Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is the second book in A Brush with Love series, but it can be read as a standalone story. Lizzie has serious ADHD and her parents have never understood her. They are disappointed with everything she has done and don't hesitate to let her know it. Lizzie is not into a serious relationship, but she has not problems finding male companionship. She meets Rake, a sexy Australian, in a bar and they have a one night stand, okay, two nights, but then he heads home. Unfortunately, he leaves behind a pregnant Lizzie. Lizzie wants him to know she is pregnant and intends on having the child, so he picks up his life, transfers to a job in the US and plans to co-parent the child. They end up living together in an apartment, and the heat and sizzle pick up even more.

This book had my emotions all over the place. I was not always happy with Lizzie's decisions, but she didn't deserve to be treated the way her parents treated her. She was very down on herself at times, although she also loved her life, her job and her decision to have her child. There were several poignant moments between Lizzie and Rake when they shared secrets and situations in their life that they had not shared with others. I loved seeing Lizzie's brother finally come to terms with his own relationship with Lizzie. Along with those moments there are also a lot of laughs, some great banter and a lot of talk of and action that were very explicit. It definitely had my face turning red and I skimmed those. Being a retired educator, I saw people with varying degrees of ADHD and I felt that Lizzie was portrayed in a realistic way. Those with ADHD have it for life, so seeing her portrayed as an adult is something that is not common in my reading. I also liked that she was successful in her life, she had a job she loved and was good at it, also something very important and relatable. Overall, this is a fun, contemporary romance that deals with mental health, family relationships, parental expectations, unplanned pregnancy, taking responsibility, romance and a lot of steam.

Although I really enjoyed Miazey Eddings' debut, this book did not work well for me. Rake's character was so underbaked that by the time we got to his backstory involving an evil ex who gave him issues by getting an abortion, I was pretty mad. Trying to have the characters position themselves as pro-life and working out of such an old playbook does not jive for me. I'm glad for readers with ADHD who can see themselves represented in Lizzie, but I'm sad how this one turned out for me.

I adored Mazey Eddings debut novel A Brush with Love so when I heard that Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was coming out, I couldn’t resist requesting it for review. Lizzie was a fun secondary character in A Brush with Love so I was excited to learn more about her.

When we first meet Lizzie, her life comes across as a chaotic mess. She’s chronically late for her job at a local bakery and once she finally gets there, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether she’ll make it through the day without setting the kitchen on fire. What she lacks in organization, however, she makes up for with her big heart. Lizzie has this bubbly personality and you can’t help but fall in love with her. I adored her from the moment we meet her and I also felt tremendous sympathy for her when she is fired from her job, because it’s clear that her daily struggles are due to ADHD and that she is working to try to control it. The ADHD representation, particularly those day-to-day struggles Lizzie experiences, also felt very realistic and I appreciated how well written it was. My sympathy and love for Lizzie only continued to grow as we learn that her family has never given her the support she needs and that this has led to her feeling that no one will ever love her because she’s just too chaotic and over the top.

Along comes Rake, the sexy Australian businessman Lizzie meets one night at a bar. Lizzie is only looking for a one-night stand but can’t deny that she’s attracted to Rake. Rake, who has also been burned in the love department, is only looking for a good time as well before he heads back to Australia, although he freely admits that he is captivated by Lizzie’s bubbly personality and everything about the way she sees the world around her. Their one night stand turns into two nights, and then thanks to an expired condom, soon after Rake leaves the country, Lizzie realizes she is pregnant. Rake is an easy character to love anyway, but my heart fully melted when Lizzie tells him about the pregnancy and he uproots his entire life to move to America and be a part of this baby’s life and help Lizzie in any way he can. Neither of them wants a relationship but they agree to live together so that they can co-parent.

I just loved everything about Lizzie and Rake together. Their attempts to keep things platonic were amusing, particularly when a popped air mattress awkwardly leads to them having to share a bed. The more they interact with one another and the more they work together to get things ready for the baby, the more it becomes clear how perfect they are for one another, whether they want to be in a relationship or not. And for those who like their romances steamy, Eddings definitely knows how to bring the heat so there are some steamy scenes as well.

