Eva may just be my spirit animal. I absolutely loved her snark and sarcasm and just overall vibe….she is my humor personified and I ate up every word that came out of her mouth. Enter Rylie, who cannot only spar with her, but lives for it! This was such a unique second chance romance in that these two dated a bit in college and both had it bad for each other, but really both of them still had some self discovery to do before they were really ready for the other.

I really felt like their journey from sort of enemies, to friends to more was mapped out so perfectly. We really get to see their growth from the time they were in college to now and how they got there. I mean the way they talked to each other from that very first meeting after Eva’s video goes viral….I was seriously melting! This man and woman know how to spar and the innuendo and tone and all of it, so so good!

This also sheds light on the double standard of how men and women are treated in so many ways, and I loved how Riley was just all in on supporting Eva to be the strong and snarky women that she is!

I really enjoyed the audio, but I will say I would LOVE a male narrator for Riley, just because of the way he is….the swoon level would have been an 11! With that being said Ariela Crow really did an amazing job with Eva!

TROPES
💞Second Chance
🐈‍⬛Black Cat
🐶Golden Retriever
🗣️The Best Banter
🎙️Workplace
📸Public Dating
🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ Rep
💋Nicknames

4.5 ⭐️

This was my first Mazey Eddings book and it did not disappoint.
Overall, this was such a fun read and really enjoyed the character development.

Well, actually portrays a strong woman who follows her heart and dreams with passion, while struggling to meet the patriarchy’s demands. We follow Eva’s journey as she connects with her past lover Cooper due to an accidental social media post. They end up having to go on dates as part of Eva’s job and develop a deeper connection than the one they previously had.

While Eva was our black cat, Cooper was our golden retriever. That man had the biggest heart and I enjoyed how he showered Eva with all the love! Their banter was perfection!

Ariela Crow did a fantastic job with the narration, she made the book better than it already was! She gave life to the book and the characters through her narration! 🎧

Overall, this book is a fast romantic comedy that gets to your heart easily. I fell in love with the characters, their banter and chemistry. I enjoyed how Mazey was able to touch on difficult topics while keeping a light, funny touch to the book.

Tropes:
* Second chance romance
* Single POV
* Black cat/golden retriever
* Rom-Com
* Enemies to lovers
* He falls first
* Slow burn
* Spice

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to listen to the ARC of this book!

This was such a fun read! Packed with laugh out loud moments and just the right dose of emotion, this story had me hooked. I found Eva super relatable…her snarky attitude was everything. And as someone married to a real life golden retriever, I absolutely adored Rylie!

If you’re into reverse grumpy sunshine, second chance romance with plenty of groveling, and top tier banter, then you need to pick this one up.

“Well, Actually” is for all the girls who’ve been told they’re not enough, who have been pushed aside and ignored, who’ve been beat down at work so much that they believe they deserve to be treated as less than. It’s for those who are not entirely likeable and who are angry at the world because of this treatment but who only want to be seen and understood even though they’re afraid to let their inner gooey side show. This one’s for the women who have been called a b—— for speaking out or for asking for what they want and deserve or for saying no to being treated as less than. And this one’s for those who are witty and funny and sarcastic and somehow haven’t given up on the world even though the world seems to have given up on them.

While it took me a moment to sink into this one, once I did, I loved Eva Kitt and Riley Cooper. They felt real, raw, and emotional while going through some tough situations. This book has it all: witty banter, steamy moments, laugh out loud moments, and emotional depth. There’s one particular scene where I felt like I was receiving counselling and I have to say, I’m here for it.

Also, be forewarned, there are discussions of grief and the role it takes in our lives; the sexualization of women in the media, particularly in direct contrast with men; open and honest discussions of sexuality and mental health; workplace harassment; and misogyny. Eddings handles each of these topics with her trademark sensitivity and grace.

