This was absolutely hilarious. I loved the dialogue and the banter in this book! The book started off so funny that I was thoroughly surprised at how deep it was. The topics that were discussed in this book was covered so well and “safe”. Check triggers but I feel that Mazey Eddings did a good job! I enjoyed every minute of it and the spice was spicing! This book had everything and I think readers of all genres would eat this up!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was such a fun, heartfelt, and binge-worthy read! Eva is a sharp, witty, and totally relatable protagonist, and I loved how her journey of self-discovery played out alongside the romance. The chemistry between her and Rylie was electric—the banter was top-tier, and their second-chance dynamic felt so real and emotional.

What really stood out was how the book balanced humor with deeper themes of growth, vulnerability, and navigating past baggage. It wasn’t just about romance; it was about finding yourself and learning to love in a way that feels right.

If you love second-chance romances with plenty of sass, heart, and laugh-out-loud moments, Well, Actually is a must-read. Mazey Eddings delivers yet another story that’s impossible to put down!

I absolutely ADORED this book! The characters were so much fun and lovable. The banter was to die for!!! This is definitely a new favorite!

This had great spice, a fun plot, and amusing banter. I can't count how many times I was literally laughing out loud!

Mazey Eddings delivers a delightful, laugh-out-loud, and undeniably sexy second-chance romance in Well, Actually, a book brimming with her signature wit, heart, and emotional depth.

Eva Kitt is a sharp-witted journalist stuck hosting the absurdly named Sausage Talk, never imagined her career would lead her to grilling washed-up celebrities over hot dogs instead of chasing hard-hitting stories. But when a viral moment calls out her college ex, Rylie Cooper—a now-beloved influencer dismantling toxic masculinity—she’s thrown into an unexpected reunion that neither of them are prepared for.

What follows is a deliciously chaotic, slow-burn romance filled with sizzling banter, reluctant attraction, and a high-stakes arrangement: Rylie wants to prove he’s changed, and Eva wants to publicly eviscerate him while boosting her own career. Their staged dates—meant to serve as a social experiment—soon blur into something dangerously real, forcing Eva to question whether the man who once broke her heart might actually be the one to heal it.

Eddings excels at crafting characters with authentic flaws and endearing quirks. Eva is a firecracker of sarcasm and ambition, while Rylie embodies golden retriever energy—earnest, charming, and determined to prove his growth. Their dynamic crackles with tension, from sharp verbal sparring to unexpectedly tender moments that sneak up on both them and the reader.

Beyond the romance, Well, Actually explores themes of accountability, self-worth, and the evolving landscape of modern masculinity. Eddings balances humor with heart, making this novel as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

Fans of second-chance romances with a side of social commentary will adore Well, Actually. It’s sweet and irresistibly fun—perfect for readers who love sparkling banter, forced proximity, and the sweet agony of enemies-to-lovers tension.

When I saw there was a book most likely inspired by Amelia and Andrew and the chicken shop dates I was SAT. This exceeded my expectations. It was so FUN!! I think Eva is one of my favourite female main characters I’ve read in a long time. She’s mean but soft and squishy on the inside, just like me. I enjoyed the pacing of this so much, and while second chance isn’t usually my fav genre I feel like my girl made that man pay for his sins (and he loved it). This made me abandon all my current reads. Thank you to my boos at SMP for the early read, love you!

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the premise a lot but also found it a bit silly in other spots. (I have a journalism background, so some of the more work-related things were hard to buy into.) That said, I thought the relationship was so genuine and the way it unfolded felt very genuine to today's world! The characters were fun (except for the bestie, idc that she was redeemed a little bit). But the second-chance was so believable. Not my favorite Mazey book but really enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the tone of the book instantly. It feels more relatable. The way she speaks and communicates with her friend/producer, Aida, is so funny. When you answer the phone and say “Hey, bitch. What’s up?”, now that’s a HOMIE for sure!

I am freaking all in for Rylie Cooper once he was introduced on the pages. Took accountability of his red flag actions off top. He is sweet but clever and I love that he can respectfully go toe to toe with a woman that is dead set on just freaking destroying him on social media and in general.

I loved reading about Riley making amends for his college days red flags. And also showing everyone that people can change for the better and listen to the hard truths about how your actions can truly hurt someone. Accountability king!

