The set up of this story could have felt rote but Mazey Eddings made it feel unique and orginal. Lizzie's struggle with ADHD, work and relationships made her a sympathetic character and Rake was a sweetheart. Their relationship was sweet, definitely unconventional, different and a messy kind of love story. Both of the flawed, broken main characters were compelling and lovable.

I absolutely adore Mazey Eddings, and the humor and warmth that she brings in her writing. A Brush with Love was one of my absolute favorite reads last year. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this story. Rake and Lizzie fell a little flat for me, and it was hard for me to keep pushing past the 50% mark because I just wasn't invested in their relationship. That being said, I'm, still looking forward to reading the third novel in this series because I'm a big fan of Mazey and her writing style.

This is not your usual contemporary romance. It's more of an in-depth look at one young woman who longs to be loved while struggling with uncontrolled ADHD.

Lizzie has many wonderful qualities. She is a talented baker, a loyal friend, someone who notices and rhapsodizes over the little things in life. But a mother who never tried to understand her, was embarrassed by her, and convinced her she was "too much" to attract a man has led her to a one-night-only policy. Rake is an Australian man on a business trip to the US when the two meet. He isn't bothered by Lizzie's loud, boisterous personality or the fact that she has lost several jobs due to chronic lateness and disorganization. But he has to return to Australia and isn't able to pursue the obvious attraction between them.

Then the shocker: their brief relationship has resulted in a pregnancy--and yes, Rake is the father. Still suffering from a broken love affair two years earlier, Rake nevertheless volunteers to move immediately to the US and agrees to a platonic live-in relationship with Lizzie so that he can participate wholly in preparations for the birth and parenting of the baby. Although I didn't feel his decision was realistic based on how little we knew about him (I would have liked his character to be more fleshed out), I later came to admire Rake more than I had expected. I also appreciated learning more than I ever knew about ADHD and its effects, which the author provided from her own experience. Mazey Eddings is an author to watch!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I couldn't put this down. Lizzie and Rake are possibly my favorite romance couple of the year. Steamy, funny, heartwarming. Everything I need in a romance. I really appreciated the ADHD representation. I loved Mazey Eddings' A Brush With Love, but this book beats it. I can't wait to read more!

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and words are my own.

When reading A Brush With Love it was impossible not to immediately adore Lizzie as a side character so I was beyond excited starting this book. It’s very outside my norm of romances to read about a main character who’s pregnant and Mazey delivered an extremely well written work on a subject that can be considered touchy to some readers (me, I’m some readers).

The biggest and most important part of the entire book to me is that Lizzie’s choice to continue her pregnancy did not feel like the whole plot, but that both character’s development internally and with each other drove the novel. Lizzie and Rake made me hurt listening to the people that hurt them and they made me cheer when they found solace in each other. The baby was there but it felt like Rake would have high tailed it back to the US to see Lizzie regardless, which made their choice the parent all the sweeter. Mazey did an excellent job making the whole thing funny and relatable and just all the feel goods.

Also Rake is hot and swoony and an excellent book boyfriend to add to the shelf. I highlighted text after text because that man has a WAY with words lemme tell ya.

All in all a 5 star piece. I can’t wait for Indira next!

I didn't know I could love a book so much. Lizzy, oh sweet wonderful, messy Lizzy. Such a badass, independent, fierce female, and also a vulnerable, tender woman. I loved Lizzy from the first page and completely lost myself in her story. I ignored my family and responsibilities and devoured this book.

Rake. Okay. Yes please. More of this. These two sexy, swoony, people... I loved their sweet, funny banter. Rake had it bad and I am here for it. The way he describes Lizzy- my heart had so many butterflies. So sweet.

Mazey tells an honest and heartbreaking story of ADHD in a new and important way. So touching, so important.

When Lizzie meets Rake it is never supposed to be more than a night or two of no strings sex but the expired condoms they use have a different idea. Now Rake is moving across the globe to be a part of his child’s life and Lizzie is trying to get her life in order before becoming a mother while they also have to decide what these changes mean about their relationship. One thing at least is clear, they are still very attracted to each other. Whether or not acting on that attraction is a good idea is another question.

I wasn’t sure at first that this book was going to work for me. The initial meet cute seemed forced and it took awhile for the story to finds its footing. Part of the issue is Rake. A nice enough character, his backstory did not ring true and added nothing to the conflict. Everything Lizzie was facing with her ADHD and difficult family added enough drama and tension and I would have liked more focus on Rake’s adapting to having uprooted his whole life. Rake’s support of Lizzie and Lizzie’s journey towards self acceptance got me emotionally invested and I was charmed by the new family they were creating.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. It was fun, it was light but it also made me feel!! I loved the characters, I loved the ADHD representation and it was done well. Overall a great read!

when the tagline of the book says “chaotic, messy and madly in love” BELIEVE IT PEOPLE BECAUSE THIS WAS A RIDEEEEE (and yes, both of the kinds you are thinking😌)

5 🌟’s yet again! | idk what the hell is in mazey eddings but she is WRITING HIT AFTER HIT OMGGGG. i was super fortunate to have read an ARC of this book and whew, mazey deserves all the accolades for writing such humorous, emotional, and beautiful romances with the best neurodivergence representation *sobs* i DEVOURED this booook!!!!

