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Never Ever Getting Back Together
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2023)Romance, revenge, and reality TV. The new queer YA rom-com from Sophie Gonzales, bestselling author of Only Mostly Devastated.
Eighteen-year-old Maya dumped her cheating ex-boyfriend Jordy two years ago. So, when she receives a call to participate in Second Chance Romance - a reality show in which the now-famous Jordy re-dates his ex-girlfriends - she isn't interested . . . until she realizes she can use this opportunity to exact her revenge. If she can make it to the final spot on the show, she can reject Jordy in front of the nation, and publicly break his heart.
Maya's fellow contestants include Skye, the beautiful, charismatic girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. Skye charms the socks off everyone she meets, except for Maya, who knows that underneath all the sparkle, she's the girl who dated her boyfriend while he was still her boyfriend.
The reality show is a challenging environment. Amidst backstabbing, bickering, and having to see Jordy again, Maya finds herself becoming friends with Skye. Together, they come up with a plan for the ultimate revenge on Jordy.
But as she spends more time with Jordy and Skye, Maya is torn. Is Jordy a good guy who made a mistake? Is there more than friendship between her and Skye? As the season finale approaches, can Maya execute her plan, or will she go off-script?
Eighteen-year-old Maya dumped her cheating ex-boyfriend Jordy two years ago. So, when she receives a call to participate in Second Chance Romance - a reality show in which the now-famous Jordy re-dates his ex-girlfriends - she isn't interested . . . until she realizes she can use this opportunity to exact her revenge. If she can make it to the final spot on the show, she can reject Jordy in front of the nation, and publicly break his heart.
Maya's fellow contestants include Skye, the beautiful, charismatic girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. Skye charms the socks off everyone she meets, except for Maya, who knows that underneath all the sparkle, she's the girl who dated her boyfriend while he was still her boyfriend.
The reality show is a challenging environment. Amidst backstabbing, bickering, and having to see Jordy again, Maya finds herself becoming friends with Skye. Together, they come up with a plan for the ultimate revenge on Jordy.
But as she spends more time with Jordy and Skye, Maya is torn. Is Jordy a good guy who made a mistake? Is there more than friendship between her and Skye? As the season finale approaches, can Maya execute her plan, or will she go off-script?
372 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2022
About the author
Sophie Gonzales
9 books3,153 followersSophie Gonzales writes young adult queer contemporary fiction with memorable characters, biting wit and endless heart.
She is the author of THE LAW OF INERTIA, ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and PERFECT ON PAPER. IF THIS GETS (co-written with Cale Dietrich) is forthcoming in Fall 2021 from 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 Jessica Mileo of Inkwell Management.
She is the author of THE LAW OF INERTIA, ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and PERFECT ON PAPER. IF THIS GETS (co-written with Cale Dietrich) is forthcoming in Fall 2021 from 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 Jessica Mileo of Inkwell Management.
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July 19, 2022NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for a few well-known celebrities.
Initially, the book started as two completely different, unrelated book pitches. One f/f about a reality show, another about rival YouTube streamers. My editor and I spent a lot of time discussing how fame affects teens and young adults while developing these ideas, and, during these talks, a song called Driver’s License released, and all the western world wanted to talk about was a love triangle between three teen celebrities I’d never heard of. “One thing,” I said, “hasn’t changed: the world is creepily obsessed with the dating lives of their favourite teen celebrities (Hilary vs Lilo! Taylor Swift and her dating history!).”
And that’s when we realized the two stories should really be one story. A story set in a world similar to our own, where one of these beautiful young celebrities with a checkered dating history ends up not just in the tabloids and forums and trending hashtags, but on his own reality show, giving people a front row seat to the teen celeb dating drama. But the beautiful young person whose dating life the world is now obsessed with? Is one of the slimiest people in existence. And though he might be the star in the eyes of the world, this story wouldn’t be about him. It’d be about the two teen girls who are set up to be rivals, ripe for the press’s consumption, but instead decide to team up to take. Him. Down.
Oh, and they fall in love, too. But . . . not with him.
It’s funny. Books aren’t created in a vacuum, and this was a book born of the pandemic. Written in lockdown, by a very tired, sad, angry author. And what was meant to be a comedy ended up with a lot of rage in it. Rage that was exacerbated by news stories, of accusations, of public trials. The first draft of NEGBT had very little comedy in it. The humour didn’t come until later, once I’d torn the pages to shreds with my fury. Until I was emptied of it. That’s when I was able to take a step back and see the funny side of it all. And that’s the healing power of books, I think. Being able to find the light in a storm cloud. Enough light to move a book between entire genres, even. Sitting in the hopelessness, and finding the hope anyway.
I know I felt all of those things while writing it, and though I’ll never know from a reader’s perspective exactly how those emotions end up coming through, I do hope this story gives you some light. And, if nothing else, I hope it gives you a little catharsis. If you’re anything like me, after these last few years, you need it!
Initially, the book started as two completely different, unrelated book pitches. One f/f about a reality show, another about rival YouTube streamers. My editor and I spent a lot of time discussing how fame affects teens and young adults while developing these ideas, and, during these talks, a song called Driver’s License released, and all the western world wanted to talk about was a love triangle between three teen celebrities I’d never heard of. “One thing,” I said, “hasn’t changed: the world is creepily obsessed with the dating lives of their favourite teen celebrities (Hilary vs Lilo! Taylor Swift and her dating history!).”
And that’s when we realized the two stories should really be one story. A story set in a world similar to our own, where one of these beautiful young celebrities with a checkered dating history ends up not just in the tabloids and forums and trending hashtags, but on his own reality show, giving people a front row seat to the teen celeb dating drama. But the beautiful young person whose dating life the world is now obsessed with? Is one of the slimiest people in existence. And though he might be the star in the eyes of the world, this story wouldn’t be about him. It’d be about the two teen girls who are set up to be rivals, ripe for the press’s consumption, but instead decide to team up to take. Him. Down.
Oh, and they fall in love, too. But . . . not with him.
It’s funny. Books aren’t created in a vacuum, and this was a book born of the pandemic. Written in lockdown, by a very tired, sad, angry author. And what was meant to be a comedy ended up with a lot of rage in it. Rage that was exacerbated by news stories, of accusations, of public trials. The first draft of NEGBT had very little comedy in it. The humour didn’t come until later, once I’d torn the pages to shreds with my fury. Until I was emptied of it. That’s when I was able to take a step back and see the funny side of it all. And that’s the healing power of books, I think. Being able to find the light in a storm cloud. Enough light to move a book between entire genres, even. Sitting in the hopelessness, and finding the hope anyway.
I know I felt all of those things while writing it, and though I’ll never know from a reader’s perspective exactly how those emotions end up coming through, I do hope this story gives you some light. And, if nothing else, I hope it gives you a little catharsis. If you’re anything like me, after these last few years, you need it!
June 22, 2022
ever seen a love triangle and just thought, "those two boys/ two girls should just cut their losses and date each other?" sophie gonzales wrote it.
this book was hate mail to all the ex-boyfriends out there who think all their ex girlfriends still want to date him when really they just want to date eachother. the book version of "Me and your girlfriend playin' dress up at my house". when your ex thinks you want him but you really want his girlfriend.
a sapphic revenge against men book. two girls, one ex boyfriend, one dating show and one plan for revenge. screw the "right" thing to do. i want DRAMA i want CHAOS i want PETTINESS i want SWEET SWEET REVENGE. you know how they say the best revenge is no revenge? yeah no the best revenge is the kind that ends with a grown man being humiliated on tv.
i mean it was definitely catty. this book took the Bachelor reference seriously. it was every girl for herself for the most part. everyone believed the man every single time and i wanted to shake the characters at times and scream FEMINISM in their faces.
but honestly, it's worth just buying for the Taylor Swift reference.
thanks to netgalley for trusting me to review this and probably regretting it now.
this book was hate mail to all the ex-boyfriends out there who think all their ex girlfriends still want to date him when really they just want to date eachother. the book version of "Me and your girlfriend playin' dress up at my house". when your ex thinks you want him but you really want his girlfriend.
a sapphic revenge against men book. two girls, one ex boyfriend, one dating show and one plan for revenge. screw the "right" thing to do. i want DRAMA i want CHAOS i want PETTINESS i want SWEET SWEET REVENGE. you know how they say the best revenge is no revenge? yeah no the best revenge is the kind that ends with a grown man being humiliated on tv.
i mean it was definitely catty. this book took the Bachelor reference seriously. it was every girl for herself for the most part. everyone believed the man every single time and i wanted to shake the characters at times and scream FEMINISM in their faces.
but honestly, it's worth just buying for the Taylor Swift reference.
thanks to netgalley for trusting me to review this and probably regretting it now.
May 14, 2022
rep: bi female mcs, gay side character
rtc but! sophie rly did ALL THAT!!! the twists, the villain, the jokes, the stakes, the overwhelming power of teenage girls!!! the sapphic love!
rtc but! sophie rly did ALL THAT!!! the twists, the villain, the jokes, the stakes, the overwhelming power of teenage girls!!! the sapphic love!