While I liked both formats, I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook with the narrative prowess of @arielacrow

I devoured Well, Actually! Rylie and Eva were so real and their conflict made complete sense! And they felt like fully fleshed out characters that you wanted to root for. Behind Eva’s prickly exterior is a woman who has felt like she wasn’t enough for anyone. I just wanted to give her the biggest hug. I already bought a physical copy and I can’t wait to re-read this one!

I'm surprised I could type out this review as i've been so busy giggling and kicking my feet abou this one!
What you'll find: - a black cat/golden retriever[convert] 
- second chance- enemies to lovers- LGBTQA+ rep- grief- therapy sessions- podcast/content creators- slutty little glasses- falling in love over PASTA (name something more realistic, honestly)
Eva Kitt, a budding journalist, is "stuck" hosting an online interview show called Sausage Talk and ends up going viral for shaming her college ex online. The college ex happens to be Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.
Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. 
Eva is the mean girl we all have been for at least a portion of our lives: bitey and snarky because we have no other way to mask our internalized fears of not being good enough. Rylie is a walking green flag that has done and continues to do the work on himself to overcome his grief and his identity confusion from college. 
This book had the PERFECT mix of sexual tension, deep feelings that squeeze your heart, BANTER mixed with vulnerability, healthy conflict resolution (thank you Rylie!), and realistically-paced character growth on Eva's part.

This was my first book by Mazey Eddings, and I really enjoyed it.

Eva Kitt is the black cat to Riley Cooper's golden retriever. These two had a brief fling in college that left a lot to be desired for Eva, which she broadcasts to the internet 6 years later, as Riley has made a social media name for himself as some sort anti-toxic masculinity expert. Her work wants to capitalize on the stir that her post makes, and Riley wants to show her that he's evolved since he knew her, so they agree to produce content together chronicling Riley's attempts to win her over.

This is a single POV that definitely works, because Riley's feelings are completely clear from the jump. He has already had a lot of growth since they knew each other before, and now it's Eva's turn to be introspective and learn to trust in other people.

I really enjoyed the characterization and story here, but the writing felt a little too specifically younger millennial/older Gen Z for me (an older millennial/younger GenX). I also really disliked how her best friend/producer handled some of the more egregious situations at their work and felt it was forgiven awfully easily. There was enough here that I would read from this author again. And great cover!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Mazey Eddings & NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC! Comes out August 5, 2025.
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
The more I sit and think about this book to write a review, the more I want to go back and re-read it. I loved the writing, the characters, the plot. Riley Cooper. Scrumptious.

I did have a hard time not imagining “Chicken Shop Date” or “Hot Ones” while reading—and that sometimes took me out of the story. But at its heart, this book was everything I look for in a romance: characters on a healing journey, plot & character development, witty banter, tension, diversity, and a swoony MMC. I also go feral for second chance. And throw in a therapy session? Gah, yes please.

