Absolutely in love with this Enemies to Lovers and Second Chance Romance. It truly warms my soul. The perfect amount of babter, spice, and a whole lot of personal growth. Love love loved this couple!

Thank you NetGalley and Mazey Eddings for the wonderful book.

Absolutely smitten over this Enemies to Lovers and Second Chance Romance ♥️ The perfect amount of giddy banter, swoony spice, and a whole lot of personal growth. Love love loved this couple!

Thank you NetGalley and Mazey Eddings for this ARC

I really enjoyed this book! The dynamic between the two main characters was humorous and sarcastic, which is something I appreciated. Mazey has once again created a FMC I completely adore. She has her walls up, using her words as a shield to protect herself from being hurt. She keeps her circle small and doesn’t let many people in—but honestly, after everything she’s been through, I’d be the same way. This was the first thing from Mazey Eddings that I have read and I will definitely check out more in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc!

It's a cute sturdy on second chances and character growth that touches on some heavy topics. I loved the premise of the book and thought that the chemistry between the two characters was pretty good. The side characters were really well written and I loved the fact that the references to modern day things like social media and such were original and not cringy like other books I've read. The only two problems I had with this book were how the FMC was written to be a bad bitch and sometimes not in a great way, and the fact that this book is a little millennial coded. I get the fact that the FMC was supposed to be this strong willed woman who stood up to the patriarchy (as we all should) but sometimes she came off as a straight bitch. Like sometimes when she would look down on Cooper while knowing next to nothing about him was sooooooo bad, and it's the fact that she hates this man for the beginning all because of a 2 month relationship back in college that gets me. I definitely think that this book will be more popular in the older generations due to its dry sense of humor and the fact that it's extremely millennial coded. I still enjoyed this book (even though I cringed at times) but as a younger adult I will say that this probably wouldn't be the best read for younger readers.

I enjoyed the concept - was just a bit too cheesy for me. Would try and read another book by the same author, I just don’t think this one was for me.

This book healed something in me!!!!!

Eva Kitt: short form interview specialist (with hot dogs???)

Rylie Cooper: anti toxic masculinity podcast host AND Eva’s ex she can’t seem to shake.

One tipsy night Rylie’s TikTok’s comes across Eva’s feed and this simply will not do. A scathing stitch and an HR meeting later Eva finds herself hosting Rylie on her show and committing to 6 dates so Rylie can prove he’s not that guy.

Eva puts up a front. An armor. Full of prickly sarcasm and a sharp tongue she will never give you the chance to get close to her, hurt her, or walk away. I felt that deep in my soul. I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself in a character more. The more she pushed Rylie away and he just let her insults bounce off of him..KILL ME. Us tough shell girls need love too 😭

I really enjoyed this book! The dynamic between the two main characters was humorous and sarcastic, which is something I appreciated. The author did a great job of highlighting some workplace harassment and issues with superiors well, to the point that I was getting frustrated for the main character. The book was fast paced enough that I finished it in just a couple days but had a good story, start to finish. Overall, a great novel!

I absolutely LOVED this book and was so excited to read it early! Mazey has once again created a FMC I completely adore. She has her walls up, using her words as a shield to protect herself from being hurt. She keeps her circle small and doesn’t let many people in—but honestly, after everything she’s been through, I’d be the same way. Watching her slowly let those walls come down was so satisfying. I will say, Aida made me sad. She’s supposed to be a supportive friend, and while I understand that working with friends can create awkward dynamics, I really wish she had stood up for her more. Overall, I loved this book so much and will definitely be preordering a signed copy. Another hilariously beautiful story from Mazey!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc!

I LOVED this book. Absolutely going to be one of my favorite reads of the entire year. I thought that the plot of this book was so interesting as it takes a concept that is so popular within our culture today, yet felt like such a new concept in this book and I have not read anything like this before. The chemistry between Rylie and Eva was unmatched. Truly a perfect couple and I was rooting for them the entire time. The slow burn, second chance romance mixed with him falling for her first and falling so hard was so well written and a mix of everything I love in a book. The writing of both Eva and Rylie's characters was so well done and I was surprised at how much depth both characters had. Eva was one of the most reliable female main characters I have ever read and I felt for her so deeply in her hurt. I truly wanted the best for her and was so happy that Rylie loved her so intensely and gently. Rylie was also the sweetest and most thoughtful man I have ever read in a book and I loved getting to watch his growth as a character as well as his relationship with Eva.

Overall I was absolutely obsessed with this book and I can't wait to revisit it closer to publication day. This was the first thing from Mazey Eddings that I have read and I will definitely check out more in the future!

Well, Actually is a hilarious take on the black cat protagonist and the golden retriever love interest, as evidenced by the book's cover art. The story feels very Gen Z with the hot dog spin on Chicken Shop Date, men with podcasts, and evil corporate overlords, all while brimming with heart. Reading a f-ck boy redemption arc was not something I would've predicted, but Mazey Eddings handles the emotional growth and depth of the characters flawlessly. She also created a leading lady who gets to regularly deliver scathing take downs of a man from her past that will fill any woman with envy. Five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I have loved all of Mazey Eddings' books, and this one was enjoyable with the same wit and snappy dialogue but also some reflection on deeper issues. I enjoyed the podcast element as well as the second chance romance.

Ahhh! This might be one of my favorite romances of the year so far. The tension was so well-written and chapter 14 holy cow! That was one of the best written scenes that I think I have ever read. Absolutely loved this story so much and will be recommending it to everyone.

