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A Pizza My Heart
Gooey cheese and warm pepperoni, with a side of kissing and murder.
A Pizza My Heart is a quirky and fun anthology that crosses all genres. Fifteen extraordinary authors have united to tell stories of mystery, mayhem, romance, danger, deceit…and pizza.
Sometimes spicy, sometimes cheesy, but always delicious, A Pizza My Heart invites you to explore life, happiness, and the pursuit of pizza.
Stories Include:
A Slice of Adventure by Maria Carvalho
Between Slices by Andy Grieser
Fresh, Hot, and Deadly by Rena Olsen
KissingDancingPizzaMURDER by Darci Cole
Kneadful Things by Jenna Lehne
Love Pizza No. 9 by Vanessa Rodriguez
Madame Miraval’s Pizza Place by Kelly deVos
Password Is… by Jolene Haley
Pizza On the Brain by Emily Simon
Pizza Buddy by Brian LeTendre
Pizzamergency by Brett Jonas
Survival Pizza by Rebecca Waddell
The Last Stop at the End of the World by Jamie Adams
The Pizza Guy by Jessi Shakarian
Where There’s Pizza by Jasmine Brown
A Pizza My Heart is a quirky and fun anthology that crosses all genres. Fifteen extraordinary authors have united to tell stories of mystery, mayhem, romance, danger, deceit…and pizza.
Sometimes spicy, sometimes cheesy, but always delicious, A Pizza My Heart invites you to explore life, happiness, and the pursuit of pizza.
Stories Include:
A Slice of Adventure by Maria Carvalho
Between Slices by Andy Grieser
Fresh, Hot, and Deadly by Rena Olsen
KissingDancingPizzaMURDER by Darci Cole
Kneadful Things by Jenna Lehne
Love Pizza No. 9 by Vanessa Rodriguez
Madame Miraval’s Pizza Place by Kelly deVos
Password Is… by Jolene Haley
Pizza On the Brain by Emily Simon
Pizza Buddy by Brian LeTendre
Pizzamergency by Brett Jonas
Survival Pizza by Rebecca Waddell
The Last Stop at the End of the World by Jamie Adams
The Pizza Guy by Jessi Shakarian
Where There’s Pizza by Jasmine Brown
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 9, 2017
4 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Haley
10 books84 followersJolene Haley is the author of the Woodsview Murder series (Harrowed, Haunted, Hunted). She has edited several anthologies including Dark Carnival, Halloween Night: Trick or Treat, and A Pizza My Heart. She is a Jr. Agent for a literary agency and has worked for three publishing houses since earning her Bachelor’s degree.
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 10, 2017
This is a fun and versatile collection of short stories themed after what many would consider the food of the gods. They run the gamut from horrific to romantic, maybe even a little cheesy (can't resist the pun) at times. The most frustrating part for me is that many read as vignettes and therefore ended much too soon, leaving me wanting more. My favorite two stories were The Last Stop at the End of the World, and Love Pizza No. 9, but I'm not being nice when I say I enjoyed all of them. As a fun bonus, the authors' bios include their favorite pizzas!
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February 10, 2017I am so proud of this project. These authors are incredible. <3
February 15, 2017
Since GR is screwing things up so badly with this re-reading stuff (I had 15 editions listed (probably due to 15 status updates) all linking to the same edition + I couldn't set a finish date (so it didn't go to my challenge/read shelf) + it thought I re-read the book x times (not only due to the editions, but other stuff as well) I know they are working on fixing it, but I just want it to look nice at this moment + pop up in my shelf so I just deleted the book, put it back to read, and done. Sorry to that one person who liked my review.
And now for my review!
This was one book that I have been looking forward too since last year. I just needed it in my life and finally it came out (even though I expected it last year).
I immediately had to buy it when I saw it come out, and I am glad I did. Sure, it was a mixed bag, but it had some good stories in the mix. And for 0.99 euro I don't mind a mixed bag of a book.
I also liked that we have all sorts of genres. From Sci-fi to mystery to thriller and romance. We have girl POV, boy POV, and even a dog's POV. Some stories are short, others are a bit longer. I love the titles for each story and how pizzatastic they all are. Each story has one thing in common. Pizza. However, there was one story that had a clear lack of pizza which was just a shame. The last story was great, but I had some issues with that one.
As I often do with short stories, I have posted updates each time I read a story, and I will post those updates here.
Fresh, Hot, and Deadly: 4 stars. This was really good actually, I wasn't too sure about the twist in the midst of the story, but it turned out to be quite well done. Plus who can resist a story about poisoned pizza and getting rid of evildoers that way? I would definitely like a longer story about these 2 characters, about that Program, about the pizzas. The two characters were really fun and nice!
Between Slices: 1 star. Nice idea but nah. It just didn't work for me. I know this book is about pizza, but really, all I wanted was some action, and instead it was just a how-to on making pizzas. Guys, not the time. This story could have been better, the pizza parts better integrated in the story. Plus I am really curious about those zombies and what happened to the world.
