Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing me with an ARC of Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings. I loved this one!

This might be in my top five banters ever. It has everything a rom-com should: I laughed out loud, kicked my feet in excitement, stayed up way past my bedtime for the spice, and blushed profusely. What a delight.

The story follows Eva, a struggling journalist stuck hosting a quirky hot-dog-based talk show, and Rylie, her college ex turned internet-famous “soft masculinity” coach. When a viral rant throws them back into each other’s lives, six dates and plenty of on-air banter set the stage for second chances, tension you can cut with a knife, and swoony moments galore.


#WellActually #MazeyEddings #RomComReads #TopFiveBanter #NetGalleyARC #EnemiesToLovers #SecondChanceRomance #SpicyReads #RomComLovers #LaughOutLoudReads #Bookstagram

Mazey Eddings never misses for me!! I really love her commitment to making the 3rd act conflict not just be miscommunication because it always makes me really root for the characters more! i do feel like Rylie was slightly underwhelming to me in the end, he's meant to be a bit of a reformed f-boy and while his reasons are definitely more interesting than just that, I do think we move on from them just a little. I really liked Eva as a heroine though, she has such a personal inner voice that I loved following. I always love seeing new Mazey Eddings on here and I feel so much joy every time I get one so I hope I can continue with that!!

My first from Mazey Eddings and certainly not a disappointment! The dynamic between Eva and Rylie is SO much fun--definitely black cat/golden retriever vibes I hoped for--and I didn't want the book to end. I laughed, I swooned, and I will immediately be looking for my next read from Eddings.

I really wanted to like this book! I like the cover and the blurb so I thought it would be a done deal but unfortunately that was not the case.

I really liked the MMC but I couldn’t connect with the FMC. I understand that that was the point, she is supposed to be a tough cookie but I found her to be almost mean at times. I had a hard time cheering for her so it wasn’t as enjoyable of a read as I had been anticipating.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. I do like this author so I will definitely be reading her next one. This one just wasn’t for me.

3.25 stars

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain mild spoilers

This was a great 3.75 -star read for me.

This was my first time reading Mazey Eddings and I will absolutely be reading more of her books.  I enjoyed her writing style and her story telling.

The tension and banter in this book was top notch. I laughed so hard. I swooned so hard. I was into this book from page one and could not put it down.  

I really enjoyed that our main characters were different and not the same characters that we've read about a million times.  I resonated with Eva, she was a black cat who was a bit lost and I was rooting for her so much.  Rylie and his crew necks, I won't say anything else! 

The spice was spicing in this, if you can get past the jomforter and still find Rylie Cooper attractive then you know the author did a fantastic job. I use pink to highlight any scenes or quotes in a book that really make my heart flutter, usually there might be one instance per book...I highlighted 7 things in this book!! He would crawl threw hell for her and I was here for it!   

I would recommend this to anyone looking for second chance enemies to lovers spicy romance. Do yourself a favor and read this! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  #NetGalley.

This was my first read by Mazey Eddings and it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed her writing style, and there’s some reads on her backlist that I have my eye on!

Sadly this wasn’t a very great starting off point. It was just ok. I didn’t love all of the tropes, or the fmc, and the overall storyline was just fine, but I was still entertained and enjoyed the ending.

1. I’m starting to realize workplace romance isn’t really my thing
2. This is a reverse grumpy x sunshine, but almost to an extreme. Our fmc, Eva, is witty and pessimistic but also rude and makes fun of others which I didn’t really vibe with.
3. I really enjoyed the other characters (obviously excluding her boss and her son because omg rude)!
4. Riley definitelyyyyy redeemed himself from that initial disastrous date imo. Absolutely top tier book bf material.
5. F the workplace patriarchy!
6. Journalism and podcasting and social media stuff in books isn’t really my thing. I think it was done pretty well, it’s just not one of my interests. Also what was with the hotdogs???

read if you like: workplace romance, fake dating, reverse grumpy x sunshine, hotdogs, he’s obsessed with her, enemies ish to lovers, second chance

Hilarious and sharp, there were many things I loved about this, one being Rylie Cooper. He's a 10. I had a bit of a disconnect with Eva's character and how quickly she grew. Overall, still an enjoyable read. Full review at: cassieetter.com/eclecticallybookish/reviews/well-actually.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the free digital review copy.

This book caught me by surprise in the very best way. It made me burst out laughing multiple times with absolutely impeccable banter. The pacing was perfect and that characters were flawed in believable and human ways.  

