A second chance, enemies to lovers that takes place over two internet talk shows, count me in.

Eva and Rylie went on some dates in college that left a lot to be desired, 6 years later she called him out for it on the internet and she agrees to give him a second chance on both of their talk shows. How will it play out?

I think there is a lot of great about this book, Rylie is a great character, he will make you communicate no matter what and he’ll keep you safe.

Eva as a character is a little bit harder for me to swallow, I don’t know I just felt annoyed by her lack of communication and every time she should talk she just attacks Rylie with kisses.

I think that overall this book is fun, I like the idea of everything, I just wish that maybe there was a little more resolution with the podcast.

This was my first Mazey Eddings book but I am incredibly grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read this.

3.75✨
This was such a fun plot! It felt unique to me in the storyline, the characters & their personalities, and the progression of the whole series of events. We love a secure man who worked on growth to communicate his thoughts & feelings👏. I also loved seeing some growth in how our fmc learns to stand up for herself🫶🏼.

There were a couple parts of this that I didn’t enjoy and found those moments taking me out of story at several points. I’m super super sorry, but I didn’t love his nickname for her🙈. And while I love banter and grumpy (yet flirtatious) comments, I felt like she said several things to him that breached the line of just being mean. Maybe I can get over this in fantasy books where we are at war and kingdoms are in jeopardy, but I think I’m learning I don’t enjoy that in a contemporary romance.

I still had a good time and I’d recommend this book to anyone interested!

Another brilliant book from Mazey Eddings. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Eva and Rylie in this one - many laugh-out-loud moments to enjoy. Eva's meanness wasn't off-putting for me, because I think it felt so clear to me that it's a defense mechanism. I loved watching her learn how to trust and grow alongside Rylie. Overall, this was a cute and fluffy read that was precisely what I wanted to read and needed to read!

This was so fun! It was giving Andrew Garfield on that one show online called chicken shop something? It made me giggle a million times & I was swooning over our main characters, definitely recommend for a fun summer read!

3.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new-to-me author, but when I read the synopsis (not to mention the cover), I knew I wanted to check out this story.

It follows Eva Kitt, a black cat if there ever was one, who is the host of Sausage Talk, a show filmed in a basement where she rubs elbows with B-list celebrities if she’s lucky all while consuming copious amounts of hot dogs. It’s a far cry from where she wants to be, looking for assignments that are a bit more hard-hitting and can better showcase her journalistic capabilities. On the flip side, we have Rylie Cooper, the goldenest of golden retrievers, who has a widely successful podcast. He also shared a handful of dates and couple of minutes of “wham, bam, thank-you-ma’am” with Eva back in college. So what happened after copious amounts of alcohol and some scrolling on the internet late at night? Eva posts a video lambasting Cooper about his sub-par performance and his ultimate ghosting of her six years prior. She would’ve never guessed it would have gone viral, or that her employers would want to capitalize off of it by making her interview Rylie. Rylie has plans of his own, using this second chance to get redemption and right some wrongs. It doesn’t take all that long for things to go from just for show to playing for keeps.

For the most part, I enjoyed this. I know for some, Eva’s sometimes harsh demeanor will be off-putting, but as I read, I reminded myself to give her some grace. As she shared some of her upbringing, some of the issues that plague her and add to her insecurities, I found myself trying to look past her defense mechanisms in very much the same way that Rylie does. He almost relishes the abuse at times, which sometimes felt strange, but at his core, he seems very kind and understanding, so I got it. In this regard, they complemented each other well.

Rylie was just so sweet at times, it was almost like, is he for real? But him showing his vulnerable side in couples therapy and then afterward, big swoon. The way he had the capability to just shut Eva down without invalidating her feelings? Loved it.

I found their chemistry to be really great once they could cut through all the BS and stop the faking. And the spice? Ooh-wee. That was one area they were definitely not lacking in speaking the same language. He definitely got his redemption arc there.

Also, the secondary characters added a nice bit of color without overshadowing the protagonists. Loved how they had Eva’s back through all the toxic workplace nonsense.

All-in-all, though it took me some time to really get into the story, I liked seeing them reconnect.