January 19, 2023
DNF @ 70%
I was *so* excited to receive this ARC as Sophie Gonzales is one of my favorite YA authors, and throughout the novel I kept pushing myself to continue just in case it got better—but I'm about 70% through and it's not getting better and I fear I'm going to be put into a reading slump if I try and finish this one out, so I'll outline why I DNF'd in case anybody else finds it helpful.
#1: the main characters. I love the idea of two girls on a dating show falling for each other instead of the man they're supposed to be chasing, so I was super excited for this romance. However, the main characters literally neither had any personality traits beyond their (justifiable) dislike for the main guy, who is both of their ex-boyfriend. Both characters were SO dry; I couldn't connect to them at *all* because they literally didn't have any discernible personality traits. It was odd!
#2: There is no reason why this book was YA instead of adult. The whole concept of being on a dating show where 6 different contestants are competing to get a second chance with their ex-boyfriend is just /so/ not YA. Firstly, how does this guy have so many ex's at his young age lol?? And even if he did, there’s no way any of them were genuinely serious which really impacts the emotional punch and believability. But also I just found it unrealistic that a bunch of 18-20 year olds would be put on a dating show period. Feels like an HR nightmare, so to speak lol, and it would be so much better if it was adult (a la The Charm Offensive) instead.
Lastly, #3: the writing. The writing was so stilted, and just not a good quality. Not very descriptive, and not very atmospheric. This kinda goes back to the characters-having-no-personalities thing, but the book just felt kinda corporate...? Maybe thats the wrong word, but it felt as though the author wasn't actually passionate about what she was writing, and was just trying to grind out a novel. The love in this book just didn't come through to me at all. Which again, was so disappointing because I loved Sophie Gonzales's other novels.
Overall, I'm already seeing this book get tons of good reviews, so I don't want to necessarily discourage others from reading this book, but I just didn't like it at all. TY to Wednesday Books for the ARC :)
I was *so* excited to receive this ARC as Sophie Gonzales is one of my favorite YA authors, and throughout the novel I kept pushing myself to continue just in case it got better—but I'm about 70% through and it's not getting better and I fear I'm going to be put into a reading slump if I try and finish this one out, so I'll outline why I DNF'd in case anybody else finds it helpful.
#1: the main characters. I love the idea of two girls on a dating show falling for each other instead of the man they're supposed to be chasing, so I was super excited for this romance. However, the main characters literally neither had any personality traits beyond their (justifiable) dislike for the main guy, who is both of their ex-boyfriend. Both characters were SO dry; I couldn't connect to them at *all* because they literally didn't have any discernible personality traits. It was odd!
#2: There is no reason why this book was YA instead of adult. The whole concept of being on a dating show where 6 different contestants are competing to get a second chance with their ex-boyfriend is just /so/ not YA. Firstly, how does this guy have so many ex's at his young age lol?? And even if he did, there’s no way any of them were genuinely serious which really impacts the emotional punch and believability. But also I just found it unrealistic that a bunch of 18-20 year olds would be put on a dating show period. Feels like an HR nightmare, so to speak lol, and it would be so much better if it was adult (a la The Charm Offensive) instead.
Lastly, #3: the writing. The writing was so stilted, and just not a good quality. Not very descriptive, and not very atmospheric. This kinda goes back to the characters-having-no-personalities thing, but the book just felt kinda corporate...? Maybe thats the wrong word, but it felt as though the author wasn't actually passionate about what she was writing, and was just trying to grind out a novel. The love in this book just didn't come through to me at all. Which again, was so disappointing because I loved Sophie Gonzales's other novels.
Overall, I'm already seeing this book get tons of good reviews, so I don't want to necessarily discourage others from reading this book, but I just didn't like it at all. TY to Wednesday Books for the ARC :)
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November 21, 2022hello, Taylor Swift reference?
September 8, 2024
My confession of the day is that I have never watched a full episode of either The Bachelor, or The Bachelorette.
Of course I have watched clips and understand the general idea, I'm not a savage. I also recognize it is an absolute sensation and many people love it.
After having so much fun with this book, I think I may need to binge some!
The set-up of Never Ever Getting Back Together feels very ode' to The Bachelor and frankly I was living for it.
We follow rich, related-to-royalty, arguably-charming playboy, Jordy, getting his own reality television show, Second-Chance Romance.
For the show, ex-girlfriends of Jordy's will be living together in a mansion, interacting with him and each other, participating in challenges and generally biding for his attention. Week-by-week, Jordy sends one girl packing, until the time comes for his final selection.
Maya dated Jordy two-years ago and the break-up was rough. He cheated on her for months before ultimately calling it quits suddenly when she called him out on his behavior.
Skye dated Jordy directly after Maya. In fact, Maya's reputation precedes her. Jordy warned Skye how jealous and crazy Maya got after he broke up with her.
Skye can't believe Maya is joining the show too. Isn't she like a security risk or something?
When Maya learns Skye, the girl who stole Jordy from her, is going to be participating on the show as well, she's furious. This girl knowingly dated Jordy behind her back for months. Who does that? Filthy liars, that's who.
Arriving at the mansion the two girls learn an even more horrible truth, they're being forced to room together. They're quite literally bunk-mates.
They try to muscle through it, they might even be contractually-obligated to, but it ain't gonna be easy. Along with four other girls, Maya and Skye start to settle into their new normal and compete for the ultimate prize: Jordy.
Maya's no fool though. She knows Jordy too well to fall for any of this smoke in mirrors. Jordy hasn't changed and that's fine by her. Maya isn't dreaming of becoming Jordy's one-true love, she's dreaming of revenge.
I had a lot of fun with this. Particularly the set-up, it was adorable. The narrative alternates between Skye and Maya, beginning a little before they even agree to be on the show.
The backdrop of the mansion, filming the reality show, it was great. I felt like I was getting a real glimpse behind the scenes of an actual show. It felt very realistic.
I also liked the mix of personalities that the contestants had. They all had their own motivations for being there and few of those actually revolved around Jordy, or love.
Skye and Maya's interactions, as they got to know one another, as they battled and then began to drop their defenses; I thought that was really well done too.
My only slight issues with this story would be that I feel like it may have worked better if the story was actually written as New Adult, or Adult. It could have gone farther in the exploration of the relationships.
Also, I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. I didn't find the romance that ultimately transpires believable.
These are tiny critiques though and both of these things are simply my personal opinion. Overall, this book is adorable as heck and I really enjoyed following the concept through to the end.
I was lucky enough to listen to an audio copy and definitely recommend that medium. The narrators did an incredible job bringing this story to life.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am absolutely looking forward to more from Sophie Gonzales!!
Never Ever Getting Back Together releases next Tuesday, November 29th. Preorder your copy now. You don't want to miss out. Get it while it's hot!!
Of course I have watched clips and understand the general idea, I'm not a savage. I also recognize it is an absolute sensation and many people love it.
After having so much fun with this book, I think I may need to binge some!
The set-up of Never Ever Getting Back Together feels very ode' to The Bachelor and frankly I was living for it.
We follow rich, related-to-royalty, arguably-charming playboy, Jordy, getting his own reality television show, Second-Chance Romance.
For the show, ex-girlfriends of Jordy's will be living together in a mansion, interacting with him and each other, participating in challenges and generally biding for his attention. Week-by-week, Jordy sends one girl packing, until the time comes for his final selection.
Maya dated Jordy two-years ago and the break-up was rough. He cheated on her for months before ultimately calling it quits suddenly when she called him out on his behavior.
Skye dated Jordy directly after Maya. In fact, Maya's reputation precedes her. Jordy warned Skye how jealous and crazy Maya got after he broke up with her.
Skye can't believe Maya is joining the show too. Isn't she like a security risk or something?
When Maya learns Skye, the girl who stole Jordy from her, is going to be participating on the show as well, she's furious. This girl knowingly dated Jordy behind her back for months. Who does that? Filthy liars, that's who.
Arriving at the mansion the two girls learn an even more horrible truth, they're being forced to room together. They're quite literally bunk-mates.
They try to muscle through it, they might even be contractually-obligated to, but it ain't gonna be easy. Along with four other girls, Maya and Skye start to settle into their new normal and compete for the ultimate prize: Jordy.
Maya's no fool though. She knows Jordy too well to fall for any of this smoke in mirrors. Jordy hasn't changed and that's fine by her. Maya isn't dreaming of becoming Jordy's one-true love, she's dreaming of revenge.
I had a lot of fun with this. Particularly the set-up, it was adorable. The narrative alternates between Skye and Maya, beginning a little before they even agree to be on the show.
The backdrop of the mansion, filming the reality show, it was great. I felt like I was getting a real glimpse behind the scenes of an actual show. It felt very realistic.
I also liked the mix of personalities that the contestants had. They all had their own motivations for being there and few of those actually revolved around Jordy, or love.
Skye and Maya's interactions, as they got to know one another, as they battled and then began to drop their defenses; I thought that was really well done too.
