This one was a letdown. The FMC came off as rude and unlikable, and the MMC felt flat. Their relationship felt toxic and shallow, and the work drama was immature. Definitely not a favorite.

Thanks NetGalley & SMP for the early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for an advanced e-reader and physical book copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite authors in the romance genre and her newest book “Well, Actually” was a pleasant surprise as there was more depth to the book than I thought there would be! Eddings weaves in a second chance romance with past hurts, trauma, and identity. I loved the banter between Eva and Rylie - I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion! One of my favorite aspects of the book is that Lizzie and Rake (from her novel Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake) were reintroduced as this was my first novel read by the author!

Finished Well, Actually in two nights and really enjoyed it! It’s giving fanfic Chicken Shop Date energy—think Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield’s flirty awkwardness—but make it bookish. I’ve only seen clips, not a full episode, so it worked for me, but I’m curious how hardcore Chicken Shop fans would feel. Either way, it’s smart, fast, and funny—perfect for a weekend binge.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!!

A hilariously funny read. My first from Maxey Eddings but definitely not the last!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 70%

I'm going to paraphrase someone on goodreads who referred to DNF'ing this book as self-care in their review.

I loved the cover. But, wait, before I get scolded for judging a book by its cover AKA assuming it'd be a great, witty, romp of a romcom because the cover art was on point, please note that the cover did have a glaring flaw. The tagline: "Has the boy who broke her heart become the man who will heal it?" Just sounds...off. More like, "Will the boy who broke her heart become the man who will heal it?"

But, I digress.

Anyway, fabulous cover art aside, I found the characters insufferable. Both of them. I don't care if they were playing out grumpy/sunshine or black cat/golden retriever, or ghost pepper/cinnamon roll. They were awful, flat, and shallow, making the reading really hard to do.

The only likable characters were the side characters, and not all of them. Eva's bestie seemed to lack empathy like Eva, and her bosses were like Devil Wears Prada caricatures.

Cooper's friend were better, but seemed to only serve as a token role of queer, trans, and a throuple, which is too bad, because they were the most interesting and likable.

Even the spice was off-putting.

The synopsis of a misunderstood burnt out under-appreciated media maven vs. a former f*ckboy turned positive masculinity character also left something to be desired. We've all been there- embarrassed ourselves in front of ex-friends, ex-relations, ex-situations, but Eva's deep-rooted anger, that seemed more like projecting than anything, was so not it. And Cooper was incredibly disingenuous.

Overall this was hard.

I would say two stars for the 70% I read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC (and making the format easy to navigate), in exchange for an honest review.

Complicated characters, witty banter, insane chemistry — all things that made this book such a lovely read. I love how the author slowly unraveled the characters and their past with each other - and Riley is one of the best book boyfriends I’ve encountered in quite some time. “Listen you demon….” I couldn’t get enough of the way these two interact. Great read!

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings!

4.25 - 🌟🌟

Mazey, you've done it again! I wasn't as sure about Eva for the first few chapters, because the mean girl vibes were too much for my sensitive soul, but man, oh, man the character growth in this book was *chef's kiss*!!!

Riley Cooper and his Golden Retriever ways were the sweetest thing, and I'm all about praise talk. 😏😏 (I'll be honest, I was with Eva and the extreme judgment on him driving a PT Cruiser with wood panel siding.)

If ex's, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine tropes are your vibes I highly recommend this book!!

This book was such a joy, definitely recommend for anything who enjoys contemporary romance books! You can really tell the love both Eva and Rylie have for each other. This was a laugh out loud book.

Content Warning: biphobia, misogyny, death of a family member

+ This is a second chance romance with a grumpy/sunshine trope but this time the woman is the grump, which I thought was fun. Eva Kitt is stuck and stagnant in her career goals, she hosts a show where she eats hot dogs while interviewing celebrities and that is far from her journalist dreams but she needs to make ends meet so she’s sticking it out. Until one drunken night she posts something that goes viral and basically changes her life, according to her, for the worse but in the end it was for the best.

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+ Rylie Cooper is a famous podcaster and he’s the guy Eva blasted in a post that went viral. When both their jobs suggest they grab the opportunity of her viral success and put them together they come face to face again, and this time Rylie is trying his best to not lose her again. They agree to go on 6 dates for Rylie to win her back and she gets to critique the dates on his podcast. I thought it was interesting how Eva’s personality played out with the audience. Comments about Rylie was always about him being hot. Whereas Eva was hot but that didn’t matter – people said mean things about her because she came off as a bitch. I love Eva and her cynicism.

