Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is the second book in Mazey Eddings’ A Brush with Love series—it can be read as a standalone or as a companion novel to book one. Harper’s friend Lizzie Blake is known for being messy and constantly making mistakes. After Lizzie gets fired from yet another bakery position due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she meets a handsome Australian traveller named Rake. To prevent romantic attachments, Lizzie usually only allows herself to have one-night stands…but Rake’s charm has Lizzie breaking her rule. Immediately after, Rake returns to his solitary life in Australia where he can’t seem to forget about vibrant and lively Lizzie. When Lizzie calls to tell Rake that she’s pregnant, Rake decides to do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life…including taking a job in the US and moving into a new apartment with Lizzie. After spending more time with Rake, securing a new position at an erotic bakery, and facing her past family trauma, Lizzie learns that her “mistakes” can end up being wonderful blessings.
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a steamy romcom that invokes the forced proximity/stuck together, accidental pregnancy, and there’s ‘only one bed’ tropes. This book is perfect for fans of A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings, Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score, the STEMinist novellas by Ali Hazelwood, Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter, It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, Set On You by Amy Lea, and How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake deals with themes such as family and found family, chaos and order, growing up, love and heartbreak, motherhood and parenting, self love and self acceptance, loneliness and isolation, and disability. Throughout the novel, Lizzie and Rake learn to embrace their flaws and stand-up for themselves; the moral of this story is that everyone deserves to be accepted, valued, and loved.
First off, I adored this book, especially Lizzie and Rake’s steamy chemistry, and it was more enjoyable than A Brush with Love. Furthermore, Rake’s protectiveness towards Lizzie was very sweet (it reminded me of the “you touch her and you die” trope) and his nickname for Lizzie (Birdy) was totally swoon-worthy. It was great seeing how Lizzie and Rake’s feelings for each other grew throughout the book after being forced to spend lots of time together. I loved how Harper, Dan, Indira, and Thu (from A Brush with Love) made appearances throughout Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake and now looking forward to reading Indira and Thu’s love stories in the future! Lastly, I appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of ADHD representation and the realistic way in which Eddings’ described neurodiversity.
There wasn’t much about this book to dislike but, even though it provided some funny moments, I found some of the descriptions of the erotic pastries to be a bit much. It also seemed as though there were some missed opportunities, such as it would have been heartwarming to have seen Lizzie’s parents finally come to accept, understand, and unconditionally love Lizzie flaws and all, along with that it could have potentially been hilarious to see more of Lizzie’s doctor appointments and perhaps even the baby’s birth. Lastly, I would have liked it if Eddings’ teased the next book in the series (Indira or Thu’s love story) at the end of Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.
Overall, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was a steamy and funny rom com that I highly recommend picking up!
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 6th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