I highly recommend Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake to anyone who enjoys romance novels that are filled with humor, heart and heat, and that feature lovable characters who will tug at your heartstrings.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

this book was such a cute book. the representation was incredible which is hard for some authors to do but this one was in my opinion really well done. the pregnancy trope isnt usually my favourite trope or a trope that i read a lot but i actually didn’t mind this one. rake was a good character that would do anything for lizzie and their baby so it was really cute to see. i wish the book was dual-pov so we can really see what they are thinking but overall it wasnt really a struggle to get through

overall it was a really good book, with amazing representation, amazing characters and an incredible writing. it’s also my first book by the author so it was exciting

A whirlwind of a romcom and such a joy to read! It’s the story of a misunderstood girl with ADHD named Lizzie who finds herself falling into bed with a stranger. Not only does Rake love all of Lizzie’s weird quirks, but ends up changing her entire life and supporting her in every aspect. Packed with lots of steam and witty banter, this is one book that surprised me and filled me with a sense of contentment. There’s just something super refreshing and beautiful about this book!

Lizzie can be a mess sometimes. She doesn’t do relationships, she can’t seem to keep a job, and her family thinks she’s a screw up. So on the night of losing her job she ends up having a one night stand with an Australian named Rake. One crazy night changes everything and now Lizzie and Rake are bound for life.

Even though this one includes one of my least favorite tropes, the author spun the romance in a way that is hopeful, inclusive, and spicy! There’s lots of little nuggets of fun, including an erotic baking shop and lots of great one-liners to highlight. If you’re looking for something heartwarming with a healthy dose of steam this is the perfect mix of wholesome with fire!

Lizzie and Rake have a two-night stand, and when there is an accidental pregnancy, Rake moves to Philadelphia and two try to establish a platonic co-parenting plan prior to the baby's arrival, but the lines begin to blur when they have a tough time maintaining the physical boundaries. I love a good steamy read, and this one was such an enjoyable and fun book. Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a delightful, steamy, and charming book full of witty banter!

I wanted to love this but I just didn't. Lizzie wasn't my favorite character in the first book and I did not know going into this that it was a surprise pregnancy, something that is triggering for me. I did not like Lizzie's mannerisms in certain things. I believe that Mazey Eddings was trying to do the rake/wallflower trope but in contemporary and flipped so the female mc was the rake, and the male mc was the wallflower and that just sadly, didn't work for me.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings, and she immediately became an instant-buy author for me. She handles incredibly delicate topics with grace and writes messy characters you can't help but root for and, ultimately, fall in love with. This book is a love letter to the neurodivergent community, and as someone with undiagnosed ADHD, I felt so seen and loved.
I wasn't sure how I'd like the surprise pregnancy trope, but LIZZIE BLAKE honestly made me a fan. I immediately devoured A BRUSH WITH LOVE after I finished this ARC, and I'm convinced that Mazey Eddings can't write a bad book. I can't wait to witness her future success.

This book was just fun. Lizzie is charming and Rake takes a second to grow on you but once he does you can't help but root for this couple. I would love to sample some of Lizzie's baked goods. Don't let this cute cover fool you though thus book is SPICY. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Well, I wanted to like the book but I just didn’t. I almost didn’t finish reading but I REALLY wanted there to be a moment where my mind would be changed. That didn’t happen.

Lizzie was pretty messed up from a childhood of crappy parenting and I cheered her on when she cut ties from her toxic past. I cheered her on when she was baking and making extra effort to get her life to a place she wanted it to be. I don’t understand why she wasn’t in therapy though. She needed someone to talk to and had therapy in the past.

Rake was too unrealistic for me. I can’t see why he was so messed up emotionally though. I wonder if he was on the spectrum or something. He had wonderful and loving grandparents, wonderful and loving parents, he was an only child and yet he and his ex never talked about kids and were living some robotic life together?! Why? I feel like we heard wayyyy too much about Lizzie’s messed up life and heard nothing about Rake. He clearly had emotional issues before his relationship with his ex. So odd.

Bottom line, if you just want to read a raunchy book with TMI about the main character’s sex life this is the book for you. So much of this book is about sex, the rest is ADHD and there’s a small bit of story sprinkled in. Thank you NetGalley for this book but it was not for me.

I want everyone to adjust their expectations when they pick up this book. It’s not like the first book in the series. If you keep this in mind, then you will enjoy reading this book more than I did. I have conflicted feelings regarding this book.

Let me explain. I expected this book to be like the first book. And it did not live up to its expectations. I found myself annoyed with the main female character, Lizzie. She is just too much of a mess for me. I really got annoyed with her behavior, especially toward the end.