+ Eva is so spicy and Rylie is so sweet that the two of them together was fun. Eva comes off mean but it’s her armor. She’s had a lot of childhood experiences that made her feel invisible and unwanted. Rylie has his own issues too with grief and his sexuality, and when they finally get honest with one another, it’s a beautiful thing. The fact that he has the patience of a saint with Eva speaks volumes about how much he cares about her and I loved it. I loved their verbal banter and battles, the spicy scenes between them and just seeing them give love another chance.

~ Now I love Eva, but there were times I wanted her to drop the armor and just let Rylie hug her or something. But I totally relate to her also, I like armor. Still Rylie is so nice, even though he did show at times he did have limits, she did push his buttons a lot. She had to learn to accept affection and praise, and he was always there not judging her.

Final Thoughts:

I found this refreshing because of Eva – maybe I’m just reading too many female characters who are always the same but having her being the grump was fun. And I loved Rylie, who is the sunshine! I found both characters relatable and I loved how they faced their issues even if it was hard for both of them to admit some things. The banter and verbal battles was lots of fun, and the spicy scenes between just adds to it. I enjoyed this one!

Love love love. Incredible second chance romance with a fierce FMC and a golden retriever MMC to die for. Their banter was top notch, the pacing was perfect, and the spice - WOO! This was a genuinely fun book to get lost in.

Well, Actually is a delightful second-chance romance that’s equal parts witty and heartfelt. Eva Kitt, a podcast host interviewing B-list celebrities over hot dogs, unexpectedly goes viral after calling out her college ex, Rylie Cooper, for ghosting her. Forced to confront him on her show, Rylie proposes a deal: a series of dates to make amends, with the catch that they'll debrief them on his platform. What starts as a staged reconciliation soon feels all too real.

Eddings crafts a charming dynamic between Eva, the "black cat" type, and Rylie, the "golden retriever" archetype, with sharp humor and sizzling chemistry. Their banter is top-notch, and the story offers a refreshing take on love, growth, and forgiveness. If you're in the mood for a romance that's both funny and touching, this one's a must-read.

oh my god this was sooooo fun!!!! i've loved most of mazey's works, and this one just reaffirmed that for me! So funny, so witty, I loved both main characters, loved the banter and the chemistry was through the roofs!! I would've binge read this in a day if I wasn't reading it on a trip!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for a fair and honest review 💞

Eva Kitt is working at her nightmare job trying to make ends meet and putting on a mask for everyone around her. She’s never felt seen, heard, loved, or taken care of, and that is not going to change.

Riley Cooper is her ex situationship, who ghosted Eva back in college, and is now making a living promoting healthy relationships. The irony isn’t lost on Eva.

But after some wine, Eva decides to call him out, pulling in viewers and forcing the two of them together.

This story was cute. I loved watching Eva allow Riley to love her and take care of her, and both of them learning each other throughout. I couldn’t believe how evil everyone was to Eva and it was really hard to wrap my brain around people coming back to her because they were just so MEAN even her friends started to get shitty for a while. While I did really enjoy the overall story, it was a bit slow going for me and when things got really exciting the book ended! I’d love to know more about how Eva grows from all of

This laugh-out-loud romance had me slapping my knee and gasping for air. I adore the dynamic between Rylie and Eva and found their journey back to each other very healing. The mental health topics were handled beautifully and woven so well into the framework of these characters.

This second chance romance was to die for. The banter was incredible and the vulnerability and introspection from these characters brought them to life. They felt like real people with real problems. Wholly relatable and undeniably funny.

I could NOT stop kicking my feet and giggling!! 🤭 mazey does not miss with any of her books! The characters and their chemistry ✨ chefs kiss ✨

This is a fun, flirty, and surprisingly introspective read. It's perfect for fans of banter-filled rom-coms with a touch of emotional depth. I'd give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for its cleverness and heart.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Mazes Eddings has written the perfect story. Although it seems like it could be the same story told again and again, she finds a way to put her own fresh take on it and make you not want to stop reading it!

Well, Actually is a perfect delight from start to finish. The banter in this book is next-level- sharp, hilarious, and perfectly timed, with every exchange crackling with chemistry. The characters feel so alive, and their conversations are both laugh-out-loud funny, quick and emotionally real. It's the kind of book that makes you grin the whole way through. If you love clever dialogue and a romance that’s as smart as it is swoony, this is a must-read.

This is fun! I really enjoyed the banter, and the character growth, although my favorite part by far has been the side characters.

3.5⭐️! This was a cute read, and the premise is very now for the times. I did struggle a bit with our FMC, she just felt mean a lot of the times and I know they went into why, but it was tough to get past a lot of the times.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book!