the_novel_approach's review
4.0
~ 3.5 Stars ~
Proud to work in the family business, Dante has become one of the best pizza cooks in the city, and is stuck in a rut that he doesn’t realise until he’s bumped into, literally, by the gorgeous Izz. Taking a chance, Dante asks for his number before Izz whisks away to an appointment he’s late to. Turns out the appointment is a job interview at Dante’s family restaurant.
Dante is a hardworking and family orientated character, so he struggles a little with reaching out to Izz after Izz starts working for his family’s pizzeria; however, when he decides to overcome it, the blossoming relationship is wonderous to watch unfold. Dante seems to be the solid influence that Izz needs, while Izz really shakes up Dante’s life and makes him seem to live again.
The pacing was delightful, and the plot focused largely on the relationship building between the two main characters. And, you can tell the author’s focus really was on our two lovebirds, as the secondary characters all seemed relatively bland, simply props for the budding romance to take place in. Any traits they had were all told to us through Dante’s commentary. His sister was perhaps the most defined character, and wasn’t someone I liked, as she kept calling Dante a loser. Dante acknowledges that she is mean spirited, and acts perfectly fine with it, which is something that bothered me about their relationship. Their father also seems to ignore this behaviour, which goes a little against the steady caring man he’s viewed as from Dante’s thoughts.
The conclusion of the book seems a little rushed, and I would have liked to see it play out a little bit more. The ending wasn’t HEA nor tragic but instead landed on hopeful, allowing us to believe in second chances. A book well worth the read.
Reviewed by Jenn for The Novel Approach
Proud to work in the family business, Dante has become one of the best pizza cooks in the city, and is stuck in a rut that he doesn’t realise until he’s bumped into, literally, by the gorgeous Izz. Taking a chance, Dante asks for his number before Izz whisks away to an appointment he’s late to. Turns out the appointment is a job interview at Dante’s family restaurant.
Dante is a hardworking and family orientated character, so he struggles a little with reaching out to Izz after Izz starts working for his family’s pizzeria; however, when he decides to overcome it, the blossoming relationship is wonderous to watch unfold. Dante seems to be the solid influence that Izz needs, while Izz really shakes up Dante’s life and makes him seem to live again.
The pacing was delightful, and the plot focused largely on the relationship building between the two main characters. And, you can tell the author’s focus really was on our two lovebirds, as the secondary characters all seemed relatively bland, simply props for the budding romance to take place in. Any traits they had were all told to us through Dante’s commentary. His sister was perhaps the most defined character, and wasn’t someone I liked, as she kept calling Dante a loser. Dante acknowledges that she is mean spirited, and acts perfectly fine with it, which is something that bothered me about their relationship. Their father also seems to ignore this behaviour, which goes a little against the steady caring man he’s viewed as from Dante’s thoughts.
The conclusion of the book seems a little rushed, and I would have liked to see it play out a little bit more. The ending wasn’t HEA nor tragic but instead landed on hopeful, allowing us to believe in second chances. A book well worth the read.
Reviewed by Jenn for The Novel Approach
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