Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC! This book reminded me so much of the Chicken Shop Date episode with Andrew Garfield… so much sexual tension and chemistry. There was a lot of nuance and healing that happened in this book on top of the aforementioned sexual tension and chemistry. I could barely put it down. I will be reading more of Mazey Eddings in the future!

Mazey Eddings just has a knack for writing books that are full of humor and spice, but also with a layer of emotional depth helping both characters heal from past trauma.

This was a very enjoyable enemies-to-lovers, in which the FMC was a complete feral cat and the MMC a cuddly, green-flag-waving puppy of a man.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The spice is spicing HARD! No pun intended but it fits. I love Cooper and just want to jump into this book and steal him from Eva. The black cat and golden retriever has never hit so good in a romance book before.

Another great book by Mazey Eddings.

A big thing that I always love in novels is well-rounded characterization, and Eddings’ book didn’t disappoint. I loved Rylie and Eva’s unique characters. Rylie was such a cinnamon roll, and while he did hurt Eva in the beginning, we get a complete background as to why he had hurt her. We see his growth throughout the novel and his absolute adoration for Eva and the way he unfailingly chooses to never leave her side. Eva — while she is pretty mean to Rylie for a good portion of the story and has a tendency to overreact to things (like the first date, for example) — feels so relatable and just plain human. She’s not perfect, Rylie’s not perfect, and both characters acknowledge their imperfections during the novel. It was refreshing to get to see them acknowledge their personalities and grow together.

Even the characterizations of Eva’s bosses, Landry and William, didn’t feel one-dimensional, though they were the obvious villains. Their personalities were damn near perfect portrayals of those who bully employees in the name of profits. I can certainly relate to Eva on that front. Here’s a quote that I really liked and felt it deep inside me: “We've become far too comfortable as a society disregarding the humanity of people and using them as output machines we can abuse until they break.”

I also loved that Eddings acknowledged the very real hardships that women face in our society today, the misogyny that bleeds in through every aspect of our lives, whether that’s online or in person.

My only (minor) suggestion is to stick to one method of referring to Rylie. I get that referring to him as Cooper was Eva’s way of keeping him at arm’s length, because she was still battling all those complicated emotions she had about him, and Rylie was her way of finally connecting with him. But it was still a little jarring when she immediately switched to calling him Rylie, then back to Cooper, then back to Rylie again.

Other than that, this was a fantastic story and I can’t wait till it officially hits shelves. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to read this book early.

As someone as prickly as Eva, I have very much feel so seen with this book. I love it fron start to finish, and very much has set so much higher the bar when it comes to man. Rylie is definitely mu staple book boyfriend. Totally a must read!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance with extreme banter and fun loving ribbing. The chemistry is thick and easily to fall in love with. There are a lot of deep emotion topics that give extra depth to the plot and make you fall in love just a little bit more, If you weren't already infatuated with Rylie backstory. I am proud of the way our FMC stood up for herself in the end and the healing it did to her heart and mine ❤️‍🩹. For anyone who was every ghosted or waiting for a phone call that nerve came this is the story to heal you heart and get a glimpse of what could have happened on the other side.

Eva has big goals she'd like to reach in her journalism career, but right now she is the host of Sausage Talk, and online celebrity interview series. When a drunken video about her somewhat famous ex-boyfriend, Rylie Cooper, goes viral, Eva's boss decides to capitalize on the attention. They invite Rylie to come on Sausage Talk, where he gets Eva to agree to go on a series of dates with him to prove to her that he has changed.

This was my first Mazey Eddings book, but it definitely won't be my last. I was giggling and kicking my feet for so much of this book. This book was second chance romance and black cat vs. golden retriever, and it was done so well.

Both of these main characters were so well done. I loved that Eva was so unapologetically herself. She had such a hard exterior, but had so much softness hidden underneath it all. She was funny and sarcastic and just really cool. And Rylie was just such a good guy with a kind heart. They had great chemistry together.

Also love love love that the third act conflict wasn't a break up.

My only complaint is that I wish the whole 6 dates and 6 podcast episodes thing would have went on a little longer. When they got together and all of that just stopped, it felt like we very abruptly shifted.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

Mazey Eddings delivers yet again. With wit, charm and spicy banter I was hooked from the start. Well, Actually also hits some more emotional topics and Mazey navigated them with grace. A story with lovable yet unhinged characters (because what else should we expect??) this book is a one sitting read that has you wanting to befriend everyone on page as they navigate life and growth.