And look. I get why some people may not like Eva. She does some childish things and definitely does not know how to emotionally regulate at her worst times. But we are also meeting her during a major emotional development on her healing journey, and of course that’s going to be messy. Of course she’s going to act out and push back on reason, because that’s what humans do while they heal (some more effectively than others). It’s utterly realistic and wholly relatable. I can’t say that given what she went through that I wouldn’t have acted the same. And she learns. Why are we so quick to fall in love with Riley in comparison? He messed up a few times, too. Is it because he’s already emotionally matured when we meet him (even though he’s still processing and healing)? IDK, but I loved them both, flaws and all. I can’t wait to revisit them again in the future.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Eva Kitt. (aka Kitten) Sassy and saucy host of a hot-dog-eating, “celebrity” interview show. Wants to expand her horizons but is being held back by “the man”. Emotionally stunted in relationships due to past trauma—goes about rectifying her issues in a childish way, but learns valuable lessons along the way
– MMC: Riley Cooper. (aka Cooper or “baby girl”) Emotionally mature, hotty hot-pants. Wants a second chance and will do anything for redemption (but genuinely, not manipulatively). Has emotional trauma, but also has a therapist and knows how to use it. Likes when he’s being bossed around but knows how to be a boss, too.
– Location: New York City, New York
– POV: Single first-person
– Spice: 4-5 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: social media/podcast “stars”, second chance, first kiss, black cat FMC/golden retriever MMC, reverse grumpy/sunshine, praise, secret relationship, miscommunication
– Triggers: workplace discrimination/bullying, death of a family member, fear of heights due to trauma, being in a closeted situation-ship, biphobia, a father who doesn’t condone his daughter to have emotions, mention of an off-page drunk-driver-related car accident, public shaming
– Representation: pansexual and bisexual main characters, mental health (panic attacks, grief, depression, loneliness), MC that’s on an SSRI, queer and BIPOC supporting characters, breaking toxic masculinity
─────────────────────────
Trying to convince you to read this through some of my favorite quotes:
╰┈➤ ❝Being young and tenderhearted was such a fucking curse.❞
╰┈➤ ❝You’re the human equivalent of Comic Sans,❞ I respond, working to check my own twitching lips as they try to mirror his. Cooper’s grin only grows. ❝I’m so glad you’ve picked up that words of affirmation are my love language. You make me feel so good about myself.❞
╰┈➤ ❝I want your contrarian and difficult and keeping me on my toes. I want your sour moods just as much as I want your sunny ones. I’m not asking you to change. You can call me any name you want, as long as I can call you mine.❞

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This book was so good I'm thinking about getting a paperback copy - and this is coming from a staunch Kindle user.

This was SO GOOD.
Riley is just an absolute wonder of a character - this entire plot kept me on my toes.
They go to therapy together?? His therapist?? That he's been seeing consistently?

Eva broke my heart and then put it back to together with sharp witty banter and a sly smile.

I highlighted so much of this book and could stop crying or grinning like a silly little idiot.

Well, Actually is my first read by Mazey Eddings, and it lived up to all of my expectations! This is the story of Eva and Rylie, who had a short-lived fling in college, and are thrown together again after a social media debacle.

Eva and Rylie dated briefly in college, and it ended with unsatisfactory sex and Rylie ghosting Eva. Six years later, both have moved on with life, but Eva can't stand Rylie's new internet persona speaking out against toxic masculinity. She calls him out online, which quickly turns into an opportunity for them to work together on social media.

As they get to know each other again, it’s clear that both have gone through major changes. They come clean to each other about their past relationship, and they can’t deny the intense chemistry between them. Ms. Eddings writes steam better than most authors I’ve read. The scenes and banter are HOT.

While the book is narrated from Eva’s POV, the reader gets to know both characters really deeply. The connection between Eva and Rylie pushes both characters in new directions that they never anticipated. The author writes this story masterfully, with smooth pacing, emotional depth and intensity and so much humor. The banter and chemistry between the characters is electric, and the career challenges and insecurity that Eva faces are very relatable.

I thoroughly enjoyed Well, Actually. I loved the queer representation in multiple characters. This story made me really happy, especially for those characters who had been through so much disappointment and heartbreak before finding their happily ever after.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Press/ St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @youhadmeathea for my gifted finished copy and thank you Macmillan Audio for my #gifted listening copy of Well, Actually! #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio #YouHadMeAtHEA #stmartinspress #mazeyeddings #WellActually

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟱★

Mazey Eddings has once again delivered with her latest, Well, Actually! Each one of her books has been so different from the last, yet I end up loving each one of them so much! She is so talented and I love her characters so much! Eva and Rylie had my heart the entire time in this one! Eva is the host of Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-list celebrities and eats hotdogs. Rylie Cooper is a social media personality that has built a platform over teaching men how to be good partners. When Eva calls out Rylie for his toxic behavior when they were in college, who happens to her ex, he comes on her podcast and asks her on a series of dates to try to redeem himself. Eva reluctantly agrees, hoping that the dates will help her advance her own career. After a while, the dates start to feel real, and the boy that broke her heart just might be the one only one who is able to put it back together.

