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BOOK REVIEW: Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales


Genre: Young Adult | Romance | New Adult Fiction

Release Date: 5th January 2023

Publisher: Hachette Childrens Group | Hodder Childrens Books 

Jordy doesn't know what's coming for him. 

He thinks life has taken a pretty good turn - he's minor celebrity since his sister married the prince of a small country, known as a humanitarian and heartthrob worldwide. But he's still the same Jordy underneath.

Maya still has to see him everywhere she looks despite not even being on the same continent anymore, after he gaslighted her, cheated on her and ruined her life two years ago. Skye is reeling from the first boy she ever let into heart ghosting her and never knowing why. So when Maya and Skye along with several other ghosts from the past get invited to take part in the reality dating show Second Chance Romance, both of them know exactly what to do. 

They're both looking to heal - but Skye is hoping for a romantic reunion, to win and get back together, whereas Maya is looking for her revenge and retribution. But as they navigate their way through the insanity of reality tv as well as their own emotions, they realise they might get exactly what the show promised after all. A second chance at romance - just not in the way they expected.

"I'm fairly equal opportunity when it comes to who I briefly care about before they inevitably let me down."

An over-the-top, bold story full of chaos, drama and hilarity that could only happen in a book - or a reality TV show in a book. From the very beginning, everything was INTENSE. I immediately felt such kinship with the girls and a deep hatred for Jordy as I watched him manipulate and lie in ways that felt all too familiar and rage-inducing. 

At first, the characters might seem petty, insecure or awkward. But do you remember being a teenager, or in your early twenties? How intensely you felt everything, how long you could hold a grudge for? And while I did feel like the characters felt like they should have been a little older, the understanding I felt for them made me connect with them even more. As we become acquainted with the wider cast of the show, on the surface it seems like the standard line-up of  dating show until we slowly start to see underneath, at the way the pressures and cameras can shape a person and make them crack. 

Every single page was packed full of emotion, starting with a bang, slowing down to a deliciously simmering tension before exploding into chaos all over again. As soon as the show started, it felt like the lights had been turned onto full beams - everything was loud and vibrant but hiding behind the cameras, crying and conflict was a lot of heart and warmth. There's no shocking reveals in this story, it feels clear from the start where this story is going but the journey there was an absolute rollercoaster of chaos that I couldn't have seen coming. 

As always, Gonzales nails writing the kind of LGBT+ fiction that we deserve to read - including the perfect depiction of the 'chaotic disaster bisexual' - which yes,  might be a bit of stereotype but honestly I can relate. She captures so many of the things that bisexual women struggle to explain especially when they're young; like the fact that speaking to a beautiful woman is legitimately terrifying, even if you are also a beautiful woman! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.


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