This is DNF within the first chapter. Probably the fastest DNF yet. The content warnings kind of gave me the ick and didn’t give me good vibes. In the first chapter there was so much self depreciation, including implying that a 27 year old woman was decrepit. It was just negative vibes all around. The choice to DNF was definitely due to the ick I got.

YES! I was here for this from the cover, to the blurb and finally landing on the story. I love a black cat female x golden retriever man . And Mazey delivered with her usual quick witted humor and banter. I want more from her asap

This was a delightful book, and I had a good time reading it! Certainly the grumpy/sunshine, black cat/golden retriever it was said to be. I think Eva Kitt will resonant with many women, and certainly the premise of dreading seeing an ex who ghosted you hits its intended emotional mark. The author has mentioned intentionally writing an unlikeable woman as her FMC for this book, but I think many women will see a bit of themselves in Eva and her journey. This book made me laugh and cry! And then feel uncomfortable while reading steamy content while still crying about the emotional content! I'd rate this book a 5 star if it actually felt like Riley had to work for it a bit more. Sure, Eva is mean to him and she's jaded and outwardly withholding, but in her internal narrative she's hot for him literally the entire time the moment she sees him again. We get our HEA, of course, but it almost felt too inevitable from the jump. Overall, would read again, and I'll buy it when it comes out.

I was not a fan of the fmc. She was rude and slow. Just seemed obvious at times that some people were against her. Don’t want to spoil it.

I really liked the concept of the book when I read about it. And I know I’m basically going against what the author was trying to do, but Eva was too mean for too long of the book. Like I love sarcasm and biting words more than most, but it was a bit much. Also, I took a star off simply because I hated the spelling of Rylie.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was kind of just all over the place. At times I found Eva to be a "I'm not like other girls" type of character, after getting over that though the book. the MMC goes by two different names which honestly just got annoying. The overall concept of the book was great, and had the potential to be super funny. I just found myself being dragged through the book though because of the two main characters.

I'm so upset I didn't like this book. I almost DNF'd it multiple times (and probably should have). Gives major chicken shop date vibes. Eva was insufferable as an FMC for me and I couldn't get past her tantrums and childish behavior. She was such a shitty friend. She was so mean the entire time. I wanted her to be more witty and clever, but she was just mean. Rylie, as our golden retriever MMC deserves better. Their relationship felt rushed and toxic. And even he was forgettable. The random therapy session (that Eva didn't see the point of when she's the one that needs therapy the most) felt odd to me. When they started hooking up, I felt like the sex took up the majority of the story after that and I just skimmed past most of it. I did like the resolution of the work storyline. So many people I know have loved this book, but it just wasn't for me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

super cute and swoony! the banter was absolutely everything! a quick new favorite, i adored everything about this book!

I was excited to dig into Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings and at first, it delivered with it's sharp humor and fast-paced writing. The first half kept me engaged but as the story went on it started to feel repetitive.

Eva's snark and defensiveness made sense given her backstory but it NEVER let up. The book is also overloaded with pop culture references, if I never see the word "vibes" again it will be soon. I was also really frustrated with Eva's friend and producer. She cared more about her job than the way Eva was being treated.

That said, I did enjoy the cameos from character's in Mazey's other books!! It was fun seeing familiar faces.

Overall, the story felt very surface level and by the end, I just didn't feel invested. Not my favorite from this author but others may enjoy the humor and pop culture more than I did.

This was a fun light easy read. I think Eva could be a bit irritating at times, and it definitely suffered pacing wise from the middle on. Really loved the chicken shop date vibes though.

This was my first book by this author. Eva and Coop met in college, where they had a very brief relationship before Coop ghosted Eva. A few years later, they're both working in New York City with social media careers. Eva bitterly realized that her dreams of being an actual journalist aren’t being realized on a podcast involving hot dogs and low-level celebrities. Meanwhile, Coop's own career as an advice podcaster has taken off. After Eva posts a drunken, resentful tirade against Coop on social media, they end up having to do some podcasts together to capitalize on the resulting viral publicity. Their story touches on multiple topics, such as the social media industry, diverse sexuality, family traumas and even therapy. The book has a lot of well-written banter along with some steamy scenes. I would downgrade its rating by two stars because Eva seemed excessively mean and immature, and it’s hard to be engaged with a story when you actively dislike a main character. I restored one of those stars, because of sympathy for Coop and for Eva’s eventual attempts at personal growth. Ultimately, this story does provide interesting insights into Gen Z and a book club may also find this book an excellent choice for discussion. I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Eva was mean, not witty, not funny, mean. I could never root for a main character that is so quick to put another person down. She was unlikable to put it nicely.

As for the main character he was bland and underdeveloped. The randomly thrown in therapy session was weird and uncalled for. As someone who has lost a family member to a drunk driver, it felt the author just needed something tragic to happen to justify the male main character acting like a normal 21-year old. Also, was his name Riley or Cooper? They were used interchangeably and I couldn’t tell if there were two guys or one.


Overall, very disappointing. I will not be recommending this.

I would definitely add this book to my list of best reads this year. Mazey Eddings has officially become one of my favourite authors! The first book I read by her was ‘Tilly in Technicolor’, which was absolutely adorable and so well-written. This is the second book I’ve read from her, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I found myself laughing and smiling like an idiot so many times while reading it. There were even moments that made me emotional. This book is written with the perfect blend of emotions, though humour definitely takes the front seat.

