I love a good grumpy/sunshine romance & Mazey Eddings did a phenomenal job with this one. Her books are always relatable & I can easily picture the story as I read it. This book was no exception & I found myself reading it slower since I didn't want it to end. A 4.5 star read for me. There are some explicit sex scenes & you should read the warnings at the front if you have issues with certain topics.

I support women's rights and wrongs, haha! Eddings frames such an amazing romantic narrative around a flawed FMC (which is something I wish to see more in literature in general, I loved both of the MCs and the dynamic they had. Mazey Eddings always writes such colorful and "pop off the page" type people that just feel REAL. I Cannot wait to share this with everyone I know!

I liked the first half or so but then it got really boring and I found myself skimming the rest of it. Honestly it's my own fault, I haven't really enjoyed her other books so I don't know why I requested this one.

Holy hell… okay. So first off, I liked the concept of the book, very chicken shop date vibes. I liked Eva…. BUT her flaws were FLAWING. I loved that she’s witty and funny, but god damn. She was mean & while I understand her character, I also was like ouch. And Rylie, sweet Rylie, was such a cinnamon roll & it lowkey made me think he could do better. At least have Eva be a black cat on the outside, but a lil softie on the inside. I wish we explored more of her family trauma or at least opened up to Rylie more about that. Anyway, I giggled and enjoyed the novel overall but kinda left wanting more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! 🫶🏼

⭐️: 3.75
📖: Kindle

Okay, this book truly is comical. I found myself cackling loudly and often. But WOW, did I truly dislike Eva. Like, truly she was terrible. Also, Riley was kind of terrible too. As a whole, not my favorite characters which kind of ruined the story over all for me. A lot of repetitiveness as well. The spice was truly excelley, so big thumbs up to that. Otherwise, not my favorite. I do love this author though and will obviously read whatever she puts out.

I just could not tollerate this fmc and it made me dislike the book because I disliked her so much I found the plot unbelievable and the interactions with the two main characters in the first half cringey

This book had me cackling 🙃

Eva is witty, sarcastic, and struggling to find her place in the world. Riley (her sort of ex from college) is wanting a chance to right the wrongs of six years ago.

I loved Eva and Riley’s banter (and Riley’s slutty glasses 🫠)

This was a light, fun read! I do feel like there was a missed opportunity to see more growth among the characters instead of repetitively having the same conflicts, but this is still a great time!

a hilarious twist on current social media frenzy, that has the most relatable and fun characters that get you hooked. the black cat x golden retriever vibe never misses and Mazey crushes it even more than expected, giving us such a relatable FMC that has the good guy MMC slowly falling for her and breaking down her walls. Eva is truly her unapologetic and sassy self, while being so incredibly human i couldn’t stop but feel overwhelmed by how much I saw myself in her and her experiences. While Rylie was there to genuinely love her as is, showing her that everything is for the right person *sobs*.
The characters, plot, writing and every emotion experienced was perfection and have no notes!

I think this will be one of my top books of 2025! Not only is this cover beautiful, Eva is a new favorite FMC. She’s a bitch in the best way and I love how Rylie treats her. He is such a lovable MMC and she is a black cat (who is equally lovable). The banter between the two is top-notch. I loved the cameos from other books as well. Highly recommend everyone read this romance when it comes out in August!

a bitchy queen and a words of affirmation king!! my two favorite types of main characters!!! i love eva, i love rylie, AND I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!

The premise of this was very sweet and I really did like the idea but I think unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. I just found Eva SO mean. And I truly do understand that was the point but I could not for the life of me understand why over and over again Rylie would just allow Eva to degrade him and treat him like dirt and he’s all “I like you so much.” It felt borderline toxic and I just had a really hard time getting behind their relationship. I enjoyed the side characters a lot (except Aida, what a terrible friend) and I’m bumping a star because I really did enjoy the premise and the workplace drama and resolution of that storyline. I can see why people are loving this one, I really can, I just think this one was a miss for me unfortunately. Thank you for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings was kind of a wild ride. She really went all in on the chaotic, internet-era romance with this one, and it mostly worked? It had its ups and downs.

The story follows Eva, a journalist whose career has somehow arrived at interviewing washed-up celebs about hot dogs. As others have mentioned, very chicken shop date. She then goes viral for ranting about her college ex, Rylie—who just happens to be a wildly successful influencer teaching men how to be better partners. His solution? A redemption arc, obviously. He proposes a series of dates, filmed for his audience, to prove he’s changed. And we all know how this goes.

The great: the banter is awesome. The spice is amazing.

The not so great: they are both kind of insufferable, and the culture references were right in my face.

Overall, this was a fun, flirty, slightly ridiculous read.

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I DNF'd at 27%.

I will continue being a Mazey fan, but just not a fan of this book.

3 stars because I did laugh.

