I think it's safe to say that when you start adding author's "Untitled" books to your TBR that you're a fan. A Brush with Love entire series stole my heart and I am here for anything else Mazey Eddings writes. Though each book can be read independently, I highly recommend reading all 3 (and in order). I think it's the only way to appreciate the scope of friendship that's at the heart of all of these stories.

After Indira walks in on her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with another woman, she decides to stay with her brother and his fiance. The last person she expects to encounter there is a her brother's super annoying best friend Jude. Jude's been abroad working as a doctor in areas of conflict and is having a hard time coming to terms with everything he experienced there. Circumstances have Indira and Jude decide to be each other's fake wedding dates but forced proximity, unexpected moments of affection and shared childhood history might lead them down the path neither one of them expected.

I think a huge part of the reason I enjoyed this series is because Mazey Eddings doesn't shy away from tackling things such as anxiety, ADHD, PTDS even in the context of rom-coms. It was easy to root for the main characters in all 3 stories but I think I got especially invested in Jude's story because I spent years of my career working with individuals living with PTSD. Yes this story has some heavy moments but also plenty of light hearted, sweet and even spicy ones. I'm sure fans of romance will enjoy this one but I also think this series will find fans among wider reading audience.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am nearly positive that Mazey Eddings could do no wrong. This is the third book i've read by Mazey and you sure as heck know im lining up for the next. Tilly is sitting in my ntg queue righg now.

I absolutely LOVED Indira and Jude they were simply chef's kiss

I really think that Mazey Eddings writes banter better than anyone in the business right now.

Her voice is definitely one that represents this generation of readers, and gosh do I appreciate it.

Indira and Jude's story was so beautifully woven, but I haven't had enough time to digest it all yet.

I will say, if you have (or love someone with PTSD) this could be a hard read. Also, as someone with deeply buried Daddy Issues, the strained relationship with a father in this book was both triggering and cathartic to read.

LRTC!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mazey Eddings for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
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Ready to have your heart nurtured and stomped on simultaneously? 😂 I’ve been wanting to read a Mazey Eddings book for the longest time, so I decided to take the plunge! And I’m eternally grateful I did. The Plus One swept me off my feet completely. It made me laugh and cry and swoon and everything in between.
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We’ll start light! I really enjoyed the brother’s best friend trope 😩 Indira and Jude are like little sour patch kids. They bicker and roast each other endlessly, but they also have the sweetest memories and know each other so well. The dynamics were 🔥 Will this book break the spice scale? No, but what we did get was 🤌🏽 I’m still thinking about Indira kissing Jude’s back. The image is seared into my eyelids.
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But this book was more than just a rom com. It was a story about learning how to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally even when, and especially when, you might not feel worthy of it. Seeing Jude and Indira take steps to heal on their own, without becoming emotional crutches for each other, made my heart swell with love and pride. They’re real to me and I want what’s best for them, okay?! 😭 I’m also so appreciative that Mazey said screw the third act breakup, love is holding someone’s hand even when they feel they don’t deserve your embrace.
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Overall, I really enjoyed The Plus One. It was a beautiful mix of humor, romance, and tenderness. I need to read the other books in this series ASAP. If you like a romance that’ll kick you in the shins and then kiss you on the forehead, this one’s for you 💗
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The Plus One is the third book in the A Brush with Love series, but it can be read as a standalone. It is available for purchase in ebook, paperback, and audiobook format.

This. was. everything!!! So so beautifully written and emotional. Mental health is a theme explored in all of Mazey Edding's books, but it was a massive part of Jude and Indira's story. Jude suffers from PTSD from humanitarian work and Indira is in the middle of her healing process from past childhood issues. These are extremely difficult topics, but they are dealt with immense care. While this book has very serious tones, there are still such incredibly silly and fun moments sprinkled throughout that just made for a really well-rounded story. By far my favorite Mazey Eddings book to date!

