‘I Love You More Than Pierogi’ is an entertaining, charming novella about two young men who get a second chance at love. It is part of the ‘World of Love’ series that “offers stories of romance that span every corner of the globe” and is set in Warsaw, Poland. I lived in Warsaw for two years, although that is now quite some years ago, and I felt transported back. A lot of the little details ring so true and make this virtual visit very worthwhile for learning about the places, buildings, and streets of Warsaw alone. But what jumped out at me were the quirky characters and the mouth-watering descriptions of the food. As you can probably guess by now, I loved this brief visit to Warsaw and the people who live there! Anyone who is curious about how young people in Poland see the world and wants to learn more about how they think should read this story - just be ready to be famished at the end of it.

Marek and Adrian stole my heart from the beginning, both in their own way. They were childhood friends, began to experiment sexually as teenagers, and agreed to travel the world after finishing school. But Marek ended up wanting a career so he could “be somebody" and earn lots of money. When push came to shove, the prospect of coming out and leaving his home to go with Adrian terrified him, so he stayed behind. Adrian went on “their” five-year trip, but never forgot Marek.

Both have grown when they meet again once Adrian returns to Poland, but they have developed in very different ways and have a hard time communicating. Adrian wants a place to sleep, and since he has very little money, he figures he can stay with Marek. Marek expects a hot hookup, but he is deeply in the closet and won’t even consider anything more. They begin to work together on Adrian's business idea when Adrian employs Marek's company as the advertising/marketing support. I think it's the only reason they even keep talking.

But as Marek begins to see the world from Adrian's point of view and admits that he is a workaholic, he begins to realize that his “successful career” has left him with a pretty empty, restricted existence that is making him unhappy. And Adrian begins to understand Marek’s decisions a little better. It opens up new possibilities for both of them, and the slow-burn romance that follows as they open up to each other was beautiful to watch.

The secondary characters also deserve mention. They are all so typically Polish, it made me smile in memory. There are Marek's two roommates, Marek's colleague and his boss at work (who are both horrible!), and even the old lady who watches over Adrian's food truck, protecting it against the local hooligans, is perfect. I enjoyed getting to know all of them.

If you like quirky characters, lots of humor, and an unusual setting, if you enjoy slow-burn romances that have two men going from almost hostile to very loving, and if you’re looking for a read that is as informative and suspenseful as it is funny and entertaining, then you will probably love this novella as much as I do. It’s definitely a story for my reread folder!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )