From the first page, this book has Mazey’s vibe IMMEDIATELY and I loved it.

I think Mazey was able to capture the struggle of being a woman and balancing the mean with the soft. Eva is my favorite person ever and I want to be her when I grow up. I’m SO happy we were able to have this book from her POV because the internal struggle and monologue had me in tears from the tender parts to the hilarious parts. This book is wrapped up so perfectly and I thought was paced so well.

If you are not into the FMC battle herself and deny herself love/joy, this book is NOT for you. You have to be a champion for this FMC and know that there is great history there.

Honestly, I had so much fun reading this!! It reminded me a lot of early 2000's rom-coms like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days", "10 Things I Hate About You", and "The Proposal". The banter, the golden retriever energy, the emotional development and how their relationship evolves through the chapters was so delightful to read. Definitely would recommend to some of my friends who I know love and adore couples like Eva and Riley.

This book was so cute! I actually liked it way more than I thought I would. It very clearly is based on Chicken Shop Date so I was worried it was going to be too similar to the Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield dynamic, but I was mistaken. I really enjoyed the characters and the story, although I thought they would go on more dates together. The story progressed differently than I expected. I did enjoy the story more at the beginning than the end, but I think I expected more enemies to lovers than there was.

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f7bab710-666d-48cb-a670-ed3b56ac251c

Fable: https://etsy.enterprise.slack.com/archives/D016PFQUE4T

First, I love the cover! That is was immediately drew me to requesting this book. I've never read anything by this author before, although everyone says not to judge a book by it's cover...I do. Sorry LOL but in this case I'm glad I did. I loved this cover art for this.
This was just a cozy cute read. Gives definite black cat/golden retriever energy with the main characters. It is full of witty, snarky banter that will literally make you giggle your butt off.
The pacing did go a little off shore for me. It started to slow down and I had to really make an effort to get through it. Some parts seemed repetitive at times and dragged. But overall, a good read! I enjoyed it. Great vibes.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!!

I really enjoyed this! I love Mazey Eddings' work, and this was a great new addition to her already iconic catalogue. I think the premise for this was very fun, and the romance was well done. I liked the characters, and found their issues made sense. I think the podcast concept is fun, it's a fresh addition that makes the story pop.

This book was a surprise, in the worst possible way. I’ve really enjoyed Eddings previous works but this book didn’t work for me in any way, shape, or form. Neither MC was likable but the female MC was one of the most abrasive and unlikable characters I’ve read all year. She also sucked at her job and I don’t understand how she felt upset by the end she got fired for being unprofessional at every turn. I ended up skimming the last 70% or so because I was so fed up with her inner monologue.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this story immediately hooked me: Eva, a hopeful journalist and feminist, drunkenly slanders her ex, Rylie—a popular podcast host—only to have the video go viral. Her boss seizes the opportunity, demanding a joint interview. Eva, eager to land a story and perhaps take Rylie down a peg, agrees to a series of 'dates' where she'll critique him on his own podcast. The catch? Rylie isn't the man she remembers, and as old feelings resurface, Eva finds herself in a complicated dance between past and present.

Readers can expect:

-A compelling second-chance romance
-A single POV narrative
-Open-door scenes with mild to moderate detail
-A strong focus on social media as a career
-A delightful 'he falls first' dynamic

I found this book to be well-written, and its central concept was undeniably engaging. Rylie, in particular, was a true highlight. His character, complete with his endearing glasses and goofy crewnecks, absolutely stole the show for me.

However, my feelings toward Eva are more mixed. While I enjoyed her 'stabby' personality—always a refreshing take on a female protagonist—I was disappointed by her lack of significant character growth. I consistently anticipated a moment of self-realization or a decisive shift in her perspective, neither of which fully materialized. Her seemingly willful ignorance regarding her problematic workplace was particularly frustrating and, frankly, pulled me out of the narrative on multiple occasions. As an outsider, it was difficult not to internally scream at her blind spots.

Furthermore, the final third of the book felt noticeably slow. The central couple's reconciliation seemed to happen prematurely, leaving the remaining chapters feeling somewhat aimless and lacking in tension. It made me question the narrative's direction and left the stakes feeling surprisingly low.

