Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the gifted ebook and audiobook of Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake! All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a DNF for me at 27%. I have never been drawn to the accidental pregnancy trope. To be fair, the author warns that this trope is used before the book even begins. I was curious so I decided to keep listening, but this isn't going to work for me.

Also, I think the audiobook misses the opportunity to use an Australian narrator for Rake's point of view. The narrator for Lizzie gives him an Australian accent when speaking for him so it felt like I wasn't listening to the same character when it was point of view.

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. This one was a good book, nothing drastically wrong with it, for some reason I just didn’t connect with it like I thought I might. I loved seeing the ADHD representation through Lizzie’s character. I personally don’t know any adults who have ADHD, so this book was eye opening for me in that aspect.

However, it just felt longer than it needed to be. The beginning started off fast and then the middle just slowed way down for me and I lost a bit of interest. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the third act conflict, it just didn’t feel genuine to Rake’s character that was displayed throughout the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you like:

🤰surprise pregnancy
👨🏻guy falls first/harder
🧠ADHD representation
🧁pastries
🦘Australian accents

Oh my goodness, my heart is so full! I was so excited to receive an advanced digital copy of Mazey Eddings sophomore novel Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake from St. Martins Press! While A Brush With Love wasn’t my favourite, I absolutely loved everything about Lizzie and Rake’s love story.

I loved Lizzie’s chaotic energy, and she genuinely had me laughing out loud. While she had some complicated relationships with her family, she had her friends and Rake who rallied around her and supported her fiercely.

Rake was just perfection, from his immediate reaction to Lizzie’s pregnancy, to how he supported and protected her towards people who disrespected her!

While I’m not normally a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, absolutely everything about this worked for me! I’m so excited to read whatever Eddings comes out with next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!
Mazey Eddings does it again! I love her writing and the life she breathes into all of her characters. I love the mental health rep she weaves in and the realistic and empowering way she develops those characters and their relationship with their mental health conditions. This book is no exception.
I’m usually not a fan of the unexpected pregnancy trope, but here it somehow worked and made the characters all the more lovable. Yes it was tropey, there was insta love, and some of the plot might not be all that believable. But reading this book was also like getting a warm hug so I really didn’t care.
The one hangup I have, and hence the docked star, is the choices made related to representation of abortion. Though the author clearly wanted to show that her characters were pro choice, I think the plot could have been just as well served without the abortion included. The way it was done, meant that the hero’s ex is vilified for getting an abortion without telling him and cheating. I think his emotional baggage could have been just as well explained with cheating alone. I don’t like the implication that the ex needed to have consulted him at all, frankly. And pairing the cheating with the abortion lends the moral wrongness of the cheating to the abortion, which to me is not a pro choice representation. Especially in this country today, that kind of mistake does not sit well with me, and likely many others.
Without that poor choice, this would have been a 5 star book for me, and I did still love it.

Book 161 of 2022
⭐️⭐️💫

I received the advanced copy of this book several months ago…and then it sat in my NetGalley account, waiting to be read, because I just wasn’t excited about it. I just never felt pulled to it. Since the release date is in 2 days, I figured I should probably read it & publish my review before release day passes us by. 🫣

Book two in this series just didn’t work for me. For much of the book, I was leaning towards two stars, but I’ll round it up to 2.5 because I will admit to being drawn in by the male lead character, Rake (but seriously…there wasn’t a better name we could’ve gone with for the male lead?). I love that the author worked to incorporate a neurodiverse female lead. As the mom of a child with many diagnoses, including ADHD, I was curious to see how a character in the book with ADHD would be portrayed. This character’s ADHD suffered from telling, not showing, what life is like with ADHD/executive dysfunction. I felt like we were told over and over and over how hard it is instead of those struggles being naturally incorporated into the story line. Don’t tell me it’s hard, show me! I was frustrated because the character seemed stuck in her diagnosis for much of the book.

A few other things that didn’t work for me— insta love/lust; too crass; immaturity of characters; lack of believability.

