This was a cute story. I don't tend to read much YA, but picked this up because it had a cute cover and sounded like something I would enjoy. And I did! All in all I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a low stakes feel good read. It’s the perfect amount of cheesy teenage drama and a heartwarming story about embracing who you are and not losing your friends in the process.

This was as it stated super cheesy and cute. Its a good quick read if you just need something that will make you smile and laugh. It's about found family and really just taking a chance

Beck is the pizza princess. Even worse, she’s the Hot and Crusty Pizza Bathroom Baby. Ever since her mom spontaneously went into labor and gave birth to her on the bathroom floor of their local pizzeria, Beck has been trying to escape the role that has been thrust upon her. She has yearly pizza photo ops and has been dodging interview requests for years, but finally gives in when she needs a job and the kind owner of the pizzeria reminds her of his open offer than she could always work there.

I really enjoyed this one. I put off reading it for too long because coming of age high school rom-coms aren’t always my favorite but this one really hit all the marks that make a book like this great. The high schoolers were believable and not just cartoon versions of how teenagers behave, and the conflicts were all just the right level of emotional weight.

The author struck a perfect balance of plot and character growth driving the story forward and by the end I was honestly emotional at the resolution.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a coming of age, finding yourself, with a little bit of romance. It’s cheesy, but in the most delicious kind of way.

Well the title couldn’t be more accurate for this adorable story. It’s full of the perfect amount of cheese and gooeyness. If you’ve been with us for a while you know that I absolutely adore coming of age stories and this could easily be categorized in that genre too.

Beck is a local celebrity because of the fact that she was born in the bathroom of local pizza place, but she doesn’t really enjoy that. When she accepts a job working there, Beck feels like she’ll never outgrow being the Pizza Baby. Her only focus for the future is moving away so that she can start fresh.

As she gets to know her quirky coworkers and spends less time with her friends from school, Beck realizes that working at the pizza place isn’t all bad. Perhaps, maybe, even more fun than being with her friends who she is starting to feel that she may not have as much in common as she originally thought. Enter Tristan, the cute and elusive delivery boy. After exchanging barely a word as he moves in and out of the restaurant, he finds Beck crying outside the back door and tries to cheer her up. This begins their unusual friendship.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Beck and her various friends. Her growth in understanding about how even when you aren’t explicitly picking on someone, not including them can be just as mean. She has to figure out how to balance work, friends, and even a boyfriend. As she grows apart from her school friends and closer to her work friends, Beck has to decide how to manage her new social life and which friends are more important.

I really enjoyed the commentary on the importance of college and future plans that the author touches on through Tristan. So often there is a pressure and presumption that going to college is the best option for everyone, when in reality there are lots of ways to move into adulthood. Tristan is confident in his choice to not go to college but Beck has trouble coming to terms with that decision, especially when Tristan challenges her rhetoric.

I loved one of Beck’s friends in particular, Tasmin. We don’t get to know her backstory but I loved how direct and honest she was with Beck, even when she wasn’t happy about the current state of their friendship. She came to help, she spoke her mind, and she was supportive but also called Beck out for not being a good friend.

All in all I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a low stakes feel good read. It’s the perfect amount of cheesy teenage drama and a heartwarming story about embracing who you are and not losing your friends in the process.

This was a DNF for me. It was a little interesting during the first 10% but it just slowly went downhill and I lost interest very fast. I could see it being cute but I just wasn't invested enough to care.

A truly cute story that I’d definitely recommend time and time again. The pizzeria and the birth. The concept was such a cute story to read.

Such a refreshing story that I enjoyed reading. Beck's character was relatable and I found myself rooting for her. And who doesn't want free pizza for life? I loved the relationships between Beck and her friends, family, and romantic interest. Glad I had a chance to read this book.

