I wanted to like this book so much. I couldn’t finish it.
The female main character was over the top snarky and down right rude. It was irritating to continuously read the same bad attitude on her part. And it was a poor way to “hide” her feelings.
I have enjoyed other books by Eddings and she even mentioned some of her other characters so that was fun.
This book in particular contained a little chemistry, but was hard to get through overall.


Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Chicken Shop date with Amelia definitely check out this new release. This was my first time reading this author and I can now say that I am a new fan. This had a lot of banter, spice, and tension. This follows Eva Kitt who is the host of Sausage Talk which interviews B List celebrities in a fun way. Then we have Rylie Cooper who has his own podcast and has grown a huge following. After one of his relationship tips podcast clips goes viral and Eva ( ex girlfriend of Rylie) sees it. She decides to respond with her experience with him, thinking no one will see it but that she can get everything off her chest that she’s held onto for so long. But her TikTok goes viral and her boss has the idea that he needs to come onto the show since they have gone viral.

There’s nothing quite like a Mazey Eddings book, and Well, Actually has all the charm and humor of her previous novels.

Eva Kitt dreams of being a hard hitting journalist. Her reality, however, is quite different. She’s the host of Sausage Talk, a video segment for Soundbites in which she interviews B-list celebrities on camera over lukewarm hot dogs. Alone one night and scrolling through social media, she comes across a video from influencer, Rylie Cooper. The social media world knows him as the content creator hoping to end toxic masculinity, but Eva knows him as one of the worst dates she’s ever had during their time together in college. Her call out video of him goes viral and Soundbites decides to capitalize on it. Now, Eva and Rylie are forced to endure each other on Sausage Talk and his social platforms for six dates. But once the dates get going, they start to feel a lot less forced and a lot more real.

This book had me laughing out loud from the very first line (literally)! This was such a unique and interesting premise - definitely one I have not read before. I appreciated Mazey’s quirky twist on the forced proximity/forced coworkers trope.

That being said, I will admit that it took me a good portion of the book to connect with Eva. I was very skeptical about her character growth but I did eventually learn to appreciate her, largely due to the conversations during couples therapy session Rylie coordinates as a date.

I also really appreciated the healthy communication practices Rylie and Eva eventually adopt, mainly due to Rylie’s insistence. I will say, he is probably my favorite of all of Mazey’s love interests. The cameos from a couple of Mazey’s other books were so fun and unexpected!

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I think it’ll be a great conversation starter about social media, the price of public fame, and workplace toxicity when it publishes in August.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

Mazey Eddings does it again!! Absolutely in love with this book & Eva and Rylie. This book had me laughing & almost crying at the same time. 10/10 would recommend.

I am fully obsessed with this story!! My reviews in the links are the best descriptions of my thoughts, but I will be thinking about this book for a long while for sure

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

You should read it if you like:
🧡 black cat / golden retriever
🧡 queer rep 🏳️‍🌈
🧡 the best banter that ever bantered
🧡 second chance romance
🧡 mental health rep

I had read Mazey’s novel, Late Bloomer, and adored it. When offered the chance to read Well, Actually early, I jumped at the chance. Black Cat / Golden Retriever is my favorite trope. Add in THE BEST banter I’ve read this year and you’ve got the formula for a novel I can’t put down.

I related SO heavily to Eva, who uses her wit and sarcasm as a shield. She puts on a mask of a well put together woman so that no one looks deeper to see her real feelings. She’s trying to make a name for herself in a job that she doesn’t love (totally everyone trudging through their 20s).

She gets drunk and makes a reply video to a man who she had a relationship with in college who had made a name for himself trying to break down the walls of toxic masculinity. She calls him out for basically being the exact person he prides himself on NOT being. Her employer takes the opportunity to monetize this when her video goes viral. They make a deal to go on 6 dates so her can prove to her that he is no longer the man she knew. That he had changed for the better and was the man he presented himself as online.

Will they make it through the 6 dates? Will a sparke be rekindled as the dates progress? Will Eva continue to hide behind her mask and shield her feelings with snarky comments? I’ll let you read to figure out the answers!

This book was my first of Mazey Eddings, but I loved it! I loved fiery Eva and sweet Rylie. The dynamic and tension in the beginning was perfect. I was laughing so many times with her snarky responses to all his sweetness. “Stop being so mean to me or I’m gonna fall in love with you.” Very much black cat and golden retriever energy. I also loved no third act breakup and Rylie stepped up perfectly.

Exes to lovers
Second chance
He falls first
Bi-rep, Pan-rep, pro therapy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the arc!

omg?? This was so good?? I’ve loved Mazey’s other work so I’m not surprised but this was… Peak cuteness. The banter between Rylie and Eva was unmatched and the tension was palpable, legit had me grinning and cheesing over the most mundane interactions between the two.

I also really loved the undertones of feminism and emotional maturity and dismantling toxic masculinity, love a good romance w a socially relevant punch like that. The story flowed so well and had me invested up until the very end. Love love loved everything about this!!

Mazey Eddings is absolutely a one click buy author, and Well, Actually cemented that for me. It tickled the chronically online part of my brain and made me wish Eva’s web series was a real thing because I would eat that ish up. 5 stars, so good. Gimme 14 of ‘em right now, please.