While I think there’s an audience for this book that will find it delightful, that audience just wasn’t me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases Tuesday, September 6th.

I could see the potential with this one, but it ultimately fell very flat for me. With a book whose main focus was the two main character's love story (and not much else), I wished the author spent more time making their connection feel more real. Outside of them, the secondary characters feel incredibly one dimensional and I had such a hard time believing the plot. Although I found myself rooting for the characters by the end, I spent most of the time questioning everyone's motives.

Phenomenal. Must read. I can’t get enough of Mazey Eddings writing!

I failed to realize (which maybe my own fault since I don’t read synopsis before books) that this book surrounded an unexpected pregnancy trope. I have historically not loved that trope but after this I’m thinking I may need to change my stance. I was hooked very quickly on Lizzie and Rake (I mean the accent 😍)

The spice comes quick in this one and we even end up with a one bed trope thrown in there for some fun!

Lizzie is an adult with ADHD which impacts every piece of her life. I thought that the book did a wonderful job of representing ADHD and all that comes along with that. Lizzie works through family and society expectations and how to navigate those as someone who is neurodivergent.

Mazey Eddings I will read anything you write - thank you for representing real people and how exceptional they are in your books.

I really loved A Brush With Love, so I was so excited to see that there were two more books in this spin-off that were coming out. You don't need to read A Brush With Love before you read Lizzie Blake, but it's really good, so I don't see why you wouldn't. This book actually contains my least favorite trope in romance books- a surprise pregnancy- but Mazey handles it in a way that makes me not hate it. There is no beating around the bush with it- she finds out she is pregnant and immediately calls up the father of the baby and lets him know right away, so a majority of the book is the two of them figuring out how to have a baby together even though they hardly know each other. I love Rake and Lizzie's characters, and they were perfect for each other. I also like that we got to see what Dan and Harper from A Brush With Love were up to. As always, Mazey handles the subject matter, in this book ADHD, really well- in a sensitive and realistic way. I really liked Lizzie's characters and Rake really complimented her. After reading and enjoying two books by Mazey, I think its safe to say I will read anything she writes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

“Because I love you. Because life was a shadow before, but you’re the sun.”

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for a chance to read and review an early copy of Mazey Eddings’ new release in her companion series, ‘Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.”

I really enjoyed ‘A Brush with Love’ and Lizzie’s character in it. So being able to read her story next was such a treat!

Lizzie is SUCH a fun character! Her personality is so fun, and I loved reading about her and her character development. Plus the love interest, Rake, is the sweetest pumpkin ever and I think every male should take notes on his character because he truly loved and adored Lizzie. But most of all, he accepted her, which is something Lizzie never really had growing up because of her ADHD.

I also really enjoyed the ADHD representation. The author discloses in the acknowledgment section that she too has ADHD, and you can tell she has experience with it because the way Lizzie’s character is, is such an accurate representation of ADHD and I found it excellent. Plus, it adds a whole other layer to the story. But my god was Lizzie’s mother AWFUL!

The steam 🔥 was great too and not overwhelming or a central part of the story. But you could absolutely feel the chemistry and sexual tension between Lizzie and Blake dripping off the pages.

I only knocked this down half a star because there was a lot of times where the characters talked about their hearts in an avoidant way saying “the thing in my chest”, which I guess there’s a reason to it, but it was annoying and mentioned way too often.

Mazey Eddings is such a great writer and I’ve really enjoyed both her works. I’m excited to follow Indira in the third installment of this series, and looking forward to seeing what antics occur and to be able to see how Lizzie, Rake, Harper, and Dan are doing.

“I’ve made a million mistakes and I’ll make a million more. And I love you enough to know you will too. But we’ll do it together.”

I don't even understand how it happened but I loved this book more with every chapter that I read. It made me laugh out loud and even more extraordinarily it made me cry (several times). I actually FELT what the characters felt. This book was amazing.

