aw this one was cute but a billion angsty moments but i do love a good brother’s best friend book.

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

I have a feeling I am going to be on my own with my thoughts on "The Plus One" but this one missed the mark for me. I wanted to love this novel, I did, but in the end, it felt really chaotic, which doesn't do much for storytelling. I don't want to turn anyone off on reading this one - Eddings has such an amazing talent for writing and takes such care with mental health awareness.

The plot of "The Plus One" had fantastic potential and I was intrigued by the childhood friends to more storyline. Mazey's writing style is a favorite of mine (she reminds me a bit of Abby Jimenez). However, there were more fails than successes in this one for me. For example, the rushed romance. I don't need a slow burn every time, but I do need the romance to feel organic. The last 1/3 of the book felt hasty and messy. Instead of rushing to finish, to get those HEA endorphins, I found myself wondering why it felt like I was waking up from a fevered dream. And my final complaint: there was very little comedy in this one. Unlike books 1-2 where I laughed uncontrollably more times than I could count.

A 3-star review for me is a "meh" kind of read. I can see some readers loving this one, while others may feel a bit let down after such delightful starts in this book series — Lizzy and Rake were my favorite rom-com of 2022. I am not giving up on Mazey and look forward to reading more from her.

2.9/5 This book was really hard for me to get into, the reason for this was not being able to relate to the characters. I did like how the couple had many cute scenes together and the miscommunication trope was not really experienced. At times I would find myself bored and was confused how the day of the wedding wasn't shown more when that was a big part of how the relationship came to be. I feel when the author was describing Jude's PTSD it took away from the wedding and more details of the fake dating since it was such a big focal point. The fake dating felt very quick.

I absolutely loved this. It was deep. It was funny. It was sweet. It was spicy. It was so good.

This story touches on A LOT of tough subjects like PTSD and parental neglect. At the same time, it had me laughing out loud.

I loved Indira and Jude's relationship. Their communication was top tier. The trust they built with each other to help each other with their struggles was amazing. I also love that they never stopped roasting each other, even after falling in love.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but will definitely be going back to read the first two books.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH TO ST. MARTIN'S PRESS for this ARC of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. Eddings' writing scratches an itch in my brain and she is slowly carving out a place for herself in the romance genre with her neurodiverse and quirky characters. Indira and Jude are "enemies" (as much as one can be enemies in a contemporary setting) when they are thrust together for a wedding. Sparks go flying, of course. There were so many raw and emotional scenes in this book, which was the heaviest of Mazey's three books, and she handled it so well. I didn't feel lectured when I read the scenes with Jude's PTSD, but very much in his head and felt so much for him. Indira is probably my favorite female protagonist as well. This was amazing and I highly recommend it.

This book was such a quick and cute read! I didn’t realize it was part of a series so I’ll definitely have to go back and read the other two, but this one was such a fun read. I am a sucker for fake dating so this definitely checked that box for me and I loved the frenemies to lovers aspect. I think that there was great banter and definitely some good tension. I thought that Indira and Jude ended up being such a great couple and I really love them together. There were times that I wanted to just shake them but overall this was cute one!

Mazey Eddings is killing it!!! I can't wait to read whatever it is she publishes next! I was kind of over the wedding guest, bridesmaid, etc. vibe but this revived me!! Thanks for the early copy and sorry for my late review!

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is the third book in her series A Brush With Love. I was not aware of this when I started the book and it does read well as a stand alone (you just miss out on the past character relationships, and references -- which I do enjoy in a series). I just wish I had read the other two books in the series first.
This was a much heavier book than I expected (even with the content warnings at the start of the book).
That being said, there were some light and humorous moments -- but not enough to be classified as anything but a heavier contemporary romance. Anxiety, PTSD, and childhood parent abandonment trauma were all well represented in this book and handled with thought and care and an emphasis on acceptance and understanding.
The numerous epilogues at the end of the story served the series well (and showed us a look into the main characters' future) -- but they felt disjointed to me since I had only read the last book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and to St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Plus One was published on 4/4/2023 and is now available.

