I honestly really enjoyed this book. It really felt like it was based off Amelia Dimoldenburg but that just made it even better for me. I really enjoyed the story and the writing, along with the Queer representation in the book.

well, actually made up for a really entertaining and quick read. the chemistry between eva and rylie was instant and so electric I couldn’t stop giggling

tho, as much as I was entertained, I’m a huge fan of icy queens and second chance romance and I felt like these two elements weren’t 100% well done. but I can acknowledge that these two “tropes” are difficult to write especially for an author like mazey who never wrote anything like that

I still recommend cus it was a fun time and I really enjoy mazey’s work, it’s just not my favourite take on both icy queens and second chances!

ratings: 3.75⭐️ 3.5🌶️

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! all thoughts and opinions are my own ✨

this was my first mazey eddings book, and honestly, i had a great time with it. well, actually follows eva kitt, a certified hot girl™ in charge of hosting an interview segment with various b-list celebrities (think something along the lines of hot ones or chicken shop date). everything sort of goes to shit when one of eva's videos goes viral, and she winds up in the middle of a media storm with her ex-fling from college, rylie cooper.

if i could choose only a single dynamic to read about for the rest of my life, it would be the one where the FMC is a bitch (affectionate) and the MMC is absolutely enamoured with her. eva was unapologetically cunty, and rylie was head-over-heels for all of it. i also just love seeing a calm, dopey man who perfectly balances out his spitfire of a girlfriend—in that way, it felt as if this book was written solely for me.

this was one of those rare instances where the second half of the book was a lot stronger than the first. i really enjoyed watching eva let her guard down and allow herself to be vulnerable around rylie; contrary to popular belief, most formidable, no-nonsense women do in fact need a shoulder to cry on every once in a while. i also loved how rylie refused to let eva sabotage their connection, and instead stood by her side even when she tried to push him away. a messy woman and a patient, steadfast man—it doesn't get any better than that.

my one complaint with this book is the fact that, despite eva's initial hatred of rylie, a lot of their early interactions were drowning in insta-lust. i get it, they're exes, so it's safe to assume that they were attracted to one another at some point. but given how badly rylie hurt eva back in college, it felt weird to me that she claimed to loathe him, yet she couldn't stop talking about how handsome and/or hot he was. it didn't really fit with the rest of her characterization, and it often took me out of the story.

aside from that, i really liked this novel! the banter was fun, the angst was executed perfectly, and the steamy scenes were magma-level hot. now that i've familiarized myself with mazey eddings' game, i definitely intend to check out more of her stuff.

Well Actually by Mazey Eddings is a breezy, fun, low-stakes romp about two former lovers set up on a path to publicly hash out the failings of their past relationship.

Eva is a bisexual mess, currently working as the trendy, mouthy host of Sausage Talk, a show that interviews B celebrities for a mid-level network. Think Chicken Shop or Hot Wings, and you'd be on track. When Eva is faced with a video on her feed of the first guy she really fell for in college, a charming, infuriating "white guy with a podcast" named Rylie, she takes to her social media page to stitch a video and blast his dating habits and his bedroom abilities. The network she works for quickly picks up the viral reel and negotiates several dates and time on Rylie's podcast for the two to work through what went wrong. Unfortunately, Rylie is determined to prove to Eva that not only has he changed but that he's willing to go the extra mile to win her heart.

While Eva's ball-busting routine does get old after a while, the way she pushes back and teases Rylie is a delight up against his golden retriever, eager-pleaser routine. He's clearly mad about her from the get go, making the soft burn of Eva letting down her guard the true story along with the tease of WILL THEY EVER HOOK UP? Sometimes the hot and cold nature of their interactions ran lukewarm, but overall, it was delightful, biting, and funny.

I loved that the friend groups were queer as fuck and that there was honest discussions of mental health. My biggest frustration was at the midpoint when Rylie co-opted one of their dates and took Eva to a couples counseling session without explaining why. He gave her a heads up that it's where they were going to go and the therapist made several things clear up front, but it seems like an easy thing for him to clarify: that he needed a safe, healthy space in which to converse about certain things. Overall, it seemed like something he was blindsiding her with. The opposite of healthy dialogue.

It pains me to say this, but also, the sex scenes, of which there were multiple at the end all tacked together, lacked any tension and I found myself skipping them, ready to get to the conclusion of the story.

