I unfortunately dnf’ed this at about 50%. It was just not for me. I am not much for reading books with fampus people and stuff. But i wanted to give it a try… i thought the plot and summary sounded fun. And the fact that he called her kitten just made me scared, i wanted to run and hide. Never again.

As a millennial who grew up on the internet i absolutely loved this book. It’s a slow burn, sassy/sunshine book! A sassy FMC with a sunshine determined MMC. They have history, and the way they end up reconnecting again is hilarious! The banter is great throughout the entire book. I absolutely love sausage talk! Haha.

3.5⭐️

If you're looking for a quick read, with lots of banter and humor, and black cat FMC and golden retriever MMC vibes then you need to give this one a go! After a failed relationship/situationship 6 years ago, Eva and Rylie reconnect through a viral social media post and give themselves another try. Eva agrees to let Rylie take her on 6 dates to see if he's changed as a person since their time together in college.

The dynamic between these two characters was a lot of fun to read. Her dry humor mixed with his witty comebacks made their dialogue hilarious and had me highlighting so many quotes. The character growth for both characters was great! You hear about Rylie's personal growth over the past 6 years, and get to see Eva's growth play out in real time during the book.

Tropes/Themes:
- Romcom
- Second Chance
- Black Cat x Golden Retriever
- Bi & Pan MCs
- Right person/Wrong time

This book asks: what if your ex became a famous relationship influencer… and you accidentally torched him on live TV? That’s where Eva Kitt finds herself—professionally frustrated, publicly humiliated, and suddenly trending for all the wrong reasons. The fallout? Her ex, Rylie Cooper, swoops in with a PR-friendly plan: let’s date again, for the internet.

The setup is absurd in the best rom-com way, and Mazey Eddings runs with it—pairing sharp humor with surprising emotional depth. Eva is all edge and eye-rolls, while Rylie is the kind of golden retriever energy you want to dismiss but can’t help warming up to. Their dynamic is entertaining and layered, fueled by snappy dialogue, tension, and a shared history neither of them has really let go of.

The “exes fake-dating for the algorithm” premise could have easily turned gimmicky, but Eddings gives it heart. There are genuine moments of vulnerability tucked between the banter and chaos, and the story manages to say something real about identity, reinvention, and the pressure of living online.

That said, some parts dragged and the middle lost a bit of momentum. Still, the emotional payoff and the chemistry between Eva and Rylie carried it through. It’s not all laughs and love—there’s messiness, too—but that’s what makes it feel grounded.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for its originality, charm, and just enough bite to balance the sweetness.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review!

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. The overall vibe was completely different from what I expected, and the humor missed the mark. Eva seemed like she was supposed to be sharp and witty, but instead, she came across as overly combative, constantly escalating situations in a way that made reading her perspective exhausting. Cooper didn’t work for me either—he was described as a golden retriever type, but he read more like a typical fuckboy. On top of that, I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, which made it really hard to enjoy the romance.

Had to DNF this one.
While I have enjoyed some of Mazey’s previous works (I have read Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake and A Brush With Love and liked them both), this one was just not for me. The plot sounds so fun and I was super intrigued, especially when I’ve seen it compared To Chicken Shop Date. However there was content in this book that I didn’t want to read. I think fans of Mazey will probably enjoy this one, but it just Wasn’t for me.

I really enjoy reading Mazey Edding’s contemporary romance novels. “Well, Actually” is her newest book, a hilarious second chance enemies to lovers romance. Great banter between the love interests. This book focused on some deeper topics such as mental health representation (anxiety), therapy/counseling, grief of a loved one, and workplace problems. I adored the cameos from Mazey’s other books! Cooper is a refreshing male character who showed extreme character growth and change. Eva is an overly strong female character that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really related to her struggles. I found the workplace drama aspect of this book to be confusing, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the social media part of the book. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How cute!! This felt like such a millennial book - but not necessarily in a bad way? It worked for what it was, with the super cheesy banter and comments.

I really liked the characters, especially our FMC (I wish we got the MMC's POV!!).

Overall, a great cheesy romance.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - 4.75

“Hot Girl is an armor you put on. Hot Girl isn’t a look or a style, it’s a commitment to doing whatever makes you feel unstoppable in the face of life’s fuckery.”

