4.5 ⭐️

wow this narrator was FABULOUS!!! she truly brought these two fools to life in the best way! i can’t stop GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET!

i already KNOW everyone and their mama is going to hate eva. she stood for angry girl rights and we only want nice, palatable women in our romances 😃 it was also very clearly inspired by amelia’s chicken shop dates iykyk. and yet, being in her head you completely understand where her guardedness comes from, including why she’s so untrusting of cooper (while also being laugh out loud funny with a touch of unputdownable-ness for pizazz!)

COOPER on the other hand was a fucking delight 😫 I NEED THIS KID WITH AN UNRIVALED PASSION i swear to everything holy y’all. greenest of green flags. mouth of a sailor starring in a porno vibes 🙂‍↕️ (the smut literally goes so hard, it is *actually* panty-melting) he is the most supportive, persistent, loving, emotional available kids out there and he’s absolutely perfect for her. this is why i read romance. mazey eddings, you continue to raise the bar!

It took me a bit to warm up to Eva, with her strong black cat personality but all the bite masks a vulnerable woman who's never felt like she was enough to be loved for who she was, making her DEEPLY relatable. When a video she posts lambasting her semi-famous podcaster ex, Riley, goes viral, her boss practically forces her to capitalize on her ten minutes of fame for clicks to drive traffic to the online site she works for.

What follows is a fun, emotional, second chance romance that has Eva and Riley going on six dates and rehashing them on his podcast but things get messy when the two give in to the very real chemistry that still lingers between them. I loved that Riley wouldn't let Eva run away from her feelings!! One of their dates even involves seeing a therapist together and unpacking the unresolved feelings from their breakup when Riley ghosted her in college.

This was also full of spicy open door scenes, had two fully dimensional queer MCs (Eva's pan, Riley's bi), included a fun cameo where Eva does an interview with Lizzie from a past book and saw Eva standing up for herself against workplace bullying and harassment. Highly recommended for fans of books like Truly madly deeply by Alexandra Bellefleur. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!