Well, Actually is a wonderful second chance romance, with some of the best banter I’ve ever read.
Eva is journalist with a quirky irreverent podcast, and is totally closed-off and unapproachable. She is the definition of a black cat. Cooper is her opposite in every way ~ except he too has a podcast. He’s happy, charming, beloved by everyone, and gives off major golden retriever energy. Every time Eva lashes out at him or tries to run away from her feelings, he won’t let her. He forces her to talk about things, supports her endlessly, shows up for her when she needs it, He knows he hurt. her. badly. when they first dated in college, and he is determined. to make amends. He goes to therapy, and is. ready to do the. work. He’s the greenest of green flags, and contrast. well. with some of the toxic men. Eva has. to deal with like her new. boss., Will.. It is emotional, heartfelt, and tender, but also completely irreverent and offbeat at the same time. Several open door scenes tastefully done.

As a black cat, I totally, thoroughly ADORED this romance.

Eva and Rylie’s banter was truly phenomenal. Bullying as a love language is my favourite form of language and these two had it in spades. They were so passionate.
Rylies kindness and relentless stubbornness was in perfect contrast with Eva’s… he wouldn’t let her go no matter how many times she pushed him away out of fear.

I really loved how these two went on a journey of fighting misogyny in romance and workplaces, as well as proving that we can make mistakes and grow from them.

As much as I loved this book, it did feel repetitive at times and I do feel like the plot maybe lost its way a little bit. But I would still recommend it for a really lovely, good time.

Thanks for writing an FMC who is just like me, Mazey 🥹

Well, Actually is an adorable romcom about a woman thrown into a podcast with her ex all for ratings. Second chances and enemies to lovers mixed together. With such zippy one-liners that had me guffawing. And a sweet, but also steamy romance. What I really liked was seeing the depth of these characters and seeing them reveal themselves and the explanations for their younger selves, years later. It was just really cute and heartwarming.

Thank you to St Martin Griffin and NetGalley for a copy of Well, Actually in exchange for my honest review. I wish I could describe how much I just EAT up an enemies to lovers romance. And a second chance romance????? Say less. The characters were so genuinely funny and I legit found myself laughing out loud at their banter. The romance was a bit of a slow burn and I loved the way they were mature and talked about their feelings rather than running away from it. I also just love when the guy is obsessed with the girl. The issues and topics this book highlights feel so realistic and not in a cringey “we need to include a queer character to check off a box” way. Every situation felt necessary and the diversity of the characters felt authentic. I need to read Mazey’s back log ASAP!

A cute second chance romance. The fmc is definitely a character who most won’t like, she doesn’t care what people think of her, she doesn’t care that people hate her. The mmc apparently likes the verbal abuse from the fmc, and he laughs about it. He definitely softens her up a little bit. Her job definitely sucks and probably doesn’t help her attitude. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was laugh out loud funny! The chemistry and banter were fantastic! This was my first book by Mazey Eddings but I definitely plan to read more!

This is a love letter to current internet culture (Chicken Shop Date anyone?, niche TikTok slang, and podcasts about - ?) all of which sets this book up for being outdated almost immediately. This was an okay read for me but it didn't hit like other Eddings books I have read.

I first fell for this book when I read an early draft last year—but revisiting it this week through the audiobook only deepened my devotion. This story is pure catnip for my favorite dynamic: women who are just a little sharp with their men, and men who absolutely live for it (blame Rosalie and Emmett from Twilight—that’s my villain origin story).

Eva and Rylie own my entire heart. Their banter? A masterclass. Their character arcs? Rich, layered, and so deeply satisfying. And the vulnerability—both the kind they show in private and the kind they share with each other—is pitch-perfect.

This isn’t just a standout in Mazey Eddings’ work—it’s one of my all-time favorite romcoms. Mazey, I’m sending you a forehead kiss from across the country. Hope you can feel it.

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings was such a warm, witty, and deeply charming read. The banter was quick and clever, the emotional beats landed perfectly, and the characters felt so authentic that I found myself rooting for them like old friends. I loved how it blended laugh-out-loud moments with tender, vulnerable scenes, making it impossible to put down. Their chemistry had that perfect mix of spark and depth, and by the last page, I was grinning like a fool. This book reminded me exactly why I adore contemporary romance.

The FMC was so mean 😂 I had to remember that this is a book and not real life because there is no way I’d let something talk to me like that. I loved the MMC and thought he was so sweet and could put up with a lot.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely Unforgettable – A Romcom That Hits Every Note
Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is the kind of romcom that grabs your heart, makes you laugh out loud, and leaves you grinning like an idiot at 2 a.m.
Let’s talk about the characters—because wow. Riley, the golden retriever of all golden retrievers, is charming, supportive, goofy in the best way, and completely swoon-worthy. He’s the kind of man who shows up, holds space, and makes you believe good guys still exist. His open-hearted devotion will stay with you long after the final page.
And Eva? She’s a certified powerhouse. A total Black Panther-level badass who navigates life with grit, intellect, and zero tolerance for BS. Fierce, funny, and deeply vulnerable, she’s the kind of heroine who doesn’t just steal scenes—she owns the entire story. You’ll want to be her, befriend her, and cheer for her every step of the way.
This book is laugh out loud funny in the best way—sharp, smart, and full of banter that had me cackling. The comedic timing is perfection, but Mazey Eddings also weaves in moments of emotional depth that hit you right in the chest.
If you're looking for a romance that makes you feel everything—from butterflies to belly laughs to full-on feels—Well, Actually is it. Eva and Riley will absolutely steal your heart. A five-star knockout that deserves a permanent spot on your favorites shelf.

