The Pairing

This is coming close to being my favourite romance novel of all time. It took such precise aim at my heart and soul. I’m a huge McQuiston fan – they have such an effortless knack for characterisation, and I always find their books to have an inherently queer sensibility that makes the stories come absolutely alive.
For me, this is McQuiston’s best yet. It’s a masterpiece of specificity with a genuinely original cast of characters - especially the two leads and the lovely, complex topography of their relationship, which slowly reveals itself throughout the book. There’s a palpable delight in the novel’s setting and detail. It’s a gorgeously hedonistic book – all good food, great wine, sparkling conversation, sun-warm skin, open linen shirts and blue, blue sky. It's cheeky and chaotic and thirsty and so, so delicious.
Mediterranean sunlight flows through these pages and while I can’t imagine a more perfect summer read, I know it’ll also be a warm, sweet harbour for me to return to in winter. It’s good to be reminded that second chances can be wonderful, and that the weather is always nice somewhere! I don’t reread romances very often, but this is one I want to keep with me forever.
If you want a wry, heartfelt, swoony, authentically queer love story to grab you by the hand and take you somewhere beautiful, it’s probably the one for you too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a reading copy.