Never ever getting back together by Sophie Gonzales

Like The Bachelor reality TV show, this novel centres around the premise of Jordy a handsome single man thrown into the public eye when his sister marries a prince, and a TV show proposing to bring together his previous girlfriends in a quest to reignite the romance they once had, and find the girl who truly captures his heart. Two of the contestants have reason to hate each other. Maya believes that Jordy cheated on her with Skye. And Skye has been told that Maya is an insanely jealous ex who can’t accept that Jordy broke up with her. Yet the two young women are thrown together in a share room – obviously a strategy to ignite drama for the program.

Maya’s motive in joining the program is revenge. She wants to win Jordy back and then expose him for the vain deceitful liar that he is. For Skye it’s a chance to find out if maybe Jordy was something special. They are two interesting characters: Maya is spontaneous, often finding herself in embarrassing situations, whilst Skye is much more reserved, the careful planner. Their relationship follows the common hate-to-love trope, which sees them become gradually more interested in each other, and united in their contempt for Jordy.

It is a lighthearted rom-com with a twist, and the setting of the reality TV show makes for lots of fun. The machinations of the producers to get content that will draw in audiences is exposed, along with the power of the camera-holder to tell the story their way. Everything is geared towards creating the best drama, regardless of any consideration of truth. And Jordy is a person who fits just fine into that kind of manipulated make-believe situation.

If you have read any of Sophie Gonzales’ novels, you will know that the real romance here will be an LGBQTI+ one. The path to romance for Maya and Skye is not without some stumbling blocks, and their inner reservations, their insecurities and their budding attraction are described in a very authentic and empathetic way. This is a warm and uplifting story about people overcoming the experiences that have held them back in the past and moving forward to create their own futures.

Themes: Reality TV, Competition, Deception, Revenge, Love, LGBQTI+.

Helen Eddy