Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: All’s Fair in Love and Pizza
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 183 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2026
BLURB:
A bake-off between enemies…what could go wrong?
Mateo
Can you believe this? Haverton’s football hero is opening a bagel shop next to my pizzeria and he’s selling—wait for it—pizza bagels. The nerve!
And this guy isn’t above using his fame to attract clients. It’s annoying and yes, I’m feeling a little crusty about the situation. My temper has gotten me into a few binds, but a pizza bagel war? This is a first.
I’m gonna crush him.
Rob
After years of playing in the pros, I’m beat. All I want is to open a bagel shop in the town that gave me a shot at the big time. I’d love some peace and quiet too, however, I won’t be getting that with Mateo Cavaretti next door.
Geez, I can’t believe I had a crush on that guy in college. Sure, he’s still incredibly good-looking, but he’s a grouch. And while I like my business partner’s idea to settle our dispute with a classic bake-off, Mateo and I can’t be in the same room without fireworks going off.
Okay, some of those fireworks are extra sexy and that might be a problem.
Or is all truly fair in love and pizza…and bagels?
All’s Fair in Love and Pizza is an MM grumpy/sunshine, small-town romance featuring former teammates, a culinary challenge, and a HEA worth fighting for.
*A portion of All’s Fair in Love and Pizza was originally included in the Delicious Anthology. This new version has doubled in size to 40k words and a whole lot of bake-off shenanigans!
REVIEW:
Mateo Cavaretti runs his family’s pizza business in the college town he grew up in, went to college in and returned to. He was the quarterback of the college team. He stepped up to run the family business and it’s taken over his life.
Rob Vilmer, a linebacker on the college football team, has just leased the space next to the Boardwalk Pizza, Mateo’s family business. It’s the space that he had wanted to expand into but was told it was already leased. But Rob’s retired from the NFL and it looking to put down roots in town now. Hmmm.
Rob and Mateo were never exactly friends, but when Mateo talks to Rob and discovers that he’s opening a bagel shop, he’s skeptical. A bagel shop next to a pizza place? Really? Then Rob teases him by saying maybe they will do pizza bagels and Mateo’s back goes up. And it’s on!
At the grand opening, Mateo decides to make nice, but then he tastes the pizza bagel bites and he can’t help feeling like he’s being set up here. He storms off and the war is on. He’s going to make bagels at the pizza place too! Two can play this game 🙂
Rob has always had kind of a crush on Mateo – from back in college – but assumed that Mateo was straight and where Rob was from, well it wasn’t acceptable to be gay and certainly not in high school, college or professional football. So he’s stayed closeted and is business partners with his best friend Amber. Mateo assumed that was his girlfriend until Rob sets him straight 😉
Their competition has gotten folks talking and Amber has an idea of setting up a charity competition between the two businesses to draw in customers and raise money for the college. This has the added bonus of pushing Rob and Mateo closer together as the contest goes on for the weeks of the football season.
One thing leads to another. Confessions are shared. Scorching hot chemistry ensues. Maybe it’s time for Rob to come out and live the life he worked so hard to achieve. Maybe Mateo can get out of his own way. Maybe they can both get what they want, need and deserve 😀
This is a quintessential Lane Hayes story 🙂 Closeted jocks, life after professional sports, teammates to rivals to lovers, and lots of strong family vibes 🙂 This story is really lovely and also fun. Rob and Mateo get off on the wrong foot when Rob comes back to town. Mateo is a bit of a hothead and Rob has a chip on his shoulder. They both made assumptions about the other that were totally off base and when they finally had a real conversation, it turns out they aren’t so different after all 🙂 This has small town vibes, secret crush, closeted athlete moving to the next chapter themes as well as coming to terms with the past and looking forward to a bright future focus. Wonderful characters, the right balance of humor and pathos and a lot of truth telling complete the story arc. If you read the original story, there are added doses of family, sexy times, figuring out what’s next and happily ever after. Loved it.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Amazon
