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.

I’ve loved every Mazey eddings I’ve read and I don’t think there was any way I could love them more. Well I found a way. This is her best book yet and I was so captivated. Funny and super sexy and romantic.

I absolutely loved this black cat, golden retriever romance by Mazey Eddings! Eva Kitt is a host for a popular interview style show called Sausage Talk! (Think Chicken Dates). Rylie is a popular podcast host for a show that deconstructs toxic masculinity. Eva finds it ironic that the guy from her short lived romance/one time hook up is hosting a podcast saying to be the opposite of everything he was six years ago. One night, Eva has a few too many glasses of wine and takes to social media how ironic she really thinks Rylie is. Thus, she wakes up to her social media overtaken by her drunken video and her work wanting her to have Rylie on Sausage Talk. Against Evas wishes, Rylie comes onto Sausage Talk to “redeem” himself but also gets Eva to agree to six dates in the process.

Rylie, OH Rylie, this man is a top book boyfriend for me now. He knew he messed up with Eva and finally has the chance to make it up to her. He doesn’t let her black cat energy or nonchalant attitude turn him away. He fights even harder! I loved how Eva could open herself up to him (after a bit) and let Rylie explain himself. They are ride or die for each other, always having each other's backs in work and personal life. This book also covers loss of a sibling and grief (past tense), not feeling enough in the world, and how to navigate the world as a bisexual individual. I loved hearing both Rylie's and Eva's experiences with being bisexual because they are very different. This was the type of book I couldn’t put down, which I have not had very often as of late! Thank you for this e-arc!!

I've been reading this book for 28 days but it seems like 28 years. This book did not hold my attention. I didn't care for the main female character and the main male character was somewhat likeable. Storyline was okay. A story that is truly forgettable.

I enjoyed this. I feel like it could have done with 20-30 more pages to wrap things up a little more.

Eva and Rylie thought their quick, almost-non-existent relationship was over, until six years later, they reluctantly re-enter each other's lives. Forced to face who they were and are now, and all that has happened in-between, they discover there might still be room for each other. What could be better than another book by Mazey Eddings, and the Easter egg to Lizzie Blake is so fun! A perfect summer read!

Holy banter, Batman!
Let me start off by saying I will now read anything this author writes just for the character dialogue alone. I found myself highlighting one liners and quips and laughing out loud. (Then, obviously looking around to see who saw me laughing out loud…)
Themes:
2nd chance, late 20s protagonists who ACTUALLY have some life under their belts, he falls first, found family, “Good girl” and “so f**king perfect”, discussion of therapy, bi/trans characters, horrible bosses, and obvi a HAE.

My fav lines (no spoilers):
A few slutty little curls tumble
I give lactose-intolerant energy? What does that even mean?
…for all of Pedro Pascal’s internet to dissect and comment on.
…asking in a deep, calm (hyperventilating-adjacent) breath
I don’t think she ever grew up, Aida says kindly. That’s probably the secret to it all.
I slow (more out of cardiovascular necessity than conscious choice)
Rock bottom is fun like that.
Families, in the nuclear sense, are made up of genetically connected, emotionally scarred people doing their best not to strangle each other at any given time.
I am tough. And I am really f**king sick of having to be. I deserve softness, goddammit. I deserve tender moments and gentle caresses and whispered sweet nothings. I deserve someone, somewhere, wanting to like me for me.

my first thought after finishing this book is…it was not written for me. this will be one of those books that people love and will say to me “you just don’t get it.” and honestly yeah i just don’t get it.

first off, it didn’t give chicken shop date. i dunno if she was really going for that but it didn’t give it if she was. sausage talk is unpopular filled with “c list” celebrities and chicken shop date is viral with paul mescal and andrew garfield flirting away! also i dont think that amelia dimz is very rude or monotone?? idkkkk

i understand the whole “being mean and acting unbothered” coping mechanism, i really do. i mean i do it with humor! but there were points where i thought she took it too far. im here for being a dick to a man and for the first 40% when we didn’t know why he ghosted her and why he had an attitude problem in college, i was very okay with her being rude to him! but once she found out, i feel like she could have let up atleast a little! but then she runs away after sex and is still rude to him. so yes, as a certified people pleaser, i do not get it. it’s awful what she’s been through but i think there comes a point in life where people learn to mask that and grow up. tbh once they were in a relationship was when i FINALLY understood the dynamic between the two of them but honestly it took way too long for me personally. i like when i get it right away.

rylie is just too kind and patient. and i think he has a degradation kink. she hates on him in every conversation they have and he just takes it like a champ. so maybe it’s one of those cases where that’s how he wants it to be. but we don’t even get her being the dominant one in bed? even with the whole baby girl thing?? CMONNN it would have made so much sense and honestly been very hot.

still debating my feelings on the nickname kitten. i know it’s not supposed to be said in this way but it’s giving mafia boss age gap/young naive woman. NOT cute skinny guy with glasses and feelings.

couples therapy??? when you’re not a couple?? i’d run. so far. away!

