With Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake, Mazey Eddings has firmly cemented her place as a must-read author for me. Her protagonists and their love interests are so real and practically burst off the page with their vitality. It's so clear that Eddings puts a lot of care and thought into her writing, especially when it comes to the neurodiversity representation. I would absolutely encourage anyone with adult ADHD to read Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake because Eddings does such a fantastic job of bringing Lizzie's struggles to life in such a sensitive and nuanced manner. My heart ached for Lizzie at times, especially during some of the parental interactions.

Now let's get to the baby of it all - I usually am not one to enjoy books with an unexpected pregnancy (this is literally revealed in the book summary, so not a spoiler), but I decided to take a chance on this because I'd already read and very much enjoyed A Brush With Love. And I was so pleasantly surprised with how Eddings worked it into the story without it taking over the story. Not once did the pregnancy aspect take away from my enjoyment of the book and I thought how it was handled actually felt very fresh and modern.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: September 6, 2022
Series: A Brush with Love #2
Pages: 336

“Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake” is a first time read by Mazey Eddings, new author to this reader. Lizzie in all her ADHD is a messy individual that makes you fall in love with her character. She is a bit chaotic and used to one-night stands that never go beyond the one night until she finds herself pregnant. Rake, her lover, is a kind and patient person as compared to Lizzie. I loved them as a couple and how they let their relationship grow into something called love.

Overall, there were some parts of the book I could have done without (i.e., trying to validate abortion as a reason for someone having a messed up life). Although a well-written story with an engaging plot, the topic of abortion could have been handled with a bit more care in the story. I do like steamy and the chemistry between Rake and Lizzie was great. An entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book! A sister book to Edding's "A Brush with Love", this book tells the story of Harper's friend Lizzie. Having previously "met" Lizzie in A Brush with Love, I was really excited to follow her story and was already invested in the cast of characters I knew. This was a great read; a hard-to-achieve mix of breezy while also tackling some substantive issues like unexpected pregnancy and neurodivergence that made Lizzie really come to life. Eddings deserves some kudos for her representation of these issues. This was a quick read; I think I finished it in two sittings. I'd recommend this enthusiastically!

📖My Thoughts📖

If you were to ask me to describe this book in one word, I honestly don’t know what else I could say, other than amazing, hands down! I loved every minute of this fast paced, entertaining rom-com! This book reminded me a lot of the movie Knocked Up, but I think it was just that much better! I loved the quirky relationship between the two main characters and it was pure delight watching them not only grow as individuals, but with their relationship as well. I feel like there was the perfect amount of spice, sass and dramatics, and I certainly never lost interest at any point. If you love a good rom-com, be sure to check this one out when it’s released in September! It’s well worth the wait! Thank you Netgalley, Mazey Eddings and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

⚠️trigger warning: there is brief mention of abortion a couple times in this book⚠️

Thank you to St. Martin Romance and NetGalley for the e-ARC of Mazey Eddings’ sophomore novel, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.

Readers were first introduced to carefree, ADHD Queen Lizzie Blake in Eddings’ first novel, A Brush With Love. Even as a supporting character, Lizzie was a no bullshit, lovable, and loyal friend who hold her friends accountable, even when she has trouble doing the same for herself. Lizzie is chaotic and messy. To most observers, including her uptight parents, she’s the classic screw-up, especially in comparison to her best friends who are all high-achieving post-doctoral power babes. Instead, Lizzie struggles to hold a consistent job and bounces from fixation to fixation, including boys.

