Obsessed with the black cat/golden retriever energy that Eva and Cooper were giving!! Eva's angry girl personality had me cackling and Cooper giving it right back had me kicking my feet. I was just as obsessed with Eva as Cooper was. This book was genuinely hilarious throughout, but it was also packed with emotion. Eva and Cooper treat each other and their relationship with so much care (Eva can't be angry girl all the time). It was healing to watch them navigate the early days and the conflicts that arose after reading so many other books where the relationship just get tossed into the bin at the first sign of conflict. Their relationship was giving everything I could want and there was the spice 👀🔥🔥. Like I said, it was everything I could ask for. I was such a fan of this one and the number of highlights I left throughout show that. This will definitely be on my reread list soon!

I was hooked by the cover and intrigued by the synopsis and you know what? There were moments that I really liked in this story and the easy writing style of this author made reading this book a breeze. Why didn’t I embrace it whole heartedly? Eva’s character had some traits I really liked. She overcame a difficult past, had a strong work ethic, and was doing what a lot of us do/did in our 20’s- doing something she didn’t like very much but knew it would lead to that next step in her career. All of these were parts of her personality that were admirable, but she was such a hard character to like. Her difficult past built a wall that very few people were able to scale, her strong work ethic and dreams for her future caused her to make some decisions on the job that were not in her own best interest, and the worst thing was how she treated Rylie. She was pretty brutal which admittedly was her on air persona, but in private she didn’t really give him a break either- at least for two thirds of the book. Why, if she was so hard to like did I keep reading? Rylie.

Unlike Eva’s character, Rylie was further in the process of working through his own past discretions, one of which was Eva and he’s relationship in college. He entered their on-air agreement with honesty and hope that he would be given a second chance by Eva. She was pretty horrible and snarky to him, but he seemed to like that a lot. That’s not my own thing, but I can understand that sometimes opposites attract and because I read the entire novel saw Eva’s redemption arc pay off with her gentling her interactions with Rylie. Thank goodness. By the end I respected both of their characters equally but there was a big chunk where I leaned towards team Rylie over Eva. That’s never a comfortable place to be when reading a romance where you want so badly to like both characters. I did get there though!

This is essentially Chicken Shop Date fan fiction, and I am HERE for it.

I knew quickly that this book would not be for everyone, but I had a blast. Eva can be a tough female mc to root for, but I think if you understand her and why she is the way she is, you can get past it. And Rylie!!!! Absolutely adored him. The black cat/golden retriever trope will always be a favorite of mine. Their banter was exquisite. I genuinely loved reading this one and didn’t want to stop. No, it’s not perfect, but you don’t always need that in a book.

4⭐️

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🌭 black cat x golden retriever
🌭 second chance
🌭 hate to love
🌭 workplace romance
🌭 chicken shop date vibes

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It started off strong. Her drunken TikTok rant was fun and I was like hell yeah you get em. I was all for Eva’s zings to Riley (who doesn’t love a little razzing) but then I kinda hated it. It became too much. I understand why, like I get it was her defense mechanism but I was over it. I became bored in the middle. Nothing much happened and the MMC kept being referred to as Riley and Cooper and that sorta bothered me more than it probably should have. The story picked towards the end but it was a little anti climactic for me. Overall this was just mehh.

Well, Actually is my first exposure to Mazey Eddings's writing, and I'm an instant fan. The sass, the spite, the snark, the spice...it's everything I love. I snickered, laughed out loud, and got choked up within the same page at times. Mazey has a special talent that cuts right to the heart, and stole my breath with just how seen I felt in Eva's characterization. It can be a little jarring to read thoughts you've had in your own head about yourself coming from a character in a book, but it's also reassuring to know you're not the only one who has struggled, doubted, wondered all the things. It felt healing to see Rylie fight for their connection despite how Eva had behaved in the name of self protection.
I fell in love with Eva and Rylie equally through this story. She's so protective of her peace that she's walled herself off behind her acerbic wit and intelligence, and he's swung so far from the damaged frat bro he was in college to the podcast host attempting to help men leave toxic masculinity behind. Their journey back together is quite the ride!
There's some really great positive mental health representation in this book. Rylie has been putting in work in therapy and trying to come to terms with his own traumas, and the way he opens that door for Eva to walk through with him... talk about swoony! Rylie Cooper is a communication king, and it's super hot.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Mazey Eddings for the ARC review opportunity.

