Lizzie had ADHD and it is FAR from being under control. This leads to a TON of things "just happening" to her. From accidental fires to bangs (yes, she cut bangs into her hair), she is an accident waiting to happen. Until she breaks her rule and has a two-night stand with someone. When he leaves and go back to Australia, she doesn't think she will see him again, until she realizes that she is pregnant, then everything is thrown up in the air.

Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea, but I think there are plenty of readers who will enjoy this story.

Things I liked:
Lizzie (MC) has adult ADHD and I appreciate the neurodivergent representation.

I also appreciate the unplanned pregnancy trope in this story. I know a lot of readers shy away from it, but I am all about representation that will make more people feel seen.

I have respect for Rake when it comes to the way that he treats Lizzie and supports her. Especially when faced with issues with her friends and family. The way he stuck up for her is admirable.

The most personally relatable part of this story for me - and where Lizzie feels the most real and human - was when she dealt with the issues with her mom. I was proud of how Lizzie handled that situation.

Things I disliked:
Lizzie felt painfully predictable and over the top the entire book. I understand that Lizzie has adult ADHD and some of her behaviors are affected by that. But the ADHD aspect seemed to completely overshadow her as a character, as if she was simply a vessel for the ADHD and not a fully formed character in her own right.

When Lizzie and Rake meet, the dialogue between them was painfully script-like and cheesy, I was cringing. Rather than coming off as witty or sexy, most of Lizzie’s comments came off as weird or even uncomfortable. She calls Rake ‘kid,’ ‘sweet dove,’ and ‘sport.’ (all during intimacy, which was just a no for me). Her dialogue in the beginning was so off-putting I considered not finishing this book.

Certain aspects of this story, especially Rake and his backstory, felt extremely unrealistic. He is definitely Hallmark movie material. And yes, it’s fiction, but, I believe the intention was for it to be more on the side of realistic fiction and it misses that mark for me.

I didn’t feel an emotional connection to any of these characters. They came off as very one-dimensional and extreme.

Note: I did a search on Google to see if Rake is an Australian name I’ve just never heard of, but only the TV series ‘Rake’ came up. So clearly it’s just a quirk of the story, easy for Lizzie and her friends to poke fun at. This type of humor just didn’t do it for me.

Overall, the writing was not for me.

If you like a quick and easy read with some steamy scenes, ADHD representation and the unplanned pregnancy trope, you may enjoy this book.

Thank you St. Martin Press and Netgalley for the eARC and the opportunity to review this book.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc!

4.5⭐️

do i hate the accidental pregnancy trope? yes, yes i do. did i absolutely devour this book BECAUSE of the accidental pregnancy trope? also yes 🤪

this was SOOOOO good y’all. the amount of tropes in this - pregnancy, one night stand, forced proximity, opposites attract, only one bed, found family - is awesome and the fact that they were done so well???? AMAZING. this book had me cracking up with laughter and had me shedding tears for how real and heartbreaking the discussion around lizzie’s family was.

the adhd rep was fantastic and i love that we got to have healthy discussions around therapy, medication, and ditching ableist mentalities of having to “fit” into the neurotypical world.

i would HIGHLY recommend this book and series!! if you didn’t know, each book is following one of the gals from the OG friend group introduced in book 1: “a brush with love” (which was also a FANTASTIC read!!!)

⚠️tw/cw: pregnancy, emotional abuse, ableism, toxic relationship, infidelity, vomiting, body shaming, abortion

I was so excited to see that the new Mazey Eddings book was available, I didn't read the synopsis. When the book started, I was having a great time, then Lizzie started to vomit, which set off some alarm bells so I paused to read the synopsis. Yep, it's the accidental pregnancy trope.

I tried to ignore my dislike of the trope - I'd enjoyed the first several chapters, maybe this would be good?

I really wanted to enjoy the story, but... ug. After the barfing, the pregnancy was basically ignored other than the device that got the hot Australian guy to move to the states. It gave the impression that the author has never been pregnant, or never been around a pregnant woman. I do appreciate the effort at representing ADHD in the story.