Eva was so disenchanted with the dating world due to her own life experiences. A late night drunken decision (are these ever good?) causes one of her more traumatic situationships to come crashing back into her life. Riley is the epitome of the golden retriever MMC. They are the perfect example of opposites attract and the tension was palpable between them. 

With fake dating, deeply sarcastic cutting remarks and social media hotdogs this story was so much fun while dealing with real issues and rebuilding a relationship that was never given a proper chance. Mazey has always been an author I loved and Well. Actually just further solidifies why I keep coming back. This book fully deserves the hype it has been getting and I definitely recommend the read. 

Full rating 4.5/5

Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy.

A full 5 star read. Both main characters are excellent in their own right but also together as a couple. Riley has shot his way to the top of the book boyfriend charts. The banter is great. The spice is excellent. The romcom shenanigans are wonderful. And on page therapy? Yes, please. Couldn’t have a critique on this book if I tried. No notes!

This spicy one-sided enemies-to-lovers romance features a FMC that is full of sass and snarky remarks contrasted with the most patient, glasses wearing MMC ever. Struggling with a stalemate at her current job and pretty much life in general, Eva takes to the internet to unceremoniously call-out an old acquaintance, Rylie Cooper, who more or less touts himself as being the perfect man. They enter into an agreement where he asks her on dates to prove himself and she hopes to use the deal to advance in her career. The way he tries to break her walls down and the way she tries just as heard to reinforce them even more results in a sweet and spicy romantic relationship. I had strong feelings about both characters, appreciating the seesaw of liking them and not liking them—I will remember this book for a long time because of it (and I totally get all the hotdog hype surrounding this book, although I still won’t eat one.)

Wow. So much to unpack with this one. I have read several of Mazey’s books and this one is absolutely my favorite. 😍 The characters are so flawed, but loveable, and so many relatable themes with enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, second chances, overcoming trauma, acceptance, as well as LGBTQ and mental health rep, there is literally something that will appeal to everyone. Witty banter is by far one of my favorite aspects of romcoms, and Mazey did not disappoint. I laughed out loud so many times that it was embarrassing when listening in public (yep, that was me in the grocery store 👀) and let’s not even talk about the spicy scenes…..🌶️🫣 I was very fortunate to receive the e-ARC for this one, as well as an ALC, and the audiobook version, read by Ariela Crow was 🔥!! I think this was the first book that I have listened to her narrate, and she did a phenomenal job! Definitely will be checking out more of her work. Thank you so much to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC & ALC.

⭐️ 4 | 🌶️ 2.5

This book had an engaging start! I enjoyed the banter between Eva and Riley! Riley is such a golden retriever! I liked that he could take everything Eva dished out. It was such an easy rom-com read! I look forward to reading more of Mazey’s books!

❤️Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
❤️ Second Chance Romance
❤️LGBTQ+ Rep

Eva Kitt is 27 and finds herself stuck in a job where she spends her days eating hot dogs while interviewing celebrities for social media videos. It's not where she imagined being at this point in her life. Then there's Rylie Cooper, a hugely successful influencer with a big fan base and a popular podcast where he talks about how men can stop toxic masculinity. Everyone loves him, except Eva. She gets so frustrated with him that she posts a rant online, claiming that she once slept with him and it wasn't great. If that's the case, why is he giving advice on how to be good in bed?

Her rant quickly goes viral, and even Rylie takes notice. He decides to take Eva on a few dates to prove he's changed, and they can use the dates as content. Eva agrees, hoping it might help her career.

This story has the potential to be a funny and touching romance, but honestly, I couldn’t quite get into it. I found the characters annoying, and their past relationship felt even more annoying. I thought the book might be a take on Hot Ones, but it seems like it's more of a Chicken Shop Date vibe, which I actually enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I was giggling throughout the entire book and sometimes there were tears. I love Mazey Eddings’ sense of humor so much it is so refreshing and entertaining. The banter was next level 100%, I love when the FMC is a little mean to the MMC and he just enjoys it. Both MCs are wonderful characters that went through some tough times but now are healing or just trying to do better. Eva and Rylie were fun characters to get to know, I loved the cameos from the previous books so fun to see them again.

