I really enjoyed this!! This book gives BIG black cat x golden retriever energy and it was so fun to read, especially since it’s not a trope I read that often. I think the story was fairly engaging throughout and I really liked getting to see Eva accept her feelings for Riley. Their banter was so funny, to the point where I audibly laughed out loud at times. I know some people didn’t love the whole toxic workplace storyline this had, and while it was meh to me at times, the other parts of the story were able to shine enough that I didn’t really mind it. The ending of the story was pretty satisfying, and I liked the way everything came together!

Normally, I don’t always love a borderline rude/sarcastic MC but I did feel for Eva, and I think she was written in a way where it worked! I also really loved Riley as a MMC, so patient, and obviously in love with Eva. Overall, really really enjoyed!!!
🌭👓🗽🚕

3.75 Stars

Certain aspects of this book resonated with me, while others appeared inconsistent with the overall messages and themes.

Eva Kitt is stuck in an unfulfilling job as the acerbic host of a talk show interviewing b and c-list celebrities over hot dogs. After her late-night rant about a college ex goes viral, Eva must confront him publicly again during her show's interview. What she finds is the Rylie Cooper, who once treated her poorly and ghosted her, is now a social media personality who has a regular podcast deconstructing toxic masculinity. And more so, is more interested in making up for his previous bad behavior than he is in being confrontational towards Eva regarding her video. An agreement is made for them to go on a series of dates to prove whether Rylie has changed or not.

This story has some fun banter and wit. Many moments made me laugh or gasp in horror. I loved the text conversations that flew between the FMC and MMC, along with those that took place between the friends. The dialogue was quick and sometimes sharp. These characters have bite.
With the FMC and MMC, I loved that Rylie did not play Eva’s game. He threw her off time and time again by not lashing out at her demeaning and confrontational behavior. The backstories of both characters were presented in a manner that, while not excusing their behaviors, allowed for an understanding of how their past experiences contributed to certain defense mechanisms they exhibit.

I appreciated that every character wasn’t cis and Caucasian. There was representation in this book that you don’t always find in a rom-com book. The story also addresses biphobia and depicts a character’s journey from rejecting their sexuality to eventually accepting themselves.
Imperfect people was a theme in throughout this story. Rylie sees a therapist. Eva’s friend and producer, Aida, sometimes fails to protect or support her and must acknowledge her responsibility in those moments. Eva constantly lashes out due to not feeling like enough. We got to see all the rough edges and observe the growth made over time.

There were some areas that felt like they did not support the gender positive, non-misogynistic messages certain characters were touting. For starters, Rylie talks to Eva before she comes on his podcast about how he tries to not feed into societal norms of size or certain looks of genitalia appealing or accepted than others. He also has an entire podcast about deconstructing toxic masculinity. This all sounds pretty accepting and not gender norm-y. Rylie nicknames Eva "kitten" as a play on her last name, Kitt. When Eva comes up with a nickname, she picks one specifically to antagonize Rylie, which leads to her referring to him as “baby girl.” This just feels icky that the one thing she would call him to bug him is a girl. It bothered me all the way through the book.

Another aspect that I keep going back and forth about is Eva’s talk show “Sausage Talk.” It just felt like a series of dick jokes that came across as off color with the acceptance and gender equality themes we saw in other areas of the book.

The last piece that chafed was Eva’s overall personality. She is not very nice. She has moments with her friends where she is warm and loving to them, but the scenes we see with her interviewees, she is dismissive and borderline rude. She is blatantly rude to Rylie and seeks out ways to be condescending and judgmental. Fortunately for her, he eats it up. Unfortunately, I did not. She is a hard character to love.

