Member Reviews
After reading Mazey Edding's previous book, A Brush With Love, I was super excited to receive this book as an ARC, and it confirmed that I really enjoy her writing style.
The characters, Lizzie and Rake, are both complex and interesting, and Lizzie's experience with ADHD adds an extra layer to this book that really fascinated me. While I am not always a big fan of the insta love/attraction trope, I still found myself pulled into the characters and wanting to keep reading. I have spent a long time reading books that had the same characters over and over again, and lately, I have been reading more stories featuring neurodivergent, lgbtq, or plus size characters and I just find these stories more interesting, relatable, and quite frankly, real.
Many Many Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Oh. My. God. This book had no business being this good. I could not put it down. Lizzie and Rake are actual goals. I loved the author’s representation of ADHD and how it was tackled. I’ve never read a character like Lizzie before and you can’t help but feel and root for her. AND RAKE?! He was so amazing and always there for Lizzie and loved her as she was. I can’t say enough good things about this book other than it’s a MUST READ!
Thank you netgalley for the arc!!
The author grabbed me before the story even started with her dedication: "For anyone who's been told they're too loud. Too emotional. Too much. You are the perfect amount of enough." I couldn't love Lizzie Blake any more if I tried and this book is going to have a special place in my heart!
The first to admit her life is a bit of a mess, Lizzie has a hard time focusing or keeping a job thanks to her ADHD. Because of the way her brain is wired differently too many people have dismissed her or called her 'too much' - no one more so than her mother.
Then Lizzie meets Rake, a hot Australian man she picks up in a bar and has a no strings attached affair. Neither is looking for a relationship but when their short time together has a surprise consequence Rake and Lizzie try to make things work, getting to know one another as they go.
I flew through this book so fast and didn't want it to end!! The ADHD rep is amazing as are the strong female friendships between Lizzie and her three best friends. Other things to look forward to include a Dan and Harper cameo from A brush with love, off the charts chemistry, witty banter and heartwarming vulnerability.
This book was the bright spot I didn't know I needed and I can't wait to read the next book in the series featuring Indira. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copy. I will not stop gushing about this book and highly recommend it for fans of Chloe Liese or Four ways to wear a dress by Gillian Libby (another romance with a main character who has ADHD).
CW: toxic parental relationship, infidelity and unexpected pregnancy
Ugh I loved this book! I loved the ADHD representation and the spice! I loved reading Lizzie's story after reading A Brush With Love
If you liked Mazey Eddings's debut novel, A Brush With Love, you'll probably love Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. Lizzie was a supporting character in ABWL whose effervescent personality leapt off the page, and in LBBM she takes center stage and shines bright like a diamond. As a woman with ADHD it was wonderful to meet a heroine with ADHD who was portrayed with such love and empathy -- watching her learn to love herself, recognize her own worth, draw firm boundaries and accept love/support from others felt truly healing. Excellent chemistry and banter between Lizzie and Rake, her hot Australian love interest, and the supporting cast added warmth, hilarity, and just enough conflict to keep the story feeling rooted in reality. Well done, Mazey Eddings!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is definitely witty, fast paced, and well written. It is a positive representation of a heroine with ADHD surrounding herself with people who accept her. Even though I couldn't really relate to the decisions the characters made, it was still a fun read.
I didn't think there was much character or relationship development in this book. I know this is a romance novel, but I think characters should struggle a bit more than they do in this novel, there should be some tension. I couldn't really relate to the decisions the characters made, I don't love the accidental pregnancy trope. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought I would like this book, as I loved this author's debut. I underestimated how much I would love this book. GAH!
I am not sure how, but Mazie Eddings grabs you from the first page and does NOT let you go until the last page, and then leaves you wanting SO MUCH MORE.
The characters in this book are so very special, they're loving, and unique and generous and kind and I REALLY want to be in their group of friends. I grew up in Philadelphia, so I feel like I could just slip right in and they wouldn't notice. It would be a wonderful place to be, honestly. All 20 somethings need a group like this to go through life with, to have the support and love and just all of the feels. I'm jealous of them, in a way.
Also, this book features two of my favorite things. A redhead and an Australian accent.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I loved A Brush With Love so, so much and couldn't wait to read this. I went in totally blind and probably should have read the synopsis to prepare myself. Accidental pregnancy is not a trope I like and I just couldn't click with Lizzie like I did with Harper. This was steamy and Rake was endearing with how he was all-in on everything but I just couldn't connect with their love story. The author did a great job with mental health representation as she did with A Brush With Love; I just wished I connected with the characters more.
This was fun, adorable, and heartfelt. I finished it in a day because I couldn't put it down! Lizzie is chaotic, but she loves hard and lives to the fullest. Rake was a perfect counterpart and I love how they opened each other up for things neither thought they deserved/wanted. I absolutely loved this book. Thanks to SMP for offering it on Net Galley. I’m definitely preordering it so I can have a physical copy once it releases.
This book was super spicy, and honestly, it was a bit too spicy for me. However, what kept me going was that I really loved the ADHD rep in this book! Learning more about it and finding more about ADHD through lizzie really gave me a better idea of what its like to live with ADHD. I knew that a lot of times it gets misdiagnosed in women, but going on her journey with her, i absolutely loved it! I also absolutely loved lizzie and Rake's relationship and the character development. with both of them, and i loved that we got the duel perspective. Im such a sucker for cinnamon male characters!