This was such a banter filled book and I liked that so much!

Overall, this book was entertaining. I liked the constant back and forth wittiness of Eva and Rylie’s relationship. They cracked me up so much but that’s pretty much what saved this book for me rating it lower.

There are trigger warnings in the beginning of the book, which I appreciated. However, most of this book was a trauma dump. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. I love turmoil in my books but this seemed like one turmoil too excessive. And the backstory of the characters kind of felt unnecessary. I wish they had just met and went on an enemies to lovers journey. The whole fact of how they hooked up and ignored each other for years just baffled me. Like okay he was going through stuff but he didn’t even try to send a smoke signal?!

Don’t even get me started on the weird therapy date. And then to not have Eva grow in that aspect of getting therapy for her insecurities kind of felt off. Like did she ever get closure in that aspect? 😅

While I’ll never understand their relationship (or lack of) in college, I did like how Rylie supported her, especially in the end. The whole work turmoil felt debatable because of having worked in a very toxic and bullying environment. I wish we got a little more of what happened in the end. Anyways, their relationship was SPICY. I give it 4 🌶️ out of 5.

A good read for the end of summer. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mazey Eddings for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The praise??? On point. Chef’s kiss. The banter and wit is top tier. I love the representation that is expected in a Mazey book.

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤… 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.”

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/5/25

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, the very man who ghosted her years earlier.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🎙️Second chance
🌭Open door spice
🎙️LGBQT representation
🌭Self growth

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
This was an enjoyable second chance romance with a witty, initially likable FMC and some great tension. It was decently paced, well-written, and the spice was perfection 👌🏻. That’s where my praise ends unfortunately. While book explores themes of misogyny and LGBTQ+ positivity, which are indeed important, at times they felt a little heavy-handed. Like the book was a PSA and not a romance. As the story progressed, the FMC became almost insufferable to listen to and some antagonist characters were annoyingly vile. I listened to the audiobook alongside the ebook, and the narrator truly elevated the experience. I found the ebook alone to not have that extra “thing” a story needs to keep me wanting more. The romance aspect of the story and audio narration carried it all for me. I’d recommend this to romance readers who enjoy good banter, emotional depth, and some “satisfying” spice 🌶️.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: Misogyny, bullying


*Thank you @NetGalley, @MacMillan.Audio and @StMartinsPress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

#WellActually

Witty and sharp dialogue. Drawn in by the premise. This book is perfect for you if you’re a reader loves characters with edge we have a mean streak and it’s supposed to be endearing. Solid book even if it wasn’t for me.

Okay, I loved Eva’s sassiness and pettiness and was her initial attitude towards Rylie warranted? Yes, it was. That being said, my girl would have benefited substantially from therapy.
Rylie was so genuinely nice, and caring and did he ever work for Eva’s affection - he took that second chance and ran.
I just love Mazey Eddings’ books, they’re sweet, spicy and they hit on tough topics, and Well, Actually was no exception - I hated the people Eva worked for and in the end I admired how she handled her situation!

How does one even formulate coherent thoughts after reading this book?

Rylie and Eva have chemistry. A long time ago, they shared some time together and it ended all too quickly because they were too selfish.

When they meet up 6 years later and end up recording a podcast, emotions are high and they come to some realizations.

I love Eva and Rylie. They’re perfect. I can’t say more because it’s so good and powerful and spicy.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this early copy!

The perfect black cat/golden retriever, second chance romance. I love that Mazey writes characters who are real and flawed and you just can’t help but to love them.