Kneadful Things: 3 stars. What the fuck was with that ending? The whole story was pretty awesome, and I was sitting on the edge of my chair, but that ending just ruined it. A lot. :| So -2 stars for that one.
Really without that ending the story would have been perfect. A hint of pizza with a dash of mystery and a whole sprinkling of creepiness.
KissingDancingPizzaMURDER: 5 stars! This was just an epic story about murder! I had 2 suspects, but only near the end did I see another suspect and I just knew it had to be that person. And I was right! I love that the author made a short story so well that it keeps you guessing until near the end. Of course the story had pizza (duh!). I loved both Kate and Max, would have loved to see them get together.
A Slice of Adventure: 4 stars. A bit of a crazy story, but still pretty decent. This time we are heading to space. I did like the idea of a intergalactic pizzeria. :P That one I haven't seen that much in books. Definitely not from the Earth perspective. Generally I only see it when people are making travels in space (which they can't in this book). The ending was fun, and I quite liked it.
Pizza on the Brain: 3 stars. A fun story, but it feels like something is lacking. I was definitely hoping for that abandoned house to make a bigger appearance, why else hint to that house? In the end it was just a guy going along with his work, do his stuff, and then go to a party to meet with a girl he likes. Meh.
Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story: 1 star. Sorry, but what? This story just seemed to drag on and on. So a girl who is being mean to her principal just finds a homeless guy behind the pizza place, chats up with him, offers all sorts of stuff, then leaves, and then some conversation between the homeless man and his dog, and that is it? *yawns*
Survival Pizza: 1 star. Um, what? It was quite a sad story, but really, I just wonder why this MC can't just ask help from anyone. I know, dad got kidnapped, blabla alive, blabla police is a bad idea. But scavenging food from a dumpster is just no. Living in your car? Also no. I just couldn't like this story, and just was hoping it would be over fast.
The Last Stop at the End of the World: 3 stars. Another sci-fi story, and a pretty decent one with enough worldbuilding that I could get a general picture of the place the MC and her boyfriend and his father lived. However, I just didn't see the love that was supposedly so much between the MC and her boyfriend. :| Of course it had pizza, it took place at a pizza place. The ending was good, though I wish for more.
Where There's Pizza: 2 stars. I am not really the kind of person to enjoy an animal's POV, not at least like this. The dog was just annoying. And then suddenly x and y happen and I was like, hold on what? How did we go from this to that? This story just didn't make sense, maybe it would have been better if it had just been from the human POV.
The Pizza Guy: 3 stars. This was pretty much the other side of the first story. Just instead of Marco we have a Corey, but their jobs are pretty much the same. Not sure if this was on purpose, having two stories pretty much the same, or that they didn't check, but I did think it was a bit of a shame. It was good, hence the 3 stars, but eh, just a shame. Also Corey clearly cares more about money than his conscience.
Password is... : 2 stars. Pretty decent story, but I wanted to know what was going on with the guy. We don't really get an answer except that it is apparently pretty terrible, and it is a secret someone is willing to kill for to keep people silent. :| It was also the least pizza story in the entire book. :| I also didn't quite like the girl was so ill-prepared. Break in a house, and only have x minutes to do it?
Pizzamergency: 3.5 stars. Aww this was pretty cute! Baby goats, pizza, boyfriends, and much more. It was a bit plain, yes, but luckily goats are cute animals, plus it was fun to read how many baby goats were born. Also the romance between the MC and her boyfriend was really sweet, I also liked that even though he just finished his job he is helping out his girl.
Love Pizza No.9: 3 stars. A pretty cute story with a whole bunch of pizza, but the romance was predictable (I just knew what would happen at the end, and lo and behold it happened). I like Leo the most in the entire story. Parker was also nice, but I wonder if he he would have liked the MC if he hadn't eaten the pizza, after all he did use a nickname for her, and was pretty friendly and sweet. Curiouser and curiouser.
Madam Miraval's Pizza Palace: Well, this was apparently a story that doesn't take place in the book, instead you have to open a link. I can tell you, that doesn't work on a Kindle. At all. The page opens, yes, but getting anywhere, or reading the text is impossible. So -2 stars for that.
I had to type out the URL in my browser on my PC to get it to work, and then I quite liked the idea, but yeah, just a shame that it was done this way. Would have better if they just kept it to the book, I have read enough choose your own adventure books that work fine on ereaders.
I have some more choices to go through, but the first one I picked (I choose to go with the girl) was very sweet.
Will give it 3 stars. Would have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the whole URL stuff.
As you can see, there are some great stories in this mix. Stories that I would like see further developed and having a bigger spotlight than just a few pages. I am definitely happy I read this book, though I am having a big craving for pizza now. :P
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
And now for my review!
This was one book that I have been looking forward too since last year. I just needed it in my life and finally it came out (even though I expected it last year).
I immediately had to buy it when I saw it come out, and I am glad I did. Sure, it was a mixed bag, but it had some good stories in the mix. And for 0.99 euro I don't mind a mixed bag of a book.
