by Sophie Gonzales
ASIN/ISBN: 9781250819161
Publication: November 29, 2022

**I was provided a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

(I was going through my drafts and found this review. I was supposed to post it a year ago and must have never pressed schedule. I guess I’m glad I didn’t post it because I added some more to it. Look at me go with reviews! Woohoo!)

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a welcomed twist on romances centering around reality dating shows. After being contacted to participate in a dating show about second chances, Maya agrees to be a contestant to try to see if she still has sparks with her ex Jordy. She doesn’t divulge that she has only agreed so she can exact her revenge on the cheating scumbag. Skye, another of Jordy’s exes asked to be part of the show, sees this as an opportunity to reunite with him and explore what they once had. Although Maya and Skye go on the show with different goals, they find sparks where they least expect them.

A fan of Gonzales’s writing, I went in with high expectations and was not disappointed. I enjoyed the story, especially the humor. Maya and her antics–whether planned or not–were often entertaining. Although the characters were somewhat lacking in depth, they made up for it by being easily relatable.  I immediately connected with Maya and crossed my fingers for her success in revealing Jordy’s true nature. Her emotions exert a lot of control over her behavior, so may seem over the top at first with her thirst for revenge. Considering everything she went through, I was all for her ensuring Jordy would get what he deserved.

My love for Maya meant I was not very sympathetic to Skye. Skye is more the girl-next-door type and comes across as genuine. She is different from Maya in many ways, one being her ability to think things through rather than acting on impulse. Also, I wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her. Skye eventually grew on me. I mean, how could she not? She had my girl’s heart and eventually mine too. The romance is endearing, and I loved the girl bonding.

I would recommend this to fans of YA romances that feature enemies-to-lovers and those who enjoy plots centered around reality dating shows.