This book is such a mix of delight, laughs and also introspection. It certainly started off interesting enough — viral video lands hot dog talk show host back with a reformed toxic ex who jilted her way back when — but what was really the heart of the book are the characters that Mazey brought to life.

Neither Eva nor Cooper profess to have been perfect, and both grappled with their own serious issues, and I thought this was where Mazey really succeeded. I cared more for the characters, saw myself more in Eva that I had cared to admit, felt the thaw towards the suspiciously charming Cooper, and, truly, hats off to the focus of communication on (re)building a relationship. And for the feral ones amongst us, Cooper is not shy with his praise either.

A second chance romance without putting me through the wringer but also leaving me wanting to wrap the couple up in a huge hug? Truly a devil and the baby girl pairing for the books.

Omfgosh, I absolutely loved this book. I was expecting to enjoy this book since I was in the mood for a romcom, and this did not disappoint. I loved the heart and humour woven together in this story. I fell in love with our main characters so much, they felt so real and relatable. Our main characters struggled with real life mental health issues that I felt were dealt with so much consideration. I think that a lot of romcoms can be repetitive with characters or story but this one felt really different. Both main characters had very unique personalities and problems that each worked through. It felt very relatable and healing in a way. I honestly can't wait to get a physical copy to reread for comfort in the future. I can't wait to recommend this one people.

Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Eva Kitt wants more in life; she feels stuck in her talk show that feels stagnant and with new management, she feels like she is going nowhere. After a drunk video message ends up going viral, she ends up crossing paths with her nemesis that haunts her; Rylie Cooper. Rylie has a successful vlog that Eva's company wants to crossover with. Eva now has to face her demons from her past head on.....but as she faces those demons, she may find what she needs is right in front of her.
I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good rom com with witty banter!

Not for me. DNF at 27%. I tried. I laughed a few times. Eva comes off as a snotty mean girl and it’s just too much. Maybe she settles and gets better, but I just can’t keep going. Maybe I’ll try again in the future.

This was an ARC from NetGalley.

This was a cute story. The banter between Cooper and Eva was good. The plot of them being in either the podcast or reporting world was funny and relatable to current times. The reading was fast paced and kept your interest.

I think Eva was a little mean. Black cat indeed. And the nicknames they used for each other fell flat for me. Cooper seemed a little aloof about hurting her feelings. By the end of the book I was not convinced these two should be together.

Have you every wished something like Chicken Shop Date was made into a witty, steamy, heartfelt rom-com book? Super specific but look no further!! When I first heard of the concept of this book and saw the cover, I knew I'd be reading it, and after receiving an ARC, it did not disappoint! We follow Eva and Rylie, who have tumultuous history from college, and reunite years later on Eva's show "Sausage Talk" where she delivers dry, uninterested jabs at her guests, Rylie Cooper being the newest victim. After their interview goes viral, Rylie proposes an idea: Take Eva on several dates to draw out this content for both of their online presence, but also so he can make things up to her. Eva is headstrong and work-oriented, and Rylie is hopelessly into her, regardless of her chilly exterior and instinct to push him away.

I loved getting to follow along in the growth that Eva's character experiences, and how Rylie sticks with her, even when she tries her hardest to push away. The writing in this book had me laughing out loud, and I thought the pop culture references were current and added a fun element to the book. This can sometimes take me out of a book, but I thought it was very complimentary to this story. This book is great if you love groveling, pining, he falls HARD, pop culture references, pet names, lovers to not lovers to friends to lovers, and a super headstrong/stubborn FMC with a patient MMC, this book is for you!

3.5 stars rounded up

This contemporary rom-com has lots of pop culture references, a viral video response to an ex, and behind the scenes video and podcast production.

I found it to be an average read. The banter was fun at times, even if Eva overplayed her snark towards the beginning. I enjoyed the dates that Riley set up for them and could have read more of them. I wanted to see more about how Riley went from the disappointment Eva experienced in college to the current version portrayed.

