This book was hilarious, relatable, and such a fun read. The characters felt like people you know and love, and it felt immersive like you just dropped into their day. Seriously top shelf. I can’t wait for everyone to read it so we can joke about the “monster mash”.

Eva Kitt, an aspiring journalist currently interviewing B-list celebrities while eating hot dogs feels like her career is a joke, When she drunkenly posts a tiktok where she rambles about her now famous ex go viral, her life blows up in ways she never imagined. Mazzy Eddings gave us a witty yet heartfelt romance filled with so many laugh out loud moments. Eva is a sharp and sarcastic black cat character and sparks fly with our golden retriever, eager-to-please mmc, Rylie. Their chemistry just flys off the page and their hilarious banter kept this book so engaging. After Eva's video goes viral and she hosts Rylie on her show, he proposes a series of dates to prove to her that she's changed and find redemption for their failed relationship six years ago. The moments of deep vulnerability made this book feel so much more authentic but the humor was what kept it going for me. This was a very fun and flirty read--easily digestible and perfect for fans of low-stakes rom coms with hilarious banter and genuine characters. While some of the social media aspects and pop culture references could feel a little cheesy, it didn't take away from the buzz of the book for me. I gave it 3.75 stars, rounded to four for its humor and charm. Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Mazzy Eddings for allowing me to review such an enjoyable book.

I was drawn in by the idea of a book with a Chicken Shop Date premise, of course! Overall, this was a cute, quick, enemies-to-lovers read, but it didn't leave a strong impression. The pacing as well as the layering and development of the plot fell a bit flat for me -- most of the storylines just felt a bit underbaked. Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really liked the banter between the main characters. Wasn't the biggest fan of the heroine, but actually really liked the hero. It was hard at times to root for the heroine but was overall happy with the ending!

grateful to receive an ARC! this was my first mazey eddings book! i loved eva, she was funny and relatable and this book had me swinging my feet giggling. wish there was a little more from the epilogue but overall it was a fun and cute read

This was such a fun and easy read! It was inclusive and real. The story wasn’t all fluff and love right away, they had to work for it! Just like any of us, they had to work on it by communicating and talking through their own hurdles. It was a refreshing book full of truth.

I liked the concept of this book. I think had a good story line. I think the characters bothered me a little and found myself getting frustrated that they couldn't just communicate or have digs at each other. Because of that, I wasn't rooting as much for the couple as I wanted/ usually do. I felt like also the romance was like hate to love a little too abruptly and could have been more of the in-between. All in all, still an enjoyable read!

Such a good ride. Eva and Rylie were a hoot!

This is a second chance romance between a "black cat/golden retriever" duo with fantastic banter, serious chemistry, surprisingly heartfelt moments and lots of LOL kick your feet moments.

Eva is sassy, sarcastic and desires a better hold on her future. She can be harsh but it is a shield since she has never really felt loved.
Rylie is desperate to show Eva he has changed since college and is adorably charming in the process.

This is my first Mazey Eddings book and I really had the best time. Now on to dig into the rest of her catalog.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was okay. It was a hard one for me to get into. Its a quick read, but at the same time, the ending was so rushed after everything else, and that was disappointing. There were some moments that made me laugh, but overall, it fell short for me.

Eva was really difficult for me to like. I understand that her rudeness is a front, and all of that, but some of the way she spoke to the MMC was not okay with me, especially since we are meant to root for the two of them. It is a romance after all.

I think this would be fine for some people, but it fell flat for me and was a miss.

I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped I would - Late Bloomer blew me away, and this one didn’t hit the mark. I didn’t like that the main character was nicknamed Kitten, it was overtly sexual and uncomfortable in nature. I don’t love a miscommunication trope and I feel like these characters just needed to talk it out more.

DNF @ 25% I just could not get into this book. I disliked the FMC so much I couldn't go one. I didn't like how she treated the MMC; very immature.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved everything about this book!!
Character development was amazing and felt so real
The sex scenes were 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Read in a one day on a perfect lazy Sunday at home!

Absolute 5/5 stars. Black cat x golden retriever, brown haired glasses bf will do it for me every time! The writing felt accurate and the portrayal of social media and the internet felt up to date. The FMC was so relatable and I completely understood her attitude and personality, and why she treated certain situations the way she did (she's just like me fr). But I also enjoyed the MMC arch and his storyline, as well as their path together. Super spicy towards the end and very enjoyable read. Loved!!

