Read as a mix between ebook and audio I found it hard to get into this book. While both characters seemed developed and relatable I just couldn’t connect to either.

I am honestly left with such a mixed bag of emotions on this one because at times the banter was spot on and I was giving with them. However then a few pages later everything just felt forced and it took me out of the story. A big part of that may be personal preference though because the nickname kitten makes me cringe.

Although this wasn’t a bad read, it wasn’t a standout one either. Which is a little disappointing because I absolutely loved The Plus One by Mazey.

Read if you love:
🐈‍⬛ Black cat/ golden retriever
❤️ Second chance
🌈 Bi/ pan rep

Than you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my review copies in exchange for an honest review!

Super cute fun, fast paced enemies to lovers. The chemistry between the two main characters was off the charts. I also found it to be a fun and interesting take on the enemies to lovers trope. If you love a black cat golden retriever vibe book this is definitely a good one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Wow. I simply adored this book and these characters. This was hilarious but emotional and really hit me in all the feels. This was a spicy second chance romance that was unlike other stories but I just ate it up. Truly a five star read.

This is the third book by Mazey Eddings I have read. It’s interesting how different they all are. This one is full of humor and and wit. I liked the main characters and loved their interactions. The work environment is challenging and seemed pretty realistic. Overall the book is well written and engaging. Just know it’s got some spice to it as well.

🌭 I had a hot dog of a time reading this one! I couldn't put it down. I loved the black cat/golden retriever will they/ won't they energy.

What a good time. Also, connecting with both Eva and Rylie on cellular levels was interesting. It was a perfect blend.

I've been around since the beginning with this author and it looks like it just keeps getting better. Also, I adored the cameos!

Thank you to SMP for the advanced e copy arc. I couldn't get enough.

This was very fun! Another second chance romance set in New York that I ate up. The dynamic between Eva and Riley was unique and sharp and I really liked how they were developed. The writing was great and witty and while I didn’t get quite as invested as I wanted to be, I had a great time listening.

Did the premise of hot dogs draw me into this book?
Yes.
Were there hot dogs?
Also yes.
But there was so much more than just weiners.

I was expecting a typical rom-com with a standard miscommunication somewhere towards the end... Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP 🙌 Rylie knew what he wanted and never wavered, and we love a man who knows what he wants.

Well, Actually made me laugh out loud, swoon, and feel seen in more ways than one. I love that Eva was both fierce and unapologetically herself, but also soft, especially with Rylie. Because heaven knows us tough girls get tired too, and it's so nice to be seen just the way we are.

Other things I loved:
- the banter 👩‍🍳💋🤌
- the spice 🥵
- Rylie's love for Eva
- the weiners 🌭

I had so much fun reading this book! It was hot, it gripped me from the start, and it just absolutely fueled my feminine rage. This is one of those books where everybody kind of needs a therapist… but better because they actually see one. Our FMC is such a lovable demon, I enjoyed this from start to finish.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for an early ALC!

4.25✨

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I thought it was emotional and spicy. There were a lot of feelings these two had to work through with this being a 2nd chance romance and I thought it was done really well. I only really had issues with the FMC at times because of how she was treating the MMC. In this house we stan Rylie Cooper!!!

Once they worked through these issues, I was able to really enjoy their story. There’s a scene where I was laughing so hard out loud (his bed, IFYKYK). And these spicy scenes were SO GOOOOOD! Standing ovation for Mazey Eddings!!

The only reason I took it down from a 5 is because I was getting really angry at the FMC for being really mean to the MMC at the beginning. Especially after she was super mean to him after the therapy session!

Audiobook Notes:

THE NARRATOR GETS 5 FUCKING STARS BECAUSE THEY KILLED THIS NARRATION!!! This is a single narrator because the book is only from the FMC POV and they were absolutely fantastic doing both voices for the characters!! And the side characters too! The spice was made even better from their narration!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book got me hooked from the start! I enjoyed the writing and the pace of the book. The FMC and MMC had great banter. I was also very glad for no 3rd act break up.

Genuinely the funniest book I have read. I was in my kitchen, multitasking like most moms, literally slapping the counter CACKLING at the sheer audacity, the flawless execution, and the fact that Eddings created the most relatable character ever.

I love Eva. She feels like me but much much much cooler and better dressed. She says the wrong things at the most awkward times but you love her for it. Rylie feels like most boys I knew in college but 100x sweeter and emotionally in tune. I was worried his approach to EQ would be cringy but it was handled with so much care. Their chemistry is unmatched and their ability to actually talk through issues had me wishing I read this book in my 20s. Communication? This book gets it.

Well, Actually is a perfect blend of humor and wit that feels modern, without losing those tender moments. Please please please read this. SO GOOD.

Intro/synopsis:
“Well Actually” by Mazey Eddings was a fun read at first and turned into an exploration of toxic masculinity in relationships and in the workplace. Eva is trying to make it as a journalist but feels stuck interviewing B list celebrities while eating hotdogs. Her college ex boyfriend,Rylie, is a social media influencer on relationships and toxic masculinity. Trouble is he was awful to her while they dated and she voices her opinion on their past on social media. It goes viral and she gets caught in a public dating situation at her bosses urging. has he really changed as he claims he has and can Eva protect herself from
Heartbreak this time around?

