first of all… enemies to lovers is just the *chef’s kiss* of romance tropes! Mazey Eddings totally killed it! the tension was super believable and I honestly felt it while I was reading. and then there’s also some fake dating and forced proximity which just amplifies their chemistry. honestly my three top fav tropes right here!!!

Indira goes through some rough times in the beginning of the book, and I was routing for her to be with Jude, who was also doing some soul searching. their dedication to the fake dating situation gave them a glimpse of what their relationship could look like for real.

just UGH 🥰😍👌🏼🫶🏼

the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because Jude was suppose to be the guy that didn’t have anything together but like he’s a doctor who goes on humanitarian trips… which sounds pretty put together to me. I imagine someone who has nothing together as an unfashionable guy who lives in his parents’ house and works as a pizza guy while failing his one yoga class. so kudos to Jude for not being that up-put-together 🫡

This was a cute romance. I enjoyed it but it didn’t really keep my attention so I had to read it a little at a time. I love the trope of falling in love with the brothers best friend. It did however feel too serious for a rom-com.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Cute, feel good, darling characters ~ perfect summer read!
Thank you @NetGalley@StMartinsGriffin@ThePlusOne

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but “The Plus One” was terribly boring. The only winning factor was the mental health themes that the author touched on but otherwise, the amount of cliches and lack of real chemistry between Jude and Indira didn’t do the book any favors. The history was there but the author failed to execute in making the relationship authentic or believable.

Additionally, the storyline fell flat and was drawn out (basically a whole lot of nothing happened), and the writing style was very repetitive. It didn’t feel like we were moving forward with their story. To be blunt, reading this was a waste of time and if I could go back, I would.

This novel served as my introduction to Mazey Eddings, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite not having read the previous two books, I still found immense pleasure in this third installment.The way the main characters supported each other throughout the story was truly remarkable. Indira, despite battling her own inner demons, displayed remarkable patience with Jude as they both coped with their individual traumas. While the book did become intense at some point, I felt that these moments were crucial for both the story and the development of the characters. The focus on communication and remaining true to one's feelings was a theme that resonated deeply with me.

I looooove Mazey Eddings. I knew I would love this book since I loved Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake so so much! And I was not wrong. I loved this and loved Indira and Jude and loved watching their story unfold

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance; however, the fact that Indira (Dira) and Jude were childhood enemies somehow made the "enemies" portion less relevant than if they had conflict as adults. Both Indira and Jude end up staying with Indira's brother and his fiance, Colin and Jeremy. I really enjoyed the depth of focus the this novel had with mental health: Indira is a psychologist with issues stemming from her relationship with her father and Jude suffers from complex PTSD from his time serving as a doctor in developing countries facing emergencies. While there wasn't a tonne of physical action, I enjoyed the boiling over the top, frenzied nature of their relationship. My only complaint was coming into this book without reading the first in series is that there were a number of events leading up to Colin and Jeremy's wedding that introduced a lot of side characters such as Harper, Lizzie, and Thu.

The Plus One was a great addition to the Brush with Love series from Mazey Eddings. I really enjoyed how she kept all these books connected and interwoven. In this book we follow Indira (finally!) and Jude, her brother's best friend. As her brother's nuptials approach and the many ridiculous events leading up to it Jude and Indira concoct a fake dating plan. But will the feelings stay fake? Alot of really good characters and a great story I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more from Mazey Eddings in the future.


Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I’m obsessed with this book! The audiobook narrators were absolutely perfect.

The way this deals with mental health issues is beautiful and perfect. The stigma, the way people are afraid to say anything, the embarrassment. And to see it in the male main character was so refreshing.

The side characters are amazing as well. Her gay brother and his fiancé literally make the book.

I highly recommend this book as well as the previous books in this series. Mazey Eddings is so talented.

Book 2 might be my favorite only because I related to Lizzie so much, but this book is a close contender and they’re both so freaking good.

This is book #3 in a series but I can be read as a standalone. It really stands strong all by itself. The characters were so great in this book. This was an enemies to lovers, fake dating, open door rom-com but it included real life situations that were not surface level. Indira goes through therapy, and Jude copes with anxiety and PTSD. I loved the representation that the author included in this book to highlight mental health awareness. This was an amazing book and so much more than just a rom-com.

Mazey Eddings’ has a gift for describing the indescribable. As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, putting words to those emotions is difficult, to say the least. While The Plus One is a fictional story, reader’s will be able to tell it is rooted in reality.