It was both of them's faults, not just him. She just can’t expect him to quit his job when they have a baby along the way. Babies are expensive. It’s better to have a job in line before quitting. I can’t believe she expected that from him. Yes, I understand he needs to comfort his a-hole boss, but he needs to be smart about it. She was childish with her behavior.

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

This one was a pleasant surprise. It drew me in from the first page. I absolutely adored Lizzie. The way her ADHD is written was lovely, and I honestly wish I could meet and hang out with her in real life.

I‘m not usually one for liking the unexpected pregnancy trope, but I adored the way Lizzie and Rake handled it. Also, who doesn’t love a good-looking Australian man?

A lot of the feelings and fears the characters faced felt very realistic and helped make it quite enjoyable to read.

I highly recommend this one!

3.5-4 stars. Lizzie Blake is a hot mess who doesn’t have her life together. At least that’s what she’s been told growing up and continues to fulfill the narrative. Her brain works on overdrive, but she is equal parts entertaining and refreshing in how she views the world with her enthusiasm and appreciation vs exhausting and chaotic with trying to focus on tasks that can be trite or overwhelming. I thought Lizzie was endearing and didn’t know any other way than trying to conform to a mold that she’d never fit in. She might seem scatterbrained, but she’s also brilliant, especially when she lets her creativity shine, which is in baking.

Rake Thompson is the opposite. He’s very self contained and guarded, although he has a playful and flirty side. He keeps his head down when it comes to work in order to stay busy but outside of that, he isn’t overly social or sharing of his private life. Lizzie is a bit of an energetic tornado into his life, but Rake actually welcomes the interruption, realizing he could do with a bit more spontaneity and leeway from structure.

I liked both of these characters individually. As a couple, their initial chemistry and attraction felt very natural and inevitable. But as the story progresses and they become roommates in anticipation of cohabitating co-parents, that dynamic was a bit more forced or contrived. The way Rake found Lizzie so mesmerizing and endearing was rather sweet, but not always believable since he was portrayed to be more of a guy who admired everything about Lizzie, even if she was being annoying. I did like the dynamics between Lizzie and her friends as well as her brother and there were some good scenes of Lizzie and then Rake standing up for themselves or in front of the other. For two people who appeared to have little in common, but come together through a shared pregnancy, it does have the ups and downs of getting to know someone outside of the bedroom in a real and tangible way. It’s a cute story with a definite rom com vibe to keep it lighter and charming.

As soon as I saw that Mazey Eddings was coming out with another book, I added it to my TBR. I didn’t think twice or anything. Because she’s an author I’ve already read and loved, I didn’t even read the synopsis. So imagine my surprise when I figured out what the mistake was lol I didn’t mind because I don’t mind the baby trope and it wasn’t a secret between the two, so I was ok. But I can’ t lie it still caught me off guard.

First things first, the dual narrators. I LOVED that they got two different narrators. I don’t know when they do books with something as simple as dual narrators or even something as complex as a full cast or background noises, it just gives the listener a better experience. and this one did just that. I’m almost positive it’s because (sorry there isn’t a nice way to say this because I don’t know her….) Summer didn’t have a good Australian accent to do for Rake. But the Peters had an excellent one. I remember trying to Google where he might be from, but from a brief browse I couldn’t find anything. But yes, that’s just how good he was.

The ADHD rep was spot on. My sister has ADHD and she did some of the exact things he did. Again, another instance where I was questioning if Eddings also had ADHD because the rep seems so spot on. (The power of own voices y’all) But whatever the case may be, I can only speak on behalf of someone that is a sibling to someone with ADHD and someone who once had a dr worried because of her hyper fixation.

The plot itself was cute. It followed as Lizzie progressed in her pregnancy and how the world and people around her (close and not close) reacted to it. Now this felt way too close to home as I was just pregnant for most of 2020 and a small bit at the beginning of 2021. I felt all the things she did about people’s reactions, and eating, and all the things. Now don’t get me wrong. That’s not the only place for people to relate to something. Like the interactions with her mom and how they’ve never gotten along. There’s a lot to love and relate to in this.

The romance was hilarious. Anyone with eyes knew they were never going to make it out of that pregnancy apart lol I don’t know why they tried lol They were so into each other the first night they met, I don’t understand why they thought that would magically disappear. But as things progressed, I liked the way they were together and how Rake was 1000% ready to step up to the plate. I know Lizzie was scared, so I know as much as she hated to admit it she was happy to have him around. Now I did feel like they both still had some growing up to do tho. Because they had some of the dumbest arguments. That always ended up with them in the bed. (As someone who’s not a fan of enemies to lovers, I can definitely say this always pissed me off lolol)

Basically I enjoyed my time with this one, and I loved seeing her old friends from a new perspective. Lizzie was a lot more fun than I anticipated. I can’t wait to see what else Eddings has in store! (Especially her newest YA novel that she just released!)

