This was my first time reading anything by Mazey Eddings and I enjoyed every juicy bite!

An alcohol-induced stitch leads to a second chance at romance for Eva Kitt and Rylie Cooper.

I loved the banter between this black cat female and cinnamon roll of a man and found myself smiling and laughing out loud throughout the book.

While hilarious, Well, Actually address both workplace and social media misogyny, as Eva is subjected to unnecessary criticism while Rylie remains unscathed. It’s maddening how accurate it is and I can only wish that an exposé would be enough to bring misogynists down these days.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

I’ve been a huge fan of Mazey Eddings since her debut and it’s been such a pleasure to watch her grow as a writer. Her writing is so sharp and funny and it’s just gotten more romantic and clever. Well, Actually may just be my favorite of her books. The conceit of a chicken shop date type celebrity going viral and falling for her interviewee?? So fun. Add in a second chance romance aspect and you have the recipe for a fun and spicy romance that was hard to put down.

Eva is sharp around her edges and I love that her banter with Riley never softens that. Their back and forth was my favorite part of the book and the chemistry sparks from their first meeting on. The concept of redemption and learning from your past is so important and Riley is proof of that. And Eva learning to love herself and that she’s worthy of that love was a joy to experience.

This was such a fun and funny romance that is filled with Eddings’ characteristic charm and I hope you pick it up!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book evoked every single emotion there is. I snorted like a piggy, I screamed, I cried (so much, actually), I felt so much anger and resentment, and I grieved. Funny story (it's not, but this is my coping mechanism), I had a family member pass away recently, and this book held me with its arm like a baby being held and nurtured.

Eva is such an apologetic and real FMC, and I resonated with her so much. She's just a woman who is mad at the world, and how it's treated her (as she should!!!). It was so good being inside her head as you go through chapters, and being able to relate to her emotions and defense mechanisms. Then you have Rylie, the opposite of Eva, a softie, who takes accountability for his actions (CAN I GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE PLEASE?!), and who was ready to grovel his life away. Like this man really said, "If you keep doing that, I'll fall in love with you." and Eva was just being "mean" and unapologetic. Them combined gave you the BEST banter I've read, but also amazing vulnerability as well.

I’m truly a Mazey Stan, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Thank you SMP + Netgalley for the ARC. I had truly the BEST time.

I thought the beginning of this book was going to kill me. I have a terribly low awkward tolerance, and a story that starts with drunkenly creating a video raging about an ex and having it go viral was about more than I could take. I will give it to Mazey, we don't stay in the awkward moments long. This book is fast paced and fun to inhale. It was the first book in a while that I just wanted to devour.

We only get Eva's POV. Which is fine, because we can see how OBSESSED with her Rylie is from the get go. Eva doesn't just have walls up. She's created a fortress of self loathing and insecurity that traps her in as much as it keeps potential partners out. She's got baggage that starts with her family and does in fact have something to do with Rylie and the relationship they had in college.

In the wake of her viral video, Eva's terrible boss decides to capitalize on the engagement by having Eva interview Rylie on her show. (She interviews B/C list celebrities while eating hot dogs on a show.) While on the show, Rylie asks for 6 dates to show Eva how much he's grown since college. I believe that people can change. I am certainly not who I was in college. But I also wouldn't give any of my exes a second chance. Eva is different. She's held onto the spark she felt for him. A spark that didn't go away. When they're in the interview, she feels it just as strongly as she did before.

What happens next follows a very silly "fake dating" plot. We've got disastrous dates. Heartfelt conversations. Emotional revelations. Genuine connection.

There are some things I want to celebrate in this book: The queer representation in this straight appearing relationship. Eva is pansexual. Rylie is bisexual. (Warning: Rylie talks about his own homophobia and trying to erase his queer identity when he was younger.) They have conversations about SSRI's and what that can do to a sex life/sexual encounter. They build open communication about what they both want in the bedroom. And none of these conversations take away from their attraction and connection. They enhance it. I love seeing these things in books. It gives us not only permission to have the conversations in real life, but a blue print for how to have them and what to expect from a respectful partner.