It's not a bad book, it's just a trope that I don't care for.

2.5 stars, rounded

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Lizzy Blake's Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings is a story about a young woman with ADHD, navigating the world as an adult, and what happens when she unexpectedly ends up pregnant. And, yes, she makes mistakes!

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover of the book is cartoonish and a bit funny. This leads me to believe that the story will also be funny. This is further confirmed by the blurb. It talks about a few funny situations and an erotic bakery. There are sure to be loads of laughs with this tale.

Actual Reading Experience:
I loved all the laughs, and there were plenty. But what I loved most were the scenes that broke my heart and had me shed a tear or two. The combination of laughs and heartbreak is just so genuinely authentic. I have to say, though, that I have no love for Lizzie's parents because how they treat Lizzie is just so incredibly wrong.
I love how ADHD is portrayed. That is another aspect of the story that feels so authentic that my buy-in was readily given, and my ability to immerse myself in the story was certain. I always love when a mental health challenge is portrayed empathetically. In this story, ADHD is shown with lots of love and compassion.
Lastly, I enjoyed how the story ended. My heart burst with love for both Lizzie and Rake, and I had no doubt they would figure out every one of life's challenges in their own way.

Characters:
Lizzie Blake is a fiery redhead who is proud of who she is. Others may see her as lazy or unreliable, but she knows it's her ADHD that is making her seem that way. She is determined to not let ADHD be an excuse and works hard to find and use strategies that will help her in life.
Rake started out as a one…make that two…night stand. He has so much respect for Lizzie and enjoys her just as she is. When she tells him she is expecting, all he wants to do is what is best for them and the child, whatever that may be.

Narration & Pacing:
The narration is third-person and mainly focuses on Lizzie, though it does switch to Rake as the story dictates. The pace is medium to fast, and the pages just flew by. I loved how quickly it read and didn't want to put it down!

Setting:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the setting for Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. It's Lizzie's favorite city in the whole world, but I don't know that the city is used to its full potential. Still, Lizzie's immediate surroundings are – her apartment- both of them, and the bakery. The setting helps explain the challenges she faces as an adult with ADHD.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you enjoy a story that will make you laugh a lot, make you cry a little, and has all the warmth you could ever hope for, then Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is the book for you!

I’m a day late, but couldn’t let another minute pass without posting about Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings.

This was such a cute read and I loved everything about the relationship between Rake and Lizzie. From the moment they met in a crowded bar, the banter between these two was top notch. Rake is kind, caring and accepts and supports Lizzie as she navigates her ADHD. Lizzie has a heart of gold, is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves and can bake a naughty pastry like nobody’s business. I’m usually not a fan of reads where an unexplained pregnancy is the center of the plot, but I thought this was really well done.

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🔥🔥🔥/5

Read it now you love:
🧁Hilarious banter between MCs
🧁Friends to lovers with some spice
🧁A Neurodivergent MC
🧁Naughty baked goods
**TW: this is centered around unexplained pregnancy**

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Mazey Eddings for an advanced copy. This is my honest feedback.

This book was a very mixed bag for me, with aspects that I absolutely adored and some that weren’t for me at all. Overall I think that for a reader who loves the included tropes, it’s an easy 4-5 star read.

Personally this fell around a 3.5 for me. While I am not a fan of a pregnancy trope in general, I really wanted to branch out. I will say that I enjoyed the way this story was written surrounding Lizzie’s pregnancy and it in no way impacts my rating. It hasn’t sold me on the drops but it’s definitely on the positive end of examples I’ve read.

Continuing with things I enjoyed, I loved the friendship we get to see with Indira, Thu, Harper, and Lizzie. It is not always perfect, but it’s so clearly built from love. It is a clear example of the found family you can make, and how that family can grow (shoutout to Dan who is the best example of a boyfriend attached to a girl group, I love the subtle ways he supported Lizzie and Rake throughout)

I loved the baking aspect and the humor of the bakery itself, as well as showing how Lizzie could thrive and do what she loved in a supportive work environment.

