A Review On Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

Leave a comment

After many years, Eva and Rhylie finally come together again for a few dates, but, will what happened in the past come to light or stay in the past? Well, Actually brings Eva and Rhylie together after Eva publicly calls out Rhylie for the way he ghosted her in the past. Now, on both of their jobs, Eva as an interviewer and Rhylie as a social media star,

Book: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
(Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)
**While this book has already been out I did receive it early so thank you again NetGalley!**
Tags: Adult, romance, exes, social media stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Thrift Books | Abe Books
Read: July 6, 2026 to July 12, 2026

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over wieners, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. When Eva publicly calls out her college ex for ghosting her, her video goes viral. 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 decent partners.

Now, she’s forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, where Rylie makes her a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them all on his channel. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the deal to further her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. But 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.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Spoiler Free Review

After many years, Eva and Rhylie finally come together again for a few dates, but, will what happened in the past come to light or stay in the past? Well, Actually brings Eva and Rhylie together after Eva publicly calls out Rhylie for the way he ghosted her in the past. Now, on both of their jobs, Eva as an interviewer and Rhylie as a social media star, they go on a few dates to see whether Rhylie is the same as he was in the past or if he’s changed after many years.

Well, Actually was quite an interesting read for me. I found myself enjoying Rhylie’s character throughout the book and liked that he was funny and he also had a lot of depth to his character and a lot of growth. I think one thing that made me enjoy this was the way, as individual characters, Eva and Rhylie were written incredibly.

Now one of the reasons why I chose to rate Well, Actually a 3.5 star was because of Eva. I found that her visceral hate for Rhylie throughout the book (even with the attraction she felt towards him) was too strong. I liked that in some ways she liked him and felt the attraction, but, the beginning really hurt my reading abilities because the way she hated him and how he had treated her in the past was so focused on and uncomfortable to read. I liked the premise of them going on dates to prove that Rhylie changed from who he was in college when they dated in the past but Eva was so unchanging that these present day dates they went on were somewhat hard to read. I think one thing about Eva that was done well, though, was that she was a well developed character and that even with her trauma, we got to see her slowly change as a person, albeit slowly.

What I did like was their communication and the truths that were said throughout the book. The amount of communication that happened between them was greatly appreciated and I enjoyed the moments when they were both truthful to each other and what had happened in the past and even who they are in the present moment.

Overall, Well, Actually didn’t capture my heart as much as I wanted to. Though there were moments I enjoyed, I definitely hoped for more. That being said, I did enjoy Eva and Rhylie’s dynamic on occasion and found some moments to be fun to read and unique to their story.

Thank you to NetGalley for inviting me to read Well, Actually and for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Honey Roselea Reads

A Review On Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels

Leave a comment

Star-Crossed Summer fuels the yearning and chemistry between Ryder and Scarlett as they meet again after ten years. From co-stars to lovers and then a ten year silence, this romance novel brings to life the ups and downs of love. What I liked about Devon Daniels’ writing is that Scarlett and Holden, from all points of views, shows you how much depth the characters have.

Book: Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
(Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)
**Happy Release Day!**
Tags: Adult, romance, second chance romance, actors/actresses
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Thrift Books | Abe Books
Read: July 6, 2026 to July 6, 2026

When a Hollywood starlet is unexpectedly reunited with the costar who broke her heart, their chemistry has her questioning what’s reel and what’s real in this heartfelt summer romance about first loves and second chances.

It’s been ten years since the fateful summer Scarlett Everhart filmed The Lost Letter, the tearjerking romantic drama that catapulted her to worldwide fame and set her on a collision course with Ryder Perry, the movie’s intense, irresistible leading man. The pair’s fiery onscreen chemistry captured audiences’ hearts—while their whirlwind affair offscreen shattered Scarlett’s into a million pieces. Determined to move on, she made a vow: to focus on her career, leave Ryder in her past, and never, ever look back.

