Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin': Why Can't Relationships Be Like Pizza? & Giveaway

Why Can't Relationships Be Like Pizza?

The Pizza Chronicles Book 3

by Andy V. Roamer

Genre: YA LGBTQ Contemporary

THE PIZZA CHRONICLES is a YA series that follows the main character, RV, through his high school years at demanding Boston Latin School, as he tries to answer his many questions about life, God, prayer, sexuality, being the son of immigrants, and staying loyal to his heritage while carving out his own life and tentative tries at relationships. www.thepizzachronicles.com

As RV enters sophomore year, his friendships and relationships create more questions than answers. RV still cares for Bobby, but Bobby seems a different, more distant person. RV’s best friend Carole is distracted by the ups and downs in her relationships with her French boyfriends, while RV’s new friend Mark is more focused on his family’s troubles. School is a mixed bag. RV enjoys the Spanish club he has joined, which is run by his beautiful Spanish teacher, Señorita Sanchez. But he struggles with other subjects and annoying teachers and always has to watch out for the school bullies who seem to know how to stay under the detention radar.

As always, RV’s former teacher and mentor, Mr. Aniso, is there for advice, especially when near-tragedy strikes and RV needs Mr. Aniso’s counsel to stay strong and provide help where it’s needed most.

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Why Can't Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?

The Pizza Chronicles Book 2

RV, having successfully completed his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School, is hoping for a great summer. He's now fifteen years old and looking forward to sharing many languid summer days with his friend Bobby, who's told him he has gay feelings too. But life and family and duties for a son of immigrant parents makes it difficult to steal time away with Bobby.

Bobby, too, has pressures. He spends part of the summer away at football camp, and his father pushes him to work a summer job at a friend's accounting firm. Bobby takes the job grudgingly, wanting to spend any extra time practicing the necessary skills to make Latin's varsity football team.

On top of everything, RV's best friend Carole goes away for the summer, jumping at an opportunity to spend it with her father in Paris. Luckily, there is always Mr. Aniso, RV's Latin teacher, to talk to whenever RV is lonely. He's also there for RV when he inadvertently spills one of Bobby's secrets, and Bobby is so angry RV is afraid he is ready to cut off the friendship.

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Why Can't Life Be Like Pizza?

The Pizza Chronicles Book 1

RV is a good kid, starting his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School. Though his genes didn’t give him a lot of good things, they did give him a decent brain. So he’s doing his best to keep up in high school, despite all the additional pressures he’s facing: His immigrant parents, who don’t want him to forget his roots and insist on other rules. Some tough kids at school who bully teachers as well as students. His puny muscles. His mean gym teacher. The Guy Upstairs who doesn’t answer his prayers. And the most confusing fact of all—that he might be gay. Luckily, RV develops a friendship with Mr. Aniso, his Latin teacher, who is gay and always there to talk to. RV thinks his problems are solved when he starts going out with Carole. But things only get more complicated when RV develops a crush on Bobby, the football player in his class. And to RV’s surprise, Bobby admits he may have gay feelings, too.

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Andy V. Roamer grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in trade book publishing for many years, starting out in the children’s and YA books divisions and then working in adult Editorial and Production of various houses. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel.

The first two books of The Pizza Chronicles (Why Can’t Life Be Like Pizza? and Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza? ) were published in 2020. His adult novel, Confessions of a Gay Curmudgeon was published in 2019 under the pen name Andy V. Ambrose.