This might be my first Mazey Eddings book, but it won't be my last.

Well, Actually was the kind of book that quietly sneaks into your heart and surprises you with how deeply it sticks. Mazey Eddings has such a natural talent for balancing laugh-out-loud humor with genuine emotional depth, and this book absolutely delivers on both fronts.

The protagonist, Eva, was refreshingly real, flawed, sharp, vulnerable, and fierce. Her voice felt honest and modern, and I loved how she owned her opinions without apology. She was witty, complex, and easy to root for from the very first page.

I was 100% on Eva’s side when we first heard her account of her past with Rylie. Her pain felt so valid, and I fully understood her sense of betrayal. But as the story unfolded and we were able to see Rylie’s side, it really hit me how relationships are never black and white. While it’s easy to cling to your own hurt, this book reminded me that we often don’t know the full picture of what someone else is going through, what’s in their head or heart. That emotional nuance made the story even more powerful.

And then there’s the romance, sweet, slow-building, and full of tension in the best way. Riley was respectful, charming, and genuinely supportive, without ever falling into the “perfect guy” cliché. The banter between Eva and Rylie was chef’s kiss, amazingly flirty, playful, and filled with that kind of spark that makes you grin while reading. Their dynamic felt authentic and electric, with just the right amount of emotional push and pull.

This story didn’t just entertain me; it made me reflect. If you’ve ever felt like your personality might be “too much,” Eva will remind you that you’re not only enough, you’re someone worth celebrating.

5/5 stars. This one’s going on my “books I’ll recommend to everyone” shelf.

When an interview goes viral between two exes, Eva and Rylie, who are both in the spotlight, Eva calls Rylie out for his past behaviour, which sparks the idea of taking her on a series of dates to make up for his mistakes and then debrief them together on his podcast to show he’s changed. But when these fake dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the guy that broke her heart has really changed.

I had way too much fun reading this book; I never wanted it to end! I absolutely loved the banter between Eva & Rylie. I thought their story was the perfect mix of humorous, emotional, relatable, & authentic. Mazey can do no wrong with her stories. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

Thrilled to recommend Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings, a book that temporarily melted my frigid heart and is a real contender for one of my fave romances of the year!

Buzzfeed-style celeb Eva (host of a Chicken Shop Date spin off, Sausage Talk) is pissed off about her life and job, when she downs a bottle of wine and comes across her ex-situationship giving relationship advice on Tik Tok. Confidence bolstered by the wine, she stitches him with a brutal take down that, of course, goes viral. Little did she know, Rylie Cooper’s also been thinking about her these past six years and he wants a chance to show her he’s changed. Six dates to win her over, she reluctantly agrees, with recaps broadcast to his and her followers.

This book is sexy and fun, but also emotional and vulnerable. Eva is a take no shit kind of girl and it’s refreshing. I feel like it’s usually the male lead who has the lip sneering sarcasm, so I loved seeing a girl who wasn’t afraid to be a little bit of a b*tch (said with absolute affection, as a fellow member of the b*tch community). I’m a real hit or miss with second chance romance, but this one sucked me in!

Read if you like: Enemies to lovers, second chance, “fake” dating, forced proximity, black cat girlfriend/golden retriever boyfriend

Out now, thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC!

Mazey Eddings has delivered another stunning book that is equal part hilarity, well-defined characters, so accurate mental health rep, complete adoration (he falls first - in case the cover didn’t give it away), and just-right, so-hot spice.

Eva Kitt is the reluctant host of Sausage Talk, a podcast where she interviews D-list celebrities while eating hot dogs, in the hopes of one day making bigger waves in journalism. Wylie Cooper is her ex from college - who was a total frat boy douche at the time - and now an online personality that preaches against toxic masculinity. After Eva’s brutal (and drunken) stitch takedown of Rylie’s current persona goes viral, they are thrust together in a collab for ratings (and $$$).

