Yeah you couldn’t have pried this out of my cold dead hands!!!! I was immediately drawn in by how freaking HILARIOUS this book was!! I never, ever laugh out loud to book but this one broke the streak!

This book has it all:
Mental health rep
LGBTQ and Trans rep
Workplace injustice rep
Phallic food jokes
NYC setting
Childhood trauma rep

I was nervous to start this one bc some reviews stated the FMC was childish and insufferable, but uh…. How to say this…. I have never related to an FMC more in my entire reading life!! Eva uses humor to cope, pokes fun at people, and is sarcastic more than she is serious. She has walls built up due to her childhood trauma, and without getting too personal, this is me! she is me! Mazey Eddings has made me feel seen and heard in a way I didn’t think I would ever experience.

Cooper. Ohhhhh Rylie Cooper. The way he grounded her when needed but wasn’t afraid to poke back? The way he listened to her and cared for her unlike anyone ever had? I need about 12 of him please and thank you.

My main complaint of this novel is the amount of spice and how often it occurred. It was back to back to back scenes of loooooong drawn out explicit scenes. I ended up having to skim them bc I was just like OKIGETIT!!!! It could have been about 50 pages shorter without all uh dat

Regardless of that complaint, plsss for the love of god pick this one up once it releases in August. You will laugh multiple chapters and probably also cry. I know I did.

5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️🌶️ - medium spice

LOVES:
- I loved their dynamic from the get-go. Eva’s so stubborn and didn’t want to give him an inch, seeing deceit in every word. Rylie’s so open and ready to take her on, with just the slightest hint of fear of her 😏 so fun!
- There were lots of millennial-coded language/feelings and I was able to relate to it!
- I loved the progression of Rylie’s character. He was a classic college guy, but matured into someone conscientious and thoughtful, able to take criticism and try to be better. It’s great to think that people can change and be better. Plus, he was just panting after Eva the whole time and I fvcking love that 🥵 She absolutely needed someone to love everything about her while still calling out her BS.
- The spice was so well written, excellent 👌
- The entire conflict built up to incredible frustration for me, I was fuuuuming 😤 and the wrap up couldn’t have been more satisfying.

I cannot rave about this enough!! I had so much fun reading it and I never wanted to put it down. I can’t even express how much I loved this. So good.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy 💝 Releases August 5th!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Well, Actually.

Dear Mazey Eddings, I LOVE every single thing about this book! (except Landry and her evil spawn)

Eva and Rylie. Rylie and Eva. I'm not sure I've met a couple who complimented each other as well as them. Eva's sarcasm and comebacks are complete perfection! I laughed so hard at almost everything she said. On the flip side, Rylie is calm and gives careful consideration to every situation. I could gush and gush and gush about this perfect second chance romance, but you really should just go read it and find out for yourself! I really enjoyed the NYC setting. I love reading about characters running around the city. I have to live vicariously through my book characters until I can make it there myself!

Bravo Mazey! This is at the top of my romance favorites list!

✨ 4.5/5

I loved this book, y’all! This second-chance romance had me rooting for the couple so hard. Eva, our FMC, and Rylie, our MMC, had dated in college and it Did Not End Well™. I loved the concept behind how they reconnected and watching it all play out on the page was both hilarious and full of emotion. I thought Mazey Eddings did an excellent job balancing the two throughout.

There were so many times I actually laughed out loud (seriously, out loud!) and the banter was so well done. I loved the representation it had among the cast of characters and found myself wanting to learn even more about the supporting characters’ stories as well. Definitely make this your next read if you’re looking for:
🐈‍⬛ Black Cat FMC
🐕 Golden Retriever MMC
🌭 Second-Chance Romance
👖 Banter galore
🥹 All the Feels

Thank you so much @stmartinspress @netgalley for the ARC of #WellActually in exchange for an honest review!

This book was just ok. I didn’t much connect with any of the characters. The FMC is very snarky and overall not very nice. She is very self centered, I understand she has trauma and issues but that doesn’t mean she gets to act any certain way. While I did like the MMC, he seemed to be too much of a golden retriever. Allowing the FMC to use his as her punching bag for something that happened six years ago.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and SMP for the free AlC and e-book. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I love mazeys writing and how she weaves a story. This may be my new favourites of what she's written. I love how inclusive her books are and the spice whewwwwww.

Suggest giving it a try

5/5☆

3.5 stars

Fans of second chance romance will have fun with this one. Folks who are no longer in their 20s will be reminded of exactly how glad they are about that during this read, too.

