This book was fantastic. The protagonists were likable with great chemistry. I liked how Eddings subverted my expectations in the third act a couple times by not following the traditional romance novel beats. Don't fret, though. The characters get a very sweet, very steamy happily ever after.

Overall I really enjoyed this book!!! Such a fun story packed with humor, flirty banter, and real life issues stemming from work, childhood trauma, familial loss, and unhealthy coping mechanisms, all of which are all handled with so much grace and sensitivity.

FMC Eva and MMC Rylie have previous history that really is not all that great and I love how over the course of the story, you get more and more context over what exactly happened to create that divide between the two in the first place.

They both struggle with mental health issues and the way they go about dealing with them (both in the past and in the present) is raw and real and the author does a really great job of conveying those emotions to the readers.

It was really exciting to work through the plot and start to see the characters grow into themselves and find their way. I absolutely loved the ending and felt like it wrapped the story up so great!

Set in New York City, Eva Kitt gets drunk and rants online about her college ex Rylie Cooper, a famous podcaster. After the post goes viral, her bosses push to have her interview Rylie on her show "Sausage Talk", where she interviews C-list celebrities while eating hot dogs. During the interview, Rylie asks for 6 dates to turn those red flags green.

While this didn't fit for me, I did love how they grew and communicated in the third act. Rylie definitely seemed like a red flag for over a third of the book, especially in the flash backs and their first date after the show. To me he wasn't a green flag until towards the end when he shows up for her.

This romance novel features:
❤ Black cat x golden retriever
❤ Second chance romance
❤ Pro therapy
❤ He falls first
❤ Queer representation (the main characters plus supporting)
❤ No third act breakup
❤ Single POV (Eva)

Things that weren't for me:
- Jomforter (jean comforter) - I physically cringed but maybe that was the intent?
- The spicy scenes were all in a row, which felt disjointed to me, plus I hadn't quite turned the corner on Rylie yet
- Eva's producer / best friend Aida - while I liked her calling Eva out early on, she felt very self serving when work stuff hit the fan

3.25 / 5 stars

Open door / spicy!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC!

Eva Kitt has wanted to be a journalist all her life, so her current job of eating hot dogs while interviewing B-list celebrities was not exactly part of her plan. As a woman in her late twenties with friends who seem to have it all figured out, Eva is feeling a bit lost trying to find her footing in the world. One drunken night, she decides to publicly call out her ex “situationship” from college who has a huge social media following. She was not expecting it to go viral, and definitely wasn’t expecting Rylie Cooper himself to see it. When Rylie decides to respond to her allegations with a proposal of a new series in which he will be taking her on 6 dates to change her mind about him, Eva is forced to relive a painful time from her past. How much could a guy like Rylie really change?

This story was SO heartwarming, sweet, & funny. I loved Eva, Rylie, & all of the friends in their lives that were involved in some major plot points as well. Highly recommend checking this book out this summer!! 💛

The texting is very confusing in the book like around 20% when she’s texting Rylie. Usually easier if it’s in Italics or those text bubbles.

I will die on the hill that is this book being a fanfic for Andrew Garfield x Amelia Dimoldenberg Chicken Shop Romance because I’m delusional enough that I NEEDED it to happen IRL and it didn’t. So yes, I know this was written before it took place, but it will live in my mind as this much needed fanfic for eternity.

This book was laugh out loud funny, charming, endearing, and hot
We all need a romantic interest we can patronizingly call baby girl.

Well, Actually was an absolute page turner for me. Eva’s character makes me laugh so much. Eddings does such a good job writing her that I can absolutely hear her sarcasm and wit. The banter between her and Riley is so fun, probably my favorite in this “enemies” to lovers trope. I read this like I was watching a movie and Eddings’ writing made this easy.

We love a MMC who is bi and can talk about internalized biphobia and toxic masculinity. Riley is super likeable and we hear a lot about his growth. Unlike other Eddings books, there were no clear neurodivergent diagnoses, though we can likely infer that Riley dealt with depression.

I love a book that can incorporate the importance of therapy in a real way. The therapy session in this book felt authentic and was a big turning point. However, I wish we had seen Eva’s journey. I felt like she didn’t get a chance to work through her challenges and had very little “growth” and development.

I also feel like the chemistry and the banter changed a bit too much after the big reveal/misunderstanding clear up. I do think it was a miss that Eva didn’t have this moment for herself also.

I enjoyed the side characters so much, this is something that Eddings always does well.

I do think that this is a must read for fans of Eddings. It might not be the most accurate representation of her work for new readers but old readers would definitely enjoy.

