Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite authors, and I’ve always loved her romances, so I was excited to read Well, Actually, which takes a bold step into deeper themes while still delivering the humor and heart I adore.

The story follows Eva Kitt, a sharp, sarcastic host of a quirky internet show called Sausage Talk. Her career isn’t what she dreamed of, and things get worse when a drunken rant about her college ex, Rylie Cooper, goes viral. Rylie, now a popular social media figure teaching men how to be better partners, offers Eva a deal: go on a series of dates with him and document them to prove he’s changed.

Eva is prickly and guarded, shaped by past trauma and workplace toxicity. Rylie is charming and genuinely trying to make amends. Their chemistry is electric, and watching them navigate public pressure, personal growth, and old wounds is both funny and emotional. Eva finds out something major about Rylie’s past that completely shifts how she sees him and herself. It’s raw, real, and adds depth to their story.

This book is witty, steamy, and full of heart. It’s a second-chance romance with smart social commentary, and I loved every page. Mazey Eddings has once again written characters that feel messy, real, and worth rooting for.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC!

Mazey Eddings has consistently delivered thoughtful portrayals of neurodiverse characters, so I went into Well, Actually expecting the same. What I found instead was a different journey centering around the main characters grappling with complex mental and emotional battles, while still feeling very true to Eddings’ voice.

This story delivers a beautiful dose of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, with references of bi-phobia, identity, and acceptance; all within what appears to be a conventionally straight-presenting couple. That juxtaposition was handled with care, nuance, and honesty.

Eva is an electric character. Think Amelia from Chicken Shop Date - dry humour, spicy one-liners, and enough quick wit to keep you hooked. I’d be shocked if she wasn’t the inspiration. Her viral drunk TikTok moment dragging her ex, Riley (a fellow online personality) was as relatable as it was chaotic. But the plot truly took off when Riley re-enters her life in a seemingly calculated PR stunt... that quickly reveals itself to be something more heartfelt.

Now, I know we were supposed to be on Eva’s side, but I have to admit that Riley won me over almost immediately. His charm was effortless, and while his past mistakes don’t get swept under the rug, we get a layered look into his motivations, trauma, and personal growth. It doesn’t erase what he’s done, but it does make his redemption arc incredibly satisfying.

The chemistry? Absolutely undeniable. I’m a sucker for (for lack of a better word) bullying, and this was packed with that slow-burn, teasing tension that makes you giggle, blush, and internally scream “just kiss already!”

If I’m being honest, I do think there was room for a bit more depth in some areas, but it was still a very enjoyable, emotionally grounded romcom. Bonus points for the surprise cameo from Lizzie Blake - one of Edding's other characters from another novel.

A little smut, a whole lot of emotional growth, and enough flirty banter to keep you grinning. A solid, safe 3 stars from me. 💜

I was late in getting this review posted so you can pick up your copy now ! Thank you again to St. Martin’s Press for the early peek!

This was an interesting one, I liked the premise of this. I think my main issue was the main character, she was just so unlikeable!!! I loved Rylie and how he was trying so hard and explaining everything and Eva was just so annoying after everything.

I think I would have rated this higher if it hadn't been so hostile with Eva.

I absolutely LOVED everything about this book. This book was laugh out loud hilarious. I cannot count how many times I smiled or literally kicked my feet in delight.
I possibly loved this book so much because I think I relate so heavily to Eva Kitt. She’s mean, abrasive, uses wit as a defense mechanism so she never has to be vulnerable, dry humor, and snarky comebacks. It was perfection. The best part is Rylie Cooper literally falls for her FOR THOSE EXACT REASONS (spoiler? Oh well).

I have zero negative things to say about this book. If Eva bothers you as a FMC then check your internal misogyny because a broody MMC would have zero critique.

Rylie is the golden retriever MMC hanging on every word of our grumpy Eva and it is perfection.

Also the spice in this book…..just wow yes. I’ll take ten more.

