Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings: My Review

Check out my book review of Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings to see what I thought of this must-read book of the summer.

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Well, Actually Summary:

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.

Well, Actually: My Review

Not going to lie, this book had me at Sausage Talk, which is why it earned a spot on my most anticipated new romance books of 2025 list and it did not disappoint.

This happened to be my first Mazey Eddings book, and I was SO impressed, not only by the storyline, but also by the quality of writing, the humor that is top notch, the rawness of the characters, and more.

Mazey uses a fun story about a podcaster and journalist who’s stuck in a pop culture interview show eating hot dogs to explore important topics such as toxic-masculinity, sexual exploration, communication in the bedroom, as well as workplace and cyber bullying.

Much to my surprise, the humor and snark is what captivated me with this novel right from the start. Who knew that Mazey was this funny, y’all?! I mean Eva could really dish it out and Rylie would honestly just take it with a smirk and occasionally dish it right back just as good. I loved their banter and it was totally their love language.

“Let’s make one thing clear…Under no circumstances will I be taking your Mini Cooper for a joy ride.”

“Every planet must be out of order with Neptune double-penetrating Uranus because something unbelievable is happening….”

Their first date was so atrociously bad that I couldn’t help but laugh and feel so bad for Rylie. Mazey must have had so much fun creating that scenario.

As much as I liked this book Eva did start to get a bit on my nerves but my feelings about a character shouldn’t take away from how good this book is. I felt like she was pretty harsh with Rylie throughout the book but hey, if he liked it, then who am I to judge. But I did enjoy how Mazey gives us some of Eva’s introspection to understand why her guard is up and to see her growth throughout the book.

Eva’s backstory, that you get glimpses of, was truly heartbreaking given how she was never shown any love in her family so it was understandable how she’d be crushed when Rylie ghosted her and how she was always wary of being pushed to the side and/or left.

Rylie’s backstory was just as heartbreaking, though I truly liked how he wouldn’t let Eva push him away and he was so earnest in his attempt to make up for past wrongs and do right by her this time around.

This book was so enjoyable, and I highly recommend it!

*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

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