Title: Well, ActuallyAuthor: Mazey EddingsPublisher: St. Martin’s GriffinPublication Date: August 5, 2025
Synopsis:
An utterly delightful and sexy second-chance romance between a black cat and golden retriever with Mazey Edding's signature sparkling voice!
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 call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that 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 behavior, 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 that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.
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Sonja’s Review:
I found Mazey Eddings before her debut novel, A Brush with Love, had come out as there was a lot of buzz for it and it interested me, so I added it to my TBR. I haven’t read it yet, but it still put Ms. Eddings on my radar and when Well, Actually came to my attention basically due to pop culture at the time and I had the opportunity to snatch an early publisher’s copy of it, I took it! I did kind of forget about it until I saw that it was releasing soon and I won’t lie, when I realized what it was about and I thought of the pop culture event that prompted me to get it, while on the one hand I was looking forward to finally reading Ms. Eddings, on the other hand, I was not feeling necessarily enthused about the book itself. Then when we met Eva and she started whining about her job and life at like two percent, I put the book down and dramatically spent several minutes regretting everything and questioning myself and my book choices. I say I was being dramatic because when I picked up Well, Actually again, I kid you not, by literally — I checked — the next percent of this book, we got into Rylie Cooper and my attitude completely changed and I was fully on board. I recognize the utter ridiculousness of that, but it’s true and I flipping wholeheartedly, passionately loved and couldn’t get enough of Well, Actually!
Eva and Rylie captured my full attention, I was so wholly invested in them, and at times, I could not drag myself away I loved them so much! They were so dear to me and I wanted nothing but the best for them. They were brilliant together and on their own. Their banter and humor was perfection, I loved their teasing and insults and just everything. I related to Eva in that we both hate having emotions and especially expressing them although that’s because I’m a Virgo while Eva has a more legitimate reason that tore my flipping heart out. I was truly devastated for her that she didn’t know how lovable and worthwhile she was and I’m so grateful that she and Rylie found their way back to each other. I also felt a lot of gratitude towards Rylie because he was so patient, kind, and compassionate to Eva and just everything she needed. I don’t want to make it seem like Eva was doing all the taking and none of the giving in their relationship as that’s not the case. Yes, she needed more reassurance than Rylie did, but it’s clear how devoted she was to him and would do anything for him even if the cost to herself was great. I don’t think that would be an issue in the fictional future of their fictional world though, and yes, I do think they’re a couple that would be together forever in the world that Mazey Eddings created.
After reading the Content Warnings page for Well, Actually, I was expecting an overall fun time, but knew there would also likely be difficult parts as well. Since I’ve never read Mazey Eddings before, I had no idea what to expect, but not very long after starting it, I did not expect to laugh so hard, I was wheezing and had my eyes watering and then I definitely did not think my eyes would be full of tears soon after that hilarious moment. Seriously, Ms. Eddings made me laugh my butt off and then she punched me in the gut, it was very rude! I’m not mad about it, but I was not prepared — I will be in the future though, because I am absolutely going to pick her up again! Well, Actually was fantastically wonderful, all my emotions were involved in this book, it made me laugh, made me cry several times, and it just made me so happy and grin so big it hurt a little. I’m beyond glad I read this, it’s one of my best of the year, and I know when I reflect on the books I read at the end of the year, Well, Actually will be one of the first ones I think about — I just loved and adored it so much!
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
About the Author:
Mazey Eddings is a bestselling author, dentist, and (most importantly) stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zadie. She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her husband to bring her snacks. She's made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain. With roots in Ohio and Philadelphia, she now calls North Carolina home.