Lizzie and sexy-tall-australian accented-man, Rake, (RAKE THE NAME. THE NAMEEEE. and ABSOLUTELY YES THERE ARE HISTORICAL ROMANCE REFERENCES HEHEHEH) meet at a bar, hit it off, and have a ‘supposed’ one night stand that ends up turning into a two..three…and OHP - surprise pregnancy = forever (?) night stand😃 Lizzie’s ADHD & appeal for the unattached single lifestyle mixing with Rake’s similar i-will-never-catch-feelings mentality makes these two’s unexpected co-parenting (or potential love match?!?!?🤞🏽) a very ✨interesting✨ story to read!

going into this book, i was once again fooled by the classic contemporary illustrated covers with lovely color palettes bc.. this was a heavy book!!! super emotional with the underlying themes of mental illness + the way parents react to it, past traumatic relationship for the hero, and just overall dealing with the main couple’s situation. though it was emotionally intense, the balance the author struck between the darker and lighter moments just worked so well!! lizzie is such a fun, hilarious character & with the cameos of the iconic friend group, it was just even better!! + lizzie’s job of making erotic bakes was just truly the best thing i’ve ever read and i need an occupation like that. IMMEDIATELY.

the romance was lovely don’t get me wrong but i think reading this book about a character with adhd written by an author who also has adhd has helped me unlearn a LOT of prejudices/judgements/knowledge that i had as someone who doesn’t have adhd - it’s definitely not the end-all to the learning & listening i have to do but it’s definitely taught me a lot about being more sensitive and aware of what i say or do moving forward and i think that’s something really powerful about this book <3

other notes
- i was surprised at how steamy this book was,,, we love it lawllll
- rake is such an AWKWARD SHY WHOLESOME BEBEBEBEB OMGGG
- emotional fucking rollercoaster *general summary*

quotes
- “suffer in the name of character development or whatever.”
- “she decided to tear off a corner of her heart, carefully fold it into a tiny paper airplane, and gently toss it at home, letting it glide to a stop at his feet.” OKAY WRITERRRRRRRRR
- “every brain is beautiful, and they all deserve love exactly as they are.” CRYING MAZEY’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ALWAYS HAVE ME SO EMOTIONAL WAHH
- “she can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her boyfriend to bring her snacks.” LOLLL same queen

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press-Griffin for the ARC via Netgalley.*

📝tropes: only one bed, surprise pregnancy, one night stand, mental health rep, grumpy x sunshine
🌶spice:
TW/CW: toxic/emotionally abusive parents, sexual assault, sexual harassment

I usually don't read my ARCs this far in advance, but I read the first book in this series a week ago and I loved it so much I had to get my hands on the next one. You can imagine my surprise when this one turned out to be EVEN BETTER!

This is an absolutely perfect romance novel. It has everything I want from the genre: witty banter between the love interests, sharp writing, enjoyable side characters, heaviness, and of course hot sex scenes. I appreciated getting glimpses of characters from the previous book, too.

What I liked most about this story is the realistic portrayal of life with ADHD. I don't have it but I love people who do, and I really felt Lizzie's pain when she was misunderstood and it makes me want to be better in my life. Lizzie's life is chaotic and she doesn't spend more than one night with a man. Then she breaks her rule with Rake and they find themselves in a situation neither had ever imagined.

While it's funny and sexy, the book also tackles serious subjects such as infidelity and parental neglect. It's a wonderful read that I'll probably revisit (that's rare for me) and I highly recommend this one for romance readers.

Really sweet, & a little bit sexy!
I can really relate to Lizzie, being someone with ADHD, I too have been on that path of self destruction.
While I think this was a super cute book & the characters were very relatable.. the romance was just too much, too over the top, so much so that it just wasn’t believable. I may have a rolled my eyes a few times.
Thanks St Martin’s Press & NetGalley for this ARC

I received an e-arc of Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
After loving A Brush with Love, I was excited to see the author's next book, which unfortunately for me revolved around one of my most hated tropes, accidental pregnancy. But I decided to give Lizzie Blake a chance anyway, and I anticipated seeing characters from A Brush with Love make an appearance.
I didn't end up liking this book, I had a lot of problems with what went down and especially the 3rd act, but I can see what others might enjoy in it. I got vibes from Jane the Virgin and Sex Education. So if you're looking for an easily bingeable story (I read it in less than a day), with ADHD representation and don't mind accidental pregnancy, try this book.
2.5 stars

Mazey Eddings out does herself with her latest steamy rom com. The different perspectives were fabulous

4/5 stars!🌟

This book is so very cute! The main trope for this story is a pregnancy trope. It was my first time reading this kind of trope, and I didn’t know if I’d like it. Turns out…it was done in such a sweet manner by Mazey Eddings.

