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A review by rachrreads
Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Lizzie Blake has made many mistakes in life causing her to move from job to job, but one mistake she will never make is getting emotionally attached to a man. Lizzie is perfectly fine having one night stands and never seeing the guy ever again. But after another job has let her go, and a dating app meet up goes horribly wrong, Lizzie meets Rake.
Rake is from Australia and in town for a business trip. After a horrible break up with an ex Rake has sworn off relationships. I’m fact he’s sworn off anything that could get him hurt or make him feel. After all, you can’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in. But when he lays his eyes on Lizzie in a bar in Philadelphia, all thoughts go out the window.
The two give up on their rules and spend two amazing nights together before Rake has to go back home to Australia. If there’s an expiration date there’s no way to grow attached. Right? Unfortunately that plan goes out the window when Lizzie discovers she’s pregnant. Rake will do anything to make sure he’s present in the child’s life and Lizzie is going to let him. While the two are complete opposites, one thing the they can agree on is that they will be platonic co-parents.
Lizzie was such a fun character to read about— energetic, creative, and speaks with no filter. She is so confident in her body, but struggles to love her brain. Lizzie finds large tasks daunting and often will get distracted while doing something like laundry.
While I don’t have ADHD, I have 3 siblings with it — each who experience it in totally different ways. Lizzie reminded me a lot of my older sister who struggles not only with ADHD, but dyslexia, receptive language disorder, depression, and anxiety. They both struggle with the social norms thrown upon them and feel trapped by them. I love the way Lizzie explains how she experiences things, as it really made me see my sister in a new way. They both enjoy hands-on experiences rather than the typical desk job. While Lizzie turned to baking, my sister turned to nannying.
Mazey Eddings does a fantastic job of depicting these struggles, as well as the emotions Lizzie experiences when she feels like she’s made a mess. I adore the mental health representation in this book and may even recommend my sister try out the audio when it comes out.
I absolutely adored Rake as well. He’s the epitome of grumpy in the grumpy sunshine trope. Rake struggles to share things beyond the surface level after experiencing a deep hurt. He has spent the last few years alone, focusing on work and work only. Rake may not have understood Lizzie and how she thought, but he was fascinated by her. He wanted to live in her beautiful world and hear all she saw. When Lizzie didn’t feel smart or successful, Rake showed her that she was. He showed her how much he cherished her and while he wasn’t the best at showing it in public, he made it up to her in the end.
Watching him grow with Lizzie was such a fun ride. Each of them were closed off for their own reasons, but watching their relationship blossom was truly amazing. I highly recommend this book!
TLDR— read this book if:
• you like hot Australian men
• you like books with mental health rep
• you want to learn more about someone’s experience with ADHD
• you like (or can get past) the surprise pregnancy trope
• you like rom coms!!
TROPES
Pregnancy, mutual pining, only one bed, grumpy/sunshine
Lizzie Blake has made many mistakes in life causing her to move from job to job, but one mistake she will never make is getting emotionally attached to a man. Lizzie is perfectly fine having one night stands and never seeing the guy ever again. But after another job has let her go, and a dating app meet up goes horribly wrong, Lizzie meets Rake.
Rake is from Australia and in town for a business trip. After a horrible break up with an ex Rake has sworn off relationships. I’m fact he’s sworn off anything that could get him hurt or make him feel. After all, you can’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in. But when he lays his eyes on Lizzie in a bar in Philadelphia, all thoughts go out the window.
The two give up on their rules and spend two amazing nights together before Rake has to go back home to Australia. If there’s an expiration date there’s no way to grow attached. Right? Unfortunately that plan goes out the window when Lizzie discovers she’s pregnant. Rake will do anything to make sure he’s present in the child’s life and Lizzie is going to let him. While the two are complete opposites, one thing the they can agree on is that they will be platonic co-parents.
Lizzie was such a fun character to read about— energetic, creative, and speaks with no filter. She is so confident in her body, but struggles to love her brain. Lizzie finds large tasks daunting and often will get distracted while doing something like laundry.
While I don’t have ADHD, I have 3 siblings with it — each who experience it in totally different ways. Lizzie reminded me a lot of my older sister who struggles not only with ADHD, but dyslexia, receptive language disorder, depression, and anxiety. They both struggle with the social norms thrown upon them and feel trapped by them. I love the way Lizzie explains how she experiences things, as it really made me see my sister in a new way. They both enjoy hands-on experiences rather than the typical desk job. While Lizzie turned to baking, my sister turned to nannying.
Mazey Eddings does a fantastic job of depicting these struggles, as well as the emotions Lizzie experiences when she feels like she’s made a mess. I adore the mental health representation in this book and may even recommend my sister try out the audio when it comes out.
I absolutely adored Rake as well. He’s the epitome of grumpy in the grumpy sunshine trope. Rake struggles to share things beyond the surface level after experiencing a deep hurt. He has spent the last few years alone, focusing on work and work only. Rake may not have understood Lizzie and how she thought, but he was fascinated by her. He wanted to live in her beautiful world and hear all she saw. When Lizzie didn’t feel smart or successful, Rake showed her that she was. He showed her how much he cherished her and while he wasn’t the best at showing it in public, he made it up to her in the end.
Watching him grow with Lizzie was such a fun ride. Each of them were closed off for their own reasons, but watching their relationship blossom was truly amazing. I highly recommend this book!
TLDR— read this book if:
• you like hot Australian men
• you like books with mental health rep
• you want to learn more about someone’s experience with ADHD
• you like (or can get past) the surprise pregnancy trope
• you like rom coms!!
TROPES
Pregnancy, mutual pining, only one bed, grumpy/sunshine