Thank you St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, Actually is a second chance romance between Eva and Rylie, six years after a disastrous few weeks of dating and a lackluster sexual encounter in college. After being reunited for a video segment then Eva is roped into dates and more social media videos with Rylie which he uses to right the wrongs of their youthful relationship. This all takes place within the confines of Eva’s toxic workplace and her career struggles. There are a number of serious topics addressed throughout including death, grief, misogyny, mental health, relationship baggage, self-worth, family issues, and coming out. Maybe too many serious issues that they all feel addressed but superficially.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley + SMP for the arc!

I didn’t get the chance to read Mazey’s “Late Bloomer” but I had heard amazing things, so I was very excited to receive an ARC for Well, Actually. Especially since I’m a big fan of Chicken Shop Date and Andrew Garfield (iykyk).

Overall, I really enjoyed it but I did have a hard time relating to/enjoying Eva. I did like her growth by the end but there were times where it was hard to get through. Especially when you think about the grudge she holds over a college fling. However, if it weren’t for Rylie, I’m not sure I would’ve liked this as much as I did. Mazey writes banter incredibly well and Rylie Cooper is something else. I loved every time he was on the page. Is it a cute read? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Yeah! But it’s not my favorite I’ve ever read!

My favorite Mazey Eddings book to date! It is so deeply funny and fun, and I tore through this. The heavier topics are well balanced as always with her books, but the voices are just so unforgettable,I absolutely loved it.

I think the only thing I didn’t like about this book were Landry, William, and the farce of company that Eva worked at. A hot dog interviewing segment?? That should have been the first red flag for this entire company. 10/10 reflected the nasty ugly side Soundbites revealed at the end. While I am sad that Eva had that humiliating meeting, I love that she had support from Rylie AND Aida at what could have been blow to her career.

Eva doesn’t give black cat energy, SHE IS A BLACK CAT. and you know what pairs well with black cats? Golden retrievers. God, Rylie is such a cute match for my girl Eva and her biting comments. He is in love with her just as much as I am.

Usually second chance romances fall a little flat, because if I’m being honest, getting with an ex sounds like a horrible idea. But I LOVED how well Eddings wrote out this trope. You can be young and fuck up, but you can also learn and grown and become a better version of yourself.

10000/10 spice - I feel a little dizzy from those chapters if I’m being honest. Their chemistry was HOT even when Eva was in denial about this whole ordeal.

Very much loved, can’t wait to get a paperback copy for my collection!!!

I was asked to read and review “Well, Actually” by Mazey Eddings. This novel poses an interesting premise about reconnecting with an ex in the most innovative way.

I am new to Mazey Eddings but I found her writing straightforward and honest. I felt this novel was geared more toward the millennial, so as a 50 year old, perhaps a few references went over my head. I also wanted the main female character, Eva, to be less snarky. I felt she was too young to already be so cynical. Though this is categorized as a romance novel, it wasn’t super sweet, though it had its cute moments. The dialogue between Eva and Riley brought their dynamic to life. I also felt the novel portrayed the spectrum of sexuality in a way I have not seen in other novels.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thanks to Net Galley, the author and publisher for a chance to read this novel.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the ARC! I read Lizzie's Blake's Best Mistake last year and I really loved Mazey Eddings writing style. She writes with a lot of heart and I felt like the characters in this book really go on a journey of self discovery and self acceptance, while they navigate their relationship. Eva and Rylie met in college and had a lackluster couple of dates, despite the fact that they really liked each other. Six years later. Eva is in journalism and interviews B-List Celebrities and Rylie hosts a popular podcast. Eva decides to call out Rylie on his bad behavior in college online and it goes unexpectedly viral. She then is forced to work with him on a collaboration, because the viral video brings a lot of attention to her employer. When they meet up, he convinces her to let him take her on 6 dates. Their connection is fun and flirty and Eva's personality is sassy and
blunt, which I loved about her. This one is definitely 5 stars for me!

Eva Kitt is an incredibly entertaining main character who has had her fair share of misery. Even though she could be miserable, she was also hilarious. I’m not much of an annotator, but I couldn’t stop myself from highlighting her witty lines. I know people are going to say she’s too mean, but I’ve always loved a “mean girl” main character.