I didn't really enjoy reading this one, which is disappointing because the other Mazey Eddings books were so cute. It could be a case of my mindset and time/place of reading but I just couldn't get into it. The characters should have had depth, but I couldn't connect with them at all. I loved the IDEA of someone seeking mental health support but again I was bored by the entire thing.

I think this is my favorite of the series, even though seeing my ADHD symptoms on the page with Lizzie was a seismic moment for me, a character with MY flaws, being loved as whole and not despite them. It’s a common theme in this book series — unconditional acceptance — Indira and Jude also deserve this lesson.

In one of the best oh shit openers, child psychiatrist Indira finds herself single right before her brother Collin’s wedding. She impulsively decides to stay with Collin (an ER doc? Surgeon?) and his soon to be husband Jeremy, only to find out that one of their guest bedrooms is already taken by Collin’s childhood best friend Jude. Jude and Collin spent most of their childhood trying to dodge Indira, the annoying tagalong, so Indira has a healthy distaste for Jude.

Jude is a make believe Doctors Without Borders program surgeon with a crushing load of PTSD, guilt, and loss stemming from the things he’s seen and the lives he’s been unable to save. He’s a livewire, burning inside, and desperate to hide it from the wedding party.

When Indira’s ex is also in the wedding party, Indira and Jude hatch a fake dating plan to help her deal with her ex, and Jude will have an excuse to leave the noise and the crowd.

Spoiler: they fall in love. Or perhaps they’ve always been in love somehow, orbiting around each other, Jude being there through Indira’s crushing disappointment after her father left to start a new family, providing a sense of normalcy through griping and teasing. Maybe it’s never been hate at all.

This book is soft and careful, not allowing the reader to only see Jude as his PTSD, but to experience his brokenness, and also careful not to make Indira HIS therapist though she is A therapist. This book is also a more mature look at the original friend group, as they’re growing up, there for each other through all of their upheavals.

I think that books like this serve to remind readers that we’re all worthy of love, even at our lowest, hardest times, and that it doesn’t need to be a hard fight to have that love, even when our own brains tell us otherwise.

Indira and Jude grew up together - Indira playing the annoying kid sister to her brother Collin and his best friend, Jude. Indira and Jude were oil and water and spent the majority of their time teasing and tormenting one another. They are both dealing with upheavals in their lives when forced back together for Collin’s wedding. Spending consistent time together for the first time in their adult lives, sparks fly, and they might need to take a second look at all that “animosity” they exhibited over their childhood…

This book is advertised as a romcom, and I disagree with that characterization. I expected a brother’s best friend, frenemies to lovers, forced proximity tale, and instead got a character-driven story about two people struggling with their mental health and how they supported each other through it. I liked it a lot, thought it was very well done, and enjoyed myself through it - but a romcom it was not.

Jude is in the throes of PTSD from his years of working as a doctor in conflict zones, and Idira is struggling with abandonment issues from family trauma. I supremely valued the portrayal of therapy in this book. It was the portrayal of therapy our world needs as we continue to de-stigmatize mental health treatment. Eddings discussed the role of therapy, and sections of therapy sessions, in a helpful and realistic way. I also super appreciated the role of love in healing was portrayed. In an author’s note, Eddings disclosed that she has dealt with PTSD and been in treatment for it, and I think that had a lot to do with Eddings's lovely portrayal of healing and treatment. I really can’t say enough about the compassion, accuracy, and true embodiment of healthy, helpful, and successful mental health treatment and healing depicted in this story.

The other main praise I have for this book is its balance. I choose not to read emotionally heavy books, and within 30 pages was skeptical of this one, however, the serious topics were balanced well with the MC’s banter, goofiness, some steam, and a quieter conflict arc. I didn’t feel dragged down by the subject matter and read it easily and quickly. Eddings really delivered a masterfully composed story that somehow still felt light despite its heaviness.

I highly recommend it! Read it and let me know what you think!