In summary:
- Eva Kitt=a sardonic, eye rolling, bad ass female lead that is abrasive and amazing
- Rylie Cooper=truly a golden boy with a dimple, but talks oh so dirty when necessary. Also he’s obsessed

Troops:
Second chance
Grumpy/sunshine
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
He falls second but so much harder

This was so much more than a funny romp ending in true love. This story carried depth, heart, and very real issues.

Who hasn't said things they regret while drunk? Unfortunately for me, I posted my drunken rant online… And now it's gone viral.

Rylie Cooper was my first everything—first kiss, first love, first… well, you know. Then he ghosted me. Now he’s a successful podcaster guiding men out of toxic masculinity. Pffft. I don’t think so. And I made sure the world knew exactly how I felt.

Now he’s sitting across from me on my talk show, Sausage Talk—yes, I know how that sounds—asking for six dates to make it up to me. He thinks its redemption. I say it’s damage control. But with every smirky grin, every flirty glance through those stupidly slutty glasses… I’m starting to wonder: am I about to get heartbroken all over again?

This book had everything: beautiful writing, characters you want to hang out with, and a message that hurt my heart and lifted me up all at once.

Eva and Rylie were masterfully crafted. Eva, with her cynical walls built not just from heartbreak but from the very real misogyny she faces as a female journalist. And Rylie, hearing how he battled the trauma and complexities of his past and watching him strive to become something more, was powerful. Seeing them grow, heal, and find their way back to each other felt truly earned. They deserved their happily ever after.

And can we talk about the LGBTQIA+ representation? It was absolutely queertastic! From Eva and Rylie’s journeys exploring their own identities to Lilith, who completely stole the show with her fundraising efforts to promote healthy queer relationships for youths. Every detail felt intentional and impactful.

The story was raw, beautiful, and full of hope. And the banter? The verbal sparring? Absolute perfection. This book completely stole my heart.

While I loved the Bi Representation in this book, and appreciated its not like other romances stance, to me it came off a bit boring. It was a little spice heavy, and the scenes felt a bit repetitive. The romance was fun, but I didn't enjoy their harsh banter. The work place drama was hard to read about, mostly because she didn't stand up for herself. Overall, it just was a miss for me, but a well written miss.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
Well, Actually was an unexpectedly emotional, witty, and sharp little gem of a romance. It’s part biting satire of internet fame, part slow-burn second-chance love story, and somehow still manages to deliver real gut-punch commentary about sexism, internet hate, and personal growth, all wrapped in the delicious tension of a black-cat/golden-retriever dynamic.

Eva, our tough-as-nails hot dog talk show host, is one of the most relatable and prickly female leads I’ve read in a while. She’s sarcastic, closed-off, and unafraid to call someone out, especially Cooper, her ex situationship turned reluctant guest on her viral show. Their banter is everything, snappy, vulnerable, layered with past hurt and so much unresolved tension. Eva’s emotional armor and self-protective walls felt heartbreakingly real, and watching her slowly let Cooper in again was so rewarding.

And Cooper? Oh, he’s down bad in the best way. Think: glasses, pink ears, a heart so soft it practically leaks love. He owns up to his past mistakes and doesn’t try to bulldoze his way back into Eva’s life, he earns it. Their chemistry simmers, but what really sold me was how openly affectionate and respectful he was. The man is smitten, and I was so here for it.

