This was Mazey Eddings at her best! Well, Actually is such a delightful romp. I fell in love with Eva and Rylie immediately, they had perfect chemistry from the first encounter on page. Their banter was pitch-perfect, and this story fully explained how and why their initial romance fizzled. It felt real, not contrived. This is the kind of Rivals-to-Lovers romance that I adore, where you are smitten with both characters and really hope and pray they figure things out!

The spiciness is lovely and I think every guy should be more like Rylie. He's pretty wonderful and his growth and development is really seen through their dialogue. I loved how realistic Eva's job was, with the pseudojournalism-for-clicks aspect of her show and how frustrating that was for her. Eva had some work to do as well, to fully believe in herself and deal with a manipulative workplace/supervisors and a misogynistic media space. Eddings is always whipsmart with her social commentary, and that is fully displayed in this book. I'll be recommending it to everyone, there are butterflies galore when Eva and Rylie are together in a scene.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wanted to love this one because I’m a big Mazey Eddings fan, but the FMC was just too mean for me, and the storyline too unrealistic. Appreciated the Lizzie cameo. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of Well, Actually. If you perhaps got really excited by the Andrew Garfield Chicken Shop Date, then this may in fact be for you specifically.

Release Date: August 5, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Vibes:
• Podcast nice guy x burnt-out journalist
• the entertainment industry does not care about you as a person
• being a b!tch in the name of protecting yourself
• "give me six dates to prove I am a better man than I was 6 years ago"

With all I am about to go off about, this was still fun and I did absolutely devour it. The true biggest crime of this book was the jomforter (jean comforter.... comforter made of denim).

I really just need to say that you will not like this book if unnecessarily snappy main characters, because boy oh boy does Eva really need help with that. For someone that wants to talk trash about others being bad, she could very much use therapy for her behavior (and she really should have been called out on this).

After a drunken video calling out her college ex (aforementioned podcast nice guy) for ghosting her and treating her poorly goes viral overnight, Eva must now interview him on her sarcastic hot dog interview show called Sausage Talk. Rylie insists on having changed since then and asks Eva to give him six dates to prove it, all while airing it out on both of their shows. Eva is pretty much forced into doing so with the promise of a promotion, and ability to work on something she cares about, being held over her head.

As expected, there was more to why Rylie was so distant in college. He has gone to therapy, worked on himself, and is actually a good person. My issue? Why the HECK are we supposed to be focused on him becoming better rather than watching Eva grow up?

She is unbelievably terrible the whole book, all in the name of being a Hot Girl. I thought I was going to love that aspect of not taking crap from anyone, but honestly she isn't even good at that with her only really being that way with people she cares about instead of the people who actually deserve that kind of treatment. We see Eva being taken advantage of in an business that could not care less about her and a very toxic work environment full of harassment and nonconsensual recording.

There were also really great points about society and how we talk about sex! Conversations on taking out the size/shape of genitalia was really nice since there really isn't a normal, and verbally punishing people for their body is not in any way helpful or productive. The characters also talking about sexuality and the difficulties of understanding yourself was really well done.

This book was everything a rom-traum-com should be—sharp, hilarious, and unexpectedly deep. The humor was next-level—Eva had a quip for everything and everyone, delivering some of the most savage burns I’ve ever read. She used humor as armor, and it was both wildly entertaining and painfully relatable.

And Rylie? A walking, ironic-crewneck-wearing teddy bear. He took Eva’s verbal smackdowns like a champ, all while working through his own redemption arc—overcoming grief, rectifying past mistakes, and endless groveling. My new favorite trope is men in therapy. The way he broke down Eva’s walls while affirming her in ways she could actually accept absolutely melted me.

Their dynamic was pure gold. Every conversation crackled with wit, tension, and something deeper beneath the surface. The romance wasn’t just swoon-worthy—it felt like a natural extension of their already electric connection.

I've never read anything quite like this book—sharp wit and raw emotion woven together so seamlessly. It’s a rare mix that made this story completely unforgettable.

This cover is to die for and so are the contents of the book. SIMPLY PERFECTION. I had an absolute blast reading this. Everything about this was amazing.

THANKS. SO. MUCH. for the ARC‼️ it took me a while to realize I liked this book - but I love The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt and that’s the last time I read a book w a feisty FMC. Eva reminds me of LaRynn but they are def two distinct characters.