Look, I am skeptical about any book with an “accidental pregnancy” plot, but this one is just done so well and in an original way that I couldn’t help but love it. The characters were lovable, albeit flawed, and the chemistry between the characters was palpable.

I think if the set up of this story had been different I would have liked it more. The first half of the book is all about them having sex, rejecting sex and thinking about sex. I like a little spice in my romance books but I prefer it to come a little later after I know the characters. I also prefer when there is an actual story with it. The story didn't really start until the second half of the book. I loved learning about Lizzie's past and watching them fall in love. The author knows how to create tender moments that will have you tearing up for sure! Overall it was good but could have been so much better.

Lizzie Blake has ADHD and is constantly moving and speaking without thinking. Then she tends to run when she messes up to the point where she can slow down and process what she said. She tends to regret, apologize and promises to be better. Rake Thompson is in Philly for a business meetings. In a bar he meets Lizzie and the sparks are flying between them. It was supposed to be a one and done. The Gods were laughing. Lizzie ends up pregnant and Rake is moving heaven and hell to be there. Living together and getting to know each other at times is funny. What Lizzie has come to realize is that she has friends in her life that love her because of her quirks and that Rake has brought these feelings out. Loved the ending!

Lizzie is quirky, fun, and loves to bake. Unfortunately, Lizzie’s ADHD makes it hard for her to focus on most things, leading her to believe she’ll never be loved or overly successful. While waiting at the bar for a late dating app date, she meets Rake, the charming Australien who’s immediately smitten with her. When Lizzie and Rake’s lives become permanently intertwined after a whirlwind weekend, they both find themselves in a non-relationship they weren’t looking for.

You’ll quickly fall in love with Lizzie’s fun personality and big heart. A realistic depiction of life as an adult with ADHD, and a good amount of smut, this book is a must read for anyone looking to laugh while they fall for the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Omg, when I tell you I screamed for this! I loved A Brush with Love, and couldn't wait to read more about Harper's friends, so a Lizzie book was just what I was waiting for. ADHD rep that made me feel seen, mental health rep in general was on point, nothing less from the queen obviously. There was more spice than ABwL, but I am here for it! It even had the accidental pregnancy trope which I swear I usually meh, but Mazey Eddings worked smoe crazy magic and I fell in love. Along with all the other reasons you should read this, did I mention Rake? (Yes, that's his name, no he's not a 19th century rake) Ughhh *swoon* He is adorably Australian and we love the overprotective trope. Ok, to finish off this chaotic review (seems fitting), they totally remind me of Amelia and Link (Grey's Anatomy), so if you're a fan go read this!

I’m sitting here staring at my phone, mouth agape, because I think @mazeyeddings may have done the impossible: I finished a book with an accidental pregnancy storyline and I truly loved it. I can explain why, because it surprised me too: 1) Lizzie Blake has spent a considerable amount of time feeling unlovable and broken, and if having a child to experience unconditional love as it should be is how she chooses to live her life, fuck it, she deserves love because she is delightful.

There aren’t a ton of books that feature a woman with ADHD, at least not as realistically as Lizzie is in this book. I live with ADHD, and I remember being 27 and barely functioning, a total mess in Chucks. Like me, Lizzie has a lot of work to do to manage the unpleasantness that ADHD can bring - hyper-focus, time lapses, lateness, inability to finish what you started, the inability to even start to try to get through it. I know this struggle intimately - I saw it on the pages here and I am so grateful. I deeply understand feeling so broken, so weird and so misunderstood that sex and physical gratification is literally the *only* outlet for quieting the buzzing. I do not think I’ve felt more seen as I did when reading about Lizzie - her humor, her vibrancy, her deep feelings and wounded heart. I’m just so grateful - thank you for this.