While the title and cover of IT'S KIND OF A CHEESY LOVE STORY are adorable, I sadly had to DNF this one :( However, I honestly think that this was more of a "me" issue than anything innately wrong with the book. The premise of having an MC born in a pizza shop and becoming a meme (The Bathroom Baby) was definitely very unique, but I will say that it did feel a little "out-there."

And I am DNF'ing it now, there's nothing to say that I won't consider picking this book up in the future again!

This was a super cute and funny romcom with an interesting set of main characters. Warning: it will also make you crave pizza!

It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story focuses on Beck Brix, who is known as the "Pizza Princess" or "Bathroom Baby" after her notorious birth on the bathroom floor of Hot 'N Crusty Pizza. The restaurant manager has given her free pizza for life and a guaranteed job when she turn sixteen, but she is mortified by the attention she receives from the media and the pizza palace every birthday. When she falls in with the popular crowd, she is determined to shed her infamy, but ends up taking the job and finding her true comfort zone with the pizza crew. Although she has a crush on Mac, a popular football player, she finds herself attracted to Tristan, the moody delivery guy at Hot "N Crusty, and her workmates are obsessed with the same vintage Sci/Fi show that she and her dad love. When disaster strikes the restaurant, her status as Pizza Princess gives her a unique opportunity to help. Her self-deprecating personality and predictable rom/com disasters, makes this a enjoyable summer romp.

This is a very cute YA contemporary that deals with viral fame and growing beyond the limitations of it. It's a fascinating topic considering that children growing up in the age of social media cannot corsent to their image being shared the same way adults can. I really appreciated Morrill's discussion of college and other post high school goals. I loved the pizza shop setting.

This book unfortunately was a DNF for me. It breaks my heart to actually type that out here because I've loved Lauren Morrill's other titles! I don't know what specifically didn't work for me, I think the characters kind of skewed a bit younger than I expected for some reason and I just wasn't clicking with them at all.

I won't let this keep me from reading other stories by Morrill, but this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you for the early copy for review.

A story about finding yourself when the whole world around you is changing, It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story was not what I expected. Yes, I judged the book by its title, and to be honest, was expecting something like a rom-com based inside an Italian restaurant?? But this book was SO MUCH MORE than that!! Filled with relatable characters, moments, and some of my favourite tropes, It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story was a super fun contemporary read!

Yes, at first glance this book is about falling in love. But in reality, it’s about falling in love with the places and people you’ve grown up with. It’s about embracing change when you least expect it. Something I mentioned earlier, was how beautifully the characters were crafted. They all had such distinct personalities, and though they were flawed, at no point of time did they feel fake, or unrealistic. I think this really helped develop the story and create strong characters that you either root for till the end, or want to kick till the end. Another thing I adored was the way each of the individual relationships were described. Each of them felt so elaborately described, and because they were all given so much attention to detail, in the long run, also helped solidify the plot and storyline as a whole.

Another thing I should mention is the setting, and the whole atmosphere of the novel. Something the main character struggles with is sort of “finding a way to be comfortable with her surroundings”, and learning to grow. This growth is depicted so well, and I loved being able to see not only the main characters growth from page 1, but also the side characters growths from the pages they were introduced in. Overall, I think It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story was the perfect book to read right now! It’s so full of comfort, and all the things I love, so I’m probably going to do a re-read soon!

What a cute story! If you’re looking for a quick, fun, adorable read, I’d highly recommend checking out It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story. The story follows Beck, the Bathroom Baby, as she tries to navigate her past claim to fame, high school friendships, and the addition of a new job at the very pizzeria where she was born.

I really enjoyed watching the relationships with friends and love interests change as Beck grows into herself. It all felt quite organic, though Beck manages to get in her own way from time to time (which can be a little frustrating). But we really got to see all of Beck’s relationships grow. It was nice to see how people can surprise you when you give them the chance. As for the romance – I liked it! It wasn’t too much or too fast. There was a little bit of a triangle for the briefest moment, but it was done well. This is just a really great story of learning to be true to yourself.