Eva is trying hard to make a name for herself as a journalist, but she has a truly degrading role at this time. Rylie, an ex from long ago, has done better in his quest to develop some level of prominence in social media. After viewing one of Rylie's posts, Eva makes what feels like an obvious error by posting a response on her personal account. To the surprise of only Eva, people see it...Rylie included. Ulitmately, the two reconnect and make a business plan that obviously opens the door for a second chance. Not a bad start.

These characters did drive me absolutely bonkers in specific ways. Eva is mean. Really mean. More than that, she whines. I suspect this bothered me more because I listened to the audiobook and there is a real leaning in to that whiny, urgent, whaaaaah kind of vibe. Irritated? Whine. Turned on? Whine. Anxious? Whine. You get it. I'd had it with this very early. On the other hand, Rylie is very likeable but (1) has the worst style (who cares, but some of these details? You're telling me Eva's going for this IRL? Wild.) and (2) this makes it almost disturbing that he wants to put up with Eva. These two are a lot, IMO.

As is typically the case in romance, there are exactly no surprises here, and that's part of the fun. I appreciated the effort to give these characters lives outside of each other, but the professional growth thread with Eva also really fell flat for me.

I've read and enjoyed a few books by this author. While this wasn't my favorite, I definitely recommend it to second chance fans and I'll look forward to what comes next (a second chance of my own)!

To be published August 5, 2025

Mazey Eddings did it again with a second-chance romance that tries to go right to the heart strings and will get there, but it does take awhile. Eva Kitt, a journalist whose claim to fame is eating hot dogs with C list people but wants to focus on more serious journalism, goes off on a drunken tirade about a previous hookup (Rylie Cooper) who has now gained some online notoriety. As one may guess, the clip went viral and the redemption story sends them on a series of dates for vlog material. Their friend group really ties most of the story together and builds off the energy Eva and Rylie have. Eva immediately hates everything about the forced dating trope and her energy is a bit of a turn off for awhile but stick with it.
Admittedly, it took me entirely too long to like either of the characters. Eva was kind of a bitch and Cooper made me roll my eyes with his positive masculinity nonsense and how hard he was trying at the onset, it felt artificial at the beginning. (That first date!)
What kept me going was Eddings writing style, which is very similar to that in Late Bloomer.

3.5 stars, rounded up
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Eva and Riley’s story is brilliant. Witty, sharp banter is fueled by pretend hatred, then fed by unwelcomed lust.
Just when you think Eva will push him far enough away, Rylie reaches past her QUITE bristly barriers and unashamedly ADORES her. It’s the stuff of dreams honestly. Mazey knocked this out of the park!
Having had the absolute FUN of meeting Mazey, I can say this reads like a kooky, almost joyously unedited peek into her bravely weird humor. But don’t worry, it’s edited just enough to be a masterpiece! And I’m so grateful we all get to experience the giggling distraction of diving into Mazey’s universe.

5⭐️

"Because I fucked it up once and I saw a second chance. Because now I'm 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."

Apparently once a year I'm going to read a book that absolutely comes for throat as a burnt out bisexual with an avoidant attachment style and Well, Actually is that book this year! I love the idea of getting a second chance with the person who traumatized you and actually communicating where things went wrong. I could understand Eva's anger and tendency to always be on the attack vividly and had many a cathartic cry while watching her figure out that she could let someone in. Both Eva and Rylie had to have a lot of growth to be adults in this relationship and I loved watching them figure it out.

Rylie's growth since his college days was beautiful. It feels like such a cop-out but things were really different in the late 2000s/early 2010s and many of Eva and Rylie's stories of their college times sounded so familiar. Rylie doing the work to figure out his internal homophobia and how misogynistic he was in his early 20s was huge and I loved how determined he was to make things right. I also loved how vulnerable he was and how he felt he could trust Eva now with his sisters death and his spiral to rock bottom. I also loved the way Riley stood up for Eva with the number of gross things her studio exec wanted her to do.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC! This was my first Mazey Eddings books and will not be my last! The banter between Eva and Rylie was what kept me going during this book. Loved it!

The book that got me out of my reading slump! The banter between the two main characters made me feel like I was with them in real life. The storyline was cute and kept me interested and wanting more. I absolutely LOVED this book and can’t wait for everyone to love it to.

Like its own title, this book is perfect. No notes. 10/10. In love with Eva’s mean ass cutting banter and Rylie’s simping need to take anything he can get from her while also boldly challenging her avoidant attachment style. A+ chemistry. I just finished this book this morning and I already miss the story and the characters and I just need Eva Kitt and Rylie Cooper to be real humans in the world, co-hosting a podcast and challenging modern day journalism and toxic gender roles like the snarky, sexy power couple that they are! Super fun second chance romance, modern day TikTok stitch gone viral - the story that I didn’t know I needed! Oh and really beautiful mmc bi representation. Rylie’s bisexuality is actually a huge catalyst to the forward movement of the whole plot and really thoughtfully written.