My thoughts:
I loved the relationship between Rylie and Eva, their chemistry was off the charts and the enemies to lover banter was perfect in my opinion. Rylie was the perfect golden retriever MMC and his insistence that Eva not run away from him and what they have time and time again was refreshing. I hated Eva’s bosses and I had a hard time with her friends as well as it felt like they weren’t protecting Eva or caring about her feelings. This was a well written and fun story that I enjoyed reading thoroughly!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much that I read it in one day. I loved the storyline and all the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

Eva is a struggling talkshow host who dreams of being a real journalist. One night she responds to a video of her ex, who is now a social media personality. Overnight, her world is rocked as the video is picked up and circulated. Now Eva is forced to reunite with Rylie, where he asks her to give him a chance to re-do their past with six new dates. Eva is coerced into it by her new boss, but to her shock she begins to enjoy spending time with Rylie. How far will they go to unpack what happened between them all those years ago? And how far will Eva go for a job that doesn’t value her?

I loved this book! It’s a fast-paced, funny and bingeable read. Mazey Eddings’ dialogue is hilarious and I thought Eva being mean to Rylie was the best (he loves it). Eva is so witty and criminally undervalued in her work as the host of a show where she eats hot dogs while interviewing people. Eddings captures some of the unfair challenges that women in the media face compared to men. Rylie is a golden retriever and a cinnamon roll who is intent on showing Eva that he’s a changed man. Readers who love hilarious dialogue and second-chance romance will love Well, Actually.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Well, Actually is the story of Eva and Rylie, former college sweethearts, who have since fallen out of favor with each other. Eva has always dreamed of being a journalist but she's forced to take a job interviewing semi-famous people and that's how she gets back into Rylie's orbit. Despite despising the man, she agrees to go on a series of dates with him for the show. It's very topical, very tropey, but I'm not sure it was the perfect fit for me.

While many readers will love the biting wit of Eva and how Well, I don't really love enemies to lovers where the FMC is just sniping at the MMC most of the story. I find it hard to believe that these two would really end up together and be happy. It was buzzy and a fun read, but will mostly appeal to those looking for second chance romance or enemies to lovers tropes.

t book by Eddings, and it won't be my last! I enjoyed everything about this snarky but thoughtful romance. It was especially nice to read a story that felt original, to me at least, though it relies on some standard romance tropes (second chance, enemies to lovers).

Eva Kitt is struggling to make it in journalism, currently stuck interviewing B (and C and D) list celebrities on a low-budget show called Sausage Talk, where she and her guests eat hot dogs and swap innuendo. She's great at cheeky humor and thinking on her feet. A bit too great, as it turns out. Her ex from college, Rylie, is now a successful social media personality who talks about toxic masculinity and being a better partner. She makes a drunken video one night calling him out for how mean he was to her and how bad he was in bed.

When her video goes viral, her producer makes them do a series of interviews, and Rylie challenges her to go on six dates with him so he can atone for his behavior in college, with an on-air review of each date.

I loved the originality of the premise, and I really loved the sparks that fly between these two at every meeting. But what I liked most was that these two larger-than-life personalities felt real and layered. Rylie may be in touch with his feelings but he really was terrible when they first dated. And he isn't perfect now -- his first "atonement" date with Eva is a disaster. Eva is tough as nails on the outside but a mess on the inside. I may not have related to her stiletto heels but I could certainly relate to her ambition and her fears of letting her walls down.

I appreciated the way Rylie and Eva have to balance their feelings for each other, their careers, and the very thin line of public versus private. They both want social media success but they also want space to be themselves, in private, and those aren't easy boundaries to draw.

There's a fair amount of repetition, in both the banter and cutesy nicknames, and also in Eva's internal monologue. But I found it well written, and the humor and emotion make up for the repetition.

I think good second chance stories are hard to write, because often it feels unrealistic that the couple broke up in the first place. I didn't feel that way here. Also the cover is fantastic, and I find most covers pretty unoriginal (though I'm not sure the title does this book any favors).

This book was sexy, spicy, with great banter and a lot of heart. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher St. Martins Griffin. This book was published August 5, 2025.

Absolutely loved my first introduction into Mazey Eddings’ books. Eva and Rylie are phenomenal.

I absolutely love Mazey’s writing style and the pace of the book. The way she conveys emotion through Eva is superb and I love the entire premise. Such a fun read!! Thank you SMP for this ARC!!

If you are anything like me, and love a first line that makes you laugh, you’ll want to read this novel. I am a huge Mazey Eddings fan and although Well, Actually was a bit different than her other books, it did not disappoint!

Some may consider parts of this book crude, but the sarcasm and banter made me LOL.

There are some heavy topics, but Mazey does a fantastic job at addressing them and showing the real sides of people. It is very refreshing to read about characters who struggle just like everyone else.

⚠️Please check the TW⚠️

Book Review
Well, Actually
By: Mazey Eddings

★★★☆☆ – Fun Concept, But the Vibes Got Old
Sausage Talk had all the right ingredients—viral call-outs, fake dating, second chances—but the execution didn’t quite hit.
Eva starts off as a hilarious hot mess, stuck hosting a weird celeb hot dog show after calling out her ex, Rylie, on the internet. He’s now a woke internet darling teaching men how to not suck, and he offers to “make it up to her” with public redemption dates. She agrees—for revenge, obviously.
At first, it’s entertaining. But Eva being a jerk 24/7 and Rylie staying painfully gentle got really annoying after a while. The grudge-match vibe just dragged on, and their emotional growth felt lopsided.
Still, the premise is fun, the banter is solid, and if you love messy second-chance romances with a splash of influencer drama, this might be your thing.
Tropes:
🎤 Enemies to Lovers
📹 Fake Dating for Content
💔 Second Chances
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine (but flipped)
📲 Social Media Drama
❤️‍🩹 Redemption Arc

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

Oh this book was SO addicting!! My first book by Mazey Eddings, and I’m immediately hooked by her writing! The main characters (specifically Eva) were HILARIOUS. The banter in this was immaculate. I found myself thinking of this book throughout the day and needed to pick it up any spare moment I had! This book is the definition of black cat x golden retriever and every slow burn lovers dream.