(ARC read via Net Galley)
Goodreads Review

I gobbled this up like Kirby in the 5 hours since I was approved in NetGalley to get my hands on this! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an ARC 🩵

Eva. A girl after my own heart. I too never want to voluntarily listen to man’s opinion.

Lovers to enemies to lovers is my FAVORITE and this book snapped me out of my romance novel ick slump - as I knew Mazey would.

Highly recommend, this is a good one and so funny! If you love sarcasm and earned vulnerability, you will not be disappointed.

4.5 STARS

This was a fun read with banter for days, but also some emotional depth. It’s single POV, but still enjoyable. I felt giggly, giddy, and my heartstrings were pulled. It’s definitely a recommended read.


I voluntarily read an early copy

I absolutely LOVED this book! It had be obsessed from the beginning and literally laughing out loud. This was overall so so sweet and funny and I really enjoyed it!!

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)

3.5-4??? I was really loving this (as I do with every Mazey Eddings book I’ve read) but after awhile it just kind of fell off. I loved Eva until I didnt, she was snarky and funny but then the shine wore off and she came off as a gigantic bitch. How many times is she going to run off and he comes chasing after her it happened at least 3 times. Rylie Cooper- Rylie. Cooper. It was kind of annoying that she kept referring to him by each name I got Confused what his name actually was. I felt like he was way too much of a simp for her and had no back bone. But also at the same time if he had felt as bad as he did about what happened with them in college it would’ve been more believable he reached out to her since she’s a social media celebrity. I found there to be a lot of extra fluff I didnt care about (all their friends and the gala event was unnecessary) and Eva’s bosses at the end became comically evil. I would have preferred if book showed more college flashbacks and less of Eva being a snotty brat.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Well, Actually is a hater to lover, look at me now done right romance that has some really funny moments as well as some reflective ones I have no doubt many readers can relate to. Eva is a somewhat abrasive journalist who is trying to grow past her show Sausage Talk (think the hot sauce challenges but with hot dogs and Eva being the grumpy cat host) to more serious topics. Rylie is a guy she dated back in college who is making a name for himself as an influencer/podcaster who also doles out advice about red flag guys. One night Eva goes viral tearing Rylie down based on their past relationship and when she interviews him in a set up by her work to take advantage of her trending rant Rylie throws down a challenge - try some reset dates so he gave prove himself good.

The setup was very cute as was the growth of Rylie and Eva’s eventual ownership of the tough and take no prisoners image she portrays. The story did drag a bit and some of those in Eva’s support network really needed to better understand how to put care and support before themselves. I loved to see a happy ending for these two, and the path to getting there was entertaining, if able to sprint a bit more vs. meander.

So so funny. I could not stop laughing during this story. Is this going to be a piece of literature that goes down in history to be studied? Probably not. Did I have the best time reading it? I sure did!
The banter and sarcasm, the quick retorts. It was so entertaining!

Holy shit, Mazey Eddings, who are you and where have you been all my life? Sometimes I finish a book and I am just truly in awe of how it made me feel. Well, Actually was hilarious- I laughed out loud multiple times to the point where my husband looked over at me and was like what is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with me- but Eva Kitt is my spirit animal and soul sister. Her character was so relatable and snarky and it actually did make me think about how we view things over all as a society. I mean it’s true, we are so mean to women, because they are used to it? Because they can handle it? Well they shouldn’t have to. This book was a love letter to this prickly black cat girlies- the ones who are snarky and mean but secretly soft and tender. For how funny the book was Mazey did an amazing job of also making it real and balancing the humour with real world things. Painting the picture that sometimes people suck but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be better and can’t be better. This was a second chance romance for the ages and I loved every single second of it.

Second chance romance isn't normally my cup of tea, but Mazey Eddings knocked it out of the park! This book felt like a perfect blend of romance, humor, and emotional moments and the pacing and timing was spot on. I fell in love with Eva and Riley from the start. Their sharp and witty banter never missed a beat, and I could FEEL the tension between them and I was rooting for them from beginning to the end.

I really enjoyed Eva as a FMC. I feel like she was truly justified in not trusting Riley, considering how he hurt her in the past. I admired seeing her independence and dedication to her craft and career, which are qualities that don't always appear in FMCs in this genre. I was happy to see her character development and her small steps to heal from her past trauma.

Riley Cooper --- is now immediately one of my new book boyfriends! He's so charming and is definitely golden retriever energy. His loyalty and unconditional love for Eva is heart-wrenching and hearing his side of the first "breakup' made me tear up, honestly.