Despite these reservations, I consider this a decent read, and I'm certainly intrigued to see what else this author has in their

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Mazey’s writing. Can always count on her to deliver equal parts sexy and funny. Her ability to write comedic dialogue is unmatched. Her characters are messy yet easy to love.

I didn’t relate to the main characters in this story as much as her past books. But overall, immensely enjoyed the journey.

What could go wrong when you call out your ex-college boyfriend on the air on your Sausage Talk show when he is a very loved social media personality who talks about deconstructing toxic masculinity?

Eva is a black cat and has wanted to be a journalist and now she is interviewing B list celebrities over hot dogs. When she calls out her ex-boyfriend on air accidently it kinda blew up and now the ex, Cooper wants to make it up by taking her out on dates and then discussing it on air to show that he has indeed changed. He is the greenest of green flags and even takes her on a date with a therapist!

Eva is hard around the edges and she has such a soft center but is afraid to let people in to see it. Watching her let Cooper in and seeing him show up was great.

I have a feeling this one will either really work for people or they will find it frustrating. Eva is strong and assertive and tough around the edges. You have to go in knowing that she is unlikeable at times. Especially given that Cooper is soft. I loved the complexity of them and their banter and will try to re-read this one via audiobook.

I have read Mazey Eddings before, and I feel like every time I’ve given her a try it always is just okay. I never dnf it but it never leaves a lasting impact on my mind and I never revisit anything.

I really appreciated that Mazey committed to having genuinely toxic characters in a romcom. Part of my problem in the past has been how forgettable I feel her characters are, and these were definitely not that, although they were a little too annoying and irredeemable at times.

I still think I’d call this just okay because the whole book felt very much like just another mass market romance being churned out for sales with nothing special about it, and I could feel the anticipation of the author and co saying maybe people on tiktok will talk about the book if social media is a big plot point of the book.

DNF at 23%

I’m shocked to have to DNF a Mazey Eddings but considering I didn’t like her last 2 books, maybe I shouldn’t be that surprised. Right off the cuff, the FMC Eva is incredibly mean and aggressive in her behavior. The story already leaned very heavily on Gen Z humor (and having just read another book that did the same thing, I don’t like that) and the fact it’s basically a fan fic of Chicken Shop Date…something just felt really off in the 23% I read and I truly didn’t care or connect with either MC). Super disappointing but I cannot go on!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, Actually is my fourth book by Mazey Eddings and I really enjoyed it!!

It starts off so fun. Throughout the book I was constantly laughing out loud at all of the ridiculous conversations between the characters. The plot: two podcasters used to date in college. It ended poorly (because of him). Years later, Eva goes viral after drunkenly calling Rylie out on social media. They get so much attention that they decide to try to make it right and go on dates for his podcast.

While it is my favorite of hers, it sort of lost traction for me after the halfway point. There were some annoying re-occurances that made me roll my eyes. But otherwise it was a great romcom that also hit on some heavy topics.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was a cute, fun romcom featuring two scorned rivals. Eva is very take no shit (to a fault, for me) and Riley is every golden retriever mmc ever written. I enjoyed their backstories and banter for the most part.

My biggest complaints with this book are that it’s very trendy and has all the popular buzzwords, and the FMCs personality. This felt like it was written to be “the next tik tok sensation” which is fine, it just wasn’t for me. I felt like the FMC thought everybody was out to get her, and acted accordingly. The way she treated the MMC when he had clearly changed as a person and was trying to show her who he was now was just absolutely wild to me. I don’t think their romance was very believable.

Overall, this was a cute summer rom-com, but not one I would re-read.

Oh my GOD. I stayed up late 2 nights in a row reading this, and didn’t pull an all nighter to finish only because I have a cold.
This book was everything. I love these characters. I relate to these characters. I love grumpy sunshine and I love a mean girl who shows vulnerability and softness around her chosen man. I hate the general Podcast bro that’s happening now but LOVE how Rylie was written and how he approaches what he does. I love how they dished it out and took it from one another. I was cackling out loud so many times, cried a few times, went through the gambit of it all. Genuinely such a great read and I am so thankful to NetGalley, St Martin’s Griffin and Mazey and her team. What an incredible book, I hope to read more like this!