It was a fun, light read. One I will definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press who issued me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately as much as I wanted to love it I couldn’t. I had to DNF. It looked like such a cute little read but unfortunately at this time it’s just not for me. Many thanks for this arc!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy, I’m absolutely telling everyone to read this. I loved this one, 4.75 for me! It would be a 5 but the pacing got a little off about 2/3 into it but still great. I was laughing the entire time. This felt different than the romances I’ve been reading and just a unique slow burn while working through some serious relationship trauma. Gotta love a head strong funny FMC and the fact the author was able to encompass so many different topics felt much more than your basic romance.

Absolutely loved this one!! So cute! I thought the characters were well written, I loved the plot and romance in the book. This was my first Mazey Eddings book and I devoured it

Chicken Shop Date anyone?

Eva Kitt hosts a show that interviews celebs that is very much Chicken Shop date but with hot dogs. She makes a viral video bashing an ex who happens to be a social media sweetheart and now she has to work with him. Rylie is determined to make up for his past toxic behavior but Eva isn’t one to just give in.

This book had a fun plot and I really loved the back and forth between the characters. I will say that for me, it was hard to read at times. Eva came off as mean and hateful at times and perhaps that’s because Rylie was just as sweet as can be. From wanting to communicate and be vulnerable to really trying to grow and improve, Rylie was a joy to read. Eva on the other hand was very abrasive and that made it hard for me to connect with her. She was constantly throwing insults and jabs at Rylie and I feel lacked self awareness. One of the best scenes in the book was a moment with therapy where we do see Eva start to take a closer look at herself and be vulnerable.

This books also explores a toxic work environment. There is no job worth being treated poorly. Period.

Overall I liked this book but didn’t love it.

Thank you so much to Mazey Eddings, NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This feels so much like RPF of Andrew Garfield on that chicken shop date that I did google when that chicken shop date was to see if the time lines could match (conclusion? They don’t not match). I *really* wanted to like it! I’ve recommended “Late Bloomer” far and wide! I didn’t like this book.

I think it’s primarily Eva. She’s not nice! It was so hard for me to see what Rylie was into with her that I genuinely just gave up and accepted that, for some reason, aggressive emotional whiplash is just doing it for him.

I can see where parts of it are funny! I get what other people might like about it, but ultimately I disliked this so much I’m not sure my attachment to “Late Bloomer” will convince me to give MaEy Eddings another try.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 out of 5

An Absolutely Delightful Surprise! 

From the opening line:....
"I always expected my career would revolve less around wieners than it does." 
... to the second line of the about the author: "She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her husband to bring her snacks." 

How can you NOT want to immediately read this book and f to so much based on the 2nd sentence.

Within in pages I was 100% hooked. Even the book dedications is outfitted with a vocabulary  entry from the author's personal dictionary:

"Hot Girl /hAHt gurl/ n. 1. a state of being irrelevant of appearance, gender identity, or age 2. a mindset found at the intersection of empowerment, enthusiasm, anger, freedom, excitement, defiance, and happiness (from the personal dictionary of Mazey Eddings) To all the Hot Girls, especially those that rise to the occasion when men need to be taken down a notch. " That last bit makes me feel seen on so many levels. 

When reading I don't typically annotate especially as I primarily use my Kindle. For this ARC I have a total of 20 entries, some of which are multiple paragraphs so I'll do my best to sum up:

From the opening Eddings sense of humor but also deep understanding of the lingering effects of trauma on mental health is as relatable as it is revealing. The story wears the clothes of a lovely rom-com; a reimagined version of the 2003 film, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days only in Eddings version both members of the couple are completely on the up and up and their dynamic is not based on lies or winning bets/accounts; it's about giving second chances and recognizing your own value and worthiness. 


Eva has a past full of doubt, insecurities, self-deprication, loneliness, masking and trying to be exactly what everyone wants... Can anyone say perfectionism and people pleaser? She experiences a painful breakup in which she has allowed herself to be vulnerable only to be ghosted. Naturally these injuries cut deep and along with the trauma inflicted by her careless family, the ripples negatively impact all of her relationships moving forward. Eva is biting, witty and downright hilarious but harbors a deep resentment toward herself which was very relatable as humor and sarcasm are great deflectors. 