There were moments where the pacing wobbled, and some of the spicy talk veered a little over-the-top for me, but the emotional beats landed hard. And the commentary on how women, especially outspoken, confident women, are treated online? Spot on and genuinely heartbreaking at times. This book made me laugh, swoon, and unexpectedly tear up. It’s a chaotic, deeply tender, slightly spicy hug of a read. I’d absolutely recommend it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have so, so many thoughts and feelings about this book that are hard for me to articulate. I can emphatically say, though, that this was a tough read. I really liked the concept and the overarching character traits given to our MCs. I liked Eva's blunt prickliness. What did not work for me was that I did not believe that her character would let some of the things that happened to her through this story fly. I thought with the work drama that her friend was not being a friend and was actually kind of mean to her after when the things that were wrong took place on that video call. I don't understand how there was no compassion for Eva there in those moments. I thought that her bosses were supervillan-y. Riley is a huge can of worms that I don't have the time or capacity to articulate everything I feel about his character. Right off the bat, you really do want to like him. His podcast kind of gave me a pause and feelings of eyeroll-ness, because it is hard to parse a guy who does those things as genuine or not. If it were real life, I would immediately think he is a poser. He had 6 years of growth and healing to do while Eva was in the trenches, and that therapy scene when they went to HIS therapist together was really tough and I feel negated me towards him further. He had some really great and tender moments, but I could not sink into the comfort of his character because of all the other bs. I don't think he really apologized in the right way to her. I don't like that she accepted such a half assed apology. I think his reasons for his past behavior are justifiable and very valid to an extent, but without the communication in the moment, and how everything after-mathed, I do think that it made him way less sympathetic in my mind.
I thought the sex scenes were really well done and steamy, but that cannot be the only thing that is consistent and enjoyable. I thought that most of the time the humor was humor-ing, but with the internet meme callbacks and jokes relying heavily on knowledge of tik tok culture, it made those not land and just feel a little cringe.
I really do see the bones and framework of the commentary this book was attempting to make, but I do not think that the characters were grounded enough for those themes and messages to actually hit. I am dissapointed

3.75 stars

Eva, a hotdog eating interview host, and Cooper, an influencer that claims to teach men to be better boyfriends, have to work together after a messy social media post captures the attention of Eva's bosses and Cooper's audience. Eva is hoping this collaboration gets her a promotion to a more serious journalist gig and Cooper wants to clear his name.

My thoughts:

I had a pretty good time, it gave me a mix of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and the interviews we all see of Andrew Garfield and Amelia. The banter was top notch and I was absolutely losing it at his nicknames for her throughout the book, particularly "you contrarian witch." My least favorite part was some really long chapters, but that's just a personal thing. When I see "20 minutes left in chapter" I panic a little! Overall, I had a great time. If you like rom-coms with witty banter and black cat/golden retriever energy, this would be a great fit!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the chance to check this out!

My ratings went on a roller coaster with this read. When it started it was like this is cute but not a four, then I really enjoyed the journey the characters were going on and I was like this might be a 4. Then the spice happened all at once when the book was about done and I felt like I just was ready for their story to wrapup and it just put off the conclusion I was waiting for.
I love the author’s mental health rep, neuro rep, queer rep, and her humor. I recommend this book more to readers who like a little spice.

✨ 1st person, single POV
✨Hate to love
✨Second Chance
✨Fake(ish) Dating
✨Black Cat x Golden Retriever
✨Workplace Romance
✨Bi x Pan Rep

I don’t really know what Mazey puts in her writing, but it’s highly addictive and I’m not mad about it.

I was hooked from page one, truly. The writing style flowed so nicely which was much needed when it came to Eva’s personality. Especially since it was all Eva, who is definitely good for more than just eating hot dogs and acting bitchy. Underneath the shields she’s placed on herself, she has a big heart. All it took was Rylie freaking Cooper and a single tipsy video she posts to really throw a wrecking ball into everything.
Sure, she can come off a bit too rough sometimes. However it’s all part of Eva and for that I loved her for it. And I loved Rylie for her. They really needed each other
And I really needed this story.

You will laugh out loud, swoon, cry, love… literally so many feelings are jam packed into this book and told in such a beautiful and real way.

Thank you SMP for the readers copy.

I don't know if this was the actual inspiration for the story, but if you love and are a fan of 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 then, I think you'll really enjoy this one.
If you're aware of this segment, then you know the VERY palpable chemistry Amelia showed with Andrew Garfield, which is something you definitely feel between Eva and Rylie except with their background story of course.