My only slight issues with this story would be that I feel like it may have worked better if the story was actually written as New Adult, or Adult. It could have gone farther in the exploration of the relationships.
Also, I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. I didn't find the romance that ultimately transpires believable.
These are tiny critiques though and both of these things are simply my personal opinion. Overall, this book is adorable as heck and I really enjoyed following the concept through to the end.
I was lucky enough to listen to an audio copy and definitely recommend that medium. The narrators did an incredible job bringing this story to life.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am absolutely looking forward to more from Sophie Gonzales!!
Never Ever Getting Back Together releases next Tuesday, November 29th. Preorder your copy now. You don't want to miss out. Get it while it's hot!!
January 30, 2023
“How did things go so wrong so fast?”
I was just browsing Barnes & Noble one day, spending all of my gift cards and money because it was the after Christmas sale which is my favorite time of year, and I randomly stumbled upon this book, said "Oh, this cover is cute, and hey, it reminds me of Taylor Swift!" and then bought it. I'd vaguely heard of it before and it sounded really fun, which it was!
The book was pretty cute and sweet, but of course, it had its flaws.
The Plot
This was basically the bachelor in the perspective of two contestants, who just so happen to fall in love with each other instead of the scumbag guy.
I typically hate miscommunication in any book, not even just romance, but honestly I loved how in this one it added more drama. It didn't last for too long, but it made for a good, short rivalry.
I also liked reading through the different challenges because I love competitions in books no matter the genre, and I also enjoyed watching Skye and Maya conjure up their revenge plan against Jordy as they slowly began to trust each other and work together.
Though I must say, I wish the girls had actually believed Maya faster when she said all those bad things about Jordy, but they all decided to trust Jordy over anything, though they could've let Maya actually speak instead of shutting her out and telling her that she was jealous of Skye.
The Characters
So now, here's one of my biggest issues. None of the characters really stood out much to me, but when they did, I deeply disliked them. There was never a moment I was like "oh my gosh yes, I LOVE this character" but there were moments where I was like "oh my gosh no, I HATE this character" which is not something I want to feel when reading a book, since characters make or break a book for me.
Maya and Skye both were going back and forth on my "do I like them or not" scale. Sometimes I liked Maya more than Skye, sometimes I liked Skye more than Maya, but it usually bubbled down to what was happening in the moment. Skye was really annoying sometimes, especially when Maya did that one thing at the end and she really shouldn't have gotten that upset because she should've trusted that Maya knew what she was doing, she knew how much Maya hated Jordy, so there's no way she would do that. And then there were the times where Maya annoyed me to no end, like when she was rude to the other contestants and completely irrational towards Skye.
I'm not even going to talk about Jordy because he's a disgusting, slimy person who doesn't deserve a section.
I actually quite enjoyed the side characters too, though some of them I didn't really like until the end after they stopped fawning over Jordy. I love Isaac though, so much. He's the only character I really loved.
The Relationships
Now here's my second issue. I love rivals/enemies to lovers and quite liked when Skye and Maya were rivals, like their banter was funny and cute, but then when they became "friends," they switched into lovers way too fast for my taste. Like they'd been friends for a little bit (unless there was a time jump and I missed it..?) and then suddenly one of them wanted to kiss the other. Nevertheless, the romance between Maya and Skye was really sweet and adorable.
I really liked the friendships between the girls in this one too, like they all had their own personalities and some of them complemented each other really well.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this despite some of the flaws I found in it, and it was a nice, cute, fun read to pass the time!
3.5 stars
“We’re Maya and Skye. We fit together like we were made that way on purpose.”
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this was pretty cute, nothing spectacular but it was entertaining
rtc
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WeeeEEE are never ever ever getting back together, weeEE are never ever ever getting back together
I was just browsing Barnes & Noble one day, spending all of my gift cards and money because it was the after Christmas sale which is my favorite time of year, and I randomly stumbled upon this book, said "Oh, this cover is cute, and hey, it reminds me of Taylor Swift!" and then bought it. I'd vaguely heard of it before and it sounded really fun, which it was!
The book was pretty cute and sweet, but of course, it had its flaws.
The Plot
This was basically the bachelor in the perspective of two contestants, who just so happen to fall in love with each other instead of the scumbag guy.
I typically hate miscommunication in any book, not even just romance, but honestly I loved how in this one it added more drama. It didn't last for too long, but it made for a good, short rivalry.
I also liked reading through the different challenges because I love competitions in books no matter the genre, and I also enjoyed watching Skye and Maya conjure up their revenge plan against Jordy as they slowly began to trust each other and work together.
Though I must say, I wish the girls had actually believed Maya faster when she said all those bad things about Jordy, but they all decided to trust Jordy over anything, though they could've let Maya actually speak instead of shutting her out and telling her that she was jealous of Skye.
The Characters
So now, here's one of my biggest issues. None of the characters really stood out much to me, but when they did, I deeply disliked them. There was never a moment I was like "oh my gosh yes, I LOVE this character" but there were moments where I was like "oh my gosh no, I HATE this character" which is not something I want to feel when reading a book, since characters make or break a book for me.
Maya and Skye both were going back and forth on my "do I like them or not" scale. Sometimes I liked Maya more than Skye, sometimes I liked Skye more than Maya, but it usually bubbled down to what was happening in the moment. Skye was really annoying sometimes, especially when Maya did that one thing at the end and she really shouldn't have gotten that upset because she should've trusted that Maya knew what she was doing, she knew how much Maya hated Jordy, so there's no way she would do that. And then there were the times where Maya annoyed me to no end, like when she was rude to the other contestants and completely irrational towards Skye.
I'm not even going to talk about Jordy because he's a disgusting, slimy person who doesn't deserve a section.
I actually quite enjoyed the side characters too, though some of them I didn't really like until the end after they stopped fawning over Jordy. I love Isaac though, so much. He's the only character I really loved.
The Relationships
Now here's my second issue. I love rivals/enemies to lovers and quite liked when Skye and Maya were rivals, like their banter was funny and cute, but then when they became "friends," they switched into lovers way too fast for my taste. Like they'd been friends for a little bit (unless there was a time jump and I missed it..?) and then suddenly one of them wanted to kiss the other. Nevertheless, the romance between Maya and Skye was really sweet and adorable.
I really liked the friendships between the girls in this one too, like they all had their own personalities and some of them complemented each other really well.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this despite some of the flaws I found in it, and it was a nice, cute, fun read to pass the time!
3.5 stars
“We’re Maya and Skye. We fit together like we were made that way on purpose.”
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this was pretty cute, nothing spectacular but it was entertaining
rtc
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WeeeEEE are never ever ever getting back together, weeEE are never ever ever getting back together
May 16, 2022
Reading NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER wasn't enough. I need to personally punch Jordy in the face… with a chair.
Except for creating one of my most hated men ever, though, Sophie Gonzales and her books are a little like best friends, and even if this metaphor started off as a little joke, I don't think it is anymore. I mean, think about it:
- who has you choking on your own laughter and crying past midnight?
- who is always there for you when you need comfort?
- who has you nodding yes when they call people out on things?
- who brings you so much joy while also making you realize deeper, darker parts of yourself?
- who do you love with all of your heart?
Exactly! Best friends and Sophie Gonzales's books!
As she's one of my favourite authors, I had high expectations of NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER, but it didn't miss any of these. It's full of humour and heart and, well, chaos. I mean, what else could you expect from a concept like this?
I have so many lovely things to say about everything in this book. Except for Jordy, that is. The jokes and the romance and the friendships and the overall girlpower, though? I am obsessed!
NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER will inevitably become a new comfort read of mine, and Sophie Gonzales has yet again proven herself unstoppable in my eyes. I can't wait to hold this beautiful book!
Except for creating one of my most hated men ever, though, Sophie Gonzales and her books are a little like best friends, and even if this metaphor started off as a little joke, I don't think it is anymore. I mean, think about it:
- who has you choking on your own laughter and crying past midnight?
- who is always there for you when you need comfort?
- who has you nodding yes when they call people out on things?
- who brings you so much joy while also making you realize deeper, darker parts of yourself?
- who do you love with all of your heart?
Exactly! Best friends and Sophie Gonzales's books!
As she's one of my favourite authors, I had high expectations of NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER, but it didn't miss any of these. It's full of humour and heart and, well, chaos. I mean, what else could you expect from a concept like this?
I have so many lovely things to say about everything in this book. Except for Jordy, that is. The jokes and the romance and the friendships and the overall girlpower, though? I am obsessed!
NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER will inevitably become a new comfort read of mine, and Sophie Gonzales has yet again proven herself unstoppable in my eyes. I can't wait to hold this beautiful book!
November 29, 2022
Update 11/29/22: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of Never Ever Getting Back Together in exchange for an honest review.
