I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Eva has a bit of an edge, a chip on her shoulder but I liked how Rylie gave it right back. I enjoyed the flashback scenes and almost wished there were a few more. Overall, a fun read!

Well, Actually is my first Mazey Eddings book, and wow I was absolutely blown away. I haven’t laughed this hard or this often while reading in a long time. I devoured it in practically one sitting because it’s just that comical, witty, passionate, and relatable. At first, Eva came across as… well, rude—and to be fair, she kind of is. But as the story unfolded, I started to see her differently, especially in her dynamic with Rylie Cooper. Their banter felt so real to me. My boyfriend and I have a similar back-and-forth, where what might sound like snark to others is actually how we show affection. Eva definitely pushes boundaries at times, but I loved her more for it. You do you, boo. Eva is thrown into an impossible situation, juggling corporate nepotism and absurd expectations. I adored how she stood her ground and could land verbal punches when she needed to. And Rylie? He completely stole my heart. His wit, charm, and warmth balanced out Eva’s sharp edges, making their relationship click in the best way. The spice was absolutely spicing, and overall, this was such a fun, quick read. If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romance that will make you laugh out loud and root hard for its characters, this one’s a winner.

It took me until the main character of Eva had made a quite amusing and honest drunken reaction video to get into this book. Up until this point, the lead-up with establishing her character didn't resonate with me personally; she was extremely critical and messy, and it was difficult to like her for most of the book.

I really enjoyed her banter with Aida and the other main character of Rylie. Eddings infused so much humor into how clever and snarky these characters could be with each other, and this is what kept me reading this book until the end.

Other things I was a fan of in this book:
* both main characters are queer
* Rylie sees a therapist
* Eva's abandonment fears and self-esteem issues are brought to the forefront and handled with care
* the ending

I did have a slight worry that Rylie's refusal of "no" for an answer bordered on potential abuse, but his feelings about Eva as well as his actions of unconditional support made that easier to accept.

This book packed a lot of emotion, humor, and spice into a unique (to me) story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the author for the opportunity to read and review the arc of Well, Actually.

So if you're chronically online and love Amelia Dimoldenberg's chicken shop date, then you'll DEVOUR this. This was literally chicken shop date, except they eat diabolical hot dogs instead of chicken, and the guests couldn't compare to Amelia's. However, the concept was super fun, and the characters had loads of chemistry and flirtatious banter! Tropes include: black cat x golden retriever, she hates him and he's obsessed with her, hero that creams his jeans going down, and LOTS of praise (if you like smut then get readyyyy.) Overall a cute read!

What I appreciate most in this book is the dynamic between the two characters. The differences in personality traits makes their relationship dynamic and fun, never entirely dull throughout. I think my main issue with this book was just how chronically online it felt. Sometimes, when I wish to disconnect from the dominance of social media in our world, reading is a way to escape. And yes, clearly from the description of this book, the plot involves media heavily. I was aware of that going in, but it just seemed too much for me overall. To those who don’t mind that aspect, you’ll love it. For me, it just left a barrier between being fully immersed in the story itself.

4.25✨ 3🌶️

how FUN was this?!?! well, actually was my first mazey eddings book and certainly will not be my last. the banter had me laughing out loud, and the tensionnnnnn. it was all so very good. and the COVER?!?! i love it so much.

nothing get's me like a good second chance romance, and this one in particular had such a fun comedic element to accompany the angst that i really appreciated. rylie is precious and while eva is supposed to be more of an unlikeable FMC, i am OBSESSED with her vibes. i do think some of the characters overall could have been a bit more developed at times, but overall this was such an enjoyable read with a great cast.

thank you to SMP + netgalley for the ARC!

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I loved this book!! It was a lot of fun reading and listening this story. The banter was top notch! I had several laugh at loud moments. Eva has a hot dog talk show and feels stuck. She has a moment where she calls out her ex, a popular influencer, Rylie Cooper. This goes viral and Rylie proposes they go on fake dates to prove he’s not as bad as she said he was.

“This means something to me, you mean something to me. You did back then and you do now.”

I had such a memorable time reading Well, Actually. This witty, banter-filled novel kept me giggling throughout. If you are a fan of Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date and rom-coms, then this one is for you.