Finally, I loved the adhd rep. This was very personal to me and I could see my own experiences reflected through the specific experiences Lizzie had, her mannerisms in trying to combat her various manifestations of adhd, and her struggle with emotions as a side effect. The portrayal of how frustrating it can be to feel as though you’re failing others when you’re doing everything in your power to stay on top of things was phenomenal, Mazey did such a great job here.

Now for the areas I wish were different: I didn’t love that they only longer conversation surrounding abortion was that of a cheating ex. Rake had some strong emotions, understandably, but it felt like he was centering himself in something that shouldn’t have been, and I also disliked Lizzie using it in an argument.

Overall, Lizzie and Rake’s relationship suffered from massive lack of communication on his end (which Indira pointed out) but it felt unrealistic. It was also odd to see him loving his parents but talking constantly about how emotionally unattached he was when we never saw that in action. It’s also hard to believe he just had 0 friends or life outside of work but then wanted Lizzie to meet his uni friends suddenly? The mixed signals were a lot

I also wasn’t sold fully on the sibling dynamic of Ryan and Lizzie, or at least wish we got more there. The parental dynamics were well executed with Lizzie’s adhd as a focal point, but I felt like Ryan was a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.

One of my biggest struggles is that while this was understandably a romance, I didn’t feel there was sufficient plot to carry the story along. There was a baby, but we didn’t see a lot of baby prep. We talked about their jobs and friends, but only when it was convenient to another plot point and a lot of that was told in past tense instead of actual scenes we read. If this book were 50 pages longer I think I would have loved it a lot more.

Finally, one thing I’m back and forth on is the banter. Mazey clearly had a talent for it, and there were moments that were so funny I was fully laughing out loud, but there were also moments that felt a bit too far, fell a little short, and just didn’t seem to fit to me.

If you’re looking for a quick romance that also has some heavy hitting topics and lots of banter, this is a great choice.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

I am excited to say that I loved Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake just as much as I did her first book, A Brush with Love. Like the first book, the main character in the story struggles with a condition that impacts her life on a daily basis. Lizzie has ADHD and finds herself misunderstood and undervalued. She has wonderful friends in her life who love her and help her work through her struggles. She meets Rake in a bar, and they hit it off immediately. He is from Australia and is in the USA on business. Now, I have to say that this book was way steamier than I was expecting, and it gets that way right out of the gate. Following this, it gets heavy and I love how the author mixes the heavy with the humor. Rake and Lizzie balance each other out perfectly. I loved Rake's character and he had me swooning more than once.

Eddings writing is seamless and engaging. I truly loved reading this book. Having no experience with someone with ADHD, I am curious about how this representation is being viewed by readers with ADHD. I will be checking out some reviews following the posting of mine. Looking forward to the next book from Mazey Eddings.

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
#2 of the Brush with Love series. Contemporary romance. ADHD. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Lizzie tries her best, but ends up making everything a mess. Look at her recent hookup with Rake. Who knew that condoms expired?

I was very worried at the start of this book that it was a bad choice for me. Single night hookup sex and new adult, love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude, job changes, parties and drinking, and roommates. I’m so past that stage. I read on with trepidation. As we get to know Lizzie and Rake we find there were ADHD reason and bad parenting issues that created the Lizzie the story started with. Rafe is charmed by Lizzie and the way she finds something beautiful on every block she walks. The two grow closer by living together platonically and really getting to know moods, feelings and backgrounds though both try to suppress and ignore all emotions.
Bottom line, I’m really glad I continued with the story. It’s a gorgeous romance with lots of emotions plus them laughing and learning to love.

Excerpt:
“ Rake was feeling fine.
Totally fine, save for this odd sensation that he was taking off on a flight and leaving his stomach on the ground. He wasn’t sure what that was all about.”
Excerpt from Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistakes by Mazey Eddings

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down.