And if you're wondering about spice: Yes, there is spice. Yes, it was SPICY. And yes, highly recommend! :)

Without spoiling too much, this book was such a fun journey and I couldn't put it down! From a disastrous "first" date to a happily ever after, the story of Riley and Eva was the NYC summer romance that I didn't know I needed.

4.5

Their connection was undeniable but it doesn’t mean
They start off disastrous but turn their relationship into the sweetest and loving relationship ever.

I absolutely adore Eva Kitt. Her shield of sarcasm and her snark. I understood her so much - she felt so relatable to shielding her heart and keeping people at an arm’s length. I was yelling at everyone in that book at her defence!! She needed people that could reassure her and uplift her, and Rylie was exactly that.

Rylie Cooper!! Like with Eva, he had to work to get me to like/trust him. I wanted to know everything first before passing my judgement, I needed to know he wouldn’t hurt Eva again 😭 but goddamn he was so adorable and such a ray of sunshine. Love a man who can take accountability and be open about his feelings. He gave Eva the safe place she needed to be vulnerable and to challenge her to be more upfront on her feelings.

The banter was top tier!!! She never held back and he took it and then some! Loved when he would shock her with his comebacks. Their dynamic kept each other on their toes.
As they opened up about their past and reasonings behind their actions - you really feel for them. They may come off as confident or strong but beneath it they’re human beings that are struggling. They are exactly what the other needs and are such a light for one another.

I loved that it wasn’t just about how Eva and Rylie would fall in love but also about learning to love yourself. No one’s perfect, everyone makes mistakes, everyone is a mess in some way, and everyone deserves to feel loved.

This book was such a fun read!! I got "chicken shop date" vibes from this book, but with its own twist!
The FMC Eva has dreams of being a journalist, but is stuck in a rather unconventional job to work her way up! I love her development through out the book, and I love her humour!
Our MMC Rylie is just the perfect little golden retriever who has his work cut out for him to make up for his past!
I found myself laughing a lot with this book, but also swooning at their relationship! You know it's a good book when you get butterflies!
I loved this book, and now have a new author to read all their books!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this.

Mazey has done it again! I loved this story. I loved the characters. I really love that there wasn’t a 3rd act breakup! I was scared but thankfully they spoke like adults! This book was so fun and flirty and really hot! Bravo! Also love the cover!

My first time reading Mazey Eddings and I’m hooked!
A contemporary love story. It is a perfect example of a rom-com with modern themes.

Eva’s a struggling journalist, filming segments with low level celebrities instead of writing the hard hitting pieces she’s dreamed about. The main plot of the book starts out with a drunken stitch filmed by our FMC, after finding a video of the man she had a short lived and quickly burnt out toxic relationship with. See Rylie, the MMC, is a popular internet podcaster, with segments about breaking down harmful masculinity and how to be a good partner. But our girl Eva knows the truth-and films a video calling him out. After the video goes viral all over social media her boss wants to capitalize on the insta-fame, by making Eva and Rylie film a segment together on her show. But then Rylie decides to break the script and ask Eva to let him make up for his past treatment of her. He asks her to go out with him for a set number of dates and in return she can “rate” their dates on his show. Eva agrees, thinking this is her chance to expose Rylie for what he is and also gain some traction in the world of journalism. But after a couple of dates and meetups, things begin to feel a little too real for Eva and she will have to decide whether she can move on from the past or not.

Our FMC Eva is mean and witty. She’ll tell it straight to your face- and I love her. She’s tough on the outside but with an inside that’s anxious and unsure of herself. She is a breath of fresh air in terms of main characters. I can relate to her in ways I’ve never have with other books. How she struggles with never feeling good enough and thinking people couldn’t actually care about her. I could see how her “unlikeable” personality could turn some people off but for me i see myself in her and how she thinks. I suppose if she’s unlikeable I am too!

Our MMC is Rylie. I could best describe as a needy sensitive golden retriever, whose vulnerability and at times shyness is refreshing to see in a world where the MMC is usually stoic and closed off. I enjoyed seeing the open conversations between him and Eva.

If you love banter between characters, good mental health and queer representation, and a romance with modern media mixed in, then this is the book for you


Some tropes:
Black cat x golden retriever
Open door spice
She’s mean but he loves it
Lots of praise talk
“I hurt you in the past but I’m going to prove I’ve changed”
Second chance romance
Queer rep
Mental health matters! Rep