Unfortunately after the first few chapters I knew this book wouldn’t be for me. I’m not interested in continuing at this time.

Well, Actually was pleasantly cringe. The characters were fairly like-able, but the wokeness and character arcs felt a little forced. I enjoyed the relationship development but the miscommunication being used as a plot device was tired. The FMC was able to intellectualize her feelings in her head and then couldn't verbalize them, leading to big fights and issues, which felt unnecessary. Overall, it was fun and nice to read if you don't want to think too deeply.

Going into this one, I was beyond excited—I still think about Late Bloomer all the time. And wow, Mazey Eddings did not disappoint. She knocked it out of the park and then some!

Mazey has a beautiful way of portraying the messy, complicated parts of being human through her characters. Eva Kitt is a heroine who pushes people away, convinced she’s not worth staying for—just like her brain tells her. Riley Cooper is a reformed fuckboy who got his life together after some tough experiences. Their relationship is all kinds of fun to watch unfold.

It’s heteronormative in structure, but both characters are bisexual, which I loved seeing represented! This book was everything I wanted and more. An easy five stars, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to many!

*Received from NetGalley for the purposes of review*

This was such a fantastic rom-com. I highly recommend anyone pick this up if you’re interested in snarky banter and second chance romances.

The connection that Eva and Rylie had was fantastic. The banter between them had me laughing out loud so much that sometimes I was crying. Though, there were harder topics on grief, mental health, and the way Eva was treated by her employers that made me cry more from sadness than joy.

I definitely want to check out if this author has any other novels because I loved her writing style!

3.5 stars!

I loved the premise for this, as a second chance romance, but the beginning of it was a bit tricky to get into. I had trouble connecting to the FMC as she seemed to be so mean to the MMC in the beginning. I really had trouble with how horrible she treated Rylie without giving him a chance to explain himself from what happened years ago. My favorite part was him bringing her the different mac n cheeses because she said that was her love language. This changed as the story went on and I loved how they connected more as they got to know each know each other again. It was a cute rom-com!

4.5 ⭐️

This was SO good. Idk if podcast rom coms are a new thing now, but I’m kind of into it. The banter between the two main characters was soo cute and I was hooked from the very first chapter. Their chemistry and tension were also INSANE. I thought the cast of side characters was really interesting, and I enjoyed reading about what they were dealing with. Honestly there’s not that much to say, besides that this was a really good romance novel and anyone interested should definitely give it a read!!

I have loved the other Mazey Eddings book I’ve read but this one just wasn’t it for me. I had a really tough time with the email main character from the start. It felt like we were trying to be witty and cute but it just came off bad. At first, I was pushing through thinking she would be less insufferable as she started to date the mmc but the first date was… ridiculous. Honestly, just ridiculous. I read to about the 35% mark before I couldn’t handle it anymore which made me so sad! Ultimately, this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of Well, Actually.. this was a cute story but unfortunately I just didn’t feel the connection between the characters like I wanted to and the banter missed the mark for me. You’ll definitely be picturing Amelia Dimoldenberg throughout this story which gets problematic around 70% in LOL. Still a cute read though!

3.75 ⭐️

I really absolutely loved our FMC & MMC in this book! I found the FMC to be SUPER relatable and just enjoyable to read. The banter between them was CHEF'S KISS. I was laughing, giggling and kicking my feet the entire time.

I think the concept of the book - hooked up in college, ended badly or just ended abruptly and they meet later and realize people can change and they're worth second chances. I think we as humans could all stand a change to learn that lesson in a sense. I think the way they got back to each other was very funny and realistic as well.

I have loved Mazey's writing style since the first book I read of hers. It flows and is SO bingable. You fall in love with the characters and they feel like they could be your friend IRL.

My only 'issues' were the chapters were LONG. I hate to see a long chapter coming and I feel like because of that it took me so much longer to read the book. I also had some pacing issues. I feel like a good majority of the book (50-60%) was paced really well. The last section of the book felt like it dragged. I still enjoyed the characters and their story but not much happened. I just was looking for more plot there, but it didn't really take anything away form the overall story, that's just my personal preference.

