I don't read a lot of YA but this one sounded cute so I thought I'd give it a try. The premise of this book was great: girl born in the bathroom of a local pizzeria is offered free pizza for life and a job when she turns 16. Of course she ends of loving the job and the guy who she initially butts heads with. This book was completely predictable, but that's what I loved about it. I knew it would have a happy ending. The writing wasn't spectacular, but it was good. I liked Beck as a character, except maybe that she was a little wishy washy. But, she learned from her mistakes and seemed to grow by the end. Great ending. All in all I would recommend.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is a young adult contemporary romance by Lauren Morrill. I thought this book was funny and had lots of heart. I loved the character growth that we saw with the main character, and while the romance was also cute. I thought the character growth and the friendships within the story were the main star. They were my favorite aspect of the novel, and I think this book will really appeal to young adult readers that might be nervous to be their true authentic selves with their friends. I loved the message that Lauren Morrill shared in It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story, and I of course also loved all of the cheesy goodness!

In It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story, we meet our main character Beck. Beck was born in the bathroom of her small town’s local pizza joint, and she became instantly famous – dubbed the bathroom baby and Pizza Princess. She gets free pizza for life, and the owner of the the Hot N’ Crusty even offered her a job when she turned 16. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Well, Beck has always hated her moniker and hated the spotlight that comes with being the Pizza Princess, but when job options are slim, she takes the owner up on his offer of a job when she turns 16, and our real story begins.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is a story about friendships at its’ hart. Beck’s best friend is friends with some of the popular guys and gals in town and Beck is part of their friend group by association. She has never felt like part of the group, and because of this she doesn’t feel like she can be her true self to them. When she starts her job at the Hot N’ Crusty she starts to hit it off with the other employees. I loved seeing Beck become her true and authentic self, and I loved watching her geek out with her new friends. But as a result, she started pushing her old friends to the side. I really appreciated Lauren Morrill’s approach to the friends groups, and that she didn’t take the typical path View Spoiler » There was also a cute work place romance in the story, which I liked but didn’t love as much as I thought I would because I couldn’t really feel the connection between Beck and Tristan. I would recommend this book to readers who love cute stories and who appreciate character growth. I think It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is a great story about friendship and being yourself.

Beck Brix knows who she is. She’s the Hot ‘n Crusty Bathroom Baby. She’s the Pizza Princess. She’s a minor celebrity in her small town, where her mother, at nine months pregnant, decided she wanted pizza. Beck chose that moment to make her appearance in the world, so her mother ended up giving birth on the floor of the restaurant’s bathroom, on top of one of the tablecloths, before the ambulance could arrive.

The owner of the pizza place, Del, welcomed Beck back in to the restaurant shortly afterward, promising her a job at Hot ‘n Crusty when she turns 16 and free pizza for life. She and her parents had returned every year for her birthday for the photo opportunity, and this year, Beck’s sixteenth, is no exception. But this year, all Beck can think is: no more.

No more Hot ‘n Crusty Bathroom Baby. No more photo opportunities and yearly features on the news. No more sitting in a booth, feet on the sticky floor, while her mother cries, remembering the day she was born. And definitely no job here. Beck doesn’t know where she wants to work, but she knows it’s not here.

Beck’s best friends don’t need jobs—their parents can afford to give them nice cars and plenty of spending cash. But Beck’s father is a middle school teacher, so she needs the job. But after putting in applications every place she can think of, she is faced with a problem. The only job she can get is the one that’s offered to her on the pizza tray. So Beck swallows her pride and accepts Del’s offer of a job.

On Beck’s first night, she puts on her polyester Hot ‘n Crusty t-shirt and takes her place at the registers to learn her new job. She recognizes most of the crew from school, even though they’re not close. And then the night is over, a blur of customers, marinara sauce, learning the registers, delivering drinks to tables, wiping down menus, and growing in respect for the crew who did this all the time.

