In this endearing frenemies to lovers story Indira and Jude find that sometimes the ones you dislike are the ones you can lean on the most.

Indira is having one heck of a day, walking in on her live in boyfriend with someone else. Making a hasty exit her tires are slashed and she calls for a ride, and Jude shows up.

Jude has been a doctor for a nonprofit in foreign countries seeing the worst of battle. Suffering from PTSD he is on leave and trying to determine what to do.

While they form a sort of truce they also decide to fake a relationship so Indira doesn’t have to be at a wedding with her ex without a date.

With close proximity they learn they need each other, they help each other and with only one tent the chemistry is undeniable.

I appreciated how Jude’s PTSD was represented and how real it felt. It was emotional to read but it was needed to see his journey.

A wonderful story to read and I highly recommend it.

5 STARS!

Mazey Eddings can do no wrong, and "The Plus One" might be her best yet. What a book! It's a childhood frenemies-to-lovers, fake dating, brother's best friend, forced proximity romance (some of my favorite tropes!!) with a ton of humor. Don't go into this book thinking it's going to be *all* fluff and lightness because it also gives an honest, authentic look at mental health, PTSD, and trauma. I fell in love with the main character, Indira and Jude, both together and separately from the very first chapter. Indira is strong but fragile. Jude is grumpy but adoring. Both of them have a lot of baggage to work through from the things they experienced in the past. This book revolves heavily around therapy, which plays a central character in both Indira and Jude's lives. This book might be *the thing* that gets me to see a therapist because Indira and I have such similar stories. It's as if Mazey Eddings grabbed some of my own lived experiences and turned them into an incredibly heartfelt, raw story. It's okay to work through your issues with somebody, even if you are a therapist (Indira). Apart from the heavier topics, "The Plus One" doesn't shy away from showcasing the sillier side of love (which is most definitely my bag, baby). Between the dog poop jokes and the stinky feet fake-outs, I found myself laughing on more than one occasion at Indira and Jude's whimsy and intimate vulnerability with one another. As the kids say: they are relationship goals. And the SPICE. DEAR GOD, THE SPICE. My jaw was on the floor multiple times, too! Have a fan nearby! Let's just say: this book will soon be tabbed for future readings (if you catch my drift)!

Jade Powers & Joe Arden both do a terrific job bringing Indira and Jude to life. They act their hearts out with this audiobook!

Mazey Eddings has taken such a different approach with each of the books in this series. Heck, she even made me a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope with "Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake." I cannot fathom anyone thinking that the romance genre is only full of false expectations and bad writing because Mazey Eddings's books are some of the most substantive books I've ever read. Please do yourself a favor and read this one!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

I didn't realize <b>The Plus One</b> was the 3rd book in a series, so thankfully it was easily read as a standalone.

After walking in on her boyfriend and another chick in a compromising and very messy position, Indira heads to her brother's house unannounced with her cat. When she gets there, she finds that her brother's best friend, Jude, is in town and also staying with him and his fiancé. I wouldn't exactly call Jude and Indira enemies, they have just alway annoyed each other since they were kids. Unfortunately, Indira's ex is also the cousin of her brother's fiancé and is also in the wedding party, so to avoid him, she and Jude pretend to be dating.

While there are a lot of laugh out loud moments in this book, it also has substance. It addresses mental health in the form of some heavier topics such as PTSD and parental abandonment. I thought the author did a fantastic job handling these topics in a relatable way. I liked that even though Indira was a Psychiatrist, she didn't have it all together and also struggled with her own issues. The banter between Jude and Indira never felt forced or unrealistic, and the way everything progressed just felt natural. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the first 2 books in the series which I have already requested from the library. 4 stars.

This one is out today - Happy Pub Date!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC. I loved reading it!

Wow. This book was really great. It took me a bit to get into because it’s depictions of anxiety were just a little too close to home, but once i got into it, I didn’t want to put it down. Another great book from mazey endings!

