4.25 stars - Spending her days interviewing low level celebrities for Sausage Talk is not what Eva Kitt envisioned for her life, in fact, one could say her journalistic dreams have hit a bit of a wall. So when a late night, drunken video aimed at her college ex and his wildly popular podcast thrusts her into the levels of virality her boss had only ever dreamed of, Eva finds herself sitting across the interview table from the very man who broke her heart all those years ago.

Having never seen the show that I'm assuming inspired this novel - only the memes - I was honestly not sure what to expect, but the wonderfully snarky banter got me hooked from page 1. Eva is such a wonderfully messy yet confident character who desperately wants someone she doesn't need to be strong around. Cue Rylie, the reformed frat bro who has almost saintly levels of patience and actually understands how communication works. These two were perfect for each other, and we all know it, but watching them blunder and crash their way to that finish line was nothing short of delightful.

This is my first of Mazey Edding's books, but I know it won't be my last! Everything from the perfect pacing to the charming writing to the chaotic characters was exactly what I needed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WELL, ACTUALLY -- Mazey Eddings
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 978-1250333315
August 5, 2025
Romantic Comedy

New York City – Present Day

Eva Kitt thought she would have a journalism career by now, not hosting a podcast with B-list celebrities while they feast on lukewarm hot dogs. The show isn’t exactly the hottest thing in town, especially when it competes with Rylie Cooper, who happens to be her ex from college. One night, she posts a drunken rant about Rylie, insinuating that sex with him was the worst she’s ever experienced. The next morning, she wakes up to discover that her post has gone viral, with even Rylie being tagged. Her bosses at work see it as a perfect opportunity to exploit her fifteen seconds of fame by having Eva meet face to face with Rylie and having them agree to go on a few dates to see if things have changed between them. She doesn’t want to do it but has no choice if she wants to keep her job.

Eva regrets posting what she did about Rylie in WELL, ACTUALLY, because it puts her back in his sphere. They only dated briefly, but he wasn’t the most considerate guy she’s ever known. She decides ahead of time that she will be rude and obnoxious during her dates with Rylie. But it turns out, he is charming and…surprise...nice to her! In this tale, they do a lot of bantering back and forth. Eva is quick-witted and says what’s on her mind. Rylie is ready to answer back. He takes her on some surprising dates, which she actually ends up enjoying. Did she make a mistake labeling him a bad lover? Will they end up in bed to try it one more time?

WELL, ACTUALLY is a cutesy tale that has Eva spending a lot of time apologizing for her ranting post, even as she tries to avoid Rylie. However, he’s persistent, and they do end up enjoying being around each other. The people around them keep pushing for something to happen, especially a fight. While Eva tries to push Rylie’s buttons, he’s too smooth to give in to her taunts. But the more they are around each other, the more attracted they become to each other. Will love find a way to mend what happened all those years ago during college? Rylie does explain what was going on in his life at that time. Will it change Eva’s view of him? We will have to see if that happens.

An intriguing tale with a bit of a twist at the end, don’t miss WELL, ACTUALLY.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This is an entertaining, emotional at times read. Riley and Eva are wounded characters whose stories are compelling and well written. This story is powerful in its impact and message. I found Riley easy to understand and connect with as his story unfolded – which is to the author’s skills. Eva on the other hand, I didn’t always connect with or like. She had me though once she started to let Riley in and the romance really began. The story has a lot going on and I wish the work sub-plot had a different ending – as I was left unsatisfied and unfulfilled by it. Overall, I enjoyed the story the more I got into it and these characters. The story is easy to read.

As the author states at the beginning of the book – this story deals with loss and grief – while it’s well done, for anyone for whom this is difficult to read in a story, please save this book for another time when you can consume its content.

There are different types of bullying either depicted or mentioned on page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

very much a black cat/golden retriever storyline, but I did think she was a little too intensely argumentative and negative, especially for a guy who send to be genuinely trying.

“I always expected my career would revolve less around wieners than it does.”

We start off with one hell of an introduction sentence. Well, Actually hooked me from the very first line, and quickly sucked me in. The other has an amazing writing style, and made it easy to fall in love with her characters.