3.5/5⭐️ for me

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This was a fun time! Mazzy Eddings’ writing is addictive - it was hard to put down because I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. I loved the bitchy banter and Rylie’s redemption arc / groveling tour.

Thank you SMP for the gifted copy

Mazey Eddings killed it with this novel. The banter was 10/10 and you could feel the raw emotions embedded within the characters. Rylie and Eva’s relationship tugged at my heart. Black cat and golden retriever trope was A+. I will be purchasing the physical copy once it comes out!


#smpinfluencer

This man…This mother frickin man had me giggling and kicking my feet like a child 🤭 Ugh. Rylie was such an absolute delight and swept me right off my feet. Eva was such a fun FMC and her quick comebacks and insults had me cackling. Genuinely writing those down to use for a later time. The way this book explores emotions, grief and growth was so beautiful to read. Also…the glasses had me melting. I’m so weak for a man in glasses 🤣

4.5 stars

This took me so long to get through. It was such a snoozefest for me personally, but maybe that's just me, the next person might love it!

I hated it. Then, liked it, but I really just wanted more.

"Well, Actually" is a funny romance with spice, black cat/golden retriever energy, and tons of banter.
The book opens with Eva Kitt, an aspiring journalist stuck in what seems to be a dead-end job interviewing low grade celebrities over cold hotdogs. Sounds gross, right?
In a drunken haze, Eva posts a video of a tea-filled, exposing rant about an ex from college and it goes viral. This gives an opportunity for the stuck-up and stone-cold executives of the media company she works for to profit off her embarrassment by having Eva interview her ex.
Enter Rylie Cooper, who seems to be called a mix of both Rylie and Cooper, Babygirl, and a wide range of derogatory explicatives which makes it hard to keep up with what his name is in the beginning. Since his college days with Eva, Rylie has made a name for himself online by talking about toxic masculinity and all the "icks" men can give off, which seems to be the opposite of how he was in college.
During the interview, Eva is bantering nonstop and projects just how much she seems to hate Rylie, but he is being a gentleman, nonetheless. They reach an agreement for the pair to have several dates with one another so Rylie can reframe Eva's image of him, and so they can both get content for their brands.

While the plot of this book is interesting and provides lots of exciting events throughout the story, it also seems like nothing really happens. The only character I felt semi connected to was Rylie, who was just a stereotypical guy redeeming his toxic ways. At first, I really hated Eva as a character and a person. Her entire personality is that she hates her job and the acts rude to everyone for the facade of the media show, but it carries into her everyday life. The more I read, I could understand that Eddings probably wanted readers to hate her. It really played into the character arc she was supposed to have, even if that fell flat as well. Do not get me wrong, I love a good, bitchy character and a woman who knows what she wants in life. However, it is the lack of real personality that bothers me. Sure, she had a rough past in college and has reasons for her to be so rude, but the entire book she uses it as an excuse and to be a facade- making her a bad friend and overall annoying person to be around.

The side characters could have been really loveable, but I felt as if they, and most of the story, was forgotten in the middle and toward the end of the book. I felt as if Eddings added LGBT+ characters just to say they were there, but I would not consider this a "LGBT" or "Queer Lit" book, as it is tagged on Goodreads, Amazon, and several other places.

Not to spoil anything, but toward the middle an end of the book, as mentioned before, the story seemed to solely focus on one thing, leaving the rest of the plot behind until it suddenly comes back into focus so rapidly that it was only several chapters until the end of the book. Everything felt rushed to be tied up at the end because Eddings forgot to mention them from the 8th chapter until the 20th.

To end on a good note, I did like the banter Eva gave to everyone. As mentioned before, I love a character who can seem a bit rough around the edges, as long as they have a personality behind it or a character arc. I liked how there was a redemption story for the couple in the book, and the overall plot. I just wish it would have really been filled out instead of randomly focusing on a few different character traits and hurriedly tying up at the end. I can understand why this book can become popular later on once it is published. This was the first book I have read by Eddings, and I am not totally inclined to read more, but I think I can give her another chance to redeem herself.

I absolutely loved this whole book and devoured it in one day! The banter between Eva and Riley was perfection and I loved the characters and their growth. This is the first book I have read by Mazey and will be reading her other works because of have fantastic this one was! This book made me laugh out loud, kick my feet, and giggle so many times! There is no third act break up (thank goodness, I don’t think my heart could have handled that for Eva) and I LOVE Riley and his communication and not letting Eva go. He is simply perfection. Absolute must read of a book and I can’t wait for it to come out to get a copy!

