Mazey Eddings can do know wrong - so I will except ZERO criticism LOL. Not only is Mazey a dentist (I’m a pediatric dentist)…but her writing really is fun, comical, serious and heartwarming in a tight yet very messy package. I’ve read all her books and have no plans to stop now…

Well Actually is truly fun and funny!

Her whole life, Ava has been thinking that maybe she is too hard to love, when in reality she just has not found the right person yet, until Copper comes back to her life (the one who broke her heart in the first place six years ago).

This book was so incredibly funny! I kid you not, I was laughing my ass off. Eva is not your typical FMC, she is insufferable, talks back and has her guards UP and I know so many people are going to complain about her but you need to trust the process and wait for that character development and you will see that she iss just trying her best in a world that has done nothing but disappoint her….

Talk about chemistry and GROVELING!!!! Cooper is equal parts adorable and slutty!!! My favorite kind of men 😫 the spice goes so hard in this book!!! Literally barking / salivating the entire whole time…..and think HOTDOGS too

Riley Cooper and Eva have a complicated past from college. Riley has a reason for his trauma and trying to heal but will Eva be able to see that. A great story of old love turned bad.

Thank you to SMP and Mazey Eddings for the opportunity to read and review the e-arc of Well, Actually in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a true Chicken Shop Date lovers paradise, and a laugh out loud funny rom-com. I can confidently say that I wish I could erase this book from my memory just to be able to re-read it again for the first time because I think would be such a fun book club book!

So so so good, I am excited to share on pub day!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I really had hope for this based on the premise. I tried to enjoy the story and characters from an unbiased perspective, but I just couldn't get there.
The book is like fanfiction for chicken shop dates, and it was too hard for me to separate fiction from reality.

I'm sure the book will be fun for somebody who can separate the two but I'm sorry, it just wasn't for me.

This book is definitely a 4 star read! The banter is amazing between the two main characters!

I love that Eva is a badass women who doesn't mind speaking her mind. I know some readers may not care for her but I love how quick witted she was. She always had something to say!

And Rylie...ohh Rylie. He was such a words of affirmation guy and I love that for Eva. Sometimes I wanted some more from him but overall he gave me the giggles that I want from a MMC in a book.

I would give this book 4/5 stars! Gave me that spice but still left me wanting a little more! Highly recommend reading though for a fast paced book with great banter.

Overall plot, good. Characters, good. Writing, I enjoy Mazey's way of writing character interactions and dialogue. The spice level was a little too much for me. Some of it fit the story, some of it felt not needed. I personally am not a fan of the dialogue during the spice scenes. That was a turn off for me. I felt like it ruined the moments a little bit. And again, maybe if it was one moment it would have been fine, but it was every time. The storyline and characters started as a 4-star read for me, but then became a 2-star as I found myself skimming through scenes because it all became very repetitive. I'm happy how the characters came together and that once they were their like/love for each other just grew, but some of the things that got them there were just blah. Sometimes Eva's reaction felt like it was going overboard forcefully. There was a point too where Rylee was referred to as Rylie and then all of a sudden it switched to Cooper for a little, then back to Rylie. Threw me off. I thought I completely missed something.

Overall, despite the lower star rating I thought the book was ok and I would even recommend it because I enjoy Mazey's writing, but with the repetitive scenes this one just lost me a bit.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you net galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews

Well, I can say I really like the cover of this book .. and that's about it.

I'm really sorry but I did not vibe with these characters and found the personality of the MFC more annoying than anything. The writing felt to forced. The author was definitely targeting a demographic and I wasn't it

This was so cute! Felt like I was reading if “Chicken Shop Date” came to life in a second-chance romance. The MMC was a refreshing man who embraces therapy and growth, and the FMC was sarcastic (a little too much at times) but relatable in her fears and insecurities. I loved the banter in this one!

Well, Actually was filled with excellent humor, witty banter, heartfelt messages, and real life issues. I was genuinely laughing out loud along with the characters throughout most of this book. The storyline begins with a set up for second chances and forgiveness, but became about so much more. By the end of this book, I felt seen, hopeful, and heartbroken all at the same time. Would recommend this read 10000x over.

I really enjoyed this one! I see it’s getting a lot of mixed reviews, but I liked it!

The story follows Eva Kitt, a journalist and host of Sausage Talk and Ryle Cooper a “golden retriever” podcast host. They hooked up once in college and Eva hasn’t ever quite recovered from it.

I loved learning each characters’ back story and watching them fall in love after years of no communication. Eva is a strong character that may seem hard to like for some. I really liked how Rylie talked to her and got to know the real Eva.

There were lots of LOL moments in this one and it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complementary advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own.

Well, Actually was a delight to read! The initial tension between Rylie and Eva was steaming through the pages, and I was absolutely drawn into their dynamic from day one. Their love story is one about patience and open conversation as well as being willing to be in the wrong. The personal growth that both Eva and Rylie experience is tremendous throughout this book!

I truly loved reading this book. It was both realistic and hilarious, and I felt like Eva could be any one of my friends right in front of me. She’s a flawed character but she is REAL, and I absolutely adored that. It’s impossible to not root for someone who experiences such real character development through hardships.

