A zippy and quirky romcom that will have you flipping through pages with the endearing and hilarious characters to find out, will they? Or won't they? And either way... does that even matter?

Accidental pregnancy has literally never been a preferred trope for me but I frankly love it in this book and Lizzie and Rake are amazing together. One night stand turned into true love, who isn't a sucker for romance like that? Lizzie also has such a unique struggle with ADHD that is represented so well. Mazey Eddings' always touches on important but heavy topics in her romance books and does it so well. Read this.

In this follow up to A Brush With Love readers will laugh out loud while reading the pages as Lizzie’s struggles to handle her ADHD. Cute quick read with great chemistry while characters are taking big risks and chances. Which I found refreshing!!!

I never really thought the accidental pregnancy trope was for me, so I'm kind of glad that I went into this one without reading the description. I just saw Mazey Eddings' name and remembered all the hype for first book got, and that was that.

Lizzie is an endlessly fun and painfully relatable main character, and Rake is as much a mess as her but such a sweetheart. The way Eddings writes these characters, they probably could have been in any plot and I would have loved it. That said, their unhinged antics from moving into an "apartment" together that's really an old warehouse with no rooms to Lizzie getting a job baking NSFW pastries made for an enjoyable and memorable plot.

This review would be incomplete without mentioning how Lizzie's relationships with her friends, her family, and with Rake all hit a few potholes (typical for a story set in Philly) but always resolve in a thoroughly satisfying way whether that's through taking a breath, backtracking, and communicating what hadn't been before or saying "enough is enough" and cutting off someone who just won't listen. The representation of ADHD in adulthood through Lizzie's character is handled so well and just made my heart happy to see. Highkey recommend this to other romance books lovers.

I didn't realize this was Book 2 in a series until I had started the book. Reading the first book isn't necessary, but it's not my ideal reading scenario :)

That said, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a mostly lighthearted romp with a side a gluten-free cupcakes. I'll add a small spoiler at the bottom, but there's one trope that many folks find polarizing. It didn't bother me, but it's probably not my fav either.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

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Trope alert: accidental pregnancy

I really enjoyed this story. As someone with ADHD, I felt that the representation was very spot on and refreshing. I really enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. This was a very quick, but very fun, read!

I loved this follow up to A Brush With Love. Lizzie and Rake’s two-night-stand leads to an accidental pregnancy and this is the story of how that relationship evolves. This was the perfect rom-com. Mazey Eddings writes puts a lot of thought into her characters and makes them likable, personality flaws and all.

If you like quirky main characters, this one is for you. Lizzie Blake is absolutely adorable, and I loved learning about her.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's press

I didn't think the accidental pregnancy trope was one of my favorites until I read this book. It was such a fun, light-hearted read and had me hooked from the first page!

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

This book was cute and fun (and a bit chaotic). I could really relate to Lizzie at times and also found myself rooting for her. The neurodivergent representation was so great to see. I’ll probably check out more of this author’s books!

I found this story was full of heart and charm. I adored Lizzie as a main character and thought the ADHD representation was very well done. I think many readers will recognize themselves in Lizzie and feel seen. In fact it has prompted me to look more deeply into my own struggles and begin conversations with my doctor about ADHD, something I've suspected for a while. And Rake was just the most perfectly flawed, swoony, and sexy male lead we all want. I loved how sweet he was with Lizzie and didn't question for a minute what he wanted to do when he found out about Lizzie's dilemma. While I've read some reviews from readers who found his conflict with his former partner problematic, I actually thought their situation felt very real and his reaction was justified, even in today's "my body, my choice" world. To me it was handled gracefully and with tact. Overall, this was a beautifully heartwarming, emotional read! Thanks for the ARC!

This book started kind of slow for me. It took some time for me to like the main characters. I loved how Lizzie embraced her sexuality and I how her relationship with Rake grew. I enjoyed how two "incomplete" and flawed people game together and brought out the good in each other. It was hard for me to accept many of the characterizations of Lizzie's ADHD. So many of those traits would have bother me in real life I think and that makes me sad. Seeing her work so hard to strengthen herself made my heart ache. I loved the character growth and how Rake was constantly her number one cheerleader--we love a supportive baby daddy!! I'm not big on the accidental pregnancy trope in romance but this one was charming and wormed it's way into my heart. The place Lizzie ends up working at and thriving in was a unique aspect that had me giggling.

Mazey Eddings makes no mistakes when it comes to her writing (pun intended). Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is one of my top tier romances I've read, I am obsessed with the entire A Brush with Love series.

To the point, where I begged (and succeeded) to get Mazey to come to my book club!

The way that each character in this series is so reltable, real, vulernable, and honest?! It's everything. Mazey herself is neurodivergent, so in each of her books she adds in neurodivergent characters that are so compelling and deep. The books contain so much humor, I don't know if I have ever laughed out loud this much reading a romance novel.

One thing I will say with this book in particular - it contains a certain trope that I do not love ... but Mazey made me not hate it. Her writing is so good, that she can make any trope work, I swear. (Read the synopsis if you want to know, but I'll keep it spoiler free here)

*Gifted by Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin - thank you! All opinions are my own.

This story was a cute read that gave me warm fuzzies the entire story. The pregnancy trope is not one that I generally enjoy, but it was well written for the subject. I found the characters relatable and pleasant to read about.

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake was an unexpected joy to read. Lizzie has ADHD which has led to a variety of incidents and mistakes. Because she knows that she always eventually ruins things, she vows to never get into a serious relationship. One night stands are the only way to go, until she ends up having a two night stand with sexy Australian, Rake.