I also liked that we have all sorts of genres. From Sci-fi to mystery to thriller and romance. We have girl POV, boy POV, and even a dog's POV. Some stories are short, others are a bit longer. I love the titles for each story and how pizzatastic they all are. Each story has one thing in common. Pizza. However, there was one story that had a clear lack of pizza which was just a shame. The last story was great, but I had some issues with that one.
As I often do with short stories, I have posted updates each time I read a story, and I will post those updates here.
Fresh, Hot, and Deadly: 4 stars. This was really good actually, I wasn't too sure about the twist in the midst of the story, but it turned out to be quite well done. Plus who can resist a story about poisoned pizza and getting rid of evildoers that way? I would definitely like a longer story about these 2 characters, about that Program, about the pizzas. The two characters were really fun and nice!
Between Slices: 1 star. Nice idea but nah. It just didn't work for me. I know this book is about pizza, but really, all I wanted was some action, and instead it was just a how-to on making pizzas. Guys, not the time. This story could have been better, the pizza parts better integrated in the story. Plus I am really curious about those zombies and what happened to the world.
Kneadful Things: 3 stars. What the fuck was with that ending? The whole story was pretty awesome, and I was sitting on the edge of my chair, but that ending just ruined it. A lot. :| So -2 stars for that one.
Really without that ending the story would have been perfect. A hint of pizza with a dash of mystery and a whole sprinkling of creepiness.
KissingDancingPizzaMURDER: 5 stars! This was just an epic story about murder! I had 2 suspects, but only near the end did I see another suspect and I just knew it had to be that person. And I was right! I love that the author made a short story so well that it keeps you guessing until near the end. Of course the story had pizza (duh!). I loved both Kate and Max, would have loved to see them get together.
A Slice of Adventure: 4 stars. A bit of a crazy story, but still pretty decent. This time we are heading to space. I did like the idea of a intergalactic pizzeria. :P That one I haven't seen that much in books. Definitely not from the Earth perspective. Generally I only see it when people are making travels in space (which they can't in this book). The ending was fun, and I quite liked it.
Pizza on the Brain: 3 stars. A fun story, but it feels like something is lacking. I was definitely hoping for that abandoned house to make a bigger appearance, why else hint to that house? In the end it was just a guy going along with his work, do his stuff, and then go to a party to meet with a girl he likes. Meh.
Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story: 1 star. Sorry, but what? This story just seemed to drag on and on. So a girl who is being mean to her principal just finds a homeless guy behind the pizza place, chats up with him, offers all sorts of stuff, then leaves, and then some conversation between the homeless man and his dog, and that is it? *yawns*
Survival Pizza: 1 star. Um, what? It was quite a sad story, but really, I just wonder why this MC can't just ask help from anyone. I know, dad got kidnapped, blabla alive, blabla police is a bad idea. But scavenging food from a dumpster is just no. Living in your car? Also no. I just couldn't like this story, and just was hoping it would be over fast.
The Last Stop at the End of the World: 3 stars. Another sci-fi story, and a pretty decent one with enough worldbuilding that I could get a general picture of the place the MC and her boyfriend and his father lived. However, I just didn't see the love that was supposedly so much between the MC and her boyfriend. :| Of course it had pizza, it took place at a pizza place. The ending was good, though I wish for more.
Where There's Pizza: 2 stars. I am not really the kind of person to enjoy an animal's POV, not at least like this. The dog was just annoying. And then suddenly x and y happen and I was like, hold on what? How did we go from this to that? This story just didn't make sense, maybe it would have been better if it had just been from the human POV.
The Pizza Guy: 3 stars. This was pretty much the other side of the first story. Just instead of Marco we have a Corey, but their jobs are pretty much the same. Not sure if this was on purpose, having two stories pretty much the same, or that they didn't check, but I did think it was a bit of a shame. It was good, hence the 3 stars, but eh, just a shame. Also Corey clearly cares more about money than his conscience.
Password is... : 2 stars. Pretty decent story, but I wanted to know what was going on with the guy. We don't really get an answer except that it is apparently pretty terrible, and it is a secret someone is willing to kill for to keep people silent. :| It was also the least pizza story in the entire book. :| I also didn't quite like the girl was so ill-prepared. Break in a house, and only have x minutes to do it?
Pizzamergency: 3.5 stars. Aww this was pretty cute! Baby goats, pizza, boyfriends, and much more. It was a bit plain, yes, but luckily goats are cute animals, plus it was fun to read how many baby goats were born. Also the romance between the MC and her boyfriend was really sweet, I also liked that even though he just finished his job he is helping out his girl.
Love Pizza No.9: 3 stars. A pretty cute story with a whole bunch of pizza, but the romance was predictable (I just knew what would happen at the end, and lo and behold it happened). I like Leo the most in the entire story. Parker was also nice, but I wonder if he he would have liked the MC if he hadn't eaten the pizza, after all he did use a nickname for her, and was pretty friendly and sweet. Curiouser and curiouser.
