This book was alright- not super bad but not super amazing either. The story kind of felt jumbled to me. To be quite honest, I almost DNFd after the first chapter or two. I persevered and was glad I did! My attention was hooked after Rylie was introduced and I was interested for quite a while afterwards. I do feel like certain story lines started getting a little messy in the middle and by the end it was dragging. Eva was a complex character but I feel like the idea of her emotional character development suddenly was forgotten once they started hooking up. There were still parts of this that were great though! I am glad I ended up finishing it. 3.5/5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Mazey for the ARC!

Rating-
3.5/5 stars
(Rounded up)

Genre-
Contemporary Romance

Age Rating For It-
18+ because there are some explicit sex scenes in this, and also just as like a side note it does contain internalized biphobia, workplace abuse, toxic masculinity, internalized misogyny, and grief after loss of a loved one.

Tropes-
Second Chance
Banter
Black cat x golden retriever
Forced Proximity

Thoughts/Would I Recommend This?-
I really like this book, but I also didn’t at the same time for some reason. I am a sucker for a good romance book, but I almost wish they had gone more into the whole job aspect of the whole thing, especially for Eva. This is because I felt after a certain point in the book It wasn’t as much of a key focus as it was in the beginning, which I didn’t love because I really enjoyed that entire aspect of the book. I thought it added more to the book so that it had more to it than just the romance plot, and then I felt it kind of pulled away from it to more so focus on the romance, and I wish it hadn’t. All in all though, a good cute romance book that I recommend you guys look into reading.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

I really enjoyed this book!! I thought it was fun and just a classic romcom (which I never get tired of). Did I sometimes find the FMC a little abrasive (I think that is the word I am looking for -- I want something more than "much" but not unlikable), sure, but I still really enjoyed this and am looking forward to getting a trophy copy for my shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of well actually.

I liked that the plot all spun out from one drunken video, something that we’ve all seen happen more with TikTok and IG. Rylie and Eva were cute if a bit unrealistic in the story that unfolds.

My fascination with Amelia Dimoldenberg's "Chicken Shop Date," particularly the popular Andrew Garfield episode, sparked my interest in this book. And I'm happy to report, it delivered. The chemistry between Riley and Eva crackles with the same infectious energy that made that interview so captivating. The first two-thirds flew by in a flurry of laugh-out-loud moments and undeniable vibes. While the romance veered into slightly saccharine territory towards the end, diminishing my initial enthusiasm, the sheer joy of the opening chapters made it a worthwhile read.

I cannot explain how much I adored this book! Well, Actually follows Eva and Rylie, who were briefly together in college but haven’t talked in years. Rylie is an internet personality and Eva interviews B-list celebrities while eating hot dogs. When Eva’s tipsy call-out of Rylie’s behavior when they were in college goes viral, Eva and Rylie are forced to reconnect.

This book was both incredibly heartfelt—covering family dynamics, mental health, and relationships—while also being one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Eva and Rylie’s banter is the best I’ve ever read and had me dying laughing. Rylie is also a man down BAD and is consistently showing Eva how much he wants to re-earn her trust.

If you love black cat FMCs who don’t take anything less than they deserve and golden retriever boys who wear cringy sweatshirts, this is the novel for you!! I think this will end up being in my top 10 books of the year!!

I really didn’t care for any of the characters in this book. The FMC was such a bitch that I stopped reading it because I hated her.

This book was the epitome of a rom com and the banter was amazing. Love how it perpetuated the idea that if a women is slightly mean and sarcastic, she is not less lovable, but just has to find the right person that loves her the way she is. Additionally it was an accurate depiction of being a mess in your twenties with your friends all having different paths and timing. Eva was a funny and relatable main character and Rylie was down bad for her. I particularly enjoyed how there was no 3rd act breakup because Rylie did not let Eva isolate herself and break up with him due to the mean actions of other people. I am not sure if that is a trope but it happens in some books and I eat it up everytime. I absolutely will be purchasing a copy for my bookshelf when this comes out.

I love Mazey Eddings, but Well, Actually was a bit of a mixed experience, at times it worked really well, and at others, it felt incredibly tedious. I loved the idea of Evas charater, but I didn’t love the way it was delivered. Her behavior felt extremely odd at times, and her personality was very inconsistent.I liked Riley, but I wasn’t completely charmed by him. However, I absolutely adored how obsessed he was with Eva and how much patience he had with her.

Overall, the story was sexy and fun. I liked how their relationship developed in the present and appreciated the time the book took to explore it.
Not her best novel, but still entertaining.

The moment I picked up Well, Actually, I knew I was in for a treat—and I was so right. This book had everything I love: banter, a second-chance romance that felt both messy and meant to be, and characters so relatable it almost hurt (in the best way).

Eva’s pettiness? Completely understandable. In fact, I respected it. The humor? Spot on. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. And the love story? The perfect balance of wit, growth, and swoon. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, and honestly, I didn’t want to.

If you’re a fan of quick wit, emotional depth, and romance that makes you giggle and gasp, this book needs to be on your shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the arc in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

Chicken Shop Date fan fiction? Sort of.

I really loved the first half of this book, but I think maybe it went on a bit too long. The last 20% or so kind of dragged, yet the ending somehow felt abrupt?

