I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

Okay, I know this book is probably named after a Taylor Swift song from several albums ago, but I feel like several songs from her new album fit this book even better. But maybe that’s because I’ve been listening to Midnights a lot lately.

In Never Ever Getting Back Together, Maya broke up with her boyfriend Jordy two years ago after finding out he was cheating on her. Now, Jordy is famous online after his sister married into royalty, and Maya gets invited onto a reality show he is a part of—a show in which a bachelor re-dates several of his exes to see who is the one that got away. Maya has no intention of getting back with Jordy, but she sees this as a chance to call him out publicly for what he did to her. Meanwhile, Skye, the woman who Jordy cheated on Maya with, also joins the show. She and Maya quickly butt heads, but both women realize that there may be more to each other than they realize. Soon, their attraction to each other begins to grow, but it may complicate the plan for revenge…

This book was cute! It sort of reminds me of The Selection and Red, White & Royal Blue.

The main characters Maya and Skye are pretty well written. I liked that we got both of their perspectives, and that it wasn’t just Maya. It gave us a chance to see Skye’s perception of the situation, and to see how Jordy treats both of them. It also provided valuable insight into the times the two of them came into conflict. As for the other characters, I didn’t like Jordy, which was the point; he’s a well-written slimeball. The other women on the show were great, especially Perrie, though we didn’t get to know any of them as well as Maya and Skye.

Honestly, overall, I do wish there had been more time spent on developing the relationships between all of the women, especially the main two. The pacing felt a little too fast at times, and so some of the emotional beats felt kind of abrupt, almost unearned. If we had spent more time getting to know everyone, and seeing more interactions, I think it would have been better. Still, I don’t think the pacing was terrible, just that it could have been a little better.

Even so, the romance between Maya and Skye was cute. I also liked the personal character arcs they both go through, Skye grappling with letting herself be vulnerable and Maya learning to let go of negative feelings to make room for love. These were nice themes, and I enjoyed watching them play out. As for Maya’s mission to get revenge on Jordy, I think it was handled very well and had a satisfying conclusion.

In the end, Never Ever Getting Back Together was a really fun book. The reality show concept is solid, the characters distinct, and the banter pretty good. The pacing isn’t the greatest, but the romance was still sweet, and overall I had a nice time reading this! Also, if anyone is curious, if I were to make a playlist for this book, I would choose “Bejeweled,” “Vigilante Shit,” and “Karma” from Midnights.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is available now!