Though this is part of a series, each book focuses on a different member of their friend group and can be read as standalone books. This one is my second favorite in the series (love a good enemies to lovers, but Lizzie is still my favorite character). This one was a bit different than the first two books (not as light-hearted). I thought this was a cute romance, but still realistic. Both characters work to better themselves and bring out the best in each other. I loved how easily Indira made Jude feel safe and grounded. The only thing I didn’t like was when Indira caught her boyfriend cheating, him and another woman were spreading peanut-butter on each other. That was a little too much for me! Otherwise, this was a good book and if you enjoyed A Brush With Love or Lizzie Blake’s best mistake, you need to add this one to your TBR list.

This might have been my first Mazey Eddings book, but it won't be my last!

I heard fake dating trope and came running even though I haven't read any of the other books in the series.

I will say that this cover is a bit misleading because we do deal with quite heavy topics throughout: PTSD, mental health. But there was an author's note at the beginning and I really loved the representation. I loved that the characters, and the author, felt like they knew what they were talking about. And I loved that they championed taking care of your mental health.

I really loved that the character with PTSD felt real and the romance of the book did not "fix" them. It didn't feel like a problem that needed to be glossed over.

I also just really loved how witty the characters were. And how they actually felt like people who knew each other from when they were kids. The relationship was well developed, and every time that I picked up this book, I did not want to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this one! This one sits in the middle of this series for me; I loved Indira, like I would want her as my friend because I know she would be so caring and so fun and I really loved Jude!!! I just wanted to see them happy and thriving so I'm glad they really won <3

Indira and her brother's best friend, Jude always hated each other, but they agree to fake a relationship when Indira has to face her cheating ex at her brother's wedding. They quickly find themselves falling for each other for real. However, Jude is due to leave shortly for another posting in some far-flung war zone or crisis area to satisfy the terms of his medical school loan.

As in her previous books, Eddings does a terrific job highlighting a particular mental health issue in this book. This time it's PTSD which Jude suffers from due to the things he's seen as a result of his various medical postings. Eddings really does a great job of depicting what it's like for a person with this condition.

Through the character of Indira, Eddings also does a great job of showing how a person can be helpful and supportive of a loved one dealing with PTSD. Indira's relationship with Jude is really touching. Of course, as a psychiatrist herself, she is more used to dealing with various health issues than the average person. She is a good role model not only for the way she handles her loved one's mental health but in the way she prioritizes her own mental health as well.

If you are a fan of Mazey Eddings's books, you will enjoy catching up with favorite characters from her previous books throughout this book. However, if you haven't read any of her other books before, you can still easily enjoy this one. Even though the books clearly follow each other in time each book revolves around a different couple so they don't necessarily have to be read in order to be enjoyed.

The following review was posted on my blog two days ago, on Sunday, April 2nd, two days before publication. It was shared on Instagram twice and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books





“I’ve known Jude my entire life. He lived on the same block as us growing up, and he and Collin were best friends from the jump. But he and I have always been, like, these fundamental opposites. Even as a kid he was serious; had a certain sharpness about him. And I was nothing but soft spots. (…) And he and I fought all the time. And it was always about the silliest stuff. A snarky comment, a mean look, breathing too loud . . . I could always get under his skin, and I kind of loved it. It meant he saw me.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 5 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes and discusses panic attacks, medical trauma, and war and PTSD. Contains explicit sexual content.

“The Plus One” follows Indira Papadakis and Jude Bailey, two childhood frenemies that are forced to walk down the aisle—not of their own wedding, but of Collin Papadakis’s, Indira’s brother and Jude’s best friend. Not only that, but they’re actually all living together for the few weeks before the wedding, for various reasons. Will they be able to coexist around each other? Or will their bickering ruin the party, perhaps even before it starts?

Jude was so haunted by his experiences as an emergency doctor that it killed me, Indira was so set on dealing with her emotional baggage that it inspired me. When I thought Mazey Eddings couldn’t make me fall in love any harder for a set of characters, she gave me “The Plus One.”

