I’m so disappointed! I wish I could have loved this book, especially since I fell in love with the authors debut, but this was just not for me. And it’s entirely a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. I just found the main charcter SOOO aggravating and it was hard to look past that.

This was a fun read that got my attention right away. I could very much relate to Lizzie because I also have ADHD. I loved how well it was represented and felt like it was spot on. The way that family and sometimes friends misunderstood Lizzie was so true that it made me happy for Rake, who seemed to truly embrace who she is. Rake and Lizzie have chemistry right from the get-go and that is what makes the whole story believable. This was a really fun read!

3.5

After loving A Brush with Love, I was so excited to read Mazey Eddings' second book in The Brush with Love universe and was extremely happy when I was granted an opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review. I was really impressed with how, even between these two books, Eddings' writing improved and it made me so excited to see what she would write next. I think she is a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. A Brush with Love focused a lot on Harper's anxiety and in Lizzie Blake, there is a deep dive into Lizzie's ADHD. For me, one of the strongest parts of the book is the focus on how Lizzie navigates the world and is judged for it.

Overall, this is a romance book and I want to judge it on the romance because Lizzie and Rake are extremely lovely together. The steam starts out piping hot right out the gate as Rake and Lizzie meet and hit it off right away. I loved how Rake gets to know and appreciate Lizzie and even from the beginning, he stands up for in a way she has clearly never had anyone stand up for her. Towards the end there are some just absolutely gorgeous, swoon-worthy lines that had me going full heart eyes.

This is a surprise pregnancy book, a trope that does not work for me and has never worked for me. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work for me here, but if it were going to work it would be in this book because it is mostly used as a device to force our characters in proximity to one another. This absolutely works in a 'oh no, her bed is broken now we have to share a bed what's going to happen' kind of way that is particularly delicious in romance novels.

The book is told in dual pov format and while I prefer my romances with both love interest pov, I don't think it works in this book. The book is very uneven in that this is way more Lizzie's story than Rake's. Because Lizzie has more things to work through, we barely get into Rake and his character is only there as a vehicle for Lizzie. I wish we could have given more time and consideration to his journey. His struggles at work felt like an after thought and again, related more to Lizzie than anything with himself. This leads to another point in that, in romance books there should be forces keeping the characters apart. I don't think that is present here. I kept asking myself, why don't they just be together? And there isn't really an answer so some of that tension is lacking.

Finally, and I guess this is a slight spoiler but other reviews mention this and it really bothered me so I'm going to put it out there. Rake was hurt in the past because of an ex who cheated but who also had an abortion and this character is placed diametrically opposed to Lizzie who chooses to have the baby. I don't understand why the abortion plot was included here - it seems enough to just have had her cheat. Maybe I'm particularly sensitive to this type of thing because of the news in the US at the moment, but this seems so unnecessary and in bad taste.

Overall, I think the romance is really strong in this book and Mayzey is a great writer with the potential to get even better and if you don't mind the surprise pregnancy trope I would recommend this book.

Thank you very much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Mazey Eddings and I did not realize this was book two of a series, but I was pleasantly surprised!  Some events in book one are mentioned, but this book can be read as a stand alone.  I am definitely going to go back and read book one now!  Lizzie is endearing, quirky, and had me laughing out loud.. She has ADHD, which Eddings manages to describe in such a relatable way, identifying her struggle, her view of the world, and her need for acceptance.  Add the dynamic Lizzie has with Rake, and this story is my favorite kind of slow burn.  This was a quick read, that comes highly suggested, if you love dual points of view and the concept of “opposites attract”, all while adding in some spice!

4.25 stars!

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake took me by complete surprise!! At the beginning of the story, I could not relate to her at all. I thought I wasn't even going to be able to finish the book. BUT before I knew it, I was 25% in and my heart was going out to Lizzie 100%. Lizzie is struggling with lots of things that the reader doesn't know about in the beginning but what a delight to continue to read and see her true self. Lizzie is spirited and passionate, she may come off as unpolished but it was a pleasure to learn more about her character. I loved reading this story and stayed up late to finish it. This is an open door romance with a couple of big trigger warnings but I don't want to be the one to ruin it for everyone. If you are sensitive to some topics when reading, definitely look them up for this book! I really enjoyed this story and will keep Mazey Eddings on my radar in the future.

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is out September 6th!! Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my e-arc!

Lizzie Blake is the epitome of a hot mess. Her ADHD fueled life has her having difficulty holding down jobs, being in serious relationships and essentially holding any responsibilities. It's only a chance meeting in a bar when she finds Rake, an Australian hunk, to help her settle down...but only slightly and only because of a consequence of their whirlwind weekend together.

While this was a quick and easy to read romance and the story was more unconventional for romance novels, it just fell a bit flat for me. This might be because of the whole happy endings that just seem a bit too sugary sweet for me. I liked Lizzie as a character because she represented adult ADHD I think quite well, but she felt almost too immature at times. Maybe I'm too pessimistic, but it just seemed completely unbelievable that Rake would upend his life to come and be with a woman he has known for roughly 48 hours. It was fun to read, but I think it could have potentially been better; maybe if there were less dick jokes?

