I'm going to be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this book after being disappointed with A Brush with Love but this was so good. Lizzie was the one character who stood out the most to me even in the last book and I absolutely adored her. I connected so much with her struggles that I was constantly close to tears, and her experience with ADHD felt so personal and well done. I loved the chemistry between Lizzie and Rake, yes they had some super cheesy moments but I didn't even care because they were so cute together. I didn't know this book had the pregnancy trope when I started so I was a little surprised but it was done really well and I loved that development, I loved what it added to Lizzie and Rake's dynamic. My one complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed, but it wasn't anything that bothered me too much. I also selfishly wish the epilogue was longer because I wanted to see more of lizzie and rake as parents but this book had pretty much everything I love and I already miss spending time with Lizzie, Rake and their little one. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

OH MY GOD!

This book is just amazing!

The spice?!
The romance?!
The characters?!

I devoured this book and I so wish it just kept going. I wish I could erase it from my brain so I could experience it again.

You cannot go wrong with this read!

When I first met Lizzie in “A Brush With Love” I honestly found her a little over the top and too much, but it was nice to get to learn her story and to see a different side of her in this book. It’s nice to see fiery, over the top Lizzie be vulnerable and scared. Once again, Mazey Eddings provides a neurodivergent character who is relatable AF. Lizzie’s struggles and growth are so nice to see, and honestly, it made me feel seen.
I love that Rake SEES Lizzie especially because it seems like her own family doesn’t. All anyone really wants is to find someone that gets them and that loves them unconditionally for who they are, and it was so lovely to see Lizzie find that person in Rake. Honestly though, my biggest issue with Rake is his name . RAKE? Really?
This book was as lovely as “A Brush With Love”. Just as sweet, just as steamy, and just as easy to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

How dare Mazey Eddings write these adorable smol bean cinnamon roll love interests. How. Dare. She. I swooned over Dental Dan, but I’d risk it all for Rake. I love that man.

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is all about the whimsical, chaotic, sunshine-personified Lizzie and the beloved, I-have-no-feelings-but-also-have-all-the-feelings Rake. When a two-night stand ends in a surprise pregnancy, the two decide to be “platonic co-parents”. This is complicated by the fact that they constantly want to rip each other’s clothes off. Also, they are sharing a studio apartment. With one bed.

I. Loved. This. Book. It flew by and was just an adorable, heartwarming read. I read it right after I finished A Brush With Love and it was two days of glorious swoons and banter. Lizzie is such a fun and standout character and Rake is the perfect match for her. I loved seeing more of Lizzie’s friends and checking in with Harper and Dental Dan. I need to be blessed with Indira’s story as soon as possible.

Overall, the book has my heart and I will be (im)patiently waiting for whatever Mazey Eddings writes next.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

I usually don’t like the pregnancy trope but this one is living in my head rent free! Both characters are relatable and swoon worthy. I loved this book!

Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: cheating (in past), accidental pregnancy, ableism
Read if you liked: A Brush With Love
Steam: 3/5
Tropes: Forced Proximity, It's Just a Hook Up, Surprise Pregnancy

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake will be released on September 6th, 2022.

She's here, she's here! I am so glad I got to spend time in this world again and meet Lizzie and Rake. Gosh, I want to hug these humans and their sweet tender love. I love Mazey's writing style it is equal parts hysterical and beautiful chaos.

Things I loved: I'm one of those rare people that don't mind an accidental pregnancy trope because I adore this level of forced proximity. While this trope was present, this book was so much more focused on Lizzie and Rake and their growing relationship. The heat was brought in this book and I was here for it. Rake (like Dan in ABWL) is a absolute SIMP for Lizzie, worships the ground she walks on and honestly, too good for this earth. Did I mention he's Australian? There are so many moments I highlighted in which I just adored the way they loved each other and wanted to hug them both. The way Rake always defends Lizzie. Lizzie is so authentic to herself!. The erotic baking, currently thinking of what kind of dessert I can make for my review post. ADHD rep was well done, and while I do not have ADHD, I do have many friends that do and have identified a lot with Lizzie.

