Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was not expecting to love this book based on the description, but I found it so sweet that I devoured it in two days! I think a solid enemies-to-lovers plot can be incredibly difficult to pull off, especially if the resistance/fight doesn't make sense. I loved that the author was able to both pull off a golden retriever MMC and an enemies-to-lovers plot by focusing on the difficulties the FMC had trusting people (for valid reasons) as a major source of her resistance. Too many enemies to lovers plots rely on MMCs with toxic traits that take me out of it. The spice was excellent, the relationship development was sweet, and the character development had depth. I'm sure there will be some people who felt some of the plot devices were not entirely realistic/reasonable, (like <spoiler> some of the FMC's family's language/actions in the past, or how long the MMC persists for (though I loved that) </spoiler> but I wasn't taken out of the story by these issues. Absolutely fun, adorable, but meaningful read! My first by this author and I will definitely check out the others.

This was a fucking delight. I loved Eva and Rylie’s grumpy-sunshine dynamic, all their friends (especially Ray, I want his story next!) and the tug and release of tension and emotional intensity in this second chance romance. It was unexpected but still comforting, validating and surprising and so, so sweet.

4.25⭐️

🌭Hate to Love
🎙️Fake Dating-ish
🌭Workplace-ish Romance
🎙️Second Chance
🌭Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🎙️Banter
🌭Bi & Pansexual Rep
🎙️Single POV

I was immediately sucked in to this book! The way Eva and Riley came back into each other’s lives, the banter (she’s mean to him and he loves it!), their chemistry; I was eating it all up. I didn’t expect some of the conflict in this book to be what it was, but I liked it and how supportive the MMC was. The push and pull Eva had with Riley comes to life on the pages, and when she finally gives it…hot damn!!! That spice was spicing’!!! During the first half of the book I was dying for Riley’s POV. But something that has never happened, in the second half I was happy this was a single POV. It was a combination of the story and how it personal affected me.

As much as I loved this book in a very surface way, it also hurt me on very personal level. I have never had a FMC I so completely resonated with. I felt as if the author was describing me and my emotions, vulnerabilities, and insecurities. But I do wish I could have her superior sarcasm and wit. When the truth about these characters’ past is revealed I was devastated because it felt way too close to home and what I had experienced in the past. (Like how is it possible so much of this fictional FMC has lived what I have?) I had to take a break to decide if I could continue. Now I am not saying this book healed me or was cathartic, after my break I was just able to separate what I had experienced and enjoy how this fictional couple reunited.

Can we talk about the cover! I love the comic-y look. In my head, Eva and Riley looked exactly like the couple on the cover and that rarely happens for me. The way he is swooning for her when she is so clearly being mean! 🫠 Also, how did I not notice the hotdogs on the table? After reading the first few chapters, I noticed it and it makes complete sense.

3.75 🌟

• Reverse grumpy x sunshine? Check.
• Black cat x golden retriever? Yep.
• Second chance romance AND enemies to lovers?

𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐢𝐧!!!

I really enjoyed this book! Well, Actually is a rom-com that delivers on the laughs, flirtiness, and banter while also exploring emotional depth and healing in a meaningful way.

🖤 𝐄𝐯𝐚:
She is the definition of black cat energy. I won’t lie, she was hard to like in the beginning with her sharp tongue and “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦” attitude. But as her layers peeled back, I found a lonely, stubborn, insecure people pleaser trying her best to protect herself from more hurt. Her bitchiness wasn’t cruelty, it was armor. And the more I understood her, the more I rooted for her. Her character development stood out the most to me.

🤓 𝐑𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐞:
Our golden retriever in human form. A total green flag. He’s loving, funny, patient, and carrying a mountain of grief that made me want to reach into the book and give him the biggest hug.

𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? Eva and Rylie brought the true enemies to lovers energy. The banter? 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Eva’s constant jabs paired with Rylie’s unbothered, charming responses made for such a fun dynamic. Watching him slowly chip away at her walls was so satisfying. Their reunion after six years and the miscommunication between them? I was hooked on to see how it would all play out, and I was not disappointed.

𝘈𝘭𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦? 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘧’𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴. 💋

Mazey Eddings did a great job blending humor, romance, and emotional vulnerability. The way this book handled grief and emotional baggage felt thoughtful and real. It helped me connect more deeply with both characters and their journeys.

𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙩. 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣’𝙨 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

DNF @ 38%

Tried my hardest to keep going, but this was so, so boring.
Too many characters to keep up with & up to this point of the book, it all feels like filler & has no purpose.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I was not a huge fan of the character Eva in general. She came off very cold and rude. That’s just me. I know that she is not everyone’s cup of tea. If you can look past her atrocious personality this book was actually very enjoyable. It’s very similar to a TikToker and it was cool to be able to read a book that is similar to that. I don’t know if the author got their inspiration from that, but I did enjoy her little talk show where she’s eating hotdog instead of chicken wings like the TikTok.

This was a very sweet second chance romance that absolutely fit the bill of a black cat/golden retriever romance! Well, Actually was a very fun read and, while it was a fairly easy read, it also touched on important topics such as toxic masculinity, self love, and vulnerability.

In terms of the characters, I really liked Rylie and really appreciated his sweetness and his eagerness to make up with Eva and show her that he's changed and grown since they first knew each other. I thought he was a very well rounded character whose energy was well paired with Eva. I did like Eva too, I think she's a very realistic character and parts of her personality definitely resonated with me. There were some moments, though, where I felt that it was a bit too much and her snarkiness felt a bit overly mean. However, I really enjoyed the two of them in general and thought that their romance was very sweet!

One thing that I wish we had gotten more of was more of a background of the main characters and their previous relationship with each other. We did get some, but I would've loved to see more of younger Rylie and Eva in order to truly see how much they've changed since then and how much better they are together now.

All in all, I really enjoyed this romance and will absolutely be looking to read more books by Mazey Eddings!

Mazey Eddings always hits it out of the park for me.

What I liked:

Let’s start with Eva Kitt. Eva is a powerhouse who uses her strength as a shield, but has a real gooey and sensitive center. I am obsessed with her.

Riley is just so damn eager. He’ll so pretty much anything to get back in Eva’s life and show her he’s changed, and I love that for him. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in Eva’s life? I know I do.

As always with a Mazey Eddings book - this was funny, witty, and steamy, with so much heart.

Love the little cameos we got from earlier couples.

What didn’t work for me:

Nothing

At times Eva Kitt really annoyed me where I sat and thought to myself, why the hell would she say that?! Is that really her next course of action?! Mazey Eddings kept me on my feet and I did thoroughly enjoy the banter between Eva and Rylie. The pacing at times was a little slow for me but overall the story was fresh, unique and I cared about what happened next. I would recommend this title to readers looking for a funny, spicy ride.

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. This eARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

in my second chance eras perhaps?

the synopsis for this one was very interesting! fmc ranting about a college ex on social media and being forced to work together? sign me up!

i really liked eva i wanted to give her the biggest hug :( she reminded me of my favorite character mazey has ever written: lizzie blake i love them both soooo much <3 rylie was the SWEETEST ugh i adored him also the banter was tooooo good (i wanted his pov soooo bad)

4/5 stars only because the ending just felt… rushed? idk but i really did enjoy this book i love mazey and her writing

🌭 Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings 🌭

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eva is the host of Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs. When her public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s pushed into the spotlight. Her ex, Rylie - who she called out - is a social media personality with a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity. Forced to confront him on a live episode, he offers Eva a deal - allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his past behaviour, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva says yes, thinking it will advance her own career, and prove that he is still toxic, but has to question her own beliefs as they begin “dating”.

This book was fun to read and a page turner for most of it! I laughed at the first sentence and kept laughing throughout, as the writing was funny and easy to digest. I liked the characters and felt they were developed and worked through things, but there could have been more backstory. I also feel they were quite intense and after a while, the hating (even jokingly) became a lot. I enjoyed that they went to therapy (though that therapist would make me cry too lol), but felt that the ending happened really quick and I was expecting a bit more growth at the end. Overall, I did really enjoy this and recommend it!

Read this if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- nicknames
- witty banter
- second chance

Vibes: 🌭🎙️🎥🌶️

Song that matches the vibe: Takes One To Know One by The Beaches

Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.

Well, Actually is out August 5, 2025! Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. This eARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of the Chicken Shop Date, I wanted to love this. It sounded adorable and timely, with that shows current popularity. Unfortunately, this didn't hit quite as much as I wanted it to, and I feel like that was ultimately because I am a fan of Chicken Shop Date.

