Once I started reading I did not put it down, except when my kindle fell on my face. Mazey Eddings is a new to me author and I will be reading everything I can from her.

This second chance romance that read like an enemies to lovers, and takes its time to rebuild the connection. Our FMC is clever and snarky, but this black cat has a back story that explains her motivations without wallowing. Our MMC is a kind of cringey on [TikTok] but the good kind of corny in practice.

Set aside your August 4, 2025. You will want the day to immerse yourself in Well, Actually. I was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy from the publisher and NetGalley.

There was just such a disconnect in the storyline where it hit hard in the beginning like a bolt of lightning with a fun premise but then it slows to therapy. Next we are hot and bothered with spice followed by a lesson on the business world.

There were thought provoking quotes that hit hard on how we put out our defenses. Along with conversations on topics of bisexuality and pansexuality.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for sending this book (eARK) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining second-chance romance. I loved the premise of this book but there were some things that I didn't enjoy as much.
The MMC, Rylie, was fine. He recognizes his wrongs in the past and thanks to many years of therapy, he worked through his problems and became a better person. He holds himself accountable, which is great. He did feel a little boring at times though.
Eva, the FMC, doesn't. She's unfortunately always being rude to everyone and sometimes for no reason, just because. I understand that that's her defense mechanism/trauma response, but I don't think that gives anyone the right to treat others badly. She'd do it purely out of spite sometimes and rarely apologized for it. I wish we had gotten some character growth from her, like her finally deciding to work through her issues/traumas by getting some much needed therapy (let's be honest, we all need it). Or how she spends the entire book mentioning how her dream is to work as a journalist that gets to talk about more serious issues and yet at the end, when Rylie asks her what her future plans are, she says "Idk"...GIRL WHAT?!
I did love their banter though, it was really good!
Eva's work environment was extremely toxic, I did feel really bad for her. No one should ever had to put up with sh*t like that. Hope William and his mom are having an awful day, always. They deserve it.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an arc!

I have the feeling that was somehow inspired by Chicken Shop Date?
Anyway, the idea is really good, because I love that show, and I think that after the Andrew Garfield episode, it gained attention, however the book itself didn't quite hit the mark for me. I felt that the author tried to make the FMC sassy like Amelia, but in the end it just became too mean.
In general i had hope but I got dissapointed.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy

Let’s talk about the real star here: the absolutely gut-wrenching, rip-your-heart-out representation of what it’s like to be a neurodivergent woman who appears cool, logical, and emotionally detached when in reality, you’re feeling everything so intensely it’s like drowning in an ocean no one else can see. The way Eddings captures that experience? Devastating. Brilliant. Seen. If you’ve ever had your feelings dismissed just because they don’t show up in a socially acceptable way, prepare to cry (and highlight half the book).

And of course, the romance? It’s chef’s kiss. Our heroine? Brilliant, bold, and not afraid to correct your grammar mid-flirt. Our hero? Soft, sweater-wearing, and so head-over-heels that he might trip over his own encyclopedic knowledge of niche trivia. Their chemistry? Off-the-charts banter with just enough tension to make your heart do that embarrassing fluttery thing.

If you love snark, smarts, and a romance that feels like an inside joke you desperately want to be part of Well, Actually might just be your next five-star read.

Wow. Where do I even begin?

I couldn’t put this book down. It fundamentally changed my brain chemistry and I fear I will never be the same. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I was invested from beginning to end.

Eva is such a relatable character and her storyline and character development felt so real and raw. I empathized with her every step of the way and I was so thrilled that she got her happy ending, both personally and professionally.

Rylie is everything. I’m actually struggling to find the words to explain how much I love this man. He’s just perfection.

While I don’t typically enjoy the second chance trope, I loved this one. The grumpy x sunshine vibes were also exceptional.

Overall, I am obsessed. I will be purchasing a physical copy on release and re-reading it again and again for years to come.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. The banter was top tier, i was laughing out loud multiple times. The characters had great chemistry, real life connection, worked through their tricky history, and were able to come together at the end.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!! I laughed out loud, I cried, I swooned. Perfection. Beneath the humor and the spice is a gorgeous story of making amends, navigating grief, and being vulnerable. Riley and Eva are my new favorite power couple.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Well, Actually


Another entertaining read by Mazey Eddings! I have read almost all her books to date (just need to read late bloomer) she’s an automatic read for me.

I love the banter between her characters
Eva and Cooper are just added to the list with their back and forth.

I also loved seeing a familiar little red head and her hunky Australian 👀👀

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, who provided this ARC

4.5 stars

I would say the vibes are Chicken Shop Date with Andrew Garfield and How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days. And I fucking loved it.

I leave you with multiple quotes from Rylie Cooper being a simp to convince you to read this book.

“Well,” he said, eyes still stuck on mine. “I think you’re pretty close to perfect.”

“I will fuck you any way you want. Any speed, any position. I will go down on you all fucking night if that’s what it takes to make you come, and I will do it with a goddamn smile on my face the entire time. Do you understand me?”

“Because now I’m so deep in this I would crawl through hell on my hands and knees over a bed of broken glass before I let you go again.”

“I’ve lost my goddamn mind over you, Eva, and I’ll repeat it over and over again until you are able to trust it.”

“I want you 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.”

“If at the end of my life someone asked me what I’d do with one more hour, one more minute, I would fight with you. Argue with you. Kiss you and hug you and hold you. Anything for one more second with you.”

