I loved this book! The banter was sharp and the storyline was fun. I was getting confused on Rylie coopers name because he kept getting referred to as Riley or Cooper but eventually it just stayed as Rylie.
I felt like rylies reason for being a dick was a bit short and not really enough of a reason to be forgiven for being an ass. Also, I was hoping during the part where she said all he kept talking about was his ex girlfriend and it was really his sister but I don’t think that loop ever got closed

All in, I would recommend this book. I liked the friend characters and thinking that it could be a series. At one point I thought there’d be a William and Aida story but that’s most likely not going to happen now haha

I absolutely love that Rylie called Eva out on her BS and he enjoyed it. This is very similar to me and my husband as I have a sharp tongue and he is a golden retriever that doesn’t take any offense. Great job!

This book was unfortunately not for me. I had trouble connectting with the characters and couldn't relate to them in anyway which only bothered me. The plot didn't interest me either. Perhaps, it'd be better if it was dual pov

Well, Actually is your classic grumpy-sunshine trope. And Eva is the character you love to hate. She drinks black coffee, he likes iced lattes. He is always kind, she is always cynical. She deadpans, he laughs.

Rylie Cooper and Eva Kitt have history. A bad love connection in college and a hook up in which he ghosted her afterwards. So what has happened in the years that have passed by? Well, she is an aspiring journalist stuck on a talk show interviewing D list celebrities with below average ratings as she eats hot dogs and acts disinterested (well, she is). He is a popular social media star that talks men out of toxic masculinity. You can see why she absolutely loathes him.

Welp, too many drinks leads to her making a social media reel about their terrible college rendezvous and him ghosting her that goes viral. To her horror, her boss asks her to capitalize on the viral video by planning an interview with Rylie on her show.

It’s goes from bad to worse when he asks her to go on 5 dates with him so he can prove he has changed. Well after date one was a disaster, she’s feeling pretty good. But will the dates improve and their undeniable attraction come to a head?

She’s filled with flirty banter and he is determined to show her he has changed no matter how hard she tries to dislike him. You just can’t. He’s that nice and lovable.

Has a fun plot and enjoyed the beginning with the dates and expectations. Middle felt weird when she was ghosting her own boss and coworkers. But ends on a high note.

Thank you @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for the digital ARC.

“If there is an opportunity to talk shit, I will be talking shit.”
I absolutely love this author’s style of writing. The characters feel REAL and the world is current, My favorite part of this was the banter. The way the characters are so quick with their responses makes this so much fun. I also love the grumpy x sunshine trope. Having it reversed was so much fun. Eva felt really balanced as the FMC since she was mostly self aware of why she acted, dressed, and spoke the way she did. Rylie was a phenomenal golden retriever-esque MMC. The patience and understanding he had was so refreshing to see and the author did an excellent job making him the man he was really trying to be. I also loved Lizzie Blake’s appearance. It was such a fun little part to read.

EXCUSE ME??? This book had me guffawing but also kicking my feet and squealing. WHO AM I??? This was actual perfection. I’ll never get over it. New favorite!!

It took me a while to get into the book, but ultimately I did like it. It is not the typical rom com that I would usually pick up. Overall, I did enjoy it.

I overall enjoyed this book and the banter between the two main characters. As the story went on, it definitely dragged a bit. It did touch on some topics to help you understand why things happened the way they did.

I really liked Well, Actually! Mazey Eddings nailed the perfect blend of humor, heart, and romance. Eva and Rylie’s dynamic was really fun and the banter was witty. I loved watching Eva’s walls slowly come down as she began to trust Rylie, and his patience and charm were just irresistible.

Eva was such a relatable, complex character. I appreciated how the story didn’t shy away from showing her flaws and defenses, making her feel so real. Her sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude were refreshing, and I found myself rooting for her even when she was a bit of a mess. The emotional depth and self-awareness she showed as she navigated her insecurities and past hurts made her character growth incredibly satisfying.

