At this point, Mazey Eddings is basically an auto-read for me. I’ve worked my way through Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, The Plus One, and Late Bloomer, and while some landed better than others, I’ve come to expect a certain blend of big-hearted chaos, neurodivergent rep, and banter that somehow feels like therapy and foreplay at the same time. So when I heard she had a new one—Well, Actually—I didn’t hesitate. Eddings has a knack for writing characters who feel messy and real, and even when I’m side-eyeing their choices, I’m rooting for them anyway.

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public callout of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help that said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality who has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behaviour, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy who broke her heart has become the man who might heal it.

I usually count on Mazey Eddings for heart and humour, but Well, Actually didn’t quite hit the same. The setup had potential, but being stuck in Eva’s head for the entire book was rough—she’s immature, abrasive and hard to root for. Rylie, on the other hand, carries the story completely, which makes the imbalance even more obvious. Still, Eddings knows her way around a good sex scene and builds tension that feels earned, not contrived. It’s not her strongest, but it’s far from a flop.

What didn’t work for me

Eva & the single POV: I’ve realized that I tend to gravitate toward dual POV romance because I like to be in the heads of both characters—and I think that would have really been beneficial here because Eva is…insufferable. She is so immature and, quite frankly, mean. And she didn’t really get any better throughout the book. I don’t know why Rylie liked her, despite his saying that he liked that she challenged him. I haven’t disliked a main character like this in a long time.

What I liked

Rylie: The reason I’m still giving this three stars is because Rylie is amazing. You understand why he was the way he was in college, and you see his character growth through his job and through his new friendships. He’s a great guy who is compelling to read about—and Eva really didn’t deserve him.

The sex: Despite my disliking one of the characters, Mazey Eddings really knows how to write steamy sex scenes without being too graphic or too shocking. And there’s also more than one, which I appreciate as a romance reader.

The tension: Without spoiling too much, I liked that the main tension wasn’t between Eva and Rylie, but between them and an external factor. It wasn’t one of those stories where a silly miscommunication tries to tear them apart.

3 STARS

“Rylie Cooper was the origin story for the trend that’s plagued my entire dating life, and I’d be a fool to fall into the same trap again.” —Mazey Eddings, Well, Actually

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced book copy in exchange for my honest review.