As the weeks go by, Beck misses football games and hangouts with her school friends in order to work and spend time with her HNC friends. She learns that she shares a nerdy fandom for a sci-fi show with the guys. She learns that the boy she had a crush on not only is interested in someone else, but he also doesn’t like the Beatles. She learns that she likes working at Hot ‘n Crusty, that there is a part of her that belongs there. And she learns that she likes Tristan, the quiet delivery guy who is learning to make furniture.

And then she loses it all.

If Beck wants to have any chance of getting her friends to forgive her for what she did—and if she wants to forgive herself—she’s going to have to embrace who she is, even the parts of herself that she doesn’t like, and move forward as a complete person to life the live she wants.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is a fun ya book about finding yourself before you can find love. It is a romance, but it’s also a light-hearted story of a sixteen-year-old trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. Author Lauren Morrill has crafted a perfectly balanced story of high school life. There are laughs and tears, friendships and fights, crushes and heartbreak. And lots and lots of pizza.

I loved every cheesy moment of this book. It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story was fun and engaging, with likable characters and a creative plot. If you’re looking for a book with big heart and warmth, corny jokes and honesty, then It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story may be just what you need.

Egalleys for It’s Kind of a Cheesy Story were provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Beck thought being born in the bathroom of Hot n’ Crusty pizza was humiliating, The annual photo ops and the title “bathroom baby” just wouldn;t go away. Then she discovered her only job prospect at 16 is the promised job at Hot n Crusty. Her ascension to “Pizza Princess” takes that embarrassment to a whole new level. It also consumes all her free time. So, she can no longer work on her romance prospect with Mac. But Hot n’ Crusty holds more than a couple of surprises. Beck finds unexpected friends, resilient old allies, a new romance and a lot of personal discovery.

A light hearted book about understanding yourself and owning all your quirks. It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is full of likeable characters you want to celebrate. The villains are not overly cruel. Much of the plot tension is related to misunderstandings and trying to live someone else's expectations. Sure to be a hit with your romcom readers and those who enjoy a warm fuzzy story. Easily passes to upper middle grade readers.

I fell in love with this book straightaway. There was something special about Beck's narrative that made me relate to her. Beck's identity of somebody born in a pizzeria is, of course, unique, but the observation that identities are often set early on and not easy to change if you happen to live in a small town is very true and I have experienced it first hand.

Your teenage years is the time when you are supposed to figure out what you are, who your friends are and why they are your friends, and what makes your heart beat stronger, and Lauren Morrill does a wonderful job of exploring this topic. I just loved the idea of a Schroedinger crush- that particular state of things when you don't know if your love interest is into you or not, but you are afraid to say or do anything to find out for sure.

Due to the accident of her birth Beck has always known that she would have a job in the pizzeria where she first saw the light of the world, that is should she want it. Although she would love dearly to escape anything to do with pizzas or any kind of fast food, we all know how limited job opportunities for teenagers are. As far as the first jobs go, this isn't a bad one. Her co-workers are friendly and she doesn't have to try to be something else to fit in with the others, because the Hot'n'Crusty people know and love her as she is. I really enjoyed Beck's journey towards understanding various relationships and friendships she forms and how they all reflect various parts of her identity, which isn't set in stone, but is still developing..

If you are looking for a story with a sweet and adorable high school romance, changing friendships, supportive parents, realistic, but also entertaining interactions between the characters, and great sense of humour- this is a book for you. A book that will put a smile on your face and will make you feel better about life.

Although this novel is titled, It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story, and there is a romance story within the pages, it is more a novel centered on a character in her teens who is coming to terms with who she is. It is an excellent coming of age story where a teenager starts to figure out more pieces of herself and realize that there is still time for growth even if you are sure of who you are. It reminded me of when I was her age and I thought I had more figured out and how opening your mind can create endless possibilities. This light-hearted novel is classified as a young adult novel, but is perfect for any age. The novel was very captivating and I finished it before I even knew I was near the end as it kept my interest from start to finish and I enjoyed my time reading it.

