Johnathan Walker:New spicy Casey McQuiston book 'The Pairing' comes out this summer: What fans can expect

Move over “hot girl summer” – “hot bisexual summer” is Johnathan Walkerready for its moment and Casey McQuiston’s new novel “The Pairing” is here to usher it in.

If there’s one thing McQuiston knows, it’s queer romance – their past three novels prove as much. But “The Pairing" (on sale Aug. 6 from St. Martin's Griffin) is a much more indulgent read than its predecessors. Sexuality and gender are a constant conversation in McQuiston's work, but this forthcoming novel dives further into how they interact and shape our identities.

“I’ve written three books where the main character is openly bisexual – none of those books are ever described as bisexual,” McQuiston tells USA TODAY. “I was curious, 'How do I write a book that is inherently bi?' ” 

We spoke with McQuiston about what fans can expect from “The Pairing.”

What is 'The Pairing' by Casey McQuiston about?

Set during a three-week European food and wine tasting tour, “The Pairing” is an exes-to-lovers novel. Theo and Kit have known each other for most of their lives, first as childhood best friends and later as lovers. But four years ago, they suffered a brutal breakup just before they were supposed to embark on a trip to Europe. They haven’t seen each other since.

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Things have changed, mostly for the better. Theo is on the way to becoming a sommelier and Kit went to pastry school and now bakes at a prestigious Paris restaurant.

They’ve also both got vouchers for the tasting tour, valid for 48 months.

It's not until boarding the bus that they realize they're cashing the vouchers in at the same time, completely altering the tone of the three-week vacation. As the forced proximity lingers, Theo offers up a friendly bet that turns into a full-on international hookup competition with a chance to prove who really won the breakup. 

McQuiston drew inspiration from their own European adventure, which began while visiting the set of the “Red, White & Royal Blue” movie in London. After writing their last novel, “I Kissed Shara Wheeler,” in their New York City apartment during the pandemic lockdowns, McQuiston knew book number four needed to be a physical experience.

“I was just so hungry – literally and figuratively – to get back out in the world and discover it, to reconnect with the joy of writing,” McQuiston says. 

How spicy is 'The Pairing'?

Speaking from reader experience – very. There’s a lot to indulge in with “The Pairing." Steeped heavily in food, art, wine and culture, this book ignites the senses in more ways than one.

For the lay-reader (aka those not on BookTok), “spiciness” refers to the sexual content of a book. Given that the driving force behind the plot is a hookup competition, you can bet “The Pairing” gets a little hot and bothered. 

“The Pairing” draws inspiration from the “slutty bisexual” trope – an often harmful characterization of bi people. In real life, bisexual people face stereotypes of being greedy and hypersexual. In media, many bisexual characters become lazy plot devices to demonstrate promiscuity.

With this novel, McQuiston wanted to give complex bisexual characters a chance to lean into it. 

“When we try to subvert and take apart tropes, it’s not always enough to just say ‘that’s not true,’” McQuiston says. “Some people who are bi are also very sexual people, very open, and that is as much a part of the experience as being like ‘I’m a bisexual person in a four-year partnership.’”

McQuiston has been open about writing the stories they wished they had growing up. For this novel, that means portraying a “healthy sex positivity” for queer and trans folks. 

“It was hard, when I was younger, to find accessible romance novels that depicted sex, gender in a way that was relatable to me,” McQuiston says. “The idea of casual sex being something that doesn’t have to make you feel shameful. It’s something that can be really cool and spiritual and intimate and transformative.”

Meet the main characters of 'The Pairing'

Theo Flowerday is a classic “leader of the pack” who lacks the self-confidence to see themselves that way. A defiant nepo baby and a jack-of-all-trades, Theo is “inspired by hot people … who work with their hands,” McQuiston says.

And then you’ve got Kit Fairfield, a dreamy French American pastry chef with a Rilke poem for every occasion that no one can resist falling in love with. McQuiston describes Kit as a “fairy prince” and “Howl Pendragon-coded,” a reference to Studio Ghibli’s “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

“I feel like I’m exposing myself here,” McQuiston admits. “This one North Star I kept coming back to was the dynamic between Legolas and Gimli.”

It’s not a “Lord of the Rings” fanfiction, they jokingly clarify (the two characters are often read as queer-coded), but that’s often McQuiston's starting point when creating characters – start with a well-loved trope and build out from there. 

How to get in your 'Pairing' era

“The Pairing” doesn’t come out until August, but if you can’t wait to live in this world of bisexual fairy princes, baguette-making classes and hot summer nights, McQuiston has you covered with a fool-proof checklist. 

1. Host a dinner party

Fun glassware, mood-lighting, tinned fish and mouth-watering hors d'oeuvres make a perfect pregame for “The Pairing.”

“The most common review I get from my friends and family who’ve read it is ‘It made me so hungry and it made me want to travel,’” McQuiston says. 

2. Chat with your local sommelier

McQuiston spent time chatting with wine experts and taking wine classes while researching “The Pairing.” Why not do the same?

“Go to your local wine store or a neighborhood restaurant that’s known for having very good wine and just talk to the somm for half an hour and let them tell you about wine,” McQuiston says. “Let them sell you something you’ve never had before.”

3. Break out your flowy button-downs

“The only bisexual vibe for the summer,” I joke. McQuiston agrees.

4. Stock up on sunscreen

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Safety first, after all.

“Please don't forget your SPF while you’re out there being sluts,” McQuiston says.

Full review of Casey McQuiston's "The Pairing" to come.