I really love Mazey Eddings writing style so everything she writes pretty much works for me but I just don't really love a pregnancy based story :( The first half of this (when it's very focused on the pregnancy) very nearly made me put this down and give up BUT it picked up a lot in the second half with the romance and the comfort (and I love a confronting parents moment so that was really good!!). I ended up really loving Rake and Lizzie so it still gets a solid 3.5 from me :)

Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I have never related to a character more than I did Lizzie. Her ADHD hit home with me, Lizzie is not stop,, she's always moving always talking she loses track of time, because time management skills are hard, and she's lost numerous jobs because if it. Rake thinks he's broken one relationship ruined because he didn't see what his partner needed he thought everything was perfect and now he's hesitant to start anything. When he meets Lizzie in a bar one night he falls he doesn't realize it yet but he does and they have a fun two days together. A couple of weeks later surprise, she's having a baby and Rake is all in he uproots his life just to be part of his baby's life. The platonic relationship they think they need and try to live by gets really hard when they are sharing an efficiency apartment and thing go the way they do in these Rom-Coms. I loved this book so much,

I really loved this book so much and thought it was even better than A Brush With Love, Mazey Eddings' first book, which I really enjoyed. I could identify with Lizzie, the main character in so many ways that reading this book made me feel understood and seen.

Lizzie first makes an appearance in A Brush With Love as one of Harper's BFFs, so I was excited to read her story. She never has more than a one night stand with a guy, that is until she meets Rake, the hot Australian who doesn't want anything emotional (he's done with relationships and putting himself out there emotionally). Yet the two have a spark, a connection when they meet that leads to two nights before Rake returns back to Australia for good. Then Lizzie finds out she's pregnant, and plans change.

This really was so good. I loved how Eddings handled the unexpected pregnancy trope. I've been there: my husband and I got married after I found out I was pregnant with my oldest, so I completely empathized with Lizzie and Rake and the panic and fear they both felt at bringing a new life into the world, not knowing what they were doing and building a relationship together. It's tough! I loved how Rake was there for her and so accepting of her differences; it was wonderful to see him support her and be so understanding, which was what she really needed. Their connection, and growth as a couple and as individuals were just fantastic. The romance was just so sweet.

Full disclosure: I don't have ADHD like Lizzie, but all three of my children have been diagnosed with it, so I completely felt for her and her struggles, especially as I've seen my oldest go through some similar things with his adult ADHD. I felt like Eddings really handled the ADHD aspect and having a neurodivergent character excellently!

I highly recommend that you put this one on your TBR. It's out now so grab a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

-review posted to Goodreads, Twitter, and Amazon on 9/17/22

I really loved the writing style of this book. I laughed out loud, I was emotional, I was also a tad bit angry. The characters were so fun to read about. Rake, that name! HA!!! I kept trying to picture him with his australian accent. Also, the erotic bakery items. LOVE this.

I really did enjoy this book. I didn't love the part about the abortion, BUT I get where the author was going with it. I read a lot of reviews saying that this book wasn't relatable, but isn't this why we read books? To go to a story where we can forget about the tough stuff in our daily lives?!?

Cute couple. Very happy ever after.

One thing I love about Mazey Eddings is her ability to use real characters with real disabilities and really let them shine, in spite of the obstacles they face. Lizzie has a hard time keeping her ADHD under control and has suffered her whole life from others treating her as flighty and not trustworthy because of it. But then she makes a bit of a mistake that allows her to figure out just what is important in her life - giving and receiving love to others. I loved the accidental pregnancy trope in this book, even though I normally do not like that sort of story. It was so well done, fresh and unexpected. Lizzie's friends (including Harper from A Brush With Love) are a hoot, and I loved hearing their banter as well. Such a fun romantic comedy and also very spicy (also well done in that respect).

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, by Mazey Eddings, is the second of a series, but for me was a stand-alone as I had not read the first book. It was easy to follow, with laugh-out-loud parts that pulled me in and kept me turning the pages, until the end. I am looking forward to reading future novels by Mazey Eddings! Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.