The Pizza Man is an adorable contemporary romance, enhanced by the narration of David Hoskin and A J Wilder. I was drawn to the book from the description and cute cover, and I’ve been down a contemporary romance rabbit hole recently.

It’s not exactly that it disappointed me, but more that it felt very predictable. I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first half, I felt like the first half was a little disjointed, I think so things came a bit out of no where - her being a virgin, the friend sleeping with the MMC (Joe’s) father and giving him poppers.

Smut wise everything felt very practical, everything stating action after action. Which is also reflective of everything within the novel, I think the prose could have done with some more descriptions - especially about the food. We’re supposed to see Joe as a good cook, but it’s all very practical in what he’s doing or simple meals and ingredients until about 80% through - I would have liked to have seen more descriptions around this to understand his passion about cooking better before the last quarter, why he’s so prepared to put on the pizza costume in the first place.

It was cute overall and the audiobook really did add a lot with the performances of the two leads really helping with the flow of the novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

While this was a cute little romcom, I was not a fan of the characters. I found the FMC to be a bit whiney. This is also a story of strangers to lovers/insta-love and I’m not a fan of those tropes.
2.5 ⭐️

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

I’m guilty of requesting books on NetGalley because of covers and this is one of those! Isn’t it just adorable, I totally went into this one blind. I enjoyed the narration and I think having it dual narrated was key to the story as this book alternated POV and it would be confusing if done by one person. I enjoyed the stranger to lovers and pace this story took. I found it was refreshing to see MCs deal with real life issues and have to work to prioritize growing their relationship. Definitely some heavier undertones in this one.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Bella works in a thankless job as a marketing consultant. Her job helps fund her mom’s health expenses so she doesn’t make waves. But it’s getting ridiculous and her boss is making it very hard to work there.

Joe is giving everything he has to startup a pizza eatery, it’s been his dream to run a restaurant. He is definitely not following in the family footsteps as he walked away from the family business. He wants to build something on his own without the ties to his billionaire father.

Bella collides into Joe for the first time when he’s out on the street dressed as a slice of pizza. Then from there they keep bumping into each other as they live in the same neighborhood. So the question is how many times do you bump into the same stranger before they become something more.

Fate definitely has plans for these two they just need to prioritize finding love over what life throws in their way.

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Strangers to Lovers
* Social Media Coordinator FMC
* Pizza Eatery Owner MMC
* He’s a Secret Billionaire
* She’s Working to Pay Medical Bills for Mom
* They Both Live in Same Neighborhood of Calitain
* Death of a Parent
* Novella w/ Spice
* Alternating Dual POV

🍕🧡🍷🍕🧡🍷 🍕🧡🍷🍕🧡🍷🍕

As with Eddy’s previous books, she gives us short, sweet reads. This is just a cute little romance story for anyone who believes in love. The FMC and MMC are super cute, and you cannot help but ship them. The FMC is relatable. The MMC is fun and free spirited. Their chemistry together is sizzling. The both of them have lovely, lighthearted banter.

This one delivers it all – pun definitely intended!

I listened to The Pizza Man as an audiobook, and the narrators, David Hoskin and A J Wilder, absolutely knocked it out of the park. David, as Joe, initially sounded a bit older than I imagined for the character, which threw me off at first—but as the story unfolded, I completely fell for his portrayal. He brought so much emotion and depth to Joe. A J Wilder is one of my favourite narrators, and she gave Bella such a dynamic, lively voice that fit her perfectly.

The story itself is heartwarming and handles some heavy topics while still feeling like a light, feel-good romance. Bella’s life at the advertising agency is all work, until Joe, a pizza delivery guy in an oversized costume, unexpectedly becomes her client. From there, stolen glances, shared moments, and lingering kisses draw Bella toward Joe’s carefree spirit and infectious charm—a huge contrast to her structured, work-focused world.

I loved watching Bella wrestle with whether she should stay safe in her familiar routine or take a chance on the unknown for true happiness. You really see both characters grow as individuals and as a couple, making this a sweet and satisfying read.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s fun and heartwarming, with narrators who bring the characters vividly to life, The Pizza Man is worth the listen!

This book was so fun overall, though it did have emotional moments. The story was lighthearted and the characters had lots of heart. The main characters both had personal issues that made being in a relationship difficult and life kept getting in the way of them finding their groove together but in the end they realized that if they wanted each other then it had to be a choice.
The narrator did a wonderful job and the audio performance was interesting and engaging.