I love this group of friends and their chosen family. This book is a must read if you enjoyed the first one. I really do enjoy how she represents mental health in her stories,and normalizes the use of medication. It needs to be talked about more. Many people don't get that and I love seeing that portrayed in these books. Mazey Eddings does such a good job portraying Lizzie as someone who struggles with ADHD, someone who has the desire to be loved, however loving oneself enough to know what they need. The family dynamic that Lizzie grew up with unfortunately is very normal and I'm so glad for how it was portrayed and how Lizzie responded to it and how Rake's was so different.
I received this arc from St. Martin's Press/Net Galley in exchange for an honest review as always all thoughts are my own.
While I’m not the biggest fan of “baby” plots, I did enjoy this story! It was low angst, fun, and I loved the dynamic between Lizzie and Rake.
I was SO excited to read this after being fully obsessed with A Brush with Love and I was not disappointed! Mazey Eddings has the most captivating writing style and I could not put this book down.
Lizzie‘s ADHD has caused her a lot of grief over the years, such as being unable to keep a job, remember to take her meds, or show up for dinner with her family on time. However, all of that pales in comparison to when she realizes that she’s pregnant after a two night stand with a guy who isn’t even on the same continent as her any longer. When she calls Rake to let him know about her plan to keep the baby, she’s shocked that he wants to be platonic co-parents. But is platonic really in the cards?
Lizzie and Rake’s relationship was so heartwarming and their care and affection for each other felt truly genuine. There were times that I wanted to just hug and comfort Lizzie myself! I also loved getting to see Lizzie from Rake’s perspective and how appreciative he was of her presence in his life.
I related so much to Lizzie’s experience with her ADHD and appreciated the representation of both adult AND female ADHD! I also appreciated the storyline about Lizzie’s relationship with her family and the portrayal of an imperfect family relationship.
This is the exact opposite of a slow burn romance with plenty of spice from the beginning. I also loved getting to catch up with Harper and Dan and can’t wait to see what is in store for Indira!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy!
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy!
*4.5
Lizzie is a fun, lively, red headed woman. She meets Rake, a beautiful Australian man, at a bar. Their banter is outstanding and they quickly find themselves in bed together. Twice! He heads back to Australia and she goes on with her life. A couple weeks later she begins feeling nauseous and tired. Surprise pregnancy trope activated!! Lizzie tells Rake she's pregnant and he immediately wants to be involved. He gets a job in the states and gets an apartment for them to share so he can help support her. Forced proximity and one bed tropes activated!! Even considering Lizzie's ADHD and Rake's emotional distance, they realize that despite the pregnancy, they truly love each other.
This book was so fun. The 🔥 scenes are great and Lizzie is just a blast. Her and Rake are so witty, so their banter is very entertaining. Lizzie's fun side is shown so well but so is her struggle living with ADHD as an adult. She is often chaos on two legs but Rake loves her for it while others in her life try to change her. I also appreciated that she finally sets a boundary with toxic family members. The surprise pregnancy trope kept this from a 5 * read for me. Wonderful read!
I have to admit that this book started off quite risque and is not typical of the books I usually read, but I did end up liking it by the end. Definitely lighthearted and fun.
4 stars - big thanks to St Martin’s Press for this ARC! Mazey Edding’s did an incredible job describing life with ADHD. Her characters were fun & likeable, and Lizzie & Rake were such a great couple. I loved reading their relationship evolve and grow! I don’t normally enjoy books where the main character gets pregnant, but thoroughly enjoyed this one. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series 👀
This book was so good cute little rom com very summery and just gave me all of the cozy vibes! I love how the author wrote the characters and side characters to correlate really well together and make sure that the side characters didn’t overpower the mc’s 100% would recommend to a friend who’s looking for a fun book this summer!
This was a cute book! I loved how Mazey Eddings was able to write a complex MC that had ADHD and really bring awareness to their daily struggles. I loved seeing the romance develop between Lizzie and Rake. It was so great to see her accept herself and the love she truly deserved. I will definitely be reading a brush with love next.
I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
I was ecstatic when this book showed up as Read Now on NetGalley. As soon as I finished reading Mazey's debut, A Brush With Love, I NEEDED this book.
And it more than delivered. It glowed.
This one has more on page sex than her previous, which fits the story perfectly. There's sass, communication!!!, and incredible growth for Lizzie and Rake individually and together.
.The romance is incredible for all these reasons. Whether one cares for the other is NEVER a question for the reader and only a short time for the characters, which was refreshing.
Favorite moments include a kicking ass moment (literally), and each demanding respect for the one they love. It' speaks to their growth and their love for the other and I hope some level of that is in every romance I read going forward.
Yes, there's a surprise pregnancy! It was my first time reading this trope and, if it's always written with such care, compassion, and humor, it'll become a new favorite trope.
I laughed. I cried. And I did it over and over again. It'll be a re-read for sure.
Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mazey Eddings for the eARC!
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake may very well be my top read of the year! If you loved A Brush With Love, you’ll absolutely fall in love with Lizzie (and Rake — yes that is his real name)! The story follows Lizzie, a kind-hearted baker of all things NSFW as she navigates the world and dating while battling severe ADHD. She has a strict hook-up policy, until she meets Rake, who just gets her. Lizzie is as lovable as she is relatable, and Rake is just…well there are no PG words to describe him! Eddings beautifully navigates and approaches adult ADHD, showing that even while we think we may be broken, there is always someone there to catch you and show you how strong you truly are. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!