You'll find:
-Bi, Pan MC's
-Ex-situationship
-Social Media Viral Situation
-Black Cat x Golden Retreiver
-She hates him, He's OBSESSED
-Second Chance Romance
-PRAISE

Overall I really enjoyed this! I would LOVE to read it again as an audiobook. I think it would elevate it exponentially for me. I just needed a bit more from it to be super memorable in my personal opinion, but I still had a great time!

Rating: 3.25⭐️

Well, Actually follows Eva Kitt, an aspiring journalist stuck filming somewhat soulless pop culture content where she has hot dog-eating "dates" with C-list celebrities for a Buzzfeed-esque company. One night, after a little too much alcohol, Eva stumbles upon a video in her TikTok feed of Rylie Cooper, the guy who did her wrong in college and was now a successful podcaster that regularly touches on how he's a feminist an in touch with his feelings. In a bit of a rage, Eva makes a video of her own airing out the dirty laundry of their past situationship, and the video goes viral. While Eva would like nothing more than for her fifteen minutes of fame to drop off, her predatory employers see nothing but dollar signs and basically force her to film a series of videos with Rylie as they try to "reconcile" their differences. But as any romance reader knows, forced proximity with an ex is always a recipe for old feelings to resurface, and Eva has to come to terms with their past and decide if she wants to forge a future with Rylie, all while the internet waits with baited breath to see if they'll actually hook up.

I was really intrigued by the premise as it seemed like a romance inspired by Amelia Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date and her flirty interactions with Andrew Garfield, which I LOVE, but admittedly this book ended up being somewhat of a mixed bag for me. Starting with the positives, I LOVED Rylie! Truly nothing gets me more than a man down bad for his woman, and Rylie is down BADDD. On top of being obsessed with Eva, Rylie is also just incredibly patient, sweet, and truly in touch with his emotions. The College Rylie that so thoroughly crushed College Eva is truly dead and gone and buried, but we get to understand why he was the way he was back then, which really helps you forgive his past misdeeds. I also loved the easy LGBTQ+ representation in this book. Eva and Rylie both being a part of the LGBTQ+ community was great, and as someone who's bisexual myself, I really liked and appreciated how their sexualities were just a casual part of their stories and lives. Lastly, I LOVED the ending! The girl boss energy was top-tier and I also really appreciated that there was no third-act breakup, which I was honestly bracing myself for.

Now to touch on the things that made this book a mixed bag. To start, Eva was initially really hard for me to like. She was SO abrasive and sometimes downright mean. However, I became more forgiving as the book went on because it was clear that a lot of this abrasiveness was something of a safety mechanism for her, and once she properly opened up to Rylie, the meanness really dropped off. Second, this book started off SLOW for me. It didn't feel like we were getting anywhere with Eva and Rylie until the 60% mark, and while after we DID get somewhere I enjoyed the book a lot more, it felt like a bit of a chore to get there. Third, I could NOTTT get behind Eva's friends (mainly Aida) until practically the end. Aida was NOT sticking up for Eva at work and that infuriated me, but at least she came through eventually. Speaking of work, Eva's treatment at Soundbites was abhorrent and I cannot understand how she did not just quit. Girl, there are WAY better jobs out there, we could have found something else and did not need to stay at this company and get tormented! Lastly, the nicknames... as much as I loved Rylie, his extensive use of "kitten" was a little much for me.

Also, an honorable mention in the mixed bag arena is just how "current" the writing is when it comes to internet jokes. While I do think a lot of it is funny right now, in March 2025, I'm not sure how much staying power it has. I think 2025 readers will find it funny, but the humor will date itself pretty quickly and probably won't have a lot of staying power.

One thing I did want to flag stylistically is that whenever the characters were text messaging, it was REALLY difficult to follow. I understand this is an ARC and that the formatting may not be finalized, but the text message conversations formatted just like the regular copy really made it tough to comprehend 1) that texting was occurring and 2) who was texting what.

Overall, even though this book had somewhat of a rocky start for me and there were some things I wasn't crazy about, I did finish it satisfied. My adoration of Rylie never ceased, and I ended up really liking Eva as well. I think the second half of the book is really strong and will make most romance readers pretty happy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! Well, Actually comes out Aug. 5!

I absolutely loved this book! No notes. So good. I was laughing out loud. None of it felt forced. Extremely likeable characters. Realistic storyline. Super heartfelt. Will recommend to everyone I know! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to let me read early.

Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC copy of Well,Actually. The opinions expressed below are my own.

I have to say, this was one of the best books I've read this year. Eva, a head strong, black cat woman who works for a website who interviews lesser name celebrities , comes across a video of her ex love interest Rylie Cooper. He is a self proclaimed helper of men becoming better people.

After a drunken night and a online video, Eva finds herself having to work with Rylie to showcase their relationship.

Wow, this book had so much goodness in it. I absolutely loved Eva's character development as well as Rylie's. Both characters go through some dark times and when they finally get on the same playing field, they realize they really need each other.

The banter is fabulous. I love all of Eva's remarks and how well Rylie takes it from her. I love how sweet and kind Rylie is towards Eva even though she really goes hard on him. I just adored their relationship.

I also really love the different representations the author gave the characters including anxiety, depression and biphobia. The author did a great job explaining them in a beautiful way.

The spice is chef's kiss!

I really wanted to love this book based on the description I read, but it really fell flat for me. The female main character is full of millennial girl boss cliches, and all of the humor is millennial cringe. This doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad book, but I was truly struggling to finish this one or even pick it back up after finishing reading for a day. I think the main characters were kinda boring and not memorable as well. This is the first book I have read from this author, and iI have heard great things, so I was disappointed that this one did not work for me.

This was a cute rom-com that had me giggling and kicking my feet. I appreciated the character growth for Eva and the witty banter with Riley.

Book Rating: 3.5/5

This was a cute and fun read! I enjoyed the dynamic between Eva and Riley, both were interesting to follow, though Eva’s attitude might not be for everyone. She’s intentionally written as a bit rude, which I personally don’t mind, but if you’re not a fan of sharp or sometimes unlikable protagonists, proceed with caution.

The romance is a slow burn, and Mazzy Eddings absolutely nailed it. I love her romance writing style, and this book was no exception. However, my biggest issue was Riley, I just didn’t love him. He was okay, but at times, I found him a little boring, which made the story feel slow in places.

One major highlight was the lack of a miscommunication trope! With social media playing a role in the story, miscommunication could have been an easy pitfall, but these two actually communicated well and worked through their insecurities. That was so refreshing because, in my opinion, miscommunication tropes can be the worst.

Overall, this was a solid read with some great moments, but I can see how it might not be for everyone, especially if you don’t connect with the main characters or their actions.

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc and exchange for an honest review!

What did I enjoy about Mazey Eddings new romance novel "Well, Actually"? Well, actually quite a lot! Eddings' writing is hilarious, fresh, and culturally relevant. I relish stories with bisexual representation and Eddings story honors the LGBTQ+ community surprisingly well for a classically heteronormative romance novel. Was I frustrated with the FMC at times? Yes, but I am the first to admit I'm tough to please.

The pacing near the end of the story didn't work for me, but I really appreciated that the characters retained their personalities from start to finish, but still grew and evolved throughout.

I will definitely be recommending "Well, Actually" to my friends!

This was an overall fun and enjoyable read!
Although I didn’t relate to Eva very much and I found some of her actions kind of frustrating, I grew to really like her by the end.
Riley was fine, I enjoyed his character overall, but I think that’s mainly due to his interactions with Eva.
Where this book shines is the banter between them, I REALLY enjoyed their banter. Him being her ex was interesting and I was hooked as soon as she publicly shamed him.

This book was just okay. It as very over the top with unrealistic scenarios, and it was full of all the cliches that exist. I think it is an overdone topic, so it was not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

the banter in this one was OFF the charts! this girl is MEAN and he just eats it right up!!! the chemistry of these two was crazy. i love them, so much, with my entire being!

this is better than the andrew garfield episode of chicken shop date (and that’s saying a lot).

this story was funny, sexy, and just down right amazing. i HIGHLY recommend it and cant wait to read more from this author!

I am super grateful to Netgally and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC copy of this book. I loved this book so much I related so much to the female main character, I saw so much of myself in her. I was actually LOLing and having giggle fits with the banter between the two main characters and how they communicate with each other. Not only do you get the laughter you get the emotional aspects that has created the trauma in the two main characters. You relate to them you want to give them hugs through the book and you also get the anger where you want to punch her boss in the face.

My second Mazey Eddings book and I'm going to be diving into the others