Things I didn't care for: You got it, the parents, the villains' of our story so of course I just wanted to yell at them!!! I would have preferred a little bit more of a conflict, it was quick to resolution.

The author and I are friends + mutual on social media but this in no way impacted my review.

Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: cheating (in past), accidental pregnancy, ableism
Read if you liked: A Brush With Love
Steam: 3/5
Tropes: Forced Proximity, It's Just a Hook Up, Surprise Pregnancy

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake will be released on September 6th, 2022.

She's here, she's here! I am so glad I got to spend time in this world again and meet Lizzie and Rake. Gosh, I want to hug these humans and their sweet tender love. I love Mazey's writing style it is equal parts hysterical and beautiful chaos.

Things I loved: I'm one of those rare people that don't mind an accidental pregnancy trope because I adore this level of forced proximity. While this trope was present, this book was so much more focused on Lizzie and Rake and their growing relationship. The heat was brought in this book and I was here for it. Rake (like Dan in ABWL) is a absolute SIMP for Lizzie, worships the ground she walks on and honestly, too good for this earth. Did I mention he's Australian? There are so many moments I highlighted in which I just adored the way they loved each other and wanted to hug them both. The way Rake always defends Lizzie. Lizzie is so authentic to herself!. The erotic baking, currently thinking of what kind of dessert I can make for my review post. ADHD rep was well done, and while I do not have ADHD, I do have many friends that do and have identified a lot with Lizzie.

Things I didn't care for: You got it, the parents, the villains' of our story so of course I just wanted to yell at them!!! I would have preferred a little bit more of a conflict, it was quick to resolution.

The author and I are friends + mutual on social media but this in no way impacted my review.

This was the softest most heartwarming romance ever. As someone who isn’t a fan of the pregnancy trope this book has fully converted me. I love Rake and I love Lizzie even more. The ADHD representation is so important and well put. I cannot get enough of Mazey’s work!

📖 Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I read Mazey Eddings’ debut novel A BRUSH WITH LOVE so I was very excited to receive an ARC of her second novel. I have to admit: I loved this novel even more than her debut. ❤️ Lizzie’s personality is carefree and a lot of fun. She is beautiful inside and out, loving, a little chaotic person. Rake is calm and head-leveled. Some might say they are polar opposite (which they are), but I think they absolutely complimented each other. I enjoyed their journey to get to know each other and see if they can build a future together.
Mazey Eddings’ writing is fun and witty. Her novel is fast-paced with a lot of heat.
This was the first romance I read with accidental pregnancy trope, and I can’t say it is my favorite trope, but it worked in this book. I can’t wait to read more books by Mazey. 😃

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

Thank you Net Galley and SMP for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

After A Brush with Love, my expectations were super high for this one, and oh my God, what an experience, this book. I felt so identified with Lizzie sometimes it felt as if I was reading my own mind. Reading so openly about ADHD and its struggles made me feel SO seen and understood. Also. the characters and the plot were complex and real in a way only Mazey can achieve. I felt myself connecting with Lizzie and Rake at a spiritual level. ABWL was an absolute fave, but Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is taking a big corner of my heart.

I was super excited to read this book after A Brush With Love and it delivered.

This is Lizzie’ story, a baker living with ADHD. Everything spicy that was lacking in Mazzy Edding’s first novel was in this one which was a very good thing. More mature, this book lets sexuality be a normal aspect of life and removes any taboo about enjoying casual hookups.

I don’t normally enjoy the unplanned pregnancy trope, but it was well developed in this case. I liked that the characters were older and ready to actually plan their future instead of just winging it and see where it goes.

I enjoyed it and would recommend it as an easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

Mazey Eddings’ writing speaks right to me. I fell in love with her debut novel, A Brush with Love. And now I’ve done it again with her sophomore novel, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.

This story is so much more than just a woman who has a one night stand with a hot Aussie, that leads to more complications. It’s a beautiful story about a woman with a beautiful mind, that’s always been told she’s a bit too messy & bit too out of control, that meets a man who matches her beauty & takes a chance on each other.

The real look at what it’s like to have adult ADHD spoke to me. The struggles Lizzie has gone through to lead her towards Rake just makes the story that much richer. Their journey kept me turning the pages, rooting for both of them to find their happy ever after. Goodness I loved them both!

