I just finished Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings (both the book and audiobook), and wow—Ariela Crow made the audiobook experience for me. Her narration is so spot-on; she gives Eva all the right quirks, sass, and charm, and you can feel the chemistry between Eva and Rylie in every line. Honestly, she brings the characters to life in a way that reading alone can’t capture—I was utterly absorbed the whole time.
Eva and Rylie themselves are such authentic, compelling characters. I loved watching them navigate their banter, awkward moments, and growing relationship. That said, I would have loved to hear Rylie’s point of view—it would have added so much depth to the story and made the experience even richer.
My only real gripe was that I wish Eva had a little more backbone. I kept waiting for her to call out her employers, and it frustrated me a bit that we didn’t get that moment. But honestly, that’s a minor thing compared to how much I enjoyed the rest of the story.
All in all, Mazey Eddings nailed it again, and with Ariela Crow’s narration, this audiobook is next-level. This one’s going on my favourites list—I’ll be revisiting it and recommending it to anyone who loves intelligent, funny, swoony romance with characters that feel real.

I very much enjoyed the sarcasm and biting wit Eva displayed; the banter between her and Rylie was fantastic. The overall arc of forgiveness and second chance was a bit forced/rushed for me, but the ending was very satisfactory.

I wish I liked this one more, but the MMC was too unlikeable to me and it was a DNF. I love a good bi4bi romance, but home slice was doing too much and crossing too many boundaries for my liking/comfort.

The snark. The banter. - I was laughing out loud and kicking my feet throughout.
I absolutely adored these main characters. I found so much of Eva that I do or have identified with in the past, but she is far more witty than I’ve ever been. I loved Rylie’s support and how he knows he messed up with her (he was in a poor place and it carried over to the communication/ relationship previously). The side characters of friends and roommates brought such levity and dimension to the whole cast. Soundbites leadership were the least favorite (but very successfully written). The idea of Hot Ones but with lower tier celebrities and hot dogs intrigued me.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mazey Eddings for the electronic advance copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I am a certified Stan of black cat x golden retriever but I feel like this book was a poor representation of it. Before I get too specific, I really dislike the nickname kitten in this novel, it should be illegal.
Instead of being a black cat, I found our main character to be a bit of a bully. I support bullying men but in this instance I found it to be really annoying, we don’t really get any tender moments from our female main character. Where as on the other hand our male main character was almost doing too much for the lack of reciprocation he was getting.

Well, Actually is a poignant and charming romantic comedy that tackles the complexities of neurodiversity with grace and humor. Author Mazey Eddings delivers a story that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, even if it occasionally stumbles on its own well-meaning intentions.

The novel centers on August, a neurodivergent graduate student, and Silas, his charming but seemingly clueless roommate. The slow burn of their relationship is expertly handled, built on a foundation of shared vulnerabilities and a mutual, if sometimes clumsy, understanding. Eddings excels at showing, not just telling, the realities of life on the spectrum. August's internal monologue is raw and authentic, offering a window into a world often misunderstood. His struggles with social cues, sensory overload, and the desire to be "normal" are portrayed with a sensitivity that feels genuinely earned.

The banter between August and Silas is sharp, witty, and a true delight to read. Silas, in particular, is a wonderfully layered character. He's not just the perfect-man-in-waiting; he has his own insecurities and past traumas that make him feel real. The moments of miscommunication between the two are where the novel shines, leading to both hilarious mishaps and genuinely heartbreaking misunderstandings.

Where the book falls a little short, however, is in its occasional tendency toward the didactic. While Eddings's intentions are clearly to educate and create empathy, there are times when the narrative shifts from showing August's experience to directly explaining it to the reader. These moments, while few, can pull you out of the story. Additionally, the resolution, while satisfying, feels a bit rushed, leaving some of the character's internal conflicts to be resolved a little too neatly.

Overall, Well, Actually is a wonderful and important book. It's a testament to the power of communication, the beauty of finding someone who sees you for who you are, and the importance of self-acceptance. It's a novel that will make you laugh, cry, and think, even if it could have benefited from a slightly lighter touch in its message. A solid four-star read that I would highly recommend.

I was really looking forward to reading WELL, ACTUALLY, but now I am not sure why I finished it. This was a book for the TikTok audience. (I sound so old saying it like this.) I am not sure how to describe it, but all the references to viral videos that can be too niche were used in this book. If you gave this book to someone not on social media, they would be so lost.

