Publishers Weekly
04/15/2024
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. Childhood best friends turned lovers turned exes, aspiring sommelier Theo and pastry chef Kit reunite while cashing in the vouchers for the European food and wine tour they initially purchased while still together. Because they each waited until the last minute before the vouchers expired to use them, they must now spend the next several weeks in close company on the tour, taking in the sights, smells, and tastes of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s a fun and silly conceit with plenty of room for scenic travelogue and mounting sexual tension, marred only by the fact that Theo, who is nonbinary, is not identified as such until more than halfway through, meaning they are misgendered by other characters and readers alike until that point—a distraction from what is otherwise a near-utopian vision of queerness in which almost every character proves to be something other than heterosexual. Despite this quibble, it’s a mouthwatering feast. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"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
"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"
"I am begging everyone I know to add this book to the very top of their summer reading list." - Book Riot
"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
Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated New Romances for 2024", "Readers' Most Anticipated Summer 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"
Book Riot, "12 of the Best Queer Books: 2024 New Releases"
PureWow, "The 18 Best Beach Reads of Summer 2024"
She Reads, "Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2024" and "Most Anticipated Romances of Summer 2024"
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
Library Journal
★ 05/01/2024
Four years ago, Kit and Theo were on their way to their dream European food and wine tour, but after their brutal breakup on the flight, they were both left heartbroken at the airport without their longtime best friend-turned-lover, but with a voucher for the now-canceled tour. Now Kit is a pastry chef in Paris, and Theo is an aspiring sommelier in California. They haven't spoken since their breakup, but then they discover that they've each cashed in their respective vouchers for the tour on the same date. Forced to spend three weeks together on a bus, Kit and Theo launch a hookup competition to prove that they're over each other, are able to date others, and can go back to being friends. Because they can definitely be just friends, right? VERDICT Lush scenery, well-drawn secondary characters, and believable, grounded conflicts lead to a sweet and satisfying ending for Kit and Theo in McQuiston's (I Kissed Shara Wheeler) funniest, sexiest novel to date, here in a special edition with painted edges.—Whitney Kramer