Overall, the positive themes overrode the dissonance in this story. The fun parts were fun and the trainwreck parts made me audibly react. This is an imperfect book about imperfect people, and I appreciate it for that.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this eBook.

definitely not how I expected this book to unfold- but I have to say I’m not disappointed! Honestly I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and how the ending came about. I initially thought we would get more of the silly dates and him trying to swoon her and her icy heart slowly melting more eat time they were together- but instead we got 3 dates, a spicy hookup, and then them just auto enamored with each other. It just turned out to be faster pace than I was expecting but this timeline ended up feeling more genuine to their personalities.
I was nervous at first I was going to have a hard time liking Eva- her tongue was a little too sharp and Riley was a little too kind to see these two ultimately becoming a match but overtime Eva true personality and feelings had me rooting her on in her love life and career life
Would give a solid 4.5 if I could!

I had so much fun reading Well, Actually. The first half was absolute perfection. Eva and Rylie were hilarious together, their banter had me laughing out loud, and the chemistry was electric. I was actually giggling and kicking my feet while reading. The black cat and golden retriever dynamic was adorable, and Eva being called “Evil Kitten” was just the cutest thing.

The second-chance romance was everything I hoped for. Their past felt real and believable, and the way they talked through their feelings instead of spiraling into miscommunication was so refreshing. Eva was messy and prickly at times, but she was also incredibly self-aware and strong. I really connected with her.

The second half did slow down a bit. Some parts felt repetitive and lost the spark of the beginning. I also wasn’t a big fan of the social media angle, but that’s just personal preference.

This cover is what caught my attention, the graphics were just to cute and had me curious!

From the very first chapter I was hooked. I was laughing out loud, and simply GUSHING over the words that came out of Rylie + Eva’s mouths. These two had c-h-e-m-i-s-t-r-y!!!!

BUT....

Well....ok look, I wanted Eva to be THAT BITCH, and Eddings just did not deliver. Eva’s snark was inconsistent and lackadaisical, and even though I thought she was fun, her character left me wanting, waiting, and wishing for more: more sass. For a book that was based on socials and all the current hypes, i would of thought Eva would have been a bit more bold when it came to her career and sticking up for herself!

I would possibly give Mazey Eddings another shot....

I have not laughed this hard at a book in a minute. Since I read several books a week it can feel like an eternity between BANGERS.

This book delivers some heavy laughs. I loved it so stinking much.

I don't want to spoil the story, but MY WORD does she nail the banter and the tension. This couple is so realistic, they practically jump off the page. Their animosity kept me intrigued from start to finish.

And most importantly, I didn't want it to end. The blurb is an accurate representation of what you're getting. No bait and switch here.

Tropes/stuff I liked:
🥰 Not too heavy on the flashback stuff
🥰 Banter so good I laughed loudly - like a real lol
🥰 Spice that felt real
🥰 She's mean and he likes it
🥰 Slutty glasses
🥰 Forearm appreciation
🥰 Social media hints but not in a cheesy way
🥰 Good supporting characters
🥰 The villain was a real villain. Like I hated him!
🥰 Mental health rep (more than one scene)
🥰 A Bi-King! (More than one scene. He openly talks about a past relationship with another man.)
🥰 They actually communicate
🥰 I could keep going, so this is just an etc. love note since this book is flipping fantastic

This is my first Mazey Eddings book. It will NOT be my last.

I need everyone to read this book pronto. Go in for the laughs and vibes. It will deliver.

Huge thanks to Mazey, NetGalley, and the publisher (St. Martin's Press) for the early copy.

Ah!!!!!!!! I loved this so much. I was truly cackling so hard at parts and then sobbing uncontrollably at parts. It made me feel so much... and I loved every second of it!


Links to come.

Another Mazey Eddings novel, another five star read!

Every time I read a book by Mazey I feel like I could be best friends with both the MC and the author, herself. She did a fabulous job taking a character with many qualities one might construe as "unlikeable" but making her so perfectly relatable.

I loved how much tension there was for the MC and love interest to overcome! They truly had such a terrible start to their relationship and it kept me turning the pages to see how in the world they could ever overcome them. It was obvious from the beginning how much Rylie Cooper was in love with Eva and how badly he wanted a second chance, but it was entirely believable to assume he was faking it for social media cloud and to maintain his "feminist good guy" personality.

