Review of “Scrubby’s PBnJ” by Mike J. Kizman

​Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

Some things just belong together.

Bread and butter.
Milk and cookies.
Macaroni and cheese.
Spaghetti and meatballs.
Peanut butter and jelly.
A small-town dreamer and the quiet restaurant she pours her whole heart into.

And, in the case of Scrubby’s PBnJ, Brynn “Scrubby” Green and Dewey “Huck” Huckleberry.

Scrubby’s PBnJ by Mike J. Kizman is wholesome. There could be a picture of the cover next to the word "Wholesome" in the dictionary.

Scrubby’s PBnJ is a small-town Christian romance, a business-building story, a friendship story, a self-esteem story, and a peanut butter-and-jam fever dream all rolled into one--kinda like a very sticky, very pasty, very sincere sandwich.

The book follows Brynn “Scrubby” Green, the owner of Scrubby’s PBnJ, a niche restaurant in Schooner Lake, Indiana that specializes in gourmet peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Not jelly. Jam. This distinction matters. The bread is baked fresh, the peanuts are shelled and roasted on-site, the jams are homemade, the chips are freshly cut and seasoned, and the restaurant’s signature item, the Scrubby’s Tower, is basically the final boss of PB&J sandwiches. The opening scenes do a great job establishing the restaurant’s identity, from the custom orders to the beach boxes to the almost comical seriousness with which Brynn treats freshness, consistency, and customer service.

That is where Dewey “Huck” Huckleberry enters the picture.

After Brynn sprains her ankle at the July 4th fireworks show, Dewey, an EMT, helps her. Their connection begins in a very sweet, gentle way, and the romance that follows is tender, slow-building, and almost old-fashioned in its sincerity. Dewey is a good man. Not a “dark secret bad boy with abs and commitment issues” romance lead. Not a smoldering chaos machine. Just a good, respectful, patient man who sees Brynn clearly and loves what he sees. Honestly, that is refreshing.

One of the strongest elements of the novel is the way romance and self-worth are connected. Brynn has carried the nickname “Scrubby” like both a wound and a brand. She turned it into the name of her restaurant, but deep down, she still believes some of the insult behind it. Dewey’s love does not magically fix everything overnight, but it gradually helps her see herself differently. By the ending, when Dewey proposes and chooses a low-profile ring she can actually wear while working, the moment feels earned because it shows how well he understands her life, not just her heart. That detail was genuinely lovely.

The chemistry between the two romantic leads is off the charts! And it doesn't seem forced or contrived, it seems organic and natural. The best example of this is the shrimp scampi linguini scene.

Yes, we are serious.

On paper, a scene involving shrimp scampi linguini should not be one of the best romance moments in a book about peanut butter and jam sandwiches, but here we are. This is where the book quietly shows why Brynn and Dewey work so well together. It is not because they have some explosive, dramatic, melodramatic romance novel chemistry. It is because he listens to her. Really listens.

During their dinner at Deep Waters Fish and Seafood, Brynn starts talking about the origin of Scrubby’s PbnJ (the restaurant, not the book). She explains the restaurant concept, the fresh bread, the roasted peanuts, the homemade jams, the fresh chips, the early marketing, the school lunches, the tourists, the local reputation, and the physical toll of running the place. In lesser hands, this could feel like exposition wearing a fake mustache. But here, it becomes character work. We are not just hearing how Scrubby’s PBnJ was built. We are watching Dewey fall a little harder for the woman who built it.

Then comes the shrimp scampi problem.

The restaurant is out of dry white wine for the dish, and Brynn immediately suggests chicken broth as a substitute. That little moment says so much about her. She is not just a PB&J novelty chef. She knows food. She understands flavor. She has real culinary instincts. Dewey already respects her work ethic, but this is one of those scenes where he starts seeing the full depth of her talent.

And then, the lemon ricotta cake moment? Come on. That is adorable.

Dewey asks her what she wants for dessert without looking, and Brynn correctly pairs lemon ricotta cake with shrimp scampi linguini. Dewey is stunned. We loved that. It is such a small, nerdy, food-lover moment, but it sparkles because it gives Brynn a chance to be impressive without bragging. She does not walk into the room demanding admiration. She just knows her stuff. Dewey notices. That matters.

This is also why their chemistry feels so natural. Dewey is attracted to Brynn, yes, but the book makes it clear that he is not only attracted to her appearance. He is attracted to her passion, her intelligence, her humility, her faith, her discipline, and the way she lights up when talking about something she loves. He is not just looking at Scrubby. He is seeing Brynn.

That is the secret sauce.

Or, in this case, the chicken broth substitute.

The later special dinner scene reinforces this beautifully. When Brynn and Lynx cook for Dewey and Kyle, Brynn serves shrimp scampi linguini with chicken broth, along with ciabatta bread, homemade butter, salad with homemade Italian dressing, and panna cotta for dessert. This is not just dinner. It is Brynn letting Dewey into another part of herself. She is showing him that she can cook far beyond the walls of her restaurant’s niche menu, but she is also showing him something more vulnerable: her desire to be seen as talented, desirable, and worthy outside the “Scrubby” identity she has hidden behind for so long.

And Dewey sees her.

That is what makes this romance work. There is sweetness, yes. There is attraction, yes. There are kisses, yes. But the real romantic engine of the book is recognition. Dewey recognizes Brynn’s value before she fully recognizes it herself.

Honestly, that is more satisfying than a grand romantic speech.

Oh, and by the way, Saturn (Saturn O Syres) is in here!
The main protagonist of the author's other OCA award-winning books, 5 Weeks of Saturn and 14 Hours of Saturn, so there's some continuity and intertextuality here.

Check it out on Amazon!