And slight spoiler here: Eva comes off as a character all about female empowerment but doesn’t stand up for herself at the workplace where she was making the company a ton of money? This disconnect made the ending fall a bit flat for me.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and, as a huge fan of Chicken Shop Date, I was ALL IN. If you are a fan of witty banter, emotionally mature MMCs, sassy side characters, and porcupine FMCs--prickly shell, soft center--then this is the book for you. I tore through these pages like a woman possessed.

The character growth....the banter....the slow burn...the banter...the pining...the banter...the green flags...THE BANTER.

As our girl would say: Eva, I want to be you when I grow up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the absolute privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!!

I loved this. I loved the flaws of the characters and the dynamic between them. The true struggles and growth felt authentic and natural. I do need to disclose that there were parts of this that would have made me cringe if it weren’t for the other tender, laugh out loud, gripping moments that held me to a 5 star rating. This book was not at all what I expected and, frankly, was so much more in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Sadly this book wasn’t quite for me. Our FMC, while made to be snarky, got on my nerves a lot. I found it hard to believe that Rylie and Eva liked each other enough to get back together and make it work. While Rylie was sweet and knew what to say to make himself seem romantic, it at times came off as fake & playboy-ish. It seemed that he was just saying a line because he thought that it would be swoony and not because he really felt that way. I wish I liked this story more but there was just too many things that were unbelieveable to me and a little too many social media references for this book to stay relevant.

I enjoyed the writing well enough that I would be open to reading another Mazey book because I think it was a me problem that I didn’t enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I often struggle with book that has “black cat” FMCs because I am someone who firmly thinks that writing more flawed female character is incredibly important, given that they are often time held to a much higher standard than male characters when it comes to snark, energy, likeability, etc. I see a lot of female characters criticized for actions or traits that are not even looked at twice when they come from a male character. When I saw the cover of this and saw a surely heroine paired with a man so egregiously down bad I was really hoping it was going to smash some stereotypes. I definitely see that the intention of this book was to break Eva and Riley out of these molds, but unfortunately the execution didn’t exactly hit for me.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book! Forced proximity meets workplace romance, and the banter was so FUN! The pacing was excellent and always kept the story moving along at a really good speed - fast enough to keep interest, slow enough to see the enemies slowly morph into lovers. I thought that Riley was an excellent foil for Eva’s character and I LOVE when romance authors let their MMCs be so openly down bad for their love interests.

I would also be aware that if you are not someone who likes to see real world slang or references in your books, this should probably be a hard pass. The premise is literally based on the internet “dating” show Chicken Shop Date and it’s pretty obvious that the characters are based on Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield. Fun, but not really enough to carry the story.

Generally speaking, LOVED the idea of this, just wasn’t super in love with the execution. I liked everything fine, but I think maybe set against a different background/plot these characters would have really shined! More complex FMCs and more big-lover boyfriends, please!

Thank you NetGally for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

PSA: guys please. Don’t go back to your exes.

Soooo, I DNFed this book. Why?

Well, this book started out well I think. It was fun at first. I loved how quick we got into the set up. The “big” build up to meeting Cooper (I can’t call him Riley) was also well done in my opinion. The intro to Eva was also good. The very initial pop culture references were tolerable.

Everything else was not it.

Remember how I said the set up was fast. Yeah, the author never took her foot off the pedal after that when it came to setting up their relationship.

Everything that happened at the 50% mark should’ve happened at the 75% mark. Just so we could have this extra 25 of their relationship better developed and the changes Cooper wanted to show her better seen. It moved fast at the beginning (which I always appreciate), but then it kept moving too fast and jumping over development I believe was necessary. Whether that be betweeen Eva and Cooper, Eva and her bosses, and Eva and her other friends. All her development outside of Cooper was just glazed over. I think her relationship with her family was also really worth exploring, but nope. Ignored for all the smiles she was trying not to show.

If I see the world smile or any variation of the phrases “surpressed a smile”, “bit my lip to hide a smile”, I will pull my hairs out. Could really be a drinking game.