The only thing I didn’t love about this story was how quickly the big incident is resolved. I would have gladly read another chapter or two that expanded on it and really gave us time to feel the characters feelings a bit more.

Overall, an immensely enjoyable read. It managed to pull me out of my reading slump, and that’s no easy task!

DNF @ 25%

This book has such an interesting premise that really drew me in. While I do love a great fluffy romance novel, this one just didn't grab my attention. Not for me, unfortunately.

I actually saw this author speaking on a panel a while back, well before the book released, and knew I had to read it! This was such a fun book, with a cute plot line. It has that classic YA Contemporary feel ala Sarah Dessen and co. I enjoyed it a lot and while probably revisit it again!

This is a feel-good love story. And that is what I love about YA books. You are never too old to enjoy a nice high school romance. Like any teenager, Beck’s thought process parallels what any 16-year old think of at that age about relationships, their friends, and their future. I think many of us can (still) relate. It also demonstrates a good portrayal of what one’s first job is like. Then there’s the issue of having more than one group of friends and finding the need to create common ground or interest to join them together. There’s a distinction between being who you are and who you want to be in this book. And I think a lot of us still struggle with that.

What I like about this book is the realistic resolutions to, in retrospect, simple disagreements and arguments between friends. It is by far, my second favorite book this year! If you’re looking for a cheesy romance, dig in here!

I really enjoy Morrill's books and this one was no different. It's not anything ground-breaking in terms of a YA novel, but it is well written and will be enjoyed by her previous readers.

in It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill was really adorable. I will definitely recommend it. The main character Beck Brix was born in the bathroom of a pizza place and is then given free pizza for life and a guaranteed job at the parlor when she turns 16.
She doesn't really want the job but has to take it and amazing friendships grow from there. I liked that the characters in the book were very distinct from each other even though it spanned two friend groups. One of the main characters, Tristan I loved dearly. I read about 75% of this book in 1 day. I was up till 3 am . Just when you thought the book had its happy ending there was a disaster and it added complexity to the story. This is a quick read but also well written, with great characters and some twists.

Thanks to Morgan, I read MEANT TO BE years ago. She thought I would like it based on my questionnaire for Secret Santa (I think?) and sent it my way, and she was totally right. I have completely slept on her other books since then though and clearly that's a damn shame.

IT'S KIND OF A CHEESY LOVE STORY obviously caught my eye because I love pizza more than most things in the world. A girl is born in a pizza parlor's bathroom and she's given free pizza for life AND a job when she turns sixteen. Begrudgingly, she accepts both, and spends her Friday night in Hot N' Crusty instead of with her group of ~popular~ friends that she doesn't necessarily fit in with anymore (did she ever?). 

I truly adored this book - it had all of the elements I'm looking for in a YA romance. Beck is trying to figure out what to do with her life but not in the traditional ways within the genre. Sure, she's not sure yet about college or future jobs, but she's trying to find herself among her friends and new work group. She has a secret obsession with a sci-fi show and a few other pieces of herself that she's hiding from her friends, which is creating a wedge between them that only grows when she finds common interests with her HNC pals. It was lovely to watch her grow closer to Julianne and the others through movie nights and group hangouts at a different pizza place (yup).

Meanwhile, the brooding James Dean-type, Tristan, is growing closer (and keeping his distance at the same time because #brooding). I loved him and learning more about his family, hobbies, and future plans. He was such a cute and swoony MC literally without trying to be. In the end, he helped Beck realize who she truly is.

This book truly had it all for me. Beck was trying to maintain her old friendships without being her true self, and refusing for too long to bridge the gap between her "old life" and new one. There wasn't a ton of drama honestly - just a lot of nice realizations and a wonderful ending that made me so happy. All in all, if you're honestly looking for a quintessential YA contemporary romance focused on friendship, pizza, and being true to yourself, do not skip this book.