Arc review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ok we loved this. Black cat hot girl vs reformed fuckboy who’s a glutton for punishment.
“Stop being so mean to me or I’m going to fall in love with you!” - Nick Miller

(Stefon from SNL voice)
New York’s hottest book is Well, Actually. This book has everything:
- Room temperature hot dogs
- Second chances (taken out of spite)
- Ironic sweatshirts
- Nepotism hires
- Dates at a literal therapists office
- Juvets (jeans duvet)

Instead of perusing a career in journalism Eva id currently hosting a show called Sausage Talk. Classy as ever. One day Eva publicly calls out her college ex and a clip goes viral leading to an uncomfortable confrontation. Rylie is a beloved media personality with a platform built on teaching men how to become better partners and move away from toxic masculinity. He wants a second chance to prove to Eva and the public that he’s a changed man. Maybe the boy who broke her heart has become the man that can make it heal again.

A second chance romance with plenty of banter and spice by the one and only Mazey Eddings, sign me up! The emotional depth in Well, actually caught me by surprise in the best way. The characters opening up about their sexuality, workplace dynamics and family life.

Love the idea but since I didn’t connect to the characters so I had a hard time getting into this one hence why my rating is 3,5 stars. That said how one perceives the characters is very individual so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

The chapter where they go to therapy stood out to me. Everyone can benefit from talking to a professional so it’s important that we work on removing the stigma surrounding it.

Read this if you like
🤍Second chances
🫶🏼LGBTQ+ representation
🐈‍⬛Black cat x golden retriever
✨Fun banter

I have really enjoyed every Mazey Eddings book I have read.
The banter in this book is fantastic. It touched on so many issues that are relevant right now including the dangers of social media and how it affects our mental health. Mazey Eddings does mental health rep in romance like no other!
The romance of it all felt inevitable from the get go. I was rooting for Eva and Riley.

This was so good. I have enjoyed previous books by this author, but this was her best yet. The set-up was truly great and comical with the nod to Chicken Shop Date. I enjoyed the bi and pan representation as well.

This is a fun story. I lived the characters. They had me hating and loving them. I was laughing a lot either this story.

I really enjoyed this book! I was a little wary of the “hot dog” of it all but once I got past that, it was a very charming story. It felt very diverse and inclusive. It definitely spoke to a variety of different groups of peoples’ lived experiences. I loved the black cat/golden retriever dynamic where the FMC is the surlier partner. The only thing that I didn’t love was all the very niche pop culture references. I don’t know that they’ll age well but this definitely felt like a very “this moment in time in pop culture” book between the podcast and TikTok of it all so it does make sense for the overall vibes, just not my personal fave. Would definitely recommend.

Buckle up Andrew Garfield fans because ‘Well, Actually’ by Mazy Eddings is about to make you love this man even more. This book will steal your heart with its perfect blend of humor, romance, and nerdy goodness.

We meet Ezra, a charming, socially awkward academic who’s spent more time with books than people (which, honestly, same it’s why I’m still single). Enter Olivia: sharp, independent, and not here for Ezra’s intellectual pretentiousness. They start off on the wrong foot (cue awkward interactions and banter that will make you LOL), but somehow, these two are destined to go from enemies to something much more complicated.

This book is packed with witty, intellectual banter, moments that will crack you up, and just the right amount of romantic tension that had me giggling so hard my stomach began to PHYSICALLY hurt. Ezra and Olivia’s chemistry?? it was off the charts, Trust me, you’re going to love these nerds (do me a favor and imagine the Male love intrest as Andrew Garfield with that British girl from that one viral chicken interview I promise it’s going to make the story 10x more enjoyable than it already is hehe).

The. Banter. Oh, the banter. I was laughing out loud, getting looks from my husband while reading. Snark is a favorite language for me, and this book delivered the snark. The side characters were great, and I really like the idea of second chance where's she's the grump and he's the sunshine. I would absolutely read more books about this group of friends, maybe Jay's story, or Lilith.

title: Well, Actually

author: Mazey Eddings

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: August 5, 2025

pages: 384

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: death of a family member (in past), divorce, alcohol

summary: In a drunken fit, Eva Kitt, whose job it is to snark her way through video interviews of eating lukewarm hotdogs with C-list celebrities, posts a response video to a post by Riley Cooper, a man she dated briefly and was ghosted by in college. When the video clip goes viral, her bosses decide that she should meet up with Riley on air, at which time he proposes that they go on six dates to give him a chance to make up for his past wrongs.

tropes:

second-chance romance
enemies-to-lovers
it's all for the ratings
your job is on the line

what I liked: 

great dialogue when they're fighting
humorous situations
clever set-up
spicy scenes

what I didn’t like: none of it

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I just love a Mazey Eddings book! This was so fun and I couldn't put it down! Definitely recommend. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Mazey Eddings!

When I tell you I adore Eva Kitt, I really really love her. I just felt for her so deeply. I felt how broken she was and so scared to trust. The abandonment issue ran deep through our girl. I want to protect her at all costs. And then there’s Rylie Cooper. Rylie was her perfect counterpart. Resilient and kind and always there to catch her and remind her he’s there. Wow, I really loved them both.

I will say, early on, I had a hard time buying how often she’d catch her mask slipping, either covering a smile or laugh or something. I suppose that was the whole point. She’s charmed by Rylie from the get. It just felt very obvious and again, maybe that’s also the point.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. I love that there was no third act break up. Just two people navigating a new relationship while dealing with their own issues along with the public peeping in.