this was out of this world mind blowing. amazing. there was everything you want from a good romance. I am obsessed with Rylie and Eva. The amount of representation for LGBTQ and grief, and mental illness. It was so beautifully done and I was hanging on ever second of banter between these two. I loved how Eva got her moment in the sun at the end and her happiness. I also loved learning about Rylie and there was so much character growth and depth to each of them. this felt like a complete story and I loved every single moment.

I was absolutely blown away by this book—I couldn’t put it down. It was hilarious and heartfelt. The banter and yearning were on another level. Truly a 5 star romance.

A cute idea, but unfortunately fell flat. Did not lock me in as I anticipated it to do so. The characters lacked any real development or anything for you to want to root for them and for that, it made it hard to get into the story at all.

I had such a blast reading this book! It was the perfect mix of humor, heart, and just the right amount of tension. The whole second chance theme really got me—there's something so satisfying about seeing characters who, despite everything, find their way back to each other. But what I loved even more was the man who didn't stop at the first obstacle. It’s so refreshing when a character pushes through and takes initiative instead of shying away when things get tough. Watching him fight for what he wanted made the story feel even more rewarding.

And the fake dating on social media? I could not stop laughing! It brought such a fun, modern twist to the story. The way the characters navigated it was so entertaining, and their interactions were just perfect. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and it was so easy to get lost in their story. It felt real, messy, and completely relatable.

I loved how the book balanced humor and emotions. One minute I was laughing out loud, and the next, I was genuinely invested in their journey. It’s one of those books that pulls you in and keeps you hooked, not just because of the plot, but because of the characters who feel like they could be real people.

This book was unputdownable for me, which is exactly what I want out of a rom com. I loved the witty banter, the pacing, and that the points of tension and character reactions didn't feel outsized. I read this in two days and I'm sure I'll pick up for a reread at some point soon.

Struggled HARD with this book after loving the author's previous books.
This FMC is not unlikable, she's MEAN which makes it extremely hard to relate to her. Especially given the MMC was an old hookup from a million years ago and the FMC's low self esteem and lack of therapy is the cause of her issues, not him. He seems nice but bland. And the pacing slows down immensely.

This one just didn't work.

+ ÷ 3.25
*possible spoilers ahead*
& He rubs his palm against his sternum like he's trying to embed my touch there. Or erase it. For his sake, it'd better be the latter. 3
- when I first saw this I was sure I was going to enjoy it more, the pacing just really wasn't doing it for me?
I wasn't really liking the fmc (shocker) and the mmc was ok but nothing I haven't read about before.. like literally none of the characters in this whole book stood out to me and the plot just was not my favorite lol?.
¿ "So use me, Eva. Make an example of me. Help me show people what it's like to work for it." 3 overall thoughts :
I did enjoy some moments but nothing life changing was happening here..
* thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc *)
....•

I was drawn to this book by its intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t fully deliver for me. While there were moments that kept me engaged, the overall experience fell a bit flat.

Eva, the protagonist, was difficult to connect with. I understand that her sharp humor and sarcasm were meant to be part of her charm, but at times, her remarks felt more cutting than clever, which made it hard to root for her. On the flip side, Rylie stood out as the more compelling character. His honesty and directness made his storyline far more interesting, and I found myself more invested in his journey than Eva’s.

Another challenge was the pacing. Some chapters felt excessively long, stretching on for what seemed like forever—making the reading experience drag in places. A bit of trimming would have done wonders for the flow of the story.

That said, I did push through to the end, wanting to give the book a fair chance. While it wasn’t my favorite, I appreciate the opportunity to read it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I enjoyed the premise of a young man working towards righting his past wrongs, but overall did not really love the main characters and their lack of chemistry.

This was incredibly well written. The main characters had such great depth and complexity to them that explained their personalities and histories together in such a great way. I find with second chance romances, the reasoning for the original break up or falling out is silly or something I don't understand how the MC could move past but I think Eddings did a fantastic job in addressing the mental health of both characters and the maturity in which they were trying to grow throughout the book. Will definitely be recommending this one!

The formatting of this book was very confusing. The FMC would be texting another character but there was no indication who was texting what. I read pages multiple times before I figured it out. It made it very difficult to read.
The FMC was insufferable from the start. As well as the references to social media, this book just didn’t do it for me at all.

This gave modern How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with a modern twist. I loved that it was about a podcast and enemies to lovers and second chance style love. Eva and Rylie have a great amount of chemistry and that on top of their history really brought the story to life.

Listen. I LIVED for this book. It was like Mazey Eddings took the Chicken Shop Date interview with Amelia and Andrew Garfield, sprinkled in some second-chance romance, threw in peak black cat x golden retriever energy, and said, “Here. Go be obsessed.” And obsessed, I was.