The prologue opens with Rebecca (“Beck”) Brix’s birth in the bathroom of a Hot ‘N Crusty pizza place and how she became semi-famous as the Bathroom Baby. Immediately, her association with the pizzeria is cemented as she is given free pizza for life and is given a guaranteed job when she turns 16-years-old. The actual story opens when Beck turns 16 and is having yet another birthday party with a pizza topped with birthday candles as she celebrates once again at Hot ‘N Crusty. She is determined to reject the job at the pizza place, as she wants to distance herself from this “legacy” and create her own path where this story cannot follow. Unfortunately, the options for other positions never come to fruition and she must take the job. Now, she has to try to balance her time with her friends, how to not get to see her crush (a member of the friend group), and how to fit in with the staff at the pizza place.

When she starts working at Hot ‘N Crusty, she realizes that maybe this new group of people is not as bad as she thought. Aside from a few employees, the rest are all students at her school and she starts living a double life as her life at the pizza place and her life at school do not seem to cross. The only problem is that she cannot make time for both all the time. There are times that she has to choose one or the other, especially on Friday nights when her friend group wants her to hang out with them still like their tradition before Beck started working, and her new coworkers invite her to hang out with them. In addition to splitting her time between the two groups, Beck seems to show different sides of her personality with each as she is more her geeky self with the pizza group, but she hides this part when she hangs out with her other more rich group. Beck struggles as she does not feel as close to her friend group and fears they are drifting apart while also trying to find her place with the pizza group. It is a very relatable struggle as you can be in your own “bubble” where you think you have it all figured out and the friends you have are it, but then a new experience/event can open your eyes and the world may not appear as you thought. It does not mean that the original group and life in the bubble is bad, but it shows that maybe there is way to have it all while being your true self.

I related to this story of Beck balancing between different friend groups as I did that all the time when I was her age. I would consider myself a friend group “floater” as I would hang out with multiple groups, but the groups would not always interact with each other. The only part I did not relate to was hiding parts of who you are because you think that one of the groups might not accept your true self. For me, I am always myself and if one group/person did not like it, then I would just move on to find new people or groups that would accept me. Granted, this is not the case for every teenager and I can see how Beck only wanted acceptance so she did not always want to rock the boat and lose her friends, either her newer group or her more established group.

Beck was an excellent lead as she was confident in who she was on the inside, but she was insecure about how much to reveal on the outside. She is not perfect by any means and never claims to be and she works on herself to overcome each new obstacle. Her original friend group has members that were very judgmental and hung out a lot without her. Even though she did not feel like she still belonged after starting her working life at the pizza place, she still stuck around and acted as if everything was okay, even though she internally felt like the group’s outcast. She develops a new crush on one of the pizza place workers, Tristan, and I love the two of them together because he makes her see life in a new light while still respecting who she is and did not try to change her.

The pizza place crew were super enjoyable, as I loved reading about their working life together. It was further proof that a great group of co-workers can get you through even the toughest shift. They were all supportive of each other and they were just an excellent group of people that I would have loved to be with when I got my first job. I loved every single pizza place staff and they all fit perfect into the story. Beck becomes closer to some of them, but is still friendly with all of them and it becomes its own work-place family. I love the description of Hot ‘N Crusty as it reminded me of old-school Pizza Huts where there are stained glass hanging lamps and the overall environment is homey, but also semi-like a cave as the interior is darker. I loved how the pizza place was an integrated part of the town and was where Beck’s life began. It fit well how Beck’s birth to our story was seamlessly put together and it was a natural progression to her getting her job just because it was the only one available to being one that she would actually want to have. If there was a place like this when I was 16, sign me up to work there ASAP!

Overall, this novel was extremely enjoyable. There are parts that ran a little too smoothly to be realistic, as it seemed that some issues worked themselves out with a lot of compromise or effort put into it. I can understand some of the obstacles being wrapped up in a bow for the sake of a happy ending, but my preferences are that maybe it would be more enjoyable to have x, y, or z not work out perfectly in the end and introduce that not everything is perfect all the time. It is not a criticism of the book in any way and instead is just how I would approach writing this novel compared to what was presented. I am not positive exactly which state this was set in, but I believe it was Michigan. No matter where it was set, I absolutely wished I lived there when I got my driver’s license. You did not have to make an appointment months in advance and you walked away with an actual license in your hands compared to the temporary paper one that I received. This story was very well written and easily a very entertaining young adult novel that I would re-read without hesitation! [4.5 Rounded up to 5]

