In the acknowledgements at the end of the book, the author tells you that this book was created as a happy diversion from what was going on in the world at the time - the lockdown of COVID-19. I read it as a diversion when the world was crazy again - specifically, the weekend that Roe vs. Wade was overturned. It was a cute, fun, getaway of a story that gave me warm fuzzies when I desperately needed them - a great beach/poolside read for the summer!

Not gonna lie, at first...I wasn't enjoying this book at all. I felt like it was too sexy for me and I didn't like the mc. BUT!! and this is a big but(t!!) I kept reading and....wow. Okay, I was totally wrong!

Lizzie was a delight and this book was so cute, heartwarming, SPICY(with capital letters), with wonderful ADHD representation, and it really touched my heart. Lizzie had so much depth to her, you end up seeing how misunderstood she is and how she's been trying hard to protect herself from the world, and honestly, it was relatable. Obviously, Rake, the hunk, was a sweetheart all the way, perfect guy for Lizzie!

There were a few silly moments, but there were also tons of fun ones. I really really enjoyed it. I'm serious when I say that if you happen to be quick to judge this book like me, DON'T. Give it another chance! I loved it.

Mazey Eddings does it again! I adored A Brush with Love so thoroughly that I wondered how she could possibly follow such a gem. Well, Eddings is not a one hit wonder, she is a true writing genius. Her writing style is an absolute delight, with characters that are real, thoughtful and so stinking adorable. This book has it all and is a must read!

I really enjoyed this book - it's such a fun, easy read! and the writing is so compelling! - but something about it hasn't sat right with me since I read it a few months ago. I couldn't put it into words, I just felt weird about the way the pregnancy was handled and discussed? But I recently read a review that talked about how uncomfortable the reader was with the hero's backstory. He had a cheating ex who had an abortion with consulting him about it, which resulted in him really wanting to be a father and really wanting the heroine to keep their baby when she accidentally gets pregnant. This whole thing feels gross and shamey and now, living in a world where folks in America who can get pregnant are not guaranteed access to abortions, this anti-abortion narrative feels not only unnecessary and oblivious, but downright harmful. The hand-waveyness around birth control and the heroine's absolute refusal to consider her options when she has no job, no familial support, an incomplete grasp of her own needs when it comes to her neurodivergent disability, no partner, and a hero who lives halfway around the world just didn't work for me. I am NOT shaming any person who decides not to have an abortion just as I am not shaming anyone who does choose to, but I felt pretty uncomfortable with the way the pregnancy was handled in this book and give that it's the inciting incident and the focal point of the whole book, sets the whole reading experience askew for me.

I liked the heroine a lot and I felt like this was really her story, with much less of a focus on the hero, who I actually feel like I know very little about. I'm glad these two found their HEA, but in a post-Dobbs world, this whole books just doesn't sit right with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for this ARC.

Disclaimer: I'm friendly with the author on Instagram.

CW: accidental pregnancy, familial rejection

What a delightful book. Even though it followed a well used trope, surprise baby after brief encounter, the heroine was such a unique character that the story was both fresh and compelling. It is a rare thing in a romance novel to have a heroine who is so genuine in both her acceptance of and her struggles with her neuro differences. Lizzie’s struggles to find s path for herself in life we’re truly touching, as was her self doubt at her ability to care for a baby with her condition.
Rake seemed like a great guy, but I couldn’t get a handle on why he would uproot himself and move half way around the word for someone he knew so briefly, even with his backstory. But this is fiction, and the story itself was just so good that I don’t care.
I normally bristle when presented with a one dimensional “evil parent” who serves as one of the foils in a story, making a character’s life miserable. Here Lizzie’s. mother was singularly awful. Sadly, though, she wasn’t that far removed from many parents I’ve known who are more interested in the appearance their children make socially than learning how to help them and enjoy the positive aspects of their differences.
I so wish other authors would consider creating characters that reflect the range of humanity, not just the few character types that seem to appear in this genre. This book shows how beautifully that can work.

I couldn’t get into this one-the plot and the characters all felt very two dimensional. It was just a recitation of a bunch of descriptions and didn’t suck me in. Thanks for the ARC.

This was a cute book and a fun read. I enjoyed the humorous writing style, especially in those tough or cringe worthy moments.