The concept of reconnecting with someone from your past and realizing how much people can change was beautifully executed. I loved the way Eva and Rylie actually communicated - no frustrating miscommunication tropes here! Their honesty and vulnerability added so much depth to their relationship.

If you’re a fan of second-chance romance with witty banter, complex characters, and a beautifully paced slow burn, Well, Actually is definitely worth the read. Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! ❤️

I struggled with how to rate this book, because my feelings about it were all over the place.

There is a lot of emotional heavy lifting in this book and the two main characters are very flawed. Some of the conversations done feel realistic, but idealistic which is okay. The biggest problem for me was that about halfway through the book the main pair put themselves in the friend zone of my mind to the point that I wasn't rooting for them romantically and then hey just get into bed together and I felt ambivalent about it.

Ultimately though I feel good having read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this eARC.

Mazey Eddings is a new author for me, and this book has me so excited to dive into everything else she's written. The witty dialogue had me hooked from the very first page, and the level of snarkiness throughout spoke directly to my soul.

What really stood out to me was the beautiful bisexual/pansexual representation. It was real, raw, and so well-done. (Speaking as someone in a heterosexual presenting relationship where we both identify as bisexual)

The relationship between Eva and Rylie was so incredibly relatable. I loved how realistic their dynamic was – messy, full of miscommunication, but deeply rooted in love and the desire for understanding.

Eva’s character was a breath of fresh air. I saw so much of myself in her. (Take that as you will) While she had the tendency to react to things abruptly and emotionally, she didn’t compromise who she was or soften her edges to fit any mold. The balance between her fierce, snarky exterior and the vulnerability she carried beneath it was done brilliantly. It’s uncommon to see a female protagonist who stays true to her strong and sometimes abrasive personality throughout the story and relationship, and I absolutely loved that about Eva.

I do wish a bit more time had been spent on the workplace conflict, or at least its resolution. The issue felt like it had a lot of potential for deeper exploration, and I would have loved to see it more fully developed.

This book is a perfect blend of humor, heart, and depth. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a messy, unapologetic love story with fantastic representation and a couple who’s impossible not to root for.

Incredibly grateful for the chance to review this ARC, and I look forward to picking up a finished copy in August.

This was SO GOOD!!!! Eva’s sense of humor reminds me so much of my own. She had me laughing out loud, giggling, kicking my feet, and then crying at her vulnerability.

Rylie’s ability to go from the damaged, hurting, closeted frat boy to the MAN Eva deserved was everything to me. Therapy is a wonderful tool and he took full advantage of it.

This book was easily five starts. The FMC was as strong stubborn character that masked her vulnerability with different emotions. I felt she was a relatable character that everyone could see themselves with in her. Riley and Eva's relationship felt real and not fake which made me it more meaningful. The side characters made the story and came through at the end for Eva. I have no complaints and only high praises.

I adore any book by Mazey Eddings. This cover is adorable, the book is funny, the characters were relatable and I had a blast reading it. Rylie has my whole heart!

Eva has been given a challenge. She has been challenged by a former boyfriend to go on a series of six dates. She is forced to go by her boss for social media views. He, Rylie, is an influencer that claims to be progressive and knows how to "treat" a woman. She, in a drunken stupor, responds to a post and tells "everyone" that he does not know how to treat a woman and not only gave her a forgettable experience, but he ghosted her after.

Now Eva finds herself having fun with Rylie and learns that private lives do not exist for influencers, which may lead to her losing her lousy job as host of Sausage Talk, but also her dream job or working as a journalist.

I enjoyed the book, for the most part, there was a little backstory that felt a little like noise, but majority of the book was interesting and helped develop the characters. I will recommend this book to some of my more advanced students.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay. I’m usually all for a smutty romance, but I found myself skipping over the smut scenes as I just didn’t care for these two as a couple. To me, the MMC could have done better. Eva was whiny, rude and hard to please no matter what was happening. Yes, I can appreciate a baddie who doesn’t take shit, but Eva was too much. Every time I thought, hey is this where they get together? Nope. Eva gets mad at something small and runs away. This happens until 70% when she finally decides Rylie is ready despite his numerous attempts to show her throughout the story.

