3.5⭐️ — A truly enjoyable experience! This was the second book I have read by Mazey and this has encouraged me to read the rest of her catalog. Thank you so much!

I am always unsure of Romance books, because I know it might not be PC to say now but they are very predictable. Not a bad thing if that's what you want in your reading, but sometimes it can really put me off because the journey isn't even that interesting. However, Well, Actually was a great read and I enjoyed the FMC's sharp wit and the MMC Golden Retriever type personality. Even though the premise is fairly far fetched, the banter between characters and situations they were put in were very entertaining. I don't usually LOL at Romance books, but there were a few zingers that got me.

I loved Eva and Rylie’s story of heartache, forgiveness, and a bit of redemption. I loved the backdrop of the story involving Eva’s Sausage Talk and Rylie’s own social media fame coming into play.

At times it was so tough to be the 4th wall witnessing a character get in their own so much (Eva), but her evolution (though I hope she revisits therapy!) was satisfying.

I loved Rylie’s unwavering devotion to Eva and his own journey to right his wrongs. Overall, I loved this one!

I enjoyed this book! It was such a heartfelt read. It reminded me a lot of Ali Hazelwoods style of writing and I finished the book in less than 24 hours. I thought it was a great second chance romance and loved the character development in the main character.

Well, Actually was an entertaining, hilarious second chance, enemies to lovers romance with lots of witty banter and drama. It’s a very quick read and a sweet romance. I enjoyed the character growth both Rylie and Eva had and loved watching them fall in love. Their dates were cute and their conversations were so funny. Both MCs seemed so real and the workplace drama was relatable. I felt for Eva as she got burned time and time again. Despite everything, Eva and Rylie got there happily ever after and I fully believe they deserved it! This was my first Mazey Eddings book but I fell in love with her writing style and am looking forward to reading more from her.

This is another one that was actually a three star read for me but I'm giving four stars. I think I need to stay away from second-chance romances. It is just not my vibe no matter how good the rest of the story is.

Other than my mehness over the second-chance aspect, this was a funny, sexy read. I love grumpy/sunshine. Eva is almost too much of a grump, but Riley makes up for it by being the most adorable and kind sunshine of a man.

Absolutely loved the banter between Rylie and Eva!! I also really enjoyed the spicy scenes 😍 such a fun, dramatic yet heartfelt book. I did feel like parts of the book kind of drug on & the ending seemed a tad rushed. But overall I enjoyed the story.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it releases.

5 perfect stars for this one. Well, Actually is so funny and impossible to put down. The characters are interesting and their development is believably and perfectly timed. I love the female main character being so harsh and mean, but with reason. Eva is one of my favourite fictional protagonists in a minute, and Rylie was too precious for words! I had such a fun time reading this that I know I'll read it again as soon as I get my hands on a physical copy on release day.

I will give this book a try at another point in time. I started to read it and it is a little close to home in some aspects and in others I wasn't a huge fan of the FMC. I think for some people they will really like this book and for the moment, that just isn't me.

(3.25-3.5 ⭐️)

I’m going to be honest, I thought I was going to give this book a 2.5 by the time I reached the 40% mark. I was almost going to DNF but I powered through and I have to say, once they got together, the book was much better. I actually didn’t dislike Eva as much as the more negative reviews seem to - I understood the reason for how she was. I just wish it had been fleshed out and touched upon more, it felt like we only brought it up in the beginning and then never addressed for the rest of the book, even in a simple conversation with Rylie.

Rylie Cooper though, what a green flag of a man that is. I loved him and how he never gave up on Eva. Their banter and the way he could keep up with her was truly one of my favorite things about this book.

I will say the workplace abuse was oof, unpleasant to read about. Take note of that trigger warning because it is brutal to read through those scenes as someone who’s never experienced it, let alone I’m sure for someone who has.

Ultimately, I’m glad I kept going with this book and saw it all the way through. While the obvious inspiration of Chicken Shop Date is there, I think this book differentiates itself from it enough and it’s a good second chance romance. I will say, I wasn’t expecting it to be as horny from the jump, though when the main character literally hosts a web show where she’s eating hot dogs, that’s probably more on me than it is on the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

thank you so netgalley & SMP for the opportunity to read this arc!!

lets get into it, this one was SO much fun!!

a enemies to lovers classic, a black cat/golden retriever vibe that seems to be inspired by chicken shop date with hints of the viral clips of amelia dimoldenberg & andrew garfield following their interview. i loved the premise of it & it made for such a enjoyable read. i was laughing, i was crying, sometimes it felt like i was looking in a MIRROR.