For the entire first half of the book Eva was acting out of hurt. I understood each petty action and move she did. But there was a point I felt she became frustrating as hell. Sometimes when the reader (me) can’t relate anymore to the character it can get tough to read. I’m in my stand up for myself and take no shit era so having to sit back and read about her shriveling down to nothing just for a job and a small dick energy type boss and being completely unbearable about the conflict of her heart and head were just dragging on a bit too long for me.

Buuuuut, alas a shift did happen. When things were all aired out and left out on the table, the beauty of the love story pulled me in! I love that Eva has a bite to her. But I loved it more that Riley accepted every part of her.

My first Mazy Edding book and it was good read!

Thank you so much NetGalley and St martins press for this gifted copy. This book was so good. Chicken ship vibes? ABSOLUTELY! I ate this book up

This was great book I really enjoyed the story and how everything turned out. It had everything you love in her books. Thanks so much for letting me read this book.

Listen: I wanted to love this, but I am allergic to second-hand embarassment and that's essentially all this book was made of. I’m talking full-body discomfort, had to put the book down for minutes at a time, here. It’s this strange mix of slapstick comedy with chronically online references that will probably be completely out of date by the time this book comes out 5 months from now. Let's dive in:

Our FMC is Eva Kitt, the host of a celebrity talk show called Sausage Talk, where she interviews low-tier celebs while shoving hot dogs down her "gullet". Let's be so honest here: this was a copycat version of Chicken Shop Date on youtube, but without any of the personality. Like, Amelia Dimoldenberg deserves an apology for how embarassing of a parody this was of her show. The meat references were cringe, the not-so-thinly veiled references to actual Chicken Shop Date conversations were blaring, and the "banter" wasn't even banter - it was just bad flirting. Anyways, Eva hosts this show because......why? Because she wants to be a real journalist, and because the author could then insert a B-plot about toxic workplace drama and the realities of nepotism here.

One night, Eva gets drunk and posts a tiktok slamming her ex-situationship from college for being avoidant and bad in bed. The only problem is that said situationship - his name is Rylie Cooper - is an internet famous-ish podcaster whose whole schtick is “deconstructing toxic masculinity”, wearing slutty glasses, and rocking some soft boy therapy speak like it's his personal brand. So their bosses stick them together for a set of dates and joint podcast episodes to capitalize on their 15 minutes of fame, and the romcom of it all unfolds from there.

The premise of the book was actually the most redeeming part of this book for me. Had it been executed better, I might have actually enjoyed this. But every single character decision made in this feels like an irredeemable disaster. First, Eva is MEAN. Unrelentingly so, and not at all in a cute or flirtatious way. I'm all for a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, but this was on a whole different level. There are times when she goes out of her way to actively sabotage the MMC by making him look bad. I'm not even that mad about the drunk tiktok video, but our MMC Rylie ghosted her six years ago, and she’s holding onto that grudge like it’s her job. Meanwhile, Rylie has not only owned up to his mistake(s) but spent the entire six years doing self-improvement (he even got a master’s degree in counseling—this man is basically a walking redemption arc). What has Eva done? Oh, just wallow in her trauma (which, by the way, is never really explored). She is 29 years old. She has no business acting like being ghosted by one single guy in college warrants the cruelty she wields towards everyone around her. And don't even get me started on Rylie. Rylie’s basically doing all the heavy lifting in this relationship. He's practically a saint, running around chasing after Eva, picking up her emotional mess while she slams the door in his face—literally. His lack of self-respect is pathetic, because somehow, she never once says anything nice about him, even though he’s constantly showering her with compliments. If that’s not exhausting, I don’t know what is. The author turned Rylie into a pliant doormat who never really challenges Eva on her shit, and is still somehow obsessed with her? For someone who is presented as so self-aware and emotionally mature, he really puts up with a lot of borderline verbal abuse from Eva, and still thinks he can somehow fix what they have. The scene where he takes her to HIS therapist for couples counselling - despite not even being a couple - was INSANE. The dynamic is so very clearly one-sided, and it was exhausting. Give up my guy, you deserve better.

