2.5 stars.

Peach : This was such a "normal person" kind of love story that we can all relate to.
Pit : Conrad was a whiny man.

Peach : It was sweet.
Pit : The story and the characters were kind of... forgettable.

Peach : The “peach and pit of the day” part was really cute. I’d love to try it with my loved ones.
Pit : There were definitely some cringe moments.

Note: Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in one sitting. It is rare to have a romance novel from a male perspective, and it was so good. The first person narrative with real imperfect characters felt very organic. The “pit and peach” is one of those life changing concepts that I plan to implement in order to practice gratitude.

I enjoyed this book a ton. The author was able to craft a story that was full of emotion, romance and feel good vibes at time. I also found the story to be different as it was written mainly from the MMC POV. The book spun a great tale of found family, love and learning from you past. The events in this story also were more realistic for a romcom and I enjoyed seeing how MMCs can be just as conflicted over events and actions in a book.

This one was cute. I feel like I've read a lot of grumpy/sunshine books recently, so I wasn't as excited by it as I may have been otherwise. I loved the setting and the idea of a pit and a peach made me happy and actually start thinking about that as I end my work day.

This was a cutesy will they won't they love story set in the world of magazine publishing, but told from the man's point of view, which was an interesting twist on this type of story. I enjoyed the story- definitely a great holiday read!

very sweet romance novel that warmed my heart. the love story was beautiful and had all the aspects of a dreamy rom com but some areas fell flat for me

This was such a sweet story to read. The evolution and character development of Conrad Sutherland was awesome and wholesome. I enjoyed this feel good book!

I was enticed by the title and the rarity of utilising a male protagonist, which is still quite uncommon in the romance genre. And then I was very, very disappointed. This novel was definitely my pit.

For me, the male narrative voice sounded unnatural. Conrad was written like any female protagonist would have been - a bit messy, a bit quirky and only at certain moments the author decided to remind the readers about her protagonist's masculinity by bursts of aggression, for example when he confronts his ex over the phone.

The other characters in the novel, including Maeve, fall flat, too. It's hard to understand her motivations, and towards the end, none of her actions make narrative sense.

The pacing of "Pit and a Peach" is quite uneven, too. From slow buildup to very rushed end, which screams bad editorial work. Sadly, this novel was a time wasted for me.

I desperately wanted to like this book. The characters and settings are charming but the plot does not flow naturally. By the end, the story felt rushed and the leads were getting annoying. The writing in certain portions were rambled and in cohesive.

I think there were many opportunities to develop Conrad and Maeve as individuals in order for the reader to connect with them. A rom com written with a male POV is uncommon, but it adds to the appeal of the story. However, there is little character development or growth in Conrad in particular. It was odd that a character, who is introduced as the unhappy and forgotten boyfriend, is shocked when his girlfriend breakups with him. His relationship with is family has so many plot holes (particularly with his parents) and it never delves into the impact on him and his siblings in a detailed or empathetic storyline. It also seems unusual that he has no friends at or outside of work before Maeve.

There are so many more refined details that would add to this storyline and build the Conrad and Maeve.. The side characters including the co-workers and Conrad's sister were a great add on.

I love the premise of this book always enjoy a unique POV. The specific mentions to Minneapolis landmarks, roads, culture were a treat as someone who frequents the area. The writing was wonderful and I LOVED the every day life you were exposed to without becoming bored. Something that is hard to accomplish in novels.

You can tell the author is passionate about her beliefs on societal issues but I felt they were inserted in ways to make a point rather than to fit within the narrative in a productive way

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy! Opinions are my own. .

This book was so cute and heartwarming! It was a nice read for the intro of fall, gave me a warm feeling inside. A simple love story, with rollercoaster feelings, made it feel like I was inside a hallmark movie! I give it a solid 4/5 stars!

Pit and a Peach by Anna Pollock is a unique workplace romance following Conrad and his journey of self-discovery of love and life. I truly enjoyed reading Pit and a Peach, it was. refreshing different viewpoint of a classic romance, and I really enjoyed the growth that the characters had throughout the story. I think that this would make the cutest little romcom movie.

"Pit and a Peach" follows Conrad, a man who works at a magazine company and is currently faced with the aftermath of a breakup of his long-term relationship. He meets Maeve, his cheerful coworker who ends up changing his life. His breakup is the start of many realizations in his life, including his relationships with his friends and family.