This is a romance novel that I really can get behind. I love a black cat golden retriever dynamic, so I really loved this one. I normally don’t like too many modern references in a book, but really found myself enjoying this book even with Tik Tok and the hotdog version of hot ones. The pacing and development of their relationship was *chefs kiss* I ate it up. I also loved that there was no dumb miscommunication or third act break up. This romance was made for me! Loved it.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed Well, Actually! It was funny, quick, and had me laughing more than I had expected to. Eva and Ryle’s banter is great: sharp, witty, and the tension between them was addictive. For me personally, it took a minute to warm up to Eva, but once you understand her, you get why she is the way she is. I also felt that the workplace drama and social media aspect made it feel super relevant and real, which I appreciated. I'm only rating it a four star because I wanted more! I wanted more banter, more story, and definitely more Ryle! But overall, it's a great read and I definitely would recommend.

I am obsessed with everything Mazey Eddings has ever written (and honestly Mazey herself) and this is absolutely the truth for Well, Actually, which I devoured in one day (and which helped me cathartic cry during a terrible week). If you love a man who EARNS his second chance and a woman who is a bit damaged but loved anyway, then definitely grab this one.

Eva wants to be a hard hitting journalist, but instead hosts Sausage Talk where she eats hot dogs with C list celebrities while she interviews them. She feels lost and lonely, and one night makes a one off Tik Tok ranting about how a “good guy” Tik Toker did everything he preaches against to her when they were in college. When it blows up, Riley asks for a second chance at the six dates he absolutely sucked at in college. Eva thinks it’s merely to make him look better, and her terrible nepo baby boss is trying to milk it for all the embarrassment and dollars it’s worth, but Riley truly does want a second chance.

Both Eva and Riley have some *serious* childhood / young adulthood trauma that sabotaged them in the past and could do it again. Both are bi/pan, and the ways in which they hid it in college also hurt their chances. Finally YAY THERAPY and yay the way Eddings lets it shine as a way to deal with things in her books.

This is for you if you want:
🌭 chicken shop date vibes
🌭 dudes actually doing the correct amount of groveling to attone for their sins
🌭 a man in slutty glasses
🌭 bi for pan rep
🌭 anxiety / panic attack representation
🌭 opposites attract
🌭 forced proximity
🌭 sub stack think pieces
🌭 second chance romance
🌭 art museums
🌭 communication instead of running away

Anyway, check TW cause the trauma is brutal, but it’s so good and you should get ASAP!

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings
Length: 320 pages
Source: NetGalley eARC, St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: August 5, 2025

5 ⭐

Summary
Eva Kitt hasn’t done as much with her life as she wanted to after graduating from college. She’s currently the host of Sausage Talk, where she interviews low-level celebs over lukewarm hot dogs. She’s nowhere close to putting out the serious journalism pieces that she pictured for herself. Down on her career—and a little tipsy—Eva calls out her ex-boyfriend, Rylie Cooper, one night on social media, an ex who just happens to be a popular social-media influencer with a channel dedicated to deconstructing toxic masculinity.

Eva’s video blows up overnight, and her employer intends to capitalize on it by forcing her to bring Rylie on Sausage Talk for a little face-to-face confrontation. To try to change her mind about his past toxic behaviors, Rylie makes a deal with Eva to take her out on a handful of dates, after which they will discuss the dates on his channel. Eva agrees to keep her employer happy and hopefully move on from hot-dog convos to something more serious and impactful. Plus, it’ll give her a chance to keep talking smack about her ex. The problem is, the feelings Eva once had for Rylie might not be as extinguished as she thought, and being around him again seems to be repairing what Eva thought he broke for good.

My thoughts
This is my first Mazey Eddings read and will NOT be my last. The writing is hilarious! If you’re someone with a snarky or sarcastic personality, it feels so relatable. It reads easily, too, and goes by faster than you think; that’s how good the dialogue is between the two MCs. It’s sharp, snappy, and very enjoyable.

