I really liked Riley. He was such a thoughtful and measured person. I liked how he was able to admit his past mistakes and really deeply analyzed what was wrong with him. Eva on the other hand was not my favorite. Her personality at the beginning was to push back and be mean and mocking to Riley which was fine as that was just part of who she was. But it all fell apart in regard to her bosses. It made me physically ill the way they treated her and I felt like she didn’t get the triumph she really was owed. I was so disappointed. I am usually ride or die with Mazey’s wonderful books but this one was just not for me. I will probably be discussing in therapy which I think Riley would approve of.

I love a second chance romance and this one delivered! I'm not even slightly surprised either because I've enjoyed all of the books I've read from Mazey Eddings!

I really enjoyed reading this fun book. The characters were fun and engaging.
Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Ugh, I love Mazey Eddings. Without fail, her books make me feel viscerally seen. I'm not much of a crier, but this one had me tearing up on multiple occasions, bringing the perfect mixture of emotional vulnerability and physical chemistry. I keep typing and deleting and retyping, trying to articulate how much I appreciate the topics discussed in this book, along with the care with which they were discussed, but I honestly don't think I can convey my feelings in a satisfactory manner. I simply loved this book.

Let me start this off by saying I accidentally stayed up until 2:30 in the morning because I was so enthralled following Eva and Riley, and after about a quarter of the way through could NOT put this one down. A certified delight of a romantic comedy - add this to your TBR immediately.

Eva Kitt is a journalist...or she's trying to be as she finds herself interviewing C=list celebrities while eating hot dogs (very Amelia Dimoldenberg inspired) with the support of her producer and best-friend Aida. After a particularly blah day and after having a few drinks, she sees her college ex, Rylie Cooper on social media. He has made a name for himself as a sensitive good guy, and Eva just cannot stand his persona. She drunkenly decides to stitch his video reading him to filth for his hypocrisy and recounts their disastrous relationship. Eva wakes up the next morning only to find the video has gone viral, her bosses are delighted with the additional publicity it's brought her show, and that Riley Cooper has reached out to try and win her over while making a video series about it.

If you are someone who likes banter - this book is absolutely for you. Eva is acerbic and unrelenting in her sparring with Rylie and I just ate that up. Of many highlights, one of my favorites was when she calls Rylie "the human equivalent of comic sans." But for all of the bantering, the book has so much heart and there is so much lovely character development. We learn so much about why Eva and Rylie are each the way they are, which is catalyzed by a date that is actually a couples therapy session. The sex scenes when they finally come (also bless Mazey for the shoutout to SSRIs and the fact that they make orgasming difficult) are incredibly satisfying and so good. All in all, I just adored this from start to finish and I will absolutely be going back through Mazey Eddings' catalog to go devour the rest of her books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

THANK YOU NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC of “Well, Actually” in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025, and I’m happy to report it lived up to the hype.

Mazey Eddings delivers a sharp, tender, and delightfully chaotic rom-com that makes you feel things against your will. Eva is the kind of heroine who says what you’re thinking, only funnier, and Rylie? He’s an acts-of-service king with golden retriever energy and the emotional fluency of a man who’s definitely been to therapy (a fantasy, obviously). Their banter snaps, the chemistry simmers, and their dynamic gives big “Amelia Dimoldenberg Chicken Shop Date” energy in the best way.

Some of the emotional beats hit a little fast and heavy, and the pacing drags here and there, but the charm and vulnerability pull it all together. It’s messy, romantic, and sneakily introspective. Eva’s sharpness, softness, and self-awareness make her a standout. If you love second-chance romances, emotionally available men, and heroines who could destroy you with one well-timed zinger, this is for you.

And then there’s this: “You’re an enemy of the state,” he says against my mouth. “What state?” “The state of my mental health.” Honestly? That sums it up.

My first Mazey ebook (vs audio) and the writing is so fun! There is something about seeing the style with your own eyeballs vs hearing it from audio. Word choice and punctuation add to the experience, especially with characters as sardonic as our girl Eva.

If ‘mean’ was a whole ass love language, it would be Eva’s numero uno. Just as ‘grovel’ would be Rylie’s. He messed up big time, and I am obsessed with the way he earned her trust and love (ew, gross).