Eva is a black cat and very much closed off. She hides a lot behind sarcasm, yet I couldn't fault her responses because of her family backstory and how Riley ghosted her.
Riley is very much aware of the hurt he caused and hopes that them being forced to go on dates (for the sake of the show) that he'll be able to prove to Eva that he's changed. He's a golden retriever with an imperfect past, and he owns up to it.

There's a lot of banter and smug sarcasm going around between the two, but there's a heavy emotional undertone through all the facade.
It's very much a right person wrong time situation because when they met, Rylie was going through his hardest times while Eva was going through her most vulnerable feelings.

One of the things I love about the author is that she always writes the representation/inclusivity topics with such gentle grace. It feels like the warmest hug whenever mental health and sexuality are being mentioned/portrayed through her characters.
And Eva and Riley did not disappoint! I devoured every moment between these two.

But in singing all it's praises I have to say that something felt missing. I can't really pinpoint what exactly... Maybe if we had Rylie's pov? I also would've liked to see more of Eva's family relationship being addressed just because it had such a monumental impact on her.

Overall, I have so much love for this. I'll always have a grand time with the stories that Mazey puts out in the world because you can always take something from it 🥹

*𝘈 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.*

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

Eva Kitt is not living the life she envisioned. Instead of her dream career as a journalist, she is the host of Sausage Talk, where she interviews celebrities while eating hotdogs. Suddenly a rant about her ex—who happens to be a social media personality—gets more attention than she thought and goes viral. Her team wants to monetize it and force her to confront him on a live episode. Nothing and everything can go wrong at this point. Right?

I genuinely wanted to love this book—I was so excited for the Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield-inspired interview rom-com premise. But I struggled to connect with the characters, and the pace felt slow despite the book’s short length; I almost DNF.

Sadly, I rate this book 1/5

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

4⭐️ this was actually a very funny book. It’s def heavy on the “com” part of “romcom.” There were certainly moments where I thought the commitment to being a comedy book took it a little too far and it ended up being a little cringe in my opinion. Also NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!! It was wonderful and made this book even more enjoyable. Overall this really was a good read and I had a lot of fun with it.

Side note: the first 2/3rds of this book is fairly mild when it comes to 🌶️ but once the two main characters get together the spice def ramps up and there are explicit scenes frequently in the final 1/3 of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the e-ARC!

The banter was solid! I laughed a lot, cringed a bit and overall enjoyed this one. This was my first Mazey Eddings book, and i really like her writing style. She does a good job of balancing humor with serious moments.
Eva's character was witty and mean while Rylie's character was soft and gave it right back to her, just less aggressively lol.
The story was interesting, I was a tad bored at some points but the plot was easy to follow! It was nice to see a HEA for the relationship but not necessarily a career HEA.
Thank you Netgalley , St. Martin's Press, and Mazey Eddings for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thought and opinions are my own.

What a fun, banter filled, and redeeming story! I really enjoyed the sassy FMC and the golden retriever he is obsessed MMC. The connection, chemistry, and love/hate flirtation was so fun and refreshing. There are sentimental moments in the book as well dealing with hate comments online and watching people deal with the anonymous harm that viewers can give. As a reader, it was really powerful. Overall, the story, plot, and moments of romance (lots of praise) was really well paced. Great book especially for the summer months/beach reading!

4.25 /5 Stars

I am so glad that I got to read this book and discover Mazey Eddings as an author! In “Well, Actually,” we meet Eva, who has always felt like she is “tragically average.” She hosts “Sausage Talk” (think “Chicken Shop Date” but with hotdogs) but she really wants to feel like a respected journalist. One night, in a drunken and lonely state, she calls out her ex, Rylie, on social media, for being a dick to her in college when he now presents himself online as a good guy who helps other guys deconstruct toxic masculinity. She doesn’t expect him to then publicly ask her out on six dates that they will discuss on his podcast. Does she want to agree to these dates? No, well maybe yes because he is still very hot, but also no, because she doesn’t trust that he is the good guy that he seems to be now. But will it help her potentially advance her career? Yes. So she agrees and hot banter, golden retriever x black cat energy, and tension ensue.