Madam Miraval's Pizza Palace: Well, this was apparently a story that doesn't take place in the book, instead you have to open a link. I can tell you, that doesn't work on a Kindle. At all. The page opens, yes, but getting anywhere, or reading the text is impossible. So -2 stars for that.
I had to type out the URL in my browser on my PC to get it to work, and then I quite liked the idea, but yeah, just a shame that it was done this way. Would have better if they just kept it to the book, I have read enough choose your own adventure books that work fine on ereaders.
I have some more choices to go through, but the first one I picked (I choose to go with the girl) was very sweet.
Will give it 3 stars. Would have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the whole URL stuff.
As you can see, there are some great stories in this mix. Stories that I would like see further developed and having a bigger spotlight than just a few pages. I am definitely happy I read this book, though I am having a big craving for pizza now. :P
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
February 12, 2017
Actual rating- 3.5
*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog . For more reviews, go here.
A Pizza My Heart sounded like a delicious read and from what I could make out of the title, I took it to mean a fun take on "a piece" of my heart, which is why I assumed it would be a collection of short romance stories, which I had no problem with. But once I started reading the book and realised that every story had something to do with pizza, I was completely blown away because I want to have something to do with anything that involves pizza. It was so creative to see how the various authors of the anthology incorporated pizza in their stories that ranged from romances to thrillers to mysteries to science fictions and what not.
A collection of fourteen absolutely unique and very well-written stories, A Pizza My Heart is a fun read that will make you hungry with the lovely descriptions of pizza in every story. While there were some stories that I didn't quite understand, some of my absolutely favourites were: Fresh, Hot and Deadly, Kneadful Things, KissingDancingPizzaMURDER, Pizza on the Brain, Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story, Where There's Pizza, The Pizza Guy and Love Pizza No. 9. Seeing as I thoroughly liked and had a great time reading a total of eight out of the fourteen stories, it's easy to say that this collection was very interesting, unique and fun which I really appreciated.
What I liked the most about this collection was the way the contributing authors minds worked. It was so nice to see such different takes on pizza when all I am able to come up with is just pizza because let's be honest, once there's a mention of pizza, it's difficult to give anything else a thought. So yes, in that way, the collection as a whole and every story individually is great and a pure delight to read. Besides, being a bunch of short stories, it's super easy and simple to read, which is the biggest advantage.
I would definitely highly recommend this read because it's a quirky and amusing collection.
*Note: A copy of this book was provided by YA Bound in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog . For more reviews, go here.
A Pizza My Heart sounded like a delicious read and from what I could make out of the title, I took it to mean a fun take on "a piece" of my heart, which is why I assumed it would be a collection of short romance stories, which I had no problem with. But once I started reading the book and realised that every story had something to do with pizza, I was completely blown away because I want to have something to do with anything that involves pizza. It was so creative to see how the various authors of the anthology incorporated pizza in their stories that ranged from romances to thrillers to mysteries to science fictions and what not.
A collection of fourteen absolutely unique and very well-written stories, A Pizza My Heart is a fun read that will make you hungry with the lovely descriptions of pizza in every story. While there were some stories that I didn't quite understand, some of my absolutely favourites were: Fresh, Hot and Deadly, Kneadful Things, KissingDancingPizzaMURDER, Pizza on the Brain, Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story, Where There's Pizza, The Pizza Guy and Love Pizza No. 9. Seeing as I thoroughly liked and had a great time reading a total of eight out of the fourteen stories, it's easy to say that this collection was very interesting, unique and fun which I really appreciated.
What I liked the most about this collection was the way the contributing authors minds worked. It was so nice to see such different takes on pizza when all I am able to come up with is just pizza because let's be honest, once there's a mention of pizza, it's difficult to give anything else a thought. So yes, in that way, the collection as a whole and every story individually is great and a pure delight to read. Besides, being a bunch of short stories, it's super easy and simple to read, which is the biggest advantage.
I would definitely highly recommend this read because it's a quirky and amusing collection.
*Note: A copy of this book was provided by YA Bound in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
April 7, 2017
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
'A Pizza My Heart: An Anthology' edited by Jolene Haley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on April 2, 2017
Purchased Kindle Edition
$2.99 on Kindle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Just like a good pie, this collection is spicy, cheesy, and oh so delicious. Fifteen authors come together to cross all genres to converge on one universally loved topic -- pizza. There are tales of murder, mystery, romance, danger, deceit, friendship, and more all smothered in garlic and sauce.
This collection includes the stories:
- Fresh, Hot, and Deadly by Rena Olsen
- Between Slices by Andy Grieser
- Kneadful Things by Jenna Lehne
- KissingDancingPizzaMurder by Darcy Cole
- A Slice of Adventure by Maria Carvalho
- Pizza On the Brain by Emily Simon
- Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story by Brian LeTendre
- Survival Pizza by Rebecca Waddell
- The Last Stop at the End of the World by Jamie Adams
- Where There's Pizza by Jasmine Brown
- The Pizza Guy by Jessi Shakarian
- The Password Is... by Jolene Haley
- Pizzamergency by Brett Jonas
- Love Pizza No. 9 by Vanessa Rodriguez
- Madame Miraval's Pizza Place by Kelly deVos
MY REVIEW:
First of all, this cover is so delightful. It just makes me happy! The cover artwork was done by Haley Crosby (haleycrosby.daportfolio.com), and I just had to give her a shoutout because I just love it so much. It's probably my favorite cover in ages.