The main character, Lizzie, suffers from ADHD, and the book focuses on the realistic struggles and frustrations she faces as an adult woman with a neurodevelopmental disorder. As someone who’s loved one also has ADHD, it was spot on; and actually taught me some things I wasn’t aware of, for example Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. I loved seeing Lizzies best friends and eventual partner understand her needs and support her. I love reading books with neurodiverse main characters. The author did a great job representing ADHD through Lizzie, it was very realistic and it’s obvious a lot of research was done on the topic.

Lizzies love interest, Rake, was written PERFECTLY! He is a dream partner in every way. It was so great to have a love interest who deals with a less then perfect main character and still embrace all their quirks.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was how slow of a burn it was. The two main characters were frustratingly stubborn. Overall, this book was a feel-good adorable romance with a neurodiverse twist, and a little spice! I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the EARC.

See my post on Instagram @night.shift.reads

Many thanks to St. Martin's for an early, gifted copy of this book.

I've had the first book the author wrote on my shelf since oh like April but for some reason have still not read it. I definitely will now after reading this one as I think it will give me a better understanding of the friend group. This definitely stands alone but I'm a sucker for some backstory.

At times this book was uncomfortable to read but that's because I hate to watch people be judged for something like ADHD. Could Lizzie have done stuff to help herself? Yes. Is it part of ADHD to forget to do some of those self care things? Also yes and for that reason I think this book does the rep really well and shows a full picture. She isn't cured just because she starts to take steps to manage but she does see improvement. Especially after Rake enters the picture.

Oh Rake. You were great. Mostly. I didn't care for the way the interactions with his boss were written but there needed to be conflict so I get it. I don't have to like it. My review, my rules.

I loved loved loved the scene where Rake met Lizzie's friends for the first time at dinner. One of the reasons Rake was so great is because he saw Lizzie for who she was and actually stuck up for her, defended her and cheered her on. All of this was lacking in her life and I was so here for how he cared for her.

Now. Here's the biggest issue I had with the book and maybe I'm being too sensitive BUT I think we can write about plus size characters without using words like generous thighs. I don't know. I had a hard time with the language used to describe Lizzie and it impacted my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, there's lots to love here. Cutting off toxic relationships, family reconciliation, good ADHD rep, fun side characters that need their own books, empowerment, therapy, sexy men, great parents. I'll give Eddings another shot.

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake enters the world on September 6 and is available for pre-order now wherever you buy books.

I loved Lizzie and her wacky life. Such a charming romance story.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

After meeting one night in a bar, Lizzie and Rake have a brief two-night stand before he heads back home to Australia. Next thing she knows, Lizzie finds out she’s pregnant just after she gets fired from yet another job. She calls Rake just to tell him the news, but he ends up moving to Philadelphia to coparent with her. Lizzie is know for not thinking and making mistakes, but will this turn out to be the best one she’s ever made?

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a heartwarming and toe-curling Rom-Com with two fabulously, well developed and endearing characters in Lizzie and Rake. The story will give you all the feels from laughter and tears to love and anger. The quirky cast of friends that are like family that surround Lizzie appear again in this second installment of the A Brush With Love series, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the first one because this can definitely be read as a stand alone. I love how the author tackles the topic of adult ADHD and it’s symptoms, teaching us patience and kindness as we enjoy this spicy romance!

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved the writing style and the quirky banter. Lizzie and Rake are both so lovable. Their love story was messy and chaotic and so sweet. I look forward to reading more from this author.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: September 6, 2022

I’m here for the representation of a neurodivergent MC, yet I struggled with the rest of this one. This is an instant romance plot, and there’s a lot of spicy scenes on the page. While believed the attraction, I didn’t really believe the romance.

I was thrown off by the (TW) surprise pregnancy, and the reactions of that, imagine a lot of readers will be as well. I was more thrown off/turned off by presenting his ex as evil/villainous because she had an abortion. Considering our world—I can’t get on board with anything that even hints at shaming a woman’s right to choose in the slightest.