I adore this book for its great representation of mental health. It does a phenomenal job highlighting the various types of trauma a person can experience. No matter what tour education, gender, or socioeconomic status is, mental health can effect anyone.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Generally, I steer clear of wedding romances. However, the first book I read from Mazey Eddings was a book I adored and so I figured I would fall in love with this one as well. Winner winner chicken dinner. I was right.

Don't let me forget to mention that the romance between these enemies, my favorite troupe, is steamy! I could feel the heat radiating off of them at every interaction. And if this is what wedding romances are like, count me in!

It’s hard for me to put into words just how much this book meant to me. That’s part of why it’s taken me so long to post this review (I’m so sorry 🤣).

Have you ever read something that rearranged the very fiber of your being? That is this book for me 🥹 Firstly, the love story between Jude and Indira was absolute PERFECTION. The banter! The chemistry! The absolute idiot to lovers vibes were just off the charts immaculate. If I wasn’t laughing, I was swooning, or sweating, or crying.

Jude and Indira’s story is such a balm of self healing and healthy growth. It wraps up all the broken pieces of your heart and brain into a hug, whispering to you that you are beautiful. You are worthy. You are loved. This book, these characters, this story healed my soul. And a reminder that on the journey to self love it's ok to let go of the things (or people) that are hurting you. Their profound unconditional love forced me to “feel everything, and do it with abandon.” (IYKYK 🥹)

This is my third Mazey Eddings romance and each one continues to be a total blast. Her characters are unique and feel so real and I especially love how clear it is that Mazey loves her characters and puts a lot of time and energy into crafting each of them. I also really love the way each of her three adult romance novels have been set within the same friend group but don't necessarily require having read the prior novels. It adds a level of depth for a reader like me, but also doesn't deter me from recommending any of the books as stand-alones to fellow readers.

I got about a third of the way into this one and had to DNF (for now). Just not the right story for me at this moment, felt heavy with the mental health themes and I was not feeling any chemistry between the MCs. I really enjoyed Mazey Eddings' previous books, so I may come back to this one.

What a sweet romance that showcases the very real struggles of mental illness!

I loved the frenemies to lovers, best friend’s little sister, and fake dating tropes! I also loved the inclusion of LGBTQ+ relationships. AND I’m a sucker for a dual POV romance novel because I adore seeing both sides.

I was not prepared for the spice that existed in these pages, but I loved it! Was not expecting the praise kink to be there either, but I was disappointed!!

(I’ve said love a lot, but it’s fitting for romance, right?)

This is a tender and thoughtful romance that is written with such care for its characters' mental health struggles.

This was a really fun read. Fake dates at weddings is one of my favourite tropes so I was really excited about this book and it did not disappoint. It had a lot of cliches but again cliches are cliches for a reason and they were written very charmingly so I adored that too.

•review•
the plus one | mazey eddings

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

“happiness was soft. uneventful. it was holding indira’s hand. sitting next to her on the couch and listening to her talk. it was a quiet cup of coffee with her next to him reading a magazine”

when I read a brush with love, I fell in love with mazey and her writing. her ability to incorporate so much mental health representation, without it overpowering the story. without it feeling like it was just a component on a checklist. I felt so validated with my anxiety and panic attacks. so seen.

when I was able to snag an advanced copy of lizzie blake’s best mistake, I was blown away. I deeply connected with the way that lizzie felt as though she needed to prove her worthiness of love. like, ouch. @ me next time, dude.

when the publisher reached out and offered to send me an early copy of this latest one, I was over the moon. but also hesitant. there’s no way you could hit it out of the park three times in a row, right?
wrong.

it’s giving,
brother’s best friend.
fake dating.
mental health representation.
forced proximity.
witty banter.
and of course, a healthy dose of 🌶

jude. oh my sweet, sweet jude. I love you.
the way mazey was able to highlight his ptsd and it’s life altering effects in such an honest way, wow. I felt so seen. my ptsd manifests in also the exact same way.

the emphasis placed on the importance of therapy was so refreshing. that love isn’t some cure-all. that healing is not linear, and is a constant work in progress.
yes please.

speaking of, we all need an indira in our life. the unshakable force. the constant and unwavering love she has for the people in her life.

also, I freakin loved getting to see the rest of the gang. I need someone else in the group to get a book bc I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters.

thank you to mazey eddings and SMPRomance for sending me this one 🥰

-Fake dating
-mental health rep
-childhood enemies
-brother's best friend

I really enjoyed the mental health representation in this book and Jude's journey with PTSD towards healing. The banter was super quick-witted and funny. The spice was pretty good. The ending was so cute.
3.75/5 stars
3.5/5 hot peppers

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence and War