people hate a mean girl but me personally? I love em!! Eva was a treat, and she made me laugh at every turn. Riley was her perfect opposite because he dished it all right back to her in thoughtful, present ways. the romance burns a little slower but it builds well between the tension and banter pouring out of these two idiots. I found myself laughing and swooning at every turn. the workplace of it all was also extremely relatable as a woman who spent some time climbing ladders.

it was nice to see Eva stand up for herself at the end of it all and see her worth.

that's honestly all I feel like I can summarize and say without giving too much away?? this was sooooo freaking fun. I really needed a book that kept me wanting more and this delivered just that.

🌭👓 thank you to netgalley for the arc!! 👓🌭

There was NO world in which this would be anything less than 5 stars for me. NONE.

Well, Actually, follows Eva, a podcast host who releases a nasty episode bashing her ex Riley, but Riley sees it and is also a podcast host. Their drama sparks media interest and Eva’s boss thinks it beneficial for them to work together to boost ratings so it’s a win win. Riley wants to prove to her he’s changed, and she begrudgingly agrees as she is trying very hard to keep her job and move up the ranks.

The BANTER. Let’s talk about this for a second because I am floored. I was cackling OUT LOUD every second page I swear. My kindle is full of highlights of their banter and me saying “lol”. The nicknames and the flirty innuendos, Riley’s outfits, Eva’s podcast and her quick witted replies. She was so mean to him and he GOBBLED IT UP LIKE DINNer. I loved them beyond belief. When he says he’d crawl over broken glass for her? gimmie 10 of them.

This story also has a deeper look into both of the characters pasts, especially Riley and his reason for how he treated Eva. Eva is broken in her own ways due to familial issues and seeing her explore this and grow was amazing.

I just love these two and this book. It brought so much light to a long ass reading slump and I couldn’t be more grateful.

This was adorable and SO FUN!
Eva has to be among my favorite romcom main characters ever—an ice queen guarding the softest heart (and, intentional, or not, I definitely felt the nods to Amelia Dimoldenberg from Chicken Shop Date). Reading her banter with Cooper, and seeing how their relationship develops, was a delight. I want more!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. This is my honest review.

this book snuck up one me and destroyed me. I adored these characters so much and could find myself relating to Eva greatly.

I’m well and truly obsessed with Mazey Eddings writing style and her story <3

I got Chicken Shop Date vibes when I started reading this and I loved it!

For 90% of the book, I was giggling and kicking my feet like never before. I’m a sucker for a black cat x golden retriever dynamic, and I saw a bit of myself in Eva, someone who graduated with a journalism degree and definitely struggled to break into the field I dreamed of. Eva is witty and sarcastic, keeping her guard up, while Rylie is out to prove that his toxic frat-boy phase is behind him and that he’s grown into a better man (just like he says on his podcast).

I really appreciated the vulnerability from both main characters, especially Rylie. He was more willing to open up and express his feelings, while Eva found it harder due to her past experiences.

My only wish is that the book had included one more chapter. I felt the final conflict could’ve used more resolution as the ending left me wanting just a little bit more (but it’s hard to explain without spoiling anything).

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Well, Actually
•
Okay I have a lot of feelings about this one, I hope I can fit it all (that’s a wiener joke)
🌭
I was really excited for this because I loved Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake (loved when Lizzie and Rake were mentioned 🥹) and have really only seen raving reviews, I definitely liked it, but I didn’t LOVE it with all my heart like I was expecting to. I was hooked after the first paragraph, the banter was top notch, witty, sexy, you’ll laugh throughout the whole book, and the spice is spicy.
💜
We need to protect Rylie and his crewnecks at all costs!! He’s adorable and I love him to pieces. Now let’s chat about our little demon, Eva. She’s brilliant, funny, hot, but damn babe touch some grass!! Listen I liked her, but she was not lovable and if I’m being honest super self centered. There was a part of me that totally got it, where it was all stemming from, but another part of me was like even your friends are telling you that you’re mean and you’re just like oh okay 👍🏼 I felt like all her apologies came with excuses and not accountability. Like from the beginning Rylie was super open about all parts of his life and more than once I felt like she made it about herself and didn’t reciprocate. She had a lot of conversations with herself, but by the end I still didn’t feel like she had her MOMENT.

“Just because you can take it doesn’t mean you should have to. You shouldn’t always have to be bouncing back.”

When we feel abandoned we push people because we want to be the ones to leave, not them leave us, I get it, hurt people hurt people, but as we’re approaching 30 I think we may need to self reflect a little more. So lots I loved and I do highly recommend, all the glowing reviews are true. I thought the ending was just okay and I just really had a hard time with her and sometimes I feel like that’s also the point though!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
Thank you Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s, and NetGalley for this e-arc, you can find it at your local hot dog stand August 5th!