And maybe I'd be able to move past awful characters if the conflict was interesting, but all of it was internal and completely unnecesary. Seriously. Both of them could have just apologized and decided to be polite on page 15 and the book could have ended there. There were no real external stakes: I'm supposed to believe one mean reply to an influencer will ruin is reputation? I'm supposed to believe Eva actually likes her workplace enough to want the promotion that's being dangled in front of her if she promises to put on a good show? Rylie is out here doing all of the work to get them together, while Eva’s out here winning an oscar for how well she's playing hard-to-get. After their first time hooking up again, she bolts from his apartment without a word—while he’s literally in the bathroom! And Rylie? He doesn’t get mad or express any hurt. Instead, he chases after her like a puppy making sure she’s okay. And when he emails her boss to take responsibility for mistakes they committed as a pair, Eva changes his email and makes it sound like he had a bad case of diarrhea to shirk blame, and he still doesn't react like a normal person with feelings. It's all about Eva, always.

Now, the side characters. The checkbox diversity was....embarassing. The paper-thin friend group feels like it was crafted by someone who googled “diverse friend groups in rom-coms" and ran with it. The gay best friend is in a throuple and only wants to gossip about the FMC’s sex life. The trans woman running the charity for trans kids is named Lilith. LILITH. Love to see every tumblr stereotype in one book. /s

So, yeah. I wanted to like this. I really did. But when the book promises an angsty, will-they-won’t-they romance and delivers... this? I know this book will find it's audience, but I am not it. I hated it every second of it.

I just know everyone is going to hate Eva—she’s the angry girl we rarely see in romance because we’re all conditioned to want nice, palatable women. But being inside Eva’s head, you totally get why she’s so guarded and untrusting of Cooper. Plus, she’s hilarious with just the right amount of unputdownable energy!

And then there's my man, Cooper. Oh my god, he’s a whole mood. Greenest of green flags, mouth of a sailor, and a walking, talking porn star vibe. The smut? Panty-melting. He’s absolutely perfect for her. This is why I read romance.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

I loved this book and I was CACKLING. Literally laughing out loud.

Eva Kitt films a live stream eating hot dogs and interviewing B list celebrities and is pretty miserable about it. After a few drinks and some wallowing/doomscrolling, she comes across a video of an ex, Rylie Cooper, who now hosts a podcast about misogyny and decides to duet it… and roast him with her grievances. Of course this goes viral and her bosses decide to take advantage of the publicity and have him on the show. While filming, he makes a proposition. Let him take her on 6 dates to show her he’s changed in the 6 years and make it up to her. Eva is hesitant but a promotion is dangled in front of her, so she agrees and so it goes. She constantly reminds herself “this is fake”… but what if it’s not?

Gah this was good. As I mentioned, I was laughing constantly. I’ve read one other book by Mazey and it too had me giggling. I need to read a lot more of them!

There are some sensitive topics so I do recommend checking trigger warnings to be on the safe side, but Mazey Eddings does a great job of handling those in my opinion!

Fake dating is my favorite book trope and adding banter, humor, bloggers/podcasters/celebrities and remarkable characters then it's a perfect blend and that's exactly what this book is!
FMC Eva is a sharp, grumpy sarcastic and afraid to let anyone close to get to know her real personality. MMC Rylie is a sunshine golden retriever who really cares and try to make things right even after many years. I enjoyed the fake dating part and way heroes were interacting with each other rediscovering themselves (especially Eva), mutual attraction and opening to love and trust again.
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC and possibility to read this ahead of official pub date.

While I liked this one, some of it didn’t quite hit for me, but that’s more a matter of personal preference I think. I liked how Rylie was emotionally mature and patient. I also liked how the story handles grief, loss, and grappling with your sexuality. The pacing was great and the story well written.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mazey Eddings and I will be seeking out more of her work.

This book was an absolute masterclass in banter and the black cat character archetype. There were moments of tenderness followed by biting humour and I could not get enough of it.

Eva is the host of an online celebrity interview show. She goes viral after posting a video about her experiences with her podcaster ex Rylie. When her boss makes her capitalize on the moment by interviewing Rylie and subsequently going on a few dates, she has to confront her feelings about their past once and for all.

I love a savage FMC and Eva is top-tier. Their interactions are no holds barred with both going tit for tat. What underlies all this is a hurt that Eva carries over being ghosted and feeling that once again she isn’t worthy of attention and adoration. Rylie, to his credit, owns up to his part and does his best to rectify their relationship. He pushes Eva to vocalize her feelings and knows that he needs to show up for her in all the ways he never did before. Luckily for us, he also does so while wearing smexy glasses and cheesy crewnecks and making peppermint tea.

