I'll do a full review down the line but GODDAMN WAS THIS GOOD. Lizzie? Top ten romantic heroine for me. Seriously - she was so witty and spirited and realistic and delightful. The banter that she and Rake had? Unmatched. Not to mention their chemistry (both emotional and physical) - there was spice by page 25.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an early copy of this novel to enjoy!

I'll admit, I forgot for a while that I had this book available to read, but once I picked it up I couldn't put it down! I thought this was a classic, cute romcom and found Lizzie surprisingly likable. Eccentric characters often run the risk of coming off as annoying, but I found her quirks and struggles relatable. The writing is witty, clever, and fresh. I thought her ADHD was portrayed well, if only slightly exaggerated, especially her RSD. I'm secretly a sucker for an accidental pregnancy trope and felt the pining was well-timed with just enough tension. I only wish Rake's character was a little more fleshed out, that we had more backstory of his life in Australia outside of his last relationship, and that he had more of a connection and passion for his job. I love an Australian hunk, but I wanted a little more from him. I still thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading future books from Mazey!

This was so funny, so cute and so heartbreaking. I loved how raw Lizzie’s story is and how the author really brings to light awareness to a commonly misunderstood health issue. Rake’s patience and open mind when it came to Lizzie and her quirks was such a nice gesture that shows how important compassion truly is. One of the best parts of this??? Why the body pastries of course!! Definitely listen to the audiobook if you can - Rake’s accent is yum!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

After reading about Lizzie in A Brush With Love, I was SO excited to see that Lizzie was getting her own book! She is a firecracker with witty remarks, and just HILARIOUS.

Lizzie breaks her own one night only rule with Rake, an Australian, who’s in Philly for work. Sparks fly, and then he goes back home… only a few weeks later, to find out he’s having a baby.

Now, I know not *everyone* loves unexpected pregnancy tropes, but I LOVE them.

I love how Mazey writes about people that struggle with mental health issues (Lizzie has ADHD).

I absolutely devoured this quick paced rom com in a few hours!

Mazey Eddings has becoming one of my favorite authors since her debut novel was about dental students with mental health concerns in love. Being a dentist who has struggled with burn-out and anxiety, I could 100% relate to EVERYTHING in that book and instantly decided she was a must-read author for me as of that moment!

My elation was huge when I got the chance to read her second novel prior to its publication! I was so happy to read about some of my favorite main characters from her first book and see Lizzie's story come to life! The cameos didn't dissapoint (left me wanting more of wonderful Dan and Harper)!

As much as I loved the premise of this book, I have to admit it was a little difficult for me to read. Mazey does put in an amazingly beautiful and accurate disclamer at the beggining of the book and after reading this book, I am sincerely grateful for that disclamer because Mazey doesn't skim on the subject of unconditional self-love and finding your voice when you've always felt like you were too much for everyone around you (#relatable). As a person who is still working her own self-love issues out, this book truly triggered me but in a way that reminded me how much growth I still have to do.

All in all, Lizzie Blake's best mistake is a laugh out loud yet sincere, steamy, emotional and inspiring book about love in many of its forms. It is a wonderful book that I am looking forward to re-reading once I have progressed in my own self-love journey as some parts were difficult for me to read but stayed fun! I am so grateful for Mazey for writing characters I can relate to consistently and I can't wait to read more from her!

Honestly, This book was a pleasant surprise. It took me awhile to get along with the characters in Brush with Love, and I didnt realize that Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake was an accidental pregnancy trope, Mazey won me over. I love how fiercely Rake defended Lizzie when it counted and made up when he didn't. As woman with ADHD, I felt like Lizzie's mind mirrored my mind a little too closely at times. This book worked a lot better for me and I'm excited to see where she takes the series.

4.5

When I read A Brush With Love, I felt like Mazey Eddings was a really promising voice in romance, and while I had some issues with that book, I was hopeful that she would only get better with each subsequent book. That was definitely the case with Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake, a book I (mostly) loved.

