I don’t know why I waited this long to read this book because I very much enjoyed this book.

It was cute and funny and emotional.

I do recommend.

I wasnt a fan, the execution may fall short for what I felt I was promised going in. While the story tries to mix romance and humor, it occasionally feels predictable and over the top. The character development lacks depth.

Mazey Eddings has done it again with The Plus One, crafting a contemporary romance that is both heartwarming and deeply emotional. This book is nothing short of special—imagine if the essence of Taylor Swift’s FOLKLORE were transformed into a novel. It’s a smart, romantic whirlwind that blends humor, drama, and heartfelt emotion in the best way possible.

The story follows Dr. Indira Papadakis and Dr. Jude Bailey, two characters who start off as childhood nemeses but agree to fake date for Indira’s brother’s wedding. Indira, a psychiatrist, sees the toll that years of working as an emergency surgeon in humanitarian crises have taken on Jude, who struggles with untreated PTSD. As they navigate their pretend relationship, they both embark on a journey of healing and self-discovery.

What makes this book truly stand out is its profound message: that we’re allowed to be broken, and we’re allowed to be repaired. Love doesn’t magically fix everything, but it gives us the courage to heal. Watching Indira and Jude learn to love and be loved in the way they deserve was a beautiful experience, one that had me tearing up more than once.

The Plus One is more than just a rom-com with a cute cover—it packs an emotional punch that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I’m both amazed by the beauty of this story and in denial that the series has come to an end. This book will forever be one of my favorites, and I’m grateful that Mazey Eddings has shared these wonderful stories about perfectly imperfect people. Five stars, without a doubt.

Thank you for the ARC! I absolutely love all the tropes that are presented throughout the book. I'm glad this book was able to be read as a standalone although it is part of a series. I cannot wait to dive into the other books in this series. I also loved how they touched on different mental health matters. Very well done, great length too!

I read this as a standalone book. I did not know this was a part of a series.

It was a sweet read and an enjoyable rom com. It was endearing and allowed for both characters to develop along the way. I appreciated the frenemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes and the addition of anxiety/mental health representation.

I liked the chapter titles layout and thought it was unique. I have never read a book that as a countdown.

I recommend reading this book and I will be looking to read the others in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Mazey Eddings' The Plus One offers an engaging and thoughtful exploration of personal growth and romantic development. The story centers on Indira Papadakis, a psychiatrist, who retreats to her brother's home in Philadelphia after discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity. Expecting just a temporary refuge, Indira is instead met with Jude, her brother’s best friend and her long-time rival. Jude, a doctor recently returned from high-stress humanitarian missions, is grappling with his own unresolved trauma.

As Indira and Jude navigate the pre-wedding chaos, they decide to pretend to be a couple to ease the pressures of the upcoming festivities. This arrangement unexpectedly ignites a genuine connection as they confront their emotional barriers and begin to heal. Eddings deftly balances romance and realism, crafting a story where the characters’ emotional and psychological journeys are as compelling as their burgeoning relationship.

The novel shines in its authentic portrayal of mental health challenges and the transformative power of supportive relationships. Eddings' detailed and empathetic depiction of Indira and Jude’s struggles adds depth to their characters, making their eventual bond feel both earned and heartfelt. While the focus on mental wellness can sometimes veer into a therapeutic tone, it ultimately enriches the narrative, providing a nuanced look at healing and connection.

The Plus One is a warm and insightful read, highlighting the potential for love and growth through genuine companionship.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, emotional, and romantic stories, particularly those who enjoy fake dating tropes, enemies-to-lovers relationships, and explorations of PTSD, making it a perfect fit for readers who crave a heartwarming and uplifting romance.

I’m glad I was told before going into this one that it wasn’t light and fluffy. I honestly felt like these topics were handled with care.

With that being said, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one then. But what I can say is I laughed, and I felt a lot for these characters. I loved the therapy aspects and making therapy more normal.

I think this was such a great end to the series and I’m glad I read them in order. Definitely read the trigger warnings for all of the books before starting.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

Who doesn't love a good ol' fake dating with a childhood connection? It brings so many heartfelt and hidden emotions to the plot. I have loved all of the other books in this series. Mazey Eddings is an amazing author whom manages to capture such raw feelings and add a healthy dose of laughter into every aspect. Nothing felt cliché or overdone, it was all refreshing and familiar!

This book follows Indira and Jude. When Indira comes home to find her live-in boyfriend cheating on her she escapes to her brother's house. When she gets there, she finds her brother's best friend, Jude is also staying there. Jude and Indira have never got along and kind of hate each other. Now they are living together and are involved in a bunch of wedding festivities for Indira's brother. Indira's ex is also a member of the wedding party, so her and Jude decide to fake date through all of the wedding festivities. But what happens when faking becomes a little too real.

I liked this book but I didn't love it. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers part of the story. I loved Indira's brother and his future husband they were such fun side characters in this book. I didn't really believe the chemistry between these two characters, maybe it was that the enemies was too believable so it made the romance a little less available.

I did really like the mental health rep in this book. Jude suffers from PTSD and has anxiety. I felt that part of the story was really well done. I also really liked the advocacy for therapy. I think it was a great aspect of the story.