I found the FMC to be insufferable. I could not stand her. I appreciate the author was trying to write a character with strong boundaries and. strong sense of self, but we cannot take out our trauma on others without them being aware. A lot of this book could been made better had the characters did ANY communicating. Any at all.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"All of this is because I want to know you, be around you. Because I f$cked it up once and I saw a second chance. Because now I’m so deep in this I would crawl through hell on my hands and knees over a bed of broken glass before I let you go again.”

Well, Actually, by one of my favorite romance authors, the keeps it real and holds nothing back, Mazey Eddings, is a deeply emotional and scintillating romance that defies the norm with its brutal truth on the consequences of trauma.

Eva hosts the Sausage Talk podcast, interviewing "B" list stars while eating hot dogs. It's not what she expected with her journalism degree. Seeing her ex, Riley, a popular podcaster on how to be a better man, talk about how to treat women, is too much for her. Drunk, she posts a rant about how awful he was in bed and then ghosted her. She never expected it to go viral.

Riley knows he messed up but what he doesn't know is how he emotionally damaged Eva. How she's closed off and angry. But Eva doesn't know Riley's pain and how he shouldn't have been with anyone at the time.

Their bosses want them to work together for ratings. Riley just wants a second chance. Who knew a second date to couples therapy would open the floodgates to "internalized biphobia, workplace abuse, toxic masculinity and internalized misogyny, and grief after loss of a loved one."

Now it's not all gloom. The dynamic voice actress Ariela Crow brings the wise cracking banter to life and the steamy scenes sizzle. She gives Riley a deep sexy tone that's pure swoon. But it's when Eva lets her vulnerability show that this actress shines.

Eva was irritating at times, but as this often funny second chance enemies to lovers romance progressed, I saw her hurt heart and, Well, Actually, I saw a good man refuse to let it hurt anymore.

I received free copies of this book/audiobook from St.Martins Press and MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin | Macmillan Audio for this ARC Copy! 4.5 Stars!

Such a unique and fun romance. It is like a second chance, but make him the worst guy you ever dated before. Sounds crazy, but it was so interesting seeing a man do the work to change and make up for his past mistakes. It was so human and real, and it made me so much more invested in the relationship. I think the character growth in this story is so strong and beautiful, and their backstories are so raw and real, its impossible not to root for their love story.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and it was a solid second-chance romance.

The FMC Eva kind of rubbed me the wrong way for the first part of the book. She came across as a bit harsh and bitter but as her relationship with Rylie grew, she softened. Looking back, her attitude at the beginning set the stage for the progression of her relationship and for the plot, so it was important even if it did get in my nerves a little bit.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the digital ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Eva is the snarky host of "Sausage Talk" where she interviews c-list celebs over microwaved hot dogs. When she sees a college fling has made a name for himself as a pro-feminist podcaster, she makes a no-holds-barred post in response that goes viral. To capitalize on their new popularity (and maybe salvage her career), Eva agrees to make content about going on dates with Rylie and giving him a second chance.

Eva definitely has some bite to her, which I loved. She brought the black cat to Rylie's golden retriever energy. She was sometimes a bit too mean, but I felt that it worked to build her into a character that put up walls and acted tough to hide her insecurity. And as someone who enjoyed A Brush with Love, I really liked the surprise cameos with some past characters. Overall, I enjoyed this book! The banter was great, the side characters were fleshed out (would love to read more about Aida, Ray, or Lillith!), and the chemistry was definitely there.

Much thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's, and Mazey Eddings for the chance to read and review this ARC!

This was my first Mazey Eddings book and it definitely will not be my last!

Well, Actually was such a fun read thanks to Eva and Rylie. Eva is the host of an online platform where she interviews people while eating hotdogs. Rylie is the host of his own podcast, where he talks about what it takes to be a good person without any toxic masculinity. But when all the praise Rylie ticks off Eva because she knew a different side to him when they were in college, she speaks her truth in a drunken video that happens to go viral. Eva and Rylie are soon thrown to work together as the exposure is great for both parties.

This book had so many tropes that I love when it comes to romance novels! It had the enemies to lovers, more Eva towards Rylie than the other way around. I got to read some forced proximity as they navigate going on 6 dates together in hopes of Rylie showing Eva he is a changed man. The yearning from Rylie was chef’s kiss, so good I wanted it all!

But along with all the good stuff we love from a romance (yes the spice was gooood!!), it also dealt with some deeper stuff that moved the story along and I loved how they addressed the problems Rylie and Eva had when they first knew each other. Eva was a bit stubborn at times and Rylie was too aloof at times, but they worked together once they got passed those hurdles and it was such a great story!