Rylie is the perfect sunshine cinnamon roll MC but knows how to pull out the growl and power when needed...which is sheer perfection. His own story is caked in trauma but unlike Eva, Rylie in his quest to get into Eva's good graces, takes us all on a journey through his past and shows that he continues to move forward with healing. That willingness to share vulnerable information is major and in doing so can help encourage others to do so as well.

l
The 🌶️ + 🧲 tension + 🗣️witty banter + he falls first is the most epic combination in a book. The scenes are not only hot but also respectful, sensual, intimate rather than aggressive and greedy. Oh and did I mention I came across what I think is one of sexiest sentences I've read in a long time especially when understanding all the faucets to the banter leading up to the quote.

l
"So use me, Eva. Make an example of me. Help me show people what it’s like to work for it.” 🥵

I only have two cons about this book and the reason it's get the rating it does. 

1) Early on Eva speaks a bit about her family, lack of identity or value or presence in her own home and how it has made her feel drawn to the "don't take up space" mentality. It's what makes the ending of her initial relationship with Rylie so painful and how that pain feasts on her anxieties and self doubt like a cancer. I mean for goodness sake, she never even considered what SHE herself liked in the bedroom and just did whatever she could to keep her partner happy!!! Babe! No Babe! No! But then as the focus  of the novel shifts to the rebirth of her relationship with Rylie, the damage done by her parents is never ever addressed again or exposed. She never openly heals those wounds; wounds that involve a grown ass man belittling a child who was hazed/bullied, put in a dangerous situation by siblings and who experienced real phobia level fear. It's no wonder Eva would struggle with vulnerability AND be suspetible to workplace bullying/harassment; she's been taught that she isn't good enough as herself and her only value is what she can be/do for others. I would have loved to see Eva find herself on the path to healing in regards to those wounds. 

2) Eva is described to have been an outcast in her own family; the biological child of a parent from a precious marriage who is then ignored in favor of the biological and other step-siblings. Before I get I to the crooks of my con, what happened to Eva's mother? Why do we not have a bookend to why Eva was subjective to spending years watching her father build an entire new family with her on the sidelines but not invited on to the field? But I digress; the con has more to do with her friends. Given all I've stated above, you would think that the found family trope would strike quick and hard... But instead the side characters of Aida and Ray fall a bit flat especially in regards to the conflict between Aida and Eva that spans for a good 30% of the book (occuring before the major "climax" - hehehe - of the book) in which Aida's reasoning for her negative feelings is so unfair to Eva, that Eva ends up being the one to beg for and fall on her sword in the name of forgiveness. I also think that given that small u current of the novel relates to the LGBTQIA+ community,  I'm bummed about the under utilization of Ray and Lilith as side characters. 


Beyond that I lover the book and can't wait to own it in hard copy too... 


Bravo job @mazeyEddings!!!👏😍

Mazey Eddings books are always a treat, but this was a showstopper. The depth of character development and the tension between Rylie and Eva was palpable. The story was full of tense moments, but were handled with so much heart. I think it's necessary for women in early career to see on page displays of what workplace harrasment looks like, and this genuinely painted a vivid picture of a harrowing topic.

I enjoyed this a lot, and look forward to future reads by Eddings.

Well, Actually begins with Eva Kitt, who is the hostess of a low level celebrity interview show that involves eating sausage. One drunken evening, she uploads a video talking bad about and ex who has his own podcast and the two end up paired up for some dates to show he has improved as a person. I feel like this would have been a decent lovers to enemies to lovers rom com but it tried to do a little too much. 3 ⭐️ thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured this book. Mazey is the queen of banter, I audibly laughed out loud so many times in this book. I loved how much of a golden retriever Rylie was and how much of a black cat Eva is. It added so much humor in the book. Eva is a firecracker and Rylie was such a sweetheart. And the spicy scenes were chefs kiss. Another amazing book by Mazey!!

While I enjoyed the concept of Well, Actually, and the storyline itself had good potential, I just feel like we fell short somewhere.

I'm not sure what it is, but some of the characters & their flow felt inconsistent. It also felt like I was reading a book written to describe what living through watching Buzzfeed! circa 2015-2017 felt like. Which is fine if that is what you want, but I would prefer to go back and just rewatch the old Buzzfeed! videos if that's the case.

That truly I believe comes down to personal preference, and I know so many people who would likely loveeeee that type of vibe. The other thing is.. "kitten"? I don't love that pet name at all. icky.

Again, a lot of this does come down to personal preference, and the book itself was good. I just feel like it could have been so much better. and had so much more potential.

I’ve read quite a few mazey eddings books and she writes very seamlessly and smooth, they’re just pretty easy to read books. Which is always nice

Really loved the concept of Well, Actually, but surprisingly this just wasn't for me. So bummed that I didn't enjoy this more because I typically love Mazey's books.

