I love this book, it’s on my list of “Best books of 2023”. The characters, Indira and Jude, have real people problems and issues, and their romance develops naturally and feels so right. It’s also got a few of my favorite tropes, fake dating, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers.

Jude has spent the past few years as a doctor working in 3rd world countries where war rages and food can be scarce. When he comes home for his best friend’s wedding, he’s traumatized and suffering from PTSD. Indira, a psychiatrist, has her own issues of self worth after finding her boyfriend with another woman in their bed.

They have to spend a lot of time together helping with the wedding, and realize they’re attracted to each other. They decide to be each other’s fake dates, but after a while it feels real.

The author did a wonderful job with the mental health issues, which I appreciated. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This is my favorite Mazey Eddings book to date!
I thought Indira and Jude had great banter and chemistry, and I also really loved Collin and Jeremy's relationship with one another, as well as with the other characters. Bonus points that this was a childhood frenemies-to-lovers which is my favorite trope!

But most of all, the little nuggets of wisdom shared in Indira's therapy sessions were exactly what my soul needed to hear and the therapy-positive message was everything. As the child of a veteran with PTSD, a current military spouse, and as a professional who now works in the mental health field, I found this book to be therapeutic in a way. Jude's internal dialogue of his experiences in war torn countries was heavy and heart breaking, but it had me reflecting on what my own loved ones have experienced. I'm so grateful my dad finally got the treatment he needed, and that mental health supports for military members have come a long way since the '90s. As for myself, I've had similar thoughts as Indira relating to work and it was reassuring to realize I must not be the only one with these insecurities.

Thank you Mazey for writing this beautiful story, and thank you St. Martins Press for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

The Plus One is a rom com I was not expecting! It's deep, emotional, and incredibly heavy at times but it was so amazing. I loved the romance and that it didn't overpower the plot and deeper meanings that Mazey put into the book. It felt so real and I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. The childhood enemies to lovers, the witty banter, the fake dating, all of it just made the book so much better.

I really love The Plus One. It is the first book I've read by Mazey Eddings and since it was great I decided to read the first two in this series and I loved them both too. I loved the chemistry between Indira and Jude, I'm a sucker for the brother's best friend trope. I love that Mazey Eddings tackles heavy topics and makes her characters so relatable and loveable. The Plus One made me LOL and cry. Seeing Indira and Jude grow as characters and as partners was so satisfying. 4.5 stars!

I wish I knew this was part of a bigger series. Definitely easy enough to follow along, but this one pulled me in and I loved it! I will definitely be going back to read the rest!

I really loved the metal health relatability in this one! Would definitely read more by this author!

I love Mazey Eddings so much!! Her books are seriously next level. I loved the friends to lovers/brothers best friend element. This also was so focused on mental health in such a unique way and I loved the conversation regarding medical trauma. I also loved Collin and Jeremy and their relationship. The ending with all the characters from this series was the icing on the icing on the cake! I just thought this was so good and can’t wait for the next book from this author!!

This is the third in a trilogy about a group of besties working their way through grad school, finding jobs, and, of course, finding love. I loved Harper’s story, then I loved Lizzie’s story more, but I think I love Indira’s story the most. Maybe it’s because I relate to her more than the others, with her background in psychology and fear of people letting you down. I also loved her sass. She was drawn to Jude because of their long history and because she could see that he was hurting. I loved how they were gentle and patient with each other as they let their love grow. The slow realization that they had secretly always cared about each other was so sweet. Their chemistry was spicy, and denying it at first made the pining and payoff extra hot. But more than the physical attraction, I am a sucker for the soft, dependable, love-you-just-as-you-are connection.

Each book can be read as a standalone, but you get a better picture of how the friend group grows and pairs off if you start with A Brush with Love. Each book has great mental health representation, but be cautious if that can be triggering. Personally, I plan on reading anything else Mazey writes!

(Thank you to NetGalley for the arc, even though I, once again, did not read it before the publishing date 😅. So happy publishing month to this lovely book!)