I had mixed opinions with this one. I think a lot of people would love it, but I don't think it was for me (but I really wanted to love it). Starting with the pacing of the book, it jumps in pretty quickly and then jumps forward--there's a lot of "a few weeks passed" that left me wanting more, and the ending also seemed kind of rushed.

I felt a similar issue with the characters. I could tell that Conrad and Maeve had complexities, and I loved that about them. I had mixed feelings on Conrad, because while I did find his POV hard to read at times (more showing than telling in his narration), there were certainly times where I empathized with him, too. However, maybe it's the length of the book, but those complexities (particularly with Maeve) didn't seem as fleshed out as I would've liked to see. Still, I loved seeing Conrad's relationships heal with his friends at work and his sister. I also appreciated the diverse cast of characters.

As messy as their relationship was, though, it was also so cute and sweet to see the characters finding each other and finding themselves. I think I just wanted more of that. The themes of the book were great. I LOVED the entire concept of a pit and a peach for each day (the epilogue was so cute). What also resonated with me was the idea that we are constantly LIVING LIFE and not to put our lives on hold or feel like we're in a waiting period.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I absolutely adored this synopsis for this book, but when I sat down to read it, it felt like I was reading stuff completely different. I found the characters unlikable And I couldn’t relate to Most of them. I felt like this book could’ve been decreased by 100 pages or so, and certain paragraphs seems to go on like a long run on sentence.. Great idea for a book, but when it was represented in this book I felt like it fell flat

I really enjoyed Pit and a Peach for its refreshing writing style and unique voice. The author has a knack for crafting a well-paced narrative with clever dialogue and an intriguing concept. What stood out to me was the perspective in this romance—being told from the male protagonist’s point of view. It’s not something you see as often, and it was a welcome change.

However, despite the book’s many strengths, I found it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper, more emotional level. I appreciate a romance that makes me feel as though I’m living and breathing with the characters, and while the plot and writing were solid, I didn’t quite reach that visceral connection. For me, that emotional pull is what turns a good book into a 5-star read, and it just fell a bit short in this case.

Overall, Pit and a Peach is a well-crafted romance with a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Urgh I love Conrad and Maeve.

This book is everything. You truly feel like you’re on the ride with Conrad.

I sobbed with him and laughed with him. It was perfect.

Pit and a peach has now been worked into conversations at work, and home.

I cannot wait to buy a physical version of the book

pit and peach.. pit and peach.. pit and PEACH!!
i absolutely devoured this book. i can’t even begin to express how much i loved every single character, every single word, every single aspect of this book. the characters were witty and relate able and it made everything that much better. there is a 100% chance i will be buying a copy as a shelf trophy once released. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!

Pit and a Peach by Anna Pollock has its moments, but it ultimately fell short of my expectations. The premise of Conrad Sutherland’s journey of self-discovery after a breakup had potential, but the execution left much to be desired.

Conrad, the main character, starts off as intriguing, but his development feels inconsistent. His interactions with Maeve, the new associate editor, are intended to be heartwarming but often come across as forced and predictable. The pacing of the story is uneven, with some parts dragging on while others feel rushed.

The attempt at a humorous yet poignant writing style occasionally falls flat, which makes it hard to follow along. Though brilliant, the adage "for every peach, there comes a pit" has been overdone to the point of cliché.

Overall, "Pit and a Peach" falls short of my expectations regarding depth and emotional resonance, albeit having some redeeming characteristics. If you're looking for something light to read, it's a decent read, but it might not stick with you.

I loved these characters and the tension Anna was able to build between them—this felt like watching New Girl and knowing that at some point Nick and Jess were going to end up together but WHEN and HOW when so much is stacked against them!!! I already shared about the book with my audience on Instagram and will continue to include it anytime I'm recommending romances to other readers. Can't wait to read more from this author!

If you were to ask me what my pit and peach were reading this, I’d say my peach was every time I laughed while reading and my pit was starting this book at 10pm and having to stop reading so I could get some sleep.

Pit and a Peach is a beautiful book about love of all kinds, personal growth and how important perspective is. One of my favourite things about this book was the different ways food is discussed - from Lacey using food as a way to gain fame and adoration to Maeve writing about food in a way that showed her love for not just it but the world too.

I really loved every character, they all felt so whole and real and I’d love to read more by this author about the other characters in the book and how their lives are going.