Two years ago, Maya dumped her boyfriend Jordy after she found out that he had been cheating on her with a girl named Skye. Now most people have an ex who did them wrong, but very few have one who then becomes a world-famous heartthrob after their sister marries a European prince. Capitalizing on his fame and public reputation, a new reality show called “Second Chance Romance” is giving Jordy and his many exes a chance to reconnect Bachelor-style to see if Jordy can find “the one that got away.” Maya agrees to go on the show, hoping to make it to the final and publicly humiliate Jordy. What Maya never considered was Skye….
Maya and Skye narrate Never Ever Getting Back Together in alternating first-person chapters. Because of the setup, the reader is well ahead of Maya in realizing that Skye is much more than just the girl Jordy cheated on her with. The story works in large part because they are both fully developed characters—I’m always a sucker for snarky characters like Maya—who are working through something painful in their past. Their evolution from enemies to friends to maybe more is believable and well-written, with little hints that they’re attracted to each other that they don’t seem to notice at first because of their distraction by Jordy. The grand gesture is entirely predictable yet still completely satisfying.
On one level, this book is a nice reminder of the old Confucius saying that “before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves,” because Maya’s plan comes at a cost to herself. But that’s overly dramatic. Never Ever Getting Back Together is a sweet, funny, entertaining closed door romcom. Recommended.
“I figured if I can get to the very end, I can break his heart, just like he broke mine.”
A slow smile creeps across my face. “The long game,” I say. So, that answers the question that’s been niggling at the back of my mind. She didn’t come here to get her heart broken all over again. She came here to make him pay.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of Never Ever Getting Back Together in exchange for an honest review.
Two years ago, Maya dumped her boyfriend Jordy after she found out that he had been cheating on her with a girl named Skye. Now most people have an ex who did them wrong, but very few have one who then becomes a world-famous heartthrob after their sister marries a European prince. Capitalizing on his fame and public reputation, a new reality show called “Second Chance Romance” is giving Jordy and his many exes a chance to reconnect Bachelor-style to see if Jordy can find “the one that got away.” Maya agrees to go on the show, hoping to make it to the final and publicly humiliate Jordy. What Maya never considered was Skye….
Maya and Skye narrate Never Ever Getting Back Together in alternating first-person chapters. Because of the setup, the reader is well ahead of Maya in realizing that Skye is much more than just the girl Jordy cheated on her with. The story works in large part because they are both fully developed characters—I’m always a sucker for snarky characters like Maya—who are working through something painful in their past. Their evolution from enemies to friends to maybe more is believable and well-written, with little hints that they’re attracted to each other that they don’t seem to notice at first because of their distraction by Jordy. The grand gesture is entirely predictable yet still completely satisfying.
On one level, this book is a nice reminder of the old Confucius saying that “before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves,” because Maya’s plan comes at a cost to herself. But that’s overly dramatic. Never Ever Getting Back Together is a sweet, funny, entertaining closed door romcom. Recommended.
January 7, 2023
I read Only Mostly Devastated during the pandemic when I was very depressed. It was the first book I read during lockdown, and since then I’ve been a huge fan of Sophie Gonzales’ writing. I love Sophie’s sense of humour, and OMD was genuinely so funny at times. I still think about that book all the time. I also adored If This Gets Out, and really appreciate Sophie’s writing. When I got an ARC of Never Ever Getting Back Together, I was ready to have a blast!
I love reality television. I’m still waiting to have my Golden Balls moment where I steal all the money. The most disappointing thing about reality tv is how the formats and competitors are primarily heteronormative. I’ve always wanted to see two competitors decide to betray a Batchelor-like format and get together instead. We need more queer reality television contestants.
My favourite books are those with famous characters and secret relationships. This book really delivered on that front. I knew going in that this was going to be enemies to lovers, and I’m happy to report that these characters actually have a real reason to hate each other! Skye dated Maya’s ex when they were still together, so Maya absolutely hates her guts. Their issues were due to miscommunication, but I think that this was well done, as both women were being gaslit, and once they realised who the real problem was, they joined together to take him down. I enjoyed how Gonzales dismantles the crazy ex girlfriend stereotype and examines how women are treated in the media. Beyond that, Skye and Maya’s dynamic was the perfect set up for all the juicy reality television drama. It was wonderful watching their progression from enemies to lovers. Skye and Maya had brilliant chemistry, and I really enjoyed them as a couple.
If any of you watch reality television religiously, you’ll love this book. I don’t know if Sophie has watched British reality television, but Never Ever Getting Back Together had such a British vibe. It reminded me of my favourite shows, and I am ready for this book to be adapted into a real version of the show. Thank you.
Randomly, one of my favourite things was the fact that Maya smuggled in her iPad because that would absolutely be me. I love my iPad. She also googled herself. Do I love that for me? Yes. Do I love it for Maya? No. I loved seeing what people were saying about her online and how she eventually challenged their perceptions. Maya was my favourite character. I loved her chaotic chapters. She started drama day one and I appreciate her for giving us the goods.
Jordy was disgusting. I can smell that man. He’s probably the sort of guy that drenches himself in cologne. All fake smiles and bad attitude. I don’t know if he was based on a real person, but I sure hated him like he was real!
Never Ever Getting Back Together is yet another Sophie book I loved, and I cannot wait to read literally everything she publishes in the future!
Thank you so much to the author, Hachette and @teambkmrk for sending me a proof in exchange for an honest review! Still cannot believe my quote was on the back of that proof!
I love reality television. I’m still waiting to have my Golden Balls moment where I steal all the money. The most disappointing thing about reality tv is how the formats and competitors are primarily heteronormative. I’ve always wanted to see two competitors decide to betray a Batchelor-like format and get together instead. We need more queer reality television contestants.
My favourite books are those with famous characters and secret relationships. This book really delivered on that front. I knew going in that this was going to be enemies to lovers, and I’m happy to report that these characters actually have a real reason to hate each other! Skye dated Maya’s ex when they were still together, so Maya absolutely hates her guts. Their issues were due to miscommunication, but I think that this was well done, as both women were being gaslit, and once they realised who the real problem was, they joined together to take him down. I enjoyed how Gonzales dismantles the crazy ex girlfriend stereotype and examines how women are treated in the media. Beyond that, Skye and Maya’s dynamic was the perfect set up for all the juicy reality television drama. It was wonderful watching their progression from enemies to lovers. Skye and Maya had brilliant chemistry, and I really enjoyed them as a couple.
If any of you watch reality television religiously, you’ll love this book. I don’t know if Sophie has watched British reality television, but Never Ever Getting Back Together had such a British vibe. It reminded me of my favourite shows, and I am ready for this book to be adapted into a real version of the show. Thank you.
Randomly, one of my favourite things was the fact that Maya smuggled in her iPad because that would absolutely be me. I love my iPad. She also googled herself. Do I love that for me? Yes. Do I love it for Maya? No. I loved seeing what people were saying about her online and how she eventually challenged their perceptions. Maya was my favourite character. I loved her chaotic chapters. She started drama day one and I appreciate her for giving us the goods.
Jordy was disgusting. I can smell that man. He’s probably the sort of guy that drenches himself in cologne. All fake smiles and bad attitude. I don’t know if he was based on a real person, but I sure hated him like he was real!
Never Ever Getting Back Together is yet another Sophie book I loved, and I cannot wait to read literally everything she publishes in the future!
Thank you so much to the author, Hachette and @teambkmrk for sending me a proof in exchange for an honest review! Still cannot believe my quote was on the back of that proof!
March 23, 2023
—2 stars—
“Welcome to team Fuck Up the Fuck Boy.”
————about the book————
Age: YA
Genres: Contemporary romance, sapphic romance,
Cliffhanger: no
Writing: 4/10
Quotes: 4/10
World building: n/a
Characters: 3/10
Romance: 4/10
My rating: 4/10
‼️spoilers below‼️
———my feelings———
When Maya’s cheating ex Jordy phones her up with an invitation—to a dating show where he dates all his exes—Maya accepts. But, not to reconnect with him, to bring him down. Maya has to show the other contestants—and the world—what Jordy’s really like.
First of all, thank you to my darlings who hoped it would get better for me. (Spoiler: it did not)
If you know me, you’d probably know that when I’m posting *drumroll please* TWO UPDATES FOR THE WHOLE BOOK, I’m not enjoying it. And I did not enjoy it at all.
To be frank, I was pretty sure I’d dislike this when I picked it up, but I wasn’t prepared for how angry it made me. So, without further ado, ONTO THE RANT!
I hate the premise. HATE IT. It’s basically a whole book about one of my least favourite things—women being pitted against each other. The WHOLE premise of the show is women fighting over this ✨man✨. Who is in fact, completely awful and made me so angry throughout the book.
But anyway. The romance... idk why, but I just didn’t care. Skye and Maya were cute yes, but I didn’t care about the third act break-up, I just didn’t care.
Possibly the best thing about this book, was these two characters: Perrie and Issac. Perrie was supportive, she was nice, I would love to be friends with her if she was real. I LOVE HER. And Issac! He’s so sweet.
It says a lot that I only really liked two characters.
I mean, there was nothing wrong with the rest of the girls, they just all felt like they were here for the ✨man✨.
