First my eyes, and now my ears have been blessed with the audiobook ALC. I don't know what I did in a previous life to deserve this, but thank you, past me (and, more appropriately, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio), for the absolute privilege.

Eva Kitt spends her days scarfing hotdogs on camera while interviewing pseudo-celebrities, and her nights moonlighting as a blogger and aspiring hard-hitting journalist. The days? Rough. Feeling particularly feisty (and a little inebriated) one night, she posts a scathing video calling out her college “ex,” Rylie Cooper--a now-popular podcaster--for his deplorable college behavior. The video goes viral, and suddenly Eva is forced to confront her ex, her past, her stagnating career, and a hearty dose of sexism and nepotism along the way.

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.

Ariela Crow nails this narration. Her tone is EVERYTHING, perfectly embodying Eva's strength and insecurity. The sass literally slapped me in the face.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Mazey Eddings for the absolute privilege of receiving this ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Mazey Edding's book and the cover literally couldn't be a more spot on of the characters! The cover is originally what pulled me in and I'm so happy it lived up to it. I was fortunate enough to get a print and audio arc of this so I did a tandem read and it was easily top 3 audiobook narrations for me (which is impressive given how much I read/listen to). Mazey's writing and banter is top notch, but also the narrator's personality totally brought it to life! Now as far as the actual book, I hadn't expected this to be such an emotional read but it was worth the tears to read Eva's growth and of course Rylie's unwavering swoon worthy personality. Their personalities shine through so much - I laughed and cried so much, they're perfectly flawed and real.

Eddings’s romcom follows 27-year-old aspiring journalist Eva publicly dating a man she was romantically involved with in college. Rylie seems to have traded his jock and frat days for podcasting about fighting toxic masculinity. The two haven’t kept in touch since he de facto ghosts her, but in a weak and unsober moment, she accidentally calls Rylie out for his toxicity back in college. Her media company capitalizes on the attention she garners and sets up a live-air date. On their date, Rylie asks for a second chance in a series of six dates. After each date, the two debrief their time on his podcast. Between dates one and three, Eva’s feelings for Rylie rekindle, and she lets down her guard to truly give him the second chance he wanted.

The concept of the novel and the initial execution intrigued me. I appreciated the complex characters and the general representation. Eva’s unrelenting sarcasm and the heavy content around social media promotion ultimately leaned too contemporary for my preferences. I ended up skipping through the last third of the book pretty quickly.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC. I shared this review on GoodReads on July 21, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7759715699).

This witty and charming contemporary romance serves up the perfect blend of rivalry, nostalgia, and sizzling fake-dating tension. The story follows two main characters—former college “sweethearts” turned rival podcast hosts—who haven’t spoken in years since their messy breakup. But when Eva makes a drunken post about Rylie that accidentally goes viral, the two are forced into a series of fake dates for cross-promotion causing sparks to start flying again…and not just the argumentative kind.

What starts as a PR stunt quickly becomes complicated as old feelings resurface. Their chemistry is undeniable, whether they’re debating live on air or navigating awkward “candid” date moments for their listeners. The banter is sharp, the emotional tension is palpable, and the slow-burn second chance romance will leave you grinning.

Perfect for fans of “enemies”-to-lovers, second chances, and media-centered love stories, this book delivers heart, humor, and just the right amount of angst. You’ll find yourself rooting for these two to stop faking it—and finally admit what’s been real all along. If you like the famous internet shows, Chicken Shop Date and Hot Ones, this book is for you!

This book was such a delight—truly one of those hidden gems I just want to shove into everyone’s hands. It gave me major Book Lovers by Emily Henry vibes (which, let’s be real, is the highest compliment I can give). I love a sharp, snarky FMC who doesn’t have to soften or play nice to be lovable, and Eva nails that. She’s smart, driven, a little emotionally guarded, and just petty enough to keep things interesting—and I adored her for it.

And then there’s Rylie. Sweet, soft, patient Rylie. My actual dream man in fictional form. He’s the perfect foil to Eva’s bite—gentle in all the right ways but never boring. Every scene with him had me full-on swooning.

Were there moments I wanted to shake Eva? Absolutely. But honestly, that just made the story feel more real. She’s complicated and stubborn, and watching her slowly open up was so satisfying. The chemistry? Off the charts. The banter? A+. The secondhand embarrassment? Painfully delicious.

This one was the perfect mix of heart, heat, and humor. If you’re a fan of fierce girls with walls up and the soft boys who patiently climb them, add this to your TBR immediately.

This was surprisingly good. I went in with no expectations. I love, love the banter. A Plus. The characters had great chemistry and I laughed out loud at several moments. The narrator was incredible.

This book was an absolute delight—truly a gem! It gave me serious Book Lovers by Emily Henry vibes, which is high praise in my world. I adore a love story featuring an icy, snarky female main character, especially when she’s unapologetically herself and not expected to soften or change. Eva is the perfect example: smart, hard-working, driven, and carrying just enough of a chip on her shoulder to make things interesting.

And then there’s Rylie. Oh, sweet, sweet Rylie—what a dreamboat! I’m a sucker for a soft boy, and he’s the epitome of one. He’s kind, patient, and the perfect counterbalance to Eva’s sharp edges. Honestly, every scene with him just made my heart melt.

There were definitely moments when I wanted to reach into the pages and shake Eva, but that’s part of what made the story so enjoyable. She’s complex, flawed, and stubborn—just as she should be. The chemistry between Eva and Rylie was sizzling, the humor had me grinning ear to ear, and the second-hand embarrassment? Totally worth it for the payoff.

This book was the perfect blend of sharp wit, heartfelt romance, and laugh-out-loud moments. I can’t recommend it enough! If you love a story with a fiery FMC and a lovable soft boy, this one’s a must-read.

“Well, Actually” was a sharp and emotionally honest rom-com with crackling banter and surprising depth. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Eva and Rylie, and I appreciated how the story explored mental health and toxic masculinity in a way that felt both thoughtful and genuine. That said, Eva’s constant sarcasm made her a little hard to warm up to at times, and a few moments in the story felt a bit repetitive. I also would’ve liked to see more depth in the supporting cast, especially her coworkers. Still, it was a fun, modern romance with something to say.

The narrator, Ariela Crow, had a nice voice, but her delivery felt a bit flat. It didn’t have much emotion, which made some of the humor and deeper moments fall a little short. While her narration style didn’t quite work for me, I still really enjoyed the story overall.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for an advance audiobook in exchange for my review.

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!