Thanks to Berkley for our free copy!

I fell hard for this book, I would definitely be a plus one for either of the main characters. This story had a lot of tropes that I personally enjoy reading, and they were done really well. Overall this has been my favorite book in the series.

Indira and Jude are the ultimate enemies to lovers, starting as far back as their childhood. When a few unforeseen circumstances happen, Indira and Jude are forced to spend time together as they prepare for her brother’s wedding. They strike up a fake dating arrangement that somehow leads to true feelings.

I liked that this book talked about mental health and therapy in a positive way. The characters were honest with each other while encouraging and discussing situations in a trusted way.

"The Plus One" by Mazey Eddings is a sparkling romantic comedy that will leave readers rooting for Indira and Jude. The story follows two childhood enemies who are forced to rely on each other when they become fake dates to a wedding from hell. As they navigate the elaborate wedding events and deal with personal struggles, their fake displays of affection start to feel real.

Eddings' writing style is light-hearted and witty, with relatable characters and believable situations. The mental health aspect of the story is also well-done, as Indira and Jude both deal with their own issues and find support in each other. The chemistry between the two characters is electric, and readers will find themselves swept up in their story.

Overall, "The Plus One" is a fun and enjoyable read that combines romance, humor, and relatable struggles. It's a perfect choice for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedies, and will leave readers with a smile on their face.

This is my absolute favourite Mazey Eddings book! I loved Jude and Indira and how they grudgingly realized that they were good for each other in multiple different ways, and the way their struggles were portrayed was handled with such care. It had hilarious moments and heartbreaking moments, but there was no third act break-up which was wonderful because I probably would've thrown something if there had been. These two characters had so much depth and deserve so much love, and the cast of familiar characters that they interacted with also added to the enjoyment of this book. I think having the last chapter and the epilogue was a bit too much fan-service fluff, but other than that I devoured this book and loved every minute of it.

Hmmm... so I did really like the mental health aspect of this, but ultimately, the rest of the story wasn't really for me. I couldn't really get into the writing, and a lot fell flat.

So, I liked the concept of this a lot, but it didn't quite work for me. I think a lot of others will really enjoy this though.

2.5

The Plus One had so many fun tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers, the girl next door, and brother’s best friend, but it also dealt with some heavy topics such as PTSD, childhood abandonment, and cheating.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I did think it would be a little more romcom but turned out to be a lot more girl next door and healing from trauma. I would have liked there to be stronger enemies to lovers development as well as more fake dating because that aspect was brief and an open secret, so I was not vibing so much with either. But, in order to address the PTSD and childhood trauma, I’m not sure the light, funny aspects could have been heavier or else it would have felt less real.

For how much emotional and mental health this book deals with, it was very very cozy with the romance. In the end, I’m giving it four stars and recommending it to anyone who enjoys the above tropes as well as healing from PTSD and abandonment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley + St. Martin's Griffin for this gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

And my honest review is...I absolutely loved this.

I loved the mental health representation, the curly girl representation, the care with which the author navigated such difficult topics, and the way that she beautifully weaved stories of individual healing with the story of these two souls coming together to build a life and love each other the way they deserve.

This is one of the best, if not the best, representations of PTSD and mental health in general that I've read, and I am the romance reader who appreciates it wholeheartedly. Struggling with depression and anxiety myself, I felt for Jude, ESPECIALLY when he was trying to push people away to save them from his 'broken' self. And when the GHCO tried to tell him his condition wasn't 'serious' enough to warrant a discharge from the program, I saw red. I was SO proud of him for standing up for himself because it's a difficult thing to do when your invisible illness isn't taken into consideration as easily and nicely as a physical ailment.

I also loved the soft and tender way Indira cared for Jude, the way she assured him that he could be broken and putting himself back together but STILL deserve happiness and love. It's something that...is such a difficult concept to come to terms with for those of us who feel broken and undeserving, and the author did such a beautiful job of voicing those internal bashings and creating a character who not only understood, but encouraged them to feel as deeply as they needed to. And not to mention, Indira was fighting her own battles while extending this consideration to Jude. All of it simply made my heart break in the best possible way.

