What even was this book? This was a struggle to get through. I had really no interest in the characters or their lives/relationships. It was easy to put down and not think about, I didn’t find myself wanting to come back to it. There was a random, decently explicit sex scene that really came out of nowhere. I didn’t believe the relationship/love between Bella and Joe. I can’t quite put my finger on why but I just did not like this story and often felt myself drifting off.

So this had potential, but I have no idea what was going on with the narration. The book itself was cute, some lovely banter, swoon-worthy moments, and there is chemistry between the characters although the FMC can be annoying at times. A nice slow-burn romance, a few surprises and a few moments that I have no idea what happened there and were quite unrealistic, but good enough if you want a quick read that will make you feel good. However, the audiobook I feel took away from the story. The narrators for Bella and Joe were probably recorded in different studios as the quality doesn't seem to be the same, and they kept changing their accents which got a bit confusing at points. Overall an ok listen.

This is an happenstance with chance encounters. Our main characters keep moving into each other until they fall for each other. This book does have one heavy theme of parental loss in it so keep that in mind.

I fear the audio was not the greatest on this one. I love a dual pov audio so much! It always keeps me hooked however the mmc voice or quality there was just something that kept distracting me. I’m not sure if I can put my finger on it exactly. The story was cute I just kept getting flustered and didn’t want to give up on the book! Sometimes audio books don’t hit as well for me as the physical or ebook! This could just the one of those. Grateful for the opportunity to listen to it though!

I listened to the audio which had dual POV narration and there was a very noticeable difference between the recording quality of the male and female narrators. It wasn’t that the woman did anything wrong, but the poor audio quality was distracting. (JK, I made it to Ch 33 now and there are weird editing errors in the guy’s audio as well!).

This book was not my fave and was honestly confusing at times. The FMC narration had an American accent for herself and some other characters, but British for others. The MMC had British for himself and pretty much British for everyone else? I was super unclear about where they lived, which was compounded by the fact that the American FMC’s mom was in the hospital nearby and she had a ton of bills…like, if they are in America, yes, but that wouldn’t be the case in Britain right? I don’t know. It bothered me.

The FMC was super insecure…as a person with anxiety I can identify with that but it was to the point of uncomfortable immaturity. She had several crash-outs about the MMC’s interest-level/feelings for her and it was really cringe given that he was dealing with a personal crisis that she knew about.

And my last bone to pick, the number of coincidences in this was WAY to many. A couple is expected in a romance. Constant coincidences? Nope, can’t suspend my disbelief any more.

Read if you like: Insta-love, secret billionaires

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to it in 1 go as I was travelling which is a good thing because most probably I would have DNF’ed it in a book or e-book format.
I don’t where to start or how I feel exactly but it felt very lacking, slow and became extremely boring at times. It didn’t like the characters that much either; couldn’t connect or enjoy the story with them.

This is the first time that the audiobook production was terrible. The sentences were repeated at so many places that I thought my phone or headphone is glitching or something. There were so many editing errors. the narrators changed accents & were flat and monotonous.

I would’ve rated this book higher had I read it and not listened to it. The story was cute- MMC Joe separates himself from his wealthy family to follow his culinary dreams by opening an Italian restaurant. He falls for a girl that comes in to pick up an order, nicknaming her Starlight: He runs into her again at a gala they both attend. He rescues her, Bella, from an uncomfortable situation, and their story unfolds from there.
The male narrator was good, minus the dropping of the microphone midway through and the cursing that followed. How that passed editing I’ll never know. The female narrator, however, I definitely wouldn’t listen to another by her- flat, boring, borderline annoying. I guess that fit my view of the FMC in the beginning with her immaturity and unfair lashing out at Joe who only ever helped her, making me immediately dislike her character. Thankfully she got less annoying as the story progressed, but I still couldn’t get behind the narration.
I’d highly suggest reading rather than listening to this one.

This book started off kinda rocky for me. But by the second half I was actually invested in the characters.
Unfortunately for the audio, the male narration was much crisper to listen to than the female, making the switch between POVs a little jarring.

We follow Joe a Pizza restaurant start up and Starlight a woman he's seen in passing that has caught his eye.
Working at a local advertising agency its not long before she, to Joe's embarrassment, spots him dressed as a pizza slice.