SPEAKING OF THE ✨MAN✨.
Fucking Jordy. So, remember he cheated on Maya (WITH SKYE)? He is honestly one of the worst people I’ve ever read about in a contemporary YA. He makes all the girls fight over him, he talks over them, he doesn’t listen to anything, he’s a spoilt fucking brat. But, don’t worry, he means it all “in a feminist way.”
Yep, him telling every single girl the same lines, telling each of them they’re the only smart one (which, wow.) telling one girl she has the “best tits in the mansion” (also, WOW.) and being a manipulative asshole? But no, it’s fine, because he means it in a feminist way! FUCK OFF.
The whole plot felt like a he-said she-said where the he was almost always believed (even though he was lying) And that made me so ANGRY. All of this made me so angry or just MEH.
I did almost give it a 2.5, but I tend to be too nice so NO.
(There was a couple good quotes though, so check out the quotes section)
———characters ———
Maya: I mean, her plan to bring Jordy down was pretty good, but at the start she immediately was so awful to the other girls, and that got her a no from me.
Skye: just meh. See? EVERYONE WAS MEH, OR HORRIBLE, OR FIGHTING OVER JORDY.
Jordy: women can’t do anything for themselves, so it’s amazing that this guy with his oiled abs was there to save them. Hahaha FUCK OFF.
————quotes————
“They don’t call it gently cascading for someone. You don’t gracefully descend for someone. You fall. Head over heels, right? And either someone catches you, or they don’t, and you don’t have any control over how badly bruised you are at the bottom of it.”
“So, instead I choose anger. Anger can be channeled, and relieved. Anger makes me stronger. Anger builds my defences.”
———random extra thoughts———
I’m just mad. So mad. Writing rants always brings up all the things I hated again.
And I knew this was coming. I had a streak of good books so...
Thanks for reading!❤️
(And this is quite long so I’m sorry)
“Welcome to team Fuck Up the Fuck Boy.”
————about the book————
Age: YA
Genres: Contemporary romance, sapphic romance,
Cliffhanger: no
Writing: 4/10
Quotes: 4/10
World building: n/a
Characters: 3/10
Romance: 4/10
My rating: 4/10
‼️spoilers below‼️
———my feelings———
When Maya’s cheating ex Jordy phones her up with an invitation—to a dating show where he dates all his exes—Maya accepts. But, not to reconnect with him, to bring him down. Maya has to show the other contestants—and the world—what Jordy’s really like.
First of all, thank you to my darlings who hoped it would get better for me. (Spoiler: it did not)
If you know me, you’d probably know that when I’m posting *drumroll please* TWO UPDATES FOR THE WHOLE BOOK, I’m not enjoying it. And I did not enjoy it at all.
To be frank, I was pretty sure I’d dislike this when I picked it up, but I wasn’t prepared for how angry it made me. So, without further ado, ONTO THE RANT!
I hate the premise. HATE IT. It’s basically a whole book about one of my least favourite things—women being pitted against each other. The WHOLE premise of the show is women fighting over this ✨man✨. Who is in fact, completely awful and made me so angry throughout the book.
But anyway. The romance... idk why, but I just didn’t care. Skye and Maya were cute yes, but I didn’t care about the third act break-up, I just didn’t care.
Possibly the best thing about this book, was these two characters: Perrie and Issac. Perrie was supportive, she was nice, I would love to be friends with her if she was real. I LOVE HER. And Issac! He’s so sweet.
It says a lot that I only really liked two characters.
I mean, there was nothing wrong with the rest of the girls, they just all felt like they were here for the ✨man✨.
SPEAKING OF THE ✨MAN✨.
Fucking Jordy. So, remember he cheated on Maya (WITH SKYE)? He is honestly one of the worst people I’ve ever read about in a contemporary YA. He makes all the girls fight over him, he talks over them, he doesn’t listen to anything, he’s a spoilt fucking brat. But, don’t worry, he means it all “in a feminist way.”
Yep, him telling every single girl the same lines, telling each of them they’re the only smart one (which, wow.) telling one girl she has the “best tits in the mansion” (also, WOW.) and being a manipulative asshole? But no, it’s fine, because he means it in a feminist way! FUCK OFF.
The whole plot felt like a he-said she-said where the he was almost always believed (even though he was lying) And that made me so ANGRY. All of this made me so angry or just MEH.
I did almost give it a 2.5, but I tend to be too nice so NO.
(There was a couple good quotes though, so check out the quotes section)
———characters ———
Maya: I mean, her plan to bring Jordy down was pretty good, but at the start she immediately was so awful to the other girls, and that got her a no from me.
Skye: just meh. See? EVERYONE WAS MEH, OR HORRIBLE, OR FIGHTING OVER JORDY.
Jordy: women can’t do anything for themselves, so it’s amazing that this guy with his oiled abs was there to save them. Hahaha FUCK OFF.
————quotes————
“They don’t call it gently cascading for someone. You don’t gracefully descend for someone. You fall. Head over heels, right? And either someone catches you, or they don’t, and you don’t have any control over how badly bruised you are at the bottom of it.”
“So, instead I choose anger. Anger can be channeled, and relieved. Anger makes me stronger. Anger builds my defences.”
———random extra thoughts———
I’m just mad. So mad. Writing rants always brings up all the things I hated again.
And I knew this was coming. I had a streak of good books so...
Thanks for reading!❤️
(And this is quite long so I’m sorry)
June 27, 2022
Okay, rant time, let's fucking go
To start, maybe I'm the dumbass one but I did not think this book was YA and these characters would be like 18-20, why would you make a show about "the one that got away" "second chance at love" with barely legal adults? The one that got away? More like the one that still had a curfew and has to ask permission to stay out late. This sort of story deserved characters at least in their mid 20s, then they'd have bagage to make this make sense.
The povs, Maya and Skye sound EXACTLY the same, I had such difficult time telling these two apart, they had the same inner voice and I would have to clingy to details to know who was who.
The concept was shot to hell, it sounded like would be a well crafted revenge story but it's really not, and you suspend your beliefs so often but buy into any of time.
Side characters? Pretty bland, most one dimensional.
The romance lacked a lot of chemistry as well.
Also why would a member of the ROYAL FAMILY accept to be in a reality show when he in fact know he's a dirty cheater like? And get his exes including the ones he did dirty with, yea master manipulator bla bla bla but that sounds too dangerous and risky for no reason.
Thank you Macmillan/Wednesday Books and Edelweiss for the e-arc in exchange of an honest review
To start, maybe I'm the dumbass one but I did not think this book was YA and these characters would be like 18-20, why would you make a show about "the one that got away" "second chance at love" with barely legal adults? The one that got away? More like the one that still had a curfew and has to ask permission to stay out late. This sort of story deserved characters at least in their mid 20s, then they'd have bagage to make this make sense.
The povs, Maya and Skye sound EXACTLY the same, I had such difficult time telling these two apart, they had the same inner voice and I would have to clingy to details to know who was who.
The concept was shot to hell, it sounded like would be a well crafted revenge story but it's really not, and you suspend your beliefs so often but buy into any of time.
Side characters? Pretty bland, most one dimensional.
The romance lacked a lot of chemistry as well.
Also why would a member of the ROYAL FAMILY accept to be in a reality show when he in fact know he's a dirty cheater like? And get his exes including the ones he did dirty with, yea master manipulator bla bla bla but that sounds too dangerous and risky for no reason.
Thank you Macmillan/Wednesday Books and Edelweiss for the e-arc in exchange of an honest review
April 10, 2023
i should have known i wouldn't like a book with a taylor swift lyric as a title
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 7/26
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 7/26
Want to read
January 31, 202208.05.2021 the author said it's "a rom-com about two girls on a bachelor-style show who team up to expose the lead guy as an asshole on tv. . . and fall for each other instead of him" and now i'm sitting here, waiting for this to release.
May 25, 2024
Never Ever Getting Back Together is the story that every gay consumer of reality tv has been asking for. Two girls go on a dating show and end up falling for each other instead of the bachelor. While I didn't love the starting portion of the book where Skye and Maya were enemies, once they got close I had a great time with the story. I also wish there was a bit more satisfying conclusion to the revenge subplot, but regardless, I still had a super fun time with this book :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2023
Nie jestem zbytnio przekonana do tego zakończenia, ale chociaż nie jest aż tak bardzo oklepane jak mogłoby być.
Nie wiem w sumie czy to popularna opinia, ale nie lubię Skye. Byłam zbyt irytujące i przemądrzała momentami.
Jeśli chodzi o to co było dla mnie najważniejsze w tej książce, czyli reality show, to bardzo mi się podobało stąd moja ocena.
Nie wiem w sumie czy to popularna opinia, ale nie lubię Skye. Byłam zbyt irytujące i przemądrzała momentami.
Jeśli chodzi o to co było dla mnie najważniejsze w tej książce, czyli reality show, to bardzo mi się podobało stąd moja ocena.