This book was so much fun and had me giggling and kicking my feet all throughout. Mazey Eddings could teach a MasterClass in writing banter - top freaking notch! And the more serious topics and discussions were beautifully and thoughtfully written.

If you’re a fan of Chicken Shop Date this one’s for you!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.75🌟
This was SOOOO good! I absolutely ate it up and had such a fun time reading this!

Eva was such a fun fmc to read about. I heavilyyy related to her on so many aspects! Feeling like she's too much but never enough at the same time, Eva was heavily guarded and often used humor or snippiness to protect herself from being too vulnerable. Hello? She is literally me. Quite literally, The Bolter coded. She frustrated me at times, especially when it was very evident how Rylie wanted to fix things with her, and she just kept brushing him off or attacking him. However, I get it. She has a deep fear of rejection and could not understand that someone actually saw her and wanted to be with her. Her character development was so good! I loved the way she knew who she was and didn't back down from the challenges that women in male-dominated fields face every day. She was so strong, witty, and loving, and I overall just loved her so much!

Rylie Cooper!! MY BABY GIRL!!!! He is everything to me. I love a man that grovels, and grovels well! Like, this man was so down bad for Eva. He accepted her for who she was, and encouraged her to remain herself at all times. I love when a golden retriever man embraces and worships his black cat woman. I loved getting to know about his back story and why he acted the way he did six years ago. It was evident that he was very secure in himself at this point in his life. He matched Eva perfectly and wow I just loved him so much!

Rylie and Eva were so amazing! This is one of my favorite romances of the year, for sure. I loved how they worked through their past and focused on cultivating a healthy and loving relationship for themselves. They truly were perfect together! I was definitely blushingggg during the smut omg!! Rylie was so HOT!!! Also, I am so happy about the pansexual/bisexual representation in this book, as well as the discussions about internalized biphobia! We don't see this enough in romance books, and this was done and handled so well.

Thank you NetGalley and SMP for the ARC!!

THE BANTER WAS EVERYTHING! it was so seamless between Rylie and Eva, nothing ever felt forced and they worked so well together. It felt like I was eavesdropping on their conversation but I couldn't stop.

I will say Eva is a hard character to love as she made it difficult to like her but it's purposefully and makes sense. Eddings is so good at writing complex characters with earnest voices.

Ah, this was so much fun <3

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this e-ARC.

I think this is my fourth read of Mazey Eddings and I just continue to enjoy her writing and characters so much. Loved seeing characters from other books make an appearance!

This had me foaming at the mouth and screaming into a pillow. Rylie has so many green flags, it’s a delight. The mouth on him is enough for me to do depraved things.

The flirting, the wit, humour, banter, and chemistry between the fmc and mmc is hypnotic. I was pretending to be Eva whenever Rylie was in sight.

Tropes:
- Second chance romance
- Black cat x golden retriever
- Stop being mean to me, I’ll fall in love with you
- He is OBSESSED with her
- Banter
- Pan + bisexual rep

Well, Actually was the first book I read by Mazey Eddings. I enjoyed it so much and can’t wait to read more. Mazey created a love story that was so enjoyable to read unfolding. I love the quick whit of the man characters. The book was steamy! Thanks for giving me access to this book!

I absolutely loved the A Brush With Love series by Mazey Eddings and was so excited for her new release!!! It sounded so good especially with the Chicken Shop Date comparison, but it just didn’t work for me :/

I didn’t find the innuendos funny — they were just annoying and I didn’t connect to the characters. Even though it wasn’t for me, I could definitely see how people could love this book!!!

This book was such a breath of fresh air! Sure, it had some clichés and familiar tropes, but the fact that the MMC is in therapy, actively working on himself, and totally okay with being vulnerable? You don’t see that often in romance, and I loved it.

The story itself was so much fun! The constant teasing mixed with the raw, emotional moments made it feel like a well-balanced rom-com. That said, I wish the MFC had more character growth to match the MMC. .

Also, I really resonated with the MFC when it came to her trust issues, building defenses to feel safe, and struggling to let people in. She frustrated me at times, but honestly? It felt like looking in a mirror.