Also, I love a good groveling man. There’s slim to no groveling whatsoever. I needed him to beg her for her trust. For him to not care as much about earning it at first because it was all a ploy, then fighting with his feelings that he likes her, only to start really feeling the impact of her anger towards him once he had accepted those feelings and wanted nothing more than for her to trust him. Admiring that her coldness affects him, is admitting that even after all these years he still likes her, but he knows she will never trust him and that eats him up inside. I wanted for them to try and give into each other, but always hold themselves back because she could not trust him. Despite it all, even when he “proved” he had changed, she keeps on waiting for the other shoe to drop. There was potential for a good will they won’t they scenario because trust is such a valuable part of a relationship and no matter how much you love each other, without it, relationships wouldn’t work. So the reader would be questioning if she could ever forgive him. Despite his reasons(which I understand but don’t excuse), he still had broken her and it takes a lot more than fancy dates and pretty words to change her mind.

Alas, she was not cold enough. Almost from the beginning she had already fallen for him again and was just “fighting smiles” and nothing more EVERY SCENE THEY WERE TOGETHER and he was already in love with her. I wanted to see more of their dates before they realized they both had feelings for each other still, more of their podcasts and more of the public engagement. Maybe little excerpts of comment sections and news articles and other comments in between chapters would’ve been cool.

Maybe there was groveling and I didn’t feel it because she was obsessing about him from the jump.

Once I sensed where the story was going I lost all interest. Some scenes were either or boring. Brunch was a huge no. I wanted to get out of there so fast. And the 50% scene had potential but it ended up being a still and uninteresting scene.

I get that he was struggling, but that does not excuse anyone from treating others like shit because of it. It felt like he was trying to absolve himself of what he did just because he was suffering too. It’s like yeah, I bullied you in high school because my parents are mean to me. Okay, that does not undo what you did.

It was funny at times, but not all the time.
The pop culture was fine at first (and it makes sense for her job that she throws those in), but they got very old very quick because they were so overdone. And, a lot of them were not used in the correct context. (Another bad example of millennials trying to write Gen Z “lingo.”). And then the references just kind of disappeared all together. It’s not that I’m mad about it, but obviously because of her job she throws in a lot of these references in her day to day and suddenly they just stop when it doesn’t serve the story anymore.

In conclusion, the story started out fun, entertaining, full of drama and funny. But things got pretty old really quick and the build up from she hates him to she likes him again was too fast it was barely existent. The thing that sets the story in motion, the dates, were also uninteresting and up to the 66% mark barely there. So, it’s a no for moi.

I really really wanted to like this book but I don’t think it’s for me. This is the third book by this author that I’ve tried and all three I’ve had to DNF. I think it’s something with the characters, I can’t seem to connect to them like I normally do while reading a romance book. I do love Mazey Eddings writing style, I’d be curious to try other books by her in the future. Despite having to DNF this book I do love the cover for Well, Actually and would recommend it to other readers.

3.5/5 ⭐️

“The way he kisses me like he’ll consume me. The whimper of need like I hope he will.”

I hope you’re in the mood for a fun and quirky read, because that’s what this is. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but even though it was a little odd, I had fun with this one!

Eva and Rylie had a lot of good banter, some laugh out loud moments and a real battle of stubbornness. Eva is a little of a tough exterior and kind of mean, but I ate it up. I love an undeterred man.

A few parts had me cringing a little (eating hotdogs, Rylie being douchey, KITTEN), but it kind of added to the charm of the characters.

Edit: I was trying to think of what the concept reminded me of and I saw someone say Andrew Garfield on Chicken Shop Date and YES! That’s it! I’ve never actually seen an episode, but I saw those clips go viral.

Top quotes:

“You can’t even raw-dog vision so I’m not particularly eager to take life advice from you.”

“I have never seen a more homoerotic gathering of men than at your frat house and I’ve been attending NYC Pride for nearly a decade.”

“Does my hair look cute or do I look like a yappy little Shih Tzu?”