June 30, 2022
This was such a fun read!! It's one of my later ARCs (Dec 2022) but it was calling my name so I dove in 6 months early! 😄
Our MCs, Skye and Maya, have something in common: they both previously dated a-hole-womanizer Jordy... unbeknownst to them, he dated them at the same time!! 🙄
Two years later, they're invited to participate in a Bachelor-style reality dating show specifically tailored to Jordy and his exes. It's a "second- chance-at-romance" show, aimed to rekindle a romance between Jordy and one of the women from his past.
After being forced to bunk together on the show, Skye and Maya find out they have two more things in common: They're both bisexual, and they're both developing feelings for someone on the show... someone who is NOT Jordy. 👀
I adored this book! If I had to give a criticism, it would be that Skye and Maya didn't have distinct enough voices for the first half. I kept mixing them up. They 'sounded' (in my head) like the same person. 🤷♀️ No distinct mannerisms or tones to set them apart. In the last half of the book I began to see their differences a bit more and their individual voices became more apparent. 💕
Even so, I give this a solid 4/5 stars because it was cute as heck!!!
This was my first Sophie Gonzales and it definitely didn't disappoint! I am excited to read "Perfect on Paper" next! 🙌
Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Gonzales, St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. 💕
Our MCs, Skye and Maya, have something in common: they both previously dated a-hole-womanizer Jordy... unbeknownst to them, he dated them at the same time!! 🙄
Two years later, they're invited to participate in a Bachelor-style reality dating show specifically tailored to Jordy and his exes. It's a "second- chance-at-romance" show, aimed to rekindle a romance between Jordy and one of the women from his past.
After being forced to bunk together on the show, Skye and Maya find out they have two more things in common: They're both bisexual, and they're both developing feelings for someone on the show... someone who is NOT Jordy. 👀
I adored this book! If I had to give a criticism, it would be that Skye and Maya didn't have distinct enough voices for the first half. I kept mixing them up. They 'sounded' (in my head) like the same person. 🤷♀️ No distinct mannerisms or tones to set them apart. In the last half of the book I began to see their differences a bit more and their individual voices became more apparent. 💕
Even so, I give this a solid 4/5 stars because it was cute as heck!!!
This was my first Sophie Gonzales and it definitely didn't disappoint! I am excited to read "Perfect on Paper" next! 🙌
Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Gonzales, St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. 💕
Want to read
April 19, 2022we always enjoy a tay tay reference
September 5, 2022
I think that the biggest criticism i can levy against the book is that the premise just would have worked better in a book that was properly adult.
Here the characters are technically 18, and they find themselves having the kind of adult conversations you'd expect on a reality dating show... but the premise of bringing together a group of exes just feels weird when the characters have as little life experience as they have here... Like turning in every week to see if someone picks the person they were dating when they were 14 vs the person they dated at 16... it just... it feels a little weird when you're actually forced to confront the premise playing out.
I think that's part of why some of the girls felt a little under developed. Sure, with a premise like this you're bound to have to get rid of characters fairly regularly and so you can't expect them all to get the same level of care. But because of that I think the narrative does a pretty poor job of convincing the reader why Jordy would pick the people he does. At a certain point it really becomes a game of the character we know the best is clearly going to stick around the longest....
I'm not sure that the ending worked all that well for me. Partially because the subplots here felt a little under-baked and some of the explanations given for actions that took place at the tail-end felt almost comically flimsy. Maybe if I hadn't enjoyed Perfect on Paper as much as I did this would have been more of a banger for me. And for the target audience I think they'll get more out of it... but I do wish that the book had leaned more into being a YA book instead of existing in this grey space between categorizations in a way that crossover definitely seems to be the appeal... but if it had really been written for 16/17 year olds it might have felt like I could buy into the premise a little more.
Here the characters are technically 18, and they find themselves having the kind of adult conversations you'd expect on a reality dating show... but the premise of bringing together a group of exes just feels weird when the characters have as little life experience as they have here... Like turning in every week to see if someone picks the person they were dating when they were 14 vs the person they dated at 16... it just... it feels a little weird when you're actually forced to confront the premise playing out.
I think that's part of why some of the girls felt a little under developed. Sure, with a premise like this you're bound to have to get rid of characters fairly regularly and so you can't expect them all to get the same level of care. But because of that I think the narrative does a pretty poor job of convincing the reader why Jordy would pick the people he does. At a certain point it really becomes a game of the character we know the best is clearly going to stick around the longest....
I'm not sure that the ending worked all that well for me. Partially because the subplots here felt a little under-baked and some of the explanations given for actions that took place at the tail-end felt almost comically flimsy. Maybe if I hadn't enjoyed Perfect on Paper as much as I did this would have been more of a banger for me. And for the target audience I think they'll get more out of it... but I do wish that the book had leaned more into being a YA book instead of existing in this grey space between categorizations in a way that crossover definitely seems to be the appeal... but if it had really been written for 16/17 year olds it might have felt like I could buy into the premise a little more.
June 21, 2022
A YA romance but make it college? Check.
Reality tv dating show setting? Check.
Taylor Swift lyrics as the title? Check.
I loved this one. Never Ever Getting Back Together focuses on Maya and Skye, two ex-girlfriends of Jordy who is famous-adjacent thanks to his sister marrying the crown prince of a European nation and spun that minor celebrity into his own dating show (of dating his ex's). Admittedly, I am a sucker for any romance set at a reality tv show but this one is a fun twist on a Bachelor-style dating show. It even plays on the "here for the right reasons" trope in all the best ways.
Some might be annoyed at the early use of the miscommunication trope to drive the conflict between Maya and Sky but I actually thought it was a good depiction of how men gaslight their romantic partners and how women are socialized to view each other as competition. Like it was WILDLY frustrating when Skye buys Jordy's lies about Maya being a "psycho" after their break up but it's 100% believable given how pervasive the misogynistic "crazy ex-girlfriend" narrative is (I mean they made a whole show about it for a reason). Also Skye and Maya are *young* -- this is still a YA romance after all. Jordy does border on caricature at some times with his shirtless preening but also... it's still not *that* detached from reality!
In general the book is campy ridiculous fun. I have some quibbles about how the revenge plotline plays out but overall this book is a great time. If you liked Perfect on Paper you'll like this one.
Reality tv dating show setting? Check.
Taylor Swift lyrics as the title? Check.
I loved this one. Never Ever Getting Back Together focuses on Maya and Skye, two ex-girlfriends of Jordy who is famous-adjacent thanks to his sister marrying the crown prince of a European nation and spun that minor celebrity into his own dating show (of dating his ex's). Admittedly, I am a sucker for any romance set at a reality tv show but this one is a fun twist on a Bachelor-style dating show. It even plays on the "here for the right reasons" trope in all the best ways.
Some might be annoyed at the early use of the miscommunication trope to drive the conflict between Maya and Sky but I actually thought it was a good depiction of how men gaslight their romantic partners and how women are socialized to view each other as competition. Like it was WILDLY frustrating when Skye buys Jordy's lies about Maya being a "psycho" after their break up but it's 100% believable given how pervasive the misogynistic "crazy ex-girlfriend" narrative is (I mean they made a whole show about it for a reason). Also Skye and Maya are *young* -- this is still a YA romance after all. Jordy does border on caricature at some times with his shirtless preening but also... it's still not *that* detached from reality!
In general the book is campy ridiculous fun. I have some quibbles about how the revenge plotline plays out but overall this book is a great time. If you liked Perfect on Paper you'll like this one.
July 1, 2022
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was so fun!!
Never Ever Getting Back Together follows two girls who are given a second chance to win back their ex-boyfriend among several other contestants. It's been two years since Maya finally dumped Jordy for cheating on her, but everyone else believes she stalked him. When she is invited on a show to try and date him again Maya comes up with the perfect revenge scheme. Win the show, make Jordy fall for her again, and then break his heart and reveal the truth at the end of the season. But all Maya's plans don't account for Skye.
Skye is the girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. But Maya can't seem to keep being angry at her, especially when it seems Skye is willing to listen to Maya's side of things. If the two can forge a reluctant alliance, they might have a better chance of taking Jordy down.
I do enjoy TV competitions, but Jordy was gross and I hated all the interactions the girls had with him. He is just the worst (and was written this way on purpose). But the joy of this book was Maya and Skye. I was so thrilled when they started working together, and it happened so easily and much quicker than I expected. I really loved them teaming up. They are devious and I live for it.
While I loved both of the girls, Maya really stood out to me. I loved how angry and righteous she could be. She was supposed to be the villain of the show, but I loved seeing an angry female character WIN for once. Then there was the way everything played out in the end and it was so satisfying.
Rep: white bisexual cis female MC, white sapphic mspec (not specified) cis female MC, South Asian cishet female side character, various cis female side characters, BIPOC gay cis male side character, white cishet male side character.
CWs: Toxic relationship, emotional abuse, infidelity, misogyny, sexism. Moderate: Biphobia/bimisia, abandonment, alcohol consumption.
This was so fun!!