Secondly, this collection will make you crave pizza, so beware! I am not even that huge of a fan of pizza (shocked gasp, I know!), but I found myself subconsciously going to the fridge and grabbing a piece of my partner's leftover cheese pie halfway through this collection in the middle of the night. Once I realized what I was doing, I burst into laughter because (1) like I needed those extra calories at 2AM and (2) I would have usually chosen something else. This book has power.
Just as the description says, there is a good mixture of stories in this collection. There's something for everyone; something to satiate every appetite. You get a taste of horror, a mix of heartfelt tenderness, and some humor in there, too. I really enjoyed it.
"Fresh, Hot, and Deadly" by Rena Olsen
The pizzas Jane delivers pack a real punch, and she and her partner are charged to deliver them without question, but one particular delivery throws their morals into question.
-- This is a fun story and a great one to open the collection up with, I think. I particularly like the idea of two high schoolers who moonlight as "special" pizza guys/girls. It's so ridiculous but makes such an entertaining story.
"Between Slices" by Andy Grieser
Saba and Eddie, holed up in an abandoned pizza place in a post-apocalyptic world, remember what it was like before.
-- This story is beautifully sad. The description is so well written that you can taste and smell the pizza along with the characters, and you become ensnared in this desolate world they are in. I also really liked the relationship between Saba and Eddie. It was my favorite part of the story. It was so tender and sweet, and it made the story that much more touching. I liked this tale a whole lot. It was among my favorites in the collection.
"Kneadful Things" by Jenna Lehne
Left alone to manage a pizza joint, an employee starts getting creepy phone calls that lead to a harrowing experience.
-- Reminiscent of the "Babysitter and The Man Upstairs" urban legend, this story is familiar and creepy. But the ending is where it gets ya! I found it a little absurd, but I suppose that was the point.
"KissingDancingPizzaMurder" by Darci Cole
A high school murder mystery -- with pizza!
-- There's a lot packed into this short story. It was a fun read, but it wasn't my favorite. I suppose I felt like it needed to be longer to really do the story justice. But it was well-written and a good concept for a tale.
"A Slice of Adventure" by Maria Carvalho
What if your favorite pizza place was run by aliens?
-- This story cracked me up. I absolutely loved the idea behind this. Imagining those two kids, particularly the "I didn't mean to!" kid, just about made me bust a gut. This is a great story.
"Pizza On the Brain" by Emily Simon
Jackson delivers pizzas; it's hard and thankless, but sometimes he's thankful for it.
-- This is simply a simple human story, and we all know how much I love those. I love and appreciate stories that tell simple stories about everyday life and do it well, and this is one of those stories.
"Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story" by Brian LeTendre
On her routine trip to pick up pizza, Kit meets a dog named Buddy and his vagabond friend.
-- Who doesn't love a good story with a dog in it? This tale definitely encourages you to read more about Orchard Pointe if you haven't already (I have but I still want more!). I am a fan of Brian LeTendre's writing, so I already knew I would enjoy this story. I hope these characters will appear in future Orchard Pointe stories.
"Survival Pizza" by Rebecca Waddell
Jackson scavenges to feed his family -- pizza being their salvation for a day.
-- This is a heartbreaking story. I wanted more of this story, honestly. I wanted to know what happened to their father and what was going to happen to them all in the future. Waddell writes beautifully, too. This was another among my favorites in this collection.
"The Last Stop at the End of the World" by Jamie Adams
A family on a planet about to implode share a final meal of, of course, pizza.
-- This is another heart-wrenching story. And it's actually pretty scary, too. The panic felt by the character comes across as real and palpable, and then so does the acceptance. It's actually somehow strangely beautiful.
"Where There's Pizza" by Jasmine Brown
Moose loves Pizza Fridays, but this one is going to be particularly eventful!
-- This is my favorite story. Perhaps it's because I'm a diehard dog lover, I don't know, but this story made me go, "Awww, oh my gosh!" when I finished it. I just adored it, and I had to give my pup, Throckmorton, a big ol' snuggle when it finished. It's a darling tale told from the perspective of Moose, a pit bull and his love for his master, pizza, and Portia, a female Great Dane. As a side note, I loved the information about dog-safe pizza and anti-pit bull hate in this story.
"The Pizza Guy" by Jessi Shakarian
Corey Vecchione, a lowly pizza delivery boy, gets a promotion.
-- The things we do for money, eh? When I read stories like this, I'm always just like, "How could someone make that decision?" I mean, I get it because I'm poor as hell. I rub two pennies together to stay warm, but I still don't get it. If you know what I mean? That being said, this is a really well put together story.
"Password Is..." by Jolene Haley
Rosaria breaks into her boyfriend's bedroom to hack into his computer and find out what he's been hiding, but she just might regret it.