This was such a cute romance! I really liked their chemistry and how they grew closer to one another. I think their interactions felt natural and overall the cast of characters was lovable and the story was paced well which kept the story moving and enjoyable

Well, Actually was a fun read! I loved the humor so much. I laughed out loud multiple times. Eva was a bit too unlikeable for a too long for me. With that being said, that's the point of her character. It wasn't like the pacing was off, it was definitely done purposefully & with reason, it's just a personal preference. I adore Mazey Edding's books and I'm a bit sad the excitement of the new release reading is over.

Mazey Eddings, are you seeing this? I hope you are. I have devoured every book Mazey has ever written, but this one caught me off guard. When I read the description, I thought “I don’t know if this one is gonna be for me, a relationship that unfolds over social media?” I was so very wrong. There is so much nuance and backstory here, there is so much depth of character, when it seemed that Rylie and Eva could both be incredibly shallow. The tension between our main characters is positively crackling, if enemies to lovers is your trope, run don’t walk to grab this book. The wit, humors and positively OFF THE CHARTS banter had me completely invested in how their story played out. I’m sorry that half stars aren’t a thing, because this was 4.5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a gifted ARC of the most fun book I’ve read in quite a while!

Wow this was a huge miss for me. It felt all over the place and story lines felt quickly abounded. The beginning felt like a running stream of consciousness from Eva. She is harsh, self depricating, and a little unlikable. I was just annoeyd with how much she complained and how snarrky she was. I was hoping for a redemption arc towards the middle or end of the story but I got none of that. Another issue I had was that a major story line was just abandoned at about 50%. The two main characters were supposed to be going on 6 dates and discussing it on a podcast. They went on two and then never went on another date. Instead, all they did was hook up. It felt disorganized and unrealistic for how much the Eva (main female character) hated Rylie (main male character). The last issue I had was that Eva hated Rylie because he ghosted her in college. She harbored so much resentment 6 years later. It seemed immature and unrealistic.

Overall this was a subpar read. I do like Eddings as an author so I will return to future books, but unfortunately I cannot recommend this one.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the ARC

I was able to read this book early thanks to NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did! This story blends humor, romance, and real-life drama in the best possible way. The chemistry between the main characters is fantastic—full of witty banter and undeniable charm. From the start, their dynamic is refreshing, with a fun mix of playful moments and deeper emotional connection.

The pacing is great, with the right balance of lighthearted humor and more serious, heartfelt moments that help the characters grow throughout the story. There’s an engaging blend of quirky interactions and tender, vulnerable moments that really highlight the emotional depth of the romance.

While the story keeps you hooked with its humor and fun moments, there are some really touching moments that show the characters' personal growth. The way they support each other through challenges adds a layer of authenticity to their connection, making it feel real and relatable.

If you’re looking for a charming, funny, and heartfelt romance with great character development, this book is definitely one to check out! Highly recommend it to anyone who loves a blend of humor and emotional depth in their romances.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital advanced book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Allow me to be basic and say that - I loved this book! I cried a bit and laughed a lot. A perfect combination for a well-structured romantic comedy. Not only did I adore the main character Eva Kitt, but I connected with her on an emotional and cathartic level. Her struggles were poignant and carefully crafted, I found myself with my heart in my throat whenever she struggled with her self-worth, her hesitancy with love, her defense mechanisms of avoidance and self-deprecating humor. I can safely say that we’ve all felt like she did: defeated, worthless, not good enough, hurt by love, weighed down by imposter syndrome. I found Eva to be a solid, well-written character.

Rylie Cooper is an amazing male main character. I deeply appreciated his emotional maturity, his honesty, his willingness to risk it all for Eva. He is not letting anything stop him from showing her how he feels. But he does it in a way that is considerate and kind. It is understandable why she refuses his advances, given their confusing and painful history, but now as more mature adults (late 20s), his efforts to rectify his faults and her efforts to push past the pain and just try is quite inspiring and heartfelt. I loved them so much!

There is a strong element of enemies to lovers, but it’s definitely one sided, Eva under the impression that Rylie’s treatment of her in the past was a personal affront. Rylie is determined to prove her wrong. This is a second-chance romance, undoubtedly, but at its base this is a story about two people unknowingly lost without each other, but once reunited, it’s inevitable that they are it. Reading their journey felt like a privilege and I feel like they’re my friends now, no take backs.

I enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions, the laughs and the tears, the strained and sometimes awkward moments that ran with a glaring truth – love is hard and it’s messy and it requires trust and vulnerability. Rebuilding the foundations of a solid relationship is painful, but Rylie never once let Eva doubt his devotion to her or the knowledge that he would always be there to back her, to catch her, to love her. It was so endearing. And he wears glasses! Nerdy and adorable. Eva never stood a chance, no matter how hard she tried to resist. I’m so happy for them.

5/5 stars

Both of the main characters are genuinely so insufferable that it felt like hell trying to get through this.