🌭Second Chance Romance
🌭Workplace Romance
🌭Mental Health Rep
🌭Bi/Pan Rep
🌭Black Cat/Golden Retriever
🌭Sausage Talk Podcaster x Social Media Personality
🌭Great Banter

🎧The audiobook was narrated by Ariela Crow who was such a great pick for this one! This was my first time listening to Crow narrate, and it won’t be my last! Crow nailed it and did such a great job bringing this one to life! I was so impressed by her ability to bring forth such great emotion and banter and it was pure perfection! I cannot recommend this one on audio enough! 5★ performance!

Posted on Goodreads on August 4, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around August 4, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 5, 2025
**-will post on designated date

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the #advancReviewCopy of Well Actually

Genre: #romcom

Release Date: Aug 2025

Summary: A second-chance romance filled with hot dogs, social media stars and a huge broken heart.

Eva is the host of Sausage Talk, a show where she interviews B list celebrities while eating hot dogs. This is not the career in journalism that she dreamt of, but it pays the bills.

When Eva posts about her Ex, the internet star, Riley, the post goes viral! Eva must then face not only him again but also the opportunity her boss sees in the situation she accidentally created.

My Thoughts: Okay, the whole hot dog thing was a bit weird. I still don’t understand that. Was it meant to be a sexual thing? That aside, I enjoyed this one. The main characters were well developed and had chemistry which had me rooting for them.

I had a few minor issues with the workplace drama and its execution but I can forgive that.

Overall, it was cute, and entertaining.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.25 ⭐️

the BANTER!!!!! so good. i was immediately drawn in from the first chapter. rylie was so vulnerable with eva. i love when a mmc opens up and gets deep with his emotions and feelings. i will say there were moments when i felt eva was a bit too mean to rylie. i really liked him and his character growth and healing process through his trauma. this story was funny and cute, but it also had serious moments so i do recommend checking content warnings.

eva never expected to be the host of “sausage talk” interviewing b-list celebrities over writers instead of pursuing her dream journalism career. one night, eva publicly calls out her college ex rylie for ghosting her and the video goes viral. her ex being a beloved social media personality who built a platform teaching men how to be decent partners by “deconstructing toxic masculinity”. eva is now forced to confront rylie on a live episode of sausage talk where he makes her a deal: allow him to take her on dates to make up for his behavior and debrief them on his channel. will they be able to fix what happened all those years ago?

tropes: second chance, lgbtq+ rep, workplace romance ish, black cat x golden retriever, fake(ish) dating, hate to love, single pov

5⭐️

One of my new fav books! There are some cringey lines in there but I still could not stop giggling and kicking my feet. I also loved the queer representation in this book. Once I finished, I immediately recommended it to a friend and her mom!

I love Eva so much, she’s who I want to be when I grow up (iykyk). She’s so sassy and not afraid to put people in their place, especially Riley. But I love that if you’re truly her friend, she shows you who she is. I know she might not be for everyone, but I did see a lot of myself in her, which made me love her all the more.

Riley is literally the perfect book boyfriend to me. Him and his slutty little glasses. He is literally a golden retriever. He was DOWN BAD for her and he always let her know it.


read if you like:
🌭 black cat x golden retriever
🌭 second chance romance
🌭 snarky banter
🌭 fake(ish) dating
🌭 workplace romance
🌭 pan x bi rep

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

If Mazey Eddings writes a book, you can rest assured that I will be reading it.

This book is no exception. This is very much a black cat-golden retriever read with Eva Kitt becoming one of my favorite characters in romance. She is a Hot Girl to the max, takes no prisoners, and will absolutely not deal with any of your mediocre man nonsense. She is quick and cutting, brutally honest to a fault, and so, so much like someone that I would aspire to be. All of that prickliness hides a tender-hearted people pleaser who uses her tough-gal exterior as a fortress to guard her heart from being hurt. If she hurts you first, you don't get the chance to wound her back, right?

