🌭 Well, Actually 🎙️
✍🏼 Mazey Eddings
✨ Vital Read ✨

If you need me I will be trying to come up with a way to inject Eva and Rylie banter directly into my veins. I could not get enough of these two! I would quite literally read 10 000 more pages of only dialogue between them. I think I added every conversation they had to my Kindle highlights.

I think Eva may be a polarizing FMC but I don't remember the last time I related to an FMC as much as I related to her. I found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by her and then realizing, that must be what it's like to be my friend because I would do the same thing 🤷‍♀️ She is stubborn, sarcastic, quick-witted, and hilarious but it's how her moments of vulnerability were written that truly made this book a vital read for me.

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 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡

I think one of my favourite micro tropes is "stop being mean to me, or I swear to God I'll fall in love" There is just something about a man that can take an insult with a grin that makes me weak. Rylie "baby girl" Cooper is the newest addition to the rent-free penthouse in my brain. He is wonderfully weird, wears slutty glasses and goes to therapy 🥵 Eva doesn't make it easy on him but he knows exactly how to love her. He is a words of affirmation king in the streets and the sheets 😉

I 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Thanks netgalley, publisher, and author for this ARC! All thoughts in this review are my own 😊

This was ok. For most of the book I hated the FMC and liked the MMC and the supporting characters. I came around to enjoying all the mains once the plot is further revealed.

I liked the premise, and if you like a second chance, enemies to lovers, full character growth kind of romance then this is the book for you.


Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Well, Actually is sexy as F***! This lively, second chance romance is deeply heartfelt. Eva Kit, is a b-list journalist, looking for a big story to jumpstart her career. In a heated moment, she lets loose on a podcast discussing her college love affair with one, Rylie Cooper. He, on the other hand, coaches men to become better partners. Literally their partnership scripts itself as they must come together to form a pact to do a show where he redeems himself with her.

Eva is sharp, classic and sarcastic compared to Rylie's easy-to-please energy. Well, Actually is snarky, ridiculous, and vulnerable as these two slowly fall back in love over a series of dates.

Overall, this is a fun, flirty romance.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

I really liked this story and realize all the comparisons to Chicken Shop Date, but let me explain why. Eva Kitt certainly has a mean streak which works well while hosting her internet show Sausage Talk. In her everyday living it isolates her from co-workers and acquaintances. Rylie Cooper broke her heart in college and now hosts a successful podcast about improving male behavior and erasing toxicity. When Eva publicly calls out Rylie it garners serious media attention and pushed by her bosses and Rylie they agree to a series of dates. It’s not long before there is snarky banter,obvious chemistry and maybe some real feelings.
Now this is what I loved. Eva - sometimes when women are dismissed, made to feel they are never enough it doesn’t matter how intelligent or beautiful you may be. To get through that hard shell someone needs to really see and accept every part of you. Rylie- once a frat boy with a lack of empathy grew to realize how his behavior was hurting the women in his family. Lastly I was so happy with the queer representation. It was never an issue or a plot point, it just existed as a normal fact of life. Without giving away too much I loved Rylie and Eva’s interactions, her snarling and him smiling. Thanks Netgalley and St Martins Press for this good time.

MAZEY I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR GAME!! But Well, Actually came out today and absolutely ATE. This one devoured some of the other romances I’ve read this year, I fear!!

I loved the premise, but what really got me was the balanc. there are important conversations around biphobia and unlearning toxic masculine behaviors, but the romance?? Top. Tier. Second chance in the best possible way. Rylie is soooo BABYGIRL and Eva is the kind of FMC who has him wrapped around her finger and knows exactly what she’s doing. I’m such a sucker for a man in slutty glasses and Rylie DELIVERED.

This one is for the yearners, the banter girlies, and anyone who enjoys a little bully-flirting with men who deserve it. I was blushing, kicking my feet, and literally stayed up all night to finish. Mazey Eddings, you have my full attention now.

✨Highly recommend picking this up IMMEDIATELY.✨

This was the first book I've read by Mazey Eddings and I really enjoyed it!

