I adored Lizzie and Rake! Yet another example of Mazey Eddings’s excellent writing, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake takes a trope I typically dislike and made me fall in love with these two adorable heroes. Lizzie is all soft edges, a ball full of energy, chaotic, but oh so tender and Rake is a quiet, tidy, hard-working, but burned by past relationships Aussie. What is supposed to be a two-night stand before Rake heads back to Australia becomes complicated quickly as Lizzie finds herself in the family way. Both are romantics at heart and their “non-relationship relationship” gets put through every challenge imaginable as Rake and Lizzie attempt to make a family. Each character has their own reasons for wanting to see this pregnancy through and I loved the open dialogue between them as they try to navigate something that was not planned nor what either of them expected in their lives.

What works so well in this book is that the physical attraction has been there from the start, so when Rake and Lizzie find themselves cohabitating, the sexual tension becomes palpable. There are so many laugh-out-loud scenes that deal with both of them being sexually frustrated and DYING to make a move on the other one and Eddings shines here with her dialogue. Because neither Rake nor Lizzie really know one another at the start of their living arrangement, they are so open and willing to “see” the other as they are with no preconceived notions. I loved that Rake never once judged Lizzie for her ADHD or mannerisms, but instead found her interesting and fascinating. This in turn allows Lizzie to become vulnerable with him as she can be her true self. As a baker, food is always playing into Lizzie’s identity and the way her baking is perceived by her mother, compared to her sister-in-law, brother, and Rake show a clear divide in how important Lizzie is to each of them.
Favorite moments:
-When Rake goes to Lizzie’s defense amongst her friends (wow! Lizzie may have been mad, but I loved reading this)
-Lizzie becoming jealous and Rake intervening during her “frustrated” time 🔥🔥🔥🔥
-The moment in Lizzie’s childhood bedroom (swoon)
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC. I’m dying to read Indira’s book next!

I could not put this book down, it was phenomenal. Like pull out my phone while brushing my teeth kind of addictive. I loved the concept of this book, I think it was such a fun and unique story, with fun and unique characters. The writing was so wonderfully descriptive, but also funny and witty. I loved Lizzie so much, and think that her story is one that more people need to read. The family dynamics within this had me hooked and rooting for Lizzie throughout. I loved this book and am absolutely reading more from this author!

Adorable book with wonderful characters. I love a cute rom-com book that sweeps you away from the mess of reality. I adored the characters in the book and how delightful and cute the book was. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

After reading A Brush with Love, I IMMEDIATELY started reading Lizzie’s book!

While the story was very different than ABWL, the heart was the same - a story with love, compassion, joy, and pure delight!

Lizzie has some chaotic energy, ADHD, and a zest for life...even if that means life is a bit disorganized. Rake is type A, organized, serious...basically Lizzie’s opposite, at least on the surface.

When a one-night stand leads to a surprise pregnancy, Rake decides to move from his home in Australia back to the US to be a present parent and partner.

For all their opposites, Lizzie and Rake actually complement each other so beautifully! I loved seeing them grow towards each other and learn to love each other as partners! Also loved the ADHD rep! Once again, a beautiful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from Mazey Eddings!

This one releases 9/6 (my birthday week!) and I have already pre-ordered a physical copy! I hope you do too! Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC!

I admit I was lukewarm at the very beginning of the book thinking I hated Lizzie. But as I read I understood it was necessary to show how much she grew as the story progressed. It was such a fun book and made me realize how much ADHD impacts a person’s life. By the end of the book I totally loved Lizzie and saw how strong and heroic she became. A great story that just makes you feel good. Kudos to the author for such a stellar read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

To say I loved this book would be such an understatement!! To have such an amazing, energetic, loving, neurodivergent character like Lizzie was so refreshing and I just loved her character growth throughout the novel! I felt the way the author represented a person with ADHD was really well done and celebrated all of the amazing attributes they can offer. It really just made my heart so happy to see this, not only as a school psychologist that works with students who have ADHD but also being married to an amazing man who also has that diagnosis. that I love fiercely. Thank you Mazey for this amazing neurodiversity representation!