Despite the few minor issues I had, this was an easy 5-star read for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a romantic comedy with:

-Second-chance romance
-Grumpy x sunshine (though really, she’s a black cat with a sharp tongue, and he’s a down-bad golden retriever)
-Pansexual + bisexual representation
-Words of affirmation

🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

A quick witted rom com with a FMC who knows how to bite back and a MMC who is hopelessly down bad. You can't help but root for these two as obstacles are thrust in their way and they learn how to communicate after a years long misunderstanding that came at the exact wrong time when thy knew each other in college

So conflicted with my rating on this one! The beginning was SO strong, I was obsessed and immediately predicted that it was going to be a 5 star read. It reminded me so much of Amelia and chicken shop date (which I LOVE) and I thought we were getting an Amelia and Andrew retelling here but with hot dogs 🤣 BUT after the initial “date” between the MC’s Eva and Rylie I just… lost interest 😭 maybe it’s because I can’t relate, but Eva was insufferable to me because of how rude she was. She’s so obviously still hung up on her past with Rylie, and I understand holding a grudge, but my GOODNESS can we tone it down a few notches? She also didn’t take shit from anyone, which is a fave trait of mine, BUT she grew complacent af when it came to her boss??? When it actually mattered she was silent?? I was so confused by this whole workplace bullying storyline honestly. Like just QUIT YOUR JOB!!!! You live in NY and work in journalism/social media you will be FINE 😭

Also her friend Aida was the WORST. All this talk about girl power in the book, but no decent female friendship??? She didn’t have her back until the very end, and even that was lackluster. I liked Rylie as an MMC but I just couldn’t get over the cringe moments, and the nickname “kitten” he gave Eva 😣 I also kind of had a hard time believing he felt THAT guilty for how he treated her in the past, because why hasn’t he tried to find/contact her over the years? Moving on, the supporting characters were fine but it honestly felt like they were thrown haphazardly in just to add to the plot. One last complaint, there are SO many current event/social media/meme references and while some were funny, it really dates the book and creates a story that isn’t timeless & wont be relevant at some point. Someone who isn’t up to date on the latest memes really wouldn’t understand half the dialogue in here.

Okay this is getting SUPER long so I’ll end with the good: the banter was FANTASTIC! I giggled and laughed out loud many times & felt that the chemistry was truly palpable!! The spice was actually really good too and better than I expected it to be! Again, the beginning of the book was perfection! Great intro to the main character & what she does, and the plotline of her airing Rylie’s dirty laundry via social media was genius 🤣

anyway if it wasn’t for the witty banter this probably would have been 2 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for an ARC of this book!! 🫶🏼

I was HIGHLY skeptical of this one when I first read the blurb. A male podcaster profiting off of talking about toxic masculinity? I think I side-eyed so hard I sprained my eyeballs.

But, ugh, I guess will make an exception for Rylie Cooper. The patience he has for Eva, the slutty little glasses (Eva’s words not mine), the banter, the scenes where <redacted because I have family that follow this account>.

On a serious note though, in addition to be riotously fun, I think there’s a lot of things that felt real in this one. This isn’t a second chance romance because of a silly miscommunication, or circumstances. Rylie really hurt Eva, in ways that will feel very familiar to anyone who’s been ghosted by an emotionally immature college boy. He has to atone for that (and atone he does) and Eva has to work through the issues she has because of it.

All in all, this one was a delight. My only worry is that it may give women the idea that their terrible college exes have actually evolved, emotionally intelligent and amazing in bed - and we all know that he’s probably still an f-boy, just with a receding hairline now.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7264749838
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/16547163-f0f0-4268-9062-997ec9fdcc8c

⭐️ 8.5/10⭐️
Well, Actually was such a fun read! There were parts that genuinely made me laugh out loud, and the pacing was so well done, I couldn’t put it down! The banter was top notch, and the chemistry kept me hooked. A great, fun, and lighthearted book perfect for the beach.

Thank you Mazey Eddings, St. Martins Griffin, and NetGalley for the ARC!

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be spunky. Eva is the kind of character that I envy— so quick witted, funny and outgoing. Riley is charming and sweet and the perfect golden retriever to Eva’s black cat.

As a chronically online human, it was obvious to me who these characters were loosely based on, but it didn’t stop me from picturing them and making them their own characters.

If you need a good spicy read, with a ton of banter and quick wit, this is a perfect read!