These novels all technically work as standalone romances, yet they’re part of a series because they take place in the same world, revolving around a mismatched group of (rather lovable) friends. Indira was never a friend of the group that stood out to me—Lizzie was my fave from book one. But gosh, Indira had my heart on her sleeve about 20 pages in.

Enemies to lovers isn’t my favorite trope, but this was carried out so perfectly I am reconsidering my biases. This was a 5-star read all-around. No beating around the bush with that.

“The Plus One” will be one of my most recommended romance read of 2023, so grab it. No need to hesitate. You’ll love this one, even if you haven’t read the other books in this series. Even if, like me, enemies to lovers isn’t your favorite set up.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

//Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞 💚

Gahhh!! I just loved this so much😭 beautiful and just so perfect for Indira's storyline 🫶🏼

I loved how the story is so therapy positive, Indira being a psychiatrist herself. But it was also so refreshing to see a man be so vulnerable and open with his emotions. All in which Indira picked up throughout the story.
This one was definitely much more angsty, but it still held that comedic bantering between Indira and Jude that ultimately just showed how perfect and compatible they are for each other.

I had a whole other viewpoint of Indira from the other two books, maybe a bit "anal" in personality, but I was completely wrong. I simply ✨️loved✨️ her. She showed so much love and care for others, and she plainly stole my heart with her whole speech to Jude about it being okay to fall apart❤️‍🔥

“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”

what you can expect from The Plus One:
🪻brother's best friend
🪻childhood enemies to lovers
🪻fake dating
🪻roasting you is my love language 
🪻emotional 69ing
🪻there’s only one tent
🪻pair of grumpies
🪻ptsd and therapy rep

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 / 5

The Plus One made me fall even more in love with the author's writing🥹 especially her immense care for writing the mental health aspect so meticulously and emotionally hard-hitting🥲
This is obviously a high recommendation if it sounds appealing to you. There's also no third act breakup if you want something drama free :)

Thank you @mazeyeddings , @netgalley , and @smpromance for the arc❤️
_____________________________________

I very much enjoyed this third instalment of romance being found with a friend group. It was nice to get to know this MC a more after previous cameos in the other books and well as being introduced to their love interest and family. It does deal with some heavier topics like PTSD, therapy, aid in war and poverty situations etc but does so in a very sensitive and respectful manner. The author balanced humour, seriousness and romance really well to make a lovely read.

Oh, how I love Mazey Eddings. This book hit me on so many levels. Indira has my freaking heart and soul. Mazey has always been brilliant at capturing facets of personalities that just strike a chord with readers, but for me Indira saw right into me and said I see you, girl. Indira's deeply embedded desire to make people happy is something I relate to on so many levels. It's also incredibly impactful to have this huge wedding happen and this internal family conflict. I was prepared to be so salty towards the end, but it ended up being so satisfying.

I really loved Jude too. Jude Bailey is just so beautiful. His PTSD was so realistic and honestly, this added layer combined with Indira's profession was a really beautiful touch. One of my favorite things about Mazey is that she is able to capture these beautiful and complex feelings between two characters who are flawed but beautiful and perfect. I really loved this book and I'm sad this is the last in the series, but I'm so excited for more from Mazey.

Mazey Eddings knocked one out of the park with her latest release! This novel had so many yummy tropes wrapped into one delightful book. It had enemies to lovers, close proximity, brother’s best friend, and fake dating. All of my favorite themes were intertwined in Indira and Jude’s love story. While the beginning of the book was a slow burn, the end was steamy hot. I adored the dynamic and snarky banter between the characters, and their attraction sizzled off the pages. I found myself rooting for Indira and Jude from the very beginning. These flawed and broken characters deserved to find love, happiness, and the support they needed. Mazey’s excellent incorporation of mental issues created complex, authentic, and relatable characters. The PTSD and anxiety representation was well written and on point. I love that her stories highlight the importance of seeking help when needed. Indira’s psychiatric background was portrayed perfectly as she helped Jude on his journey to a better mental place in his life. This was definitely one of my favorite reads this year. I highly recommend this incredible book!
Thank you to the author, Mazey Eddings, the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a gifted copy of The Plus One!