I loved the banter between the two of them and the growth the main female characters has throughout the novel.

It was a quick, spicy read and I really enjoyed it.

This book had me hooked right from the start. Eva was an incredible main character. I might have developed a crush on her myself. She was very badass, sassy, and overall super funny but also had a very vulnerable side to her. Her confidence isn't always real, but it isn't always fake either. That just made her such a compelling main character, and I really loved following her throughout this book.
I have to be honest and say that I wasn't fully sold on Rylie from the start yet though. Just like Eva I found it hard to determine his true intentions at times. Therefore he came of as a bit of sleazeball at the start. I definitely think getting chapters from his POV definitely would have helped getting me invested in him as well earlier. However, there comes a moment where these two really open up to each other, and unpack what happened between them 6 years ago, and from that point onwards I did really like him.
Overall I also just LOVED the romance. As mentioned before it did take me a bit to fully trust Rylie's intentions, but I still thought the dynamic between the two of them was great from the start. They had great banter, and it was clear that there were still a lot of unresolved feelings there. The way they also really unpacked everything that happened 6 years ago before anything romantic between them happened now was also just really well done. I always hate a second chance romance where they get together before their issues from the past get even touched upon. They also just were adorable together. I mean, they definitely also had some really sexy times together, but once they got together they were just so OBSESSED with each other that I just couldn't help but adore them.
The plot was also great. I at first wasn't sure about how the whole workplace 'drama' stuff was going to go down, and was nervous it was going to be brushed of or something but I am SO GLAD it didn't. I feel like Eva taking a lot of shit from her job because they kept dangling a promotion in her face and she's been very insecure about her career is very realistic. However, we also got some great catharsis when she actually starts to learn her own value and stand up against that. I of course won't spoil how it all ended up going down, but I did love the way it was resolved.

This book started really strong and I was cackling. I loved the narrator and everything that was happening. As it progressed, I started to tune it out and it dragged. There was a lot that worked. I enjoyed the second-chance romance and the no third act break up. But the dialogue sometimes felt forced and the story dragged. I felt it could have been at least 50 pages shorter. I definitely want to read more by Mazey Eddings!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy of the book!

This book is out now!

The book was such a fun time!! I got the vibes of Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date series very early on but honestly that comparison came and went the more I continued in the book.

Eva Kitt is an interviewer who host Sausage Talk and interview different B-D list celebrities while eating hot dogs. Rylie Cooper is a former fling whom is now a popular podcaster. Eva was hung up on action he did when they were in college and broadcaster a rant of their short period together that went viral overnight. Thinking she would get in trouble with her employer, the opposite happened and they use this attention for good and put Cooper on Eva's show. Cooper has suave charm and convinced her to go on 6 dates (that's how many they went on in the past) to make up for his younger self.

Cooper wanted desperately to be in the good graces of Eva but she had her walls up very high. Eva came off as very unlikable (in the tropes for this book she is described as black cat which is SO true). I was so worried how I would feel about her throughout the book because it made me feel bad for Cooper because of how standoffish she was towards him. I understand why she was upset but people do change over the years. We did learn why Cooper ghosted her all those years ago. He owned up to it and really wanted to make things right. There was a moment when he was declaring how he felt that just hit me right in the gut: <b>"I liked you then, and despite the desperate pleading of my sanity and your every attempt to push me away, I like you now. All of this is because I want to you know, be around you. Because I fucked it up once and I saw a second change. Because now I'm so deep in this I would crawl through hell on my hands and knees over a bed a broken glass before I let you go again."</b> Pretty much all of Chapter 15 just gave me the heart eyes.

The banter and spice in this is top notch! The dialogue between the two characters flowed so well. And I just love how Cooper did not give up. He was head over heels for Eva and I absolutely loved his nickname of Kitten for her. I would have love to get Cooper's POV but I thought it still was well done with just her single POV.

If you are looking for a funny, banter filled, second chance romance - give this one a read! Great for summer reading!