Aside from that, Eva, the MFC was so whiny, petty, and simply mean. However, when it came to defending herself, she behaved like a very defenseless young girl. Rylie Cooper, the MMC, was extremely forgettable. Why did he call her Kitten? Cringe!

I was a victim of the cute book cover.

This was a major love. I think it was mostly because I just loved Eva. She was just soo herself. Obbessed with clothing and make up, quick witted and sharp tongued that just made me laugh out loud. I loved how it didn't matter what was going on she was just so funny with her insults. I loved her and Rylie's second chance love. I love how he just went along with her and he was kind of the perfect calm to her perfect storm.
While I loved how they dated and grew to really know each other and their chemistry was so wonderful. I think the story line that really just killed me was her job. Being in that kinda of position was just so hard to read and I loved how Rylie was just on board with everything with her.
It really was just a wonderful story with amazing banter, great chemistry and a truly heartfelt story.
Highly recommend.

Mazey Eddings keeps getting better and better! Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings and St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I have absolutely loved Mazey Eddings' style of writing since reading her first book, A Brush with Love, and continuously look forward to what will come next from this author. Well, Actually, stars Eva Kitt & Rylie Cooper who knew each other in a previous life, crossing paths years later when Eva decides to call Rylie out for his prior transgressions and goes viral while doing so. In what ends up as a dating challenge where Rylie tries to prove to Eva that he's changed his ways, we start to wonder if those dates are just pretend or if feelings develop.
As mentioned previously, I'm a big fan of Mazey's writing style; she is able to capture her characters in a way that makes them relatable to the readers. We can all relate to working so hard at a job that isn't fulfilling but hoping it'll lead to the next step, living in tiny quarters and seeing people you dislike living the life you wish you had. This was such a refreshing read for second chance love, where as a reader we can see the options of where these characters can go, but not sure what will happen until you live it. There was a lot of history for these characters, and it felt very rewarding witnessing them peeling those layers. All in all, I loved this book very much and the cameos were the cherry on top of the cake.

Eva comes across videos of her ex online teaching men “how real men behave” and she loses it. Drunk and angry, she proceeds to roast him online thinking no on will ever see it. Of course it gets picked up and goes viral because he is semi famous and now Riley shows up wanting to prove that he’s changed. She at first says no but when her job is on the line if she doesn’t get a story with him, she agrees, and we see them going on some fun and funny adventures and dates while Eva does her best ice queen act to make sure he doesn’t win her back and hurt her again.
Once they click, wow do they click and the steam factor goes off the charts. The ick I have is that he calls her Kitten (which is a take off her name but it just seems slimey to me) and she calls him “Baby girl” Just weird.
There’s lots of fun banter, the chemistry is hot and of course if you’re a sucker for second chance romance like I am you’ll love this.
Thanks to St. Martins Grffin and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Rating: 4.75⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Media: eARC

This book was everything I didn't know I was missing. You get sexual tension, snarky banter, emotional depth and no 3rd act break up. I honestly was so disappointed in myself for not picking this book up sooner in the year.

Eva Kitt, the FMC, is the host of Sausage Talk, think Chicken Shop Date but with hot dogs. If you don't know Chicken Shop Date, run now to Youtube. Eva's career is far from what she had envisioned instead of world news, she's interviewing B-List celebrities in monotone innuendos. One drunken night leads to her calling out via social media, a guy she dated in college who ghosted her and is now a major podcast host that focuses on calling out toxic masculinity. This disaster of a PR issue brings them back together with Rylie, the MMC, proposing they go on 6 dates to let Riley make up for his piss poor behavior in college.

Did I mention that Eva brings men to their knees?! She is not taking sh*t from anyone. Her humor on Sausage Talk gives Chicken Shop Date Amelia Dimoldenberg vibes. She's cool, calm and collected until Rylie is back in the picture. She is ready to put him in his place. The banter between these two is so much fun. I really enjoyed how we get to learn about what influenced Rylie's behavior in college and how open and raw he is. I liked how we got to explore Eva's insecurities. The author highlights well the juxtaposition of how men vs women are treated online, how one gets celebrated and the other gets shamed for the same actions. There was an emotional exploration in this book that just resonated with me and made me fall in love with the characters. Rylie was such a sweetheart and just how he understood Eva ::chef's kiss:: I loved how he didn't let her push him around and shook her out of her own spiral when she needed it.