Never Ever Getting Back Together follows two girls who are given a second chance to win back their ex-boyfriend among several other contestants. It's been two years since Maya finally dumped Jordy for cheating on her, but everyone else believes she stalked him. When she is invited on a show to try and date him again Maya comes up with the perfect revenge scheme. Win the show, make Jordy fall for her again, and then break his heart and reveal the truth at the end of the season. But all Maya's plans don't account for Skye.
Skye is the girl Jordy cheated on Maya with. But Maya can't seem to keep being angry at her, especially when it seems Skye is willing to listen to Maya's side of things. If the two can forge a reluctant alliance, they might have a better chance of taking Jordy down.
I do enjoy TV competitions, but Jordy was gross and I hated all the interactions the girls had with him. He is just the worst (and was written this way on purpose). But the joy of this book was Maya and Skye. I was so thrilled when they started working together, and it happened so easily and much quicker than I expected. I really loved them teaming up. They are devious and I live for it.
While I loved both of the girls, Maya really stood out to me. I loved how angry and righteous she could be. She was supposed to be the villain of the show, but I loved seeing an angry female character WIN for once. Then there was the way everything played out in the end and it was so satisfying.
Rep: white bisexual cis female MC, white sapphic mspec (not specified) cis female MC, South Asian cishet female side character, various cis female side characters, BIPOC gay cis male side character, white cishet male side character.
CWs: Toxic relationship, emotional abuse, infidelity, misogyny, sexism. Moderate: Biphobia/bimisia, abandonment, alcohol consumption.
May 14, 2022
If you love reality TV drama, with emphasis on the drama, you're in for a huge treat. I know having a lot of drama is often seen as a bad quality in YA books, but in this case I promise it's part of the fun!
I have to admit I don't really like reality TV, but for some reason I love to read about it. And this book was just... so much fun from start to finish. I read it in one sitting because I was just having such a good time.
The concept of this book - having a dating show where the contestants are the guy's exes - is so incredibly fun, and this book lives up to it entirely. Jordy was truly the worst, and I loved the main characters overcoming the drama he set them up for and falling in love with each other.
I have to admit I don't really like reality TV, but for some reason I love to read about it. And this book was just... so much fun from start to finish. I read it in one sitting because I was just having such a good time.
The concept of this book - having a dating show where the contestants are the guy's exes - is so incredibly fun, and this book lives up to it entirely. Jordy was truly the worst, and I loved the main characters overcoming the drama he set them up for and falling in love with each other.
November 29, 2022
“Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Sophie Gonzales is an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity YA romance.
Maya is getting ready to go to college when she is invited onto a dating show to possibly rekindle a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Jordy. Since their breakup, Jordy has become worldwide famous after his sister marries into the royal family. She agrees because she wants revenge and wants to see him fall. Skye is also invited onto the show. She is hoping to find out why Jordy stopped calling her and see if they can have a second chance together. Maya and Skye’s plans go a little sideways when they figure out they have feelings for each other rather than him.
I was all about this concept when I first heard about it. However, I didn’t realize this was YA at the time. With everyone being 18-20 it made it hard to believe that any of the past relationships had an emotional connection or depth that would lend itself to a second chance. I’m a big fan of YA though so I decided to give this a shot and see if I’d still enjoy it.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. Maya and Skye spend quite a bit of time together but almost every interaction we see they are talking about Jordy in some way. Whether it’s about their revenge plans or his relationship with the other girls, it’s all about him. This takes place over 7 weeks but we only see about one day a week. There wasn’t anything to develop or build their relationship so it made it difficult to root for them as a couple. Along the same vein, I thought both characters (and the side characters too) were all one dimensional. We don’t get much about them aside from their relationship with Jordy…because like I said, almost every conversation is about him in some way.
Another issue I had was telling the characters apart. It’s told in both Maya and Skye’s point of views but unless a name was mentioned, I never really knew who it was so I was doing a lot of page turning to figure out who was saying what.
Things did get better in the end but it was too late for me. What I did enjoy was the humor. There were several times I would laugh out loud at the situation the girls found themselves in. The producers were also funny with what they would make the girls say or do to make their relationships more dramatic for tv.
This didn’t work for me but I bet it would work for the much younger, targeted audience.
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Maya is getting ready to go to college when she is invited onto a dating show to possibly rekindle a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Jordy. Since their breakup, Jordy has become worldwide famous after his sister marries into the royal family. She agrees because she wants revenge and wants to see him fall. Skye is also invited onto the show. She is hoping to find out why Jordy stopped calling her and see if they can have a second chance together. Maya and Skye’s plans go a little sideways when they figure out they have feelings for each other rather than him.
I was all about this concept when I first heard about it. However, I didn’t realize this was YA at the time. With everyone being 18-20 it made it hard to believe that any of the past relationships had an emotional connection or depth that would lend itself to a second chance. I’m a big fan of YA though so I decided to give this a shot and see if I’d still enjoy it.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. Maya and Skye spend quite a bit of time together but almost every interaction we see they are talking about Jordy in some way. Whether it’s about their revenge plans or his relationship with the other girls, it’s all about him. This takes place over 7 weeks but we only see about one day a week. There wasn’t anything to develop or build their relationship so it made it difficult to root for them as a couple. Along the same vein, I thought both characters (and the side characters too) were all one dimensional. We don’t get much about them aside from their relationship with Jordy…because like I said, almost every conversation is about him in some way.
Another issue I had was telling the characters apart. It’s told in both Maya and Skye’s point of views but unless a name was mentioned, I never really knew who it was so I was doing a lot of page turning to figure out who was saying what.
Things did get better in the end but it was too late for me. What I did enjoy was the humor. There were several times I would laugh out loud at the situation the girls found themselves in. The producers were also funny with what they would make the girls say or do to make their relationships more dramatic for tv.
This didn’t work for me but I bet it would work for the much younger, targeted audience.
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 25, 2022
i will come back and add more when it’s not the middle of the night but i liked it!
okay, I've composed my thoughts enough for a review:
This book was interesting. Every moment was leading up to something else and you could SEE Maya and Skye falling for each other. It didn’t happen inn one moment, but over time and it built up. I did NOT love that, in the end. They said Maya chose what was better for her? But i don’t know how to feel about that. Did she? Or did she just do what she thought was nicer? I dunno.
Jordy was a piece of work. I’m being nice here, but he really, truly was. When Maya confronts Skye, even though Jordy had tried to manipulate her ahead of time, it starts off as a mess and ends as a mess, but in the best possible way. That is the moment their relationship started and I am SO glad for it because that is when everything came together.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but everything Maya had done, the entire reason she came here led up to one big moment. It was supposed to be this big reveal of the truth but instead it wasn’t? I guess Jordy…got was coming but still I think it could’ve been more well done.
Overall, this entire book was full of drama and so fun. I cant wait to see what Sophie does next!!
okay, I've composed my thoughts enough for a review:
This book was interesting. Every moment was leading up to something else and you could SEE Maya and Skye falling for each other. It didn’t happen inn one moment, but over time and it built up. I did NOT love that, in the end. They said Maya chose what was better for her? But i don’t know how to feel about that. Did she? Or did she just do what she thought was nicer? I dunno.
Jordy was a piece of work. I’m being nice here, but he really, truly was. When Maya confronts Skye, even though Jordy had tried to manipulate her ahead of time, it starts off as a mess and ends as a mess, but in the best possible way. That is the moment their relationship started and I am SO glad for it because that is when everything came together.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but everything Maya had done, the entire reason she came here led up to one big moment. It was supposed to be this big reveal of the truth but instead it wasn’t? I guess Jordy…got was coming but still I think it could’ve been more well done.
Overall, this entire book was full of drama and so fun. I cant wait to see what Sophie does next!!
December 4, 2022
Never Ever Getting Back Together is a perfect pick-me-up. It’s a rom com that’s genuinely hilarious–nicely melding both situational humour and amusing dialogue.
While I’ve only ever seen one season of the Bachelor (and I low key hated it), I’m obsessed with book adaptations of this reality TV show. While this is a spin on the “Bachelor” idea, I loved the references to behind the scenes production, including the way that people are edited to look a certain way (villain, anyone?) and all those fun mechanics of creating a reality TV show.
The book is told from two points of view – that of Maya and Skye. Jordy, the TV show’s bachelor, cheated on Maya with Skye, but the latter had no idea of what he’d done. Maya thinks that Skye did know (because Jordy told her as much), so she hates her on sight. They have quite a few hilarious interactions, especially once production starts treating them with jello shots…
As a reader, I just loved to hate Jordy, the ex. This cheater thinks that he can manipulate all his exes into falling for him again? Is he ever in for a rude awakening! I loved the concept of the book and the way that the revenge is planned is just so comical and perfect.
This is a slow burn romance. Skye and Maya despise each other in the beginning. It was a little bit too much of a slow burn, however. I think the author needed to insert a few more tension-filled moments earlier on. Once they stopped hating each other, they were platonic. Then, they went from platonic friends to kissing friends in the blink of an eye. I needed a bit more build up than that!