As for sweet angel Rylie Cooper, I find it kind of poetic that this man shares a first name with my golden retriever. He is adorable, loving, and is the type of person who always shows up. I am a sucker for a lover boy, and he is the definition of one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, sarcastic, compassionate, and a lot of fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC! This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I feel so lucky that I got to read it early.

The tension, banter, and slow-burning chemistry make for a captivating read, keeping you engaged from start to finish. It's the perfect blend of conflict and connection that makes the payoff all the more satisfying when they finally come together.

If you love a well-crafted Rivals-to-Lovers romance, this book is a must-read!

This was Mazey Eddings at her best! Well, Actually is such a delightful romp. I fell in love with Eva and Rylie immediately, they had perfect chemistry from the first encounter on page. Their banter was pitch-perfect, and this story fully explained how and why their initial romance fizzled. It felt real, not contrived. This is the kind of Rivals-to-Lovers romance that I adore, where you are smitten with both characters and really hope and pray they figure things out!

The spiciness is lovely and I think every guy should be more like Rylie. He's pretty wonderful and his growth and development is really seen through their dialogue. I loved how realistic Eva's job was, with the pseudojournalism-for-clicks aspect of her show and how frustrating that was for her. Eva had some work to do as well, to fully believe in herself and deal with a manipulative workplace/supervisors and a misogynistic media space. Eddings is always whipsmart with her social commentary, and that is fully displayed in this book. I'll be recommending it to everyone, there are butterflies galore when Eva and Rylie are together in a scene.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wanted to love this one because I’m a big Mazey Eddings fan, but the FMC was just too mean for me, and the storyline too unrealistic. Appreciated the Lizzie cameo. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of Well, Actually. If you perhaps got really excited by the Andrew Garfield Chicken Shop Date, then this may in fact be for you specifically.

Release Date: August 5, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Vibes:
• Podcast nice guy x burnt-out journalist
• the entertainment industry does not care about you as a person
• being a b!tch in the name of protecting yourself
• "give me six dates to prove I am a better man than I was 6 years ago"

With all I am about to go off about, this was still fun and I did absolutely devour it. The true biggest crime of this book was the jomforter (jean comforter.... comforter made of denim).

I really just need to say that you will not like this book if unnecessarily snappy main characters, because boy oh boy does Eva really need help with that. For someone that wants to talk trash about others being bad, she could very much use therapy for her behavior (and she really should have been called out on this).

After a drunken video calling out her college ex (aforementioned podcast nice guy) for ghosting her and treating her poorly goes viral overnight, Eva must now interview him on her sarcastic hot dog interview show called Sausage Talk. Rylie insists on having changed since then and asks Eva to give him six dates to prove it, all while airing it out on both of their shows. Eva is pretty much forced into doing so with the promise of a promotion, and ability to work on something she cares about, being held over her head.

As expected, there was more to why Rylie was so distant in college. He has gone to therapy, worked on himself, and is actually a good person. My issue? Why the HECK are we supposed to be focused on him becoming better rather than watching Eva grow up?

She is unbelievably terrible the whole book, all in the name of being a Hot Girl. I thought I was going to love that aspect of not taking crap from anyone, but honestly she isn't even good at that with her only really being that way with people she cares about instead of the people who actually deserve that kind of treatment. We see Eva being taken advantage of in an business that could not care less about her and a very toxic work environment full of harassment and nonconsensual recording.

There were also really great points about society and how we talk about sex! Conversations on taking out the size/shape of genitalia was really nice since there really isn't a normal, and verbally punishing people for their body is not in any way helpful or productive. The characters also talking about sexuality and the difficulties of understanding yourself was really well done.

This book was everything a rom-traum-com should be—sharp, hilarious, and unexpectedly deep. The humor was next-level—Eva had a quip for everything and everyone, delivering some of the most savage burns I’ve ever read. She used humor as armor, and it was both wildly entertaining and painfully relatable.