**I give a special thank you to Giselle with Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to participate via Netgalley with this excellent novel from the publisher, Farrar Straus and Giroux (BYR). he opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Thank you to Xpresso Tours, NetGalley, and Farrar Straus and Giroux for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review. This book was an absolutely adorable and appropriate young adult romance. Our MC sixteen year-old Rebecca, or Beck for short, is a nerdy girl trying to fit in with the cool kids and always pretending, which I bet a lot of you can relate to. I knew I could! Her family is great, her dad is a mega nerd and her mom is a SAHM chasing her own dreams, which is really great to see. Her school friends are an interesting mix and we really don't know what to think about them until they show their true colors. She finds friends, a second family, and maybe more in this pizza place that has always been a major part of her life and it changes her in a way that will be with her forever. This book was really sweet and has a great message about self-expression and and self-acceptance which all YA readers should be learning. This was a 4 star read for me and definitely one that I will recommend.

4.5/5 Stars
Spoiler Free!

Review:
I received this book as a review copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Let me start off by saying that the title did NOT lie because this story was super cheesy but I absolutely loved every second of it! It is your typical rom-com story with some serious 80's coming of age vibes throughout the entire story. I Gave this story 4.5 stars just because Beck was a little bit hard for me to root for from the very beginning, but I absolutely loved her once I got a few chapters further.

Characters-

The main character, Beck, was a little hard to get behind until the second or third chapter but after that, she was such an interesting character to read about! I enjoyed watching her find her place in the story and among her peers. And the love interests! You have the classic dark and brooding mysterious guy vs. the sweet best friend who might just be realizing his feelings. Perfect rom-com formula that I could not get enough of!

Story-

Overall I think the story was well developed and well written. I liked how there was a comedic aspect because the whole point of Beck being born in a pizza restaurant was truly comedic. The romances were well developed while keeping the cheesy trope that was soooo enjoyable!

Recommend?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes cheesy teen romance or to anyone just looking for a good standalone book that is addictive. I received this book while I was at work but I downloaded it as soon as I got home and finished it within two sittings! An amazing book by an amazing author!

It's Kinda Of A Cheesy Love Story is like a big warm hug from Lauren Morrill and I loved every minute of it. The pages are filled with a relatable quirky main character, growing friendships and family relationships and potential romance. It was the perfect slice of a young adult book for me.

It's Kind Of A Cheesy Love Story follows Beck Brix as she tries to navigate her life as a teenager. She would prefer to just fade into the background but has found this to be hard as she is known as the "Pizza Princess" or the "Bathroom Baby" due to being born in the public bathroom of a local pizza shop Hot 'N' Crusty. When she turns 16, she reluctantly agrees to become an employee of the pizza shop. This is not her first choice of employment but little by little she finds herself actually enjoying it and making friends with the people who work there. It is a completely different dynamic from what she has tried to build for herself and it forces her to question everything about herself.

I found Beck to be such a relatable teenager. She has found herself to be a part of two different worlds and is afraid what might happen if she brings them together. When I was in high school, I was part of two different groups as well - my band friends and my non-band friends - and I can remember being self conscious of what would happen if I mixed them together. This eventually did happen on occasions such as my graduation party and thankfully everyone got along well for the most part. I think I was like Beck in the aspect that I was trying to figure out who I was and wasn't giving my friends the benefit of the doubt to be exactly who they were with me with others as well. Being a teenager can be really complicated and emotional and Beck's journey of reconciling with herself and the people around her was a good representation of these ups and downs.

It's Kind of A Cheesy Love Story is filled with so many good moments. There were moments that made me giggle, moments of snark that made me snort, moments of quiet that made me pause and think, and moments of sweetness that made me swoon. Lauren Morrill does a wonderful job of putting it all together. I loved the story she told and the group of characters which she created and by the end I really wanted to join all of them for a delicious slice of pizza and discuss life (and television shows) with them.