These two had the best push-and-pull, banter, and hard (Eva) and soft (Rylie) edges that perfectly complemented the other. I can see how and why they fell for each other, and both of them deserve only the very best things. For long-time readers, there are also perfect cameo moments from past books.

This was one where I switched back and forth between ebook and audio and I loved the narration!
Narrator Ariela Crow was superb at nailing Eva's deadpan humor and the emotional depth that the story needed.

I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I loved the beginning of Well, Actually—the banter between Eva and Rylie was sharp, funny, and totally hooked me. Rylie’s sweetness and patience made him the heart of the story, especially when Eva’s constant sarcasm and mean streak started to wear on me. While I understood her sharp edges came from a place of hurt, I sometimes wished she’d softened sooner. It reminded me a lot of The Passion Project, with a feisty FMC and a kind, grounded MMC balancing each other out. Overall, it’s a witty, heartfelt romance with great chemistry that I still really enjoyed, even if Eva occasionally tested my patience.

I think you’ll enjoy this book if you are chronically online. There’s a snappy, quick bit pace that seems to mimic the feel of scrolling TikTok. Everything felt a little bit like a sound bite versus actual real conversation. It’s not bad, it just felt a bit over the top and sharp edges. It was just a bit too snarky for me (especially from Eva’s side) especially when Rylie was so kind. I’m sure there are people that will resonate with Eva’s thought process but I just couldn’t connect. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

Let me be honest here. I felt like I would enjoy this book, but I didn’t know I would end up loving it as much as I did!

Here are the deets:
Eva Kitt is the host of Sausage Talk (think chicken shop date but hotdogs and B and C list celebs) and wants more from her career. And while doom scrolling one night she finds a video of her college ex talking about how to treat a woman right, when he did not do the same to her 6 years ago. Eva drunkenly responds, as one does, to his video with her own and it goes viral. And now to capitalize on it all, and save face, Eva is meeting back up with Rylie on her show where 6 dates are proposed so Rylie can show Eva he isn’t the same guy he used to be. Will Rylie be able to prove he is changed and win Eva over? Or will Eva be able to keep her guard up and not be fooled by Rylie once again?

Thoughts:
I am obsessed with Rylie for starters and I just wanted to hug Eva! There is something about “hard to love” female characters that always makes me love and adore them with my whole being. I was laughing, swooning, wanting to punch a couple people, and feeling all the emotions. This was my first Mazey Eddings book and it will not be my last.

Will this book be for everyone? No, but no book is.
But was it for me? ABSOLUTELY.

Other things of note:
- Bi and pansexual rep
- Black cat x golden retriever
- 4-5 open door scenes (can’t remember exactly how many)
- Lots of fun nicknames for both characters
- The man drives Pt cruiser

Thank you to NetGalley and Youhadmeathea for the eArc of Well, Actually!

Mazey is back! After DNFing Late Bloomer, I was soooo glad to fall in love with another story by this author!
I know people are going to HATE this one because the FMC is snarky & mean and based on Amelia Dimoldenberg… but I had so much fun reading this! The MMC Riley loves her snarky mean side and honestly, I loved the dynamic. It’s podcasts/tiktok/ second chance romance & trying to rekindle through going on dates. NYC based & full of great side characters. An absolute delight to read & I binged it in 2 days!

Well, Actually
By: Mazey Eddings
5 stars

Thank you St. Martins Press for this eARC that I binge read in 2 days! This was an absolute delight to read.

Ice queen Eva Kitty is a popular host of a hot dog program where she interviews b-list celebrities. One drunken night she goes on a tiktok stitch rant about heartthrob podcaster Riley Cooper who preaches about avoiding toxic masculinity because in college he treated Eva like crap & was bad in bed. The tiktok goes mega viral and soon Riley, along with her network want to milk the attention for all its worth. Riley asks Eva to give him a second chance and they go through a series of dates & relive them on his podcast.

I know people are going to HATE this one because the FMC is snarky & mean and Amelia Dimoldenberg-esque but I felt like she was real. I honestly saw her as a younger version of myself. She was a sweet girl with a tough exterior who built walls around herself as protection. She uses banter and wit to keep herself in control and that’s a self defense mechanism not everyone is going to understand. It also goes to show how differently men and women are treated in society because god forbid a woman be anything but nice.