A few weeks later, she hasn't thought about Rake any further until she starts feeling sick (and I think we all know where this is going). Turns out, having adult relations can lead to adult things happening. This isn't necessarily a spoiler because it's kind of the main point of the plot. Rake wants to be involved as much as possible, but him and Lizzie just met so they'll just have to do it as friends, right?

Again, delightfully unexpected. I didn't think I would fall in love with the two of them but oh boy, I sure did. Definitely would recommend this to anyone who likes sweet friends to lovers, single bed, etc romance tropes.

Sadly this book just wasn't for me.

In my opinion, the unexpected pregnancy trope is VERY hard to do and it just didn't work for me in this story.

I also was not a fan of Rake or Lizzie - they both annoyed me. I didn't buy their love or that they had any deep feelings for each other.

I've tried other books by this author and wasn't a fan, so I've learned she just isn't for me.

5 stars!

I went on a Mazey reading binge of her A Brush with Love series and loved them all but this one was hands down my favorite. I'm still thinking about Lizzie, our chaotic red headed baker of erotic treats and Rake, her swoony Australian beau.

This does address some sensitive topics - unplanned pregnancy, prior termination of pregnancy, childhood & adult ADHD - but I think they were handled very well. Lizzie & Rake's chemistry heats things up right off the bat but even after their fateful hookup, we get to see how the two work so well together to meld their lives in preparation.

Lizzie is such a fun character. Undoubtedly a mess, but also so quirky and lovable. I related so much to her struggles with ADHD. The romance between Lizzie and Rake was sweet but also steamy. I could not put this book down and found myself thinking about the characters long after I finished reading. I will be buying more books from this author.

"Thoughts and noise combined to build in her head, humming into her bones. She needed an off button."

Mazey Eddings continues to write love stories for every brain, delving into the chaotic, messy, and downright destructive nature of ADHD in Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.

When little mistakes have big consequences, it can be hard to find your own self-worth, especially when rejection sensitive dysphoria is a nagging, ever-present companion that forces you to feel every criticism – every rejection – as a personal assault. For Lizzie, almost every action seems to have a negative reaction, and losing her most recent job due to time blindness sends her over the tip of the emotional iceberg, causing her to seek the one thing that always soothes her frazzled mind and frayed nerves: a good, old-fashioned, one-night stand.

When a potential hook up blows her off at a bar – only to show up later, drunkenly making demands – Rake steps in, and accidentally sweeps Lizzie off her feet. He may not match her energy, but he’s quick to flirt and meet her banter, chemistry between them immediately sizzling into fierce sexual tension. He’s a little shy, a little cocky, and Lizzie – forward, blunt, horny Lizzie – convinces him to spend the night with her. A hot one-night stand turns into a day together. Being a foreigner on a business trip, Philadelphia is completely new to Rake, and he’ll do anything to keep Lizzie around, her energy and enthusiasm for life invigorating and refreshing. Rake may be a stranger to commitment following a rough breakup, but there’s something about Lizzie that makes him want to keep her around. He loves seeing the world and its wonders through her eyes, even if Philly is a bit of a dump, even on the best day.

Everything seems to be going (relatively) well until Lizzie realizes, in a panic, that she’s pregnant. One two-night stand and an expired condom later, and Lizzie’s left to deal with yet another mistake, but this one is life-changing. Quick to move into action, in a way that may feel unrealistic to some readers, Rake makes arrangements to uproot his entire life and live in Philly so that the duo can be platonic co-parents. What results is quick and chaotic, but it fits what we know of their personalities. Rake is meticulous, controlled, and plans everything. Lizzie is his exact opposite. She’s adventurous, messy and impulsive. One large, open-floor studio apartment later, and the duo are living in opposite corners of the flat and practically vibrating with pent up sexual frustration.

What unfolds is beautiful and vulnerable – and an absolute mess. With sexual tension through the roof resulting in a number of hilarious hijinks and teasing banter, Eddings delves into a fun, light-hearted strangers-to-lovers romance. Lizzie and Rake both feel the pull of attraction, but it’s more than just physical. Rake accepts Lizzie wholeheartedly. He’s fiercely protective of her and will do anything to see her smile. He genuinely enjoys her outgoing, boisterous nature and finds joy in her seemingly random eccentricities. He takes time to look at and appreciate her interests. Lizzie sees the absolutely best in everything, and her whimsy and enthusiasm help Rake to open up and become more receptive to love, emotion, and everything in-between, allowing him to step back from the control that keeps him grounded and aloof.

In Rake, Lizzie finds someone who appreciates her for who she is, while supporting her, allowing her to move past the manipulation and emotional abuse of her childhood. Rake’s encouragement gives her the strength to find her own path. While Lizzie proves, time and again, that she is capable of providing for herself, if given the chance to truly be herself, as we witness firsthand when she starts baking for an erotic, underground operation, wherein she is given full creative freedom, Rake helps to promote emotional growth and vulnerability, encouraging Lizzie to break away from the toxicity in her life and learn to live with, rather than against, her disability.

If you’re looking for a delightful, whirlwind romance to read and don’t mind the accidental pregnancy trope, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is charming and wholesome. Through Lizzie – and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Rake – Eddings encourages vulnerability and demonstrates that everyone is worthy of love and acceptance. If you’re looking for something that destigmatizes ADHD and neurodiversity, look no further than this opposites-attract, strangers-to-lovers romance that features a single bed, mutual pining, and fun, erotic pastries. Eddings is a genius when it comes to banter and one-liners, and she writes with sensory input in mind, making her work cozy, comfortable, and easy to read.