Such great characters, you really feel for them and get attached.
Indira and Jude are the main characters but there are a few others in this book that are super important also
so much to deal with and there is a ton of anxiety issues (PTSD also) is apart of this book also
This book is one that def feels like a real-life book and not like a fake fairy tale-type story
so we have enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, and best friend's brother-to-lover tropes going on here, but soooo perfect for each other.
This book is part of a series (now I need to go back and read the others).
It was neat how every character was titled I guess you could say as the countdown to Colin and Jeremy's wedding. Kept you on the timeline.
The things that were planned for pre-wedding events were kinda crazy, bold, and like go big or go home but that was a perfect fit for the 2 getting married and the characters involved.
Mental heath was def a BIG part of this story and how to help yourself or find ones that can help you and learning to grow and heal.
Such a good book. sweet clean fun rom-com :)
Well written

I was able to read this book as an ARC and am sooo happy to have that chance. Thank you to the publisher and also to NetGalley for this opportunity. The above opinion and review is my own and its honest and voluntary.

It was refreshing to see a main male character talking about his feelings and working through them. Definite triggers in this one, but the HEA made it all worth it.

I love the angst! I've been there when it comes to a best friend's sibling situation (I realize for her its her brother's best friend, but I digress, same thing). We are built from our live experiences, both physically and mentally, and I feel like this book did a good job of looking at mental health, trauma, and the way it informs the adults we become. I like the direction contemporary rom coms are going to not just focus on comedic value, but making it a realistic personal experience.

Probably my favorite of the 3 friends. I thought I loved Lizzie and Rake the most and then I met Jude and Indira. They were just perfection. I seriously loved everything about this book and I think you will too. I really can't say anything else because it is that good to experience on your own. Just know that Indira and Jude own a part of my heart and this will make it into the reread rotation!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This is book three of a series. This is Indira's story. I loved the childhood backstory of Jude and Indira and how they were "enemies.' The progression between them was natural and fun with all the bickering and the fine line of love was always there beneath the loathing. The mental health issues were a strong part of the storyline, and it was done well. I'm glad Indira wasn't trying to be a psychiatrist with Jude just "his person."

There were so many cute, sweet moments even with all the dark issues and anxieties. I'll admit, however, the steam level was a little too much for me. Some stuff can be left behind a closed door...

Overall, an enjoyable read!

3.5 stars

This book wasn't what I expected. It was a lot to read emotionally. That's not a bad thing. It was just very heavy at times. There were parts that felt s bit dragged and the ending felt a bit rushed and over simplified which was disappointing. I did enjoy the book overall. 3.5-4 stars

📖Book: The Plus One
⭐️Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏼Author: Mazey Eddings
📚Genre: Romance
🗏 Pages:307
💕Tropes: Fake Dating, Only One Bed, Best Friends Sister, Childhood Enemies
⚠️Warnings: Mental Illness, Panic Attacks, Trauma
🔖Readability: 4.5/5 italic font is used
🥇First Line: Indira knew, rationally, it wasn't doing her much good to keep canceling her therapy appointments.

Things to expect:
✨Dual POV
❤️Fake Wedding Date
🛏️Only One Tent
💚Mental Health Rep

As always, Mazey Edding ate and left no crumbs. This series and this story are what I love about the romance genre. The entire time you are engaged and want to know what will happen in the end. Mazey's writing style is one I adore, and how she truly and honestly represents mental health is so refreshing. I love everything this author writes, and The Plus One is no different. The story starts with a bang and is a chaotic mess of excellence. The pacing, the spice, the plot, and the writing style make this novel a five-star read. I highly suggest that if you love all things romance, Mazey Eddings goes to the top of your list.