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

Rylie Cooper is the blueprint! I was pleasantly surprised by this grumpy-sunshine romance. I loved the banter and that there was no miscommunication trope. My only complaint—not a fan of the FMC’s pet name. But regardless, I recommend!

I requested this ARC as I’m slowly starting to like the second chance romance trope. I think it’s because I’m viewing them in a healthier light - it’s the aspect of hope and change. While I went into this story hopeful, I left deeply disappointed.

I’ll first to Eva and be blunt, I did not like her nor could I stand her. I think there was such a missed opportunity to develop her character. We’re introduced to Eva who feels neglected by her family - completely understandable - and that’s affected her future relationships. I had thought she had gone to therapy but I think I completely misread that. Being triggered by things is due to what’s happened in the past. In this situation, her triggers involved being ignored/ghosted and ultimately what spurs her to create that video response to Rylie's video. I would’ve loved to have seen an epilogue of her going to therapy to work our her trauma around neglect. It's great she's found a caring partner, but you still need to work on yourself.

Instead, we had her personality trait being that of a b***h. I understand that but when she is mean for no reason at all other than to be spiteful…it’s not attractive nor is it something I want to read. This is part of the reason why I couldn’t fully empathize with her. Yes, I get the family trauma but that is no excuse to be horrible to other people. I simply couldn't see myself wanting to be her friend. I want to talk about her job. I wish she had her applying for jobs or something and not being mistreated in a job that clearly was not helping her achieve her career goals. Again, the desperate need for therapy - being in a victim mindset at work but then a persecutor with others... (see Karpman Drama Triangle).

On the writing - I don’t know if it’s because I’m reading an ARC or the author’s writing style but I hated the lack of punctuation around the text messages. Italicize them or something! More to say about the writing - too long of a story, sex scenes not adding to the plot, a rushed ending - and I will leave it at that. With the setting, people were right to say that “Sausage Talks” was a copy of “Chicken Shop Date” but with hotdogs instead.

Overall, I was disappointed by this read. We’re given a trigger warning of internalized misogyny but I don’t think that is accurate. I believe Eva was very self deprecating and had a lot of trauma from her family… and that doesn’t have to do with internalized misogyny. It’s more about the fact that she’s never had anyone care for her in the long run and she thinks it’s because of her. Yes, no one should ever be made to feel that way…but she absolutely should’ve gone to therapy!

I’ve been looking for a great romcom book and have finally found it! I love the wittiness, the angst and the chemistry between the two main characters. I laughed a lot throughout this book. Can’t recommend it enough!

What a fun read! While this book includes some tropes that aren’t always my favorite (grumpy x sunshine, second-chance romance), I knew I HAD to read it because it’s Mazey Eddings!

This story delivered exactly what I love in contemporary romance—an engaging, feel-good escape with plenty of charm. The chemistry between the main characters was fantastic, and the spice was so well done!

I did find myself occasionally frustrated with the FMC, as she struggled with self-doubt throughout much of the book. I’ve been hoping to see more leading women who truly believe in themselves, but I appreciated the way her journey unfolded and the character development along the way.

Overall, this was an entertaining, unputdownable romance with great emotional depth and a satisfying arc. Fans of Mazey Eddings and contemporary romance will definitely enjoy this one!

4.25 ⭐️’s. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. My first my this author, but won’t be my last. Such a good story line that is a little different than other romance books. Enjoyed watching both of them grow together in the book and the incorporation of therapy into getting through the barriers why their first relationship failed. Overall, great easy read.

Honestly I just wasn’t that into this book. It felt unrealistic and it was hard for me to connect with the characters. I usually love Mazy’s books but this one just did not hit for me. I finished it but it was very forgettable. 2/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this arc! Eva and Rylie’s redemption love story was so so fun to read that I couldn’t put the book down easily the past few days. Normally second-chance romances aren’t my thing, but this was done so well maybe they are my thing now?? Well, Actually explores such important topics while balancing romance, career establishment, friendships, and so much more. I absolutely loved this book and will be buying a copy for myself when it hits the shelves August 5th, 2025!

3.5 stars!

honestly, i struggled through the first half, but i flew through the rest! i came to really enjoy eva and rylie's banter, especially after the therapy session, once eva started letting her guard down.

I enjoyed the book for the first 50%, but then it started to fall flat for me. I enjoyed Eva and Rylie because their banter and chemistry was so entertaining and cute. It was a fun start to the read, but then the story kind of started to drag; all of a sudden, the pacing was off. It felt like nothing was happening anymore, everything was a bit drawn-out and repetitive.

I am not sure I was a huge fan of either characters, but I also don't know what I can pinpoint about what I did not like about them. I can understand why Eva acted the way she did not don't know if I was 100% a fan of it. Rylie even at times felt a little boring. Overall not a bad read just not my favorite either.

Thank you St. Martins Press, Mazey Eddings and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

I’ll start by saying this is the first book I’ve read by this author and while I enjoyed her writing style this book wasn’t for me. I disliked the FMC, Eva, from the beginning. She was immature, mean, and had limited character growth. I know she was supposed to read as funny and witty, but she just came across as sharp and insecure. Rylie helped balance her out. I loved his character and his family backstory broke my heart. I didn’t really connect with the side characters much, but I did like Aida. Towards the end it felt like the plot took a back seat to the spice and then came back just to quickly wrap up. I’m sure there are plenty of people who will love this, but it was unfortunately not for me.