The romance in this book is great and I loved the connection that the main characters had with one another. I’m not usually drawn to the accidentally pregnancy trope (nothing against it but just don’t really seek it out) but I really enjoyed this storyline and seeing this couple grow together in the best way. Lizzie’s career was fun and I found myself laughing aloud many times in this book! I think the most difficult piece of the story was Lizzie’s relationship with her parents and it broke my heart to see the unacceptance of her true self. I appreciated that the author did not sugar coat this part though and showed that sometimes you have to let go of toxic people in your life and embrace the people who love you for exactly who you are. Can’t stop gushing about this book, a must read!!

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
Mazey Eddings
5⭐️

If this book is not on your TBR put it there NOW!! Oh my gosh I loved it so, so much!

What an utterly delightful read! Mazey Eddings has cemented herself on my auto-buy author list with Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake. I absolutely devoured this book!

I loved Lizzie with my whole heart and could not get enough of her. She’s feisty, adorable, and so damn lovable. She speaks with no filter, and she’s definitely NOT too much. Her character was so well written and beautifully developed. I loved and appreciated the focus on mental health and self-love. Mazey does such an amazing job of giving us an eye opening firsthand look at how Lizzie’s mind operates and how her ADHD affects her daily life.

Rake. Oh, sweet, endearing, swoon-worthy Australian Rake. 🥰 I insta loved him and then fell more and more in love with him as the story progressed. I loved him and Lizzie as a couple. They so perfectly balanced each other out and the chemistry/tension between the two… ooh la la. 🥵

Lizzies family drama was incredibly relatable. The explosive scene with her and her toxic AF mom! 😳 I was overloaded with emotions and I just wanted to reach out and hug her, and then high-five the 💩 out of her.

LBBM was LOL funny, heartwarming and the steam🔥 was ON point. The accidental pregnancy trope usually isn’t my thing, but Eddings truly nailed it. I love her writing so much and cannot wait to get my hands on The Plus One.

What I loved;
🍰 Neurodiverse/ADHD rep
🍰 Lovable/flawed characters
🍰 Forced proximity
🍰 Opposites attract
🍰 Erotic baking
🍰 Hella spicy 🌶 (hello face-sitting 😆)

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is available 9/6/22 and I 💯 recommend that you read it!

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

NOTE! We discuss what some might call a spoiler throughout this review. The spoiler appears on the book jacket. Disclaimer over - review begins....now!

This is a "surprise baby" romance. This feels to us primarily HR readers like the modern equivalent of the Marriage of Convenience trope: two people who probably don't know each other very well now have to learn to live with each other (or at least, be in close proximity with each other) because of circumstances outside of their control*. ⁠
⁠
The surprise baby trope often has some corollary elements: often, each member of the couple decides to get their life together for the sake of the baby. In the process, they become someone who won't just be a good co-parent, but a good romantic partner. Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake definitely fits these parameters. ⁠
⁠
Lizzie has ADHD, and although she is trying to manage it, she also hasn't been faced with a circumstance dire enough to make her buckle down. On the day she loses her latest job, she also discovers that she's pregnant...from the one night stand she had with a dude from Australia (and who flew back the next day).⁠
⁠
Like any good romance hero, though, Rake drops everything to be with Lizzie and to be a parent. Lizzie starts a new job that fits both her skillset (baking!) and her interests (EROTIC baking!). Now they just have to see if they end up being a perfect romantic match as well as a parenting match.⁠
⁠
Eddings knows her genre, and she drops plenty of hints for romance readers. We flew through this book in one afternoon, and had a great time doing it.⁠

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Lizzie is a woman in her 20's who has ADHD. She is the queen of casual hookups as her friend points out because she finds sex soothes the fuzzy in her brain. She meets Rake in a bar and they spend more than a one-night stand together. Rake is in the country on business and returns to Australia. Lizzie finds herself pregnant as a result of expired condoms (I hope that condoms last more than a month after their expiration date!). I think it was really brave of Lizzie to reach out to Rake right away and brave of Rake to want to be a part of the baby's life from the moment he finds out he's going to be a Dad. Rake was so captivated by Lizzie and instead of finding her brain lacking, as her parents always have, he embraces it. Enjoyed this story so much, I pulled the author's first book off my shelf and read it!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I literally just finished reading this book, and I want to reread it again!

