I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was unique, original and clever. The banter and wit were endlessly entertaining and made me wish I could be that quick witted in real life.

I loved how deep and heavier topics were handled with care. The book was lighthearted while also being impactful.

The audiobook narrator was also super well done.

Thank you for the ARC netgalley!

I’m so sad but I decided to DNF this book at 43%. It was hilarious and I liked the idea of it, but I really struggled with the FMC. Although she was supposed to come off as a sarcastic black cat, I found her to be incredibly mean, judgmental, and undeserving of the MMC’s affections. She continues holding his past against him although he has taken large and obvious strides to change. I know so many people loved this one, but I couldn’t handle reading about the FMC until the end. Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy.

Eva goes viral when she criticizes her social media famous ex on TikTok. She, and Riley Cooper, have to do damage control by working together first on her interview show and then by going on dates and discussing them on Riley's podcast. But Riley doesn't seem to care how rude Eva is and something begins to grow between them again.

I loved the chemistry between Evan and Riley. I did think it took Eva way too long to figure out her job was terrible and using her.

I have enjoyed Mazey Eddings books and Well, Actually is hysterical. Eva Kitt is the hostess of a Sausage Talk where she interviews "celebrities". Rylie Cooper has a podcast addressing toxic masculinity...only that's not the Rylie Eva knew in college. One night after a few too many drinks she let's the word know what she thinks of Rylie in a video that goes viral. Now, they have to work together to overcome this PR nightmare.

Some things I liked in this book::
the black cat/golden retriever dynamics and banter
the humor and banter...this book is funny
Rylie open to discussing how therapy has changed his perspective and his attempts to make amends

Things I didn't love:
It took me a bit to enjoy Eva's character
I thought the attention to detail of Rylie's ironic clothing choices was overdone
How Eva bounced back and forth between using Rylie and Cooper as his name

My favorite: the subtle way characters from other Mazey Eddings books were woven into the story. It was great to see some old favorites again!

Overall rating: 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complementary advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own.

I could really summarize my feelings about this book with just a few words, RYLIE FREAKING COOPER THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!! But in all seriousness, I love everything Mazey writes and every time I think there's no way I'll love the next one more and yet I just might have this time. At first I wasn't sure how to feel about Eva but the more I got to know her through the book, the more I understood her and saw pieces of myself in her. Seeing her grow through the story but knowing at the end that she didn't have to be perfect to be loved was a great reminder. The cameos from past characters were so exciting and made me smile! Another 5 star favorite for sure!

🌭 Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings 🌭

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

💭 Thoughts:
I read and listened to this one and enjoyed it both on my kindle and as an audiobook. Mazey’s writing is hilarious, spicy, and fun! It always hits! I loved the banter and tension in this book and how the relationship developed. With that said, I was laughing at the beginning then the plot got lost in all the spice in my opinion. And the third act break up 🥲 Despite those points, I still enjoyed this one, and I definitely recommend all of Mazey’s book, especially Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Net Galley, and Mazey Eddings for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was such a fun read!!! Eva & Rylie have the kind of chemistry, good and bad, that jumps off the page. This would make a great movie!!!

The only aspect of the book that gives me pause is the sex. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against sex on the page, or in real life. BUT, the author went HEAVY on the sex for so long that it felt like that's all we'd get for the rest of the book. Thank goodness the sex didn't start until over halfway through the story, or I might have given up on it.

Luckily, there was, IS, more to the story.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

She did it again, friends. Mazey Eddings wrote *yet another* romance that I absolutely love! And will absolutely be re-reading when I need a pick-me-up.

Eva does what so many of us want to do - she publicly calls out her college ex, who ghosted her.

Except she didn’t think that many people would see it, and the video goes viral.

Meanwhile, it impacts Eva’s career (she hosts Sausage Talk), and her ex, Rylie’s — whose success on social media centers around being a good partner and discussing toxic masculinity (in a feminist way).

Thankfully, instead of sueing her, Rylie wants to take Eva on dates to make up for hurting her.

Prickly Eva agrees — not that she’s taking his earnest attempts to woo her seriously.

We have reverse grumpy-sunshine, a groveling man who falls first (this time around), amazing discussion on toxic masculinity, and truly epic spice.

I mean, the spice!!

Plus, Rylie wears slutty little glasses and calls Eva Kitten. I’m dead!

This may be my all-time favorite second-chance romance.

Read for dry humor, a man you can’t not love, and Eva, who gives him so much hell! (I adore her.)

Not to mention, the LGBTQ+ rep is impeccable.

Reading this will make your week, guaranteed.

I give her my highest possible recommedation!

Well, Actually was an absolutely fabulous read that left me laughing out loud and flying though to the end to see what happens to Rylie and Eva. The chemistry between Rylie and Eva is unmatched and the supporting characters were nicely weaved into the story. I have not read a book through the prospective of an influencer who has the platform that Eva and Rylie do. The journey these two characters take together is one that will stay in your heart and mind long after you finishing reading the book. I am looking forward to reading more of Eddings work!!

THANK YOU MACMILLAN & ST. MARTIN FOR THE ALC AND ARC!

Well, Actually is such a delightful book, holy crap!

Rylie is SOOOOO into Eva and I am obsessed. A guy totally head-over-heels for a girl who warms up to him? She’s so mean and he’s like, “lol I kinda like that”? I am screaming, I am unwell. This is by far my favorite Mazey book TO DATE.

