This book rewired my brain. Eva is my hero and Rylie is the most charming book boyfriend I have ever encountered. I love when a woman can cut a man down and he eats it up. I am incredibly picky about my second chance romance stories and this was an absolute home run.

Mazey, you are a queen for this story!!! I was cackling 70% of the time. The banter was delicious, the chemistry on fire, and the pacing was perfection. This concept felt so incredibly different to any other romance I have read and truly felt like a breath of fresh air. Not only is this story refreshing, but it also feels incredibly realistic.

I loved everything about this!!!!!

Sadly this was not for me. I just really disliked the characters and found myself kind of bored throughout. Not as good as her other books

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

i'm very disappointed to say that I DNF'd this at about 40%. Eddings has been a hit or miss for me and unfortunately I just couldn't connect with these characters. The FMC came off as really rude and immature in my opinion and I felt myself cringing at some of the things she said. Because of this, I couldn't feel the chemistry between these characters and I just wasn't interested.

If there is one thing I live for—it’s banter. And we get plenty of it from Eva Kitt and Rylie Cooper. We meet these two six years after they had a thing in college and are thrown back together after a stitch goes viral. They go on some manufactured dates where Rylie wants to make up for his behavior in college. Eva reluctantly goes along to help her job, but she absolutely does not go easy on him. While this set up gives us so many funny moments, we also get the characters sizzling chemistry and soft moments. I love second chance romances— all the history and seeing characters work to come back together again. We only get Eva’s POV, but even without being in his head, it’s obvious Rylie is down bad. I had such a fun time reading this one. I need to go grab a copy to add to my Mazey collection.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my early read!

What’s there not to love. Fun romance with insane banter with the love characters. I devoured this book right up.

4.5/5 stars

This was a really fun romance! The banter between the two MCs was *chefs kiss* and I was pleasantly surprised to see the bi rep! The pacing felt a little off somewhere in the latter half, but the ending made up for it I think.

TW: child death/grief, internalized biphobia, bullying/harassment

Warning: clear your schedule to read this book. It is unputdownable, and you will be tired for work the next day.

Mazey Eddings never fails to deliver a stunning exploration of romance and mental health. Well, Actually also discusses misogyny, homophobia, and toxic workplaces, all in a book about a hot dog-themed interview show. I was laughing and giggling (very different fyi) and gasping and almost sobbing. The amount of emotions I felt should be illegal under the Geneva Convention or something.

First of all, Eva Kitt is so precious. She deserves the world, but the world does not deserve her. Her character development and her willingness to open up and trust people had my heart crying. She shows that a tough exterior often hides a soft interior, but that's not something to be ashamed of. Additionally, her determination to achieve her dreams is inspiring.

Rylie Cooper is Eva's perfect match. They fit so well together, I can't even compare them to puzzle pieces. Puzzle pieces wish they fit together as well as Eva and Rylie. He never shied away from her sharp edges, but he also never tried to dull her shine. He loves every part of her, and he supports her the way she needs to be supported. One can only dream of having a partner as supportive as Rylie. He also had wonderful character development, although his was more off-page than Eva's. Either way, I really appreciate how Mazey dedicated so much time to her characters and didn't let Rylie get away with his past behavior. He may have a reason for that behavior, but he's since learned from it and grown.

Mazey Eddings also fed us with cameos because she is actually the best person ever. She effortlessly wove characters from some of her previous books into the plot without it being disruptive. These cameos were so seamless, I wouldn't have caught them if I wasn't her biggest fan (not to brag or anything but I bought A Brush of Love the day it released).

The moral of the story is to always trust Mazey Eddings because she knows how to write a tender romance with lots of emotions and filthy spice, with deeper topics all handled with the utmost care.

Well, y’all, this is another Mazey Eddings hit. Her writing style and prose just resonates with me so much and this book was absolutely a banger and checked every single box! I love how much the main characters ribbed each other. I also really loved that Eva was a black cat but really well rounded as well. She wasn’t just grumpy and hard to get along with to be a bitch. She had loads of layers. I also really appreciated how grief was talked about in this story.

Also, 90% of my my highlights in this book are just about Rylie being a hot dork with slutty little glasses or an absolutely out of pocket knee weakening line.