I literally just finished this book so I’m having a hard time quantifying the rating, but it’s definitely four stars if not higher.

I absolutely love the cinnamon roll / golden retriever, archetype for a MMC so that worked really well for me. I really love the pacing of the last third of the book and it made for a really enjoyable read. Another win by Mazey Eddings - I’ll read anything she writes. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors, which is crazy because this is literally her second job. No one writes togetherness like she does -- you can't not root for one of her couples when they're together and happy.

Eva Kitt calls out a college ex turned feminist influencer Rylie Cooper for his toxic behavior during their short relationship. After going viral, Eva agrees to go on a series of dates with Rylie where he intends to prove he’s changed. Romance ensues, explanations are given, and the prickly heroine falls. I loved the first half of this slow burn (one-sided) enemies-to-lovers/second chance romance. It’s funny and smart with a grouchy, but relatable heroine. My biggest complaint is that the second half felt like it moved too fast. I would have liked to spend more time unpacking the heroine’s baggage with her family that we hear about throughout, but she never really confronts. Overall, I enjoyed this fast, flirty read!

Mazey continues to exceed expectations in her ability to tell heartfelt and spicy stories, with characters who are "real". Each books shines a light on a little piece of the "small" girl inside. Love escaping the real world for a while in a Mazey Eddings book.

Well, Actually… I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down :) Love the writing and characters that had me giggling throughout, it’s such a fun story! Eva & Riley are the perfect dynamic. They are perfectly flawed but in the most lovable and relatable way with laugh out loud moments all throughout the story. Eva’s inner dialog + their banter between her and Rylie throughout has me wanting to be their BFFs!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Goodreads review-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217387757

IG review-
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFd7shPRuhl/?igsh=amI5b3JnZm0xYmg3

With the quippy and quick dialogue we've known to expect from Eddings, this book has it times ten. Eva and Rylie's chemistry is off the charts and fun to read. Edding's other commonality between her books is the focus on mental health and this one does a great job of that as well.

If you were as obsessed with that one...similar poultry restaurant show video- this is for you!

I will say, at some points, Eva did bother me. She hardcore needs some good therapy like Rylie had. Her actions in the beginning are questionable and I wish they had some worse consequences.

Eva is the host of sausage talk and interviews B-list celebrities ovr hot dogs.... She calls out her college ex, Rylie, a beloved social media personality. Rylie offers to take her out on dates to make for his toxi behavoiour....

Love the chemistry between the main characters. They sparkle together. Enjoy the fun and humour too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Overall, I really liked this book. The characters are interesting and have depth, and the writing is good.

My main issue with the book, which is unfortunately a pretty major one, is that both Eve and the author seem to think that Eve publicly blasting Rylie near the beginning of the book is acceptable, and doesn’t merit any apology from Eve. Yes, she was drunk, and I think it’s totally fine to have her Instagram video be a plot device. However, once sober. she should have realized her behavior wasn’t okay.

Imagine if the genders were reversed- a girl goes on a few dates with a guy in college, they have mediocre sex, and she ghosts him. 6 years later, he posts a public video disparaging her personality and sex skills. Ghosting or not, I think most people would think this is unacceptable. So why does the book treat Eve doing exactly this to Rylie as totally fine? This left a bad taste in my mouth.

I was a little hesitant with this story, but it had me eating my concerns within a few chapters. The yearning, the grovelling, the redemption. All of it was everything a girl could ask for.

This story could have easily been just a fun second chance story of two characters who missed their first chance together because of circumstances, but Mazey Eddings turned out a truly emotional, at times heart-breaking and at all times heart-warming story of two people who have been hurt throughout their lives finding exactly what they need in each other and, most importantly, finding the courage to let themselves have that.

I'm honestly grateful I found this book. Rylie and Eva are some of the most relatable characters I've read and watching them grow and learn and change was such a delight.

I miss this book already.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC -- all opinions are mine, freely given because I freaking loved this book.

Okay, so don't judge me when I say this is the first Mazey Eddings book I've read. No one's perfect. But this book? Eva and Rylie? Basically perfect for me.

Eva herself is not perfect: she's closed off and sarcastic, but she has reason to be. The incident that brought Rylie back into her orbit made me cackle. Watching Rylie slowly, methodically chip at her defenses watered my crops and healed my inner child. What a man.