Without giving away plot points the story goes on to explore grief, although not as fully as I'd have liked. The story tries to keep the tone light hearted which does feel right for the style of writing but leaves some of the characters a little dismissed in some areas.

2/ 5 for Spice- A couple of scenes.

The Pizza Man surprised me in the best way. I picked it up expecting something light and fun, and while it definitely delivers on humor and banter, it also has a lot of heart. The main character is messy, relatable, and trying to figure out life, and I loved how the romance unfolded with equal parts sweetness and spice. What really stood out to me was how grounded the story felt. It is not just about falling in love, but also about self-discovery, taking chances, and realizing you deserve happiness.

At times the pacing felt a little uneven, but overall it was such an enjoyable read. The writing flows easily, and the characters feel like people you could actually meet. I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. If you are looking for a romance that balances humor, heat, and emotional depth,

I enjoyed this story although it felt a little rushed and really wanted the chapters to be longer to help build the tension and provide a little more support to the plot.

I loved the characters and felt they were well written and were dynamic, the pace was very fast but the chapters felt like they ended very suddenly and on the occasions that the characters overlapped it felt a little disjointed and unecessarily repeated.

The most frustrating was the FMC and her reaction to the post first night events, she was very erratic and it felt that she was acting out of character and to say that her lack of sympathy to the MMC's family drama was at times silly and really started to lose my interest at how angry I was at her. She was very immature at times and felt like she needed to have more of a steel backbone. Her friends and colleagues didn't help and their advice was lacklustre. Her losing her virginity caused her to act like she had been attacked, considering that im assuming she is in her early 20's and holding down a job I was shocked at how she handed the situation.

The MMC asking her to attend a funeral after meeting her a couple of times and one night was a little jarring but I was able to look past it.

The narration was good and the pace was good although I had to have it on 2x speed as it sounded a little too slow at times.

It was really good. Definitely different for me. I usually don't do audio books. But I really enjoyed the characters through the book. I was completely engaged in the story the whole time. You have the carefree feeling, charming aspects, and romancing in the book. Its quirky, fast paced, and has a few LOL moments. Genuinely adore it!

The premise of the story is very sweet, the narrators did well. I especially enjoyed the female narrator. I can appreciate Bella’s struggle with work.

I would have liked more in-depth character profiles on each of the characters. It would have added to the story.

A nice read, I loved the characters and it was such a good read. The plot was great. The multiple povs was a nice touch however it felt very confusing at times, I think it might’ve been better had there been less of was slowly introduced in a way where it’s not so confusing

Special thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced listening access!

This book was such a sweet, feel-good romance! Bella, caught up in the fast-paced world of her advertising agency, collides with Joe, a pizza shop owner with a big heart and an oversized delivery costume that instantly sets the tone for something fun and different. Their chemistry is full of those little moments—stolen glances, playful banter, and quiet acts of care—that slowly build into something more meaningful.

What I loved most was Joe himself. He’s such a kind, grounded character, and the way he consistently showed up for Bella (from pancakes in the morning to being open about his family struggles) made him completely endearing. Bella’s journey of figuring out whether to stay in her safe, structured world or take a chance on love gave the story its emotional weight, and it was easy to root for her growth.

The narration added another layer of charm. David Hoskin and A J Wilder brought both perspectives to life in a way that felt authentic and warm, perfectly matching the light-hearted but heartfelt tone of the book.

And that ending? Absolutely adorable. The final pizza delivery moment tied everything together with humor and sweetness, leaving me smiling long after I finished listening. If you’re looking for a cozy, heartwarming romance with just the right balance of fun and emotion, The Pizza Man is a must-listen.

Joe owns a pizza shop that means the world to him, and Bella works at an advertising agency. The two cross paths and, despite the ups and downs of daily life, manage to make time for each other and go on a date. I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled when Bella answered her best friend’s call during their date—it felt like one of those moments that could’ve waited with a quick text or even until later.

Joe, on the other hand, completely won me over. He’s such a genuinely kind character—the way he made pancakes for Bella before she woke up was so sweet, and you could really feel how much he cared about her. I also loved seeing Bella support Joe when he was struggling with his father. Those little moments of compassion between them made the story feel real and heartfelt.