I love black cat x golden retriever vibes and that is exactly what this book gave off. Eva is perfectly mean and bitchy for what I believe are valid reasons. Cooper is trying to be better than his past and in my opinion, succeeding.

This was my first book by the author but I’d easily dive into her other works after reading this one.

Well, Actually is a fun and delightful second chance romance about Eva and Rylie, who originally met in college and who are now thrown together to do fake dates after Eva’s post about him goes viral overnight.

The chemistry was there from the beginning, no matter how many times Eva kept Rylie at arm’s length. I appreciate that these characters actually talked to each other and worked through their issues instead of beating around the bush.

I’ve seen a lot of reviewers say they don’t like Eva, but I would disagree. With all of the trauma that happened to her in her childhood, Eva had the most character development in the story. From being hurt, not wanting to fall in love, to falling in love with Rylie was so special to watch. Yes, she still tried to push him away, but Rylie was so patient and caring.

I loved this! I laughed a lot, it was emotional. The perfect romcom! I listened on audio- narrator was good and I know I’d want to reread this again.

~ He goes to therapy and takes her on a “date” to talk about their past and heal from it.

✨ Black cat x golden retriever
✨ Second chance
✨ Queer rep
✨ Workplace romance
✨ kind of fake dating

“I’ll be brave enough for the both of us” 🫠

I also listened as an alc and I liked the narrator
Thank you St Martins Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This romcom reminded me of the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. Eva is a journalist who makes a drunken post one night on social media. This gives her boss the idea to set up a segment on her show with her college ex, Riley, to get more interest and further both of their careers. The banter was great, super witty and funny. I found myself smiling throughout the book with the quips and comebacks. I also appreciated that there was no third act break-up. I read this book in two days and would definitely recommend for anybody who likes a witty romcom with second chance romance and enemies to lovers tropes.

This lovely book comes out on my birthday, and its the perfect gift (thanks, Mazey - you shouldn't have)! Mazey Eddings is my favorite romance author so my expectations were ofcourse high for this one, and she didn't let me down. This book is freaking sexy and funny and weird and I adored it. Hot girls, hot guys, and hot dogs (the food, not the canines lol). Plus the queer representation in this made me feel very seen and I absolutely adore Riley for it. Like, if you love Jude from "the Plus One" (my favorite), you have to meet Riley. He even has slutty little glasses! And Eva is a hot, hilarious bitch (in the best way) and the chemistry and banter is absolutely everything. You will laugh, you will swoon, you will feel all hot and bothered, and you will cry. It is perfection. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this for my birthday, and you should too!

[ARC REVIEW]
WELL, ACTUALLY by Mazey Eddings is like Chicken Shop Date takes on sensitive social media advice guy (I will graciously refrain from providing examples, but you know who I mean).

Eva longs to be a real journalist, but instead she works for a Buzzfeed-esque media company, eating hot dogs wbile interviewing d-list celebrities. One night she gets a lil tipsy and posts an Instagram response to a video by Rylie, the college ex who broke her heart, explaining that he didn't take his own advice. He goes on her show, and now she's got to go on dates with him so he can prove that he's changed.

Leaving aside that I think Rylie is a girl's name (especially spelled like that!!) and was therefore briefly confused, it is a very funny premise. She is like, sarcastic and mean, so obviously I can self-insert very easily here, lol. She also could use some therapy to deal with not only Rylie's behavior in college, but alas. Fortunately, Rylie loves the roasting, and he puts in the effort to win her over again.

I definitely found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop in their relationship, rather like Eva does. Sometimes in a second chance romance there's still a third act breakup (which are FINE) but this character is not a person who could do a third chance, you know? So the conflict is outside of their relationship, which makes more sense for this particular story.

Overall I thought it was very cute and fun!

Well, Actually had me from the jump. The banter? Top-tier. It gave big Chicken Shop Date energy: awkward, witty, and somehow heart-melting. This is second-chance romance done right, with leads who actually talk to each other like adults (groundbreaking, I know).