Indira and Jude's story had a lot going for it: fake dating, enemies to lovers, childhood frienemy to lovers, all tied up in the context of Indira's brother's big wedding extravaganza. As an extra bonus we get to check back in with the couples from the first two books in the series and get to enjoy them as secondary characters. I enjoyed the balance of sweet and funny and serious, just like the characters did with their banter. Eddings always does a thoughtful job of writing neurodivergent characters or characters with mental health issues and this book is no exception, with Indira's anxiety and Jude's PTSD. I appreciate what the author is doing with Jude's work overseas with a Doctors Without Borders type organization, but I do think there were some problems with how it was presented. I understand the choice to not name specific areas, but it was both distracting and left me feeling uncomfortable.
I will definitely recommend this book to romance readers!

The Plus One
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This is the third and final book in the A Brush With Love series. I fell in love with Mazey Eddings when I came across A Brush with Love and have extensively followed the series and the author since then. In this installment, both Indira and Jude are both doctors and high school friends. They are both staying with her brother while her brother getting ready to marry his soulmate. The two are thrusted together in a fake dating relationship so she can escape her ex, also part of the wedding festivities. The author does such an amazing job approaching mental health in all three books, she does it realistically with grace and inspires.

The story is narrated by both Indira and Jude in a dual POV. The tropes follow fake dating, forced proximity, enemies to friends to lovers, and even high school friends. Indira is fierce, intelligent, and wants everything to be perfect. Jude is suffering from what he has seen during his humanitarian efforts and Indira is so compassionate, warm, and kind to him, helping him. I love how the author weaves prior book characters into this book, however, this book can be read as a standalone. The characters were well developed, fleshed out well, had depth, witty banter, chemistry, and engaging. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, thought provoking, creative, and just brilliant. I was so invested in these characters from the very first book, each one being better than the former, with this one being the best one yet.

I highly recommend the whole series, read them in order, if possible and save the final, the best, for last. They are all on audiobook as well. Go buy or borrow the series!!

📖My Thoughts📖

Rom coms are my go to when I need a pick me up, or just want something light and happy to read. This particular rom com was a tad different than what I typically read, and I loved it that much more. I’ve never been one to be able to relate to a rom com, but with a theme included that I don’t typically run across in these, I hit so much closer to home. Not only is one of the main characters (Indira) a therapist, but she goes to one herself, which is good to show people a healthy and crucial piece that allows people to see that therapy isn’t just for someone who has gone through a traumatic event. The other main character has PTSD and the way it’s depicted by the author is just spot on. Having this same diagnosis myself it hits me hard seeing how someone else feels and what they’re going through, but I was able to relate to this book more than I typically do with books. While it did have some serious tones, it still had its fun and entertaining moments as well. Overall it was a pretty good book that I really enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley, Mazey Eddings and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I didn't realize a lot of things about this book before I read it. The first thing was that this is the third book in a series.. That was my bad. Thankfully, it was readable as a standalone. The second thing was that this was not a typical rom com, but rather a bit heavy. I think Eddings did a really good job tackling tough topics. There have been books before this one to talk about mental health, and there will be books after. However, I think this was well done and didn't come across as just writing about mental health just for the controversy.

I look forward to giving the other two books a try!

This is a great wrap up for this group of friends that have been in three other novels. This one focuses on Indira & how she goes from having a serious boyfriend to catching him with another woman. This sends her to stay with her brother & his fiance only to find that her childhood nemesis, Jude, is also staying there. He is on a break from his stressful job to help with the wedding. Indira realizes that she is going to have to continue to see her ex as he's in the wedding party (he is friends with her brother's fiance). Jude realizes that Indira helps keep things calm for him as he seems to be suffering from PTSD. This leads him to suggesting that they fake date. Highly recommend reading this book to see what happens with them.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Summary: What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something these childhood enemies never expected in The Plus One, a sparkling romantic comedy by Mazey Eddings.

