This book was my introduction to Mazey Eddings, and I will definitely be reading more! I loved the writing, the characters, and the story, and I also appreciated the way this book handled LGBTQIA+ themes. The lead character is so, so harsh at times, and I think Eddings did a great job of detailing how trauma can affect people years down the line if left unresolved. I did feel like the end came up on me very quickly, and I was left wanting a bit more of a resolution/details around the workplace situation, but who can really complain about that when the romance portion is tied up so nicely?? Thank you for the ARC!

I really tried to force myself to like this one, but I think it's just not for me. Initially I thought the concept was really funny, and the opening line made me instantly laugh. But I was quickly lost to how unlikeable I found Eva to be. Melodrama for the sake of plot is one thing, but I really think she was mean spirited at the start of the story, and I couldn't convince myself to push through when I jumped so far into dislike her.

Truthfully I stopped reading about 30% of the way into the story, because I couldn't force myself to love it the way I needed to. I usually have a hard time with books that are so clearly written about specific celebrities. While I know Eva being based on Amelia Dimoldenberg was intentional, I couldn't tell if the author was basing Rylie on Justin Baldoni and I could not shake how much that made me dislike him for no reason other than, ya know, Justin Baldoni.

I devoured this! This was my first read from Mazey Eddings and definitely will not be my last! I loved our two MCs - Eva felt extremely real and I saw myself in her, which was both comforting and alarming to read, haha. I loved how down bad Rylie was for her, and enjoyed seeing how Eva slowly let her walls down to let him in. I really appreciated the mental health and therapy representation that was in this book. I would definitely recommend!

Well, Actually is a true masterpiece full of humor, romance, bickering, and hot dogs. In this forced proximity second chance romance we follow Eva (the host of Sausage Talk) and Riley (a podcaster working to deconstruct toxic masculinity) as they go from viral social media bickering to manufactured dating to something real. It is impossible for me to sum up the journey this book takes, you’ve got to read it yourself - trust me, it’s worth it! Also, if you don’t laugh at least once while reading this you might be dead inside-the comedy in this book is truly top notch!

I highly recommend grabbing this book!

P.S. If you haven’t read Mazey’s other books, drop everything and do that now!

Omg.. what can I say about this stinking wonderful, beautiful, lovely book!? I mean, I loved it. I loved it so much. It was a sassy barb followed by giggles the whole way through. It was raw, and felt so real and so heartfelt and heartbreaking all at once.

Okay okay. Gathering my thoughts. Eva. I loved her. I absolutely LOVED her. She could be so mean.. but the type of mean that had such soft edges and hope behind it. I’m just going to be honest here and say this is the type of protective backlash I think was meant to be felt by Nesta’s character that just didn’t land for me. But with Eva is 100% did. Her meanness was never over the line, it was obvious it was a protective layer she held close that would lash out when threatened. But every second, under it all, was such a longing to be accepted and loved and protected when no one had done those things for her before. Ugh. I adored her.

Cooper.. Rylie… Rylie Cooper. This is.. the simp we all needed. The recovered asshole ready to show his vulnerable side. I loved this MMC. He may be my favorite contemporary book boyfriend I’ve ever read. I’m obsessed with the way baby girl put in the work to win back the woman he lost all those years ago. Sigh.

The plot of this book was so good and so heartbreaking and I’m sorry this is true but I think so many women will relate to in some form or another. The spotlight shown on the total misalignment of the public reaction between men and women concerning different topics is SO relevant. I felt it played out so frustratingly well. I ached for Eva. The drama was so natural to this story, I just felt like it was beautifully done.

And yes yes yes. Slight spoiler, but no third act breakup!!!! Screams my happiness into the readerverse!!! The third act drama was so well done. Ugh. Chefs kiss. No notes. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you so so much to Mazey Eddings and Netgalley for this ARC!! I feel like this will land as one of my favorite reads of the year!

Well, Actually was a comedic and emotionally driven ride! The characters in this book felt tangible, each carrying such strong emotions I was worried I wouldn’t be able to connect to any, so I was so delighted when I found myself deeply caring for everyone in this story. Was especially overjoyed for such poignant takes on sexuality and identity from different characters, I felt seen when I wasn’t even expecting to feel that way.