God damn, the man Rylie is. I see so much of myself in Eva, and now I have the blueprint of exaclty the man I need. Quirky, condescending, and snarky Eva. A second chance romance done so well. I really enjoyed how this all played out, and excited to see more by this author!

Tilly in Technicolor was my first novel by Eddings, and I was excited to read her next novel. In Well, Actually, she proves, regardless of audience, she knows how to convey authentic relationships: those we have with ourselves, our friends, and our romantic partners.

I think what I loved the most was just how real Eva is at all times. She doesn’t have some fake persona, and she’s resigned herself to being alone, the unchosen, over trying to become someone she’s not. It makes her exceedingly relatable to those of us who are the grumpy in the grumpy x sunshine dynamic.

I loved Eva’s entire dynamic with Rylie, (can we say top notch banter?) and how much he wanted to prove himself to her. I appreciated the conversations around Eva’s goals, and how despite Eddings writing her with a harsh exterior, how she struggled to advocate for herself in the workplace.

Overall, a cute second chance romance that dives into larger issues of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and workplace harassment. I loved the focus and attention this story brought to those topics, as well as mental health. You can, quite simply, never go wrong picking up a Mazey Eddings novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Review

The cover was cute. That's an interesting first line for sure, definitely got me interested! I reread the summary after reading that and it made me laugh! This show reminds me of that chicken shop show with Amelia but with hot dogs and lower rated celebs. The column actually sounds pretty interesting, I wonder if that app exists irl. She's bi and open to a lot. Her ex? Two months? That video sounds interesting but maybe a drunk mistake? The aftermath of her posting that video and the whole professional outcome of it all. The last him seems interesting but I wonder what changed in him. The meeting and wow they are captializing on it? Of course they are and she's agreeing to the interview. The interview time and this sounds like a funny video. A do-over? That date idea sounds like good content tbh! He's clearly going through something but I wonder what. Her accidentally sending him a text is funny to me. Not her getting off to him but hating him so much. Wow the domino effect of what happened on the date with the cork and the flowers and the wreck. A private tour at the met? A second thing? Damn being afraid of heights too, wow he couldn't have planned a worse date if he tried. Horrible brothers and a dad with that attitude? No wonder she has bad trauma. Meeting new and old people as well as the lea Michelle quote (It made me giggle). The podcast was so cute, he knew so much about her! The show after the podcast! Brunch and the way that this author explains feelings and love is everything to me. I need to read more of her books. Wow he's down bad, I wish we could get his pov! A real date? He's bi? He took her for coffee and explained what happened. His sister died?!? The filming of this video and William is DISGUSTING! Couples therapy?!? Woah that was heavy. She kisses him and obviously more. Wow rylie! A mistake? Woah she just left him and did a walk of shame after he went to the bathroom, so fucked up but it is a fucked up situation as a whole. It being posted on social media and him quick to come over with food and tell her that he likes her. The Mac and cheese. They kissed again. They are everything, I love them together! That message from her boss, yuck. Feet lmao what? They give me vibes like me and my husband do, playing with each other and joking but always having fun and loving each other. They are bf and gf finally!! Her ray and aida talking and her bosses coming in to confront her when rylie is right behind them and then him coming up and basically being sidelined for Eva standing up for herself, wow! The event and the food! An auction? Not the monster mash line actually working lmao. Wtf is this meeting even. Fired?!?! Woah wtf people are so insane for posting that. Her literally trying to break up because of this crazy mess and him just being like no. Aida is there and someone at sound bites leaked it? I vote for one of the bosses to have done it! William did it? Aida is quitting as well, wow! The article wow I'm glad she got the media she deserved and I hope it works out for her. I'm so happy they got together, I love it. Such a great book!

Quotes: "I always expected my career would revolve less around weiners than it does."

"Stop being so charming or I might fall in love with you"

I rated it out five of five stars!

I was kindly provided with the arc of this book by NetGalley and the editors in exchange of an honest review, thank you ✨

4⭐️

This book was so cute, and I really enjoyed all the plot points being how women has to deal with misogyny and sexism in work environments, and also we have to deal with people criticizing all the choices we make not only at work but also in private lives, it was very well written and I really liked how Eva took control of the situation she was dealing with, she’s a boss ✨🛐 and of course I loved Rylie, he was so damn cute and supportive with Eva and also he was determinate to win her over again and make things right with her ✨