Despite being a little annoyed by the abruptness of the romance, I absolutely loved this book. The side characters, like Perrie and Isaac, were perfection. I can’t wait to check out more books by this author!
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the arc to review!
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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My 2022 Reading Challenge
While I’ve only ever seen one season of the Bachelor (and I low key hated it), I’m obsessed with book adaptations of this reality TV show. While this is a spin on the “Bachelor” idea, I loved the references to behind the scenes production, including the way that people are edited to look a certain way (villain, anyone?) and all those fun mechanics of creating a reality TV show.
The book is told from two points of view – that of Maya and Skye. Jordy, the TV show’s bachelor, cheated on Maya with Skye, but the latter had no idea of what he’d done. Maya thinks that Skye did know (because Jordy told her as much), so she hates her on sight. They have quite a few hilarious interactions, especially once production starts treating them with jello shots…
As a reader, I just loved to hate Jordy, the ex. This cheater thinks that he can manipulate all his exes into falling for him again? Is he ever in for a rude awakening! I loved the concept of the book and the way that the revenge is planned is just so comical and perfect.
This is a slow burn romance. Skye and Maya despise each other in the beginning. It was a little bit too much of a slow burn, however. I think the author needed to insert a few more tension-filled moments earlier on. Once they stopped hating each other, they were platonic. Then, they went from platonic friends to kissing friends in the blink of an eye. I needed a bit more build up than that!
Despite being a little annoyed by the abruptness of the romance, I absolutely loved this book. The side characters, like Perrie and Isaac, were perfection. I can’t wait to check out more books by this author!
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the arc to review!
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Book Blog | Instagram | TikTok | Website | Twitter
My 2022 Reading Challenge
March 20, 2023
3.5 Stars
I loved everything about this book so much omg. I was immediately drawn to it because of the title, I mean who doesn't love a Taylor Swift book title? It had me hooked.
I loved the feminism in it and the sapphic romance had me yelling. I mean what's better than a rom-com about two girls teaming up to expose the lead guy on live television and they then end up falling for each other.
Maya and Skye were such interesting and great characters. The romance was so refreshing and I loved every second of it. Also, the entire concept of this book was amazing, I honestly didn't know if I was going to enjoy it much since I'm not the biggest fan of reality tv, but it completely blew me away and I would recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat.
The one thing I would have wished is if the characters were a bit older. I feel as if it would have made much more sense if they were in their 20s but it was still great. Also, I felt like Skye getting mad at Maya for not rejecting Jordy was a little bit unreasonable, but it’s ok because they got their happy ending anyway and it made the book more interesting.
Thank you so much netgalley for the ARC!!
I loved everything about this book so much omg. I was immediately drawn to it because of the title, I mean who doesn't love a Taylor Swift book title? It had me hooked.
I loved the feminism in it and the sapphic romance had me yelling. I mean what's better than a rom-com about two girls teaming up to expose the lead guy on live television and they then end up falling for each other.
Maya and Skye were such interesting and great characters. The romance was so refreshing and I loved every second of it. Also, the entire concept of this book was amazing, I honestly didn't know if I was going to enjoy it much since I'm not the biggest fan of reality tv, but it completely blew me away and I would recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat.
The one thing I would have wished is if the characters were a bit older. I feel as if it would have made much more sense if they were in their 20s but it was still great. Also, I felt like Skye getting mad at Maya for not rejecting Jordy was a little bit unreasonable, but it’s ok because they got their happy ending anyway and it made the book more interesting.
Thank you so much netgalley for the ARC!!
June 2, 2022
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Never Ever Getting Back Together!
This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I love Sophie Gonzales something fierce and she's an insta-buy author for me. If This Gets Out and Only Mostly Devastated are at the top of my favorites list, but Never Ever Getting Back Together has now claimed its place there as well.
I made a promise to myself to read more F/F or sapphic romance this year and I'm happy to say that this falls into that category! Never Ever Getting Back Together follows the story of two women, Maya and Skye, who both dated the same guy, Jordy. Maya and Jordy were dating while Jordy was also dating Skye. Uh oh. When the women are thrust together on the same reality TV show, Second-Chance Romance, they learn that they were played by the same guy and work together to try and take him down.
Although this book didn't resemble the plot of The Charm Offensive, it did give me some Charm Offensive vibes. Maya and Skye, although having gotten off to a rocky start, slowly become friends and then something more. The ways that Maya and Skye try and a) rehabilitate Maya's character on the show and b) take down Jordy were hilarious. With a cast of side characters including a girl who's only in it for the followers, a royal junkie, and a drama-loving PA, this book had it all and it clipped along at a comfortable pace. I never felt like it dragged and as the chapters go between Skye and Maya, you get two different point of views that really help round the story out.
Never Ever Getting Back Together would be considered YA, in my opinion. There is no explicit sexual scenes, but when it's suggested, it is fade to black, which is typical of the author. Although I normally read books with a higher spice level than this, it didn't impact my rating at all. I knew going in who the book was marketed for but Gonzales creates such as a wonderful myriad of characters with creative plot lines that the romance does kind of take a backseat for me.
I can't wait until December so that I can own a physical copy of this book! It was great and I'm so glad I get to hype it up over the next six months!
This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I love Sophie Gonzales something fierce and she's an insta-buy author for me. If This Gets Out and Only Mostly Devastated are at the top of my favorites list, but Never Ever Getting Back Together has now claimed its place there as well.
I made a promise to myself to read more F/F or sapphic romance this year and I'm happy to say that this falls into that category! Never Ever Getting Back Together follows the story of two women, Maya and Skye, who both dated the same guy, Jordy. Maya and Jordy were dating while Jordy was also dating Skye. Uh oh. When the women are thrust together on the same reality TV show, Second-Chance Romance, they learn that they were played by the same guy and work together to try and take him down.
Although this book didn't resemble the plot of The Charm Offensive, it did give me some Charm Offensive vibes. Maya and Skye, although having gotten off to a rocky start, slowly become friends and then something more. The ways that Maya and Skye try and a) rehabilitate Maya's character on the show and b) take down Jordy were hilarious. With a cast of side characters including a girl who's only in it for the followers, a royal junkie, and a drama-loving PA, this book had it all and it clipped along at a comfortable pace. I never felt like it dragged and as the chapters go between Skye and Maya, you get two different point of views that really help round the story out.
Never Ever Getting Back Together would be considered YA, in my opinion. There is no explicit sexual scenes, but when it's suggested, it is fade to black, which is typical of the author. Although I normally read books with a higher spice level than this, it didn't impact my rating at all. I knew going in who the book was marketed for but Gonzales creates such as a wonderful myriad of characters with creative plot lines that the romance does kind of take a backseat for me.
I can't wait until December so that I can own a physical copy of this book! It was great and I'm so glad I get to hype it up over the next six months!
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December 1, 2022
A reality show full of exes, a cheating red flag of a man and two girls falling for each other in the process?
Loved it!
You fall. Head over heels, right? And either someone catches you, or they don't, and you don't have any control over how badly bruised you are at the bottom of it.
Loved it!
You fall. Head over heels, right? And either someone catches you, or they don't, and you don't have any control over how badly bruised you are at the bottom of it.
December 14, 2022
Two years ago, Jordy broke Maya’s sixteen-year-old heart when he started dating Skye before he even broke up with her. Since his sister married into the royal family of Chalonne, Jordy has become famous and his version of the story – that she overreacted and couldn’t let go – follows Maya everywhere. When she’s invited to participate in a reality TV show about him reconnecting with his exes, she sees it as an opportunity to set the record straight (so to speak) and, most of all, get revenge. Definitely not as a chance to fall in love with the girl he cheated on her with.
The first few chapters made me very uncomfortable, witnessing these girls second-guess themselves over a pretty but stupid and smug guy was heartbreaking because we all deserve better. There was a lot of cringing and second-hand embarrassment. The author did a great job of capturing the toxicity of fame (earned or not, desired or not), of a certain type of reality TV show, of the world’s obsession with teenage stars.
I’ll be honest (when am I not, though?), this book was more of a 3⭐️, maybe 3.5⭐️ for most of it. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Skye and Maya as much as I would have liked. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed the audiobook more, with Natalie Naudus and Barrie Kreinik narrating. But as the story moved on, I fell in love with Skye and Maya grew on me too and I enjoyed the ending so much that 4⭐️ seem warranted. But damn am I happy I’m not eighteen anymore.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
April 25, 2022
I absolutely adored this! A Bisexual girl enters a reality dating show to get back at her ex, only to fall for another girl on the show and this is literally everything. Maya and Skye were both interesting and very well-developed mcs. Their romance was delightful and refreshing and wonderful and knocked me on my ass.
Anytime Sophie Gonzales writes another book, I will want to read it in a heartbeat.
I cannot express how much I adore this sapphic YA rom-com, how highly I recommend it!
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anytime Sophie Gonzales writes another book, I will want to read it in a heartbeat.
I cannot express how much I adore this sapphic YA rom-com, how highly I recommend it!
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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