The Pairing (The Proposition, #3)

Published in 2024, Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing is a romantic comedy. Four years after their brutal breakup, faced with expiring vouchers for the food and wine tour they’d planned to take together, Theo and Kit individually decide to use their vouchers for a solo trip and accidentally find themselves traveling Europe together. To prove they’re truly over the relationship, they challenge each other to a hookup competition but slowly realize they have unresolved feelings for each other. Set against a backdrop of luscious meals and picturesque settings, the novel explores themes of love, pleasure, and self-acceptance. Casey McQuiston is known for writing queer romances, including the New York Times bestseller Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Citations in this study guide refer to the e-book edition released by St. Martin’s Press in 2024.

Plot Summary

Theo Flowerday and Kit Fairfield have been best friends since second grade, and they’ve been in love with each other since they were teenagers. When they’re 22 years old, they admit that they have feelings for one another and begin dating. Two years later, Theo and Kit book a culinary tour of Europe. During their flight to London, Theo learns that Kit intends for them to move to Paris and open a restaurant together.