✨️ARC REVIEW✨️
(Thank you for this opportunity)


(Small spoilers)
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I LOVE Eva and Rylie together.  His softness completely balances her hardness in the best ways. Also really enjoyed the LQBTQIA+ support throughout the story. Definitely a must read.

I said, God Damn! GOD DAMN! [whispers] …God damn… [passes out]

I was more addicted to this book than Mia was to coke in Pulp Fiction.

This book had everything. A spicy, back-talking, opinionated sex kitten and a sexy golden retriever who moonlights as a dominant top in the bedroom? Perfection. LGBT representation? Loved it. Banter? Top tier. Comedy? Had me cackling. The spice? Had me contemplating writing thank you notes to the author.

.....additional (& less inappropriate) thanks goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced readers copy so that i can give my honest feedback and review. This has been posted on Goodreads

Honestly, the baby girl thing was the first red flag for me. I’m a huge fan of this author’s work, but didn’t love how this one played out. The characters weren’t likable and the storyline was rushed. Overall, not a big fan of this one.

Eddings’ books are always equal parts romance, humour, inclusivity, and pure enjoyment. I love her ability to let the reader connect to the FMC by making her realistic and down to earth. The MMC being a golden retriever from the start was so enjoyable. I love the second chance romance and enemies to lovers tropes and she does them so well. I also loved the little cameo of Lizzie for those who have been fans of Eddings’ other books. A fun, enjoyable read.

A solid three stars. Well, Actually had a pretty cute premise. Eva is the host of an internet interview show called Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-List celebs overeating hot dogs. Maybe this is Chicken Shop Date fanfic? Anyways, on one drunken night she posts a video slamming Rylie, the host of a podcast about deconstructing toxic masculinity. She went on five dates with him back in college and in champagne fueled rant she exposes that he was the epitome of toxic masculinity. It's a viral hit. She hates her job but wants to keep it so she agrees to Rylie's idea to give her five dates to show her he has changed his ways, and then they will debrief on their podcast.

What works: Eva and Rylie's banter. It's banterific. I really liked Eva and her prickly personality and snappy one liners.

What I wanted more of: I feel like their two careers were a fun idea, but were not fully developed. The mustache twirling toxic boss element fell a bit flat.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title.
This book is one of the funniest and most charming RomCom's I've read. I knew from the first page, that it was going to be a delight.
Rylie and Eva were friends turned terrible one night stand turned enemies. Eva hurls insults like it is her damn job. The insults become like a kink between her and Rylie, and the banter in this book is top notch.
Throw in some conversations over hot dogs, couples therapy, and you have a fun, heartfelt story on your hands.
The author delivers a delicate touch on mental health issues, redemption, and vulnerability, all while providing laugh out loud moments. It is a feat in which she excelled. This is a must read.

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is a charming and witty romance that blends humor with heartfelt moments, though it’s not without its pacing issues. Eva Kitt, the protagonist, finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as the host of a low-key interview show, "Sausage Talk." Her life takes a sharp turn when a viral public call-out of her college ex, Rylie Cooper, a well-known social media personality, puts her at the center of controversy. The tension between them builds when Rylie offers Eva a deal: go on a series of dates with him to help him redeem his reputation, and she might get something she’s always dreamed of—career advancement.

Eddings creates fun, engaging characters in Eva and Rylie, both of whom are flawed but likable. Their back-and-forth chemistry is full of sparks, and their banter provides much of the book's charm. The premise - an ex-couple working together for career gains while reexamining their past - has great potential for emotional depth, but the narrative sometimes moves slower than expected, preventing the story from reaching its full potential.

Despite a few slower moments, the book remains enjoyable due to its engaging writing and dynamic characters. Eva’s growth, both personally and professionally, feels genuine, and Rylie’s transformation from a toxic ex to a more self-aware man is believable, albeit predictable. There’s just something about the pacing that makes the book feel like it’s missing that final “spark” that would elevate it from good to great.

Overall, Well, Actually is a sweet, fun, and lighthearted romance that will appeal to fans of character-driven stories. While it may not be a standout in the genre, it’s still a worthwhile read for those who enjoy a mix of humor, romance, and self-discovery.

Wow! I adored this book!

This book is a rom-com, friends (sort of) that become enemies-to-lovers. The fierce FMC is bad ass but a little bit broken too. The dialogue between Eva and Rylie is witty, funny (I laughed out loud serval times while reading it) and so sweet. It’s a fast-paced fake dating story with twists and turns and truly worth the read.

This was my first Mazey Eddings but not my last!