“Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake” by Mazey Eddings is the second in a trilogy, however this book can be read as a stand-alone (per other reviewers, Lizzie is introduced in the first book, which came out in MAR, when I’m writing this review).

So, onto the book - I really liked how Lizzy addresses, tries to cope with, and acknowledges her ADHD. I also like how the author delved into a bit of Lizzie’s family coping (or not!) with Lizzie’s wild energy, different thinking, and not fitting in. That Lizzie was unabashedly herself was refreshing! I also liked how Lizzie tried to set up coping mechanisms - setting an alarm to help her remember her pills, realizing when she needed help, and using techniques to calm herself - I’ve known a number of people who use those, also with ADHD. And, like Lizzie, sometimes these mechanisms work … and sometimes not. What also worked - the quirky bakery idea. It’s not my cup of tea, but, hey, if it floats people boats, go for it! I really liked Bernadette, though I was wondering in the end how the whole bakery keeping afloat thing was going to work with a newborn, maybe that’s mentioned in book three? Rake’s parents - so loving, so understand, and so wonderful! Lizzie’s humor is a bit crude and, as a friend might say, “impulsively filterless,” - but while I believe working with her might be exhausting, in little doses she’s refreshingly wonderful.

What didn’t quite work as much for me was the instalove (I know why it was included, but - yeah). While I’m okay with some “sexy time,” this went into the realm of being uncomfortable for me to read. A solid 3.5 rating, which I’ll round up to a 4 because I greatly enjoyed Lizzie’s Lizzie-ness and portrayal.

Thank you, St. Martin's Griffin, for allowing me to read Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake early!

Mazey Eddings wrote a rather delicious romantic comedy with fun, steamy and emotional moments. I very much loved reading about a character with ADHD and how she lives with it and I really need to get myself a copy of A Brush With Love because I want to compare how Mazey Eddings' writing evolved since her debut.

I LOVED A Brush with Love and I was so excited to read this ARC for the 2nd standalone book in this series.

I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the pregnancy trope and anything to do with unexpected pregnancies in books. However, this was really well done and I enjoyed most parts of it! My favourite part was being able to see the characters (especially Harper and Dan) from the first book. It felt like a family reunion.

I wasn’t super connected to the characters and felt like there was a lot of miscommunication between the main characters where i wanted to yell at them to just talk! But at the same time I understood so there was this weird in between. I would have loved to see more of Lizzie and Rake’s relationship especially with the baby. Overall, this was a good and enjoyable book!

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will be reviewing this book on my Goodreads, Instagram, an Tiktok at the beginning of June (the week of the 6th). This is to ensure my review is closer to the release date.

This book is such romcom realness. Lizzie and Rake are so flipping cute and I love them so much. I also really loved how the book explored and dealt with Lizzie's ADHD. Mazey Eddings is such a good writer and I love her.

I received a copy through netgalley.

I can’t begin to express how much I adore this book. As someone who has ADHD, I felt so seen in Lizzie. I’ve been joking for months that Lizzie is a gorgeous chaos demon and she truly is. Mazey writes with such passion that it is genuinely hard to not fall in love with all of them. Also, for all the horny jokes made about A Brush with Love, Mazey stepped it up in LBBM. Lizzie is simply unashamedly herself. She embraces who she is and navigates through life not using her ADHD as an excuse, but as a stepping off point. She is exactly enough as she is.

This book has a surprise pregnancy and I think that Mazey handled the subject with immense care. It’s not handled lightly and watching Lizzie and Rake get ready for their happy accident tugs on all your heartstrings. I loved how deeply Rake loves Lizzie. And the delicious mutual pining between the two (and delicious erotic baking too 👀)

I am so glad that this book exists. And that Mazey exists. You need Lizzie and Rake in your life. I could say so much more about this book, but I think that you should read this masterpiece for yourself.

CWs: ADHD, ableism, conversations about an abortion in a character’s past, pregnancy, mental illness, on-page explicit sex
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Disclaimer: the author and I are friends and I read a copy of this a while ago. This has not impacted my review and all my thoughts are my own.