This was such an incredible read. A second chance romance done exactly right, and with so much humor and growth and care for these characters. From the very first page, you feel for Eva so deeply. You can see exactly why she puts on such a heavy set of armor just to face each day. Mazey manages to write a mean character who you have no choice but to love and feel for. Rylie was such an excellent match for Eva’s attitude and even when she pushed and pushed, he never gave up on trying to get through to her. He worked so hard to make sure she knew exactly how he felt, and worked so hard to be vulnerable with her. Eva and Rylie might be my new standard. This was such an incredible book.
I also want to note all of the representation for so many kinds of wonderful people, sexualites, and the care that went into writing these characters so well.


Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins press for the advance ebook!

Well, Actually
3.75 ⭐️

Got this one on @netgalley recently and I had to pick it up because it sounded so hilarious!

Eva drunkenly calls out her ex who ghosted her six years ago and is now a podcaster giving life advice. When her video goes viral, she and Rylie agree to host a show together to help both of their shows. Somehow he convinces her to give him a do-over and they’ll go on dates and she can rate them on his show.

I honestly didn’t like Eva at first, but after the two went to counseling and she had some pivotal moments where she showed character growth, it was much better. I genuinely laughed out loud at a few of the snarky lines too!

I'm a huge Mazey Eddings fan and I was really excited about this book when I heard about the tropes and the synopsis. A lot of it I really enjoyed! The dynamic between Rylie and Eva is just as fun as I was expecting, she is absolutely ruthless with him and he eats up every second of it. I found the online humor and references a little cringey at times, some of them are already dated to me and I honestly just don't love them in books anyway, so I struggled with that bit, but I also understand that this centers on the host of an internet show and a podcast host, so it makes sense to have some online references. Where I really disconnected (spoilers from here on) was the situation with Eva's job. Eva is not very trusting of others, it's a huge hurdle for her relationship with Riley and has come up in other relationships as well. It frustrated me on another level that she was then so trusting of her boss. She was being mistreated and taunted with offers of a promotion, and while she had no issue sticking up for herself in other positions, she let this job crush her. When she did finally stand up for herself, she made no mention of how she was being treated prior to her relationship with Riley, only how her job was impacting that relationship. I understand that a lot of Eva's confidence came from a "fake it til you make it" mentality and that she did actually struggle with confidence in some ways, but I just wanted the strong, take-no-shit woman that she was with Riley to also some out in other aspects of her life. That Eva wouldn't have tolerated a lot of the treatment she received.

I really enjoyed this funny romance—it gave off major *How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days* vibes. I could totally understand her anger and his reasons for hurting her, which made their relationship feel more authentic. That said, I think the FMC could still benefit from therapy. The MMC was super likable, and his "simp" moments were kind of endearing. The banter between them did get a bit repetitive at times, but the second half of the book definitely had more meaningful exchanges. Overall, it was a solid second chance and enemies-to-lovers story.

What a delight! I loved this one.

Riley Cooper!! What a dreamboat! I loved how Riley was all in for Eva. He worked for her love and trust, and literally did not stop until he got it (this is a romance...happily ever after is inevitable!) I really loved Eva's sharp wit and tenacity. She showed Riley a piece of her that her work environment didn't give her the opportunity to show.

Overall, an easy 5 star read. I will be checking out Mazey Eddings backlist ASAP!

First off the cover art for this is so perfect. I absolutely love this style. Second, this book was so fun. Exactly what I'm looking for in a romance: good banter, interesting characters, fun premise and a fairly quick read. Eva, while rough around the edges, it was nice seeing her character grow. Although Rylie steals the show for me because who doesn't like a supporting, adorable and emotionally available MMC. The flashbacks were some of my favorite parts of this story and really helped everything move along. It's just such a solid read. This is my first book I've read by Mazey Eddings and it will not be my last.

First and foremost I adore this author and her previous work. She has an excellent way of finding unique storyline that relate to the public and this generation. Overall, this book has complete promise of being good but I struggled with main characters. I wanted Eva to show more maturity in situations but she decided to run from most situations, even her friend who had messed up for a moment. It just felt had to commit to someone that wasn't committed to anyone else except for a guy that dipped on her 6 years ago. But I will read Mazey again because I think she is brilliant, I just struggled with these characters

This book had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Eva is irreverent and tough and hilarious. Rylie is a little lover boy and the perfect steady balance to Eva. I loved that he could hold his own with Eva without ever wandering into mean territory. Even when he was frustrated he held space for Eva and all her prickly fears. Their chemistry was great, their fears and struggles believable, and the entirety of the story both humorous and inspiring.
Also this story revolves pretty heavily around social media and pop culture, which has a tendency to be presented in a cheesy and easily dated light. However I think Mazey did a good job of writing that element in a way that didn't feel cringey.

Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance writers. The banter between these two had me absolutely SAT.

Eva thought she was going to be a hard-hitting journalist covering events and topics she was passionate about. Instead, at 28 years old, she is the host of a mediocre show where she interviews and roasts second-tier celebrities over hot dogs. In fact --the most attention she's ever gotten is when she decides to roast her college fling, Rylie Cooper, on Instagram after one too many glasses of prosecco on a Friday night. Because Rylie is a successful podcaster trying to address issues of toxic masculinity, the post goes viral. Her job immediately sees the potential of a collaboration and, to her absolute horror, invites him on her show. The horrors persist when Rylie goes off script and asks her for a series of dates to prove that he has matured from the obnoxious 22-year-old frat boy he once was and is still interested in Eva.

This is a true black cat/golden retriever duo but Eva quickly learns that not even her sharpest barbs can deter Rylie and he is genuinely interested in righting past wrongs and earning a second chance to be with her for real. Eva, the middle of six children in a blended family, has never felt true and unconditional acceptance and puts up walls at every turn. The push and pull between these two characters felt so genuine and was instantly addicting to read.

It was giving big Chicken Shop/Amelia Dimoldenberg/Andrew Garfield energy and I loved it.

Also the Lizzie + Rake mini-cameo made my entire month.

This was my first Mazey Eddings book, but it certainly will not be my last. I freaking loved everything about this. FAKE DATING is catnip for me, and the premise of this, with the large social media presence and a man trying to undo the years and years of toxic masculinity engrained in our society was *chef's kiss*. Not to mention being absolutely hilarious? Eva's sense of humor was perfection. I laughed my ass off, swooned, and was literally giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. HIGHLY recommend.

I loved the beginning of this!! I feel like Eva is meant to be a frustrating character but I just wanted to be her friend and help her heal 😂 I loved the banter between Eva and Rylie and them exploring their past and all da feelings ✨ It fell off for me once all the work stuff started getting so toxic. I feel like that’s not realistic that people would be like that but maybe it is?? Idk I just didn’t love the ending with the work stuff. I feel like the third act conflict could’ve been something different that I was more interested in? I haven’t read this author before and I am into exploring her backlist. Enjoyed the read overall!

I really liked this book! It was cute and so funny and also heartwarming. I have such a soft spot for characters who are outwardly a bitch but actually such a softie and the guy just loves their bitchiness. This was just so good! I also really loved the cameos from her other books!!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings, and this was my first time reading her work. I walked into it expecting a run-of-the-mill romance book—which, in many ways, it was—but there were a few elements that made it feel fresh and engaging.

The story features the classic grumpy/sunshine trope, but with a twist: the FMC is the grump. I found myself absolutely infuriated with her at times, but honestly, that’s what made her such a compelling character. I don’t enjoy characters who are too likable because it often means there's little room for growth. In contrast, I was deeply invested in the FMC's journey as she navigated and conquered childhood trauma and attachment wounds. Watching her evolve was one of the highlights of the book for me.

Another standout was the diversity woven into the story. The range of sexualities represented felt authentic and refreshing. You don’t often come across bisexual male representation in romance novels, and I absolutely loved seeing that here. The MMC, with his golden retriever energy, isn’t typically my type, but I found his character endearing and well-developed.

What truly stole the show for me was the banter. The delicious wit sprinkled throughout the book made me think Mazey Eddings must be hilarious in real life. It added a vibrancy to the narrative that kept me turning pages. Sure, there were a few plot points that felt more like devices than organic developments, but honestly, what book doesn’t have a bit of that?

All in all, Well, Actually was a really enjoyable read. I'll definitely be recommending it to anyone in search of a smart, fresh romance with memorable characters and sharp, witty dialogue.

Listen, Mazey never disappoints.
She always hits. Every single book. And I don’t know how she has the time to write in between being a doctor but I am so blessed that she does.
Her books are always such a good time with such diverse interesting characters.
This is no different. Our main female character is rough around the edges with the Great Wall of china as her protector. She is so closed off with her emotions and feelings due to previous traumas that she deals with humour and sarcasm.
But then comes her reconnection with Riley -and boy does he push her buttons in more ways than one.
Who knew that couples counselling would be the way to get her to break down those walls…. And on a date at that.
I just have always loved that Mazey adds in some kind of queerness and well as neurodiverse characters in her novels.
Her books just appeal to everyone and I cannot congratulate her more than I do already- I’m her biggest fan- if she wrote it I’m going to read it.
And I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this in August!
Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this in advanced in exchange for my honest opinion!