The biggest issue most people seem to have with this book is that it involves an accidental pregnancy. I admit to being leery of how this would be handled but at the end of the day, I had zero issues with this whatsoever. Rather than really being a book about pregnancy, the fact of the pregnancy here really just serves as a vehicle towards some other delicious tropes, namely forced proximity. I know from following her on Instagram that Mazey Eddings is a big fan of historical romance (the numerous references to historical romance in the book itself hammer this home) and to me, the accidental pregnancy here was used in such a way that it almost felt like a marriage of convenience in a historical, sticking two characters together who otherwise might not be together and forcing them to reckon with their chemistry. I loved this! There may be other ways to achieve this sort of set up aside from an accidental pregnancy but it was very clearly to me that Lizzie and Rake end up in a romantic relationship due to their very real feelings (which start from the moment they meet) and not because of the child they're bringing into this world.

Relatedly, some people might view the romance here as sort of "instant love" but I tend to reject that sort of criticism generally - I love when characters are instantly drawn to each other and ultimately come together, especially if they resist that initial connection as both Lizzie and Rake do here. I loved how their relationship built on that connection, especially as Rake learned more about Lizzie and showed her that he loved every part of her. On that note, Lizzie's journey is a great one here. How her ADHD has impacted her life felt really well done, and I loved how the romance tied into that.

The flip side is that I don't feel like Rake's emotional journey and arc here was as clear, even if I loved his stoicism and his love for Lizzie. This is compounded by the fact that his backstory involves an abortion his ex underwent; as other reviewers have pointed out, this felt carelessly inserted, and also didn't really endear me to his journey in the way I think the author wanted it to.

Thank you so much to the publisher for an e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

Unplanned pregnancy is not a trop I enjoy and I have a feeling I’m not alone and that’s why it’s not even hinted at in the synopsis!

I was warned by a friend though and regardless I wanted to read this book anyway, I loved Eddings first book so I was fine with diving in.

It honestly seemed kind of implausible from the start but I don’t always go into fiction expecting things to play out how they would in real life! Why read if that’s how you want 100% of your fiction to go! I enjoyed the characters, Lizzie’s rep was well done from the perspective of someone with an ADHD adult in their life and Rake was fantastic and kind of a dream!

Full disclosure abortion is brought up for a past relationship and I have seen people take issue with what the character said about it. I don’t for a second thing the goal was to villainize the choice! The character was simply confused and hurt that they had no knowledge of it and likely wouldn’t have without finding something pertaining to it! It made them feel like a shitty partner because their partner hadn’t shared what they were going through. I think that’s totally an acceptable reaction, hell my husband gets upset when I close up and internalize things because he feels like he’s not doing something right for me! And again they fully recognized the choice wasn’t theirs to make!

I’m looking forward to reading more by Mazey Eddings in the future!

I enjoyed this book! I tore through the last 70% in one sitting.

You know from the description, that accidental pregnancy is the premise… normally not my favorite, but I liked A Brush With Love, so had to try this one. I’m so glad I did.

Lizzie stressed me out so much, but that was the point- such an interesting peek inside the mind of an adult with ADHD and all that comes with it.

Rake is so great! I mean, hot Australian who immediately jumps to be a part of his baby’s life? Love. It was a bit insta-love on his end, but the way their relationship played out was so sweet.

The storyline with Lizzie’s family was excellent.

Thank you to the netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this advance copy.

Very good read! I highly recommend it! Not my normal read but I so enjoyed it! Just by the title alone you have to read it to see what the big mistake was!

I liked this book very much. Lizzy sweet and kind and I loved how true and pure she was with herself and others. Rake was dreamy and absolutely patient and could see so much into Lizzie’s heart that melt me completely. My only issue was that I felt like it dragged at times and some bits were not necessary for the storyline. Still, I enjoyed it and eill recommend it to friends!

This book, just like its cover, is as bright as the sun.

Let me just start by saying that one of the tropes is pregnancy. So if you’re not a fan, you may want to skip this one. However, for someone who don’t like this trope either, I did enjoy this. I like that the pregnancy isn’t the focal point of the story and Lizzie is still free to do whatever she wants. I hate it when a character gets pregnant and they are being portrayed as fragile or weak.

The romance was insta-lovey and unrealistic. Rake from Australia uproots his whole like and flies to Philly the moment he found out that Lizzie is pregnant. I mean, in a perfect world wouldn’t that be amazing? But I guess, this is the point of romance books. In situations like this, we are to believe that however improbable, it is not always impossible.