And Rylie? A walking, ironic-crewneck-wearing teddy bear. He took Eva’s verbal smackdowns like a champ, all while working through his own redemption arc—overcoming grief, rectifying past mistakes, and endless groveling. My new favorite trope is men in therapy. The way he broke down Eva’s walls while affirming her in ways she could actually accept absolutely melted me.

Their dynamic was pure gold. Every conversation crackled with wit, tension, and something deeper beneath the surface. The romance wasn’t just swoon-worthy—it felt like a natural extension of their already electric connection.

I've never read anything quite like this book—sharp wit and raw emotion woven together so seamlessly. It’s a rare mix that made this story completely unforgettable.

This cover is to die for and so are the contents of the book. SIMPLY PERFECTION. I had an absolute blast reading this. Everything about this was amazing.

THANKS. SO. MUCH. for the ARC‼️ it took me a while to realize I liked this book - but I love The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt and that’s the last time I read a book w a feisty FMC. Eva reminds me of LaRynn but they are def two distinct characters.

I literally just finished this book so I’m having a hard time quantifying the rating, but it’s definitely four stars if not higher.

I absolutely love the cinnamon roll / golden retriever, archetype for a MMC so that worked really well for me. I really love the pacing of the last third of the book and it made for a really enjoyable read. Another win by Mazey Eddings - I’ll read anything she writes. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors, which is crazy because this is literally her second job. No one writes togetherness like she does -- you can't not root for one of her couples when they're together and happy.

Eva Kitt calls out a college ex turned feminist influencer Rylie Cooper for his toxic behavior during their short relationship. After going viral, Eva agrees to go on a series of dates with Rylie where he intends to prove he’s changed. Romance ensues, explanations are given, and the prickly heroine falls. I loved the first half of this slow burn (one-sided) enemies-to-lovers/second chance romance. It’s funny and smart with a grouchy, but relatable heroine. My biggest complaint is that the second half felt like it moved too fast. I would have liked to spend more time unpacking the heroine’s baggage with her family that we hear about throughout, but she never really confronts. Overall, I enjoyed this fast, flirty read!

Mazey continues to exceed expectations in her ability to tell heartfelt and spicy stories, with characters who are "real". Each books shines a light on a little piece of the "small" girl inside. Love escaping the real world for a while in a Mazey Eddings book.

Well, Actually… I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down :) Love the writing and characters that had me giggling throughout, it’s such a fun story! Eva & Riley are the perfect dynamic. They are perfectly flawed but in the most lovable and relatable way with laugh out loud moments all throughout the story. Eva’s inner dialog + their banter between her and Rylie throughout has me wanting to be their BFFs!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Goodreads review-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217387757

IG review-
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFd7shPRuhl/?igsh=amI5b3JnZm0xYmg3

With the quippy and quick dialogue we've known to expect from Eddings, this book has it times ten. Eva and Rylie's chemistry is off the charts and fun to read. Edding's other commonality between her books is the focus on mental health and this one does a great job of that as well.

If you were as obsessed with that one...similar poultry restaurant show video- this is for you!

I will say, at some points, Eva did bother me. She hardcore needs some good therapy like Rylie had. Her actions in the beginning are questionable and I wish they had some worse consequences.

Eva is the host of sausage talk and interviews B-list celebrities ovr hot dogs.... She calls out her college ex, Rylie, a beloved social media personality. Rylie offers to take her out on dates to make for his toxi behavoiour....

Love the chemistry between the main characters. They sparkle together. Enjoy the fun and humour too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Overall, I really liked this book. The characters are interesting and have depth, and the writing is good.

My main issue with the book, which is unfortunately a pretty major one, is that both Eve and the author seem to think that Eve publicly blasting Rylie near the beginning of the book is acceptable, and doesn’t merit any apology from Eve. Yes, she was drunk, and I think it’s totally fine to have her Instagram video be a plot device. However, once sober. she should have realized her behavior wasn’t okay.

Imagine if the genders were reversed- a girl goes on a few dates with a guy in college, they have mediocre sex, and she ghosts him. 6 years later, he posts a public video disparaging her personality and sex skills. Ghosting or not, I think most people would think this is unacceptable. So why does the book treat Eve doing exactly this to Rylie as totally fine? This left a bad taste in my mouth.