Eva? Icon. Legend. Sarcasm Queen. Her sharp wit could cut glass, and I adore her for it. I wanna be her when I grow up (even though that ship has probably sailed). And then we have Rylie—sweet, eager-to-please, golden retriever boyfriend energy at full capacity. The man practically wags his tail every time Eva looks at him, and honestly? Good for him. King behavior. Their chemistry?? ELECTRIC. Their banter?? Top-tier. Their antics?? HAD ME CACKLING. But just when I was having a great time laughing at their nonsense, this book had the audacity to HIT ME IN THE FEELS.

Because here’s the thing—this book isn’t just snark and swoon. It’s deeply heartfelt. It perfectly captures that middle-child struggle—feeling overlooked, brushed aside, constantly searching for a place to belong. Eva’s journey was so real and achingly relatable, and I just know fellow middle siblings are gonna sit there like, wow… attack me, why don’t you?

So yeah. I adored this. I laughed, I swooned, I felt personally victimized by the emotional gut punches. Mazey Eddings, I bow to you. Read this book, immediately.

Eva dreams of becoming a serious journalist, but first she has to pay her dues- which is why she hosts a show called Sausage Talk, where she irreverently interviews minor celebrities over lukewarm hotdogs.

But she lands in hot water after posting a drunken and highly inappropriate video about her ex and beloved social media personality, Rylie, who ghosted her years ago. In response to her video going viral and the ensuing spike in viewership, her boss proposes a controversial crossover series with Rylie, aiming to leverage the situation for the company's financial gain.

Despite her vehement resistance to his charms, Eva’s hot ice queen persona keeps slipping around Rylie as their collaboration turns from adversarial to reluctant friendship, and ultimately blooms into a deep love.

This second chance romance set in New York City is full of witty banter, undeniable chemistry, diverse characters and thoughtful explorations of complex topics like toxic masculinity, biphobia, the death of a loved one, and forgiveness. Readers who enjoy remarkably strong female leads and crave emotionally redemptive story arcs will adore this radiantly hot enemies to lovers romance.

I loved this book. The banter had me cackling and swooning at the same time. I’ll definitely be checking out other titles by Mazey!

I loved this book! The banter between both of the characters was top notch and I love that he accepted her for how she is. I love that he liked that she was “mean to him”

I love love LOVED this book! I am a huge rom-com reader and most female main characters are quirky and sweet. but Eva was kind of bitchy and I loved it! Her insults and quips throughout the book had me cackling. I could really relate to her, which is unusual for me
The pacing was good, the spice level was perfect, and the banter was A+. I highly recommend for all romance lovers.

"Well, Actually" is the perfect storm of laugh-out-loud banter, painfully relatable emotional baggage, and absolutely delish spice (the slow burn was perfect). If you love a black cat x golden retriever dynamic, where she’s totally over him (except, she’s not, haha) and he’s absolutely feral for her, then buckle up—because this book is a ride.

Eva had dreams of hard-hitting journalism, but instead, she’s stuck hosting Sausage Talk (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, lol). Her career takes an unexpected detour when an offhand rant about her college ex-turned-viral-feminist-male-influencer, Rylie, blows up online. Now, in a desperate attempt at damage control (or maybe just pure chaos), Rylie proposes an experiment: he takes her on a series of dates to prove he’s changed, and she gets to publicly roast him for it. It’s the perfect win-win—or so she thinks. Because somewhere between the staged dates, the shameless flirting, and Rylie being a walking green flag with a mouth that should be illegal, Eva starts to wonder: has he really changed? And does she actually want him to?

💥Tropes & Vibes:
🐈‍⬛Black cat x golden retriever
🎤She HATES him, he’s obsessed with her
🔥Praise kink & filthy mouthed MMC
💔Grief & abandonment themes
😍No third-act breakup

Eva is the type of heroine I know will cause people to choose sides—she’s unapologetically angry, guarded, and unwilling to let her emotions be manipulated. But being in her head? It makes complete sense. Her defenses are high because they had to be, and watching her let them down, piece by piece, with Rylie's relentless affection was so satisfying.

And Rylie?! Excuse me, sir, where do I sign up??? He’s emotionally available, unshakably patient, and has the dirtiest mouth. Like, not to be dramatic, but if there was a panty-melting hall of fame, he’d be in it.

Well, Actually is a delightful, messy, and wildly fun second-chance romance that delivers on every level. Huge thanks to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Eva is one of a kind! When a book describes the main character as a black cat, Eva is what I imagine. I laughed a lot throughout this book because of the main character’s banter. I loved the humor in this book especially the fact that she has a show called Sausage Talk. I could see this as a movie while reading it!

This novel had its beautiful balances of humor and heart. The author did a great job in making the characters feel “real”. That being said, I really enjoyed the first half of this book up until 40%. Some parts were predictable and a few side characters felt underdeveloped making a few aspects of the story feel less impactful.

Side note: If you enjoyed previous novels from this author and are looking for a cute black cat/golden retriever story, you will most likely enjoy this book 🫶🏼

This was a digital ARC via NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity to read and give my honest review on this beautiful story✨🩵