4.5 stars

this was my first mazey eddings novel, and it won't be my last. well, actually is an ode to the chicken shop date, except with hotdogs? with that being said, there isn't an overtness to pop culture references (thank god).

character-wise, this is where readers are divided. some detest eva (FMC) because of her crass rudeness and unrelenting hate towards rylie. if you're someone who hates reading sally rooney-esque problematic, fault-ridden characters who are more red than green flags but appreciate the lore behind why and how these "red" flags came to be, then this book is not for you. i've read books where the characters are red flags for absolutely no reason — they do a bad thing, they are forgiven, and it's over. eva is nothing like that. she's unlikeable for a good reason, and mazey does an excellent job at developing her backstory (abandonment throughout her childhood, starting with how her parents treated her), and it gives a pretty solid reason as to why she's so vitriolic towards rylie. is it rational? absolutely not! is it frustrating? 100%. but isn't that what the human experience is? understanding that people with deeply traumatized pasts grow up becoming shells of themselves due to the pain they've carried throughout the years? the best way i've found going about this character is understanding that getting closure isn't an easy process. when eva gets her closure regarding her situationship with rylie from years ago, she still has to go through stages of binding what she's known about her self worth and how everyone eventually abandons her in the end, with a new constant, rylie, who is trying his best to show eva that he's changed. and sure, we as readers can clearly see that he is a much different person from when he was in college, but when you actually put yourself into eva's shoes, you are clouded by layers and layers of resentment and heartbreak — these layers don't dissolve upon truth. they have to be physically broken down through therapy, communication, and time.

some eva quotes that will provide more context as to why she is the way that she is:

“But why?” I push, unable to leave well enough alone. “Why was that the choice you made? Why did you make me like you? Why did you chase me, if you knew how it would end?” Why was I so easy to leave? What is it about me that’s so simple to forget?


It isn’t easy to learn about someone else’s pain, then have to explain your own. It can feel like the trauma Olympics and everyone loses. But life doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither do our actions, even if they result from our personal experiences. It’s okay to acknowledge that Rylie was going through a tremendous loss and grieving process and offer him grace. But it also doesn’t do you any good to swallow your feelings altogether.


I’m sick of having to choke down my feelings, fend for myself. I’m sick of stepping into glass armor every day, waiting for whatever stones people on the internet chuck my way, whatever fractures the powers that be at my job chisel onto my surface. I’m sick of having to scrape my way to aloofness just so I’m not a nuisance to my friends. My family.


I deserve softness, goddammit. I deserve tender moments and gentle caresses and whispered sweet nothings. I deserve someone, somewhere, wanting to like me for me and not the hardened veneer I gloss my vulnerability with.


as for rylie, everyone loves rylie. how could you not? a once fuckboy turned feminist. he's everything you could ask for in a man — communicates clearly with intention, genuinely caring, and endearing. you will fall in love with him throughout his attempts to woo eva. plus, he's in therapy — the dialogue during the couples therapy session is nearly identical to what my own therapist would say. i wouldn't be surprised if mazey took the time to have these parts reviewed by a certified therapist, because i felt like i was going through another session in between these pages.

favorite rylie quotes that deserve permanent residence in the fictional green flag men hall of fame:

“You met me at my worst, Eva,” he reiterates, keeping a hold of my hand even though my grip has gone slack, palm sweating. “I was dumb and devastated and I can’t take it back but I want to give you the context as to why. You didn’t deserve my mess, but I gave it to you anyway.”


“I’d call you, Eva,” he says, giving me a tiny shake. “I’d tell you I liked you. I’d tell you I was a mess and ask you to be patient while I sort it out. But I can’t. I’m not that guy and you aren’t that girl anymore and I can’t unhurt your feelings or push myself out of my own way. But right now? I’m trying, Eva. I’m fucking trying. Can you at least meet me halfway?”


“So I’m here,” he says slowly, keeping his eyes locked on mine, “to check on you. I’m here, despite being fucking furious at you for leaving like you did last night, because I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you’re okay. And if you’re not, I wanted to see what I could do to make things better.”


“Eva, I’m an idiot with an alarmingly large ironic crewneck collection and a denim comforter. There is literally nothing you could say that would drop you down to my league. I want you contrarian and difficult and keeping me on my toes. I want your sour moods just as much as I want your sunny ones. I’m not asking you to change. You can call me any name you want, as long as I can call you mine.”


all in all, this book felt so genuinely raw from eva and rylie's perspective. this is the story of two people with their own demons, hurt at one point in their lives to find each other years later.