"the world is not kind to your hopes and dreams, especially those of women. the universe does not give a damn about your plans & your aspirationss & any of the grueling work you put in to reach them. the universe os random & harsh & throws whatever it wants at you, and all you can do is make the best of whatever shitty hand that is"

Eva Kitt was such a fun FMC !! She IS THE BOLTER!!!!!
with so many aspirations & goals for herself, but as a woman in the journalling world, she feels her worth is amounted to her eating hot dogs and interviewing B-list celebrities for the enjoyment of men lol. life has not proven nice to her and you can see her constantly questioning herself and her worth (me). one night she drunkenly calls out her ex boyfriend on social media and goes mega viral, and her workplace of course wants to monopolize on this quick rise to fame. naturally, this leads to her interviewing rylie cooper over hot dogs!!


"we went on four dates"
"someone keeping count. core memories?"
"only because ive had to outsource them to my therapist


eva is fun & witty. i was literally CACKLING while reading this book. half of the book is highlighted so i could remember how funny eva was. it made for INCREDIBLE banter, which means so much to me. at the same time, she is extremely real & is not afraid to call it how it is. she did frustrate me at times (its always the bolter) but i loved rylies ability to reel her in ... speaking of rylie

"why cant you get it through your thick skull that i fucking like you? not past tense. present. i liked you then & despite the desperate pleading of my sanity & your every attempt tp push me away, i like you now. all of this is because i want to know you, be around you. because i fucked it up once and i saw a second chance. because now, im so deep in this i would crawl through hell on my hands and knees over a bed of broken glass before i let you go again"

RYLIE FCKN COOPER. the only man i will ever love i fear. which checks out because he's bisexual so the only reason he could possibly be appealing & normal. HE IS DOWN BAD CRYING AT THE GYM. sooo golden retriever vibes. rylie will do anything for eva and it shows. even the kitten nickname had me on my knees. Rylie & Eva had a short relationship while in school & Rylie was going throuuuugh it mentally and in turn, treated Eva horribly. The relationship had longstanding reprecussions on both of them, and this was his second chance. Rylie had been working on himself through therapy and is using this second chance to the UTMOST of advantage, to attempt to win Eva back. And damn, if it didnt work for her at least it worked for me because I am in love with him.

"you can call me any name you want, as long as I can call you mine"

UGHHHH its just soooo good. Its so good.
so many tropes in this one!! loved the LGBTQ representation. loved the way mazey wrote this.
it didnt make 5 star category for me only because i wasnt HOOKED. i did love rylie but i wish i loved eva more and i wish i was more invested in the rest of the plot lines throughout the book.
but so cute and so fun and i loved the chicken shop date imagery

The cover for this beautiful and I thought this book would be the perfect read for me. However I feel this book isn’t what I was looking for.

When you know, you know. And sometimes, you KNOW not just in the first few chapters, or in the first page itself, but when you read the very first line in a book. That how quickly I just knew this was special and magical and sure to be a winner. And let me tell you, this did not disappoint once, there were no lulls, no moments that felt dragged on, no filler chapters. From start to finish this was absolutely amazing.

“I’m a lot of things—coarse, sarcastic, anxious, aggravating, aggravated, emotionally stunted—but vain tops the list and I’ll own that sin with pride, wear it like a scarlet letter to match with my perfect red pout.”

Eva Kitt, where do I even begin? It’s not been since Nora in Book Lovers that I felt so seen or come across a FMC that felt so relatable in her emotional messiness and trauma and her exhaustion at always having to be tough.

“I hate my stupid, overeager heart for leaping at the idea. Someone wanting to know me. Someone seeing my sharp, prickly edges and gleefully asking for more. But that’s not how it works, not for people like me. It’s fun and games and an exercise in sparring until it becomes too much work, too many minefields to navigate the second things get a little bit real.”

Eva is a firecracker in the best way for me, she’s wry and witty, but also very effectively vicious and chaotic. I loved seeing her reactions because they felt so authentic given her backstory and that therapy session? Whew, it out me RIGHT back into my own therapy sessions. Her character and wounds run so deep and I was so impressed by how Eva’s journey feels both hard won while also not complete, our girl still has a ways to go but I love that for her.

“I deserve softness, goddammit. I deserve tender moments and gentle caresses and whispered sweet nothings. I deserve someone, somewhere, wanting to like me for me and not the hardened veneer I gloss my vulnerability with.”

And Rylie and the romance? SWOON.

“So use me, Eva. Make an example of me. Help me show people what it’s like to work for it.”

This is truly the very definition of black cat & golden retriever. Rylie is so disarming and charming in his own off brand type of way. He’s flirty and very winky, but in a way that is self aware.

“I want you contrarian and difficult and keeping me on my toes. I want your sour moods just as much as I want your sunny ones. I’m not asking you to change. You can call me any name you want, as long as I can call you mine.”