Eva after a late night drunk rant ripping her ex apart, social media darling Rylie Copper, she is forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, where she eats crappy hot dogs and is stone cold mean to B-list celebs. When Rylie goes on the show, he offers Eva a deal - let him take her on a series of dates to prove he’s changed, and then debrief them on his channel. Eva refuses to play nice but agrees to advance her career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, she has to wonder, has the boy who broke her heart become the man who might heal it?

This book is full of banter, swoons, and that perfect slow burn I loved every second of it!

Enemies x Lovers
Golden Retriever x Black Cat
Wrok Place Romance
Second Chance (that actually works)

This one started out super strong! I really loved the banter between Eva and Rylie. I kind of struggled with the third act breakup though. Eva had such bad communication skills and it was almost like she didn’t even try. It was hard to empathize with her when she’s constantly in her own way! Rylie was really sweet and I loved watching his character progress throughout the story. I hated that his names was spelt as “Rylie” though haha. Overall I really loved watching this author and I would def recommend this one. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

I LOVED this. The terrible dates, hilarious banter and plot had me laughing out loud multiple times. Very well done!

Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings had such a unique and fun premise — a broken-hearted girl being forced to interact with her ex on a podcast. I loved the idea and the “chicken shop date” vibes, and there were definitely moments of witty banter that made me laugh.

That said, I struggled to connect with Eva. While I understood where some of her reactions came from, I found myself frustrated at how often she got in her own way. She wanted to project confidence and control, but her choices didn’t always match that energy, which made it hard for me to root for her. The dynamic with her ex also moved faster than I expected, which took away some of the tension I was hoping for.

Even though this one wasn’t quite for me, I can see how others might enjoy the banter and the podcast setup. Overall, it was a creative idea with some funny moments, but it just didn’t fully click for me.

Thank you Netgalley to the access of this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Well, Actually

This one had me laughing out loud almost immediately. Just a few minutes in, and I was already hooked. The audiobook narration is fantastic, with the intonation really bringing the FMC’s personality to life. The banter and workplace jabs were sharp, funny, and had me grinning nonstop. Their chemistry is undeniable, she’s fighting it hard, while he’s clearly enjoying himself, charming her at every turn.

As the story moved along, there were moments where the pacing slowed and the Eva’s stubbornness made things a bit harder to enjoy, but it also highlighted how much she was struggling with her own insecurities. That tug-of-war between resisting and giving in kept their dynamic tense and interesting.

Then came the turning point, right when I wondered how much longer she could hold out, the story shifted beautifully. Eva began to let her guard down and finally acknowledged the chemistry that had been there from the start. I loved how Rylie was consistently supportive of her, never pushing too hard, just patiently showing up until she was ready.

The ending was everything I hoped for, sweet, balanced, and so satisfying. Their coming together felt natural and well-earned, leaving me smiling as I turn the last pages.

If you’re looking for a she hates him, and he’s obsessed with the her look no further.

This was a fantastic read and listen. Fans of Chicken Shop Date will love this. It’s gives all the CSD vibes, with a great twist of second chance romance.

It was a fun read, and perfect for the beach!

I DNF’d this at 50%

I really wanted to like this one because I love me a grumpy trope, but Eva was just downright mean. There is a big difference between grumpy and mean and this book is a prime example of that. Eva’s bad attitude was a bit too much for me. She seemed mad at the whole world because of a failed college relationship. Being hurt is one thing, but holding an angry grudge for as long as she did was just weirdly unhealthy.

I honestly didn’t think much of Riley either. He was bending over backward for her as Eva continued to be down right awful to him, yet he stayed?? No man should have to put up with someone treating them like that for any reason. Any normal man would politely just walk away from all that nonsense and because he didn’t it was a huge turn off for me. I felt the DNF as early as 25% and I should have known better there was no coming back from that. I was trying to give it a chance because I liked the writing style and have enjoyed other books by this author, but this one was just a no go for me.

This could have been a great book if not for a very annoying main character who can't seem to get her shit together and then acts shocked when her actions have repercussions. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I was very frustrated while reading.

Things I liked: A bisexual male lead is still rare in romance novels so I appreciated the way Riley was so open about coming to terms with who he was. I also loved how Eddings made a point to show how men vs women are treated in online spaces. Specifically, the "mean tweet" section where everything Riley read was a thirst tweet and everything Eva read was mean and derogatory. The sex scenes are HOT and fit well into the overall story. No 3rd act breakup was refreshing and much needed in romance books.

Things I didn't like: Eva comes across as being a complete idiot sometimes. While the way her bosses treat her is in no way acceptable, she also crumbles at the first sign of problems, doesn't stand up for herself (or for the way she's being treated) and runs from her problems. She has the most important meeting of her career and doesn't think to prepare, AT ALL? She shouldn't be begging for job back that treats her like dirt. To be clear, I don't approve of the way her bosses treat her and toxic is too weak a word to describe that environment, but come on girl! Stand up for yourself, even a little bit.

i wasn’t the biggest fan of late bloomer but this book made up for it. great engaging story and character development. i would recommend this book

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. This book is full of swoon worthy prose and dialogue between the characters. It has chemistry that feels authentic and touches your soul. There were moments that were laugh out loud funny and moments that struck my emotional nerves. Really enjoyed this!

Oh, yes. A million percent yes. This is my brand of romcom. Have you ever wanted a book that encapsulates Andrew Garfield's Chicken Shop Date with Amelia? THIS is that book. Beautiful communication. Hilarious FMC. Amazing bi/pan representation. Chronically online in the best way. Sharp & witty. Made me giggle, had me sweating, made me tear up. Mazey’s voice is so strong and the premise was incredibly fun. I had an absolute fucking blast with this one. Highly recommend.