I will say I did enjoy the witty banter between the two, I just couldn’t get passed Eva being so insufferable. This was a fun slow burn romance, so I will give it 3.5. I just really couldn’t stand Eva.

** spoiler alert ** ARC Review: This was my first Mazey Eddings book, & it will not be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style, her characters, & her politics, as reading is political. Her LGBT representation & “hate the rich” attitude, had me kicking my feet the whole time in appreciation. I can’t wait to go back and share so many quotes from this book as I highlighted and saved so many, funny, cute, and crying worthy.

Focusing on “Well, Actually,” a second chance romance, with the biggest example of black cat girl and golden retriever bf I’ve seen in a minute. Eva Kitt gave the banter and attitude I’ve looked for in a mc female for a while, internally and out loud in front of whomever. I love that this played into all aspects of her life, relationship, work, etc. She is met with the opposite, Rylie Cooper who is a representation of character development gone right and a positive affirmation God. The tension, the humor, the drama, I ate this up. As a fellow BPD girly, Eva will also be one of my personal relatable characters as her, “I love you, I hate you, don’t leave me,” energy was strong. Thank you for the ARC, already purchased the pre-order special edition.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. This book was just not for me, I got to about the 10th or 11th chapter and just couldn’t finish it… I thought it was really slow pace I feel like I’ve heard the story 1 million times before, and there was just nothing really special about it for me. I think that a lot of it was very repetitive and jumpy from one chapter to the next and I just wasn’t in love with the characters or falling in love with the story so I couldn’t make myself finish it.

I loved the concept of this book and did enjoy reading it. I loved the MMC and really enjoyed his story in the book. He may have messed up, but he was in college. People can make mistakes and then learn and grow from them. I think how this was portrayed.

I just didn't love the FMC and that made it difficult to like the overall book more. Once she got together with Rylie, she completely ignored her life responsibilities and thought there would be no consequences. I found this hard to understand. Her boss was awful, but that doesn’t excuse her behavior. She is an adult and should act like it.

I have a feeling most people will adore this book. I will continue to read Mazey Eddings books, but this one was a miss for me.

The banter between the main characters, Eva and Cooper, was incredible, it had me laughing out loud and doing a double take at some of their comments. I really enough this take on a second chance romance, how developed and fully fleshed out it felt. This was a fresh take on a trope I’ve read many times. I loved that there wasn’t a third act breakup, that Cooper said absolutely not when Eva tried to take it there.

My only critique would be to give us the chapter where Eva actually takes down her bosses who had been bullying her and terminated her employment for a scheme they set up. The buildup to the conflict was sprinkled throughout the book and got my blood boiling, which was the intention. I wanted that final confrontation where Eva takes them down after her termination, because that scene had my heart ripped out, I desperately wanted the confrontation and to see those characters deal with the consequences of their actions. We got an epilogue chapter telling us what happened on a live stream podcast instead of us getting to experience it.

Otherwise I loved Eva and Cooper rehashing the past and falling in love with each other despite some truly horrific dates.

**Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings – A Seriously Relatable Read**

Alright, so if you’re into snarky, witty banter and a book that feels like that friend who always has the perfect comeback, *Well, Actually* is where it’s at. Mazey Eddings serves up a story full of clever twists and fun “well, actually” moments that’ll have you laughing and nodding along in total agreement.

The characters are totally on point—quirky, real, and not afraid to speak their minds. You’ll find yourself vibing with every sarcastic remark and inside joke. The dialogue feels like a group chat full of sass, and the narrative just gets how complicated and hilarious life can be when you’re trying to figure out who you really are.

If you love a story that’s equal parts smart humor and genuine heart, *Well, Actually* is a must-read. It’s like the perfect blend of wit, wisdom, and those “I can’t even” moments we all know too well.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity 💕**