Well, Actually is a goddamn delight. It is a sharp-tongued, energetic When-Will-They that squeezes your heart as it leaps out of your chest.

Rylie is such a delicious flavor of book boyfriend — earnest and bright with his love, awestruck and helplessly gone for Eva. Eva, who is a walking eye roll emoji, all barbs and bite. And their messy history just makes her sharpen her claws.

Part second chance romance, part enemies to lovers, this book is so fun and so satisfying. You’ll be hard pressed not to fall in love right along with them.

This one was cute and funny! I am grateful to get an arc of this! This was my first book by this author. Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's

“But you, Eva Kitt, are not just a woman. I’m fairly certain you’ve got a bit of the devil in you. But don’t worry, I’ll win her over as well.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 1.75 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I wanted to like this so badly. It had all the elements to make up a book I would have expected to enjoy but the execution just didn’t do it for me at all. Admittedly, I don’t think the writing called to me from the start and had a hard time feeling engaged with the style so I do believe this could be a great read for others, just not for me. My core issue with this book does truthfully sit with the FMC. Eva is a frustrating narrator and character as a whole. She does have what would normally be considered a fun spunky “bitchiness” that for me just felt unfounded. It’s hinted at that she has family trauma that is the reason for her attitude but the fact that it isn’t explored just leaves it feeling unnecessary and annoying more than anything.

Rylie is the best part of the book and even then, I felt like the writing did a poor job of explaining his backstory and properly justifying why he did that made Eva hate him for so long. The banter is the best part of the book but sometimes it felt like it was being overused and taking away from what could have been good development for the characters when there were opportunities for it. The plot also felt like it fell so flat at the 50% mark. I understand why it did because of what happens between the characters but if anything, I wish it took longer to get to that point just to keep the more interesting part of the plot going. The ending “conflict” just felt so unimportant as well and I felt like I was skimming the last like 10% because I just wanted it to be over.

Overall, I think this could be so good but the execution just didn’t do it for me. I wish that the writing hooked me more and kept me engaged but the lack of development both for the characters and the plot in the end made it really hard to keep reading at times.

~ My Ratings ~

Characters - 1.5 ☆ - flat, limited character growth, unlikable

Plot - 2.5 ☆ - cliched, disjointed, uneven pacing, unsatisfying conclusion

Setting - 1 ☆ - bland/generic, lack of depth

Writing Style - 1.5 ☆ - boring prose, hard to follow, repetitive

3.5 stars for me! I went into this book with really high expectations, and unfortunately this just wasn’t a favorite for me. That being said, I did still enjoy this for most parts. There definitely were some good moments and scenes that had me laughing out loud, but I just didn’t feel super connected to the characters. I did love the growth and development of our MMC though! overall this was a fun and quick read

"I'm here to check on you, you contrarian witch. I'm here to see if you're okay."

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the ability to read this early, and to Netgalley for facilitating the ARC request.

Tropes:
- Second Chance (with a bit of a twist)
- Loathe to Love
- Chicken Shop Date vibes
- Surly x Sunshine

What I Liked:
- There is nothing Mazey Eddings could write that I wouldn't like. The woman's words are tattooed on my skin, ffs. That being said - Lizzie, I love you - but Well, Actually is my favorite Eddings novel thus far. Eva Kitt is for the girls who are angry at the world but desperately don't want to be. She is for the women who were soft once, and time + shitty life experience build walls around that softness. Riley Cooper is the man all of the women like that deserve. He's patient, he's understanding and most importantly he's not afraid to throw her attitude right back at her.

[Something I also loved was the switch from Cooper to Riley. I noticed that as Eva was starting to take Riley more seriously, and not hiding from him anymore, she stopped calling him Cooper and started calling him Riley. It feels like such a small detail, and could be confusing to someone who didn't catch it - but I am absolutely obsessed with it.[

I also adored how loved Eddings makes sure the queer community knows they are by her. Because they are. The tidbits we see of that in the book are so beautiful and tender, and I just fell in love all over again with Eddings' writing during this book.

Everyone should pick this up when it's released on August 5th - pretend I asked nicely ;)