I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of this book by participating in the Xpresso Tours Tour of this book. And this is my 4th book by the author ("Being Sloane Jacobs", "My Unscripted Life", and "Better Than The Best Plan" being the other 3) that I've read.

This story's main character is Beck Brix. She has minor fame after her mother gave birth to her at a local pizzeria called "Hot 'N Crusty"; free pizza for life, and a job she can't turn down when she turns 16. For years, Beck has tried to keep her Hot 'N Crusty life separate from her real life. But when she gets a job there, how much longer can she separate herself from the pizzeria?

Before I even knew the title of this book, I put it on my To-Be-Read list back in September of 2019. I am a fan of the author's book, and this one is no exception.

Even though I enjoyed this book, I didn't really understand Beck's reason for wanting to keep her two lives separate. But I did enjoy seeing her warm and open up to accepting the other coworkers at Hot 'N Crusty. And I loved it when her two worlds came together, even if she didn't enjoy it at the time. And I enjoyed reading the scenes that took place at the pizzeria. I don't think the story would have worked well at a burger joint, taco restaurant, or any other setting but a pizzeria.

For fans of Lauren Morrill, or cheesy romances (pun intended), this is one you cannot miss. Another good one for Lauren Morrill.

I went into this already a fan of Lauren's but was still surprised by how much I enjoyed IT'S KIND OF A CHEESY LOVE STORY. This book is warm and real and funny and just an all around fantastic contemporary YA. Having worked in restaurants all through high school and college, and specifically in a pizza restaurant for 3 of those years, this book really nails that restaurant coworker camaraderie and what it's like to be bonded together by the shared experience of rolling silverware, prepping the tables for opening the next day, and of course, the aroma of pizza that would linger on your clothes long after you left the restaurant. This book also nailed that complicated feeling where those bonds exist so strongly within the confines of the restaurant but can be difficult to navigate outside in the real world and with your non restaurant friends, especially if said friends don't have to work part time jobs. Throughout the book, Beck was a really relatable protagonist and I especially related to the feeling that she needed to hide parts of herself (specifically her nerdy fandom interests) away from some of her friends. Overall, I just immensely enjoyed this book, from the characters, to the setting of Hot N' Crusty (great name!), to the identity struggles and not knowing what to do when you have 2 competing friend groups.

A fun, quick, surprising read! I plowed through this book so quickly, which is a testament to its captivating powers.

This is the story of a girl--Beck--who's trying to escape who she really is for who she thinks she should be. A lovely coming-of-age story that epitomizes the journey of self-discovery that teenagers, in general, see to need.

Filled with friendship and humor, this book was such a delight! This author knows how to make a reader smile!

While this doesn't cover any new ground and certainly we've read it before, it is still an enjoyable YA romance perfect for a Summer afternoon. As our protagonist learns to embrace her inner geek and be herself, she also comes to like herself a bit better and realize that the friends on both side of the social expanse (geeks vs socials) also respect that honesty.

Rebecca "Beck" Brix has grown up under the umbrella of her past: her mother gave birth to her unexpectedly in the bathroom of the local pizza joint. Now a teen, "Pizza Princess" Beck hangs with the popular kids but wonders if they truly like her. At the same time, she ends up working at the pizza parlor and comes in contact with the 'geeks and nerds' she never really thought much about. Turns out, she has quite a lot in common with them and begins to bond with them. But her old friends are beginning to wonder why she never wants to be with them any more. Worse, the Pizza parlor delivery boy is kind of cute in an emo way that Beck can't ignore. Will she find her place in her last year at high school?

I liked that the author resisted the temptation to make the popular rich kids nasty and the geek/nerd kids weird. It is a cliche that has become outdated and often very untrue. The book isn't really about embracing your inner geek/nerd either - Beck enjoys watching reruns of a Star Trek-like series with her father and bonds with the pizza employees because of that knowledge. But that isn't a focus and Beck's not going to go all out and start cosplaying or going to cons. The geekdom references are more there to provide a reason for Beck to reevaluate if her current friends are allowing her to be herself. E.g., she is good friends with one wealthy girl but feels she is only friends with the others by association - not true friends.