And Rylie is such a perfect foil to her. He continuously shows up for her, which for someone who is used to everyone leaving because she is too mean/difficult/guarded/driven/etc. is more precious than gold. He accepts his faults, he apologizes and owns for his hand in her hurt, and does what everyone wants their partner to do, which is to show up for them, give them the safe space to be themselves, and help them understand that their love, by itself, *is* enough.

This is truly a love story for the ages. I fully believe that this is Eddings' best book to date (although Late Bloomer is a close second), and that there is nothing about her books that I will ever dislike. This book is especially great for people who, like me, believe that roasting someone can also be a love language, and for people who need a bit of reassurance that they are enough.

I wanted to love this one sooo badly! Unfortunately, I just couldn’t relate to the FMC and the MMC was not redeemable for me. I also felt the plot got lost in too many random side plots and I couldn’t connect the pieces enough to be sucked in. There was some really funny banter at times and good trending topics, but overall wasn’t for me.

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.

I've got mixed feelings on this one. The story was fun, the banter was great, but I'm not big on guys who use (what to me are) questionable terms of endearment. If that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, then you will love this! 3.5⭐ from me!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

✨WELL, ACTUALLY by Mazey Eddings✨

I am a huge Mazey Eddings fan and this book did not disappoint!!! One of my favorite things about her writing is that I always feel like I meet characters I’ve never met before in other books, and the same can absolutely be said about Eva and Rylie.

Eva wanted to be a serious journalist, but instead she interviews B-list celebrities over hot dogs and generally hates her life. When a video of her ranting about her college ex goes viral, he reaches out to try to make amends. Now the host of a popular podcast, Rylie wants to show Eva—and his listeners—that he’s grown since he ghosted her in college. Hopeful that it will help her career, Eva agrees to go on five dates with him and recap them on his podcast. But as it turns out, five dates doesn’t feel like enough!!!!

This book has all the humor I love in Mazey’s other books. I laughed about forty separate times about hot dog jokes. It’s just *that* funny. And I loved getting to be in Eva’s head as she weighs choices about her career and tries to decide whether to open her heart back up to the man who broke it years ago. I was rooting for them!!!!

Go get your hands on this fabulous book ❤️❤️

The premise of this book was very funny. Eva and Riley end up on Eva's ridiculous hot dog segment after she calls him out for being terrible six years ago. Through lots of mayhem, they slowly learn more about each other and that maybe, there is still a spark. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters, and I felt like her friends were not as supportive as the story should make them. There is also a lot to be set about journalism in this book, and how it can be so negative and twisted sometimes.

Seeing her former lover on social media telling men how to be better lovers and partners, inspires a drunk Eva to record a stitch of her own about his performance. Never expecting it to go viral, it now propels Eva and Rylie together to protect their careers.

Mazey Eddings had me laughing out loud for Well, Actually. There are so many funny moments that I actually wanted the romance to go on for a while longer (something I rarely say). The banter between Eva and everyone, including herself, is hysterical. I think everyone wishes they had the comebacks she does. Then there are the actual physical scene comedic moments that not only had me shaking my head, but chuckling.

Rylie is still an idiot and that makes for good reading. The first date is such a fiasco and such a guy thing that I’m sure that many readers who have dated a “puppy” will completely understand. Luckily for Eva, he’s trainable. He is also absolutely adorable in his falling first attempt at romance.

The secondary cast is amazing. I love this diverse cast. I think what I like best is that it reflects real-life. Some might say that there are too many queers, but the reality is that we attract them no matter where we sit on the spectrum. I was actually talking about this with a new neighbor who, you guessed it, is a rainbow. As I was talking about our old neighborhood, Miss Isabella and I were friendly with all of the rainbows. We really didn’t talk to heterosexuals - not by choice, by happenstance. Like attracts like, so I think this cast reflects what we see as we look around us.

Eva for all of her prickly demeanor is a softie. She is also a snappy talker and Rylie gets off on their repartee - so does she. They truly are a great match.

I had the best time within the pages of Well, Actually. It’s funny, romantic, steamy, and hits all of the right spots. This is your second-chance rom-com beach read. It’s hot!