Lizzie Blake... what a lovable character! Don't even
get me started on Rake Thompson, the hit
Australian man. What starts as a one night stand
turns into something neither one of them
imagined. Sprinkle in an unplanned pregnancy, a
move halfway across the world, and "attempting
to live with your child's parent while keeping things
platonic, and you have yourself Lizzie Blake's Best
Mistake! Their whirlwind romance is chaotic and exciting and I am 10000% here for to!

I love how Mazey Eddings represented all of the aspects of ADHD and I truly never have seen it represented in a book like this before. Thank you Mazey for this gem of a book! It is one of my top books of the year so far!


*I'd like to thank St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley
for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you so so much to St Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this LOVELY book in exchange for my honest review. Dare I say it, but Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was maybe even better than A Brush with Love!! I went in with a healthy dose of skepticism bc of the unexpected pregnancy trope but I actually ended up enjoying it way more than I anticipated. Rake is a simp in the best sense of the word and Lizzie is such a bright, spunky character. I adored this story and I think you will too!!

Oh my gosh, this book is so much better than I thought it would be… and I had high hopes! It’s wildly inappropriate but equally as funny and cute. I love both the main characters, and how it’s about love and working through tough family dynamics, to be who you really are. As someone who has multiple family members with ADHD, it actually really got me thinking about how I am with them, and made me want to be more like Rake. Loved this book!

This book was utterly adorable. It started off predictable the way romance books usually are, but to throw a pregnancy in to it was surprising. The character development was fantastic and there were sometimes tears in my eyes Rake and Lizzie were just so sweet together,. I hadn't read Mazey Eddings' first book in this series but it's definitely on my radar now!!

“Rakeeeeeee. It’s ya girl, Lizzie. How’ve you been? Remember that time I told you I always come prepared and had a fuck ton of condoms in my purse? Turns out they were expired and guess who’s pregnant??? Lol isn’t life funny?“

LIZZIE
Lizzie Blake is a baker. She's 27. She brings cheer on a bad day. Like the sun, she is. Vibrant and Fun Lizzie. But she also has ADHD. Makes impulsive decisions. She tends to lose focus. And that is okay. She’s a prankster too, a teaser. Love to tease this one poor Australian boy, Rake. Yes Rake the Tool. And she’s pregnant with his baby. Lizzie is officially a HOT MESS. I. LOVE. LIZZIE.

RAKE
Rake Thompson. He’s from Sydney. He’s emotionally unavailable. Doesn’t want to get into relationships. He met Lizzie at a bar. And he’s clearly attracted to her. He’s also a gentleman and super cute. He got flustered easily and when all awkward every time Lizzie teases him. He watched Lizzie carefully with so much warmth whenever her ADHD was showing itself. He has a soft spot for Lizzie. He didn’t think she’s weird at all. And he’s having a baby with Lizzie. He’s awkward and confused but he BADLY wants to get involved. I love him sm. He even thinks about moving in and MARRYING HER just to take care of her and the baby. But, not falling in love(my ass) whatsoever.
Rake Thompson. He’s from Sydney. He’s emotionally unavailable. Doesn’t want to get into relationships. He met Lizzie at a bar. And he’s clearly attracted to her. He’s also a gentleman and super cute. He got flustered easily and when all awkward every time Lizzie teases him. He watched Lizzie carefully with so much warmth whenever her ADHD was showing itself. He has a soft spot for Lizzie. He didn’t think she’s weird at all. And he’s having a baby with Lizzie. He’s awkward and confused but he BADLY wants to get involved. I love him sm. He even thinks about moving in and MARRYING HER just to take care of her and the baby. But, not falling in love(my ass) whatsoever.

“If yellow was a sound, he thought, it would be her laugh.”

i have decided anything written by Mazey Eddings, i am going to read it. i live laugh loveee her way of storytelling; it’s not rushed, it’s rather simple yet descriptive. reading her books was never boring. she’s like a rom-com queen. and she’s funny too!!!