Rake (yeah that’s his name) was living in a self imposed world of black and white until he met Lizzie and her vibrant colors. He’s stalwart and smart and organized, if maybe a little boring in his consistency - exactly what Lizzie needs - and they just click in a way that one night stands aren’t supposed to, but they do. This book may start as a pregnancy uniting two strangers, but falling in love isn’t because of the baby, it’s because they see each other as real and flawed and beautiful. Their falling in love felt true and earned, solid and real. Heart in my throat beautiful.

Lizzie’s friends (Harper and Dan from A Brush with Love) make appearances, and it’s always lovely to see female friendships too.

I will probably never enjoy the accidental pregnancy trope again, but I’m glad I read this one. Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.

I hadn’t read Mazey Eddings’s A Brush With Love, which was released earlier in 2022, and didn’t even realize Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was part of the same world when I requested it to review. A trusted blogger had said she loved it and that was good enough for me! The novel was fun and sexy with some heavy undertones that gave the romance some depth.

Here’s the book’s description:
Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety), you name it, she’s done it… and made a mess of it too. One mistake she’s never made is letting anyone get closer to her than a single hook-up. But after losing yet another bakery job due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she breaks her cardinal rule and has a two-night-stand that changes everything.
Once burned, twice shy, Rake has given up on relationships. And feelings. And any form of intimacy for that matter. Yet something about charming, chaotic Lizzie has him lowering his guard. For two nights, that is. Then it’s back home to Australia and far away from the pesky feelings Lizzie pulls from him. But when Lizzie tells him she’s got an unexpected bun in the oven, he’ll do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life… except be emotionally vulnerable, obviously. He’s never going to make that mistake again.
Through a series of mishaps, totally “platonic” single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.
So, here’s the thing. I had absolutely no idea that this was an accidental pregnancy story. I don’t know if I missed it in the description when I requested it, didn’t read the description, or had read a totally different and not yet finalized description (I requested the book way back in March or April). Whatever the reason, I did not know going in that Lizzie would end up pregnant. Was this a total dealbreaker? No. But I tend to avoid any books that are about pregnancies or include kids. It’s not my kind of read and there are too many other books out there. But by the time Lizzie realized she was pregnant (and, my god, sex ed really needs to be stepped up if (spoiler alert?) a 27-year-old woman who has lots of sex doesn’t realize that condoms expire and should not be kept crumpled at the bottom of a giant purse.), I was already pretty deep into the story. I am glad I continued because Eddings wrote a fun romance, but I still can’t help but be frustrated that I didn’t pay closer attention. *shrugs*



Eddings writes in her acknowledgements that she, like Lizzie, has ADHD. It hurt my heart that Lizzie’s family were so horrible to her and that her mom seemed to think that more medication and being “less” (lazy, loud, wild, etc.) would “cure” Lizzie (I was also thankful that Eddings’s mom was not like that, as also noted in the acknowledgments). I will also admit that things made a lot more sense when it was revealed (really early on) that Lizzie has ADHD. This is not really an admission I’m proud of because Eddings had a really great line later in the book where Lizzie was essentially saying that it’s hard to be a diagnosis and that her personality, what makes her HER, only makes sense to people once they realize she has ADHD. Ableist much, Kaley? In a perfect world we’d be accepting of all sorts of personalities and abilities, but our society is just not set up like that.

As for the actual romance in this romance novel? Oh, it was so fun. Rake and Lizzie are thrown together in circumstances that scare the ever-living shit out of me (if you haven’t figured out that I don’t have kids and don’t want them, you haven’t been paying attention) but they were able to work out a system through the chaos. And chaos it was. I loved that they were both, mostly, honest and were both really committed to making the co-parenting thing work. Of course, they were totally lying to themselves when they were trying to keep their hormones in check. Injuries would have been avoided if they had just given into their desires (seriously…there’s a bit of a mishap involving masturbation, a shower, and a pair of underwear). But both Rake and Lizzie had some commitment issues to work out and, to be totally fair, they hardly knew each other. It was so great to read, though, as they did get to know each other. You could tell that they were so well suited because Lizzie opened Rake up and he, in turn, understood her beautiful brain and they just worked so well together. If only they would realize it!