Well, Actually follows Eva Kitt, a journalist stuck interviewing minor celebrities over lukewarm hotdogs. After seeing her somewhat ex, Rylie Cooper, on social media, Eva puts her college fling on blast. After the post blows up, Eva is forced to confront Rylie on an episode of her show Sausage Talk. Rylie offers to take her on a series of dates as redemption for his past behavior.

I have not enjoyed a Black Cat x Golden Retriever romance in so long! I was happily surprised that Mazey Eddings pulled it off as well as she did. The back-and-forth between these two is quick-witted and fresh. Eva’s snarkiness pairs excellently with Rylie’s good-natured personality; it felt like he saw through her tough exterior but allowed her to use banter as a shield until she felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable with him. He knew he messed up in the past and made no excuses for it.

I absolutely adored Rylie’s character; he made mistakes and owned up to them. He was about to communicate his feelings with Eva so well! I hate miscommunication in second-chance romances, but the character growth from college Rylie to present Rylie was top-tier. He is so selfless, caring, and kind towards Eva. I can’t believe it took her as long as it did to trust him, because I would have folded so fast.

I understand that Eva isn’t for everyone. She's mean and can appear rude, but I couldn't help but see past all that and see the sweet girl deserving of love. I really wish we saw more moments of her letting her tough exterior down. She was let down by countless people in her life, so I’m grateful she found someone who loves her as unconditionally as Rylie does.

If second chance romance has no haters, I’m dead. But Mazey has done it again because I gobbled this up from start to finish! Hot dog down the hatch! This is Chicken Shop date and Eva and Cooper make the perfect pair! As I said, normally a hated for second-chance romance, but this just works! We see the growth and the conflict is one we can easily work through—hello, THERAPY! (The session was treated with such care and had the tears flowing, as happens in all of my 5 star reads.) I also so so so appreciated that we did not suffer from a third-act breakup. THANK YOU for maintaining my peace so I can sleep at night!

Eva was rude and snarky, and I love her. (But she gets paid for that attitude, and idk why people think she's that way IRL. Sure, she lets her insecurities leak out in harsh language/reactions sometimes, but that felt like the most honest part.) Her POV completely sold her rough exterior and secret fears. Riley Cooper is the cutest little puppy and I WISH we had gotten his POV. And the way these two knock together had me kicking my feet and giggling from start to finish! The tension and slow burn were so good, and I could not get enough 🔥

Content warnings for workplace misogyny and internet bullying/trolls. But the conclusion was really satisfying.

Mazey has such a way with words that makes yo fall in love with these messy, imperfect peop0le and she shapes their stories with so much heart.

Rylie was a perfect fictional man. Silly sweaters, Silly impractical car. Soft boy during the day and strong sexy bossy man in the sheets.

Eva is a closed book. She's clearly been through shit and she does not open herself up to any type of relationship; keeping everyone at arms length. Rylie weasels his way into her heart and won't let go. It's clear early on that he really loves and cares for her. She was like a feral cat being coaxed into being loved.

The last thing I want to mention for this second chance romance is COUPLES THERAPY!!!!!!!!!!!! Rylie invites Eva to come to therapy with him to facilitate a healthy and constructive conversation so they can work towards healing and moving forward. *chefs kiss* INCREDIBLE.

Mazey truly never misses but this book was near perfect. It ALMOST knocked my favorite, Late Bloomer, out of the fave spot, but not quite!

✋ Emojis to describe this book: 🌭🎙️👠😏🌶️

Quick Intro: She’s the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities, and obviously dissatisfied with lukewarm worm hot dogs. In the midst of a drunken spiral she calls out a college ex and it goes viral. Her ex happens to be a beloved social media personality. Forced to face each other for ad revenue Rylie convinces Eva to go on a handful of dates to prove he is not the same guy from college.

Quick Thoughts:
My first time reading a book by Mazey Eddings and I wasn't disappointed. Well, Actually promises black cat/ golden retriever with banter and delivers. Eva Kitt and her general sarcastic attitude was well written if not always lovable. I felt like Eddings captured the maturity level of a 20 something dissatisfied with their current position. The humor and relationship was entertaining and I appreciate the focus on communication that Rylie brought to the table.