I really loved how the author crafted Rylie and Eva’s love story. This is what I call a perfect second chance romance - realistic, full of honest conversations, genuine effort and proper redemption. I know some people may not like Eva, but I completely fell in love with her. Grumpy female characters are my absolute favourite and Eva is no exception. I related to her so much, a girl with a tough exterior who just craves love. I adored how her character was built, she’s fierce, witty, smart and strong.

That being said, I have to be honest- I wasn’t the biggest fan of Rylie. Even though he redeemed himself well after getting a second chance, I just couldn’t overlook how he treated Eva during their college days. Going through personal struggles doesn’t give someone a free pass to treat others poorly. He was 22 years old, he could have communicated or at least reached out after a few years but he didn’t. So, I didn’t feel even a little bit bad for the way Eva treated him for most of the book, he absolutely deserved it. Still, I loved the way he put in the effort to win Eva back. Their banter, the way they teased each other back and forth, was such a sweet highlight of their relationship and I loved that it remained the same until the very end. One thing I really appreciate is how Mazey didn’t change Eva’s character to fit some romantic ideal, Rylie simply fell in love with her even more for exactly who she was.

Another aspect I truly appreciated was how the book handled sensitive topics like anxiety, grief, therapy and bisexuality. These themes were woven so seamlessly into the story that you could truly feel every single emotion while reading. One of the main themes of the book, workplace toxicity was also highlighted so well. It’s a harsh but sad reality in today’s society and Mazey captured it brilliantly. My heart broke every time I read about Eva suffering in such a toxic environment.

Overall, this book was beautifully written, both funny and heartfelt. I highly recommend it to all my followers. If you love second chance romance, reverse grumpy-sunshine dynamics and witty banter that will leave your cheeks hurting from laughter, then this book is definitely for you. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed!

Rylie is my new book boyfriend. I love Eva and her sassy attitude. I think every woman should wake up and ask themselves, how much Eva am I going to be today? Everyone should stand up for themselves and not be afraid to be vulnerable too. I loved that Rylie took his struggles and GREW from them. I love these two so freaking much. I also weirdly want a hot dog now, too.

Angry Girl Rights!

This was fun.

I saw a lot of people complaining that the FMC, Eva, was mean, and yeah, she was. And I quite liked it. Some people don’t seem to understand that snark, wit, and even straight up meanness can be a defense mechanism. Sometimes you lash out, fully aware that you’re being the worst, but it’s just armor for all the softness inside. Eva was so real for that.

I loved reading about a romance heroine who wasn’t a manic pixie dream girl, quirky, or a perfectly sweet princess. Eva wasn’t “nice,” but she had heart, soul, insecurities, and trauma that made her all the more interesting. We need more personalities in romance than just palatable, agreeable women.

The premise is great: Eva sees Rylie going viral online as a self-proclaimed “nice guy” giving life and relationship advice, but her personal experience with him in college was very different. So, in true messy girl fashion, she gets drunk and calls him out on TikTok. Naturally, it goes viral, and they’re forced to reconnect.

Rylie’s explanation for his past behavior and how much he’s grown since college felt really genuine, and I appreciated that. Also, the man was a total simp for Eva, which I ate up. He adored her snark, her “meanness,” all of it. He was basically the living embodiment of that Nick Miller quote: “Stop being so mean to me or I'm going to fall in love with you!”

So why not a full five stars? The last half of the book lost some of its urgency and meandered a bit. The final conflict wrapped up too quickly, and something about the ending just felt like it was missing a little extra. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this, definitely a fun time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC!

Honestly? This was my first ever "Enemies to lovers" romance book -- and I enjoyed it! It was cute, it was sad, it was lively and witty and I loved the banter between Eva and Rylie. I will say, it did move a littttle too fast for me in the middle, and I felt that their emotional connection was slightly lost in between their sexual tension, but all in all it was a solid read. Think Chicken shop date if Amelia hated their guest host -- and had a rather intense history with them.

Well, Actually is a sharp, witty romance with some of the best banter I’ve read in a while. This was my first book by Mazey Eddings, and it certainly won’t be my last! The humor is spot-on, and I genuinely found myself laughing out loud multiple times.

The book also delivers excellent queer representation, including trans, nonbinary, pansexual, and bisexual characters, all woven into the story in a natural and meaningful way. The romance revolves around second chance and fake dating—two tropes that bring plenty of tension, humor, and heartfelt moments. I especially enjoyed how the FMC was flawed and complex—different from the usual romance heroine, which made her stand out, even if she might not be for everyone.

While I really enjoyed the first half, I felt like the second half could have used a bit more depth, especially in terms of character development. I would have loved to see the relationships unfold with more nuance. That being said, this was still an enjoyable read with strong humor and heart. A solid 4-star book that I’d definitely recommend to fans of witty, trope-filled romances!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love a good grumpy/sunshine romance & Mazey Eddings did a phenomenal job with this one. Her books are always relatable & I can easily picture the story as I read it. This book was no exception & I found myself reading it slower since I didn't want it to end. A 4.5 star read for me. There are some explicit sex scenes & you should read the warnings at the front if you have issues with certain topics.

I support women's rights and wrongs, haha! Eddings frames such an amazing romantic narrative around a flawed FMC (which is something I wish to see more in literature in general, I loved both of the MCs and the dynamic they had. Mazey Eddings always writes such colorful and "pop off the page" type people that just feel REAL. I Cannot wait to share this with everyone I know!

I liked the first half or so but then it got really boring and I found myself skimming the rest of it. Honestly it's my own fault, I haven't really enjoyed her other books so I don't know why I requested this one.