-- This story is really scary! There are a couple lessons to be had here: (1) Don't let curiosity get the best of you, and (2) don't have such an easy password! I can't imagine being in Rosaria's position, and I'm not even talking about the very end.
"Pizzamergency" by Brett Jonas
A family of goat farmers has a busy night fueled by pizza.
-- This is a sweet story. Another simple human tale, and I really enjoyed it. I love little glimpses like this into the lives of folks so very different from my own, and it was neat to have it all brought full circle, making their lives just like the rest of ours with something as universal as a pizza pie. Very cool.
"Love Pizza No. 9" by Vanessa Rodriguez
Olivia thinks she's in love with Parker, so she and her co-worker, Leo, at the pizza place, cook up his grandmother's recipe for a "love dough" to capture his affections.
-- This story wasn't really for me. Not because it wasn't well-written; it is. The characters are great, and the story is well-fleshed out. It's simply a personal preference. Out of a collection of fifteen stories, not all of them are going to be hits, you know?
"Madame Miraval's Pizza Place" by Kelly deVos
This is an interactive, "choose your own adventure" story located online.
-- This was... interesting. I was just talking to my partner not too long ago about how much I missed "choose your own adventure" stories, so it was kind of cool to see something like this is still around and kicking just in a different capacity. I'm not sure how I felt about this, though, to be honest. I'm not sure if I remember these kinds of stories being more fun than they were or what, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I did when I was a kid. It's still a really cool concept, though, and I wish they would make a comeback.
If you love pizza and short stories, you should go and pick up this collection right this second. Give in to those cravings, y'all!
'A Pizza My Heart: An Anthology' edited by Jolene Haley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on April 2, 2017
Purchased Kindle Edition
$2.99 on Kindle
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Just like a good pie, this collection is spicy, cheesy, and oh so delicious. Fifteen authors come together to cross all genres to converge on one universally loved topic -- pizza. There are tales of murder, mystery, romance, danger, deceit, friendship, and more all smothered in garlic and sauce.
This collection includes the stories:
- Fresh, Hot, and Deadly by Rena Olsen
- Between Slices by Andy Grieser
- Kneadful Things by Jenna Lehne
- KissingDancingPizzaMurder by Darcy Cole
- A Slice of Adventure by Maria Carvalho
- Pizza On the Brain by Emily Simon
- Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story by Brian LeTendre
- Survival Pizza by Rebecca Waddell
- The Last Stop at the End of the World by Jamie Adams
- Where There's Pizza by Jasmine Brown
- The Pizza Guy by Jessi Shakarian
- The Password Is... by Jolene Haley
- Pizzamergency by Brett Jonas
- Love Pizza No. 9 by Vanessa Rodriguez
- Madame Miraval's Pizza Place by Kelly deVos
MY REVIEW:
First of all, this cover is so delightful. It just makes me happy! The cover artwork was done by Haley Crosby (haleycrosby.daportfolio.com), and I just had to give her a shoutout because I just love it so much. It's probably my favorite cover in ages.
Secondly, this collection will make you crave pizza, so beware! I am not even that huge of a fan of pizza (shocked gasp, I know!), but I found myself subconsciously going to the fridge and grabbing a piece of my partner's leftover cheese pie halfway through this collection in the middle of the night. Once I realized what I was doing, I burst into laughter because (1) like I needed those extra calories at 2AM and (2) I would have usually chosen something else. This book has power.
Just as the description says, there is a good mixture of stories in this collection. There's something for everyone; something to satiate every appetite. You get a taste of horror, a mix of heartfelt tenderness, and some humor in there, too. I really enjoyed it.
"Fresh, Hot, and Deadly" by Rena Olsen
The pizzas Jane delivers pack a real punch, and she and her partner are charged to deliver them without question, but one particular delivery throws their morals into question.
-- This is a fun story and a great one to open the collection up with, I think. I particularly like the idea of two high schoolers who moonlight as "special" pizza guys/girls. It's so ridiculous but makes such an entertaining story.
"Between Slices" by Andy Grieser
Saba and Eddie, holed up in an abandoned pizza place in a post-apocalyptic world, remember what it was like before.
-- This story is beautifully sad. The description is so well written that you can taste and smell the pizza along with the characters, and you become ensnared in this desolate world they are in. I also really liked the relationship between Saba and Eddie. It was my favorite part of the story. It was so tender and sweet, and it made the story that much more touching. I liked this tale a whole lot. It was among my favorites in the collection.
"Kneadful Things" by Jenna Lehne
Left alone to manage a pizza joint, an employee starts getting creepy phone calls that lead to a harrowing experience.
-- Reminiscent of the "Babysitter and The Man Upstairs" urban legend, this story is familiar and creepy. But the ending is where it gets ya! I found it a little absurd, but I suppose that was the point.
"KissingDancingPizzaMurder" by Darci Cole
A high school murder mystery -- with pizza!
-- There's a lot packed into this short story. It was a fun read, but it wasn't my favorite. I suppose I felt like it needed to be longer to really do the story justice. But it was well-written and a good concept for a tale.