The MMC Cooper is a complex guy who I honestly found so refreshing. He doesn’t have an ego, he’s patient, he can take a joke, and he’s healing from his own trauma. He takes accountability for his past actions and it was honestly just hot to read about a man like that. Riley loves Eva’s snarky mean side and I loved the dynamic. It was more “stop being mean to me or i’m going to fall in love with you” except he was always down bad for Eva.

I loved the NYC backdrop & the full-bodied side characters that were all diverse. I also loved little cameo’s from Lizzie, Rake, Dan and Harper from her previous books! I highlighted so much of this book! The SPICE?! Okayyy Cooper!!! Ugh, I just loved it!

“I fucking care, I care more than I can even put into words. I care about you. I care about how you’re feeling. What you’re thinking. What you like. What you hate. How your day was. How you’ll find new and absurd ways to torture me. I care.”

“This means something to me. You mean something to me. You did back then, and you do now. I was too cowardly before to tell you that simple truth, but I’m not going to let you go another day believing anything but the facts. I like you. I care about you. I’ve lost my goddamn mind over you, eve, and I’ll repeat it over and over again until you are able to trust it. Trust me.”

3.5 ⭐️
I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this book which made making a rating difficult.
Eva is not a likeable character and that did not bother me initially. She can be rude and harsh but her backstory gave her depth so I felt like I understood her.
Riley is the biggest cinnamon roll goofy guy which I found charming. I did like their dynamic, my husband and I have a very joke centered relationship that can also be off putting.
Where I didn’t love the story was how repetitive it felt with Eva and Riley’s story as well as the multiple chapters with spice scenes in a row.
This story is hilarious and the characters I think have a lot of depth. I really enjoyed the ending and how the story came together. I am very interested in reading more by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my e-ARC!

This book was very fun to read! I really enjoyed all the characters involved. It was nice knowing all the current pop culture references but not sure if others would understand if they are less familiar with them. Overall I would recommend this book to a friend. I think it also could be a great palette cleanser if someone is in a book slump.

Mazey was already an autobuy author for me, but I actually think this may be my favorite from her so far! It’s quirky, sexy, hilarious, and there’s bi rep (YAY!). I I was laughing so hard throughout this and actually read the entire thing in one day! I am SO glad that I already preorder Well, Actually! 5⭐️

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

Well, Actually was one of the first books I’ve binged in a while. It was completely addicting, Despite some of the second hand embarrassment I felt I truly enjoyed this book so much. Eva and Rylie were such a fun pair. I truly enjoyed their story, and while I don’t always love second chance romance, this one hit the spot.

This story starts with Eva making a video stitching her college situationship who happens to be a famous podcaster and it happens to go viral. Their banter attracts the gaze of the internet which snowballs into content for the both of them as well as some make up dates. I found them to be so much fun. Nothing ever went as expected for me which I really appreciated. I really liked how the plot and their relationship evolved over the span of this book.

Eva is honestly such a relatable character. I really appreciated her point of view in all cases. Her icy exterior despite what she is thinking makes for such heartbreaking scenes. I wish her nothing but the best and hope she doesn’t always have to be tough. As for Rylie, I really enjoyed him. Eva could say something absolutely outrageous and rude and he would be barking for more. I love it. I love his journey and hearing about his journey. I really enjoyed them as a couple and really liked their open and honest communication.

Also there’s no third act breakup which seriously makes my day. I honestly really enjoyed the ending. I honestly wish there was more to the resolution of the book. Otherwise aside from the second hand embarrassment I got the first 20% of the story, I truly loved this and found it so addicting.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin Griffin for an earc. All opinions are my own.