The work setting was Chicken shop date vibes, but with totally poignant commentary on living/working in a capitalist hellscape, I LOLed many times.

Thanks you Net Galley for ARC!

4/5 stars! I thought this was so sweet!!! Eva’s struggles were so relatable and I appreciate reading that in a book. The chemistry! It was so palpable from the very beginning but didn’t feel like “insta” love or forced! I can’t wait to have the physical copy.

This book was such a fun, chaotic ride—in the best way. We start off with a main character who gave me major *Amelia Dimoldenberg meets Chicken Shop Date* vibes… except our FMC, Eva, doesn’t exactly love her job and isn’t quite as successful (or unbothered) as Amelia. She’s messy, relatable, and very much a product of her generation.

After one too many drinks and an unfiltered TikTok rant about her ex—who now gives *dating advice to men* (yes, really)—Eva accidentally goes viral. And just like that, we’re off. Cue the hilarious situations, sharp dialogue, and moments that will hit way too close to home for anyone living in the age of social media and public oversharing.

This book is for you if you love:
- Enemies to lovers
- TikTok gone viral
- A reformed (but still a little cocky) man
- Characters unpacking their emotional baggage
- Sharp humor balanced with real vulnerability
- *The Chicken Shop Date* energy
- Rom-coms that feel like they belong in *today’s* world

Eva and her love interest have crackling chemistry, but it’s the character development, emotional exploration, and social commentary that give this rom-com real depth.

Thanks to St Martin's Griffin Press for the ARC

This was just a fun read, honestly, with characters both likable and dislikable at the same time. Just like real people.

Best of all, the writing is actually funny. Witty and sharp, sometimes sarcastic, definitely made me laugh out loud.

"I always expected my career would revolve less around weiners than it does." 🤣 And that's the first line! Eva is truly funny, if darkly humorous and sarcastic, and maybe that's why I found the story so enjoyable.

It's a quick read and a fun romp (with a touch of a serious side for those looking for it).

After reading Mazey Edding’s Well, Actually I can honestly say to all young women out there you are going to be ok and also to find someone that will make you mac and cheese because it is your love language. On the surface this novel is a true enemies to lovers story between jaded Eva Kitt and former fraternity screw up Rylie Cooper. Everyone in their early twenties has that one relationship where they should have seen the red flags, but in reality were too young to grasp the problems until it was already over. This is that relationship for Eva and Rylie. Meeting in college, Rylie was the perfect example of the kind of boy not to date. Distant, immature and mysognistic he left Eva with so many scars in college. Now both of them find themselves in the social media world; with Eva hosting a “chicken date” type celebrity interview show and Rylie being the go to podcaster for deconstructing toxic masculinity. After a few too much wine Eva posts on her Instagram calling Rylie out for his contradictory behavior in college. Determined to redeem himself and prove that he is not the same stupid twenty two year old idiot Rylie challenges Eva to critique him on his podcast after a handful of dates. With funny jokes and witty banter this is a story that celebrates growing up and finding who you really are in your late twenties. Both characters were fun and likeable. A simple story that turns into a deeper conversation about sexism in the workplace and in social spaces. It dives into issues such as sexuality, mental health, and grief in what can only be described as a beautifully modern second chance romance. I seriously loved this book so much.

This is giving Chicken Shop Date in the best way. Loveddd the banter. Great pacing. Hooked me right away.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book! I found myself rooting for the characters , I love Eva and Rylie!! This second chance romance was very heartfelt, fun, and flirty .

I really enjoyed the overall story of this book. The interaction between the main characters was fun and flirty lending itself to some great banter. I did think that some of the book was a little unnecessary- for example the focus on eating hot dogs as part of her job. But overall I enjoyed the book. I also really appreciated that (maybe spoiler alert: it wasn’t a traditional third act breakup, which I thought I saw coming).

It’s giving — grumpy x sunshine, black cat and golden retriever, she fell first, he fell harder… and let’s also throw in the Andrew Garfield episode of Chicken Shop Date as a bit of a callback, too.

My girl Eva is one for biting commentary, using b*tch as a term of endearment, wearing a hot pair of heels on the daily, cat eye sharp enough to kill a man, hot girl baddie vibes. I am all for a woman using her sharp conversation skills and impeccable style to make a living. I LIKE her from the very beginning. And when she makes her video calling out her fling from college, I full on groan in anticipation of what’s to come, but am so ready for the reconnect to unfold. Because I love a good second chance romance more than ANYTHING, y’all, and this one didn’t disappoint.

Eva’s got armor. And I love watching Rylie try to take it off with each interaction. I knew this was something special from the time the two locked eyes during their first “date” at The Met. I LIVE for their banter and sass. I always love that “Don’t be mean to me or I’m going to fall in love with you” trope and this book does it RIGHT. That man lives for letting her make fun of him and enjoys every second. And the SPICE?! Help, I’m melting. Because WHEW!!!!!

A few things I think that are very worth talking about:
- Eva’s career as a journalist: I think it’s a very real thing to not feel fulfilled by your job. Like you’re doing something in the *realm* of your interest but it’s not fulfilling that greater purpose. I know that life all too well and while I’m not eating lukewarm hot dogs on the reg, I get her feels on it. I was rooting for her to quit from the moment it got to be too hard on her emotions, because no job is worth your well-being.
- Rylie’s character is really just insanely well done. He is the biggest green flag of all green flags. I loved seeing Eva figure out that it wasn’t just all talk and that he was really that great and wonderful and the perfect partner for her. Additionally, the portrayal of his grief journey is realistic, raw, and emotional, and it brought tears to my eyes as someone who lost a friend similarly to how he lost his sister.

Favorite quote:
“You can call me any name you want, as long as I can call you mine.”

Tysm NetGalley and St Martin’s for the eARC!

Such a cute read for a second-chance romance.

The idea of Sasuage Talk made me lol in the beginning. Also the Lea Michele joke? lmaooooo. Eva was adorable. Definitely will be checking out this author more now.

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, and a lot of things I didn’t. I’m feeling very conflicted on my rating because the things I loved, I loved. Rylie and Eva had such amazing chemistry. But at the same time, I truly thought Eva was unnecessarily mean at times, and it felt hard to root for her. But I also, could understand where she was coming from. I think because of her negative behavior at times, it resulted in me feeling less connected to her as a character, when we actually have a lot in common regarding upbringing, dating history, and coping mechanisms.

I also felt a touch bummed reading this. I was rooting for the main characters, but also felt like at time Rylie deserved someone a little sweeter, but also felt like Eva just deserved better than the way the world saw her, her employer saw her, and her best friend. Self worth doesn’t come from what people think about you, or how they treat you, at times it just felt like Eva was so looked down upon that it felt almost exhausting.

It was my first Mazey, and I can’t wait to continue reading her other books. I just think this one was a really confusing read for me when it comes to my enjoyment. I’m sitting at a 3 for right now, but I think with more thought and time it could change.

Thank you SMP for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’m sorry to say but…. This is a DNF for me and pretty early on. I was really excited to read it but as I started, I just felt like I was losing brain cells within seconds. Sorry.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

Eva Eva Eva - some of her choices were messy. And they were MEAN to each other. Some low blows but led me to believe there was rly chemistry between them. I did love how everything Cooper said was dripping with yearning, even when Eva lashed out with something passive aggressive or condescending. This one was truly an enemies to lovers.

It was hard at times bc Eva felt like such a Negative Nancy. She called him an idiot and he grinned at her. Could never be me! He does call her out for being “brutal” and he admits he likes it. So I’m not going to tuck his yum.

Rylie seems like a bit of a saint - bringing her takeout after she leaves his place without saying goodbye? Hero status. They say “if he wanted to, he would” and he obviously wants to, but Eva is SO convinced he is only in it for the publicity. She is not listening!

It was a fun story, but a bit hard for me to believe that her level of teasing was “love.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was so sweet! A second chance romance beginning with Eva calling out her ex on social media for being a jerk when they dated. Eva is an ice queen to him (rightfully so) and Rylie is absolutely besotted.

I loved the witty banter, slow burn romance, and how they actually talk about their feelings. They have such a healthy relationship with all the green flags. Eva's job and their relationship trending on social media are causing stress and problems. But the relationship itself is adorable. Eva is seen and loved for who she is. I loved reading about them communicating and growing. They also have fantastic friends.

Anyone looking for a fun romance should read this one.

CW: explicit sex and language

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.