She’s not looking to fix him. She’s looking to love him, if he’ll let her in.

5/5 stars
One of the best romcoms I've ever read! I really appreciate how Mazey Eddings integrated the previous characters, and the attention to detail when it comes to emotions, therapy, and PTSD. It's like the most realistic one I have ever read. The pacing was on point. I could tell it was well thought out and her author's note put a cherry on top:
"Without hurt, joy and laughter and love wouldn’t be so poignantly wonderful." Beautiful story!

I LOVED Indira and Jude. Their chemistry and understanding of each other's needs was so amazing! What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something real, raw, and sometimes emotional. I really enjoyed the use of therapy to problem solve throughout their story and fully supporting each other when they needed it. There were also some excellent spice scenes sprinkled throughout (the Halloween night.... WHEW!)

This book covers three of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, and fake dating. Mazey Eddings is a must buy author for me!

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the copy in exchange of my honest review.

A fake dating, frenemies-to-lovers romance with a good mix of humor and somberness.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 is the third book from the Brush of Love series but can be read as a standalone. It features 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗮 and 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗲, both doctors of different fields, who have known each other since childhood. Jude is back in town for Indira’s brother and his partner’s wedding and temporarily living with them. And so is Indira, after breaking up with her ex. As the wedding date nears, both Indira and Jude decide to fake date each other for personal reasons… until it doesn’t feel fake anymore.

I really adore both main characters in this book. I find their banter top-notch and amusing, and their animosity with each other doesn’t feel aggressive. And while it has the cliche but wonderful trope as a plot, it also delves into more serious topics like parental neglect, PTSD, student debt, and war. I find that the delivery of its severity is done with consideration, which I genuinely appreciate. The intensity and description of Jude’s feelings and their effect were also written nicely. The same goes for Indira’s troubles. You can’t help but root for both Jude and Indira for what they’re going through. I also appreciate the moments of therapy sessions in this book; some of the scenes made me teary-eyed because I could relate. I also find the advice of the characters in this book to one another insightful.

This was another winner from Mazey Eddings! Her books are so much fun and I always find myself laughing out loud and flying through the pages. I loved hearing more about Indira, loved the childhood friends to lovers trope and as always, her mental health representation is FANTASTIC!

4.25 stars Don't be fooled by the cute cover and promises of enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, forced proximity and fake dating tropes - The Plus One is NOT a light and fluffy rom-com. It was a much heavier read than I was expecting, focusing heavily on mental health issues and going through therapy, particularly anxiety and PTSD, so make sure you are aware of these triggers before diving in.

Indira is a child psychiatrist with severe abandonment issues of her own, stemming from her father leaving during childhood, and she walks in on her live-in boyfriend cheating on her. Angry but not entirely distraught, she gathers up her things and shows up on her brother's doorstep to stay until she can properly move out and find a new place. Unbeknownst to her, his childhood best friend, Jude, is also staying with him and his fiancé in the weeks leading up to their wedding, at home on leave from an organization that sends doctors to war-torn countries and disaster areas. They pick up where they left off, bickering like cats and dogs, but Indira soon notices the change in Jude, who has suffered greatly from the things he's seen. The first half of the book was at times difficult to get through with the descriptions of Jude's panic attacks and PTSD flashbacks. I was concerned that Indira was going to go the "I can fix him" route, which 🚩🚩🚩, but she struck a delicate balance of loving the person through their pain, not trying to take it away, which is an important lesson for us all.

This one wasn’t for me. I like when characters have layers to them and struggles but there was a heavy focus on the mental health in this one that it took away from the romance buildup.

Excuse me while I am a puddle of feels and emotions. Did this book put Mazey Eddings on my list of auto buy authors? Absolutely. This was so freaking good. I found myself squealing into my kindle multiple times.

mazey eddings i will ALWAYS love you i owe you my LIFE
She’s not looking to fix him. She’s looking to love him, if he’ll let her in.

Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit…real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around.