4.5

Lowkey didn’t like anyone in this book? The FMC is whiney and let one bad experience with a man 6 years ago dictate her life. Her family was crap, her friends were decent. The MMC barely tried to get to know current her before attempting to woo her and relied on old information/just did things to try to impress her. There was no chemistry between the two from what I could tell, just a dislike on her part and begrudging agreement that he’s objectively attractive and basing a connection off of that

This book was so emotional for me! I am the type to not give second chances and this story is about a second chance with a first love. It’ll take you on an emotional ride that has some moments that’ll make you laugh. It made me think of my first love and what could have been!

I didn’t love this one. It was kind of predictable I was bored most of the time. I do like this author and I will keep reading books by her.

So, it’s been a minute since I’ve laughed out loud as much as I did with this book. The banter, the hate to love, the second chance, the tension and the tenderness; it all worked together like some amazing chaos buffet! I literally couldn’t put this down!

All it took was one bottle of bubbly and a social media stitch of her college ex, now turned relationship guru, to turn Eva Kirt’s life upside down. The next morning she was viral and her current job as host of Sausage Talk (or like the viral Chicken Shop Date) was now being put to the test when her bosses now wants her to come face to face with ex, Rylie Cooper, for a Sausage Talk. Rylie with all his charm shows up and knocks her off kilter enough that he gets her to agree to six dates to try and prove he’s a changed man. Between their history, her motive of revenge, his patience and little comedy things go down hill pretty quickly. But, when emotions and secrets from the past are revealed, Eva realizes maybe Rylie isn’t who she thought he was.

Mazey did a great job touching on mental health issues and how we all find different ways to cope and often hurt ourselves and others on the process. While there was a lot of laughs, there were plenty of moments of sweet tenderness and good communication.

- second chance romance
- hate to love
- so many laugh out loud moments
- LQBTQ+ representation
- workplace bullying

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mazey Eddings for the advanced copy. All opinions shared here are entirely my own.

4.5 Rounded Up.

Eva, host of the Sausage Talk show interviewing B-list celebrities. Rylie, a social media personality teaching men about how to be good partners and Eva’s college ex. After Eva publicly calls Rylie out, she is forced to have him on her show, where he offers to take her on a series of dates to make up for his behavior back in college. But when these dates start to feel real, Eva starts to wonder Rylie really changed.

I really enjoyed this story about second chances. While their second chance started a bit unconventional, I thought it was so funny. The banter and pointless arguments between Eva and Rylie was hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing. I loved the found family she found with her friends. The character depth and growth that both Eva and Rylie went through and how they are growing together. Rylie was just the perfect counterpart for her. Both characters were just easy to relate to. I would totally recommend if you are looking for something fun while still being a bit emotional.

A new to me author.

Listened to on @audible
Narrated by Ariela Crow. She a great job bringing these characters to life and making you feel like you are right there in the story too.

Another quote that I really enjoyed:

“Kitten, I’d rather spend every day getting in a pointless argument with your for sport than be bored and complacent with anyone else.”

I loved that the FMC was unlike most! She is not the typically loved heroin but she is relatable and also hate-able. She has a tough exterior that you only need to break through to see the real person and Rylie Cooper did that! He is the sweetest MMC who truly loves her and strives to show it! The Tropes in this book are EVERYTHING!! I will be recommending to everyone. and the physical copy has already been ordered

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I went into Well, Actually curious how I’d feel about it. This story had something working for it and something against it: I love Mazey Eddings’s writing, but I don’t love stories that feel like fan fiction of real people (Amelia from Chicken Shop Date). Although this isn’t my favorite of her works, I enjoyed the story and gave it 4 stars.

Eva, the heroine, is not going to be liked by all readers. She’s a bitchy, sassy, and covers up her feelings with humor. I thought that she was a refreshing change from what I usually read. The hero, Rylie, was very charming and I thought that they made a good pair. I liked the variety with the dates. Some of them were written very sitcom-y funny, and some were written to be really emotional.