"A Slice of Adventure" by Maria Carvalho
What if your favorite pizza place was run by aliens?
-- This story cracked me up. I absolutely loved the idea behind this. Imagining those two kids, particularly the "I didn't mean to!" kid, just about made me bust a gut. This is a great story.
"Pizza On the Brain" by Emily Simon
Jackson delivers pizzas; it's hard and thankless, but sometimes he's thankful for it.
-- This is simply a simple human story, and we all know how much I love those. I love and appreciate stories that tell simple stories about everyday life and do it well, and this is one of those stories.
"Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story" by Brian LeTendre
On her routine trip to pick up pizza, Kit meets a dog named Buddy and his vagabond friend.
-- Who doesn't love a good story with a dog in it? This tale definitely encourages you to read more about Orchard Pointe if you haven't already (I have but I still want more!). I am a fan of Brian LeTendre's writing, so I already knew I would enjoy this story. I hope these characters will appear in future Orchard Pointe stories.
"Survival Pizza" by Rebecca Waddell
Jackson scavenges to feed his family -- pizza being their salvation for a day.
-- This is a heartbreaking story. I wanted more of this story, honestly. I wanted to know what happened to their father and what was going to happen to them all in the future. Waddell writes beautifully, too. This was another among my favorites in this collection.
"The Last Stop at the End of the World" by Jamie Adams
A family on a planet about to implode share a final meal of, of course, pizza.
-- This is another heart-wrenching story. And it's actually pretty scary, too. The panic felt by the character comes across as real and palpable, and then so does the acceptance. It's actually somehow strangely beautiful.
"Where There's Pizza" by Jasmine Brown
Moose loves Pizza Fridays, but this one is going to be particularly eventful!
-- This is my favorite story. Perhaps it's because I'm a diehard dog lover, I don't know, but this story made me go, "Awww, oh my gosh!" when I finished it. I just adored it, and I had to give my pup, Throckmorton, a big ol' snuggle when it finished. It's a darling tale told from the perspective of Moose, a pit bull and his love for his master, pizza, and Portia, a female Great Dane. As a side note, I loved the information about dog-safe pizza and anti-pit bull hate in this story.
"The Pizza Guy" by Jessi Shakarian
Corey Vecchione, a lowly pizza delivery boy, gets a promotion.
-- The things we do for money, eh? When I read stories like this, I'm always just like, "How could someone make that decision?" I mean, I get it because I'm poor as hell. I rub two pennies together to stay warm, but I still don't get it. If you know what I mean? That being said, this is a really well put together story.
"Password Is..." by Jolene Haley
Rosaria breaks into her boyfriend's bedroom to hack into his computer and find out what he's been hiding, but she just might regret it.
-- This story is really scary! There are a couple lessons to be had here: (1) Don't let curiosity get the best of you, and (2) don't have such an easy password! I can't imagine being in Rosaria's position, and I'm not even talking about the very end.
"Pizzamergency" by Brett Jonas
A family of goat farmers has a busy night fueled by pizza.
-- This is a sweet story. Another simple human tale, and I really enjoyed it. I love little glimpses like this into the lives of folks so very different from my own, and it was neat to have it all brought full circle, making their lives just like the rest of ours with something as universal as a pizza pie. Very cool.
"Love Pizza No. 9" by Vanessa Rodriguez
Olivia thinks she's in love with Parker, so she and her co-worker, Leo, at the pizza place, cook up his grandmother's recipe for a "love dough" to capture his affections.
-- This story wasn't really for me. Not because it wasn't well-written; it is. The characters are great, and the story is well-fleshed out. It's simply a personal preference. Out of a collection of fifteen stories, not all of them are going to be hits, you know?
"Madame Miraval's Pizza Place" by Kelly deVos
This is an interactive, "choose your own adventure" story located online.
-- This was... interesting. I was just talking to my partner not too long ago about how much I missed "choose your own adventure" stories, so it was kind of cool to see something like this is still around and kicking just in a different capacity. I'm not sure how I felt about this, though, to be honest. I'm not sure if I remember these kinds of stories being more fun than they were or what, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I did when I was a kid. It's still a really cool concept, though, and I wish they would make a comeback.
If you love pizza and short stories, you should go and pick up this collection right this second. Give in to those cravings, y'all!
February 20, 2017
I love this cute anthology of pizza stories. I especially enjoyed Maria Carvalho's A Slice Of Adventure. Now I need to have some pizza!!
February 11, 2017
4.5/5 Stars!
Review coming soon
Review coming soon
February 15, 2017
It's been so long since I last rated a book five stars but I really felt like this book deserved my praise. I loved that all the short stories were of different genres and even though were only a few pages long each, some of them had me on the edge of my seat. For example, Kneadful Things was just brilliant. I'm such a fan of horror movies and the clever title reference paired with the storyline along the lines of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS just stole my heart. I would easily call that short story my favorite out of the fifteen stories. Another favorite was Password Is . . . because it ends on such a cliffhanger! I was so into the story that when it cuts off, I literally opened my mouth in shock. I wanted more!
