, hello.

Neither one of them has any intentions of giving up the tour though, so it looks like they’ll just have to play nice. And play they do, a little hook-up game to prove just how over one another they really are.

I’m sure you can imagine what that entails…

Sadly, The Pairing was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It’s a good story, but IMHO, it’s not at the level I am used to seeing from McQuiston. This hurts to say.

For me, it lacked the humor I’m used to from them. I wasn’t attached to either MC and I didn’t care if they ended up together or not. I actually preferred not.

Additionally, the side characters had no real development, and in the past, some of the SC have been my favorites. I know that sounds harsh, I’m not trying to be, but it is the overall feeling I walked away with.

To be fair though, I did like the beginning, I was pulled in fairly quickly, and then I really enjoyed like the last 10%. It was just the in-between bits where I felt bored and like I was struggling to finish.

Both Theo and Kit felt flat for me compared to characters that I have read from McQuiston in the past. I wasn’t crazy about the structure they chose either; as in, the way we were given the different perspectives. I would have preferred a more even back-and-forth.

The thing that caused their break-up, I felt like that was resolved around the 65% mark and for me, the whole thing felt wrapped-up at that point. What are we even doing here after that? It was just like a couple fighting versus anything I cared to tune for.

I didn’t feel any tension, or real angst after that. And frankly, I do semi-agree with Theo’s sister, they do seem to intentionally make their lives harder, especially when it came to Kit!

That’s all well and good though. I don’t need to agree with a character’s actions or decisions, but I don’t want to be bored while I’m trying to figure out where they are going with their choices. Theo was frustrating.

The sex competition was fun at first, but then it just started to feel repetitive as time went on. Nothing really beat the couple themselves hooking up though when it came to repetitive. It just felt like the same thing over and over, just in a different place. Stale.

Honestly, I was so ready for this to be over and felt more relieved than anything when it was done. Although, I will say, I did think it had a lovely ending.

At the end of the day, while McQuiston will continue to be a must-read author for me, I’m NGL, this was a little disappointing and definitely my least favorite of their work.

I’ve read other reviews though, and know that a lot of Readers are LOVING it. So, just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If it sounds interesting, give it a go.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what McQuiston serves us next!

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