I'm a sucker for a black cat x golden retriever read.
Look, I loved Eva most of all. I know she isn't for everyone but I loved her, okay. Her bitchiness is just a front and the girl just wants to be loved. She's built walls up and I get it. It's one she was in my head.

Well, Actually seems rather relatable with the social media work aspect. It highlights a lot of truths regarding the social media but also nepotism.
Eva and Rylie's banter was topnotch though.

I don't want to say too much but the side was spicing and the banter was top tier. I didn't love this one was but it was a fun read. It took me a bit to get into the storyline but when I did, I was kicking my feet.

From the blurb, Well, Actually sounds like it's going to be such a fun read. I've heard great things about Mazey Eddings books.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Expected publication August 5, 2025

4 ⭐️ Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin Paperback and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book literally made me laugh out loud. It was overall cute and funny while also adding the right amount of depth. I found the first 75% of the book so entertaining with all the back and forth banter between Eva and Rylie but the ending felt super rushed.

I do think the book is really relatable when it comes to main stream social media and how that affects all of our lives. I also really enjoyed that the author brought up therapy and really tried to dig deep into the why behind our actions. If you’re looking for a funny rom-com I would highly suggest this book!

I look forward to what this author has in store for the future!

Honestly, I’ve said it 100 times and I’ll say it again. There’s absolutely nothing Mazey Eddings could write that I would not read.

This book was so much fun. Eva Kitt is drunk and posts a ridiculous TikTok about a guy she hooked up with once excepting no one to see it, when the next morning she wakes up and her whole life changes.

Now Eva must not only meet with her ex but she’s also got to work with him.

This Second chance romance is so fun and heartwarming I honestly could not put it down

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


3.5 Stars overall, a solid 4 stars for the first 50% or so. The concept was fun, a take on second chance romance and Chicken Shop Date-inspired social media shows. The banter was great and we love a guy that can handle a sassy woman and give it right back. Baby Girl did not disappoint. I do feel that the plot got a little muddled when we strayed away from their agreed upon dates and debriefing on Riley's podcast. So much so that it felt like the premise of the book shifted halfway through. Additionally, I was getting whiplash from Eva and I didn't quite believe how quickly she could go from contentment to panic and avoidance just to circle back to love with one thought.

Overall, this was a quick and cute read. I loved the banter between the main characters and every side character was entertaining and real, though I wish we got more of Aida and Ray to solidify their friendship with Eva.

Sometimes we create a narrative in our head about how things happened. We create people to be villains without fully knowing the battles they are facing.

Eva and Rylie were seeing each other years ago, only for Rylie to ghost her after their first time together, leaving Eva to deal with the consequences of the fallout. Now years later Eva is hosting a small time interview show eating hotdogs with C and D list celebrities. While Rylie has created a platform educating men on toxic masculinity. One drunken night Eva makes a video, which ends up going viral, forcing them back into each other’s world, and Rylie isn’t letting Eva go this time around.

Eva our FMC is guarded, strong, independent and incredibly hardworking. Her life has not been easy. Though she grew up with a decent family it was not one that was full of love and rather she felt like the ones falling through the cracks. After her relationship with Rylie she refused to let herself fall in the way that she had for him. She remained guarded never allowing herself to fully let others in. When he makes his way back into her life she is forced to face the hurt and pain she refused to deal with all those years ago. However, watching her work through her past and be vulnerable with him was amazing and real.

Rylie our MMC is sunshine, love, strong and hardworking. He has gone through more in his life than he lets others see. When he was with Eva he knew she deserved better than he was able to give her and went about everything the wrong way. He lived with regret and knew that he needed to make things right. Watching him open up to Eva and be honest with her about the past and what lead to their fallout was heartbreaking but amazing. Seeing him own parts of himself that he kept hidden for so long was everything.

These two needed each other in ways that neither of them fully understood. Their relationship though messy, felt honest and real. It wasn’t just a one step fix but took time and energy to make it work. They were meant to be even though it took time to bring them back together.

Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. She hit it out of the park again with this quirky, endearing romance. I loved that we had a quantifiable "unlikable" heroine, and that she was largely unlikable because of all of the things we tend to find in toxic men. I liked that she took that trope and wielded it into someone who was redeemable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Mazey Eddings book and I'll definitely be reading more. Eva comes off as an unlikeable FMC but I related so much to her backstory and she's hilarious. And Rylie is just... well... baby girl. The character growth, the banter, the LGBTQ+ rep. All so great.