Some of the stories were also sci-fi and while those weren't my favorite, they were still fun to read about. Some of the stories were also more heartbreaking like Survival Pizza which told the story of a young teenage boy having to dumpster dive for food in order to feed his three younger siblings. They live in the family car and with their father having gone missing, the oldest struggles to hold everything together. I also loved Where's The Pizza? which tells the story of a dog named Moose who loves his human boy and the pizza he brings home for him. It quickly turns into a suspenseful tale which I fully enjoyed.
The other stories are more contemporary or murder-mystery. Love Pizza No. 9 was a really sweet and fluffy short story that is honestly perfect for the whole Valentine's Day feeling. As for the murder-mystery ones, I wouldn't say it was a favorite out of the other stories but I did think that KissingDancingPizzaMURDER was the murder-mystery I liked better. It's not a creepy read so I think it would be perfect if you want a short story that won't keep you up at night but will also have you on the edge while reading it. Overall, I just loved this anthology and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who loves short stories! Or pizza. Always pizza.
Some of the stories were also sci-fi and while those weren't my favorite, they were still fun to read about. Some of the stories were also more heartbreaking like Survival Pizza which told the story of a young teenage boy having to dumpster dive for food in order to feed his three younger siblings. They live in the family car and with their father having gone missing, the oldest struggles to hold everything together. I also loved Where's The Pizza? which tells the story of a dog named Moose who loves his human boy and the pizza he brings home for him. It quickly turns into a suspenseful tale which I fully enjoyed.
The other stories are more contemporary or murder-mystery. Love Pizza No. 9 was a really sweet and fluffy short story that is honestly perfect for the whole Valentine's Day feeling. As for the murder-mystery ones, I wouldn't say it was a favorite out of the other stories but I did think that KissingDancingPizzaMURDER was the murder-mystery I liked better. It's not a creepy read so I think it would be perfect if you want a short story that won't keep you up at night but will also have you on the edge while reading it. Overall, I just loved this anthology and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who loves short stories! Or pizza. Always pizza.
July 22, 2024
This was a really fun read! Many genres of short story present, but all involving pizza 🍕 I would even enjoy if some of these stories (esp. the sci-fi ones) were full length or expanded upon!
February 28, 2017
Great eclectic collection
Loved every story. Found some editorial mistakes, no big deal. Hard to choose a favorite story because they're all wonderful. I think "Where's Pizza?" about the dogs is probably my top choice IF I had to pick one.
Loved every story. Found some editorial mistakes, no big deal. Hard to choose a favorite story because they're all wonderful. I think "Where's Pizza?" about the dogs is probably my top choice IF I had to pick one.
February 6, 2017
DISCLAIMER: I received an e-ARC of this anthology as part of a tour.
Right, so I am gonna just put this out that that I was totally confused during the first few shorts. It just seemed like there was someone out for murder in every one. I was really intrigued by the title. I thought it was very clever for grabbing attention. I really like reading anthologies because we get to has a taste of different authors all in one go.
MY RATING: 4 OF 5 STARS.
I am basing my writing off the different writing styles, the stories themselves (not from being personally interested). I took a break from reading a this anthology,, thinking that I could pick it back up and actually like the other stories . . . I only (kinda) like a few stories (Kneadful Things, Love Pizza No.9,) out of all 15. Not hating on the stories or the authors at all. If I step out of my comfort zone and look at it from a different reader's eyes, these are great stories! Some of them are just not my style, but I do not mark this as a book to completely leave aside. I tend to give some things a second chance. This is one of those times. So, I will pick it up again and try to read it all through new eyes. I might like it better second time around.
My Blog
Right, so I am gonna just put this out that that I was totally confused during the first few shorts. It just seemed like there was someone out for murder in every one. I was really intrigued by the title. I thought it was very clever for grabbing attention. I really like reading anthologies because we get to has a taste of different authors all in one go.
MY RATING: 4 OF 5 STARS.
I am basing my writing off the different writing styles, the stories themselves (not from being personally interested). I took a break from reading a this anthology,, thinking that I could pick it back up and actually like the other stories . . . I only (kinda) like a few stories (Kneadful Things, Love Pizza No.9,) out of all 15. Not hating on the stories or the authors at all. If I step out of my comfort zone and look at it from a different reader's eyes, these are great stories! Some of them are just not my style, but I do not mark this as a book to completely leave aside. I tend to give some things a second chance. This is one of those times. So, I will pick it up again and try to read it all through new eyes. I might like it better second time around.
My Blog
February 12, 2017
Like any collection, not all stories will appeal to all readers.
This is a very varied group of short stories which, if you look closer, have more in common than a food item. On the surface you have poisoning and fear and distrust, potential love and friendship, zombies, aliens and monsters living in your neighborhood.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this collection.
This is a very varied group of short stories which, if you look closer, have more in common than a food item. On the surface you have poisoning and fear and distrust, potential love and friendship, zombies, aliens and monsters living in your neighborhood.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this collection.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews