3.75 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin Griffin publishing, and Mazey Eddings for this e-ARC!

Mazey Eddings’ Well, Actually kicks off with a bang. It’s funny, sharp, and instantly engrossing. The first half of the novel is everything you want in a contemporary romance: witty banter, palpable tension, and two layered characters whose chemistry is undeniable. Eva Kitt is compelling right out of the gate. Her humor and guarded nature feel authentic, especially when grounded in the context of her childhood trauma and past “relationship” woes with ex, Rylie Cooper.

But somewhere around the halfway mark, the story begins to wobble. The pacing slows, the plot threads fray, and the narrative takes a few too many confusing detours. Instead of building on its strong foundation, the back half starts to meander, making it hard to stay as emotionally invested.

Eva’s fight-or-flight instincts, while understandable given her past, start to wear thin. Her knee-jerk reactions, especially in contrast to Rylie’s openness and willingness to fight for their relationship, become frustrating. Rylie, with his own complicated backstory, feels like the steady emotional center of the book, and you can’t help but wish Eva would meet him halfway more often.

Still, Well, Actually is a thoughtful look at intimacy and the courage it takes to let yourself be loved. Even if the second half doesn’t quite stick the landing, there’s a lot to admire in Eddings’ ability to blend humor with heartache and in the undeniable spark between Eva and Rylie.

3.5 stars

Eva Kitt yearns to be a hard-hitting journalist, but unfortunately finds herself the host of an online video series interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs. When she drunkenly makes a video slandering the now-reformed fuckboy she briefly dated in college, her superiors sieze the opportunity to capitalize on the virality of the moment and force Eva and Riley to make several videos together.

I love a second-chance romance, and I love when the woman is grumpy in a grumpy/sunshine, but I found Eva really, really unlikable. At first her quips were funny, but after its pretty obvious that Rylie is being sincere, she continuously is just mean and rude to him past the point where it's funny and good banter. There were also a ton of chronically online culture references that are going to date this book pretty quickly. Besides that, I still love Eddings' romances, this one just wasn't written for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this romance. I didn’t find it too cheesy and I thought the storyline was good. I really liked the character development as the book progressed. They really go from hating one another to falling in love. It does show that maybe you meet people at the wrong time and sometimes they do eventually return. Also maybe wine drunk isn’t always a bad thing.

Okay so this book was just okay for me. I really struggled connecting to Eva. Like I really wanted her to be “that bitch” but it just was not delivered. Sometimes she was a little too mean and sometimes I felt she was inconsistent and missing something. I also wanted more vulnerability from her with Riley but oh well.

Riley on the other hand was flawless. No notes. Perfect. Chefs kiss.

It was overall a cute book but just not for me.

I went into this book with zero expectations and was completely bowled over!

While the synopsis sounds like a relatively straight-forward rom-com, you are in for so much more! Eddings has an incredibly emotionally adjusted hero, a therapy scene that was truly everything, and strong LGBTQ representation in her main characters. With all of this, you still get the rom-com vibes you may have felt like you signed up for when picking up the book. This one will definitely stay with me for quite some time!

Thank you MacMillan for this ARC!! It was such a treat!

I haven't read all of Mazey Eddings's books, but I did read and enjoy the Brush With Love series, and everything about this one drew me in. I love a prickly, grumpy, black cat heroine, and that is very much our main character Eva. All she wants is to do real journalism - what she's worked hard for since college - but she's kind of stuck in a role that involves eating microwaved hot dogs with minor celebrities on a web series called Sausage Talk. She's not happy, but her bff is her producer, she likes being in New York, and Sausage Talk is part of a larger media empire that might be the source of opportunities she sees as more in line with her goals. Things blow up a bit for her when she drunkenly calls out her ex, Riley, via TikTok. He's built a whole online platform trying to fight against toxic masculinity and to teach straight men how to be good at sex and relationships with women. But to Eva, he's the guy who led her on in college, broke her heart, and disappeared, and her story about him goes viral, drawing the attention of execs at her company. A deal is struck, and Eva finds herself having Riley on Sausage Talk, guesting on his podcast, and going on a series of very public dates so he can show her that he's changed. The romance itself - the second chance, black cat x golden retriever, enemies to lovers of it all - was great for me, and I enjoyed the plot and the characters. One thing I found tough to read was the thread of extremely blatant and harmful sexism that is Eva's entire work experience. There's a particular scene where she and Riley are supposed to be reading mean tweets, and the ones selected by the company execs for her are like, horrifying. This is fully realistic and I appreciated that Eddings didn't gloss over what it's like to be a woman with a public social media platform, but dang, it was hard to get through. So definite content warning for sexism and misogyny in the workplace (and of course, on the internet).

This book has the spice, the emotional characters, and the banter. I just felt like it fell a little flat for me. The first 60% is just Eva being Eva, which let the record show that I am a fan of her. Once they “work” through it and get together it felt like everything was happening at a really slow pace. It’s not a bad book! It had me kicking and giggling a lot.

I fear that most readers will hate Eva because she is in her own way for most of the book but that is very realistic. I feel like the author showed care to the heavy topics discussed in the book, while also incorporating banter that all readers love.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
Ok I can’t be the only one who really disliked the main character, Eva. She’s so mean! It’s been 6 years and she’s treating him like they just broke up. The first date they went on must have been really expensive and she’s so rude to him. This left me very frustrated.

Also the stuff she puts up with at work. I kept thinking why aren’t you looking for something else? And to just leave her friend she works with to fight her battles to save her job, made me like her even less. I wish we would have known what happened to William in the end.

All the deep diving they do into Rylie’s past they don’t ever talk about Eva’s issues or sexuality which seemed odd.

I do love an enemies to lover’s trope and while Eva as a character really bothered me I think that’s also a sign of good writing. She made me really invested in this book and have strong feelings for the characters. Overall I enjoyed it.

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet! I was pulled in immediately and had such a great time reading. I inhaled this book 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 felt Eva and Cooper (Rylie) were very relatable. Eva's struggles really resinated with me. Also, the grumpy x sunshine trope is one of my faves and I loved how it was done here. This book was just so fun!! Plus the cover is just so beautiful. 10/10!

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.