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this novel. All opinions in this review are my own.

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is the sophomore novel from Mazey Eddings and brings us to the story of Lizzie, who we first met as the friend of the heroine in A Brush with Love. Eddings does a great job of bringing various representation to light - ADHD, narcistic parents, and a heroine who is not a size 2. That being said, unexpected pregnancy is not my favorite trope (this is in the blurb so not a spoiler) so I struggled with that piece a little.

There are some delightful side characters in this one who also make the book fun - such as the erotic baker, oh, and the steam in this is A+!

3.5 Stars!

Thank you to SMP Romance for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5

—ARC REVIEW—
Sometimes you start reading a book and you just immediately know it’s going to be a 5 star read and that’s exactly how this one was. I hadn’t read a Brush with Love yet but I was so excited to read Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake!

What I loved:
🌟Lizzie was so so relatable. Both as a scatterbrained individual and her experience with ADHD. It’s so real. Her character growth was really fun to watch as well.
🌟Rake. Omg Rake. He was so perfect! I just love Rake and Lizzie together!
🌟The opposites attract trope!
🌟This book is very well written. Mazey Eddings is so extremely talented! The dual POV made it even better in our opinion.
🌟The side characters are so fun and quirky!

I literally couldn’t put this one down. All in all, we loved Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake! If you love an opposites attract rom com, you have to check this one out!

📖: Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
Pub Date: 06 Sep 2022

Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin's Press for this arc.

I did not realize this was a book 2. Usually this really bothers me especially when a book 2 mentions events that occurred before. Thankfully with this book, that did not matter because of the strong characterization and main character of Lizzie Blake. Her story was so relatable!! Her chemistry with Rake was off the charts!

This was the cute and much needed rom-com I needed! Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings and St Martin's Press Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 9/6/22

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Mazey Eddings for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a cute and quick read that features some tropes I don’t always like, but it makes them fun. It has great characters and was well-written. I liked Lizzie a lot because she was unique and had great growth throughout. I recommend this one for romance fans!

Overall a cute and quick read. Lizzie was definitely quirky and Rake gave me all the hero vibes. I was definitely hooked from the beginning and liked how their initial meeting went. I was also pleasantly surprised at all the spice in this book! 🥵🔥❤️‍🔥 soooo good!

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Romances
❤️ Neurodivergant MC
❤️ Hot Australian Men
❤️ Accidental Pregnancy Trope
❤️ Spicy Scenes

Book Review:
Ever listen to or read a book that is just exactly what you need in a moment? This one was absolutely one of those for me.

Lizzie was endearing, funny, lighthearted, full of depth, and all the things a character should be. I loved how vibrant she was and the inclusion of her ADHD and disability awareness that was provided in the book. And her strength! She has her flaws, but dang that girl is tough. I related so much to Lizzie when she discussed her parents conditional love and ended up letting a few tears out while she discussed her feelings because of this and how I could relate so deeply with her in that moment.

I loved how light the majority of the storyline was as that was definitely needed after listening to several thrillers back to back.

This one also has a fair amount of open door smutty scenes, pining, and in general talk or thoughts about sex.

We also get dual POV which I feel Mazey does so well in her books and was so excited to get the male perspective from Rake during his relationship with Lizzie.

I honestly can’t wait for the next installment of the series, but since it isn’t out until April 2023, I guess I will have to…

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for ARC copy of this one! I am so thankful to receive it and read it in advance of its release!

I loved this! Amazing characters and such great characters. I adored Lizzie’s free spirit and how hard she worked to get her ADHD under control without changing her personality. I really enjoyed how Rake accepted Lizzie for exactly who she was, it was so swoon worthy! Such a fun read! *I received an ARC In exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.75 Stars

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was an enjoyable read with an amazing and confident heroine.

It is dual POVs of the main characters and has the opposites attract, accidental pregnancy, and force proximity trope. I would recommend checking the content and trigger warnings before reading though.

While this is a complete standalone it is part of the A Brush with Love series. So I would recommend just reading the prior book first as there are several characters from the first book that make cameos in this book.

The overall plot and storyline, while a bit predictable was still entertaining and well written. While I can’t speak personally for the representation of ADHD, I thought it was beautifully handled and written as well.

I definitely liked the heroine in this book a lot more than the hero. Her personal growth was so amazing and I just loved how strong and resilient she was. The confrontation with her mother was also heartbreakingly beautiful. The fact that she was able to acknowledge the pain her mother caused and knew she deserved better was so powerful.

The romance between the main characters was okay. While, there were some heartfelt moments between them, there wasn’t a lot of romantic development between them until the very end. So it was very much a slow burn despite all the smut. Honestly, I just didn’t really feel their emotional connection, so it was a bit hard for me to believe in their romance.