One of the things I wished was that the sci fi series was real and not a made-up one for the book. There are plenty real examples she could have used eg., Star Trek, Babylon 5, etc. that would have provided a bit more authenticity to the novel. But the focus, as noted above, is more about the social aspects of Beck's life; the Pizza place and its history with her is the main setting and pulse for the novel.

In all, this is a quick and enjoyable read with a great positive message about being yourself. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

It’s been a long time since I have read a Lauren Morrill book. I have had one sitting on my shelf but I just never seemed to get to it. But when I read the description of It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story I knew I needed to make it a priority and I’m so glad I did. It reminded me why I loved her stuff in the past and why I wanted to read more by her. Also for me, it was her best book to date and I adored it.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is about Beck, a girl that has been connected to the local pizza place, Hot N’ Crusty, her whole life. In fact she is connected she was born there. That’s right, born right in the bathroom. She was promised a job there the day she was born and she knew it would be her fate, but she dreaded the day when it would happen. When she turns 16 she knows she needs the job so begrudgingly accepts. Now instead of hanging with her friends and doing everything she can to separate herself from the pizza place, she finds herself surrounds by the misfits that work there and to her own surprise liking it. And when something happens to Hot N’ Crusty Beck realizes this place is more than her fate, it is her home.

I swear that It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story was written just for my YA loving heart. This book was an utter delight and a joy to read. It was one of those rare books that I actually stayed up really late to finish which is not something I do often anymore. It was one of those books that I kept saying I was only going to read one more chapters and all of a sudden it was 1am and I was almost finished. I remember getting my first job at a store in high school and finding some amazing friends there that were just mine and no one else and Beck’s story reminded me of that. She found herself behind the walls of the pizza place she never wanted to be a part of and she was a better person for it. And that right there is what I love about reading YA.

If you are looking for a book that will pick up your sprint and will leave you feeling joy, It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is that book. Beck fought for so long to not be a part of a group that was a part of her all along. This is one book you don’t want to miss. Although you may miss sleep over it. And truth…I’m not even sorry I did. Pick this gem up!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Beck Brix was born on the floor of the local pizza place, Hot 'N Crusty, giving her the title "Pizza Princess", free pizza for life and a guaranteed job once she is old enough to work. Beck has spent her whole young life wanting nothing more then to escape that title and her birth story forever. When Beck needs a job she ends up accepting one from Hot 'N Crusty and soon finds her days filled with greasy pizza instead of filtered Instagram photos. Now Beck has to learn how her new work friends fit into her life with her old rich friends. There are some ups and downs, some friendship, some love and a whole lot of cheese.

It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is such an adorable and incredibly cheesy teen romance. In this fun and refreshing story, Beck and her friends navigate through the awkwardness of high school, clicks, first jobs, dating and other teenage situations. We watch as Beck learns lessons of self acceptance, love and friendship.

The characters in this book were so adorable! Beck herself had such a charming personality about her. I loved watching her change and grow as a person. My favorite character was Tristan despite the fact that I did find him to be a bit much at times. Beck and Tristan's relationship was very sweet. It was fun to watch them grow from strangers into something much more.

This is a super quick and easy read. The writing is fun and light. It's a great book for when you just want to relax with a quick read.

If you're a fan of clean, light hearted teen romance than this book is for you.

This was exactly what the title said it would be: kind of a cheesy love story. And boy was it cute! It was a story about a girl falling for a boy, understanding that friendships grow and change, and that she is so much more than the box she’s been put into.

I was cracking up at the beginning with the story of Beck’s birth in the bathroom at Hot N Crusty, and I didn’t stop laughing until I finished the book! There were soooo many hilarious one-liners.

This was definitely more focused on friendships than romance. I loved seeing Beck’s preconceived notions about Julianne, Frank, Greg, Jason, Mac, Tamsin and Cora, Hot N Crusty, and even herself fall apart as she spent more time with them. I lived for the geek fest that Beck and the guys had whenever they talked about Apex Galaxy, their shared favorite sci fi show... I am definitely that way with Doctor Who, so I felt like part of their little gang, haha. I loved seeing Julianne open up, and I loved riding along with Beck while she learned that Julianne wasn’t the weirdo that everyone says she is.

