I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Oh, the drama of being a teenager. Although some of what RV goes through in The Pizza Chronicles is normal teenage angst, some of what he goes through in Why Can’t Relationships Be Like Pizza are pretty drastic. That event is compounded by all the little things that seem to be going against him. Needless to say, RV isn’t in a very happy place through much of this book.

As with the other books in The Pizza Chronicles, this one is told entirely from RV’s POV and most of it is an inner dialogue. It gives readers a sometimes confusing, sometimes whiny, sometimes self-centered view of RVs world, which is very realistic when it comes to teenagers. But RV is also a very caring, compassionate, smart young man who is loyal to those he cares about. He’s easy to like and want to get to know better.

RV also has a lot of support from people who care. He has good friends, both his age and adults and his family may not understand, but they try. Even his brother is coming around and proving that there’s more to him than the sullen, antagonistic younger brother that readers were first introduced to.

A lot happens in Why Can’t Relationships Be Like Pizza. Some tragic, some frustrating, some confusing, but it also ends in hope. Things are changing, which they always do, but RV learns that some changes are for the better, even if they don’t feel that way in the beginning. ❤

This book was received as an ARC from NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I can think of so many people that had similar stories and experiences that RV went through in this book. The struggles of adolescence is real and this book even though it is a Fiction representation reflects on all of it. It starts by noticing that something is off from your friends and then finding out some difficult news that changes your perception on everything. That is why it is really important to find a teacher or faculty member you can connect with to help you with all of these issues like RV did with Mr. Aniso that brings to light what is important in life. From this book, I also realized how important it is to have passion for an activity so it gives your life purpose and meaning for that you don't have room or need to worry about anyone else but yourself. I know more than anyone how important mentorship is and how it can be very thriving.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This is the third book in a series and I’m going to sum up a bit of stuff that many be spoiler-y if you haven’t read the first two books.

Arvydas “RV” …… (sorry I don’t have the tenacity to write his last name) is the eldest son of Lithuanian ex-pats newly naturalized and living a middle class life in Boston. RV’s parents have worked hard for their modest American existence; it’s not exactly the American Dream they had envisioned upon emigration. RV has a younger brother Ray who is more outgoing and popular. They have struggles because Ray is willing to stand up for himself and his ideas, while RV is very non-confrontational, and hides pretty much all of his feelings, all of the time. This is especially true about his sexuality, which RV is pretty sure that he’s gay, but maybe he could be bisexual.

It’s sophomore year and RV has new challenges. His boyfriend Bobby is a fellow student at the prestigious Boston Latin School, but they don’t see each other much because Bobby just made the varsity football team, and is spending all his time at practice or hanging with teammates. RV and Bobby had issues before, because RV didn’t understand why Bobby, who is an only child and a studious young black boy, is so driven to succeed. And to keep his sexuality a secret. RV isn’t sure he wants to come out, but Bobby is over-the-top terrified of anyone knowing. RV’s also a bit irritated that Carole, his previous girlfriend and still good friend, is preoccupied, hoping her summer boyfriend from France will visit at Christmas. With Bobby and Carole so busy, RV continues to cultivate friendships.

Mark is a boy in his Spanish class who seems friendly. It turns out he’s a Pentacostal Christian, and his devout family is in crisis now that his older brother came out as gay. Mark has so many questions about sexuality, and attraction; both boys are attracted to their Spanish teacher, but again, so much fear over potential gay-ness. It’s upsetting for RV who doesn’t even have the answers about his own feelings. The story, like the previous one, is mostly told through RV’s personal journal where he explores the conflicts of his life with scrutiny and vocabulary. He’s not sure how to approach his parents about his sexuality questions, but he’s developing a stronger relationship with Ray, which he’s happy about. We get a clear-eyed view of RV’s internal and external struggles as a 15 year old boy, with identities in the LGBTQ spectrum as well as the immigrant experience. He’s a polyglot, speaking Lithuanian and English fluently while also studying Latin and Spanish; words are his absolutely his jam.

This book is centered on relationships, those of friends, family and confidants. As some wax others wane, in the typical teen fashion. Bobby has a big injury that strains their already fraying relationship, so RV needs to lean heavier on his other supports. The story hits a great balance between voice and action, with RV both narrating and living his experiences. I’m glad I’ve read this series through, and would be happy to keep riding along on RV’s emotional and evocative journey. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy YA and tween LGBTQ stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ebook.

"What better place to work out life's problems than Joe's Pizza, right?"

It's known that I'm dumb, so when I requested this on Netgalley not even knowing it was the third book in a series I finally knew why.
All in all, this was a feel-good comfort short read.
A cute story about friendship with a queer immigrant main character who's dealing with a lot of things like heritage, the american lifestyle, boys, girls, gorgeous teachers, financial family problems, awkward relationships with his brother, with friends, with God and with religion, climate change and LGBTQ activism, spanish classes and even weird dreams.
I found myself, a queer immigrant bilingual christian youngling, relating to many things RV was going through and that made it so easy to enjoy this even when I had this globe floating at the corner of my eye reminding me that I had not read the previous two books in this series.
Relationships with parents, friends, crushes, siblings, God and even teachers are hard, and we see a kid dealing with all of them in this book and still finding the power to help others with their own relationship problems, having a very strong praying game and eating a lot of pizza.

I apparently missed the line that this was book #3 of the series. However, I don't feel like I missed anything in the story itself that wasn't quickly figured out in this one. The title gives away the book's major point where the comparison to pizza and relationships is made. It's a genuinely good point and is helpful for those who might be questioning their own sexuality. The main character? It seems like he is struggling with a lot of questions about his identities, who he is as a person, and what kind of person he wants to be, but he makes very little movement towards answering any of those questions. However, the author tackles those questions head-on and doesn't shy away from having the main character question that, struggle through things, and all the positive or negative effects of those questions. I appreciate the raw honesty of those struggles.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of #WhyCantRelationshipsbelikePizza