This is the second book of the series following Mazey Eddings’s debut novel. I did not realize that while reading this, and read it as a stand alone. I think it could be read either way, which I like even more for readers who might just pick up the book like I did not knowing it was in a series. The banter is great, the spice is heavy up front and sprinkled throughout, and the mental health awareness is incredible. I loved the dedication, “For anyone who’s been told they’re too loud. Too emotional. Too much. You are the perfect amount of enough.”

The story follows Lizzie and Rake. Lizzie has been diagnosed with ADHD and RSD, and is currently trying to figure out who she is without just being labeled as her diagnosis and how to cope with this. Although she was diagnosed at such a young age, her parents (especially mom) never understood the way her mind works and just labels her as the unruly, disobedient child. This created lasting trauma and negative self-talk in Lizzie. This story does a beautiful job at showing Lizzie’s mental health journey to break out do those stereotypes and fall in love with the way her brain works.

Now back to Rake…Rake is this Australian hunk that was in town for a business trip. Lizzie and him have some massive chemistry and great banter in a bar one night and end up sleeping together a couple times before he goes back to to Australia. However, the “fun” from the night doesn’t end there when Lizzie discovers she is pregnant. You’ll have to read to see how Lizzie and Rake deal with the new and their relationship gets even more complicated!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this wonderfully sweet electronic advanced reader copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake comes out on September 6th!

I thought this was so delightful & delicious & SEXY !! I loved Rake & Lizzie! Love that it explored an ADHD heroine, love the found family element, and especially love a sweet little glimpse into the future in the last chapter that told me all I needed to know about the characters. Loved the Birdy story & Rake’s whole family! Lots of fun tropes we’re explored in Mazey Eddings’ sophomore novel & i enjoyed a lotttt of them! I’m not the biggest fan of instalove and 3rd act tragedies with everything so neatly coming together at the end so because of those, and the fact that Rake doesn’t exist in real life (like where can I find one??) knocked a star off for me. Highly recommend to all and can’t wait to continue to devour Mazey Edding’s novels.

I was excited to read the latest release by Mazey Eddings after loving her debut A Brush With Love. In Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, it took me a bit longer to get attached to the main character Lizzie. After about 20% of the way through I became more enamored with Lizzie’s vibrancy and enjoyed her dynamic with the love interest Rake!

The best romances explore the couple while each character individually grows and develops. I definitely think that this was the case for both Lizzie and Rake. I also enjoyed seeing glimpses of Harper and Dan as well as Lizzie’s other friends. Excited to read more from this author! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is the first arc that I have been fortunate enough to receive that I gave 5 stars. Our story starts out with Lizzie Blake who has a case of adult ADHD, positive body attitude and is looking for a good time in her favorite city. Lizzie gets stood up on a date and instead meets Rake.

I honestly cannot name everything I enjoyed about this book, but here are a few: (1) references to Lisa Kleypas and rakes in classic romance novels (2) vulva shaped baked goods (3) witty banter between our two MCs (4) feminist and self-reliant views, but still vulnerable (5) a strong and supportive male lead who was also able to be vulnerable

These are just a few of the things I loved in this book and I am sure over the next few days more are going to come in my head and I will be having inner dialogue saying “how could you have forgotten to include this in the review!?!?”.

This is definitely a must read! Run, don’t walk and add it to your list ASAP.

This ARC was kindly provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

While Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake has many recognizable features to us romance readers and lovers, the thing that made this novel really unique was being in the mind of Lizzie Blake. I've never experienced being in the mind of a character who has ADHD and if what I read is anything close to what some experience, hat's off to them! As someone who is neurotypical, it was was interesting, and sometimes challenging, to wrap my brain around how Lizzie walked through a normal day--what seemed like tasks I wouldn't really question or do grudgingly, but do fairly uncomplicatingly enough, could be obstacles to productivity to her. Honestly, reading Lizzie's parts gave me a lot to think about when it comes to how the world understands adult ADHD and the unseen challenges and beauty that that diagnosis can be--I truly had to check myself and I love it when a novel requires that of me. I also really enjoyed the whole set up with Rake. From the one night stand to the surprise pregnancy, their dynamic was fun and funny to read.

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake was a thoughtful, laugh out loud romance that I think you should pick up and devour this weekend.

I had a difficult time getting past something that occurred early in the book. Maybe I can try again with a different reaction, but at this time it just made me feel physically sick.

"Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake" is about force-of-nature Lizzie and the two night stand that changes everything. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll focus on Lizzie. She is a baker and she has ADHD and she struggles with dealing with her stuffy parents. Eddings writes her in such a way that she's totally endearing. The other main character is an Australian swimsuit marketer; he is ridiculously named Rake, but he's written to be pretty lovable as well. Really rooted for the characters throughout this book.