I recently read Mazey Eddings’ first book A Brush With Love and it’s become one of my all time favourite romance books, so I was excited to learn that there would be more in the series focusing on the other girls in the little foursome of friends. I was even more excited to get my hands on the ARC for this second book to review - so thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin's Press.

This book follows Lizzie, which makes sense considering the little window we got into her life and mental health struggles at the end of A Brush With Love. Although this book could definitely be read as a standalone. Lizzie is a baker who has a two-night stand with a handsome Australian guy named Rake. When Lizzie finds out she’s pregnant and they decide to co-parent they’re forced to deal with their intense attraction, but trying to keep a platonic relationship while living together for the baby’s sake.

Right off the bat, Lizzie’s instalment in this series is much steamier than the previous book - but it makes total sense given Lizzie’s personality, character arc and storyline. Similar to the first book, Lizzie’s mental health is a central focus of the story. She has ADHD and it’s something she’s struggled to deal with her whole life. I really like the way Eddings incorporates mental health into her books in a way that makes the characters feel grounded in reality and provides representation. Even though that element is in common between the first two books in this series, the stories are completely different. Sometimes romances can feel formulaic and repetitive, but Eddings characters and storytellings are unique and kept me engaged. Although this book didn’t hit quite as hard for me personally, as I more related Harper being a woman in STEM with anxiety, I thoroughly enjoyed it and solidified Mazey Eddings as a must read author for me!

Full review posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press!

Lizzie’s carefree ways have caused her problems in the past, but when she ends up pregnant from a 2-night fling with a gorgeous Australian, she’s ready to change. She finds a new job and works to better understand and manage her ADHD. When Rake finds out about the pregnancy, he’s ready to leave Australia behind and make a new life with Lizzie and their baby.

Although “accidental pregnancy” is my least favorite romance trope, the author found a way to make it palatable. Lizzie and Rake are both shown having a range of emotions surrounding the pregnancy. There’s just enough conflict in the storyline that it shows the more complicated sides of an unexpected pregnancy. I appreciate the way the author handles Lizzie’s ADHD, especially the realistic way it is acknowledged (or not) by family. It’s not all drama and seriousness in this book though. There is still plenty of humor and great banter.

I really did enjoy this book, in spite of the main trope, and I think that really says something for Mazey Eddings writing. A Brush with Love is already one of my favorite reads from this year so I expected great things from Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake. She did not disappoint! I look forward to whatever Mazey Eddings writes next.

(Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC!!)

After reading "A Brush with Love" I knew I would enjoy anything Mazey Eddings had to offer. "Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake" was the perfect sequel to Harper and Dan's story. Lizzie and Rake were just as sweet and endearing as I hoped! I found myself laughing, smiling, and crying with Lizzie as she not only managed her ADHD, but a suprise pregnancy as well. Mazey Eddings does an incredible job of writing about complex female characters. I desperately want to be friends with Harper, Lizzie, Thu, and Indira!!

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

If I had to make a pyramid to organize tropes by preference, accidental pregnancy would be at the top with grumpy/sunshine. God, how I love this trope. Getting to know each other, starting to love each other thanks to a baby they didn’t plan… it has to be the softest trope ever invented.

The biggest word I can find to describe Lizzie Blake is adoration. If she existed, I would stand in front of her and slay every single person who tried to hurt her by telling her she’s too much. She’s perfect and chaotic and deserves to be loved as fiercely as she loves.

Everyone deserves a Rake. He loved Lizzie so easily, like it was the natural thing to do. I loved that he had no questions or regrets. He made mistakes, yes… but who doesn’t? Loving someone doesn’t make you perfect, but it makes you try again and again, and that’s what matters the most.

This book isn’t a ray of sunshine, it’s the sun itself. Sweet, loving, chaotic, and a beautiful reminder that the way your brain was built does not determine your value as a person, because everyone deserves to be loved just as we are. If someone needs you to change, to be less like yourself, in order to love you, they don’t deserve your love at all.

TW: toxic parents, internalized ableism, cheating (past)

Rating: 5/5
Steam: 3/5

THANK YOU to the publisher for my advance review copy. It made my month.