The moment between Eva and Rylie where she shares about her experience with SSRIs and partners in the past is really meaningful to me. It’s so rare to have such open dialogue in romance books, and though it’s a small moment in a much larger (and spicier) scene, I was so grateful to see that representation on the page.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There is truly something for everyone in this second chance romance. It's a modern love story that some will find very relatable with real life problems (and solutions), genuine friendships, and a good bit of witty humor. Perfect for twenty-somethings. I wasn't sure about the quirkiness in the beginning but really enjoyed how the plot developed — until it was largely abandoned for sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm here for the spice. But in this case, I found myself skimming scenes to get back to the story and characters.

Delightful fun! Laugh out loud funny. While also being a very deep and a love letter to the gals who are 100% themselves and sometimes told they are a little too much. I really adore the enemies background and second chance piece. the first half was so DELICIOUS I devoured it and loved the references to being a millennial and extremely online. and the second half was sweet emotional layers of romance which I adored! Add this to your list!!! I don't give out 5 stars lightly and this one was chefs kiss!

What the world needs more now than ever are women who exude female rage in the best way possible, and Mazey Eddings gave us that and so much more. Seriously though I think Eva Kitt could have a starring role in Female Rage: The Musical…maybe singing Cassandra or I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an EARC of this book.

This book was everything to me, and I will defend her with my dying breath. So obviously if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.

Eddings gives us a second chance romance that dives into the harsh reality of learning to move past heartbreak and if we can find it in ourselves to forgive…after much groveling of course. And along the way how we deal with horrible work environments (misogyny, nepotism, etc), biphobia/homophobia, and being in the public eye. And together they create this beautiful story that makes you feel so many emotions.

Mazey Eddings gives us Eva Kitt, a strong woman, who had dreams and aspirations that the world wants to crush. She hosts Sausage Talk, where she sits down to chat with celebrities for social media content, which is not the career she had in mind but bills got in the way. So what happens when a post on her personal platform blows up over night when she takes shots at a beloved podcaster? Chaos ensues and she’s forced to be back in contact with the boy who broke her heart in college.

And the golden boy podcaster, Rylie Cooper, decides he wants to right the wrongs of the past and asks for Eva to give him ten chances to make up for his past failings. And let me just say the chaos that ensues allows both of them to grow into better versions of themselves.

What Mazey does so well with this book is show a strong independent woman who is not going to be swayed by a charming male. In fact Eva wants nothing more than to take Rylie down a peg. And Eva makes sure he knows he can’t just win her over by putting on a dashing smile and his adorably quirky sweatshirts, instead he is forced to show his growth as a person. He needs to prove how much he has learned and how much he truly regrets his past behavior.

And all I can say is he definitely makes up for hurting Eva in the past. And his growth is astronomical!! He opens up about struggling with his own identity based on how he believed society would react but also how he was dealing with grief at the same time. And all his current actions show his growth as a human and his capacity to have empathy for others. I mean who else would think of therapy as a dating option?

All this to say they both have a lot of growth in this book as Eva navigates a career environment that has become super toxic. It’s through her time with Rylie that she realizes how truly toxic her company is and how she should proceed in resolving this issue. And along the way she finds a partner who believes in her and is willing to support her anyway he can.

Overall this book is a gem and I can not express my love for it enough. Truly I could keep rambling and tell you all the things I love about it. The romance is exceptional, the spicy scenes are hot as heck and add to the emotional depth of their relationship, and Eddings deals with very harsh realities of society’s expectations and unfairness. Eddings will always be a favorite author for me and every new book she releases makes me believe she will keep getting better with each release.

Oh my gosh where do I even begin?? It’s so rare for me to read a book when I’m alone and to laugh out loud. Like I may chuckle here and there, but I usually don’t (idk why maybe it’s because I’m reading alone?) BUT THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE???? Had me absolutely dying! I did not expect it to be so funny and perfect. I WISH I could read this again for the first time. The FMC? Perfect. No qualms about her. She is written great in my opinion and for me there wasn’t a time when she annoyed me. Like FR her dialogue was like as if I was talking to one of my friends and her humor is HILARIOUS. The MMC?? Perfection. He never felt like he was written just to be a trope that’s loved. Like he felt like a genuine man (i know this sounds crazy) who was trying/doing better. Some books will have the MMC be written ‘perfect’ just to appease the masses and it doesn’t feel right to me.. but with him it always felt like it could be real. Like as if the author based that character on someone she saw/knows (she didn’t but you get the idea). And them together?? PURE MAGIC. I loved the banter, the healing, the TRYING and UGH don’t even get me started on the TRAUMA! I wanted to hug FMC so badly. And usually I HATE second chance romances, but this one was written so well I didn’t even mind. Overall I would say FMC needs better friends (iykyk) but other than that this is a top 5 read for me this year. This is my first Mazey Eddings book but now I have to go google and read everything she’s ever written. Truly an auto buy author for me now THATS how much I loved the book!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for this advanced ebook copy! My first book by this author although I’ve seen her work around. It starts out with Eva and Riley, both rival podcast hosts who have a brief past with each other. Eva holds a GRUDGE towards Riley cooper for things that happened in the their brief relationship many, many years ago. For this, I was not into the beginning of the book at all. She seemed angry and immature for no reason at all and the premise of them reconnecting seemed stupid. However, when things come to light towards the middle of the book from both Eva and Riley’s sides things made soooo much more sense and it made their enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance so intense and enjoyable! This really read like a gen z nora ephron rom com!

