Mazey Eddings continues to write love stories for every brain, delving into the chaotic, messy, and downright destructive nature of ADHD in Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.
Lizzie is a whirlwind. Fiery, feisty, and easily distracted, the red-headed baker flits unsuccessfully from job to job, little mistakes brought upon by poor time management and executive function pooling into a vast, ever-growing well of guilt and shame. Lizzie knows that she isn’t lazy. She always tries her best. But, sometimes, her best isn’t always good enough, in the sense that it doesn’t quite fit into a world designed to accommodate neurotypicals.
When little mistakes have big consequences, it can be hard to find your own self-worth, especially when rejection sensitive dysphoria is a nagging, ever-present companion that forces you to feel every criticism – every rejection – as a personal assault. For Lizzie, almost every action seems to have a negative reaction, and losing her most recent job due to time blindness sends her over the tip of the emotional iceberg, causing her to seek the one thing that always soothes her frazzled mind and frayed nerves: a good, old-fashioned, one-night stand.
No strings attached physical touch is the key to calming her constantly racing thoughts. Raised by parents who considered her to be “too much,” Lizzie has convinced herself that she’s not worthy or capable of being in a committed relationship. She feels too much, thinks too much, acts too much. She doesn’t fit the mold of expectation, doesn’t meet standards, doesn’t have a filter. Led to believe that she is nothing more than a burden, Lizzie can’t stand the idea of relying on someone else. If a partner sees the real her, the Lizzie behind the perfect mask that does its best to meet societal norms, they’ll leave, and she’ll be trapped. She’ll feel too much. Hurt too much. So, it’s easier to distance herself from strong emotions, to keep things quick and easy. To live in the spontaneity and anonymity that comes from a quick, dating app hook up. The physical touch is just enough to keep her mind busy, but not enough to create emotional attachment.
When a potential hook up blows her off at a bar – only to show up later, drunkenly making demands – Rake steps in, and accidentally sweeps Lizzie off her feet. He may not match her energy, but he’s quick to flirt and meet her banter, chemistry between them immediately sizzling into fierce sexual tension. He’s a little shy, a little cocky, and Lizzie – forward, blunt, horny Lizzie – convinces him to spend the night with her. A hot one-night stand turns into a day together. Being a foreigner on a business trip, Philadelphia is completely new to Rake, and he’ll do anything to keep Lizzie around, her energy and enthusiasm for life invigorating and refreshing. Rake may be a stranger to commitment following a rough breakup, but there’s something about Lizzie that makes him want to keep her around. He loves seeing the world and its wonders through her eyes, even if Philly is a bit of a dump, even on the best day.
A tourist-centered day date turns into yet another night together, wherein Lizzie and Rake both convince themselves that its nothing more than a quick fling, even as they both feel the tug of attraction – of something more – pulling them toward one another. One more kiss. One more laugh. One more conversation. They do go their separate ways though, both terrified of commitment. Rake returns to Australia and his tight web of meticulous control, while Lizzie begins the job hunt, both a little off kilter due to the intensity of their fling, but content in their decision. Lizzie’s going to finally get her life together (an anthem for many with ADHD, myself included) – and she does, with small baby steps. Interviews, tighter control on her meds and conversations with her psychiatrist, and a willingness to work with her strengths, rather than against them help Lizzie to find footing in a world that is constantly out to get her.
“Going back for seconds was a recipe for disaster, leaving the door open for people to decide she’s a little too emotional. A little too crass. A little too much.”
– excerpt from Mazey Eddings’ Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
Everything seems to be going (relatively) well until Lizzie realizes, in a panic, that she’s pregnant. One two-night stand and an expired condom later, and Lizzie’s left to deal with yet another mistake, but this one is life-changing. While Lizzie is aware that she has a multitude of options, an idea that is reinforced by her OBGYN, she chooses to keep the baby, and informs Rake as a courtesy. He doesn’t have to be involved, but he decides immediately that he will be. Quick to move into action, in a way that may feel unrealistic to some readers, Rake makes arrangements to uproot his entire life and live in Philly so that the duo can be platonic co-parents. What results is quick and chaotic, but it fits what we know of their personalities. Rake is meticulous, controlled, and plans everything. Lizzie is his exact opposite. She’s adventurous, messy and impulsive. One large, open-floor studio apartment later, and the duo are living in opposite corners of the flat and practically vibrating with pent up sexual frustration.