Eva dreamed of a career in journalism, activism even, where she could cover and provide insight on important world issues...but has found herself hosting a web series called Sausage Talk where she interviews low level celebrities whilst eating room temperature hot dogs. She's not unsuccessful, but this was certainly not what she imagined for her life. Then there's her ex, Rylie. He hosts a wildly successful podcast about undoing toxic masculinity which is really rich considering that he straight up ghosted her years ago with no explanation. AND he had the nerve to be bad in bed! In fact this is so infuriating that after a couple glasses of wine that Eva decides she needs to tell the world that Rylie is completely full of sh*t by blasting him on social media...which goes over like a lead balloon at work. In order to capitalize on this dilemma, she not only has to host her ex on Sausage Talk, but accompany him dates (PLURAL!) to convince her that he is a changed man, and then publicly debrief about said dates on his podcast. Good grief.

I have seen a few reviews that mention it's Chicken Shop Date fanfic in a negative way, but it's just...not? Aside from the plot revolving around the snarky, dry host of a web series who eats hot dogs with celebrities, all similarities really end there for me. And if those comments are what's holding you back from picking this one up, I would definitely suggest at least giving it a shot. I thought the conflict was super timely and incredibly relatable because WHOMST among us hasn't considered dragging an ex on Pedro Pascal's internet? The only unrelatable part was the MMC being so aware of his former self that he is determined to do absolutely wild things like clearly communicate, apologize, express vulnerability! Ok ok ok I'll take that last bit to my therapist.

This was my first Mazey Eddings novel, and I truly had a good time from start to finish. It's not only incredibly heartfelt and witty, but provides great commentary about the double standards that exist between the perception of public facing men and women. I'll definitely be checking out her other titles!

Read if you love:
- second chance romance
- forced proximity
- queer MCs
- black cat FMC
- self-aware golden retriever MMC

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

I loved this book. Eva is well known for her cold and prickly character on the talk show she hosts where she eats hot dogs with C list celebrities and berates them. She didn’t expect to be here, her goal is pop culture journalism with a real job, but she’s making ends meet as best she can. After accidentally going viral for bashing her slightly famous podcaster ex on social media, her company sets up multiple shows for the two of them to figure out what went wrong between them and give the internet something to talk about. Her ex, Rylie, has spent the six years since they broke up reforming himself and teaching people how to be a good partner. Can he win Eva back in 6 dates?

The premise is…messy to say the least and obviously based off of Chicken Shop with Amelia, but it was such a rich character driven story. Eva is not likeable to the average viewer (or reader) because she has erected some very specific walls to protect herself. Rylie, after therapy and clearly working to change, brings a different take to the table and the vulnerability and wanting to know Eva causes her to shift. Can people actually change? Do they actually care?

The tension is delectable, the banter is off the charts, and this man is down bad if I’ve ever seen one. Don’t even get me started on the sexy scenes I was panting.

While the romance is obviously the main take away, I really appreciated the opportunity for Eva to come into her own and stand up for herself in her work as well. The way influencers and media personalities are utilized is definitely a hot topic I think many will take interest in.

I very much appreciated the diverse cast of characters, main and side characters are queer including bisexual, gay and trans.

This review is a lil chaotic but all you need to know is I highly recommend and will be posting a review on pub day telling everyone to go get this book!

Black cat & golden retriever vibes are what you find within these pages...

Eva is a budding journalist but is currently the host of Sausage Talk. One night she is feeling a little too good and publicly calls out her college ex, who happens to be a successful social media personality, she is thrust into the spotlight where all sorts of messy feelings spill. When her ex suggests taking her out on several dates as an experiment, she finds herself wishing for something real.

Rylie, a social media star, is called out for an embarrassing incident that happened in college and tarnished his relationship with Eva Kitt. Determined to make amends, he sets out to wrong a right.
He finds the prickly Eva just as stubborn as before but finds himself falling for her despite their complicated past.

A story of second chances and redemption. To be loved despite the personal flaws that keep people at arms distance. Learning to forgive and to allow yourself to be loved as you are.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin Press for the advanced copy!

This book made me feel deeply. It manages to explore serious and difficult topics in both sensitive and hopeful ways. The power of therapy, growth, and second chances are explored through the beautiful and raw main characters that Eddings writes. I’m grateful to have read this advanced copy and highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC..I look forward to reading this as part of my TBR for the month of July!!
**post-read**
4.25 ⭐️This was such a great book!! I thought I wouldn’t be able to get into it since it has such a pop culture element to it with the podcast and homage to chicken shop date, but it was a very small piece to more serious and beautifully written topics.
This book has a lot of serious topics in it that, in my opinion, was done really well. It talks about queer representation, grief/loss of a loved one, attachment style, workplace bullying/harassment, etc.
Not only that, but the love story was cuuuuuhtte and spicy🥵 in a small way I wish it was a bit more believable since our two MCs haven’t spoken in 6 years but it was still adorable to see them grow together throughout the book.
Some cons that bumped my rating down to a 4.25:
- I wish there was more of Eva’s backstory described because it’s evident what went down between her and Rylie 6 years ago REALLY stuck with her and created this avoidant attachment style that we don’t get to read much about just the fact that it negatively impacted her.
- also her humor, was a bit too much at times for me- also how Rylie just took it every time too idk not my favorite kind of banter between characters.
- also just don’t like pop culture mentioned too much in books tbh

Overall really happy I read this and highly recommend it as a cute, spicy, but also serious romance book.