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is a super fun, funny, charming second chance romance. Eva is perfectly witty and contrary, Rylie is a delicious golden retriever and together they are magnificent! And the setup was sooo entertaining! The whole book was a delight!
I do wish we got more of Eva dealing with her relationship with family growing up - it felt like it really affected her and her relationships, but there was no payoff there. I was also super mad that Eva and Aida were so submissive at work. I get not wanting to lose your job but it felt false that these two badass ladies would put up with William’s nonsense.
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book. I laughed out loud several times and loved the enemies to lovers vibe.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC!!

2.5/5
Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings started out really strong. The book is a modern romcom filled with amusing dialog, and problems that regularly plague people in their twenties. The main character, Eva Kitt, is the host of an online show where she interviews guests over hot dogs topped with heaps of dry humor and light teasing. Basically, a cross between Chicken Shop Date and Hot Ones. After seeing a particularly triggering video of her former college fling, Rylie Cooper, and one too many drinks, Eva posted a scathing response online that blew up overnight. This sudden success prompted her bosses to set up collaborative projects between the two, which not only forced them to work together, but gave the internet a front row seat to their relationship- past and present.

Eva is a defensive, headstrong character, who vehemently rejects Rylie for a majority of the book. Her defensive quips were understandable and enjoyable at the start, but quickly wore out. As the plot progressed and Eva and Rylie got to know each other, her critiques went from defensive to aggressive and exhausting to read. I understand the character was insecure and Eddings wanted to show significant growth, but I felt myself dragging my feet every time I tried to read. Her immature backlashes were never ending and gave me secondhand embarrassment. By the time I was 50% into the book I wanted to forget about the romance plot and lock Eva in a room with a therapist for a year.

Overall, Well, Actually had a unique plot that and a ton of lighthearted humor, but the main character’s issues quickly became exhausting and dragged on and on.

This is my first Mazey Eddings' book and I had such a fun time reading this one! I mostly giggled my way through this book because of their banter! I know everyone is saying that it reminds them of the chicken shop dates, and it really does give that vibe!

Let's get into the characters:

Eva. She's the definition of a boss woman—truly. She’s incredibly aware, and I absolutely adore a woman who understands what’s happening around her. Despite her strength, there’s a lingering sense of loneliness that clings to her—shaped by both her past and present. She struggles deeply with trust, and it shows in the way she constantly feels the need to prove herself. I get her so much for being the way she is because our past really shapes us. Her people-pleasing tendencies are on another level—she often stretches herself too thin just to make others feel comfortable, even when it costs her peace.

Riley. OMG, I was absolutely swooning. He’s the kind of character that makes your heart ache in the best way. What I admired most about him was his patience—especially with Eva. He’s completely gone for her, and he never makes that a secret. What made me appreciate him even more was how he didn’t shy away from owning up to the kind of person he was in the past. He knew he messed up. But instead of running from it, he chose to grow—to be better, not just for Eva, but for himself too. It was such a move and I didn't even sense any sort of hypocrisy from him.

Their dynamic is something that I don't always get to read and I absolutely had the time of my life! Who doesn't love a black cat x golden retriever, right?! Again, their banter was really fun because of how no one backs down. Even them as couples, they complement each other because they know what each other needs.

As for the story itself, Eva was one of the most relatable characters I’ve come across. Her fear of abandonment was written in such a raw and realistic way—it genuinely felt like reading my own thoughts at times. That constant pressure to stay tough, simply because you think you have to be, is exhausting. Everyone needs softness. Vulnerability. A safe space where they can breathe and let their guard down—and this book captured that perfectly.

One thing I also appreciated was how Riley’s college struggles were brought up—they were acknowledged, but never used as an excuse for his past mistakes. He owned them and held himself accountable. And finally, one of my favorite takeaways: the book emphasized not settling in your career. It reminded me that the world really is your oyster. Opportunities are everywhere—you just have to be willing to look for them.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This book was an absolute joy. Eva’s bite had me laughing almost constantly and Rylie’s ability to take it and dish right back made it so much better! Their first date? “Oh buddy! Big feelings!” Had me cackling.

I loved Rylie’s ability to wrap Eva up both physically and mentally to smooth out her edges; not because it was necessary to dim her light, but because Eva needed to sometimes turn it off (all of it!) for her own well-being.

There was so much representation within the story, but it didn’t feel disingenuous. Things were mentioned naturally and incorporated well. If anything, how the characters were written just makes me want to know more about them (hello, can someone say series?!).

I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in some pop culture references, sassy leads, a rich cast of supporting characters and 10/10 banter.