The FMC strikes that rare balance: angry and sassy without being abrasive, thanks to her emotional depth and healthy communication. And the MMC? Equal parts respectful and swoony. The spice? Oh, it was spicing.

If I’m being picky, the last third lost a bit of momentum for me, but the emotional payoff and layered character work made it worth the ride.

Well, Actually is a lovely blend of heat, heart, and humor that makes me excited about contemporary romance again.

🌭 Book Review 🌭

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: August 5, 2025

Rating: I loved it!

Dare I say… this may be my favorite Mazey book yet! I instantly clicked with Eva and her personality. This love story felt similar to my husband and me. The golden retriever energy (my husband) and the black cat protection/walls over the heart (me). I loved watching Eva grow and slowly take down the walls for Rylie.

For fans of:
🌭 First person POV
🎙️ Social media presence
🌭 Black cat FMC
🎙️ Golden retriever MMC
🌭 LGBTQIA+ rep
🎙️ Second chance
🌭 Hate to love
🎙️ Banter 🤌
🌭 Messy characters

This is not the first Mazey Eddings book I've picked up, and I don't think it will be the last, however, I do need to say right away that this one was not for me, unfortunately.

This story follows a show host, Eva, who interviews B-list celebrities whilst eating hot dogs (hello, Chicken Shop Date!). She accidentally calls out her ex from college, and it spirals from there. RIley is loved online, he works very hard on deconstructing toxic masculinity, he is committed to growth.

Well, Eva.... Eva! That's an FMC that I struggled to connect with. I felt like she was supposed to be portrayed as a "black cat" but she just gave off mean girl energy. She was cruel at times, closed off and overall offputting.

On the other hand, Riley Cooper, the love interest, is a dream of a man. He is kind, emotionally mature, self-aware. He listens, he owns his mistakes, he commits to improving and learning from his actions. He is a darling and I think he deserves better than Eva.

I did appreciate the mental health representation, queer side characters, commentary on influencers/ "wokeness". It's a strong suit of this book. But the romance itself felt like it was too lustful, it went 0 to 100 very quickly.

Overall, this is a 3/5 read for me.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's for the eARC!

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings is a wonderfully written second chance, black cat x golden retriever romance!
I’m obsessed with Eddings are her writing.
In my eyes she can write no wrong!
I’ve read and loved every single book she has wrote and Well, Actually is no different!

Honestly, this was breathtaking, refreshing and so raw. I loved every moment about this book.
Eva is witty, sharp, sarcastic.
Rylie is fun, smart, engaging and their chemistry is electric. I truly loved the banter and humor in this one. It made me fall in love with all the characters even
This book is hot, funny, and romantic.
And I’m so excited to read her next novel.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7281545316

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/well-actually-mazey-eddings/1146167679

This ended up finishing stronger than I expected, but it took a while to get there. For the majority of this book (70+%), the FMC was highly unlikable and the book read like a manifesto about how terrible men are.

On a drunken rant, Eva posts a video about Riley, her college crush/hookup, that goes viral. Riley is now a podcast host that speaks about how men can be better partners/citizens, but the video Eva posts is about her lackluster experience with Riley in the past. Riley says he's changed and wants to make it up to Eva so they agree to go on 6 dates to get to know each other now. Can Eva let her guard down to see who Riley truly is now?

This was an interesting read. I appreciate a feisty heroine. Eva was not that. She was mean for the vast majority of this book. Riley was a total golden retriever. Yes, he acted abysmally in college as a 20 year old kid, but he was going through a lot. As they reconnect, Eva has a lot to work through before she can trust Riley again including workplace issues. This is where she lost me. It felt like a rant against men when she should have just stood up for her career and life goals. I'm glad these two (mainly Eva) could be vulnerable together toward the end of this book because it finally made their relationship believable. I still rate this book 3 stars because these two do have great, funny banter, and the ending is strong. It just took me a minute to get over the drama of the first 3/4ths of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I was really hoping to love this book, but I just could not connect with the characters or story. I found the FMC to be very mean and a bit whiny. This book was just not it for me.

