Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake A Novel

Absolutely loved this one. While this story centers around one of my least favorite tropes (I didn’t know that I never read book synopsis I just have liked other by this author in the past lol) this author handled it well and it turned out to be a really great story! I loved the authors ADHD representation and the care she took in weaving that into the story. I also enjoyed that this was more than just a romance and the family layer to this one was absolutely perfect to me. I love this author and I continue to look forward to reading more of their books!

This story is a fun open-door romance read. The first half of the book had me laughing and coming to like the characters, particularly Lizzie. She has ADHD and has spent her life apologizing for it among people who didn't understand her or try to understand her. The second half of the book had me cheering her on as she found her place amongst people who cared enough about her to understand and love her.

BOOK REVIEW

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake / Mazey Eddings

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

▫️pregnancy trope

▫️ADHD rep

▫️forced proximity & one bed

things I loved:

🧁 I honestly just love the way Mazey writes, her books are so fun and the banter is always top notch, it always has me laughing throughout

🧁 I loved Lizzie and how much she grew to not be ashamed of her ADHD, I feel like for a long time she had to hide it or felt like she wasn’t allowed to be her true self but Rake taught her not to be ashamed of who she is

🧁 honestly I didn’t realise this book had a pregnancy trope (that’s one me cos it’s in the synopsis). I personally don’t like the pregnancy trope, however, I’m glad this book wasn’t solely based around the pregnancy

things I didn’t love:

🧁 Rake fell a bit flat compared to Lizzie’s character, who is such a huge energy filled FMC. Rake felt a bit underdeveloped and almost boring, I just felt indifferent towards his character

🧁 final point that just made the story a touch unrealistic for me, was the way Rake so readily just moved his entire life across the globe to be with Lizzie and be a father to their baby, it honestly kinda gave me the ick and it’s why I didn’t love this one

🧁 also Lizzie’s parents are disgusting humans who don’t deserve to have such a wonderful daughter

huge shoutout to Hachette for kindly sending me a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review 🩵🩵

Loved this quirky main character and related hard to her.

Also loved the surprise pregnancy aspect!

I thought this was such a non typical, fun, witty romance read. The main character, Lizzie, is not your normal heroine and is an amazing representative of mental health and how different that journey can be for everyone. She is quirky, funny, and a straight shooter. You can never tell what she’s going to say next, but it’s always the truth. The main lead, Rake (audiobook so that could be spelled wrong 🫣😂), seems like someone who could not possibly match with her because he’s a sensical, detailed oriented man. But one night later, and they’re going to figure it out.

There are characters you’ll love and characters you simply hate, but it creates the perfect narrative.

It took me a bit to get into this book for some reason, probably a me problem, so I gave it 4.5, but this should be your next romance read. Such a fun story! With my favorite trope 😍

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

It has this weird slow burn effect to it, when in reality it’s not actually one? Not sure how else to describe it, but it was a good dose of spice without taking over the book.

as a woman with adhd, i thought lizzie was so relatable in the way her mind worked, her insecurities, her mannerisms, everything. while i don’t have the body confidence she has, the way her and rake work reminds me so much of my husband and i. i seriously love mazey eddings and think she might be one of my favorite romance authors.

I don’t have much to say about this one besides that I loved it so much 💛

This was such a heartwarming read. I am not entirely sure how well the mental-health situation is portrayed. It felt a bit exaggerated, but I don't know how that condition affects adults so I couldn't tell you. My heart was moved when she tried her hardest to get through and accomplish her goals. Also, the grand gesture was... *swoon* Loved it. I cannot wait for the next book.

I actually really liked this book despite it being about an accidental pregnancy. It had enough chaos and other plot point to make me not feel like the whole thing was about the accidental pregnancy

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake

Author: Mazey Eddings

Book Series: A Brush With Love Book 2

Rating: 5/5

Spice: 4/5

Diversity: ADHD MC, Sapphic side character

Recommended For...: contemporary, romance, adult, ADHD rep

Publication Date: September 6, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Relevance: 18+ (cursing, sexual content, violence, gore, pregnancy, abortion, fatphobia)

Explanation of Above: There is a lot of cursing in this book and a lot of sexual content. There is a pregnancy throughout this book and abortion is mentioned as an option briefly. There is some physical violence with punches. There is some vomit gore shown in the book. There are also some slight fatphobic comments made.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety), you name it, she’s done it… and made a mess of it too. One mistake she’s never made is letting anyone get closer to her than a single hook-up. But after losing yet another bakery job due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she breaks her cardinal rule and has a two-night-stand that changes everything.

Once burned, twice shy, Rake has given up on relationships. And feelings. And any form of intimacy for that matter. Yet something about charming, chaotic Lizzie has him lowering his guard. For two nights, that is. Then it’s back home to Australia and far away from the pesky feelings Lizzie pulls from him. But when Lizzie tells him she’s got an unexpected bun in the oven, he’ll do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life… except be emotionally vulnerable, obviously. He’s never going to make that mistake again.

Through a series of mishaps, totally “platonic” single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.

Review: I absolutely loved this book so much! The book had me laughing from page one and I loved the use of the multi-POV in this one. I’m not usually one for the unplanned pregnancy trope, but it worked so so well in this book and I was ADDICTED to reading this one after the first chapter. The book also features the one bed trope slightly and is a little grump/sunshine. The book showed a guy who has a great relationship with his parents, which is super refreshing, and I fell in love with Lizzie so much. I loved the ADHD rep and I felt seen as my brain rapidly bounces from topic to topic, I also deal with RSD, and I also spiral so easily. I also felt seen with Lizzie and her mother’s relationship. I don’t have the best one with my mother either and while the circumstances are different, my mother’s rejection of me stings and I felt Lizzie’s pain so acutely. I also struggled with letting people in and letting them come close and I too had to find a community to fit into. I thought that the book was extremely well written, the character development so well done, and the world building immaculate. As an aside, I also love that I share a birthday with Rake. THANK YOU MAZEY EDDINGS!

The only nit-picky thing I could think of that I thought could be better is that there didn’t seem to be a lot of lead up to the next book (The Plus One) like there slightly was in A Brush With Love for Lizzie’s book. I wish I would have seen that a bit more, but other than that I am floored with how amazing this book was.

Verdict: YOU NEED THIS BOOK! Highly recommend!

** spoiler alert ** This book was everything to me. Lizzie and I share so many similar qualities, and it's encouraged me to go talk to my doctor to see if maybe, I'm not too much like I've always been made to seem. I felt so deeply with this book. I can't even put words to how I feel so I feel I may have to come back to properly review this book. This book gave me hope. This book gave me life. This book is everything I wanted and everything I needed all wrapped into one. Thank you, Mazey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I would like to request a sequel of Lizzie, Rake and Evie please. I'm desperate to see what her life has become. 😭😍

This book is such romcom realness. Lizzie and Rake are so flipping cute and I love them so much. I also really loved how the book explored and dealt with Lizzie's ADHD. Mazey Eddings is such a good writer and I love her. I received a copy through netgalley.

Life was a shadow before, but you’re the sun. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a love letter to people who have never fit in a “normal” societal box. It is a raw and beautiful story that illustrates the reality of a neurodiverse person and their journey to unashamedly claiming their space in the world. Lizzie is in her late-twenties and is always the life of a the party. She knows how to have a great time and has a friend group she would die for. While she feels deeply; one thing she won’t allow herself to do is fall in love. Having spent her entire childhood hearing how she was “too much” and being taken from one psychiatrist to the next in an attempt to wrangle her personality and ADHD, she’s determined that burdening a romantic partner with her love is just not something she’s willing to do. Just because Lizzie won’t allow herself to fall in love, doesn’t mean she lives a lonely, romance-free life. In fact, she loves sex and the comfort physical closeness brings her. As far as she’s concerned, she will have no problem spending her life enjoying one-night stands with zero attachments. It’s all going according to plan until she meets Rake — a mysterious, sexy, emotionally unavailable ( yet surprisingly well-versed in Historical Romance) Australian that is visiting her city. They are both content with a one-night-turned-two-nights-stand and never seeing each other again…until they receive news that will change their lives irrevocably and bind them forever. Will they be able to break down their walls and create an unshakeable partnership or will their mutual fear of intimacy and emotional connection keep them at arm’s length indefinitely? Filled with more personal growth than I can describe, incredibly written (and plentiful) steamy moments, and a well-paced love story, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is must-read for contemporary-romance lovers. Read for: ♡ own-voices, neurodiverse rep ♡ dual POV ♡ sex-positive, shame-free main character ♡ numerous steamy scenes ♡ sexually suggestive baked goods Triggers: ✕ sexual harassment ✕ ableism ✕ emotional abuse Thank you Mazey Eddings for sending me an early, physical copy of Lizzie Blake and to St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin/SMP Romance for an early digital copy!