Thank you SMP, netgalley, and Mazey for the opportunity to read this book early with an eARC.

Mazey's writing always has me both swooning and cackling, and this was no exception. It was a perfect exes/rivals to lovers. Her banter is top notch and so so so funny. I loved the concept of the misconceptions from their past and the "righting of wrongs" and Rylie is just so fabulous. Highly recommend, especially if you have liked her previous books. I think she keeps getting funnier. (and sweet little Lizzie Blake cameo!)

This is a novel about second chances at love following Eva who goes viral after posting a video about how bad her relationship was with love guru Rylie Cooper. For their job and capitalizing on the popularity they agree to go on dates and talk about them for the internet to see.

I loved the banter between the two of them and the plot was a great idea. It fell off about halfway when they decided to just get back together. It became so focused on the spice of the romance that the plot turned into a secondary thought. This one had a lot of promise but like a girl in her first relationship everything got ignored to focus on her infatuation. It wrapped up in a random way that gave closure to the characters at least but left me bored.

The audio was hard to listen to as the narrator sounds like she was slurring her works even thought I had it sped up. The tone changes for the characters was good but it was hard to get past the slow slurred words.

This one had a lot of promise, I don’t know if I would recommend this one. There are just better romance in the spotlight books out there.

Well, Actually was a pleasant surprise of a read for me. I read Mazey Eddings’ first book a few years ago when it first came out but I haven’t gotten around to another one of her books since. Nonetheless, the premise was interesting and the banter throughout this book was amazing. Riley is definitely making it to my list of MMC’s with personality that jumps off the page. I also liked the fact that we could see how the MMC had done the work to change over the years to juxtapose the work that the FMC needed to do. All in all, this was a fun read that I will definitely be recommending to anyone who loves complex and demanding FMC’s as much as I do!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Eva has a bit of an edge, a chip on her shoulder but I liked how Rylie gave it right back. I enjoyed the flashback scenes and almost wished there were a few more. Overall, a fun read!

Well, Actually is my first Mazey Eddings book, and wow I was absolutely blown away. I haven’t laughed this hard or this often while reading in a long time. I devoured it in practically one sitting because it’s just that comical, witty, passionate, and relatable. At first, Eva came across as… well, rude—and to be fair, she kind of is. But as the story unfolded, I started to see her differently, especially in her dynamic with Rylie Cooper. Their banter felt so real to me. My boyfriend and I have a similar back-and-forth, where what might sound like snark to others is actually how we show affection. Eva definitely pushes boundaries at times, but I loved her more for it. You do you, boo. Eva is thrown into an impossible situation, juggling corporate nepotism and absurd expectations. I adored how she stood her ground and could land verbal punches when she needed to. And Rylie? He completely stole my heart. His wit, charm, and warmth balanced out Eva’s sharp edges, making their relationship click in the best way. The spice was absolutely spicing, and overall, this was such a fun, quick read. If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romance that will make you laugh out loud and root hard for its characters, this one’s a winner.

It took me until the main character of Eva had made a quite amusing and honest drunken reaction video to get into this book. Up until this point, the lead-up with establishing her character didn't resonate with me personally; she was extremely critical and messy, and it was difficult to like her for most of the book.

I really enjoyed her banter with Aida and the other main character of Rylie. Eddings infused so much humor into how clever and snarky these characters could be with each other, and this is what kept me reading this book until the end.

Other things I was a fan of in this book:
* both main characters are queer
* Rylie sees a therapist
* Eva's abandonment fears and self-esteem issues are brought to the forefront and handled with care
* the ending

I did have a slight worry that Rylie's refusal of "no" for an answer bordered on potential abuse, but his feelings about Eva as well as his actions of unconditional support made that easier to accept.

This book packed a lot of emotion, humor, and spice into a unique (to me) story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the author for the opportunity to read and review the arc of Well, Actually.

So if you're chronically online and love Amelia Dimoldenberg's chicken shop date, then you'll DEVOUR this. This was literally chicken shop date, except they eat diabolical hot dogs instead of chicken, and the guests couldn't compare to Amelia's. However, the concept was super fun, and the characters had loads of chemistry and flirtatious banter! Tropes include: black cat x golden retriever, she hates him and he's obsessed with her, hero that creams his jeans going down, and LOTS of praise (if you like smut then get readyyyy.) Overall a cute read!