I’m obsessed with Lizzie & Rake so much! First, Lizzie is a wildfire — she has ADHD, loves to bake, and loves to have sex (no strings attached). Lizzie never falls for any guy she goes on a date. Rake is Australian — he is work-driven, and doesn’t find the time to invest himself with dating. Until Lizzie & Blake meet each other at the bar, while Lizzie is waiting for her date to show up, even though he’s a hour late.

This book had me dying from laughter 90% of the time that I was reading it! I honestly couldn’t stop smiling! I love Mazey’s writing so much, it’s so addictive. I can’t wait to read her next book!

3.25-3.5 stars

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is my first M.E. read. Looks like I’m somewhat of an outlier here compared to the majority of the reviews I’m seeing. As for myself, there are some real highs & just as many real lows throughout this read.

I liked the feisty wildcard aspect of Lizzie & how she used it to protect her vulnerability underneath. I appreciate all the attention given to repping ADHD through the heroine, Lizzie. To the best of my understanding, it seemed well done. Lizzie’s mental & emotional exhaustion trying to cope with her ADHD & function better came through clear as a bell. Tbh sometimes I felt the weight of her tiredness so much in myself it made it difficult to find the desire to want to read more than a chapter or two in a sitting.

I love a good cinnamon roll hero. Rake made a pretty good go of it. Just a little inconsistent, especially the faux pas late in the game. I felt he still needed some fleshing out tbh.

The crux of where I had issues in LBBM predominantly lies in the inconsistency of storytelling. Sometimes it was really good, I was so in it. Other times, I felt like the author “held onto the cards” too long, so to speak. The plot(or should I say lack thereof?) would aimlessly drag in multiple stretches because of it. These drags seemed to be for no other purpose than filler to delay, which caused me to feel pretty disconnected to the story whenever they happened. Believe me, I’m all for a good slowburn, but that hinges greatly on building gradual & consistent anticipation imho.

So yeah, there was some good & unfortunately not so good. The overall was ok & I can see why others are enjoying it more. This isn’t one of those that leaves me baffled when others love it. So please take this review with a grain of salt.

⛔️ Trigger Warning ⛔️ - toxic family, off page cheater(NOT the h or the H)

**This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

🧁🇦🇺🍼 Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings 🧠☀️🐨

H’s Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Genre: RomCom
Tropes: Accidental pregnancy (at the beginning), found family
⚠️ TW: Toxic relationship with parents (emotional abuse), brief discussion of abortion, recount of past cheating

👉🏼 Publishes 9/6/22!

📖 Read if you like 📖
🧠 Neurodiverse/ADHD rep
🤰🏼 Accidental pregnancy trope
🧲 Opposites attract
👩‍❤️‍👨 Forced proximity
🏡 Found Family
🌶 Spice
🇦🇺 A hot, Australian male MC
🍰 Baked goods

💭 H’s Thoughts:
As the cover suggests, this book is a ☀️ ray of sunshine ☀️. I laughed out loud, I cried (from the sweetness), and I hope everyone RUNS to get this book! I loved the ADHD representation, as well as the juxtaposition of the main characters’ relationship to Lizzie’s relationship with her parents.

I was initially nervous when I saw it was a 🤰🏼 pregnancy trope 🤰🏼 but, trust me, this one just WORKS!!!It’s equal parts spicy, funny, and heartwarming. It will challenge readers’ thoughts on ableism and standing up for those you love. It is a fall MUST READ!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so happy to have received this ARC! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶🌶🌶/5

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

💭 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Words cannot express how much I enjoyed the main characters of this book. Lizzie is a vibrant force of nature and I love that the author worked in neurodiversity with her ADHD diagnosis. Rake is so incredibly type A, this is the perfect opposites attract romance!

Even if you’re not a fan of the pregnancy trope in romance novels, please don’t let that scare you away from this book, because it is approached extremely well… it’s almost like a back burner plot because it really isn’t the main focus of the story…it’s sort of a catalyst. Rather we get amazing character growth and development of the relationship between Rake and Lizzie. I adored that it wasn't all effortless and rosey…it was messy AF, fumbling and real. Plus some sweeter moments had me tearing up and the spicy scenes were just 🔥🔥🔥 Seriously, don’t sleep on this one! It releases in 2+ weeks!