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I only had one question after reading this book and that was why is this the first Mazey Eddings book I’ve read?! The Plus One checked all the boxes for me- it’s funny, spicy, and emotional, written in a way that made me not want to put it down! It deals with some pretty heavy subjects (mainly PTSD) but with so much insight into therapy and how important it is to mental health that I felt like reading this book was like me seeing a therapist in real life.

Indira and Jude are so good together, and their snarky banter is perfect and for me, completely relatable! The growth both of them go through over the course of the book is amazing to see, and I loved that there was less about relationship drama between the two of them and more about them working through issues together.

Readers who have read the other two books will appreciate seeing the group of friends back together in this one, but it still makes a good standalone. Although I went through all the emotions while reading, in the end I had a smile on my face over such a well deserved HEA!

Mazey does it again! The Plus One is a childhood friends/enemies to roommates to lovers story filled with angst, grief, a kind portrayal of deeper mental health issues, hope, happiness, and joy. Indira and Jude had never thought of each other as anything other than an annoyance, until they couldn't stop thinking of each other. I loved every minute of this book and you will too!

I enjoyed this a lot! While being more serious than her previous books, I completely appreciated how the author deftly dealt with mental health and still gave a swoony couple to root for. I enjoyed Indira and Jude's journey to themselves and each other. And of course I am always down for a bit of fake dating :)

Huge Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I know it is only April, but this is without a doubt going to the top of my list of favorite books of the year.

Indira and Jude are absolutely everything. What started out as frenemies turned into a beautiful, supportive, encouraging love story. This book broke my heart over and over again with the depictions of anxiety, trauma, and PTSD, but it pieced it back together throughout their story.

"I'm really f*cking broken," he admitted, the words ripped from his chest."
"I'm not looking to fix you," she said, staring straight into his eyes. "I'm here to love you."

I cried several times throughout this book. Both Indira and Jude have struggles, but they helped each other through it all. I just loved the whole dynamic between the two of them - they respected boundaries, gave space when it was needed, and talked things out. They were there for each other, through the good and the bad.

The epilogue wrapped everything up beautifully. I cried happy tears while getting updates about the other couples in the previous books and getting to see how things turned out for everyone. These characters are going to be with me in my heart for a very long time!

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is the third book in the Brush With Love series and is currently schedule for release on April 4 2023. I have nor read the previous books, and while those that have will have a head start on knowing the characters, I think newcomers can easily enjoy this book as a stand alone if they wish.


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.

The Plus One is a fun and engaging read that talks about mental health with respect and realism. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing them get to know each other again. This book combined some of my favorite tropes; forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and brother's best friend, and did it well. I enjoyed their interactions and the bickering was very entertaining. I did not read the previous books, and did not even know it was a part of a series until I was already reading and realized it must be part of a larger series. However, it did not effect the love story between Indira and Jude, only the larger family and friend group. I thought the portrayal of both Indira and Jude's mental health was handled with a great deal of honesty and respect. I really liked that the reality of how different things effect us all differently and that being aware of the issues at hand does not automatically remove their impact on our emotions and lives are important things for us all to remember.

The Plus One is a well written and engaging romance.

I appreciate this book for the honest conversations the characters have about mental health and getting help. I think more books SHOULD have that, and that's why I kept reading. Eddings' work isn't meant for me- too much giggling, too many abrupt tonal shifts, and too much monologuing the internal thoughts of the characters (especially at the end when they voice it all over again). I do want to make it clear that I really appreciate what this book did in discussing and destigmatizing mental health for men and women, even though I personally didn't connect with the writing style. If you've liked Eddings' other books, you'll probably like this one, and I hope to see more romances covering mental health (without the trope of "being cured by love") coming down the pipeline.

This romance made my heart so happy!!These characters that Mazey has written are seriously the best! The mental health representation in this one is so amazing and the topics are handled with such care. We were able to see so much personal growth from the main characters and I just really loved the positive light shed on coping strategies, therapy, and advocacy.