One of the things I did enjoy is the writing style. It was an easy read and just what I needed. The dialogues are hilarious and truly entertaining. Oh, did I mention how spicy this is? ;)

Although this book made me smile most of the time, there’s just one thing that unsettled me (re: abortion). It was later revealed that Rake had a cheating ex who had an abortion he had no idea about. This was one of the reasons why he wanted Lizzie to keep the baby and be present in their life. Both characters have been established as pro-choice. I just did not like how it was written as bad women get abortions and good women don’t. The author could have omitted this part and Rake would still have a back story to tell- leave the cheating ex for some drama just don’t include the abortion. We are living in a world where women who get pregnant does not have a guarantee for abortion. The anti-abortion narrative was unnecessary and insensitive.

I like Lizzie as a character even though some of her choices frustrates me. I do not have enough knowledge of ADHD so I cannot really speak on that part but I do appreciate the representation on the book. Also, yes to cutting off toxic people (even family)!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings is out on September 6th!

I’m not usually a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, but I loved Mazey Eddings first book so I decided to give it a try. I loved this book! I don’t know if it was Lizzie or Rake or the two of them together, but their chemistry was so fun to read throughout the whole book. I loved watching them grow and change as people to prepare for their baby. I was cheering when they both stood up to people who had hurt them. I can’t recommend this book enough!

I absolutely adored this book! I read A Brush With Love earlier this year and it became an instant favorite but somehow I loved this book more! The way that Lizzie explains the way she thinks or views the world is amazing and as someone who is also neurodivergent it was amazing to read! The way that Rake and Lizzie supported each other was so sweet and I instantly loved them as a couple!

Lizzie Blake has made many mistakes in life causing her to move from job to job, but one mistake she will never make is getting emotionally attached to a man. Lizzie is perfectly fine having one night stands and never seeing the guy ever again. But after another job has let her go, and a dating app meet up goes horribly wrong, Lizzie meets Rake.

Rake is from Australia and in town for a business trip. After a horrible break up with an ex Rake has sworn off relationships. I’m fact he’s sworn off anything that could get him hurt or make him feel. After all, you can’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in. But when he lays his eyes on Lizzie in a bar in Philadelphia, all thoughts go out the window.

The two give up on their rules and spend two amazing nights together before Rake has to go back home to Australia. If there’s an expiration date there’s no way to grow attached. Right? Unfortunately that plan goes out the window when Lizzie discovers she’s pregnant. Rake will do anything to make sure he’s present in the child’s life and Lizzie is going to let him. While the two are complete opposites, one thing the they can agree on is that they will be platonic co-parents.

Lizzie was such a fun character to read about— energetic, creative, and speaks with no filter. She is so confident in her body, but struggles to love her brain. Lizzie finds large tasks daunting and often will get distracted while doing something like laundry.

While I don’t have ADHD, I have 3 siblings with it — each who experience it in totally different ways. Lizzie reminded me a lot of my older sister who struggles not only with ADHD, but dyslexia, receptive language disorder, depression, and anxiety. They both struggle with the social norms thrown upon them and feel trapped by them. I love the way Lizzie explains how she experiences things, as it really made me see my sister in a new way. They both enjoy hands-on experiences rather than the typical desk job. While Lizzie turned to baking, my sister turned to nannying.

Mazey Eddings does a fantastic job of depicting these struggles, as well as the emotions Lizzie experiences when she feels like she’s made a mess. I adore the mental health representation in this book and may even recommend my sister try out the audio when it comes out.

I absolutely adored Rake as well. He’s the epitome of grumpy in the grumpy sunshine trope. Rake struggles to share things beyond the surface level after experiencing a deep hurt. He has spent the last few years alone, focusing on work and work only. Rake may not have understood Lizzie and how she thought, but he was fascinated by her. He wanted to live in her beautiful world and hear all she saw. When Lizzie didn’t feel smart or successful, Rake showed her that she was. He showed her how much he cherished her and while he wasn’t the best at showing it in public, he made it up to her in the end.

Watching him grow with Lizzie was such a fun ride. Each of them were closed off for their own reasons, but watching their relationship blossom was truly amazing. I highly recommend this book!

TLDR— read this book if:
• you like hot Australian men
• you like books with mental health rep
• you want to learn more about someone’s experience with ADHD
• you like (or can get past) the surprise pregnancy trope
• you like rom coms!!

TROPES
Pregnancy, mutual pining, only one bed, grumpy/sunshine

4.5 stars

Just when I thought I was burnt out of traditionally published romance, this little book comes along and sweeps me off my feet! I'm normally not the biggest fan of pregnancy romances, but Eddings does an absolutely stellar job of maneuvering through a lot of pitfalls that personally turn me off of the trope.