In addition to sweltering heat, angst, hilarious banter, fabulous running inside jokes, and a twisty-turn plot, Mazey delivers on delivering a deep dive on the problems women face in the media. Even feminist-seeming businesses run by women are still faced with the same dilemmas women have always had to deal with, but sometimes they just aren't as obvious. Eva and Rylie's comparisons to how they faced public scrutiny as their fake dating turned to real dating and then was publicly outed was very well done.

TROPES:
- Fake Dating
- Enemies to Lovers
- Second Chance Romance
- He Falls First

Five stars! Can't wait for another Mazey Eddings novel!

Mazey Eddings has done it again! This story had me giggling from the first few pages, and the chemistry between the leads was *PALPABLE*. I am obsessed with the characters and cackling at the premise of Sausage Talk. Eva and Rylie's vibes are immaculate, and I will be thinking about this book constantly for the forseeable future.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc of this book!

What a fun book! I haven't read any Mazey Eddings books before, and the premise of friends to enemies to lovers is always a trope I enjoy, especially with good banter between the main characters. Well, let me tell you, the banter was bantering in "Well, Actually"!

Eva is your class black cat- snarky, sharp, and untrusting. Rylie is a golden retriever- he just wants Eva to love him- but with some baggage. It was interesting to see their story unfold, and for the reason it didn't work out the first time to reveal itself.

Overall, I ate this book up. The Sausage Talk premise is completely unhinged and I love it. I am going to add Eddings to my "must-read" authors list.

I adored this book truly LOVED it so much. Mazey Eddings always develops worlds I could get utterly lost in. I laughed, I cried. I loved every minute of this book! Their banter was laughing out loud amazing. I will always read whatever I can find by Mazey Eddings! Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

I really, truly tried to get into this book. I think my issue right off the bat was that it just didn’t feel unique to me. I often struggle with things that feel like a CLEAR reference. The clear inspiration taken from Chicken Shop Dates was interesting in theory but I just didn’t love it. I had a hard time with the concept itself and didn’t love the tropes. I love a romance novel and I think the actual writing style way fun but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. Ultimately, I just didn’t connect to the characters.

This book was cute. I enjoyed this enemies to lovers story line. The banter between the main characters was hilarious. Would definitely recommend this one to friends! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoyed how fun this book was and had great banter. My first read by this author I’ll be buying a physical copy.

This book had a lot of potential. I loved how bold Eva was in the beginning when she called out Riley for something in their past. The banter was funny and it seemed like they were doing so well communicating.

There was a disconnect in the middle that made Eva difficult to relate to. I enjoyed the concept and the story overall!

Super cute! I loved the banter and the main characters. The only thing keeping it from being a 4 star read for me is that I personally don’t care for the tik tok/pop culture references. It dates the books and takes me out of the story a little. But overall the premise was cute!

If you love sharp wit, fiery chemistry, and the delicious tension of enemies-to-lovers with a second chance twist, this one should be on your radar! The first few chapters had me laughing out loud more than once. While I didn’t fully connect with the male lead’s dynamic with the heroine midway through, the story as a whole is light, entertaining, and really enjoyable.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Somehow Mazey Eddings always develops characters that allow me to fully immerse in their fictional lives. I laughed, I cried, and fell in love with Eva and Rylie's story. Their banter was witty and engaging. And every euphemism for Sausage Talk had me cackling. I will forever read anything that Mazey Eddings writes! Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

If you are a fan of banter and enemies to lovers / second chance romance tropes, then this is the book for you! There were scenes in the first third of the book that made me straight-up cackle! It would have been a five star book, but something about the male MC and his interactions with the female MC in the middle portion of the book held me back. Overall, though, it is a super fun and easy read!

Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing this ARC. I gave this book 3.5⭐️ there were so many things I liked about this book - the enemies to lovers build up, Riley’s whole personality and the podcast/influencer set up. However, there were a lot of parts that seemed disjointed or long winded. Like how did a social media influencer and podcaster go dark for a week and no one saw them together sooner? I also was not a fan of Eva’s personality. She was so horrible to him at first (and throughout tbh), but then didn’t have the backbone to be more confident in her job. Lastly, I did enjoy the spice. It was the perfect amount.