Enter Rake, a charming Australian at the bar where Lizzie is supposed to meet a Tinder hookup. Take steps in when the Tinder match goes up in flames, but quickly realizes Lizzie is a source to be reckoned with, the epitome of an independent woman who doesn’t need a man. Despite her fierce independence, Rake is drawn to Lizzie’s electricity just as she’s drawn to him. Things heat up quickly from there; in fact, Eddings hasn’t been shy about the spice level of her sophomore novel, explaining via social media posts that she “sits on his face by page 26.” Their hookup starts hot and heavy, but comes to a screeching halt when Rake returns to Australia and, in romance-trope fashion, Lizzie finds herself pregnant. Together the two must navigate a blossoming relationship and mutual attraction in light of planning to co-parent and cohabitate, which quickly turns into sharing a bed when Lizzie’s air mattress pops.

Lizzie is a good time who stays true to herself and strives to enhance her life while embracing what makes her who she is. Rake is chivalrous and comes to Lizzie’s defense. And of course, the book is spicy.

Despite its merits, I found that I didn’t connect with Lizzie and Rake the same way that I connected with Eddings’ other protagonists, Harper and Dan. Perhaps this is because unlike her debut, the novel reads more third person limited, so we’re not getting as full of a picture. We don’t really see as much of Rake falling in love (rightfully so, seeing as the book is called Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake), but there are a few scenes where have just Rake’s perspective. This shift felt kind of awkward because it happened infrequently. I had hoped to see the realism and validation in Lizzie that I saw in Harper with her anxiety; while I don’t suffer from the type of ADHD that Lizzie has, I often found myself more critical of her flaws and less understanding of her shortcomings, because I felt like in some ways, they were overdrawn. There was a lot of explanation of her issues through narration instead of action, and it felt like a missed opportunity to really humanize Lizzie for a broader audience. Even though I prefer her first novel, I still look forward to Eddings’ final installment in the series.

I adore this book. It was fun, cute, steamy, and sweet. Lizzie was a messy, living-out-loud character. Yes, in the beginning, I found her excusing her messiness on her ADHD but as the book progressed, she endeared herself to me. While Lizzie thought she was “too much”, Rake thought he wasn’t enough. Detached and emotionally unavailable. It was nice to see Rake and Lizzie contrasting but coming together. I liked how Lizzie didn’t have to shrink herself for Rake and they grew together as the story progressed. It was a funny, steamy, and cute book. I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can actually say that I enjoyed this book wayyyyy more than I originally thought I would. I am a big fan of a good rom-com and this is exactly that. This was my first book by Mazey Eddings and I adored the characters.

Lizzie suffers from severe ADHD and is a little chaotic at times. She is used to having one-night stands and never taking it past that. I loved how Rake came in and was immediately able to handle what others couldn't in the past. At first, I thought the pregnancy aspect was going to feel annoying but I ultimately loved how the author handled the situation. I ended up flying through this book and didn't want to put it down.

Eddings did an amazing job at creating a female MC who is super sex-positive and gave her these little quirks that were so perfect for her character. I also loved that Rake was written to be the calming aspect to her and the way he stood up for her was amazing.

This book was also way spicier than I expected it would be - but it was the perfect amount. I was so happy with the ending and how the characters developed over the course of this book. Easily a 5-star read that had me both angry at times and tearing up at the good parts. Highly, highly recommend this one when it comes out!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings and St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

"And it seemed impossible to forget joy like this." - Rake, but also me with this book.

Mazey has done something incredibly special with LIZZIE BLAKE'S BEST MISTAKE. Lizzie is so utterly relatable, vibrant, and full of life. Rake is kind, patient, and the perfect counterpart for Lizzie. Every second they are together I just want them to hug.

I knew the minute Rake stood up to Lizzie's friends that this book was going to cement itself in my hall of fame. We are all searching for that person to make us feel so deeply seen and protected, and Rake does just that. It is a story of two people trying their absolute best.

I can't NOT mention the ADHD rep, which is so valuable. I've never seen it done like this before. I was yelling and screaming TOO REAL the whole time, because Mazey laid plain all the thoughts, fears, and feelings women are taught to hide. I hope this book finds it's way into the hands of the people, like me, who need it most.

LIZZIE BLAKE STAN FOR LIFE!

