A review by natashaleighton_
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A genuinely funny and fast paced rom-com that gave me The Bachelor meets John Tucker Must Die vibes— if in the midst of plotting revenge on their cheating ex (on a dating reality show no less), the former rivals turned co-conspirators inadvertently fall for each other instead.

I started reading this on Christmas Eve and before I knew it I was two thirds of the way through and fully invested in Maya, Skye and their revenge-fuelled shenanigans against Jordy (their cheating, gaslighting and self obsessed ex.) 

It’s told entirely through the POVs of Maya (who dated Jordy before his sister married a prince and made him famous) and Skye, the girl that Jordy cheated on Maya with (before promptly gaslighting Maya and making everyone believe she was a jealous ex.) And I genuinely loved how their rivalry turned relationship plays out, with each girl initially distrustful of the other but able to actually sit down, talk things out and realise they’d both been manipulated. 

The conflict resolution does happen fairly quickly but I thoroughly enjoyed it—and it meant that we could truly get stuck right in to all the drama and scheming (And much like Taylor Swift herself, the drama certainly loves Maya—especially when it involves Jello shots.)

The romance aspect was beautifully written and felt really organic to the development of Maya and Skye’s budding friendship/ relationship. We don’t delve too deep into either of their backstories but I did enjoy the glimpses we do get, lifting the veil on their guarded hearts and career motivations. 

Our antagonist (and main villain), Jordy is quite possibly one of the best love to hate characters; he’s a self centred, slut shaming snob who tries to play off his beliefs as well meaning advice meant to empower, but really only showcases how misogynistic and out of touch he is with the women —and the world around him.

I loved how everything wrapped up, with one of the most therapeutic and satisfying endings I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I do however wish the epilogue was a little longer as I wanted to see more of life after the show ended. 

Overall, this was a fun and entertainingly sassy story full of loveable, snarky characters and sweet revenge plots I rooted to succeed! If you love books involving romance, revenge (of the karmic variety) or reality TV drama then I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR! 

Also, a massive thank you to Anna and Team BKMRK for sending me the finished copy. 

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