And the ending? Absolutely perfect. I actually giggled when Joe personally delivered pizza to Bella and they both played it off so casually—it was the cutest touch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, and Eddy Twice for the ARC of this audiobook. This review is completely my own, honest opinion.

I just want to start off with the positives. Bella is a hard worker, I do admire what she’s doing with her family. She definitely gives older-sister vibes, even when she’s getting crapped on by her boss. Joe is still a bit of aloof. I do love that he’s caring and protective. He’s also close to his sisters and the want to be close with his father even though he’s distanced himself from him.

What I didn’t enjoy is the fact that Bella is annoying. She goes on about how she wants to talk to Joe, but feels like he’s pushing her to the side… ma’am… his father JUST died, left him this crazy billion dollar company, found out that his dad was messing around with his ex - right after they broke up (it was years ago, but still), and in the middle of this is trying to figure out what to do with his restaurant. Like what do want from him?

Now Joe.. while I’m trying to like him, I don’t know too much about him. Throughout the whole thing. I wish the family drama was explained more, I was wanting more romance, I don’t know. He felt like a shell of a character - super promising and set up for so many possibilities.

I wanted to like the book, but the random side story lines was distracting. The multiple pov was fun, but it got a bit confusing at times. I felt like there was a lot going on and the romance between these two characters was rushed. I can enjoy a quick romance, but this seemed like it was lacking and hurried out together to mimic something. Honestly, I was more interested in their lives aside of their relationship.

This was more of a 2.5 ⭐️ for me.

Omg - this is long overdue. The Pizza Man was cute, but ultimately nothing to write home about. I liked our main characters, but ultimately most of the book felt surface. I enjoyed how our MMC, Joe, supported our FMC, Bella, throughout the book. It was cutie rom-com - quick and easy!

🎧 / 3⭐️


Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for my honest opinions! #ThePizzaMan #NetGalley

🎧 ALC Review 🎧

Honestly, if this hadn’t been an ALC, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. The narration really threw me off—it almost sounded like AI and made it hard to connect with the story.

The book itself wasn’t terrible, but it leaned heavily into predictable rom-com territory without much to set it apart. I think I might have enjoyed it more in print, but on audio…not so much.

⭐️⭐️ (for the story, lower for the audio)

#ALCReview #ThePizzaMan #AudiobookReview #Bookstagram #pizzaman #netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC!

This book was entertaining. I can't say I've ever really read or listened to a book with this type of plot. The characters were relatable to a point where it's realistic, I think. But, I feel like Bella and Joe's relationship and how they interacted fell a little flat. While it should be classified as a romance, I also feel like there is a lot about Bella and Joe's respective lives that makes it read a little fiction-y more than romance.

Props to the people who read the audiobook! They both made the story really interesting and easy to listen to!

This is a compelling and accessible novel that offers a unique blend of mystery, relatable teenage experiences, and poignant social commentary. It's an excellent choice for a secondary school ESL literature class, as its straightforward language and engaging plot make it highly approachable for learners while providing rich material for discussion.

The story revolves around **Leo**, a high school student working part-time as a pizza delivery driver, and his observation of the strange and unsettling behaviors of his customers. What begins as a series of quirky anecdotes soon morphs into a full-blown mystery when a customer suddenly disappears. Leo, with the help of his friends, must piece together the clues, leading them down a path filled with unexpected twists.

This book's greatest strength for an ESL classroom lies in its **simplicity and relevance**. The dialogue is natural and contemporary, reflecting how teenagers actually speak. The themes—friendship, first jobs, navigating social hierarchies, and the tension between anonymity and observation in a digital world—are all highly relatable for teenage students. The mystery element is a great motivator, encouraging students to actively read and predict what will happen next.

A teacher could use this book to introduce a variety of literary concepts. The narrative structure, told from Leo's perspective, is perfect for discussing **point of view and unreliable narrators**. The character development, particularly Leo's transformation from a passive observer to an active investigator, provides a strong basis for analyzing **character arcs**. Furthermore, the subtle social commentary on isolation in modern society, despite constant digital connectivity, offers an excellent opportunity to explore **deeper thematic analysis**.