I want to be up front: Eva is not a perfect, cookie-cutter heroine/FMC. She’s bitchy. She’s jaded. She’s cynical and at times rude, thinking before she speaks, and forget the other person if what she says hurts their feelings. But it doesn’t take long for the reader to realize that Eva’s greatest defense mechanisms are her spiteful tongue and cutting words. She bites back first and then realizes later how she probably comes across. It often feels like Eva lives in fight-or-flight mode, and it comes out in sometimes the meanest words possible.

Rylie, conversely, feels like the most golden of golden retrievers. There are definitely times where I thought our MMC is a complete glutton for punishment, but truly he’s just that down bad for this woman. He's determined to not let Eva’s hurt, her negative self-talk, and her buried heart push him away. And believe me, she tries! But all the parts of herself that she’s always hated—that she thinks make her not worth the effort—are the things he loves the most about her. I mean, to wit: “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. Anything for one more second with you. I’d choose this every single time.” Or this: “It’s okay to be afraid. I’ll be brave for us both until you learn to trust it. Trust me. Let me prove it to you. Let me take care of you. Let me love you.” See? Down. Bad.

Bottom line
Humor? Check. Steam? Check. Romance? Check. Well, Actually is a well-written, fast-paced read. I don’t read a ton of MF romance these days, but this is one that I’m definitely happy to have picked up.
— A

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mazey Eddings for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine. Reviews posted regularly on StoryGraph, Instagram, BlueSky, BookBub, and Goodreads.

I dnf'd this book a little more than half way intothe story. I couldn't get past how truly miserable and unlikeable the FMC is. She was a jerk to the MMC for no reason over and over and over and he just took it! No thanks.

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

I was not expecting to be absolutely head over heels with this book! Everything was perfection. I loved the characters, the tension between them, and the humor! I am absolutely going to be buying a physical copy for my shelf, because this is now an immediate favorite of mine!

Thank you again for the ARC!

Well, Actually is the first book I've read by Mazey Eddings, and I was absolutely blown away. I haven’t laughed this hard and consistently while reading in a long time—I devoured this book. It’s comical, witty, passionate, and relatable. The characters are so well-developed, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a laugh-out-loud read with some heart.

Hi, if you haven't joined the Mazey Eddings hypetrain, this book is just another neon signed poster that encourages you to do so!!

Listen, I hate hotdogs BUT for this book I put that aside because this is Mazey Eddings. I have no regrets in picking this up. I came in expecting queer chaos between a hot pansexual girlie and her golden retriever bisexual ex and I was served a DELICACY.

Eva Kitt means the world to me, her heart is the most precious thing about her. I swear that like Rylie, I fell in love with Eva and caring personality. She is such a guarded FMC and seeing her be treated with the love she truly deserves was everything I needed to see.

Hot girls are more than the exterior they present and Eva as a character fights for that!

Eva constantly putting the expectations of others onto herself in the beginning but as we get to see more of her, she pushes against this narrative and begins to allow herself to be loved and to start healing from the hurt others.

Rylie is such a complex male lead, I think most people would be quick to brush him off because of who he was as a college student but his development is essential to understanding that personal growth within accountability is what matters. Rylie knew that who he was when he first dated Eva was everything Eva believed him to be.

As someone who has experienced grief and still continues to do so, raw grief at times can bring out the worst in an individual and can make us extremely difficult to be around. This was the case with Rylie and his family, I'm glad that this didn't get brushed aside but was rather addressed by having Rylie see a therapist and actively continue to do so while being with Eva.

Rylie is attentive in everyway that matters, in the six years after breaking up with Eva. He put in so much work to better himself and accept the parts of his identity he had suppressed for so long. You can't help but root for his character. He knows his flaws and constantly works to better his character not only for the girl he loves but for himself and it's so admiring.

He also knows how to dine a girl out ;)

#Secondchance girlie till the day I die!!

While I wholeheartedly enjoyed the banter, the plot, and the amazing chemistry between them, I wish we would've gotten a little more sense of who Eva is outside of her job. We get to see her be passionate about journalism and her growing relationship with Rylie but I definitely would've loved to see more.

This book highlights that healing as individuals allows us to love and in return be loved. Once again Mazey writes from a place with love and I will always admire her for that