While overall I enjoyed this, it had some cute moments, and the characters grew on me as the story went on, I think Eva's personality took me out of the story for much of it and ultimately impacted my appreciation for the story. It ultimately came down to Eva's disdain for her job. While her disdain in the story made sense, her bosses, company, and the lack of support they provided her would make any normal person hate their job, the fact that the story closely paralleled Chicken Shop Date bummed me out. Since I love that show, I didn't want to think about the main character hating the role and feeling like she's above it. It took me out of the story.

Ultimately, this had some emotional moments that lifted it back up for me. All things considered, this was a 3 star read for me.

Well, Actually is the first book I have read by Mazey Eddings, but it won’t be the last! This was a witty contemporary romance with so many great tropes; from second chance to black cat/golden retriever to workplace/social media, it had a little bit of everything! To top it all off, the banter was bantering. Eva was an FMC that we don’t usually get in romcoms. She’s sarcastic, cynical, and demanding; doing everything she can to hide the fact that she does indeed have a vulnerable side. She is the perfect opposite to Rylie’s people-pleasing (read: Eva-pleasing) personality. He’s truly a walking green flag.

This book had great representation and was truly a delight to read! The expected publication date for Well, Actually is August 5, 2025. Do yourself a favor and give it a try! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This will probably be one of my top reads of the whole year. The banter alone is worth reading every word of this book! And the characters were phenomenally fleshed out. Such a brilliant read

A second-chance romance featuring the bitter host of a clickbait web show and the Woke Bro who dumped her in college, Well, Actually features a feisty heroine with BDE and a goofy romantic lead with softboi vibes. While not part of a series, it peripherally features characters from Mazey Eddings's other books and is perfect for fans who want a little bite from their fmc and are looking for characters to actually grow before getting back together.

Although the ending felt a bit rushed, I otherwise enjoyed Eva and Rylie's relationship, the pacing of their romance, and the black cat/golden retriever vibes. Mazey Eddings's books are hit-or-miss for me, but seem to end up as reliable three-star reads, and she remains an author I always want to give another chance. 3.5/5

This reminds me of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, sort of.

Eva Kitt is stuck interviewing B list or lower celebrities on a low budget talk show, which is far from the dream she had. When her one time crush pops up on her For You Page as an influencer dismantling toxic masculinity. Only issue? In Eva's mind, Rylie is toxic masculinity personified. When she calls him out in a video of her own, their bosses basically join forces so Riley can prove Eva wrong.

From what I remember, all of the aforementioned happens in about the first quarter to third of the book. While I liked it, it also wasn't super memorable for me, Rylie is referred to by his last name so much, I legit forgot his name wasn't actually Cooper.

Thanks, NetGalley!

Rylie and Eva were a great couple! They were such different people, but they worked so well as a couple. I loved how Rylie was so into Eva and put in the effort to win her over.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy!

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet! I was puled in immediately and had such a great time reading. i inhaled this books so fast once i started. This is my first book from this author and I absolutely loved her writing style! Witty fun banter, realistic descriptions and characters. I loved Coopers vibe and Eva is such a funny FMC. This book was just so fun!! Plus the cover is just so beautiful. 10/10!

I ate this book up WOW it was phenomenal. I was enamored and absolutely hooked on every word. The premise was fascinating, it was well executed, and I loved the progression throughout the story. I read this entire book in one sitting on the airplane. It made me feel so many emotions and utilized therapy in a way that I really enjoyed as someone who hates the mention of characters going to therapy and suddenly everything is magically fixed. I think this may be the second Mazey Eddings book that I read, and it will NOT be the last. This was serious, funny, and entertaining wrapped in one little romantic roll. Amazing read. The only thing that made me slightly uncomfortable was the use of the nickname "Kitten", but it had good reason, so I could mostly excuse it.

Mazey Eddings has such a distinct voice (ludicrously capacious bag, anyone?) This story is no different. I become a fan with Lizzie Blake and so much of that same charm is still woven through the pages, without sparing the depth we've come to expect from her.

Eva is black-catting and she finds her perfect foil in Rylie. I love to see a woman like Eva get her hard won HEA. Bisexuality rep is so important and Eddings does not shy away, giving Eva all the complexity she deserves. I was so fascinated by the way Eva's childhood and Rylie's [redacted past] played. a part in their initial story, and love the way it spun into the ending.