“Married?” she asked, glancing at his ring-free left hand.
He laughed. “No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Single,” he said,
“Emotionally unavailable?” His smile dropped a notch, “Probably,”
“Good,” Lizzie said, her smile growing. “Me too.”

personally, i enjoy Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake more than A Brush with Love. if there’s one word to describe LBBM, it’s “happy”. i felt the instant happiness after finishing the book. i felt happy reading about their love story, their character development, their conversations. Lizzie is a hyper gf and Rake is a calm bf. how cute is that. mostly, i adored how whipped that guy was with Lizzie. he’s so in love and im so happy that he realized it right away 😭

“And your eyes? They kill me. My heart hasn’t beat in a steady rhythm since you started looking at me with those honey-colored eyes. I swear they change color with your mood. Browner when you’re mad. Glints of yellow when you’re excited. Small hints of green when you’re laughing.”

if you hated the pregnancy trope, try this one. trust me on this, you are going to feel everything. this book will be available everywhere on September 6th so mark your calendar girlies!!!

“Do I remind you of a koala?”
“You certainly remind me of home, Birdy.”

“You’ve busted into my heart and carved your name into every chamber.”
“I don’t expect you to love me back. Not yet, at least,” Rake continued, taking a step forward, putting one hand around her waist. “Not until I can make it up to you. But all I want is to make it up to you.” [the only thing i wanna do is make it up to you~]

CW: Abortion, accidental pregnancy. I am so annoyed by this book. I knew it was an accidental pregnancy book going into it and because I knew that, I was fine reading it. What I was not prepared for was 72% through it being revealed that the reason Rake, the hero, wanted to be involved with Lizzie, the heroine, and the pregnancy was because his cheating “evil ex” (god, I hate that trope) had an abortion without telling him. READ THE ROOM. We do not use women who have abortions as a foil for the good little heroine who chose to go through with the pregnancy. While the book did establish both the hero and heroine as pro-choice, it didn’t make up for the fact that how it is written comes across as bad women get abortions and good women don’t. I lost my access to abortion on Friday, so reading that background explanation felt very personal and especially painful. It was not needed. Without changing anything else in the book his back story could have easily been that he’s an only child and has always wanted kids, or hell, keep the cheating ex and the subsequent breakup and don’t include the abortion. Seriously the omission of about a page and half would have bumped this book up to a 4 star book for me. Should the book be edited to remove this section prior to publication I will happily rewrite my review, but until that moment, this is where I’m at with the book.

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

I am absolutely in love with this book, the story and the characters! Having the leading lady be curvy and confident was a breath of fresh air. Tackling a subject like adult ADHD was absolutely brilliant, and the way it was done wasn't over the top but very natural. I also fell in love with the very real and raw dialogue between all of the characters, it made them so easy to love (or hate) and picture.
I'm so glad I was able to read this ARC through NetGalley and can't wait for it to be published!

This book was a fun one. The characters felt original and well thought out. But the love story between the characters felt a bit forced to me, which made their happy ending feel less believable. Definitely planning on trying this author again in the future.

This was so much fun! Lizzie & Blake's perspectives were both great and I loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the course of the book, especially as they navigate almost-parenthood, though I wish there was more time with the baby because pretty much all of the book takes place pre-birth. Lizzie has ADHD, and I think this was my first time reading a book about an adult protagonist with ADHD, and I appreciated that being represented in the story. I loved Lizzie's individual journey regarding finding a job and learning to be okay with who she is, regardless of what other people, particularly her family, say and believe about her. I would highly recommend this one; A BRUSH WITH LOVE was a bit of a disappointment for me, but this one surprised me with how much I enjoyed it!

This was a fun read. At first I wasn’t totally sure I was going to likeLizzie but by the second chapter I was in. Lizzie’s ADHD is part of what makes her so special and she just needs to figure that out for herself.

This book is absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed the characterization of the FMC. I thought she was relatable, funny, and witty—I would recommend this to anyone. Lizzie is an icon and a legend! Love love love.

I loved this book! I received this advanced copy..I read it in one go. It reminded me of Darma and Greg live in relationship and so much more!!! Highly recommend. I was in a reading rut until this one!

Lizzie was my favourite of the friend group when I read A Brush With Love so I’m absolutely thrilled that we got her story.

It was honestly everything I would expect for Lizzie’s romance. It’s full on whirlwind and slightly chaotic.

If you’re a fan of Eddings writing style, you’ll adore spending time with Lizzie and Rake.

If you’ve never read Eddings before, while you don’t HAVE to read A Brush with Love first, I’d still suggest that you do. Why rob yourself of oodles of fun?!