And don’t even get me started on Tristan.... swoon!!! A brooding hottie who wears weird thrifted shirts, drives a vw van, and loves woodworking and the Beatles... WHERE DO I FIND A TRISTAN!?! Gah! I love how protective Tristan was of his friends, and I love how he was never afraid to call Beck out on her crap.

Overall this was super cute! All of the new friendships were unique and special, and they didn’t feel forced. I felt like an employee at Hot N Crusty playing the table game right along with the gang!!! And I now have a greater appreciation for hometown pizza places... and I could really use a slice of pizza right now!

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morill is a perfectly cheesy contemporary YA novel. It has a solid premise of a girl who was born in an unfortunate place trying to outrun the label. It is definitely cheesy in more than one way, because the main character was born in a pizza place. She spends her whole life trying to get away from being known as the Pizza Princess. She takes a job at the pizza place and learns it is not all bad.

This book also took on a bit of an unusual theme. College is something that comes up a lot, especially for older teenagers. The author integrated that experience seamlessly into this story, while also reminding the reader that it is ok to not know what you are doing next, and not even want to go to college.

I loved every minute of it, and did not want it to end. The central romance was definitely cheesy, but in a good way. The characters were well fleshed out, and I wanted to spend more time with them. All in all a good read for a summer day when you just want something light and fun. A solid 4 star rating.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

Beck was born in the bathroom of the local pizza place, making her a minor celebrity for one day a year as her family celebrates her birthday there every year and the local newspaper snaps her picture. Just once she’d like to celebrate somewhere else. Del, the owner of the shop, has even promised her a job there on her 16th birthday and, since she can’t find a job anywhere else, it looks like she’ll be working there.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill is a light-hearted YA romance that is indeed sometimes cheesy and rightly so. Beck is a closet nerd who can’t really be herself around her friends. She can’t talk to them about the sci-fi show she loves and watches zealously with her dad so she hides that part of herself away until she starts working at the pizza restaurant where her colleagues are fans of the show.

While It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is considered a romance, I found it to be more a novel of self-discovery as Beck comes to terms with who she is, who her friends are, and her own place in the world. She evolves throughout the novel, learning that one of the best things you can do is be true to yourself.

My favorite character was Beck’s love interest, Tristan, who comes across as initially broody but who has his life admirably put together. He doesn’t care what others think of him and doesn’t like artifice. He is cool.

It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story struck all of the right notes for me. I totally enjoyed this YA escapist fare and, of course, immediately ordered a pizza when I finished reading.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

One sentence review: I couldn't get enough of this fun YA book all about being a teen living in two worlds, her normal one with dancers and jocks and a work world with a slightly less cool crowd who love the same nerdy space dramas she does.

It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill is the perfect novel for people who love teen movies.

Beck was born in a pizza parlor. Living in a small town this is a reality Beck has fought against her whole life. As she reached her teen years she's learned to for the most part shed her past. Now she has followed her best friend into a friend group made of dancers and baseball players. She loves being a part of the group but also often feels like she doesn't quite belong because dancing and pop music really aren't her thing. On her 16th birthday Beck gets a job at a pizza place and then the fun begins.

This book does a really great job of addressing the weirdness that is high school. That struggle to fit in and be cool. And how activities you are involved in can make for different friend groups that perhaps don't always mesh that easily. Throw in some swoon worthy male interests and you've got the perfect recipe for, as the title says, It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story.

Long story short, if you are a fan of teen movies you'll probably love this book. As a pre-teen or teen I would have been all over this book. Oh, who am I kidding, as an adult I loved it too.

Kind of a Cheesy Love Story is nostalgic joy. Watching Beck navigate her friend groups and high school set against the omnipresent pizza background is relatable and charming. It’s truly “cheesy” in the best way. Morrill’s voice is authentically young adult without “writing down” to tweens. I love all her books, but with a tag line like, pizza is love, this truly is a slice above!