Thoughts: Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

    Ever Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales takes the newly popular trope of a Bachelor style show setting and a newly kindled (or rekindled romance). What she does differently is she turns the show runners - at least our initial character - against the Bachelor. Maya, 2 years post break-up from a Princess Diaries style prince, is still bitter and angry about the way he treated her both privately and publicly. When she is approached to join a cast of ex-girlfriends to ‘rekindle’ their romance she takes it. The chance to show her ex for who he really was draws her in. Naturally the show has been structured to pit her against the girl that her ex cheated on her with. This introduces Skye, who still believes many of the lies she’s been fed and believes this might be a chance to try at her romance again - as long as she survives the crazy ex-girlfriend who is rooming with her. 
     I’m not going to lie. I don’t care much for this romance setting. Competitions make my hair stand on end. As a true blue introvert I would rather everyone work together happily (yes, I am that Mom). The draw for me here was the promise of a Sapphic romance and happily this delivered and used the setting so well I began to enjoy it. By the end I was deeply invested and wanted to keep turning those pages. The miscommunication - while there - is not drawn out. The ‘competition’ is light, and the girl v girl is very toned down. By the end of the book the girls I started out not liking, I ended up enjoying. 
    The final conflict even felt real to me. I soaked up and adored the descriptions of the girls feelings for one another, Sophie Gonzales description of their kisses took my breath away. And I believed that the conflict could happen. I empathized with Skye. In her shoes with the way she viewed the world (through what read to me as neurodivergent, and therefore more relatable) I might have taken things the way she did. The relationships as well grew in a way I enjoyed. The ultimate conclusion to this was fantastic. I truly loved how Maya and Skye came together and how happiness and wholeness was found. 
     I know the premise sounds ridiculous and yes, if you poke hard enough holes may appear. This was for me though the perfect romance at the perfect time. I laughed out loud and gasped and was insulted and heated on the girls behalf. My only complaint is that I couldn’t see the characters - physical descriptions were light but it ultimately didn’t draw me out of the story. This is one I loved - and I pre-ordered a physical copy of because I can’t wait to have my own edition to annotate. 

    4 big Chalonne Mansions out of 5