His dynamic with Eva was downright addicting, the give and take between them, the way they needlessly each other relentlessly and effortlessly felt natural and kept me glued to every word. Every tough bitch wants a man that sees underneath, sees the feral wench and looks past that to the girl wanting to be held and be soft and be just that little bit babied by someone that makes them feel safe and let me tell you, Rylie delivers. In a marathon of fighting through Eva’s attempts to push him away, he’s the ultimate endurance athlete. And if my book boyfriend isn’t this committed the. I don’t want him!!!

“I like listening to you. I like never knowing what out-of-pocket thing you’re going to say next. I like hearing about your ideas and your thoughts and then reading how you piece them together. I like that you’re a little bit feral and that sometimes you let me get away with teasing you.”

And the queer representation? Chefs kiss baby girl. From the friendships to the central conflicts, to the respectful handling of sensitive topics, this truly had it all. It had diversity and authenticity, passion and joy, so much love and heart.

This is truly in my top epic romance reads and I am forever grateful to Mazey Eddings for such a thoroughly complete and amazing love story.

“I love you, you little demon.”

First, a huge thank you NetGalley & Mazey Eddings for an advance reader copy.
I consumed Well, Actually in less than 24 hours. It hooked me from the first page. Mazey’s sense of humor is always a delight and I cackled at various points throughout the book. The banter was solid and I felt like I really got to know Eva and Rylie. There were a few things that were not quite as developed as I would have liked. For instance, Eva’s boss and her boss’s son – they were easily identified as “the bad guys” in the narrative, but their role in the story arc could have been more fully developed. Additionally, I would have liked to have more on-page time from Eva and Rylie’s friends, especially Lilith. The last thing I’ll mention is that the transitions were a bit clunky. It may just be a product of this being an ARC but it was noticeable enough to mention here. Overall, another solid rom-com that makes me want to kick up my feet and giggle. Mazey never misses.

I was hoping to love this after enjoying 'Late Bloomer' so much, but sadly did not live up to expectations! It was hard to take the romantic and heartfelt parts more seriously when portrayed as a very un-serious comedy, and I struggled to truly empathise with the characters when they seemed like stereotypical caricatures rather than a unique individual. I ended up putting this down for a while in frustration, though at least it did seem to pick up a little at the end which made it slightly easier to finally finish.

Eva Kitt is a force to be reckoned with & the main female lead, as well as the point of view for Mazey Eddings' novel Well, Actually. The story is a romance between Eva & her college acquaintance/dated a few times, Rylie. Six years later & after too much box wine, Eva calls Rylie out on social media for who he is, the dumb college frat boy who ghosted her & not the mature, loveable man he's grown into, who's now hosting a podcast on taking down toxic masculinity. The banter between these two throughout the story is hilarious & the overall message of workspace bullying/toxicity is also a valid one.
Thank you, #NetGalley! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book with all thoughts and opinions being my own. If you enjoy a progressive way of thinking as well as romance that'll make you swoon, then you'll enjoy Well, Actually by the talented Mazey Eddings.

I just wrapped up Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings, and I really enjoyed it! It’s a fun second-chance romance packed with clever banter and great chemistry. Eva, a journalist hosting this quirky show called Sausage Talk, ends up in a bit of a mess after a viral comment about her ex, Rylie—a social media guy who’s all about healthy masculinity. To fix things, they have to pretend to get along in public, which leads to some hilarious and sweet moments.

The way Eva and Rylie interact had me laughing one minute and feeling all the feelings the next. Mazey’s writing is witty and real, with a nice mix of humor and heart. Beyond just the romance, the story touches on growth, forgiveness, and the ups and downs of modern relationships.

If you like smart, funny romance with characters you actually care about, this one’s definitely worth checking out. It drops on August 5th—don’t miss it!

Lovers to rivals to lovers? Lol such a fun and exciting book to read that brings out our modern day podcasting and going viral! Such a fun read!

Well, Actually is now one of my all-time favorite second-chance romances—I truly couldn’t put it down. The banter is razor-sharp, the laugh-out-loud moments are plentiful, and the emotional depth? Stunning.

Eva doesn’t make it easy for Rylie to earn back her trust after breaking her heart in college—and I loved that. She’s sharp, funny, and guarded, using sarcasm as both armor and charm. Rylie, smitten from the start, sees all of her complexities and adores her for them. Their chemistry and growth made their romance unforgettable.

The mental health rep is excellent, with sincere communication, a standout therapy scene, and a deeply human portrayal of someone using humor to mask childhood trauma. It’s warm, honest, and handled with care.

This book delivers the highest highs and the most gut-wrenching lows, with perfect pacing and emotional payoff. Mazey Eddings packs a punch—with heart, humor, and healing.

Thank you to St. martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly loved this one.

I had really high hopes for this one but I just didn’t find myself connecting with the main characters. It was a decent book but it’s probably not one I’d read again.