This book is written for the mature audience. It has detailed sexual relations and PTSD and other mental health discussions. Please note is was mental health issues are relatable, practical, and written with respect and coping mechanisms.
Overall I enjoyed this read but could skip a few days before picking it back up. Eddings took a different approach on this rom-com. Yes, I enjoyed the bantering between Jude and Indira. Indira never lets the chance to jab Jude pass her by, no matter the circumstances. Jude gave it back when sometimes he wanted to melt out of the room and disappear.
Indira has daddy issues and other problems but has the strength of an ox to support Jude. She recognizes her issues and has a weekly counseling session for her outreach and support. Jude has so much hurt and anger in him that he is falling apart and Indira is there to pick him up.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for ARC book in exchange for my review.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

📝 Indira is devastated when she walks in on her boyfriend having an affair at the home. Turning to her brother, she runs into her childhood nemesis, aka her brother's best friend, at his house. There, he is helping her brother prepare for his upcoming nuptials. With all the events leading up too the big day, and Indira continually running into her ex, they come up with a plan to fake date through the wedding. What hard could be done from pretending to be in a relationship with someone you've known almost your whole life?

What I 🤍:
🧒👧 Childhood Enemies
👩‍⚕️ Psychologist X ER Doctor
💞 Brother's Best Friend
😍 Fake Dating
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🎤 Witty Banter
🎀 PERFECT Epilogue

Mazy has done it again! 👏 I've loved every book in this series, and her junior novel did not disappoint. This book HAS IT ALL. The spice was perfection, and I left so satisfied after reading their epilogue.

I absolutely adored this book by Mazey Eddings. There was sweet romance but depth and discussion of mental health and PTSD. As a doctor myself, I was excited to read about two young people dealing with the difficulties of working in healthcare, and I can attest that the difficulties Jude faced returning from doing global health work is a real problem. I'm also just a sucker for a brothers-best-friend and fake-dating trope. Mazey Eddings is an auto-buy for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always get nervous reading books with healthcare workers as the main characters as someone who works in healthcare themselves. However, this book found a good balance between acknowledging their healthcare backgroud to propel the story vs making it the entire plot. The characters were written so well with so much emotional depth, while still having the ability for them to be silly and playful. I thought the chemistry between Indira and Jude was perfect and felt realistic without them needing to have some sort of big blowup and the make-up.

Great romance book! read it two sittings and loved it! I need to read some more by this author now that i’ve found her books

This booooook. Wow! It was shockingly good! I was intrigued by the synopsis and went in with very little expectations, and after only a few chapters I knew this was special! I loved Jude and Indira so much 🫶🏼

Jude’s struggles with ptsd made me want to give him the biggest hug. And Indira’s sassy, smart, caring personality is the perfect complement to Jude. I really appreciated the authors ability to weave the really tough topics in between moments of silly banter. The whole book flowed well and I found myself devouring it until the end.

You’ll love:
+ enemies to lovers
+ fake dating
+ brothers best friend
+ mental health rep
+ only one tent ⛺️
+ no third act breakup!!

Note: this is technically the third book in a series of interconnected stand-alones. I didn’t read the first two, and felt I still enjoyed the story butttttttt I hear from reviewers that you should save this for last if you can for the optimal experience 💗

I've attempted numerous times to read this book and each time I couldn't connect with the characters or the writing. Within a few pages, I'd find my attention wandering and putting the book down. As such this book is a DNF for me.

please create a 4 star book review for the following book The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. please use the following information but change it to be completely unique: A sweet and touching, childhood frenemies to lovers romance with faking dating, which also addresses anxiety and PTSD

After Indira and her childhood nemesis Jude are thrown together for her brother's (and his best friend's) wedding, they unexpectedly team up to become each others fake date whilst they try to deal with their separate issues. But, soon, things begin to feel all too real...

This is #3 in the A Brush with Love series, but could be read as a standalone. I would recommend reading them all though, as the characters all feature in each other's books, plus all three books are so different!

Honestly, this last installment really surprised me! After the cuteness and lightheartedness of the first two books, this one hit me differently. Taking a long look at mental health, trauma, insecurities stemming from childhood, therapy and communication, it felt real and full of hope. It's a lot more heavy and series than its predecessors, particularly Lizzie Blake, and made me well up several times. It was such a journey for the characters, and I adored the way they supported eachother. They were both so brave and vulnerable.

Even though The Plus One was emotional, it was also sexy and funny. Colin's wedding and the preparations leading up to his big day were fun, and I loved seeing Harper, Lizzie and Thu again!

Indira and Jude had some great banter and tension, and there were some extremely hot open door scenes 🔥

This was a great ending to the series, and I will definitely be reading more of whatever Mazey Eddings writes!

I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I love the fake wedding date trope. It always leads to such chemistry between the main characters and realization about what is important in life. Plus, did not disappoint. It is a great summer read. Recommend to all of those who love the wedding date, trope in romance novels.

I think Mazey’s books are kind of hit or miss for me. I wasn’t a fan of A Brush With Love but I really really loved Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.

This book however was a little too heavy for me and I could not get into it.