Lizzie is a chaotic, but lovable, quirky baker who finds herself in sticky situations mostly due to her ADHD. She meets dreamy Australian Rake (his name, not a descriptor), gets pregnant, Rake moves to the US, and they fall in love while pretending they’re just platonic. But he’s dreamy! And she’s quirky! Obviously they’ll fall in love! There were some genuinely funny parts, and I liked the story enough overall, but Rake is too perfect. Like his “mistakes” are just things a normal person would do. And while I appreciate the portrayal of Lizzie’s ADHD, the juxtaposition of learning to love her for who she is while Rake is the most perfect man alive and recovers from all his “mistakes” within two pages is distracting. (Also TW for an off page abortion scene in which an ex partner is made to seem the villian. It’s made clear everyone is pro-choice, but didn’t love the description.) Ultimately I enjoyed Brush With Love more, and I still like this author and her portrayal of nuero divergent characters so I’ll keep reading the series!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy in exchange for this honest review!

Mazey Eddings' sophomore novel Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake WAS SO FUN! Accidental pregnancies, mental health representation (she nails it again!), and so funny and sweet. Very swoon-y and just SO GOOD! Eddings has such a way with pulling you in, and creating such real characters that you root for even with flaws.

Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Steam: 1.5/5
Plot: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a sweet romcom featuring Lizzie, a chaotic, neurodivergent baker who has an aversion to romantic relationships. When Lizzie breaks her rule and has a two-night stand with Rake, the unexpected happens: she gets pregnant. What happens next is her “best mistake.”

The first thing I’d like to point out is that I didn’t realize this book had an unplanned pregnancy when I requested it. I don’t hate this trope, but someone who enjoys it will probably like this book more than I did.

I adored Lizzie. She has ADHD and autism, and as a neurodivergent reader myself, I loved seeing this rep. She is so iconic and I loved how her character progressed throughout the novel. I really enjoyed seeing how she interacted with her friend group. I have not read the first book in this series so LBBM was my introduction to the four friends.

Rake, the love interest, was not my favorite. There was nothing wrong with him per se, but he probably won’t be joining my list of book boyfriends anytime soon. That’s a personal preference though, someone else might love him. I will say that I found it incredibly attractive when he insisted he be involved in the baby’s life. This is the literal bare minimum, but it’s so rare. It hit at the perfect time, what with the state of the world right now.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read! I had some issues with this book, but I did have fun with it. I hope you check out the synopsis and if it sounds interesting to you, don’t hesitate to read this book when it comes out on September 6th!

Solid 3 stars
Lizzie Blake is a hot mess. She can’t hold down a job, is late to most everything, and lives in chaos. She only has one night stands. But, she recognizes her flaws and is working do do and be better. When Lizzie meets Australian Rake, sparks fly and their one night stand turns into a few nights. When an unplanned pregnancy gets rolled into the mix, Lizzie and Rake decide to platonically live and raise the baby together. But their chemistry might make their plans go awry.

I’ve never personally known anyone whose ADHD is so bad that they can hardly function, but this is how I would describe the main character in this book. At first, I really didn’t like Lizzie, but as she found her way and her people, I found myself really rooting for her. Lizzie states several times that she is “working” on getting her ADHD under control, but I didn’t really see this at all. No therapy, no medical appointments to address medications. ADHD isn’t something you can just work through. It takes a village and tools, which Lizzie seemed to lack especially from a family standpoint.

Rake is the unbelievable perfect guy who moves across the planet to be with and support Lizzie through the pregnancy. He rents them an apartment, packs and moves her things, cleans up after her, shares his bed when hers breaks, and keeps things platonic at her insistence. He’s very neatly completely selfless to a fault.

The writing was strong, the plot different and engaging, and the chemistry between the characters was great. Why three stars then? It wasn’t compelling; I didn’t really care what happened. They were obviously going to end up together as it’s a romance book. Rake was too perfect and Lizzie was too much of a mess. Was it enjoyable? Sure. Would I recommend it? Not so much.