This was so good! First, I’ll start by saying that if you’re someone that hates pop culture references and plots that are obviously influenced by tiktok then this will not be enjoyable for you. Me on the other hand, I love tiktok humor and I was cackling the entire time.

Second chance romances are my absolute fave, especially when the man WORKS for that second chance. And Rylie definitely put in the work. He’s a bi man that spent years in therapy and wears slutty little glasses so obviously I’m in love with him. The fmc Eva is the black cat to Rylie’s golden retriever. She probably needs therapy too but who doesn’t? She’s hilarious and sarcastic, and she’s constantly mean to Rylie but he fucking loves it. I loved them together and I think their relationship was actually really believable. I mean who doesn’t know at least one man irl who is head over heels for a woman that is constantly picking on him?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh! And on top of this being a really fun read the smut is hot as hell ❤️‍🔥 definitely recommend.

This may be my new favorite Mazey Eddings book! Eva Kitt is the host of Sausage Talk, where she interviews moderate celebrities over hot dogs. Rylie Cooper is a popular podcast host whose mission is to deconstruct toxic masculinity and to teach men to be better partners.

Eva and Rylie went on some dates in college, but it ended with Rylie ghosting Eva. Six years later, Eva puts Rylie on blast via video, and it goes viral. Wanting to capitalize on the drama, Eva’s company books him as a guest on her show.

During the live show, Rylie puts Eva on the spot. He wants to make up for his toxic behavior by taking her out on some dates. Eager to prove herself to her current company, Eva reluctantly agrees.

What starts as a very rocky reunion turns into swoonworthy second chance romance. Eva is very closed off and protective of herself. She was really hurt by Rylie in college, and it really took a toll on her relationships. As a result, she’s very skeptical of Rylie’s intentions and is antagonistic towards him. That doesn’t phase Rylie. He may be the most steadfast, and patient MMC in the history of romance!

I loved Eva and Rylie’s dynamic. It takes some time, but Rylie is able to break down her walls. I think he is truly the most perfect partner for Eva. He understands what she needs and delivers it 100% of the time. I also really appreciated that there wasn’t a third act breakup. Eva needed someone to stand by her, and that’s exactly what Rylie did.

Lastly, I ADORED the cameos from characters from Mazey’s prior novels. It was so fun to see some beloved characters again.

Mazey has been and will continue to be an auto-buy author for me!

I went into this book blind, and had no idea what to expect as it was my first Mazey Eddings - let me say it will not be my last one! I LOVED THIS! The banter, the pining, the humour - ugh, please sir, give me more!

There were times when I wanted to smack Eva, the MFC - but that is nothing new for me. I usually find females in romance novels annoying at times, but that’s definitely a me problem. She just went a bit too overboard on the whole “no one loves me/everyone leaves me” schtick and needed soooo much constant reassurance from Rylie. That said, I did think she was a really well-written, realistic character (as realistic as a Hot Ones-esque social media interviewer can be).

Rylie Cooper is just one giant walking green flag of a book boyfriend. That man needs to be cloned and created in the real world (no shade against my real-life husband, who is also a giant green flag and incredible). The way he constantly showed up for Eva, the way he refused to allow her to push him away, those slutty little glasses - seriously, that man is making a run for my list of top book boyfriends of 2025.

The humour was silly and fun and perfectly suited for me. At one point, Eva tells Rylie that he is “the human equivalent of Comic Sans” and for some reason that made me snort out loud. So stupid, but again - right up my alley for humour. Another line that made me laugh out loud - “His face is open and inviting, eyes twinkling. What a shithead.”

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this one, and beginning what is sure to become a Mazey Eddings obsession…

5/5, all the gold stars for this one. A physical copy is a must for my bookshelf in the very near future.

My rating is truly a matter of this book just not being for me. I don’t keep up with a lot of pop culture and there were so many references (at least I felt like there were) that I didn’t get or know will be outdated in just a year or so. I do think the author’s writing is fantastic. The characters were interesting and unique. The fmc was definitely a bit too mean for me though.

💕 second chance
💻 workplace
🐈‍⬛ black cat / golden retriever
👏🏻 no third act breakup

single POV
3/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️