This story tackles some pretty hard topics. From a surprise pregnancy to exploring how ADHD affects everyday life, a lot of this book is really relatable. Add in just one bed and forced proximity and you’ve got one cute romcom!

Lizzie Blake is a vibrant and energetic woman who happens to fail at almost everything. And making sure to use suitable protection is one of them. A one night stand turns into a logistical nightmare when Lizzie decides to keep the baby, but what should she do about her Australian fling turned forever?

“They were on the same page. No relationship. No love. Purely platonic coparenting. Nothing could go wrong.”

Rake Thompson was in the states for the weekend, but when he got a call a month later from someone who’s hard to forget, he had to make a choice. Fast. However, he’s not a spontaneous person. Can he figure out how to make his life work with this new development?

“Rake couldn’t make sense of what she did to him, why she disrupted his balance so badly, but he knew he couldn’t let her leave.”

I’m not generally a fan of the pregnancy trope, but I will give it to this author - this book made me rethink my stance on all pregnancy tropes! I think because it’s used as a catalyst to get everything moving, but it doesn’t focus solely on that throughout the whole story. I also like that ADHD was talked about in this book and tackled in a way that is so true to real life. That’s not something you see everyday.

“Your brain was built different and that’s beautiful, never a burden.”

The part I didn’t care for was Rake’s backstory. And I think that’s why I didn’t feel like he was real. Where Lizzie was incredibly believable, Rake was almost too perfect and patient. I suppose that’s pretty standard for an insta-love story, though. But if that’s your jam, you’ll love Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake!

5 million stars. LIZZIE. I absolutely adored this book. It is absolute perfect. I loved it so much. Lizzie and Rake are in my heart forever. I love everything. The writing. The steam. The love. It was perfect.

Title: Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake
Author: Mazey Eddings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake" by Mazey Eddings

My Assessment:

'Lizzie Blakes's Best Mistake' was interesting in how it finally turned out for her. Meeting the Australian, Rake put the icing on the cake for Lizzie. Suffering from mental health issues, ADHD wasn't good for Lizzie, especially the way her parents and brother had treated her. However, having her three friends there for her made her life in some way terrible. And meeting Rake, who was there for Lizzie through the thick and the thin, helped. Oh, yes, there was much chemistry between these two...Lizzie and Rafe. The read was good in the way this author brought out Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder. As the story continues, the reader will see how well the story comes out, especially after Lizzie finds out something about herself. How will she handle all that lies before her?
What will happen when Rake comes back into the picture? Will he be there for Lizzie? To find out all of the answers to these questions and more, the reader must pick up this good read to see what happens next. This story will be one chaotic love story that one will not want to miss reading.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Matin's Press, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub Week, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake!! This was an excellent second book in the series and I enjoyed it so much!! The characters were so complex which I always appreciate. I love when a rom-com is emotionally charged with depth. I can't recommend this book and the author enough.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity!

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

There was a lot I didn't like about this book, but the two major things I thought ruined it for me were the amount of sexual content there was and how Lizzie was portrayed as a "better" woman/love interest for Rake.

There was A LOT of sexual content throughout the book, and I get it, it's a romance novel and some steamy scenes are expected here and there. However, it felt like there was so much sexual content that it ruined my enjoyment of the story. If Lizzie wasn't having sex with Rake, she was talking about how horny she was, making sexual innuendos, or working at her bakery job where she makes genitalia-shaped pastries. Putting all of that together, it felt like the entire plot-and with it, Lizzie and Rake's relationship-was based on physical attraction for each other alone.

As for my second point, it felt very wrong (in my opinion) to put Lizzie on a higher pedestal than Rake's ex-girlfriend, Shannon, for keeping the baby vs. going through with an abortion procedure like Shannon did. Shannon cheated on Rake and no one is condoning that, but to vilify her for choosing what she wants to do with her body is something that definitely rubbed me the wrong way.