What I appreciate most in this book is the dynamic between the two characters. The differences in personality traits makes their relationship dynamic and fun, never entirely dull throughout. I think my main issue with this book was just how chronically online it felt. Sometimes, when I wish to disconnect from the dominance of social media in our world, reading is a way to escape. And yes, clearly from the description of this book, the plot involves media heavily. I was aware of that going in, but it just seemed too much for me overall. To those who don’t mind that aspect, you’ll love it. For me, it just left a barrier between being fully immersed in the story itself.

4.25✨ 3🌶️

how FUN was this?!?! well, actually was my first mazey eddings book and certainly will not be my last. the banter had me laughing out loud, and the tensionnnnnn. it was all so very good. and the COVER?!?! i love it so much.

nothing get's me like a good second chance romance, and this one in particular had such a fun comedic element to accompany the angst that i really appreciated. rylie is precious and while eva is supposed to be more of an unlikeable FMC, i am OBSESSED with her vibes. i do think some of the characters overall could have been a bit more developed at times, but overall this was such an enjoyable read with a great cast.

thank you to SMP + netgalley for the ARC!

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I loved this book!! It was a lot of fun reading and listening this story. The banter was top notch! I had several laugh at loud moments. Eva has a hot dog talk show and feels stuck. She has a moment where she calls out her ex, a popular influencer, Rylie Cooper. This goes viral and Rylie proposes they go on fake dates to prove he’s not as bad as she said he was.

“This means something to me, you mean something to me. You did back then and you do now.”

I had such a memorable time reading Well, Actually. This witty, banter-filled novel kept me giggling throughout. If you are a fan of Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date and rom-coms, then this one is for you.

Well, Actually follows Eva Kitt, a journalist stuck interviewing minor celebrities over lukewarm hotdogs. After seeing her somewhat ex, Rylie Cooper, on social media, Eva puts her college fling on blast. After the post blows up, Eva is forced to confront Rylie on an episode of her show Sausage Talk. Rylie offers to take her on a series of dates as redemption for his past behavior.

I have not enjoyed a Black Cat x Golden Retriever romance in so long! I was happily surprised that Mazey Eddings pulled it off as well as she did. The back-and-forth between these two is quick-witted and fresh. Eva’s snarkiness pairs excellently with Rylie’s good-natured personality; it felt like he saw through her tough exterior but allowed her to use banter as a shield until she felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable with him. He knew he messed up in the past and made no excuses for it.

I absolutely adored Rylie’s character; he made mistakes and owned up to them. He was about to communicate his feelings with Eva so well! I hate miscommunication in second-chance romances, but the character growth from college Rylie to present Rylie was top-tier. He is so selfless, caring, and kind towards Eva. I can’t believe it took her as long as it did to trust him, because I would have folded so fast.

I understand that Eva isn’t for everyone. She's mean and can appear rude, but I couldn't help but see past all that and see the sweet girl deserving of love. I really wish we saw more moments of her letting her tough exterior down. She was let down by countless people in her life, so I’m grateful she found someone who loves her as unconditionally as Rylie does.

If second chance romance has no haters, I’m dead. But Mazey has done it again because I gobbled this up from start to finish! Hot dog down the hatch! This is Chicken Shop date and Eva and Cooper make the perfect pair! As I said, normally a hated for second-chance romance, but this just works! We see the growth and the conflict is one we can easily work through—hello, THERAPY! (The session was treated with such care and had the tears flowing, as happens in all of my 5 star reads.) I also so so so appreciated that we did not suffer from a third-act breakup. THANK YOU for maintaining my peace so I can sleep at night!

Eva was rude and snarky, and I love her. (But she gets paid for that attitude, and idk why people think she's that way IRL. Sure, she lets her insecurities leak out in harsh language/reactions sometimes, but that felt like the most honest part.) Her POV completely sold her rough exterior and secret fears. Riley Cooper is the cutest little puppy and I WISH we had gotten his POV. And the way these two knock together had me kicking my feet and giggling from start to finish! The tension and slow burn were so good, and I could not get enough 🔥

Content warnings for workplace misogyny and internet bullying/trolls. But the conclusion was really satisfying.