I felt like the work place drama and misogyny was written with the goal to elicit a visceral reaction and it did just that. Overall I thought there was a decent balance between the workplace conflict and the romantic relationship however the conclusion felt rushed.


Content Warnings: biphobia, death, grief, misogyny, sexual content

Wow I loved the banter here!! This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and I will definitely be reading more.

I love an enemies to lovers trope, and this one was executed so well. Eva is literal black cat energy while Rylie is Golden Retriever energy. But they both are not these sort of straightforward characters. Both are a lot deeper than they seem on the surface, and this book had me close to tears at points.

I also just really enjoyed the story here. Eva is kind of jaded in love and in general, and Rylie is determined to right the wrongs of his past with her. He supports her wholeheartedly and wants to make it up to her.

They were just so cute together, I loved all their scenes. Whether they were fighting or making up, they made me laugh and swoon.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC!

Oh my god, absolutely loved everything about this. If you can’t handle love interests being mean to each other, this won’t be for you, but if teasing is your love language? Oh yeah, this one right here.

From the start I was sucked in, Eva is a hard nut protecting a marshmallow center, struggling with middle child syndrome and abandonment issues hard. She’s prickly, but hilarious, maybe a bit immature at times, but she’s still figuring herself out and I loved everything about following her. I was simultaneously always on her side when it came to Rylie, our MMC, while also rooting for this dork so hard because it was clear how much he liked Eva and knew he’d messed up. Even though there’s lots of banter and some cutting lines volleyed back and forth— I actually felt like this romance was pretty healthy. Things definitely start rough, but Rylie really is trying to figure Eva out and learn how best to woo her while convincing her that he’s not going anywhere. I mean, they literally have a date to couples therapy at one point!

The only thing I was hoping to be acknowledged and wasn’t would be Eva’s internalized misogyny and coping mechanisms. It’s definitely there in the undertones, but I think having Rylie, a man who’s done a lot of work with toxic masculinity, point out some of Eva’s thought processes as misogynistic would have been a really interesting twist.

The plot around Eva’s job is very inspired by content creation mixed with toxic corporate cultures. It’s a hot topic and I felt like it was handled in a way sort of similar to Emily Henry’s *Happy Place.* Kind of outlandish and unrealistic, but feels good and inspirational anyway.

Oh and the spice?? Damn 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Not sure what to write for this review to be honest… this book had everything it need for me to love it but it was a struggle to get though. I actually enjoyed the plot and the characters but something made it incredibly hard for me to get invested - I don’t know whether it was the very long chapters or something to do with the writing (though I never had an issue with Mazey’s previous books) or even the fact that it was told in single POV (which did this book a disservice, regardless of whether it was the cause of the problem for me personally). It was just a bit painful to get through, which I’m really sad about!

✨ The Vibes ✨
The Amelia Dimoldenberg X Andrew Garfield Chicken Shop Date in book form

📖 Read if…
✨ You want a book with ALL the tropes
✨ You love a book full of pop culture references
✨ You like a romance where the characters are a little mean to each other

Well, Actually is the second book I’ve read by Mazey Eddings, and I have to say I enjoy the sweetness of Eddings’ writing. She does an amazing job of writing vulnerability in all of its forms, and always includes realistic and authentic representation in her books, particularly when it comes to mental health and sexuality, and I can understand why so many readers have fallen in love with her stories.

There were a few things that kept this book from being a new 5-star favorite though. At times, I felt like Eva was a little too mean. I’m all for standing up for yourself, but there’s a distinct difference between being assertive and being mean, and that line was crossed several times. I also struggled with the pacing of the story, as once Eva and Rylie got together, the remainder of the book was largely spice, and very little plot. There are also a ton of internet/pop culture references, and while they landed now, I’d be curious to see how they age, as they could make the book feel a bit dated in the future.

Overall though, I really enjoyed my experience reading this book. I read a significant portion of it via audio, and found the narration to be generally pleasant. The narrator did have a tendency to mumble when doing a male voice, but that didn’t drastically impact my listening experience.