Okay this is my first book by this author and it wont be my last. I could not put it down! Eva and Rylie were absolutely hilarious. I enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Thank you SMP for the e-arc of Well, Actually! I’d never before read a Mazey Eddings book, but friends recommended her, so I took a leap and was pleasantly rewarded with hilarious banter, a strong FMC, and emotional depth to the characters. I’m super glad my friends first told me about the chicken shop date girl, or else I think Eva’s job, and subsequent humor, would have gone over my head! Rylie’s character was my type of book boyfriend; he has emotional range and clear character growth and slutty glasses! The banter throughout this book was hilarious, the various conflicts were high stakes enough to feel like the romance had a point, and the spicy scenes were at least 3 chilis! In the end this book was 4 stars, completely enjoyable, and I’d definitely read Mazey again!

I LOVE this book

The cover 😍
The sprayed edges

Hands down I’m giving this five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow burn🔥
Second chances
Black cat FMC
Golden Retriever MMC

He’ll do anything for her.

Thank you NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for this ARC

I didn’t love this one. I was excited for it but it just didn’t do it for me.

The FMC had potential to be a badass done well, but she was pretty insufferable lol.

I just wasn’t expecting a lot that happened either and not in a good way.

Just not for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Mazey has really outdone herself with Well, Actually! I enjoyed every second of this story and I loved the representation given by these characters -- across sexuality spectrums, mental health, and more. I loved Riley and Eva's dynamic, they might be two of my all time favorite romantic main characters now!

Read this if you like:
•second chance
•workplace romance
•mental health rep

Eva accidentally gets in the spotlight when she calls out her ex on social media. Her boss wants to use this publicity to help their company make money and things go sideways from there. Parts of this story were so cute and others seemed to drag on.! Thank you st martins for arc

Note: I received a gifted ARC and this is my honest review.

I've got mixed feelings on this. I really liked the beginning of the book, the internet show that the FMC hosts, the drunken post that kicks off the whole fiasco between the FMC and MMC, that all was fun.

However I started to like the story less as it went on. The thing that frustrated me the most was how the FMC over and over again would get mad and then storm off. If it had happened 1 or 2 times, or if it was explained more why she reacts like that, I could have dealt with it. But I feel like it just kept happening so many times and in the end I still didn't really understand her... I also don't understand why the MMC was so accommodating to it, but he was also kind of a flat character for me.

And the other thing I wish was different is that I would have liked to see a dual timeline so we could have experienced more of the backstory rather than having it told to us. I feel like that would have given the story and characters more depth, and then maybe I would have understood both of their behavior better in the present tense.

Overall I really wanted to like this book more. I can see a lot of people really enjoyed it, so maybe it's just me.

I had this ARC sitting in wait for months but waited until closer to release, but that has come back to bite me before when something I've been excited for from an author I've loved has been a let down, so I hoped with everything in my being that this would be everything I wanted AND IT WAS. I've always really appreciated Mazey's clever, sometimes sardonic, and often unhinged humor infused the book with wit and relatable characters.
Eva Kitt hosts a popular internet show where she eats hot dogs and interviews lower-tier celebs, and one night she drunkenly makes a reaction video to one released by her sort of ex, and it goes viral, prompting her money-grabbing bosses to set up an interview with him. These days, Rylie Cooper has a successful podcast where he breaks down toxic masculinity and tries to help men be better, which she finds hard to believe is genuine since he was so hot and cold with her and then ghosted after they had terrible sex for the first time. She's then forced to enter a content series with him where he takes her on six dates to try and redeem himself in her eyes.
The banter and "being mean as a love language" aspect was one of my favorite parts of this, layered with how soft and beautiful the emotional parts were at the heart of it all. Rylie clearly likes her from the jump but since it's all her POV we only see her side as she struggles with her growing feelings for him. They were both great at nicknames and unlikely terms of endearment, and one thing I noticed that matched her progression was the way she only referred to him as Cooper or something ridiculous until she really began to trust him and would call him Riley. That said, she also called him baby girl throughout and it suited him perfectly, just like the way he calls her "you little demon" in an affectionate way.
Like in her other books, these characters dealt with mental health issues that were dealt with respectfully and honestly, including therapy on page. I've come to expect this care from Mazey, and she includes in her author bio that she strives to write for every brain. That same care is shown when writing queer characters, which both MCs were, including the internalized biphobia one of them experiences at certain times in their life.
There were some brief cameos by people from some of her other books, which I loved seeing and definitely made me want to reread them when I get a chance to.
Thank you to SMP for ARC! The book is out Aug 5/25.

I loved this story. It was quick and edgy and hip. (Says the 40 year old). The hijinx and shenanigans on the dates kept me smiling and laughing. Eva and Riley are well filled out characters. The writing is sexy and funny! It knows exactly what it’s trying to be and does a spectacular job of just that!