What unfolds is beautiful and vulnerable – and an absolute mess. With sexual tension through the roof resulting in a number of hilarious hijinks and teasing banter, Eddings delves into a fun, light-hearted strangers-to-lovers romance. Lizzie and Rake both feel the pull of attraction, but it’s more than just physical. Rake accepts Lizzie wholeheartedly. He’s fiercely protective of her and will do anything to see her smile. He genuinely enjoys her outgoing, boisterous nature and finds joy in her seemingly random eccentricities. He takes time to look at and appreciate her interests. Lizzie sees the absolutely best in everything, and her whimsy and enthusiasm help Rake to open up and become more receptive to love, emotion, and everything in-between, allowing him to step back from the control that keeps him grounded and aloof.
In Rake, Lizzie finds someone who appreciates her for who she is, while supporting her, allowing her to move past the manipulation and emotional abuse of her childhood. Rake’s encouragement gives her the strength to find her own path. While Lizzie proves, time and again, that she is capable of providing for herself, if given the chance to truly be herself, as we witness firsthand when she starts baking for an erotic, underground operation, wherein she is given full creative freedom, Rake helps to promote emotional growth and vulnerability, encouraging Lizzie to break away from the toxicity in her life and learn to live with, rather than against, her disability.
If yellow was a sound, he thought, it would be her laugh. Bright and booming, warming and joyful. Different varieties ranging from sunbeams and lemon zest to the soft puffs of golden wattle.
– excerpt from Mazey Eddings’ Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
It is in these moments of introspection from Lizzie that Eddings truly shines. She spends so much time in Lizzie’s brain – and for good reason. Living with ADHD is hard. It can be absolutely debilitating. Rejection sensitive dysphoria can leave you feeling hopeless, drained, and like an absolute failure if just a single, simple comment hits the wrong way. Poor executive function can make even the simplest tasks impossible – getting out of bed, eating, basic hygiene. Sensory issues can cause complete meltdowns, triggered by the most innocuous things. Inability to filter an influx of stimuli, including thoughts, can leave you struggling to find a way to work effectively. Starting – or stopping – something, anything, can be impossible. Decision paralysis and people pleasing are very real.
It’s easy to suggest a to-do list, or an alarm, or planning ahead, but a person with ADHD can dismiss those things – out of sight, out of mind – without even thinking about it. Not all neurodiverse brains are the same, of course, but Eddings takes the time to really focus on Lizzie’s strengths and weaknesses, showing just how hard living with ADHD can be. As someone who was diagnosed at 30, Lizzie was such a breath of fresh air. It was so nice to feel genuinely seen in aspects of her character, and I sincerely hope that Eddings is setting a new standard for mental health struggles and disabilities in romance. While you can absolutely be more than your diagnosis, it’s nice to see yourself mirrored in someone else, especially when you struggle with self-worth.
“Even the smallest whisper of rejection shattered her into a million sharp pieces of embarrassment. She’d always been this way.”
– excerpt from Mazey Eddings’ Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
Lizzie is so developed that, unfortunately, Rake feels a little underdeveloped. That is not to say that I did not enjoy his character. Rake is the perfect match for Lizzie in every way. He experiences character growth. He learns from his mistakes. He has humor, quick wit, and is absolutely charming. It was hard not to love him, especially in those little moments where Lizzie coaxes him to open up. However, his character arc – and the story as a whole – did feel a little rushed. Rake experiences a long-overdue conflict at work, one that forces him to acknowledge his emotional unavailability, but I would have loved to see more of his POV, especially where his work-life balance is concerned, both past and present. His internal conflict is resolved a bit too easily, and the past relationship that has caused a tight knot of control to take over his life isn’t the best. While it does explain some of his hesitation, it could also be seen by some readers as unnecessarily vilifying abortion and his ex-girlfriend.
Given the fact that this book deals with toxic relationships, emotional manipulation, past trauma, ADHD, and pregnancy, it could have easily been longer. I would have loved to see Lizzie and Rake work through the harder parts of parenthood, or, at the very least, would have appreciated more work/life interactions, as those seem to fall off a bit, especially considering the tension between Rake and his boss. That being said, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was an enjoyable, charming read that, like its predecessor, isn’t afraid to tackle the harder aspects of personal relationships or the toll that poor mental health can have on a person.
“But what I’m saying is, just because your brain works different from neurotypicals, it doesn’t mean you deserve to be valued any less. It doesn’t mean your love is a burden or a liability.”
– excerpt from Mazey Eddings’ Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
If you’re looking for a delightful, whirlwind romance to read and don’t mind the accidental pregnancy trope, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is charming and wholesome. Through Lizzie – and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Rake – Eddings encourages vulnerability and demonstrates that everyone is worthy of love and acceptance. If you’re looking for something that destigmatizes ADHD and neurodiversity, look no further than this opposites-attract, strangers-to-lovers romance that features a single bed, mutual pining, and fun, erotic pastries. Eddings is a genius when it comes to banter and one-liners, and she writes with sensory input in mind, making her work cozy, comfortable, and easy to read.
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