I can’t recommend this enough.

I adored this book!!!! This was so precious and sweet and I will forever love a strong female character.
The banter throughout was so fun, and the characters had so much depth and growth. I especially loved the ending. So fun!

✨ARC REVIEW✨
4.5⭐️

Firstly, thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even begin?! Eva Kitt is a one of kind, and so is Rylie Cooper. If you like second chance romance, one sided beef, a (slightly) rage filled black cat and a down bad gold retriever, bi for bi (pan) energy, and watching Chicken Shop Date with Amelia Dimoldenberg -- then Well, Actually is just the rom-com for you.

Eva Kitt has journalistic dreams that at the moment are stunted, she's hosting a video-podcast Sausage Talk (a la Chicken Shop Date) for a social media company a kin to Buzzfeed, not exactly the Barbara Walters-esque dreams she had. After a drunken tiktok stitch calling out her, now well known and respected for his anti-toxic masculinity takes, ex for his albeit abhorrent behavior from their college days her world is turned upside down. He ends up on her show, and they strike a deal to go on a series of dates as a redemption arc for Rylie, to atone for his past actions and they debrief on his podcast. Of course, this all goes according to plan and Eva gets the self-satisfaction that she is right and he is wrong. Just kidding, it all goes pear shaped.

Mazey Eddigngs is positively hysterical, the allusions to Chicken Shop Date, and the iconic one-liners in this book are worth the read alone. I loved this book. I was laughing out loud, sweating (okay spice) being called out (b/c same Eva same), was brought to tears, and was giggling and kicking my feet. There was 10/10 excellent banter between our MCs, and the entire cast of characters. Well, Actually is highly relatable, from <spoiler>how Eva viewed herself from her childhood self-image, of being forgettable, unimportant, and too much for people had me tearing up, and I think that's something that a lot of readers can resonate with. I know I do. What I really, really loved was how consistently Rylie showed up for her, he showed her not just with words but with actions that she wasn't too much, or forgettable, and she is important to him. She tries to push him away when things are hard because it feels easier, because it's what she knows and he won't let her. I could kiss him on the face for doing so!! </spoiler> I also want to sing some praises on therapy in this story being used a the healing tool it is, and taking some stigma away from mental health care. Rylie's story is one that is not all that uncommon, and having that representation on page was refreshing.

This story portrayed the realities of nepotism, and misogyny present in the corporate (and otherwise) workplace. This story openly displaying the absolute malarky that folx -- women in particular have to deal with on a regular basis; and sometimes have to endure just to ensure their job security or tenure.

I have one gripe, and one gripe only, which is that I wish Rylie got to learn more about Eva's family history and why she is as tough as she is (which she shouldn't have to be!!!) because she got to learn his trauma, so why not share the wealth? He was already down bad, and patient and understanding without knowing it but it wouldn't hurt.

UGHHHHH. Mazey Eddings remains an instant buy author for me. This is so good. I've never read a black-cat FMC and golden-boy MMC done so well. I also love to see oligarchs (which yes is a bit dramatic) and heads of companies be taken down. Also, the spice... girllllllllll

This was a unique second chance romance and I couldn’t help the genuine giddiness that I felt reading. The black cat x golden retriever vibes were so real and I loved that no matter how hard Eva tried to hold a grudge against Riley, his kindness and genuine care for Eva made her putty in his hands. They both had a lot of growing up to do since crossing paths years prior, and I think being able to see them both think introspectively made me connect with them that much more.

The snarky banter, Riley’s bright green flags, and the spice that was SPICING just added to an already amazing romance brewing between these two and I just could not put this down

Golden retriever x black cat
Second chance
Bisexuality
Humorous
Spicy

Super fun read. I enjoyed laughing along this storyline.

Eva is feeling unhappy and stuck in her career and life. She lives in a tiny NYC apartment, she’s feeling left behind by her friends as they are moving in to better things.
She gets drunk one night and finds her ex boyfriends social media. He broke her heart back in college. When she leaves a post on his social and it goes viral Riley her ex proposes a deal. 6 dates to make it up to her and redeem his social standing.

Fun and captivating story.