Well, Actually is out now. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

*2,5

honestly, this book didn't work for me. i disliked both main characters (Eva's whole personality was being mean to everyone all the time; Riley's persona felt forced and unrealistic); the dates weren't fun because, as we're reading from Eva's perspective, she just wants to criticize everything and doesn't want to listen to Riley; a joint therapy session without telling her in advance and/or getting her consent was a really weird choice (to me) that isn't questioned by any character ; and i wish we got more development of the work plot.

i stuck with this book because i have loved Mazey's book in the past, and the final third was good, but overall this was a miss for me.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️.

• second chance
• enemies to lovers
• 🌶️🌶️/5

I feel so conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I found parts of it to be SO well written. I was moved by so many parts of this story, and found certain scenes, like the therapy scene, to be so emotional that I cried.

But on the other hand, the most moving and best parts of this story almost felt out of place? Like the setup to them felt rushed, and while they provided some beautiful depth to the characters and the relationship, they were happening too soon or without a basis that made sense.

The story abandoned the major plot point of the characters agreeing to go on a certain number of dates together, as well as any of the content they were supposed to make together. I thought that was a shame, because both points felt like they were going to be so entertaining as the two got to know each other again.

That being said, I loved the rawness and difficult of Eva’s character, and how Rylie complimented her.

This is the review from my Instagram post!

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is out today! 🌭 I loved this book so much. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. I was a little in love with Eva AND Rylie. Does it dethrone Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake as my favorite of her books…? Honestly it might!

Thank you @YouHadMeAtHEA & @Macmillan.Audio for the early access to the ebook & audiobook on @NetGalley. I definitely was reading both at the same time with this book while I read it over the weekend!

The audiobook is narrated by Ariela Crow. I’ve never listened to anything she has narrated before and I googled her and I don’t see a lot of books that she has. She was great though! Her performance was really good, she fit Eva so well. I also thought that her “man voice” for Rylie was good too. I would recommend regardless of format, but the audiobook is a good choice!

The book is in Eva’s POV. She works as a host of an internet talk show called Sausage Talk where she interviews B & C List celebs over hotdogs (kinda like Chicken Shop Date). One night she’s at home, drinking wine and comes across a clip of her ex’s podcast about deconstructing toxic masculinity. She stitches the video and rants about how he’s the biggest fuckboy she ever met and how he ghosted her. She wakes up in the morning to the video having gone viral and her job wanting to capitalize on it for her show.

I could rave about the book forever but alas, there is a character limit.

Read for (serious): second chance romance, fake(ish) dating, hate to love, grumpy sunshine, bi x pan rep (the main characters, plus other queer characters as well), emotional rain scene, potential to laugh and cry.

Read for (vibes): hot dog content, slutty little glasses, an absolute disaster of a date, have you ever wanted a duvet made of denim?, snarky banter, nepo baby (derogatory) boss, eavesdropping at brunch, nicknames.

I’m a fan & Mazey is an auto-read/buy author for me at this point. My copy of Well, Actually is waiting for me at my beloved indie bookstore.

This was such a fun, classic, trope-filled, spicy sizzly, romance!

In this book we follow Eva and Rylie, former kinda sorta lovers now kinda sorta enemies? After a brief hookup in college that left Eva feeling lonely and heartbroken, she stumbles upon an instagram video of Rylie's who is now a knight against toxic masculinity. A couple of glasses of wine deep leads Eva to make a call-out video which immediately goes viral, and the social media stunt of the century ensues. Rylie and Eva will go on six dates, with a recap after each one, to see if Rylie can make amends for his past behavior. What Eva doesn't realize is how seriously Rylie will take this assignment, and how deep she will fall into the "pretend for the camera".

I loved this book because it was chockful of tropes in a way that wasn't tired, but was a callback to a classic. It was self aware in the drama of the whole plot, but also left moments for vulnerability and intimacy not just between the two love interests but also between friends and during moments of self reflection. The banter between characters was top notch, and the chemistry was off the charts. Because of their history, there is a lot right away, but there is also the history weighing them down, as well as who they are now as adults.

This is my second Mazey Eddings book and I can't sing her praises enough! Also this had some SPICE and I ate it up.

All I can say is that this book was incredible. I loved the premise, the characters, the writing, and the blue sprayed edges. I related to Eva so much as the sarcastic, quippy person in a relationship and I loved seeing how Rylie embraced that part of her. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year from the moment I saw the synopsis and it did not disappoint!