I appreciated the author's content warnings before the book began, and I think this should be the standard for every book that deals with heavy topics. I also appreciated her note at the end of the book and her vulnerability in telling readers that while the contents of the book were fictional, they came from a place of total understanding because of her own experiences. I know writing can be and very much IS cathartic, and I feel very honored that Mazey shared that part of herself with us.

Lastly, I just loved the pace. I loved the pace, I loved the fact that there was no third act breakup, I loved the one tent, the childhood enemies to lovers, the way it just happened so naturally. They said they loved each other with no explanation, no hesitation, and it didn't seem rushed — it seemed long overdue. It was beautiful, I loved it, and I couldn't recommend this title more.

Oh — and I wound up buying the physical copy, too. That's how much I loved it, and I can't wait to meet Mazey at the LA Times Festival of Books and have her sign it for me!

This review originally appeared on Goodreads.

This was a really cute book. It was more heavy than what I anticipated. What I liked about this book: watching Indira and Jude fall in love with each other. Their chemistry was off the charts! I loved watching Indira breaking down Jude's walls. Overall, it was a sweet romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for me ebook!

4.5!!! This book had me kicking my lil feet it was so good—this series has gotten increasingly better with each installment and this one was definitely my favorite. I love a childhood brothers best friend moment and Jude and Indira had such great banter and chemistry!

Eddings definitely put a lot of care into the heavier topics of this book (CW for abandonment, PTSD) and Jude’s growth was really special. I thought the ending was a smidge rushed but appreciated that there wasn’t really a third act breakup.

I loved the inclusion of the characters from the first two books and while I think this is the end of this series, I look forward to Eddings’ next book!! 4.5!!! This book had me kicking my lil feet it was so good—this series has gotten increasingly better with each installment and this one was definitely my favorite. I love a childhood brothers best friend moment and Jude and Indira had such great banter and chemistry!

Eddings definitely put a lot of care into the heavier topics of this book (CW for abandonment, PTSD) and Jude’s growth was really special. I thought the ending was a smidge rushed but appreciated that there wasn’t really a third act breakup.

I loved the inclusion of the characters from the first two books and while I think this is the end of this series, I look forward to Eddings’ next book!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the characters were loveable and easy to connect with. I was not expecting mental health to be addressed so much in this book but I thought it was done quite well. I liked the romance in the book and am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

4.3 stars from me! I loved this book and mental health awareness theme. As someone who is considering being a counselor, I loved the found family trope and also that Indira is a psychologist. One of my favorite things was watching Jude’s character development as he slowly begins to acknowledge his PTSD and grow as a person. I love the relationship that Jude and Indira form together, and how they both help each other heal their wounds from the past. I also feel like in lot of books I’ve read, often times the main female character is going through the mental health illnesses and so it was really interesting to see how a guy processes his illness. I also loved the therapy advocacy throughout the book!

The only downside was that some parts were too spicy for me and I definitely needed to skip, also it started off a tad bit slow but once I hit the 25% mark I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the childhood nemesis aspect of this book - it was believable and their memories of childhood were a mix or adorable and hilarious. Jude's PTSD was handled with care, as were the therapy scenes. I liked seeing therapy scenes in a romance and the focus on the importance of therapy.

I do feel like the author had a story she wanted to tell - about therapy, PTSD, abandonment, trauma, and finding love while trying to heal - and the tropes like childhood enemies and fake dating, felt tacked on for marketability. There was really very little focus on them and the fake dating could have been eliminated entirely.

The romance also felt a bit rushed to me, despite not really starting until around 40%. They fall hard, fast, and I didn't totally buy it. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but not a favorite.

This was a really sweet story but also a little too serious/close to home as far as the medical PTSD.