So, should you read it? I don’t even know how to recommend this one. It’s an easy read with a different plot, but it’s mind candy. It’s steamy. If this is what you’re looking for, give it a shot.

Adorable rom-com that will leave you laughing. Lizzie who is far from perfect has an one stand that leads unexpected pregnancy with a cute Australian. Thrown together in a new life, it's a tale of twists and turns and never ending fun as Lizzie and Rake get to know each other.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

This was a cute story to read. I especially liked how the author had portrayed Lizzy’s ADHD. It’s not often you read about a character with a specific mental illness like that and I like how this author did.
I was also pleasantly surprised by Rake, and his reaction when he heard Lizzy’s news.

Really enjoyed this one! It was a great pool read and I finished it in one sitting. The ADHD representation here was spot on. I also loved getting to see the friend group again. I am not the biggest fan of the pregnancy trope and I felt like there really wasn’t that much chemistry between Rake and Lizzie… but could just have been my dislike of the trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

I haven't had a lot of time to read recently and my TBR pile is out of control, but I moved Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake to the top after hearing a lot of the buzz. It picks up where A Brush With Love leaves off. I haven't had a chance to read Harper and Dan's story yet, but Lizzie Black works as a standalone.

Wild child Lizzie Blake's life is in perpetual chaos. She's abandoned her ADHD management strategies, she's freshly unemployed, and her two-night stand, a man named Rake, got her pregnant. Deciding to pursue a co-parenting agreement with her baby daddy and a new job baking erotic pastries, Lizzie is little by little creating a happy life.

For all her hard work, the tallest hurdle to clear is learning to love herself despite what her mother or Rake's boss think of her.

This was a fast, fun read with a unique play on the surprise baby trope. Rake was such a supportive partner, with one exception. I also loved the friendship group and can't wait to read A Brush With Love to get to see them interact more. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

CWs: brief discussion of abortion, toxic family dynamics

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

After reading Mazey Eddings first book, A Brush With Love, I was quite excited for this title. ABWL wasn't a perfect book, but it had heartwarming moments and I was hoping for more in this second book. Unfortunately, I tried so many times to get into this book and I just couldn't. I don't think that it's necessarily a bad book. I think others may like it, it just didn't work for me.

I really loved this book!!!! It is just so cute and really pulls you in…. The smut is innocent but still entertaining. Lizzie and Rake are just so witty and the banter was awesome! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

For the most part this was a fun rom-com, and I enjoyed the fact that there was neurodiverse representation. Seeing Lizzie succeed, love, and be loved alongside her ADHD and not in spite of it was a really nice change of pace versus the way neurodiversity is usually treated. I liked Lizzie's friends and the way you could tell they'd long ago established a dynamic and therefore Lizzie's energy wasn't anything new for them to react to - they knew how she worked and she knew how they worked and they all fit together like different pieces of a puzzle. I also liked how while Lizzie and Rake were immediately attracted to each other, they still were honest and realistic about how they were closer to strangers than partners for a while.

A big thing I didn't like was how Rake's ex's abortion was handled. Blaming Rake's emotional withdrawal on his ex's abortion almost entirely negated all the things both Rake and Lizzie said about how abortion is a valid choice for a pregnant person. You can't simultaneously validate abortion while also using it as the reason one of the main characters was so messed up. It felt like the book was trying to play both sides of the coin and it was really frustrating and disappointing.

For the most part this was a funny yet thoughtful romance. I really just wish it had either taken more care when talking about abortion or not even tried to shoehorn such a sensitive topic into the story.

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a lively story filled with interesting and well fleshed out characters. Lizzie is a breath of fresh air, as she is not the usual heroine of a romance novel. She is real and energetic and filled with life, even with her choas gets the better of her at times. The cast of secondary characters support the story perfectly which makes way for a fun and enjoyable read.