Project Pepperoni

by Matthew Warburton

At 36, Beth feels like she should have her life together. Instead, she's making a spectacular mess of it. And that's before Val, the woman who runs the sandwich shop across the road, mysteriously disappears. Between office politics, questionable decisions, too much alcohol, a growing list of lies and falling for a man with a rather peculiar fetish, Beth isn't exactly making the best impression on anyone.

But when an opportunity comes along to prove she's management material, she finally has a chance to make some progress. All she needs to do is keep her head down, impress the right people and avoid creating any unnecessary drama.

Naturally, she manages none of these things.

With a career to salvage, colleagues to contend with and a growing curiosity about what happened to Val, Beth has plenty on her plate.

Project Pepperoni is a laugh-out-loud story about office politics, career ambitions, bad decisions, workplace chaos, relationships and the mysteries that can crop up in the most ordinary places.

413 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2026

Reviews

[Caroline Lewis · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

It can feel a bit risky to choose an arc that only has a few reviews. But it can also pay off in spades. As another reviewer said, this novel really does make you laugh out loud. And that's a massive achievement because I believe humour must be one of the hardest genres to perfect. I was pulled straight in to the main character's world and despite her poor choices I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the visualisations playing out in my head. The kooky situations were described so well that it was often like watching a slap-stick film sequence. I'm a sucker for a book that doesn't feel like a thousand other books I've already read. I really enjoyed this.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It caught my attention from the very beginning and actually got me to laugh out loud. The best way to describe this read is if the show The Office was a book (& that’s my favorite show) so it was a perfect fit for me. Beth’s inner dialogue was so relatable. Dealing with the mundane routine of working a 9-5 surrounded by many personalities was captured in the best way. Very well written.

[Nikki Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Struggled to put it down

This book had me laughing from start to finish! Beth and friends are slightly unhinged but in the best way, the author perfectly captures the realities of being a woman trying to navigate the chaos your own life choices have caused. The humour in this book is what shines but there is also a sprinkle of romance, friendships, office politics and family dynamics at play too.

I wouldn't recommend reading this in public as I found myself unable to stop laughing out loud at certain parts. I certainly will never look at pepperoni the same way again!!

Overall, brilliant.