A decade later, Scarlett’s kept that promise. She’s become one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading ladies and is on the cusp of the biggest role of her career. And if she’s been unlucky in love, at least she’s managed to put her ill-fated relationship with her former costar—and the public’s obsession with the pair’s star-crossed romance—behind her. That is, until a sudden twist of fate thrusts her and Ryder back together in the seaside South Carolina town where they first fell in love, then fell dramatically apart.

As old sparks reignite, Scarlett is swept back into the love story that once defined her life, forcing her to reckon with the choice that tore them apart…and the devastating secret she’s been keeping since their breakup all those years ago.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spoiler Free Review

Star-Crossed Summer fuels the yearning and chemistry between Ryder and Scarlett as they meet again after ten years. From co-stars to lovers and then a ten year silence, this romance novel brings to life the ups and downs of love. What I liked about Devon Daniels’ writing is that Scarlett and Holden, from all points of views, shows you how much depth the characters have. One thing that I liked emphasized — besides the chemistry and romance — was the heartbreak that can be felt from the words. Not just romantic heartbreak but personal relationships and situations that were written into the story. But, what makes these events worth reading is the connection between Holden and Scarlett.

One thing that I liked about Star-Crossed Summer was the chemistry between Holden and Scarlett. Even after ten years, the heat between them is still there. There’s really a reason why I enjoy second-chance romances and it’s because of romances like Star-Crossed Summer and how the chemistry after so long is still just as strong as the first time. Even during the dark times that all relationships have, the clear communication that they both had, just to sit and talk it out, the good, the bad, that’s what’s so great about this book is the talking. And not in a boring way which is a huge prop to Devon Daniels. She made the conversation and emotion flow so well that kept me engaged the whole time.

And speaking of chemistry, Holden as the male main character was perfect. I felt the flirtations he sent out and the way chemistry rolled off him as he and Scarlett interacted. Of course, as a romance, chemistry is a must and Holden and Scarlett are great together. I think what really made this work as well was simply how deep their connection was. What they had wasn’t just a spur of the moment romance the first time, but a deep connection that brought them together and that’s what made their romance special.

I’m so glad I got to read Star-Crossed Summer and that I got to enjoy Holden and Scarlett’s romantic reunion. It was a perfect, short, and emotional romance to read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for inviting me to read Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels and NetGalley for providing me with and ARC!

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Honey Roselea Reads

A Review On First and Forever by Lynn Painter

Leave a comment

I had a fun time reading the fun banter between Duffy and Connor. With Duffy being an expert in the Minneapolis Coyotes football team, the relationship between them was funny to read and incredibly charming. I liked reading this for it’s lightheartedness yet when it came to serious moments, I greatly appreciated Lynn Painter’s writing.

Book: First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
(Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Tags: Adult, romance, sports, closed door, banter, fake dating
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Thrift Books | Abe Books
Read: May 11, 2026 to May 14, 2026

A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.

The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring this secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Spoiler Free Review

Thank you to Berkley Romance for inviting me to read the eARC of First and Forever! I had a fun time reading the fun banter between Duffy and Connor. With Duffy being an expert in the Minneapolis Coyotes football team, the relationship between them was funny to read and incredibly charming. I liked reading this for it’s lightheartedness yet when it came to serious moments, I greatly appreciated Lynn Painter’s writing. Just from the start of the book when they first met, I liked how easygoing the start of their relationship was. And although Duffy was reserved at first, she was still willing to be open and get to know Connor and vice versa.

What I enjoyed about Connor as a main character was how much of a sweetheart he was. I liked that he took the time to listen to Duffy and I found myself really enjoying his point of view a lot. I especially enjoyed how much he liked Duffy. Having read a lot of sports romances, it’s always a refreshing read when one or both of the main characters realize their feelings.

Connor and Duffy were a great pair in First and Forever and I loved reading their romance. I liked that it was a closed door romance and sometimes you just need a change of pace.

Thank you again to Berkley Romance for inviting me to read the eARC of First and Forever!

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Honey Roselea Reads