3.25⭐️
I have mix feelings about this books. On one hand I enjoyed the overall story and I am a sucker for second chance romances and the writing itself is very good- I mean that in the technical sense. The story flows and is fast paced where I’m sure dans will read it in one sitting.

That being said… I got pulled to this book to begin with for the queer representation and I loved how much there was throughout. However, I do feel like the author created the characters simply to have diversity for diversity sake without having and character development.

Also, the FMC? How awful of a person can she be? O get being snarky as your personality but she treats people awfully. It’s toxic and in some cases abusive.

The MMC? Boring. He has no substance and the amount of abuse that he takes is concerning in 2025 when it’s not called out. I’m fine with having problematic characters and situations but I prefer when the author is responsible and at least brings light to the fact that said behavior is not to be tolerated in reality.

I enjoy when books have a scant sprinkle of current events, pop culture etc.. but this is as if the cap on the jimmy container was loose and they dumped all over the ice cream..
Now everyone not from MA can go Google what a jimmy is the same way folks will have to Google many of these references which will be irrelevant in no time.

Overall, the concepts and story has such promise but the execution was way off base.


I am thankful to have gotten the eARV for free from St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Well, actually.... just as I expected, this was a goddamn DELIGHT. It's everything a romcom should be, in my opinion! This really does have it all - such a good slow burn, wonderful characterization that extends past the romance, and banter that sizzles on the page. I was grinning at my phone like an idiot while reading too many times to count.

If you think based on the (completely adorable) cover that this is based on Chicken Shop Date, you're....kind of right? But it's so much more than that! Eva Kitt is the host of Sausage Talk, a talk show where she interviews D-list celebs while eating hot dogs, but what she really wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist; Rylie Cooper is a social media personality with a podcast on how subvert toxic masculinity. After Eva attracts viral attention when she posts a tipsy Tiktok about their college fling that ended poorly, Rylie and Eva are thrust back together on the set of Sausage Talk - much to Eva's undisguised chagrin.

Listen, I LOVE a female character who is unapologetic about the fact that she's mean, sarcastic, and abrasive (with a vulnerable, emotionally fraught heart that she lets few people see). And what I love maybe even more is a man who adores her, not in spite of that fact but because of it. Rylie and Eva are at each other's throats - literally and metaphorically - for the majority of this book and I ate it up. Combine that with a toxic workplace subplot and no third act breakup (!!!!) & you have my ideal romance novel come to life.

Honestly, I just had so much fun reading this to the point where I didn't want it to end. I'll be purchasing my own copy the moment it comes out & unabashedly singing its praises till then.
Final rating is a 4.5 that I'm rounding up to a 5.
Thank you to NetGalley & St Martin's Press for the ARC!

I am so sorry to say this just wasn't for me. I won't go on and on with reasons but i just couldnt get into it. The main characters really annoyed me especially Eva and how rude she is. I just couldn't get into it but I'm sure it's someone else's cup of tea.

"eva, my love. i've had six years to let you go and decide you're not worth it. give me six hundred more and it still wouldn't matter. I'm yours."

I am absolutely FLOORED by how beautiful this story is. eva & rylie are the epitome of right person, wrong time ... but I am extremely proud that they got it right. I have loved every second of this book and will shout from the rooftop when august 5, 2025 comes around and force all my loved ones to read this incredible love story!

thank you netgalley, mazey eddings, and st. martin's press for this absolute delight of a story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book!

Spoiler free review :)
This book is a modern day second-chance romance between journalist, Eva Kitt, who currently hosts a show called ‘Sausage Talk’ where she interviews a variety of celebrities, and influencer, Rylie Cooper who just so happens to be her ex from her college years. After one drunken social media rant goes viral, they find themselves in the spotlight revisiting their previous relationship and Rylie trying to right all of his wrongs with Eva who is NOT having it. If you love Chicken Shop Date, you will LOVE this book.

Firstly, the banter is TOP TIER, had me giggling relentlessly. I love the constant back and forth between these two and I honestly really resonate with Eva, the FMC…I love bullying my husband 🤣 You have to keep them humble ya know! The story was beautifully written, heartbreaking and honest and vulnerable, it brought me to tears a few times…sometimes from laughing and sometimes because I could feel the hurt pouring through this book, from both sides of the situation. Which brings me to Rylie Cooper…the man that you are 😮‍💨🥰 You’ll have to read this book when it comes out on August 5th, 2025 to find out why he is one of my favorite book boyfriends 🫶🏻
This is my first book from Mazey but I’m excited to delve into her others, and this one is definitely a MUST READ!

I really wanted to love this one. I just couldn't get into it and didn't find myself connecting with the characters. The FMC is supposed to be stubborn and bitchy but she mends so easily to the MMC, which just makes no sense. It wasn't the one for me.

I was initially lured to this because I love Chicken Shop Date and I could tell that this was definitely using this as inspiration. This book however was not for me and it was kind of a struggle for me to finish, often skipping ahead just to finish it.

The FMC is supposed to be strong and sassy but instead often came across and rude and kind of bratty to me. She often overreacted to situation and punched down on the MMC just because she.. liked him? The MMC also kind of took on a Mary Sue esque façade, often just kind of being a kind person, but not really anything deeper. I just didn't often believe their chemistry and once they were together, was expecting the FMC to have a sweeter side that never really developed.

My main issue with this book though was a I felt like the author wrote character just to check the diversity box, without really giving them personalities. Most of the characters were part if the LGBTQ+ community but often just acted like stereotypes of whatever orientation they identified with. It kind of felt shallow and like they were just thrown in. I can see how this book would be great for some people who would really see themselves identified! Sadly that just wasn't me!

