The Pairing: Special 1st Edition

Casey McQuiston

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Book cover for The Pairing: Special 1st Edition
Book cover for The Pairing: Special 1st Edition

The Pairing: Special 1st Edition

The Pairing: Special 1st Edition

Casey McQuiston

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Description

LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN--featuring spray-painted edges with a stenciled script design. Only available for a limited time and while supplies last.

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.

About the Author

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.

Critical Reviews

An August Indie Next Pick!
An August 2024 LibraryReads Pick!

"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

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

"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 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, "This Summer's 40 Most Anticipated Books"

"This sounds like it has all the makings of being the summer's hottest bisexual book." - Autostraddle, "46 Most Anticipated Queer Books Coming Out This July and August"

"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'

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

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

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", and "The Best New Books Out in August, According to Indie Booksellers"

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"

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

NBC Out, "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

Publishing Information

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub date: 2024-08-06
Length: 432 pages

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