I'm sure that there are going to be some people that find Lizzie way too over the top, but I connected with her on a visceral level. Her off-color humor, her struggle to accept that someone can love her whole self, and her vibe of general chaos all add up to a character that felt beautifully flawed and incredibly human. If you are looking for some great romance quotes, look no further than our love interest Rake. Some of the things that he says to Lizzie had me absolutely swooning.

My only complaint was that while the relationship development was immensely entertaining, the ending conflict was introduced so late in the book that it felt like there wasn't quite enough time to wrap things up. However, there was more than enough sweetness, sexiness, and swoon to smooth out this singular speed bump. I'm so happy that I picked this up and I think that it will be a smash hit for a lot of romance readers out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s for the eARC of Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake

Lizzie Blake has made a LOT of mistakes in her lifetime. The biggest mistake she makes is letting a one-night-stand with Rake turn into a two-night-stand after losing her job due to her ADHD. Lizzie is in for a big surprise when she begins throwing up uncontrollably 2 weeks later, and she takes a pregnancy test. Surprise! Lizzie calls Rake to tell him the news, and Rake immediately wants to support Lizzie. He moves from Australia to begin a totally platonic co-parenting setup with Lizzie.

This book has it ALL. I’ve never felt more seen as a reader. As someone who’s struggled with focusing on tasks for most of my life, I really appreciated reading about a character who had ADHD and getting to hear the story from Lizzie’s perspective. I love that the author really wanted to make neurodiverse readers feel seen.

I also felt seen when Lizzie decides to set boundaries with her mom, Claire. This was a reminder for me that no one has a “right” to be in my life because they’re “family.”

If you love a close proximity romance, you will absolutely adore this book. It was charming and funny, and I love Rake and Lizzie’s relationship.

I know everyone hates accidental pregnancy but give me it alllll.
I think this is the book for people who think they don’t like it. I’m basing that opinion off of absolutely nothing except my love for this book lol.
I absolutely LOVED the ADHD rep in this book and this is absolutely why we need to be inclusive in our reading! The author’s note was so beautiful and it’s wonderful she could have this in the world. Lizzie was such a beautiful and loving character and I wanted to give her all the hugs.
The steam yesssssss!
My favorite thing about series is when you get to revisit your favs from previous books, so if you’re missing Dan and Harper from A Brush With Love, you’ll be happy.
I don’t necessarily think you need to read the first to read this, but it’s good so read it regardless.

I found Lizzie to be so endearing and relatable to me. I don’t want to give too much away in my review, but I will pass on my sincere enjoyment and love of this story. I can’t wait to buy it once it releases! Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s for the digital ARC.

Lizzie Blake herself was fantastic. The ADHD rep felt authentic, and the narrative was never judgemental with Lizzie about her neurodivergence. The same cannot be said for her friends, family, and Rafe's coworkers, but by the end of the book Lizzie dealt with her naysayers in a very satisfying way.
What didn't work for me was the romance. I think this is a very tricky time for book like this to be coming out, because the heart of Rafe's motivation and ultimately, the dark moment conflict, is that his former fiancée had an abortion without consulting him, an action that paints her as a villain whose betrayal Rafe needs to overcome, rather than as a woman with bodily autonomy who has the right to make her own medical choices. Rafe wasn't necessarily coded as neurodivergent, which made his impulsivity and overbearing tendencies somewhat jarring, especially when he quickly moves country and rents a studio apartment in order to platonically cohabitate with the mother-to-be of his child (without consulting Lizzie on what sort of living arrangement she'd like). The studio was a convenient plot point for the development of the romance and there was some genuine comedy centred around the living arrangements, but this plot point still hit a sour note for me.
I don't mind an unplanned pregnancy trope, and the characters in this romance were definitely pro-choice, but painting the ex-fiancée as an utter villain in this day and age seems really out of touch, and plays into a lot of dangerous beliefs about morality, bodily autonomy, and abortion. I liked Lizzie a lot, and thought her evolution (and lack thereof!) throughout the book as great, but I just couldn't get into the romance as much.

CW:
-pregnancy (unplanned but wanted)
-sexism
-stigmatisation of neurodivergence from family and friends of the heroine
-hero's former fiancée had an abortion which is painted as a villainous choice

I received an ARC of the book for review, views are entirely my own