When reading this book, I became obsessed with the way that Mazey Eddings writes. Her banter is actually laugh-out-loud funny. Her similes and metaphors and analogies capture feelings so perfectly, it feels addicting. We read the book from Eva’s point of view and the way that Mazey describes Eva’s feelings of not being good enough were so heartbreaking and so relatable. Mazey describes the juxtaposition of wanting people to think you’re amazing and brilliant and then dimming yourself to be palatable so people will like you because you’re afraid to be yourself and how that puts you in a lose-lose vicious cycle. She captured that sentiment in such a visceral and real way. Because of how sharply and descriptively Mazey writes, you can understand why Eva acts the way that she does.

For me, between the halfway mark of the book and the three-quarters mark, Eva and Rylie’s dynamic just felt repetitive and cyclical and a tad frustrating. I know how hard it is to change patterns that are so deeply ingrained in your psyche so I get why their dynamic was that way, but my brain wanted to read something different for that section of the book.

And while Rylie is swoon worthy and lovely, he felt almost too perfect. Maybe because we read it from Eva’s POV, we didn’t get to see his messiness as much. While he did have flaws, it felt like he was actively working on all of them and that Eva was set up as the messy one while he was the knight-in-shining armor. I just wanted a little more equality between them.

All of that being said, I am so glad that I read this book and discovered Mazey as a writer. Her writing style scratches an itch in my brain that I didn’t even know was there. I am so excited to go and read more of her books.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Well, Actually is full of humor and heart, making it impossible for me to stop flipping the pages. I sometimes find it hard to relate to a story that is so lighthearted and fun, but Mazey Eddings perfectly blended feelings of fun and joy with raw emotion. I would highly recommend this book to all romance fans, even those just diving into the genre!

What to expect:
- NYC setting
- if Chicken Shop Date was a book (think Amelia's sizzling interview with Andrew Garfield. You know the one!!)
- a romantic comedy that will make you giggle and kick your feet over the dry sense of humour (again, Amelia!!) and A+ banter.
- a second-chance romance between an ex-situationship (he ghosted her).
- she interviews him!
- major black cat x golden retriever energy. Riley is perfection, out to prove to Eva that he's a good guy. But Eva is a bit of a grump, protecting her heart.
- great character growth for Eva.
- queer rep: bi and pan MCs
- spice!! But also chemistry and sizzling tension.
- no third-act breakup.

I have read every last one of Mazey Eddings’ books and have been following her as an author from the very beginning. This book is one of my absolute favorites by her, and it completely took me by surprise. Of her other books, this is most similar to The Plus One as it has excellent mental health representation, excellent banter, and the main characters don’t hide away from their issues… maybe Eva is a little but of an exception. Don’t get me wrong. This book is still incredibly fun, has a really clever concept, and it certainly brings the spice! I just wasn’t expecting this level of depth when the cover and the concept just seem really fun and bubbly. The idea of a woman who really is passionate about journalism being a host for a hot dog eating, celebrity interviewing show and then going on a drunken rant about her ex and uploading it online. AND said ex happens to be a famous podcaster and her complaint is that he doesn’t actually having the values he’s talking about. AND THEN she has to interview him on the hot dog show. There is just so much humor to the entire scenario and Eva just brings so much sass and humor in general. She’s fantastic at banter and is always willing to go toe-to-toe with Riley. Riley brings heart and has such great character growth. I love how this book explored their past and balanced it with their future. The dates just made this even better and this became the perfect modern love story. Not to mention, such good mental health rep and even bringing up SSRIs and their effects on libido? Well done Mazey Eddings, so freaking well done with Well, Actually. 5⭐️, 3🌶