I struggled a little bit with the best friend character. She works in the same place as Eva, and their boss is very toxic. Sometimes I felt that the best friend took the toxic boss’s side too often. Although it’s understandable, it was frustrating to read.

As always with this author, I enjoyed the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and mental health struggles. Mazey Eddings just gets it, and I have yet to read anything from her that represents this poorly.

Overall I recommend if you like this author’s previous work!

Sometimes, second-chances are just what we need. Eva and Riley briefly dated while they were in university, but in the past six years Eva has done a fine job ignoring him. While she is hosting Sausage Talk, Riley is the host of a popular podcast. One day, Eva goes viral due to a response she recorded to a video Riley posted, and the two are forced to go on six dates to appease the crowds.
Do the old feelings resurface? Can their icy feelings towards one another unthaw?

If you like funny banter, romance, real life issues, and couples that actually talk to one another, this book is for you! I loved how real the characters were, I loved how they communicated, I loved the ending. Yes, Eva is a highly imperfect character and she is a very spicy kitten, but it did not bother me one little bit.
She is stand-offish and rude I guess, but I think that makes her more realistic.
Riley is just perfection 🥰

🙌🏻 What worked for me:
• The premise of Rylie taking Eva on a series of "dates" to make amends for how he treated her in the past, with podcast debriefs that added a great layer of humor and insight.
• The top-tier banter and witty dialogue between Eva and Rylie, which kept the story engaging and fun.
• Rylie's dedicated effort to show Eva he's changed, making him a supportive and swoon-worthy book boyfriend.
• Eva's relatable journey of overcoming abandonment issues, which are deeply affected by her family's unsupportive behavior.
• The inclusion of LGBTQ+ representation and an emphasis on the importance of therapy, adding depth and modern relevance to the story.
​
🚫 What didn't work for me:
• The forced and overdone workplace toxicity from her bosses was a major drawback, as was the strained and unhealthy friendship with Ada.
• The constant and excessive use of pop culture references that may cause the book to feel dated very quickly.

​🤜🏻 Would I recommend:
Yes. The compelling central romance and well-developed main characters make this a worthwhile and enjoyable read, despite some minor flaws in the secondary plotlines.
​
Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Second-chance romance
✔️ Witty banter
✔️ Supportive book boyfriends
✔️ Main characters who go to therapy
✔️ Emotional journeys and personal growth
✔️ LGBTQ+ representation
✔️ Pop culture references
✔️ Spicy scenes that are part of the plot

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. My review is already available on GoodReads and will also be posted today on my TikTok.

This is one of my favourite romance novels of 2025. With a romcom premise blending the humour of How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and the concept of Chicken Shop Date, Well, Actually is original, raw and hilarious.

I adored Eva’s character. I’m always fond of icy blondes who try to pretend they’re tough and mean because they’re afraid to be left behind. I found her relatable, witty and oh so precious.

And then, we had Rylie Babygirl Cooper. I particularly liked the fact that he was given an ugly past and that the author didn’t try to change that. Yeah, sometimes people make mistakes or act shitty when they’re younger and they’re hurting. It’s messy but it’s life. I love second chances because of this. They allow redemption arcs, they show you that people can change and grow and do better. And Rylie did JUST THAT. He was literally the sweetest, steadiest man ever. I absolutely loved him.

The romance between the two characters was swoon-worthy and full of banter. I kept highlighting every single sentence because of how funny or sweet it was. It was honestly such a good time! Overall, I found the plot of Well, Actually refreshing and kept giggling all throughout the book.

I just wished it had been slightly more of a slow burn but that’s on me! I loved the idea of the 6 dates and maybe if they had all happened until they first kissed, I would have preferred it, just because I was very invested in the actual plot of the book. I try to be slightly less interested when there is 30% left of a book and the two main characters are already dating, especially because it usually means a third act breakup. I was actually surprised to see that this wasn’t the case, and that everything was handled with maturity, so it definitely didn’t bother me as much.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review (unpaid).

Very reminiscent of the Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield Chicken Shop Date interview.