I did like however, how the hero stood up for the heroine on several occasions and how well they worked together. They definitely balanced each other out, which I thought was quite sweet.

The ending was a bit rushed and I kind of wanted a bit more, but nonetheless was still a heartwarming conclusion. Overall, just a great read with a fantastic heroine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is not a trope I normally read but I thought Mazey Eddings did a great job with it! Lizzie was a unique character that was easy to root for and Rake was a great hero. The end fizzled a little bit for me but overall I really enjoyed it!

Lizzie is struggling to manage her ADHD and is tired of always feeling like a scatter-brained mess. One thing she knows that she can control is finding a guy to occupy her mind (and body) but only for one night. That is, until she meets Rake. He is a charming, good-looking Australian guy in town for work. Their chemistry is unmatched and she decides to break her own rules. Fast forward a couple of weeks and she is more than a little freaked out to find two pink lines on a pregnancy test. Should she get in touch with this almost stranger and break the news that she's pregnant and keeping it?

Rake is amazing and moves across the world to give this a shot. He wants to be the best partner and parent he can be. What starts as a platonic relationship turns into much more. He is truly swoon-worthy. I love how he stands up for Lizzie, is so supportive, and is eager to learn her quirks or how her brain works. I loved this book and how it portrayed the frustration and lack of empathy that people who are deemed "different" deal with every day.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Lately it seems I’ve been reading romance books that feature deep subjects while still being relatively light reading. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is another one of these excellent reads. Lizzie has ADHD, so there is a focus on neurodiversity, and the book gives you a really good picture of how ADHD affects a grown woman. Lizzie is totally body-positive - she is proud of her curves and is quite frank and open about her sexual desires. But she is the opposite of confident when it comes to her brain, to her abilities. The story is told in two POVs, either from Lizzie or from Rake, an Australian she meets in a bar in Philadelphia. (While Philadelphia is the setting, other than a short section where Lizzie shows him around her town, this story could’ve taken place in any major American city.)

I loved Lizzie! And I loved how Rake responded to her. Where a lot of people felt she was “too much,” he appreciated how Lizzie responded to the world, and appreciated their differences.

Warning: Lizzie decides to keep her pregnancy, not knowing Rake’s backstory includes an ex who had an abortion without telling him. In a post-Roe America, this aspect of the book may strike some readers as a case of bad/insensitive timing. But I found Lizzie’s decision to keep the pregnancy to be in keeping with her personality and neurodiversity - she didn’t always follow the “sensible” path to anything.

The two narrators of the audiobook, Summer Morton and Will Peters, do a fabulous job, but I’d warn anyone listening to the audiobook to use headphones of some sort, because there are some very steamy/spicy parts of this book.

There are several romance/rom-com tropes going on here, all quite successfully: accidental pregnancy, grumpy-sunshine, and only-one-bed/forced proximity, to name a few.

While this is the second book in a series about a group of friends, you absolutely don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I admit I listened in on the author chat with @lovearctually and @mazeyeddings while only 3% into the book. But I just love author chats. They add so much to the story for me so I may have spoiled some things but they never really are spoilers for me because it's the journey for me not the destination.

OMG right out the gate Lizzie lost her roommate's power bank and boy did I feel attacked cause I recently lost my husbands and he keeps asking me where it is. My brain keeps taking me to the wrong place. But in my house I am the finder and know where everything is unless it's my own things. Why is that?

Lizzie has ADHD and has self soothed with random hookups to sate her need for physical contact and to keep her emotions distant. It really works for her until she meets a handsome man with an Aussie accent and things just go out of control. There is a certain amount of out of control one can handle but when too many things go up in the air the overwhelming feeling is suffocating and I personally implode and can't do anything or migraine.

I loved this book for the representation of this beautiful character with her unique view and translation of the world. 

The wonderful male love interest though he had his flaws was so caring and wanted her because of what she thought everyone was turned off by. I'm lucky I found one cause I swear I did the same thing Lizzie did I never got a 2nd date until I found a guy that just listened to me and loved me for who I am even though I could talk about nothing and everything for hours.

Another important point was cutting toxic relationships and acknowledging them as toxic. There are some people that just will never be able to process certain people they think they can turn things off or just act normal. But there is no normal Claire!

I'm so excited for Indira's story and the two YA books in the works!.

Thank you stmartinspress and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This book was so great! It was funny and messy and chaotic. I loved Lizzie and Rake. I loved how Rake had her back with her parents. This book was just a sweet and easy read. Perfect summer read.

Wow! This definitely started out with a bang. 🤣 I enjoyed Lizzie and her views. The overall story was sweet and I laughed and had second hand embarrassment several times.

This was the first book I have read with the MC having ADHD. I have never felt more seen! I did not have the same struggles as a child but as an adult... I felt it all.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and I have already added the first in this series to my list!

Can definitely be read as a standalone.