I'm not a fan of second chance romances, but I really do enjoy the "right person, wrong time" concept, and clearly, Eva and Rylie were that for each other. They have a good balance, and Rylie knows how to handle anything Eva throws his way. And vice versa. Girl is witty and sharp, even if she's borderline cruel sometimes.

Rylie is a lovable golden retriever of a man. He gave me the ick (the sweatshirts, the denim comforter), but I love bi representation and a words of affirmation kind of guy, so it's fine. I'll excuse his poor fashion and bedding style choices.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and of course the author for letting me read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The banter is what totally had me loving this one. I was legit giggling on this one and just couldn't stop. I'm a sucker for second chance romance and the fact that you got that along with the black cat and golden retriever vibes was just icing on the cake. Definitely recommending this one to my friends and stuff because it just got me to be happy after some pretty emotional reads.

I appreciate the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’m struggling with how to rate this.

The story itself was good. I loved Eva’s journey into herself. I appreciate Rylie’s growth from college, but it’s hard not having seen it. I think this could have benefited from a dual timeline.

I struggled a bit with pop culture references or memes that were specifically mentioned since I’m not in on the joke. I didn’t feel any connection or anything to the side characters, who felt very one dimensional at best. I wanted more from some of them. It felt like everyone except Eva lacked any real depth. I can see the author tried with Rylie, but it was a case of “tell don’t show.”

While I did have several issues, though, I flew through this book in two days. So it gets a 3 star.

Solid 4.5 stars

I’ve never read anything from Mazey Eddings, and I’ll make sure this isn’t the last one. I really enjoyed reading about Eva and Rylie’s story from college to the present. Not only were the characters funny, witty and plain old cute, but I enjoyed the depth present with Eva and Rylie. I enjoyed reading about how Eva was able to break down the walls that were self made and let Rylie in. I saw a bit of myself in both characters, making the book even more meaningful to me. I kinda wish we got to see more of their dates, but overall, I think it was a great read and I’m excited for more from Mazey!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for a review!

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the banter between the main characters. I love how obsessed Rylie was with Eva and all he did to win back her trust.
I can see what some people didn't like the FMC or just thought she was a b*itch, but I really felt for her and all she had been through.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a while. The characters were beyond amazing and the plot was different from the romances I have read before. I lived for the romance and the deep truths about life, love, and everything in between. The worst part was when turned the page and the book was over. I wish it had never ended.

4 star read!

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Black cat x golden retriever
He falls first
Praise k!nk

Triggers:
Internalized biphobia
Workplace abuse
Toxic masculinity/misogyny
Grief/loss of a loved one

The banter between characters in this book is amazing. Eva’s snarky one-liners are hysterical, and had me from the first line. The premise of the book could not have been more perfect.

This is my first book by Mazey Eddings, and I can 100% see she is taking notes from all angles and has representation for EVERYONE. There is massive LGBTQ+ representation throughout this book, as well as a diverse cast of characters. They are all well thought out and seen in a very positive way. There is mention of biphobia by our MMC- as a personal flaw that he had to overcome due to being in the closet. I love that there was such a vast amount of diversity and positive representation in this book.

The first half of the book- perfection. The banter was flowing, the chemistry was sparking. The rather one-sided enemies to lovers trope was troping. I even noted throughout the first part of the book that our FMC, Eva, only called our MMC, Rylie Cooper, by his last name. And then as she starts falling for him and letting her walls down, she starts thinking and calling him by his first name. 🥹 Swoon. Yes. Perfect.

But we hit a lull in the action towards the halfway point in the book. Things slow way down and it drags a bit. I wish we had gotten more tension from the job aspect earlier on in the story and really felt the risk of it, instead of it being a written-off threatening email until the last 8% of the book. I also really wanted to see some sort of finality between Eva and Soundbites. Something happening to William or some consequence for the underhanded stuff he did. The conflict just felt a little bit rushed in the way that it came on and then felt unfinished at the end, almost like Soundbites got away with it.

Overall, it was a fun read with some great humor. I just think the tension needed picked up to keep the reader hooked through the entire story.

*Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.*

First I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

This book was a nice little romance with some spice sprinkled in. However it seemed to be a long lost romance that had been rekindled, but also has toxic workplace involvement.

Your boss wants you to read terrible things people have said about you publicly? But also expects you to not be upset about it, while also sexualizing a woman. It was a good read, but I don’t know how to really feel about some of it. Some of the book just gave me the ick, while other parts were good and had me not wanting to stop reading.

I gave it 3 stars as I didn’t hate it, but also didn’t love it.

This was absolutely hilarious. I loved the dialogue and the banter in this book! The book started off so funny that I was thoroughly surprised at how deep it was. The topics that were discussed in this book was covered so well and “safe”. Check triggers but I feel that Mazey Eddings did a good job! I enjoyed every minute of it and the spice was spicing! This book had everything and I think readers of all genres would eat this up!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was such a fun, heartfelt, and binge-worthy read! Eva is a sharp, witty, and totally relatable protagonist, and I loved how her journey of self-discovery played out alongside the romance. The chemistry between her and Rylie was electric—the banter was top-tier, and their second-chance dynamic felt so real and emotional.

What really stood out was how the book balanced humor with deeper themes of growth, vulnerability, and navigating past baggage. It wasn’t just about romance; it was about finding yourself and learning to love in a way that feels right.

If you love second-chance romances with plenty of sass, heart, and laugh-out-loud moments, Well, Actually is a must-read. Mazey Eddings delivers yet another story that’s impossible to put down!