Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is a revenge story with a twist. Following two girls who team up to expose their ex on his new dating show, but end up falling for each other instead, this one contains plenty of drama and two interesting main characters. I especially enjoyed the social themes in the book, making this the perfect read for those who enjoy feminist rom-coms.
Title: Never Ever Getting Back TogetherAuthor: Sophie Gonzales
Also by this author: Only Mostly Devastated
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 29, 2022
Rating:
When their now famous ex-boyfriend asks them to participate in a teen reality show, two eighteen year old girls—one bent on revenge, the other open to rekindling romance—get tangled up in an unexpected twist when they fall for each other instead in Never Ever Getting Back Together by nationally and internationally-bestselling and Indie Next Pick author Sophie Gonzales.
It’s been two years since Maya's ex-boyfriend cheated on her, and she still can’t escape him: his sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and he captured hearts as her charming younger brother. If the world only knew the real Jordy, the manipulative liar who broke Maya’s heart.
Skye Kaplan was always cautious with her heart until Jordy said all the right things and earned her trust. Now his face is all over the media and Skye is still wondering why he stopped calling.
When Maya and Skye are invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance, they’re whisked away to a beautiful mansion—along with four more of Jordy’s exes— to compete for his affections while the whole world watches. Skye wonders if she and Jordy can recapture the spark she knows they had, but Maya has other plans: exposing Jordy and getting revenge. As they navigate the competition, Skye and Maya discover that their real happily ever after is nothing they could have scripted.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Never Ever Getting Back Together, Sophie Gonzales
While it has been two years since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her, Maya still can’t get away from him. His sister just married a European prince, and to capitalize on Jordy’s new fame, a reality show is in the works, bringing all of his exes together to compete for a second chance at love. Naturally, Maya is invited onto the show, but when she finds herself rooming with the girl Jordy cheated on her with, the two get off to a rocky start. However, as Maya and Skye get to know each other better, they form an alliance to take Jordy down and break his heart, and even find themselves falling for each other along the way.
❀ Dual Perspectives
The story is told through dual perspectives, and it’s interesting to see Maya and Skye’s differing attitudes towards Jordy at first: Maya has always been in it for revenge, but Skye comes in wondering if she can rekindle her relationship with Jordy. I especially felt for Maya, as she is cast as a villain on the show, and Jordy has spread lies about her, calling her manipulative to hide the truth about the way their relationship ended. It becomes difficult for Maya to be believed when she exposes the kind of person Jordy really is, and I liked the way she perseveres to call him out despite not being taken seriously. I would have liked to see more depth to both Maya and Skye beyond their mutual dislike for Jordy, but I still enjoyed their dynamic.
❀ Theme of Feminism
One of my favourite things about this book is the feminism. As Maya fights to expose the real Jordy, there are many conversations about the way fame influences the truth. Because Jordy has become famous, his side of the story is widely spread and automatically perceived as true. The impact of this is clear as all of the other contestants have already been warned about Maya before coming onto the show, which makes it even harder for her to tell her side of the story. I loved the way Jordy has to face the consequences of his behaviour as Maya plans to expose him, and it was great to see all the girls eventually coming together to take him down.
❀ Entertaining
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales is an entertaining take on the reality show trope. I loved the idea of two girls who are positioned as rivals teaming up to expose their ex, and the main characters have an interesting dynamic. The feminist themes are another welcome addition, making this a great read for those who enjoy rom-coms with timely social commentary.
About Sophie Gonzales
Sophie Gonzales writes Young Adult queer rom coms with memorable characters, biting wit and endless heart.
She is the author of The Law of Inertia, which released 2018 with Amberjack Publishing. Her debut YA rom-com, Only Mostly Devastated, is slated for Winter 2020 through Wednesday Books / Macmillan.
When she isn’t writing, Sophie can be found ice skating, performing in musical theatre, and practicing the piano. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia where she works as a psychologist. She is represented by Moe Ferrara of Bookends Literary Agency.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
We’ve seen this book a lot lately and it sounds like a lot of fun! We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
It was a fun story! 🙂
This sounds good! I hadn’t heard of it before. I’m glad it was a winner for you.
It was definitely an enjoyable read! 🙂
Omg I love the premise of this book and I also love that it has dual perspective. I never get tired of that!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: The Map of Knowledge by Violet Moller #NonfictionNovember
The premise really drew me in! 🙂
That sounds like a good read!
One to watch for! 🙂
Three stars, huh? Gonzales’ first two books were solid hits for me, but the last one, the co-write, was just OK, so I passed on this one. Sounds like I made the right decision.
Yeah! It has some great elements, but not as on par with her other books! 😉
Revenge with a twist – sounds different.
Yes! 🙂
great review, never heard of this one before, might check it out
I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
This is one I’m excited to read! You only gave it 3 stars, which makes me a little hesitant, but I’ll still probably get it for my students. Great review!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…Release Blitz Review: Playing Hard to Get by Monica Murphy
I think that it is one a lot of people will enjoy! A perfect library addition! 🙂
This book causes me a lot of tenderness, it is beautiful!
interesting blurb
thank youifor your review
This looks pretty interesting