The book made me laugh out loud several times -- the abject horror of Rylie and Eva's first date, some of the absolute zingers Eva delivers ... it was just so much fun.

And the chemistry between them? Off the charts.

I adored it, and now I need to go read everything else Mazey Eddings has ever written.

This book took me by surprise in the best way. I went in expecting a fun romance but it delivered so much more — packed with emotion, depth and characters that felt real. The chemistry? Absolutely electric. And the spice? Perfectly done. I was giggling, kicking my feet, fully invested from start to finish.

Honestly, this is one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. Mazey Eddings nailed it, and I can’t recommend it enough!

What’s better than a second chance romance? A grumpy-sunshine, tough-as-nails FMC going head to head with the bestest of boys, sweetest crewneck wearing, golden retriever MMC. I adored Eva and Riley’s second chance at love and appreciated the tender hearted vulnerability that laved the way to their ultimate reconnection.

I actually did enjoy Well, Actually. It was silly and fun, and took only a couple of hours to read through. The dialogue was snappy and the concept was cute.

However, overall, I didn't think the plot or character development was enough to bump it to a 4 star. First, the characters were not very interesting or likable for me? I didn't find Eva's "black cat" personality very believable, though it made for some good one-liners. Why so mean for no reason? Her job and her dependence on it also seemed tenuous - is all she does the hot dog appearances once in a while? Does she do any other work? How is that a full-time job (when its clear she doesn't have a ton of exposure and is not celebrity-level famous). Why wouldn't she be leveraging her small presence through social media? So many questions. And Cooper's influencer job seemed similarly baffling. It also sounded like he lived in a mansion by NYC standards. I didn't find him as a character very likable at all - the development over just 6 years was not believable, his whole personality seemed to be liking Eva. There was no depth to either of them, and no growth. It felt rushed and cobbled-together. Everything was surface-level.

Despite having quite a few things I disliked, it was a fluffy, fun read nonetheless and I expect other fans will enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This book was so fun and cute and also a lot more emotional than I was expecting. I couldn’t help but love Rylie - he was just so charming and sweet and so incredibly obsessed with Eva. Learning about why he acted the way he did in the past made me love him even more and I was obsessed with his collection of weird sweatshirts. Eva took a little longer to grow on me but I ended up really enjoying her character. She had really great growth throughout the book and I liked how she slowly opened up more and more to Rylie.
This was a fun premise. I liked all the “fake” dates they went on and how they debriefed them on the podcast. There were a lot of fun elements and I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was both funny and emotionally quite heavy. Both characters have past trauma, although the MMC has mostly worked through it. This is single point of view from the FMC, so she's the one we see grappling with her issues. It feels very current, as the author clearly did her research by spending lots of time online 😉. This is pretty spicy, but only after about 70%. I would have liked more with her family, even if it's only her realizing how awful they were to her and to acknowledge their behavior was a them problem, not a her problem. I often find it very difficult to read books where the FMC is being taken advantage of/bullied, and usually DNF, but this one hit differently to me. Perhaps because the heroine's reaction to this is to just be an ice cold b!tch rather than get trampled on (or to at least not let anyone see that she minds being trampled on). Because we can see how vulnerable she is inside, I don't think this made her too unlikeable. [For those wondering about the "queer" tag, the MMC is bi and the FMC is pansexual.] Anyway, this is pretty ramble-y, but I'll just sum it up to say I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

My first 5 star read of the year!!!! I want to shout my love for this book for all to hear. From the very first chapter I was hooked. I couldn’t put the book down. I was giggling, blushing, kicking my feet, laughing out loud, and simply GUSHING over the words that came out of Rylie + Eva’s mouths. These two had c-h-e-m-i-s-t-r-y!!!! The flirting and tension was so freaking good. I literally was smiling like an idiot every time these two went at it. Eva is my girl!!!! I don’t want to hear a single negative thing about her. I will take it very personally lol. I felt so seen through Eva’s character. Rylie is mmc of my dreams. His dedication to Eva and the grovelling had me drooling!!!! Mazey Eddings has a way of creating beautifully flawed characters with so much depth but also with such humour. I’ve read all of Mazey’s books and I truly loved all of them. Well, Actually is now a top fav romance for me and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this baby!!!! y’all are gonna FREAK.