Now I need to read all of Mazey's backlist because I really enjoy her characters and the pop culture references were flawless (definitely IYKYK). They're woven in so well that you may just miss them. One of my top reads of 2025!

Thank you to Mazey Eddings and St. Martin's Griffin for this eARC.

I was really loving the first half of this one but it fell off for me, which is really disappointing.
I loved Mazey's books and writing but this one wasn't a favorite. A lot of phrases, like "torn to ribbons", were repeated enough for it to be noticeable.
The banter and black cat x golden retriever energy was a lot of fun in the first half of the book. But then Eva just became more and more insufferable. She is in desperate need of therapy and was extremely immature.
I understand what we were going for with the dynamic with William and Landry, but it missed the mark for me.
Overall, this was silly and sexy but also annoying, which made it "just fine."

Respectfully I feel like ive never hated a book more. This book was so PAINFULLY gen z coded that I couldn't listen to this without cringing. Quoting memes and saying phrases that are popular during the time of writing ages so poorly. The FMC was so mean to everyone for no reason under the guise of being a "hot girl". You cant be terrible to everyone just because you're a hot girl. The MMC was so dull and uninteresting. My final straw was when the main character said "delulu". Nope. Im done.

this is my first mazey eddings' book and i had such a fun time reading this one! i mostly giggled my way through this book because of their banter! I know everyone is saying that it reminds them of the chicken shop dates, and it really does give that vibe.

Well, Actually published Aug 5, 2025

This story follows Eva, host of Sausage Talk, eager to grow her career and is eager to prove herself. She makes a social media post (on a drunken whim) and ends up in a negotiated contract with Rylie.
Rylie is the man (from 6 years ago) that she called out on her video. He is also a SM personally, hosting his own podcast.

I did not like Eva from the start. Found her drunken video so odd for someone in her career field. The ill memory of a past romance ( 4 dates long) has haunted her for the past 6 years. However, her whit and character grew on me through the rest of the book and she redeemed herself (mostly).

I loved Rylie from the start. I strong and honest person. Eager to get a second chance and prove himself to Eva (the world) that he has changed in the last 6 years.

I love Mazey Eddings writing, really brings one into the story (intimate side of the characters). Her books have so much depth and I love it. We see the real messy side of humanity and the complexity of relationships.

Liked
-second chance romance
-witty commentary between these two
-no bullshit
-communication and emotional breakthroughs
-side characters were fantastic
-great representation
-deep scenes

Disliked
-SM component
-how whiney Eva was (this carried into other parts beyond the relationship)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Some of Mazey’s best work yet, and I’ve read them all. Making Eva both sharp and witty, but with a sharp center and making Riley able to handle whatever she throws at him?! I ate it up. I will say the descriptions of the hot dogs made me wanna not eat them ever again. I loved the subplot with the company being corrupt, which, not surprised.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and I will definitely be reading more. I loved that Eva felt so real, especially with her insecurities being so relatable. There was so much mention of her family and heavier feelings that I just wish there was some resolve there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, even Eva. I did have to get past her constant negative, mean attitude before I really started to like her though. She definitely redeemed herself in the last 50ish%. At certain points I thought the banter and her attitude were a bit unnecessary though. I loved Eva standing up for herself and sticking it to the man and I loved that Aida and Riley supported her 100% at the end. The podcast and video aspect made this book fun to read and gave it a different feel than most romance books these days. This book is a definitely a slow burn but it really made the enemies to lovers trope strong.
This likely would have hit the 5 star mark for me if Eva's disdain and attitude hadn't been so strong for most of the book.

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is a delicious rom-com that will have readers asking for seconds as if they were at a buffet. Mazey Eddings writing really shines as you can tell by her use of comedic moments while remaining soulfully tender, that this book is deeply personal to her. The characters were all well rounded and distinct. I liked this book a lot.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a traditional romcom, but I will say it was exciting to read something that falls outside of the traditional formula! I loved Well, Actually - the premise was refreshing, unique and just so much fun.

The characters felt so snarky and smart, in the best way! Their banter had me laughing out loud and as their connection began to grow, I loved seeing the softer sides of both Eva and Rylie.