So, I read A Brush with Love a couple weeks ago, also by Mazey Eddings and was obsessed, so I requested this ARC immediately after finishing A Brush with Love. To be honest… I think I loved Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake even more! Lizzie is such a fun, wild, heartwarming character. Rake is soooo swoon worthy (hello hot Australian!), and the two of them together was perfection. I loved the emotion, the familial struggles, the vivaciousness and originality of Lizzie’s job. This book has some of my favorite tropes: sort of found family, forced proximity, single bed. Normally I am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, but for some reason it really worked with this book and didn’t bother me at all! I am on my way to preorder a physical copy because I know that I’ll be rereading this book for years to come! Definitely a solid 4.75 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the advance review copy; all opinions are my own! While the author and I are dear friends, this in no way biased me. I truly loved this book from start to finish.

LIZZIE BLAKE'S BEST MISTAKE was everything my heart needed. This book is *phenomenal*: fresh, energetic, a little irreverent, emotional, and deeply sexy, just like its titular character, Lizzie Blake. Lizzie is a vivacious, unfiltered, chaotic ball of sunshine who I completely adored, and Rake, who she meets at a pub and has a steamy two-night stand with, is her perfect counterpart: starchy, serious, dutiful, and cautious. These two have some of the best chemistry I've read in years. Their snappy banter, sizzling physical connection, and achingly romantic relationship were hot, full of feels, and so satisfying. Seeing how their surprise pregnancy brings them together, how they join arms against the world, particularly Lizzie's less than supportive family and Rake's toxic harsh work environment, was powerful and heartening.

As a neurodivergent woman, I'm so grateful to see neurodivergent storytellers giving us positive, nuanced, compassionate neurodiverse representation. Lizzie's experience of ADHD was raw and real and deeply sympathetic. Her gorgeous passion, energy, honesty, and creativity, just as much as her efforts to negotiate time management, keeping track of her possessions, feeling guilty when she dropped the ball, were all handled with such care and thoughtful realism. Even though I don't have ADHD, I still felt so affirmed as a neurodivergent woman, seeing Lizzie contend with her strengths and struggles and learn to love herself better while finding meaningful work, falling in love with her baby, building a found family with her friends and Rake, her delicious, dedicated love, with whom she finds her perfectly imperfect happily ever after.

The main character Lizzie has ADHD in this book. She doesn't let it limit her life. The writer was sensitive about this topic and deals with it with intelligence and understanding. It was so nice to see Harper and Dan from Mazey Eddings' first book too! Lizzie and the love interest Rake are really cute together and I love how they interact with each other. A terrific romance with lots of humor.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

“Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake” by Mazey Eddings is the second in a trilogy, however this book can be read as a stand-alone (per other reviewers, Lizzie is introduced in the first book, which came out in MAR, when I’m writing this review).

So, onto the book - I really liked how Lizzy addresses, tries to cope with, and acknowledges her ADHD. I also like how the author delved into a bit of Lizzie’s family coping (or not!) with Lizzie’s wild energy, different thinking, and not fitting in. That Lizzie was unabashedly herself was refreshing! I also liked how Lizzie tried to set up coping mechanisms - setting an alarm to help her remember her pills, realizing when she needed help, and using techniques to calm herself - I’ve known a number of people who use those, also with ADHD. And, like Lizzie, sometimes these mechanisms work … and sometimes not. What also worked - the quirky bakery idea. It’s not my cup of tea, but, hey, if it floats people boats, go for it! I really liked Bernadette, though I was wondering in the end how the whole bakery keeping afloat thing was going to work with a newborn, maybe that’s mentioned in book three? Rake’s parents - so loving, so understand, and so wonderful! Lizzie’s humor is a bit crude and, as a friend might say, “impulsively filterless,” - but while I believe working with her might be exhausting, in little doses she’s refreshingly wonderful.

What didn’t quite work as much for me was the instalove (I know why it was included, but - yeah). While I’m okay with some “sexy time,” this went into the realm of being uncomfortable for me to read. A solid 3.5 rating, which I’ll round up to a 4 because I greatly enjoyed Lizzie’s Lizzie-ness and portrayal.