I had a good time reading Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings over the course of a summer long weekend. It kept me entertained and I think I’ll have to check out her backlist and whatever novel she comes out with next!

*An egalley of the novel was provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Lizzie Blake has made a few mistakes. She has ADHD and has just lost a bakery job. Naturally she is bummed, but she is determined and won’t let that stop her even if it is upsetting. Lizzie is a fun and vivacious character. She has few close friends and isn't afraid to admit that she enjoys one-night stands. She met a man online and planned to meet him at a bar, when he leaves her waiting, she meets someone else.

Rake is a charming and handsome man from Australia who is in town for work. He has sworn off relationships but there is something about Lizzie that he resist. He knows that he won’t be in town long, but there is just something about Lizzie that piques his interest.

Lizzie and Rake have a two-night stand which is steamy and full of witty banter. They enjoy each other's company, but Lizzie is quick to point out that this is going nowhere, and Rake has to return to Australia. But when Lizzie tells him some shocking news, Rake makes plans to be with her.

This was such an enjoyable and fun book. I enjoyed the author's first book in the series A Brush with Love and I thought this book was even better! Although this is the second book in a series, it's a stand-alone as well.

I was a little apprehensive when I began reading this book. The synopsis gives a lot of information about the book and the plot. They pretty much gave away the farm and yet, this is a journey not to be missed. I enjoyed both characters and the supporting characters. Both characters go on individual journeys and their combined journey as well.

Even if you know quite a bit of the plot, this book still dazzled and shined. Plus, there are things not given away, that make this book a winner.

Delightful, steamy, charming, and full of witty banter!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

“I want to hand over all my old memories because I only want new ones with you.”

I’m not sure how but Mazey managed to write a book that is the definition of warm and fuzzy but also includes some pretty steamy face sitting less than 10% in, but I’m here for it. I can only assume she is some kind of literary witch genius.

I loved this book! Lizzie is such a fun and complex character. I wish I could have read about her in my early twenties when I was navigating my own budding independence and dating scene.

And Rake? I’m sure Rake must be every neurodirvergent girl’s wet dream. He is kind, understanding, and compassionate without pity. He thrives off of Lizzie’s energy and quirks and he quickly realizes that he is better to others and himself when he is with her. If you were to find yourself in their ✨situation✨ he is the dream man you would hope for.

To those who say that this story is “not believable” I say, if you can believe in entire fairy realms crawling with breathtakingly beautiful men and their impressive wing spans and dragon dudes with two dicks, I think you can give believe that a sexy Australian one night stand can also NOT run for the hills when you tell him you’re pregnant with his baby, no?

This book is an emotional and sexy escape. If you haven’t experienced Mazey’s bright and fresh writing style, be sure to give this book a try!

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Mazey Eddings & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is out Tuesday!

“Because I love you. Because life was a shadow before, but you’re the sun.”

When Lizzie, a vivacious baker navigating life in with ADHD, and Rake, a handsome Australian in town on business, have a one night stand -- which turns into a two night stand -- which turns into life as platonic co-parenting roommates, life turns upside down for them both. I'm not usually a fan of the unexpected pregnancy trope, but as the premise of this story I found I didn't mind it at all. While pregnancy certainly brought Lizzie and Rake together, the main focus of the story was on their individual growth and their relationship to one another.

This was a fun book! Mazey Eddings' writing style is engaging and fast paced, and she writes emotions and tension between characters so well. The dialogue was funny! This book was a "like" not "love" for Rake as a character felt pretty flat to me, and the relationship between Rake and Lizzie felt like it needed *more*. The mentions of Rake's past relationship left me feeling iffy on his character (CW off-page abortion mention). This said, I loved Lizzie's character and her arc - finding a workplace she loves and forming a stronger relationship with her brother. I was happy to read a romance with strong ADHD rep!

Thank you St Martin's Press and #NetGalley for the arc!