💙 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
☀️ Opposites attract
🍰 Hot Australian MMC 🥵
☀️ Huge focus on character development
🍰 Neurodiverse FMC
☀️ Great writing style, quips and banter

👍🏻 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝? Absolutely recommend! Despite having a romance trope that can be a turn off for many, this was worth the read. I will definitely be getting a physical copy for my bookshelf! I am anxious for her next book in this series of standalones!

I loved this book so much! Lizzie and Rake were absolutely perfect together, I can't think of a better match. I loved the ADHD rep that was in the book, it helped me understand it so much more. This book made me laugh, cry, cheer for the characters and swoon. When Lizzie stood up for herself to her mom I was SO happy. When Rake stood up for her I was swooning.

Thank you to the author Mazey Eddings, NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book!

Cute and appreciated the Australian accent by both narrators. Steamier than the first in the series and friends only have a small part in this one.

What a great read. Lizzie was warm, funny, bold and full of life but also relatable because of her struggles with ADHD and the issues with her mother. She was not too much, she was everything and I loved, loved loved getting to know her in all her loud, messy, beautiful glory. Like Lizzie I found myself falling in love with Rake more and more as the story progressed. The way he just leaned into her, didn’t try to change her or dull her light but just gravitated towards it and her way of seeing the world was perfect. I loved that Lizzie being Lizzie helped Rake find his way back from the empty life he had been living.

Loved Lizzie and Rake together. Their chemistry was blistering hot and adorably sweet. ME did a great job developing their relationship over the course of the story. Even with all the sexual tension between them the author let them get to really know and see each other after that heady rush of their initial hook up. They laughed and grew together and helped fill the gaps that the other had been missing/ hiding from which was lovely. A cracking read with some great leading and supporting characters (5 ⭐️)

This is a fun, fast read; where unplanned consequences cause a two night stand to get very real.
Lizzie is a ball of energy, struggling to make her ADHD work in the grown-up world of jobs and deadlines. Rake is perfect casting for the strong, silent type made sexier with an Australian accent.

Mazey Eddings makes it all come together beautifully; Lizzie saves herself with our hero's encouragement and with her example Rake comes out of his shell to enjoy all this new life has to offer.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings is her second book in her Brush With Love series but can be easily read as a stand-alone book. I enjoyed visiting with the previous characters, but you don’t need to read the previous book to enjoy this one.

Lizzy Blake has been making mistakes most of her life. Lizzy has ADHD, and her lack of concentration has caused multiple issues her entire life. Instead of disappointing anyone again, she doesn’t have long-term relationships. Instead, her dating life is just a series of one-night stands. Lizzy is also having trouble with her job at a local bakery due mostly to her unorganized brain.

When Lizzy meets Rake she breaks her rule and has a two-night stand. Thankfully, Rake has to return to Australia, ensuring Lizzy will not be able to get attached and mess up his life too. Rake is an Australian visiting Philadelphia on business. He’s not one for long-term relationships either, but something about Lizzy has him thinking about her more than usual.

When Lizzy turns up pregnant, she contacts Rake to let him know, and she’s surprised by his reaction. He wants to be a part of the baby’s life no matter what. But, they both agree that a relationship between them will be nothing more than co-parents.

Wow, this was a wonderful book. Lizzy has ADHD and her mind is often jumbled. I like the somewhat frenzied writing in parts that seemed to reflect the way Lizzy's mind worked. It wasn’t throughout the book, but enough that I got a glimpse into the way her mind operates. I thought the author’s representation of ADHD seemed to be accurate and it gave me such a personal insight into the way ADHD might affect the day-to-day obstacles of life.

Rake is a wonderful hero. He accepts Lizzy for who she is and isn't that something we all want in life? He was patient and supportive, and his overwhelming need to be a part of the baby’s life is so lovely. Together Lizzy and Rake make such a balanced couple with each of them balancing the other. The book is a bit steamy, especially in the beginning, but the emotion and characters are so wonderful.

I highly recommend Lizzy Blake’s Best Mistake to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I did not read the first book in the series but realized I did not have to. This book can be read as a stand alone as well.

I throughly enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters and the way they interacted with each other.

In addition, the main character goes into detail about her daily experiences as an adult with ADHD in a very natural way.

Different from other romances I’ve read, this one is still steamy and will make you smile.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was fun, swoon worthy, But is also tugged at my heartstrings!!! I loved it.