Better late than never getting to the review for this book. While I really liked the story and the concept of the plot I found Eva a little difficult to connect with. While I understand this is her character and character development, I still had a hard time connecting. Riley felt, at times, that he was putting more into the relationship than Eva. Their relationship felt unbalanced and I had a difficult time with reading that. The ending also felt really rushed, though I did appreciate there was not a third act break up. Overall, it was a cute read and I enjoyed the story. Just had to connect to the characters. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and the chance to read/review.

This was such a cute book, absolutely loved the banter and the relationship between Rylie and Eva. My biggest complaint, I guess, was that Eva could be so annoying in her “no one is ever gonna love me, let me throw insults and snarky remarks to push people away” facade. I totally understand it and it was like looking in a mirror at times but it was so often, I wanted to read a little less of that. Like damn girl, just let this man love you! Otherwise, the romance and the spice was perfect!

My first Mazey Eddings, but I’m definitely hooked and going to read more!

I loved the feminist tone throughout the entire book! I loved Eva’s snarky inner thoughts and outer comments, especially when there was so much misogyny and bias in the world around the characters. When I fell in love with Eva:

“I would never willingly listen to a man speak in my spare time, but that’s just me.”

Fuck me, madame!!

Eva was a BOSS BABE who knew she was in a world and career that valued her less because she was a woman (hell, she was in a family who valued her less because she was the average middle child amongst her high-achiever siblings), and she still stuck her middle finger up and kept going. I absolutely loved her grit and her willingness to be a boss babe without being a total jerk of a person. Her sarcasm and her reasons for building her metaphorical wall made sense and I could totally relate to her. However, it was amazing to see Riley tear it down brick by brick. I related to her so much, wearing this tough veneer because she had conditioned herself to in order to make it through life without crumbling. But like she came to realize, she shouldn’t have to always be tough and someone should like her even when her mask was off.

I loved the fantastic LGBTQIA+ rep! There were so many characters who we got to know authentically who happened to be trans, bisexual, pansexual, etc, and I loved seeing all this rep. I loved how Eva was pansexual and definitely spoke about her experiences of not feeling like she fit in because she wasn’t “outwardly and actively queer enough to claim a spot in the community”. I loved how Riley had had to go through a journey to become ok with his being bi. His internalized biphobia was an important thing to shine light on, especially in today’s world, and we definitely don’t see this enough. I loved that as he found himself, he definitely became someone that not only Eva could love, but someone I fell for too 😊

Speaking of which, Riley was the quintessential book boyfriend!! He was so proud and supportive of Eva, he was willing to try to fix his past mistakes, he stood up for her countless times, HE LOVED HER SARCASM AND SHARP EDGES, and yet he was the dominant alpha in the bedroom I purr for 😉

I absolutely loved their back and forth. Their chemistry was sizzling and extra fantastic because she had such a bite and he was willing to let her bite him as long as he got to chase her. It was chefs freaking kiss!!!

I also loved their spicy times!! The f*cking was delicious, and the love making was amazing. I especially loved that because Eva was on an SSRI, it was especially hard for her to reach completion. But Riley in typical book boyfriend perfection, took that as a challenge instead of a letdown and did everything he needed to get her there…multiple times!! I especially loved this spicy part:

“I will fuck you any way you want. Any speed, any position. I will go down on you all fucking night if that’s what it takes to make you come, and I will do it with a goddamn smile on my face the entire time. Do you understand me?”


He made her use her words and "use" him countless times and the more it happened the hotter it got!! He was a mess for her and her for him, and it was perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP, and Mazey Eddings for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions above are honest and my own.

4.25 stars!

Eva and Rylie dated in college and she fell hard for him. But things didn’t work out - he actually ghosted her. Fast forward several years and Eva is the host of Sausage Talk and Rylie is a Podcaster who talks about deconstruction toxic masculinity. Still not over what happened, Eva makes one drunken social media post calling out Rylie for the past, which leads to the two of them working together.

While I enjoyed the story, there were times that Eva was just so mean to Rylie. And I totally get it, she was hurt and held that close to her heart but it was still tough to read at times. But you know he was down bad for her since he took it like it was his job. he just understood her.

Read this if you like:
🌭 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌭 Second Chance Romance
🌭 Open Door Romance