Well, Actually is for everyone who’s obsessed with Chicken Shop Date awkward charm and can’t resist a good slice of TikTok drama. Grumpy/sunshine dynamic? Check. Second-chance romance with tension you can cut with a knife? Yep. Snappy banter that had me laughing out loud more than once? Absolutely. I devoured this one and wanted more. Witty, sharp, and full of heart—this book gets it.

Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC! I definitely think I would have preferred this in audio format simply because it would have set the main character and narrater’s tone better! For example, I read some of Eva’s lines towards Rylie as overly rude, but maybe that was my interpretation and the intonation of a narrater’s voice may have shifted my opinion. I love a second chance romance and I think this book did that very well! (And I love it even more when he falls first!) I think one of the standout aspects of this book is the pace, I never found myself getting bored or wanting to pick up another book. It is important to note that there is some wonderful representation for LGBTQIA+ characters and themes, how the MCs dealt with trauma, and a narrative lens that is pro-therapy. Overall a fun, cute, romance book — but also something a little bit more. If you like banter and second chance romance, give this one a go! You might just have the best time.

This book was everything you needed for a great summer beach read- sweet romance, a MMC who fell long ago and never got over her, a second chance romance with a fun twist, and TOP TIER humor. I laughed more during this book than I've laughed reading a book in the last year. It's serious at parts it need to be and both characters work through their trauma. Make sure you get this book for your August beach vacations when it comes out 8.5.25.

Hot take: Being a cynical single female in the real world, completely acceptable. Being a cynical female FMC, people can't relate or she's bitchy.
I liked this book for the sharp, witty writing. I like when an author takes a main character that doesn't have the universal traits that we typically relate to as loveable and shows growth. I love to see characters work through their issues! My only hitch, I would have loved to see Eva, who is perceived at a strong and intelligent woman handle the toxic work environment/situation better though. It felt like she was fumbling through that whole situation. Overall, I thought it was fun and funny and enjoyed another book from this author.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was disappointing. I love Mazey Eddings, but this was not an enjoyable read for me. I didn't really like any of the characters, but the real cardinal sin of this book was not making any of the character particularly interesting. I was pretty bored the entire time, and found it pretty difficult to find the motivation to finish reading - not usually a problem I have with most romance books I read. 2/5.

As a side note - I would immediately cut all contact with any man who insisted on calling me "kitten."

ugh I'm sorry but this was not for me... There are so many really good and cleaver bits of writing but the good writing can’t make up for shitty characters. I found Eva impossible to understand or sympathize with. Riley's only character trait was "obsessed with her" except he was so flawed in all the flashbacks that it felt SO wild that he turned into this lovesick fool. This book tries to tackle so many different issues that they all start to feel like the author was trying to get Bingo on a card of trending topics.

I know I'm not going to like a book when I feel like I have to force myself to keep going, and even worse, when I start writing my thoughts down as I'm still reading. So, here are all the thoughts I wrote in order in my notes app while reading:

- You know that meme that’s like hey there fellow youths? That’s what this felt like but it was like a hey they’re fellow gen z-ers.
- This is my second book this year that’s based off of a real celebrity and I gotta say, it’s not for me. It’s feels so weird and cringey to me…
- Her friend Aida sucks?
- This is basically just a story about 2 people working through their problems. It’s getting boring and repetitive. The structure is clear, but it feels like we just keep watching Eva make the same poor choices over and over, we need some sort of growth. (its legit not until like 60% of the book that any growth happens.. too long!!)
- I get that Eva is supposed to be a black cat hard shelled girl but actually she's just coming off mean and kinda cruel.
- What is his name?? Riley and Cooper seem completely interchangeable I actually don’t know which is his first or last name anymore.
- Kitten is a dumb nickname. And so is baby girl.
- She decides to play “fuck around and find out” with her career and yet is SO shocked when she finds out she’s fucked around too much. Like her company is TERRIBLE but also she just like, didn't do her job?
- Maybe I’m just too old for this book? Anyone over the age of 25 you’re out.
- Why does she keep wanting to work for a company that is so terrible it’s almost satirical??
- Okay so then this turned into the plot of "She Said"

What. A. Book. If you look in the dictionary for the definition of “Grumpy x Sunshine,” you’ll find Eva Kitt and Rylie Cooper. The chemistry between these two could open a whole new wing at MIT.

Between the wittiest and quickest banter I’ve read are important topics like sexism in the media and internalized homophobia. The underlying theme of grief rep was interwoven so delicately into the story but still powerful. In the spirit of our MC’s journey of vulnerability, I was not expecting to sob over his backstory (on varying fronts) or her lackluster familial support, but damn these two brought out the water works. Prepare accordingly.

And I love this for a second chance romance!! Reading how both characters put in the work felt raw and tangible. The therapy rep was exceptional too.

And we need more women like Eva in romance books- she is the quintessential Black Cat!! Honestly I loved how outspoken she was. Especially after understanding why she was so guarded. With the way the world is right now, it felt refreshing to see a woman address blatant sexism in the workplace, and we love a supportive man behind her!!

RYLIE IS SO BABYGIRL!! Amidst all the tragic backstory, we now have this down bad green flag mmc and we have no choice but to stan. Let’s be honest- I was a goner from slutty little glasses.

Overall: 4.75 ⭐️’s
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

All the forehead smooches for SMP, Mazey & NetGalley for this arc for my honest review!💋🫶🏻✨

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’m sorry to say it but I dnf’d if at 45%. I gave it genuine effort but I just could not get through it. Eva was not a woman I could champion and Cooper fell flat. I could not feel their chemistry either. Not the vibes I wanted and so I decided to quit.