Obsessed obsessed OBSESSED!!!!

I truly adore everything Masey writes but this was next level!! I was laughing and swooning the whole dang time!! The banter was top notch the way they were both chirping each other all the time but the way Rylie was pining for her 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Eva was very sarcastic. And I kinda loved it. Roasting your other half is the love language nobody ever talks about but I was hear for every single second.

This may just be my favorite of her books

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings completely pulled me in from the start. I found the main character so relatable—smart, sarcastic, and refreshingly honest. As someone who appreciates stories that handle neurodivergence with care, I loved how naturally it was woven into the narrative. The romance felt real and awkward in the best way, with moments that made me laugh out loud and others that genuinely touched me. Eddings struck the perfect balance between humor and emotional depth. It felt like I was reading about real people, not just characters. If you love quirky, heartfelt stories, I highly recommend this one!

This book is hands down a five star read. And I do not give those out too often. The banter was soo good. I adored the main characters and just felt it was so fun! What a good romance!

ok overall i liked the idea of this book- two people that met in college, that hooked up & it ended badly and them meeting again later in life. but sadly this just wasn't the one for me. i saw some people say eva was mean and like yes but, i was here for it. did it have me giggling kicking my feet with some parts? yes. but in the end did i care what happened? not really. overall this book wasn't necessarily for me and that's okay.

This was so fun! I love grumpy sunshine romances and second chance romances and this was the best of both worlds. Eva is so cutting and witty but is also just waiting for the right person to come along and treat her softly like she deserves. And Rylie is so silly and goofy. I will admit I had my reservations about whether I’d like a character who was a “woman expert” but he totally won me over. And as the president of the, I Hate Third Act Breakups Hate Club, it was wonderful that this one didn’t have one. A few things that I didn’t love were that sometimes Eva was a liiiiitle too mean. I mean, it was definitely her defense mechanism but sometimes it just felt cruel. And the other thing was that I wish her relationship to her family as a child and how that affected her as an adult was more deeply explored. It kind of felt like, why bring it up if it’s not going to even be discussed? But overall this had that quintessential Mazey Edding’s charm to it - and I had a really good time reading it!

Oh this book started off so strong!! The banter between Eva and Riley was so good but then it dragged on for me and they got too cringey at the end.. I loved the first half of the book but wanted a little more substance to the end of the story.

This book was shockingly good, I honestly didn’t expect it! I went in completely blind without even reading the synopsis, and I’m so glad I did. It took me on an emotional roller coaster, I laughed out loud, I cried, and I felt everything in between.

The FMC did get on my nerves at times, but I totally understood where she was coming from. If I were in her shoes, I probably would’ve acted the same way. And Riley? He completely stole my heart with how honest and persistent he was throughout the book.

Also, I have to give a huge shoutout to the audiobook. The narrator was phenomenal! She nailed both the female and male voices especially that husky male voice… OMG, I was on my knees. I 100% recommend listening to the audiobook; it’s an amazing experience!

I love Eva & Rylie! They are adorable! I would 100% either smack that man across the face and quit my job or sue that mfering company.
I hate that for her so much. had me crying, I also cry when i get mad, i feel you girl!

Description
Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.
Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book!

Well, Actually
by Mazey Eddings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub Date Aug 05 2025

Lord have mercy! This book was so good! The banter and tension!?! The black cat x golden retriever energy!?! Everything stacked up to make such a vibrant and emotional read. I loved how Eva and Riley came together and worked through their issues. Riley was so willing to admit his faults and do anything to make up for their past and create a future for them as a couple. I loved that Eva came into it with her claws out and wouldn't relent with the quips and barbs, she was such a vibe. The two had so much chemistry and were quite frankly just so hot together, Riley with his slutty little glasses and curly hair, Eva with the ice queen exterior and fragile heart. Not to mention the workplace backdrop and how all the drama unfolded; I love that Riley didn't care about how others would see their relationship and just wanted to make sure Eva was secure and comfortable. The man was smitten and downright obsessed, it was so apparent with how that translated in the intimate scenes. With the perfect balance of humor, heat, emotion, and drama, all wrapped up in a second chance romance, this story delivered on every front!