“He was the first great thing I ever let myself want. This time, I’m keeping him.”
The Pairing is a queer romance novel by Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue. The story follows Theo and Kit, childhood friends, lovers and now exes. Separation has done them both good, with Theo becoming a confident sommelier with a string of casual lovers, whilst Kit has become a baker in Paris. They both decide to use the voucher for a food tour they had booked when they were together, only realising that the other has had the same idea. Together for three weeks of stunning views and food across Europe’s most romantic cities, the two pass the time with a friendly wager involving their Italian guide. But, sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have more. If you love second-chance romances and laugh-out-loud touring love stories, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Pairing!
You Should Be So Lucky (Midcentury NYC #2) – Cat Sebastian
Kicking off our list of books like The Pairing is Cat Sebastian’s You Should Be So Lucky. The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to be the worst year of Eddie O’Leary’s life. His form has tanked, his teammates hate him, he’s still living out of a suitcase and is racked by homesickness. And when his team’s owner forces him to give some interviews to a snotty reporter, he’s about ready to call it quits. But, he’s on thin ice as it is, so he reluctantly agrees.
Mike Bailey isn’t a sports reporter, instead preferring the arts pages. He’s also had a rough year and would like nothing more than to be left alone. The last thing he needs is a season writing about New York’s obnoxious new shortstop. Shackled together within the city, You Should Be So Lucky follows these two lonely souls as they slowly give in to the inevitable gravity of their mutual attraction. But, Mark has vowed never to be anyone’s secret again and Eddie cannot afford to be outed as a professional athlete.
Late Bloomer – Mazey Eddings
Winning the lottery has completely ruined Opal Devlin’s life. Having left her dead-end job, she is bombarded by people looking for hands. What’s more, she can’t seem to stop saying yes. Deciding she needs to protect herself by any means necessary, Opal purchases a failing farm in North Carolina, intending to use the cabin on the property to start her painting business.
But, her plans for solitude and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an enraged (and gorgeous) Pepper Smith is there waiting for her at her new farm. Declaring herself to be the rightful owner of the farm, she informs Opal that she isn’t leaving. The pair come to a begrudging arrangement but continue to butt-heads at every opportunity. Mazey Eddings’ Late Bloomer follows Opal and Pepper as they attempt to keep their combustible arguing and growing attraction from burning the entire farmyard down.
Here We Go Again – Alison Cochrun
A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be close friends. Then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals and they would spend the next decade not speaking. Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find that they aren’t living the adventures they had imagined for themselves. Despite their best efforts, they also can’t seem to stop colliding with one another.
But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he only has a few months left to live, both Logan and Rosemary are forced together for one final cross-country road trip. The three set out on a life-changing summer trip from Washington to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine. Similar to The Pairing, Alison Cochrun’s Here We Go Again is another one of the best queer enemies-to-lovers romance stories featuring an unforgettable adventure on the road.
Triple Sec – T.J. Alexander
As a bartender in a swanky New York City cocktail lounge, Mel has witnessed countless disastrous first dates firsthand. Couple that with her own shambolic love life, and Mel has become convinced that love doesn’t exist. But, everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. She is beautiful, funny and knows her drinks. She’s also married to Kade. What makes things unique is Bebe and Kade’s open relationship status, which leads to Mel being taken on a date.
What begins as a fun romp soon grows into a relationship, and Mel samples all the things she had previously been avoiding. She gains the self-confidence needed to enter a cocktail-making competition and even finds herself developing feelings for Kade as well. Like The Pairing, Triple Sec is a queer love story following Mel, Bebe and Kade as they explore their connections and learn that love may be more expansive than they ever realised.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals And Romance #1) – Sara Raasch
Nicholas ‘Coal’ Claus used to adore Christmas. That is until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the entire holiday into a blatant PR show. Coal will resort to anything to escape the spectacle, including getting entangled in a drunken make-out session with a beautiful man behind a grimy bar one night.
Nevertheless, the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to fulfil his duty and marry his best friend, Iris. Things take a turn for the worse when a rival appears to challenge Coal for the princess’ hand and he is forced to come face-to-face with the mysterious man behind the bar: Hex, the Prince of Halloween. One of the best books like The Pairing, Sara Rassch’s The Nightmare Before Kissmas is a sweet, messy and delightfully unforgettable holiday queer romance read.
A Novel Love Story – Ashley Poston
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a happily ever after. At least, in the world of fiction. Men in love stories don’t leave women standing at the altar. This might be why her heart is so set on going on her annual book club retreat this year no matter what. That, and the promise of good friends, cheap wine and grand romantic gestures. But, when her car breaks down suddenly, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town plucked straight out of a novel.
Eloraton is the town from her favourite romance series; a place where the sweet shop’s honey taffy is always delectable, and the local bar’s burgers are always singed and only ever arrive in the afternoon. Elsy is convinced that fate has brought her here to help bring the town to its storybook ending. Except there is a character in Eloraton who doesn’t quite fit in a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, impeccable taste in books and an irritatingly appealing mouth. This soon proves to be a problem in Ashely Poston’s A Novel Love Story as Elsy gradually realises that this town’s happily ever after may just be intertwined with her own.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