Thanks to St Martin Press for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been a huge Mazey Eddings fan since first reading Harper and Dan’s love story in A Brush With Love, and after reading Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake and adoring that as well, I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to read The Plus One, and *spoiler alert* I loved this third book, too.

As others have said, this book truly is a love letter to self-care and a reminder that addressing mental illness is just as important as getting physical ailments checked out. It’s an airhorn signaling that anyone can be affected by and impacted by mental illness, even doctors. It’s a comforting hug and back rub, whispering, “You’re not alone,’” and “It’s okay to be broken.”

Compared to A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake, I will say that The Plus One had a heavier and more serious tone. While there was still some fun banter and sarcasm, a lot of this book revolved around both Indira and Jude addressing their mental health issues, both individually and as supports for each other. Jude’s PTSD and anxiety was palpable, which made reading this a more intense and uncomfortable experience for me personally as an empath, but it also served as a good reminder that confronting our feelings and healing means sometimes sitting with those big and tough feelings and settling into that discomfort.

The way Mazey writes anxiety and mental illness is very realistic, and I'm so glad she's using her writing to reach others because I truly believe it helps us know that we're not alone, it's okay to not be okay, and it's a sign of strength, not weakness, to ask for help. Thank you so much for that reminder, Mazey, and for always be such a strong advocate for mental health awareness and the destigmatization of mental illness.

I truly was not prepared for this book. I didn’t expect to love this one as much as I did! From the cool philly references to the fun sibling relationship and everything in between i loved this one! The author did an incredible job balancing the serious aspects that the main characters faced in this storyline while adding in light hearted moments to keep it entertaining. I cannot recommend this read enough to people struggling with a breakup, with a job situation, with depression or really anything out there. This one is just so good


This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@manymerrybooks) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to read this story!!

4 stars! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dira and Jude were so cute together and I love that Jude finally found help and Dira was able to support him. Dealing with trauma and PTSD is not easy and it just made Jude and Indira’s characters all that more relatable and lovable!

The mental health representation was great and it made both Dira and Jude so open and vulnerable.

The fake dating was done so well and I love how everything flowed together.

I love how much Dira cared for Jude and how understanding she was. She was amazing as a support system and I really enjoyed how she loved him unconditionally!

To start this off, I would like to say that Mazey has done it again!! I swear to god, her books keep getting better.

Jude and Indira were so cute. I love how open they were to each other once they started fake dating, It was so refreshing to see that, specially Jude because oftentimes, men in books tend to be closed off with their feelings. And I would like to say that the way Mazey wrote Jude's pain and his issues were beautifully done. I could feel what he was feeling. And I loved how open he was to therapy once he and Dira talked to each other.

And Indira was the best. You could feel her anger towards her dad. And the fact that she worked with kids made me love her even more.

And I LOVED that there was no third act breakup hehe and instead talked about their situation.

Thank you Mazey Eddings and St. Martin Press for providing me with an ARC of The Plus One

I really enjoyed A Brush With Love and consider Lizze Blake's Best Mistake an all time romance favorite, so I already had high hopes going into The Plus One. This book has secured Mazey Eddings as an auto buy author for me, and one of my most favorite romance authors. Her ability to write about mental health in a relatable, accessible way is completely unmatched. All of her heroines resonated so much with me and each of their stories was so special.

While Lizzie & Rake remain my favorite couple of the group, Indira and Jude completely captured my heart in this one. Their banter was really top notch and the chemistry between the two of them as their relationship evolved from friendship to romantic love was believable in every way. And the steam? Don't even get me started. Somehow simultaneously scorching hot and achingly tender, Eddings can write a damn good sex scene.

The Plus One is childhood friends to lovers with a side of fake dating and a dollop of forced proximity. There is fantastic PTSD and anxiety rep, discussions of therapy, boundary setting with toxic family members, and the characters supporting one another in making decisions that are the healthiest and best for them. It's also thanks to this book that I'll likely never look at peanut butter the same way again. I loved this one so much and cannot recommend it and the rest of the series enough!