Five stars easy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc! ✨

Overall I enjoyed this story. The romance was cute, and I adored the MMC. However I did not like the FMC or her friends. She never really showed much care for the MMC (or anyone), and her friends only seemed to have her back when it was convenient. That caused some disconnect with me. If you like romcoms though, I’d still recommend trying it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was intrigued by this book from the MOMENT the cover dropped. Then the blurb. Then getting to read it? Oh, we were SAT for this one.

This premise is one that I absolutely devoured. The conversations and conflicts the characters dealt with and faced? One of the first books I’ve read in a while where I felt like I could slap this characters into the real world and they would be able to navigate it- and I mean this in the best way. Riley & Eva were REAL. It didn’t take you out of the reading escapism-sphere, but they were genuine people that bled off of the pages.

I felt like I was reading my best friends brain (Eva) and the man she deserves. Who can complain about that?

I’m so glad this was my first Mazey Eddings read because it absolutely blew me away! From the moment I saw the cover—which perfectly captures the essence of Eva and Rylie—I knew I was in for a treat, and the book did not disappoint. I enjoyed doing a tandem read with the print and audiobook, and the narration easily ranks in my top three ever. Mazey’s sharp writing and banter are incredible on the page, but the narrator’s performance truly brought Eva and Rylie’s chemistry to life.
What really stood out was the emotional depth here. Eva’s journey of growth, grappling with feelings of unworthiness and her complicated past, felt authentic and deeply moving. Meanwhile, Rylie’s unwavering patience and emotional awareness were swoon-worthy, and I loved how his softer side balanced Eva’s fierce, sarcastic exterior. Their dynamic was electric—full of witty banter, heartfelt vulnerability, and moments that made me laugh and cry.

I appreciated the realistic pacing of their healing, especially how Eva didn’t just forgive Rylie with one apology, showing the complexity of their history. The ethical therapist scenes were a refreshing touch that added to the story’s authenticity.

ALSO can we talk about the black cat and golden retriever trope? It’s done so perfectly here that it felt fresh and utterly charming. My only minor quibble was some uneven pacing, but overall this book was a highly enjoyable, emotional, and fun read that has quickly become one of my favorites of the year. No third-act breakup? Best decision ever!

If you love smart, emotional romances with plenty of sass and heart, this one’s for you.

This is my first Mazey Edding's book and the cover literally couldn't be a more spot on of the characters! The cover is originally what pulled me in and I'm so happy it lived up to it. I was fortunate enough to get a print and audio arc of this so I did a tandem read and it was easily top 3 audiobook narrations for me (which is impressive given how much I read/listen to). Mazey's writing and banter is top notch, but also the narrator's personality totally brought it to life! Now as far as the actual book, I hadn't expected this to be such an emotional read but it was worth the tears to read Eva's growth and of course Rylie's unwavering swoon worthy personality. Their personalities shine through so much - I laughed and cried so much, they're perfectly flawed and real.

I’m going to start off by saying that the characters in this book are some of the most emotionally aware characters I’ve ever read. Eva’s growth throughout the book as she navigates her struggle of not feeling worthy of love and how that impacts her reactions. I did appreciate that Eva didn’t forgive Rylie after he apologized once for how he treated her in the past. It may have felt a bit repetitive to keep bringing up the conversation, but her feelings were still valid about what happened. Rylie was willing to have the conversation with her each time.

Even though it was one scene, as a therapist, I was shocked by how ethical the therapist was. The fact that she discussed her bias to Rylie since he’s her individual client while also challenging both Eva and Rylie was refreshing.

The pacing did feel rushed at certain points and slower at others, but overall it was very enjoyable.

The black cat and golden retriever trope wins again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book will be in my top 10 for 2025, no doubt. I made the mistake of starting it at 11 pm on a Sunday, and only stopped after braining myself (twice!) with my Kindle.😂 If I had started the book earlier in the day, I would definitely have finished it in one sitting. Eddings said she had the most fun writing this book, and that came through loud and clear. Eva embodied the black cat of it all, and Rylie was an adorable (and delightfully naughty 😏) golden retriever. This is a story I will revisit often.😍

This was surprisingly good. I went in with no expectations. I love, love the banter. A Plus. The characters had great chemistry and I laughed out loud at several moments