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**.

The Pizza Man was an entertaining listen that had moments of laughter and hopeful vibes. The narrators did a good job of telling the story that I didn't get bored or lost in my thoughts. They did a good job of showing the connection of the FMC and MMC, the slow burn was there.

The Pizza Man is the second book that I have read by Eddie Twice both in audiobook format. This was an easy book to listen to a lighthearted romance story of Bella and Joe who both suffer some trials and tribulations within the story, but support each other throughout. Joe’s job as a pizza delivery guy is not exactly what it seems initially, but Bella is happy with him as he is and doesn’t expect anything more..

The narrator of this audiobook was easy to listen to and I’m sure I’ll listen to another one of Eddie Twice’s books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I recieved this as an audiobook and I could not get into the narrator for the FMC , it was hard to listen to . I DNF @23 %

This is such a deliciously fun rom-com that starts with a case of mistaken identity and quickly turns into a story full of charm, chemistry, and personal growth. When Lily opens the door expecting a paid date and finds a pizza delivery guy instead, hilarity ensues—but so does something real.

Whether you're reading the ebook or listening to the audiobook, this story is a treat. The banter is sharp, the romance is steamy, and Lily's journey of self-discovery is both relatable and empowering. Add in a meddling best friend, a disapproving mom, and one very unexpected meet-cute, and you’ve got a recipe for a thoroughly entertaining ride.

This is perfect for fans of quirky romances and feel-good endings—with just the right amount of spice.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

NetGalley review of ALC.
Goodreads and Fable

3/5 stars listened 8.16.25 to 8.17.25

Book review: over all was alright. The fast pace instalove story. Predictable. Kinda wish they communicated better at the beginning but worked out in the end. I wanted more of a backstory of their lives

The ALC review: actors did great. The FMC part was muffled to me while listening. Chapter 34 was repeat at the beginning…. I think it was 3 times. So that kinda threw me off but overall not bad.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen and review this. The Pizza Man from Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

The Pizza Man: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/678731
Pub Date: Jun 05 2025

Well, not the greatest Book I've listened to, But Thanks Netgalley for the Listen. I mean it wasn't all that bad, the story was kinda ok 😏 Out of the two narrators I did kinda like the male's voice David Hoskin did a great Job with the accents even though I wouldn't know if that was his actual voice or his working voice since it was the first time I listened to something narrated by him. A.J. Wilder was also ok, could have been better if her Mic didn't sound so off. But hey you win some you lose some right? 🙂

If you want a cozy treat, one that’s lighthearted, quirky, and doesn’t demand much, The Pizza Man is a fine pick. It’s perfect for a lazy afternoon when you just want something sweet and uncomplicated.
But if you’re craving emotional realism, a slow burn, or well-rounded characters, you may find it lacking, like there's more sizzle than substance.

I decided to check out The Pizza Man as I was in need of a fluffy contemporary romance, which is what the synopsis makes this sound like. A lot of people probably would think that it is, or even enjoy this book, but not me. Strap in, this one’s a little long.

I’m so sick of the “workaholic woman is miserable because she doesn’t have time for anything” trope. It makes me instantly dislike the character. This doesn’t mean they can’t develop and have me like them in the end, that does happen often. But not this time. I didn’t like any of the characters.

Opening the book with the male main character talking about how he’s obsessed with this random woman he served once is not a great way to make me like him. He refers to her as “starlight” because he doesn’t know her name and even awkwardly calls her it at one point.

He doesn’t help himself when he says “You’re my girlfriend Bella” not “Will you be my girlfriend Bella?” Like she’s an object he can claim ownership over. Gross. So, other than being obsessed with Bella, owning a restaurant and being from a stinking rich family, there’s not much else to Joe. I was also confused as to why a British family is living in America but that’s never talked about.

Which brings me nicely to my next point. Every accent in this book was horrible. I couldn’t tell if one character was supposed to be Scottish or Northern Irish as the narrator either switched between them or did some horrific mix of the two.

The dual POV got a little confusing at times as Joe and Bella would be in the same scene but their chapters weren’t chronological. This meant you’d go back in time a little just to hear about the same situation again but from another perspective.

The whole book reads so awkwardly it’s a whole lot of “I did this. I did this. Now I’m doing this.”. This isn’t helped by the fact that a lot of the narration is flat and robotic. This does get better the further in you get but the whole production quality isn’t great. Actually I take that back, the production is terrible. There are moments that sound like the narrators accidentally hitting the microphone and there are editing errors with repeated sentences. Did no one listen to this audiobook before releasing it to reviewers?

The ‘romance’ in this book is completely all over the place and just felt very flat. The characters had zero chemistry and you’re not really given any evidence as to why they should like each other, so imagine my surprise when Bella starts asking herself if Joe loves her after they’ve known each other for about a week. It could have been longer, who knows? Not me, I kept zoning out while listening.

I find it hard to believe that someone who is still a virgin at 30 years old would jump into bed with someone after meeting them twice and going on one date, which according to them, wasn’t a date. The whole scene felt so clunky and awkward. More of the “I did this, then I did that” descriptions. Which when it comes to steamy scenes is horrific to listen to. What’s the weird obsession with women being virgins in romance books recently?

Also, Joe's dad was dating Joe’s best friend that Joe dated for a while in college. Every single relationship in this book is so messy. Oh and she also gave his dad drugs which caused a heart attack and he died. If you didn’t think The Pizza Man was all over the place before that sentence, I reckon you do now.

Which makes me think of possibly the weirdest part of this entire book. You jump from Joe asking Bella to go to his dad’s funeral with him at the end of a chapter (his dad literally just died, like that very day) to them getting it on at the very start of the next chapter and then the chapter after that is the funeral. WILD. What was the point in the middle chapter? It’s almost like authors know some people only read romance books for smut.

I’m going to have to stop my review there as I feel like I could rant on about everything wrong with this book for at least another 500 words. I’d love to have some positives to talk about, but I personally really didn’t like The Pizza Man.

This wasn’t my favorite. The story was just okay and the narrators were just not for me. They felt almost too smooth to go along with the story, which is weird. It also made me incredibly sleepy which made it hard to pay attention to. In the end it was really just okay.

2.75⭐
I didn't necessarily hate this book, but I didn't like it either; found it a bit cliché, & wasn't hooked either.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was a decent romance. The audio was done well, but I feel it was a little unrealistic and I just didn’t feel a big connection between the main characters. It was still a sweet romance and would still recommend it as a quick and easy listen.