Book Review: "All's Fair in Love and Pizza" by Lane Hayes

Y’all, this book had me at PIZZA BAGELS. I enjoyed a lot about the story—the chemistry between the characters, the competition, the banter—but it was all about the pizza bagels for me.

Mateo has been working at his family’s pizzeria for as long as he can remember. Since his father and his uncle died, Mateo and his cousin run Boardwalk Pizza. It’s an institution in the college town of Haverton.

When Mateo and his crew learn that the empty space next door is going to be taken over by a bagel shop, they’re somewhat excited. The shop will be run by Rob Vilmer, Mateo’s football teammate in college who had a great pro career.

Rob remembers having a huge crush on Mateo back in college, but since Rob was closeted nothing ever happened. He’s excited to see Mateo again—until the two of them butt heads when Rob reveals his plan to make pizza bagels. How can this guy just come into town and start selling pizza bagels next to a pizzeria?

Mateo gets angrier and Rob loves egging him on. Rob’s business partner suggests the two stores have a bake-off that will last through football season. And when the heat of competition bubbles over to the bedroom, both have to decide whether to trust their heart to their rival.

This was fun, steamy, romantic, and hunger-inducing. It’s been a while since I read a rom-com by Lane Hayes, and I’ll be back for more!!

Book Review: "Pizza Girl" by Jean Kyoung Frazier

Pizza Girl is quirky and entertaining, but with surprising emotional heft.

Our main character is 18 and pregnant, and works as a delivery girl for a local pizza place. She has a strong support system in her mother and her boyfriend, but the love they both give her seems smothering at times. She is also grieving the death of her father, but she doesn’t want to acknowledge that he was an alcoholic—and maybe she drinks more than she should.

One day she takes a call from Jenny, a mother who calls with a strange order—a pizza with pepperoni and pickles. If she doesn’t get the pizza, her son won’t eat, as his way of expressing displeasure that they moved to Los Angeles from North Dakota. While the pizza place doesn’t offer pickles as a topping, she can sense Jenny’s desperation, so she buys a jar of pickles to top the pizza with.

It’s not long before she’s delivering a pepperoni-and-pickles pizza to Jenny’s house once a week, and the two strike up a strange friendship. She sees motherhood through Jenny’s eyes and becomes slightly obsessed with her.

This was a very interesting story that made me wonder where it would go. I kept worrying it might veer into creepy territory but thankfully it didn’t. The story is a mixture of the mundane and the unusual, and was surprisingly emotional at times, as the narrator struggles with grief and uncertainty about the direction her life is taking before she’s sure she’s ready.

I’ve seen very mixed reviews for this but I loved the complexity of the main character. This is a strange but utterly fascinating story.