Once again thank you Net Galley for this amazing ARC!

Oh my gosh. This book was everything and then some. I immediately knew from the first page that this would be a five star read. I was completely captivated. The main characters magnetic and electric energy towards each other was so mesmerizing to read. Their witty comebacks and banter was hilarious, cute, and sexy. What a perfect, cheesy romcom. And fuck Landry and William!!!!!!! I was so glad to read the ending of that!

Eddings is an instant buy for me, and this one might be my favorite yet. I loved the characters so much. And the banter! My gosh, top tier!

4.5 stars

I'm not the biggest second change trope fan, but this story just does it so well. It may have changed my feelings on second chance. The rest of the tropes? Grumpy/sunshine, Golden retriever mmc, enemies to lovers, all of that? Lovelovelove

I laughed at loud multiple times, especially towards the beginning (shower scene into first date car scene? I don't think I stopped laughing for 3 chapters).

I loved the character growth throughout the story, though the "villains" were a little one-dimensional. But the main characters and supporting cast redeemed the story. I also loved the teeny tiny update on one of her older characters. Glad to see the universe is still alive and well, maybe next book we'll get some more cameos. I'd love to see a side character or 3 get their chance at love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to review this book because I really enjoyed Mazey Eddings’s Late Bloomers, and I think she did an equally amazing job with this one. Eddings has a beautiful way of incorporating mental health themes in a meaningful and uplifting light, which is one of the things I love about her.

I loved the story and the back-and-forth between the characters. While I did feel the main character was a bit much at times, I still found myself laughing out loud multiple times at the witty banter. And the heartfelt parts of the book really pulled on my nonexistent heart strings making even me teared up a little!

Jennifer Pierce did an incredible job with the cover art, as she always does. However, my biggest issue with the book — and something I really think should be addressed — is the formatting of the text messages. Around 18% into the book, the characters start texting, and it’s difficult to distinguish those messages from the regular narrative. Other books often format text conversations in a way that separates them more clearly, and that would have been really helpful here.

Aside from that, this book was witty, beautiful, funny, and an absolute delight to read. I flew through it much faster than I wanted to, and I already miss the characters. Bravo to Mazey Eddings for another fantastic book — I can’t wait to read her next one!

This was a cute, quirky, second chance romance. Full of banter, laughs, and tension, but the repetition was frustrating and the pacing didn’t work for me. I was liking the first half of the book, but then I felt like nothing was happening and it was very drawn out. I just didn’t become as invested in the characters as I had hoped. I did like their open communication throughout the story!

I hardly ever rate romcoms 5⭐ But this one deserves it! I was absolutely crying with laughter! I was rooting so much for Eva to heal and to become someone capable of letting herself truly love. Go Rylie for being the person to see through her prickly exterior and know who she is. Loved this from start to finish! I wish I had notes, but honestly, no notes.

The vibes of the cover accurately represent the story inside. It was a quick, fun read. If you're a fan of 90s/early 2000s rom com movies, this is for you.

Most of us have at least “one that got away”. Some of us would like a do-over. This book satisfies both, playing like a classic 80s/90s rom-com with modern tech references. Full of humor and peppered with spicy scenes that aren’t over the top. A must read for those of us that can identify as a walking cactus.

This was a painful read at first. Eva Kitt is just cringe to read about because she’s so unhappy with her life. She gets a second chance with her former crush/terrible ex Rylie Cooper, but then it turns out Rylie had great reasons for acting like a shit to her earlier. And now he’s perfect. Annoyingly perfect—like, nobody is actually like that, please be more real here. So I didn’t love that. After all the cringe there’s some very hot (hetero) word porn. If you aren’t into smut, skip this book. I didn’t realize it was going there, and it really went there. It wasn’t bad but it was jarring after the first half of painful self-hate. I am sure there will be fans of this book, but I wasn’t one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book has everything I look for in a modern rom-com: Top-tier banter, a barbed wire of an FMC (and I mean that as the highest compliment), and a swoon-worthy MMC whose wardrobe I desperately want to steal. Mazey infused such fun and sincerity into a story about the struggles of growing up and breaking free of the wounds of your past.

Highly recommend!

Wow! I ate this book up! I was laughing and swooning my way through the whole book. The banter and dry sense of humor was perfection. I loved the Chicken Shop Date vibes. It was a fun and unique twist for a romcom and totally different from anything I’ve read. There were a few times that Eva drove me a bit nuts, but I could totally relate with her tough exterior and I loved watching her grow/transform. Rylie was an absolute GEM. I mean, just the best golden retriever. I adored him. Overall, I had the BEST time reading this book! Wow! I devoured this book in one sitting! I couldn’t stop laughing and swooning throughout the entire story. The witty banter and dry sense of humor were simply perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Shop Date vibe. It was a refreshing and unique twist for a romcom, offering a completely different reading experience from anything I’ve read before. While Eva occasionally drove me a bit crazy, I could completely relate to her tough exterior and loved witnessing her growth and transformation. Rylie was an absolute gem—the epitome of a golden retriever. I adored him. Overall, I had an absolute blast reading this book!

Very cute. There was good character development and I really enjoyed how the characters really got to know one another and broke down some walls.

This book was a really good time. Eve is a such a funny, unhinged FMC and her banter with Rylie is top notch 👌 Their chemistry and dynamic is fantastic and I love their back-and-forth quips. I love the bisexual and pansexual representation and all the queer love in this book ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜 The plot revolving around Eva’s job felt a bit forced and the way her bosses acted felt very overdramatized, but other than that this was a really cute romance.