BUT believe it or not, the last 25% while they were a couple was so nice but it felt like a 180 for Eva. she was much more calm and nice, is it because she found someone to ground her? let her be herself. that’s probably the case. but that drama at the end with landry and william was honestly too much. my face turned red i was so embarrassed for her and they were way too harsh (like unrealistically harsh, this felt way too fake/written/obviously fiction) i HATE when side characters are overtly terrible because i just feel like it’s too much sometimes and this might have been the most dramatic one ive read… but this is just another example of why i just don’t get this book. if i had an employer treat me like this, id gladly walk right out the door! i get it’s her dream but girl don’t let yourself be so vulnerable infront of these horrific people! it’s just so unnecessary and there are other actions you can take!

okay that was a LOT of shit talking here’s what i loved:
-the i love you scene was so perfect honestly their whole dynamic during their relationship was PERFECT (i just wish i felt that throughout the entire book…)
-it picked up a lot during the scene about him talking about his sisters death. that whole conversation had me glued to the kindle.
-i liked the last chapter, they were cute in it. but once again didn’t feel like the same eva from the beginning of the book at all!

okay i cant think of anymore YIKES!
i’m so sorry but i just had so many thoughts and had to get them out. but this is still ALL PREFERENCE and this is coming from a mazey eddings fan! i was so sad i didn’t connect with this but i know already (from the views ive read) that a lot of people are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!

I really enjoy this book! I loved the main character and that she had a little bit of a spicy personality. I loved that the main male character was kind, and constantly verified the female main character through words of affirmation. I could feel the chemistry between these two. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet while reading it. I read it so fast too. As someone who works a corporate job there is nothing better than getting a book that makes you crave reading, and this book was that! This author has an amazin writing style, and this is the second book of hers I have enjoyed. I am so thankfuk I got to read this book early. Right now this book is a 4.5 stars but I could definitely see that changing to a five!

Really enjoyed this one by Mazey Eddings. She's such a good writer of banter and wit it's so impressive to really see her dig her teeth into that.

Solid book by Mazey. Not my favorite from her, but she will always still be an auto-buy author. I love her characters and the complexity to their whole being. Can’t wait to see what she does next.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. Social Media can be wild and for Eva she was able to dish on a bad time but it also landed her with Rylie. Over time ditched her emotionally draining and unhealthy job and had her HEA.

I really enjoyed the dates Rylie planned, including the one with the couple therapy session. Rylie definitely grew up from his college ways and was patient and waited for her. I would recommend this book to my friends and will once it is released!

Pleasantly surprised with how much I like this book. The story is about Eva, a sarcastic and closed off journalist and Rylie, a podcaster focused on bettering himself.

Eva and Rylie dated in college. Things didn’t end well and they unexpectedly reconnect.

I liked Eva’s hard exterior and how much she grew throughout the novel. I am probably biased because I could really relate to her as well. Rylie was also a winner. Overall, it was a fun and quick read.

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.

DNF at 20% because I just cannot handle the lack of formatting for text messages, especially when there are full text conversations happening in a chapter. Having them mixed into sentences and multiple texts / non-text sentences in the SAME paragraph is infuriating. I did like the overall book, but the lack of formatting just got so frustrating/annoying that I don't want to read the book.

Well, Actually was a great book. I enjoyed the spunky yet heartwarming connections. Mazey Eddings did a great job with this book, and I will be going through her back log real soon!

I so wanted to like this one as a big Mazey Eddings fans. Okay, I was intrigued right away—Eva’s call out of ex-boyfriend and Rylie who wants to prove he’s changed. I had fun with in but the black cat/golden retriever characters were so over the top that this just felt way too unrealistic to get into it. Eva, girl, you didn’t have to be so difficult. On a plus side, I loved the queer rep! I probably won’t review this on my bookstagram page. 2.5/3 stars