The best book of Eddings yet! The way she mixed in vulnerability with courage what simply marvelous. I was hooked from the very start. I then encouraged my partner to read it! FIVE beautiful stars!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Miss Mazey delivered another amazing read. She truly creates characters that you fall in love with and ones that are so relatable. Her characters aren’t perfect and I love that. I read book 2 in this series and it was so nice to revisit the old characters and see that they are doing well.

I would recommend this to my bookish community!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is a poignant look at what it's like living with a mental health disorder – how it can manifest, the steps people will take to hide it, and how hard it is to admit you need help. There are romantic comedy elements, but I thought the more powerful parts of the plot concerned mental health.

Indira is a mental health professional who has never dealt with the issues she has long harbored due to her father walking out on their family. Jude is a surgeon who signed up for a position akin to doctors without borders to pay for medical school and has developed PTSD from working in such challenging areas (war-torn, humanitarian nightmares). They have hated each other since childhood. But as Indira's brother's wedding approaches, Jude and Indira are thrown together again. As they say, there is a fine line between love and hate.
My Reading Experience:
I was surprised by how deep this story went into mental health issues, especially PTSD. I found the portrayal very realistic. It was hard for me to read as a counselor and not be able to do anything, I'll admit – because it feels authentically real. But societal awareness is critical because it is challenging for most people to seek help when needed. If more people are aware, that's just more people to help ensure others get the help they need before it's too late. I also found the acknowledgment section particularly poignant and shed many tears over it.

I loved the witty (snarky) exchanges between Jude and Indira. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope. This one has the added element of a fake dating situation which is just fun. The pace was quick from start to finish, and I found myself thoroughly engaged from page 1 until the end. Or course, I sped read through the open-door scenes because that's just me, but the romance develops so naturally that I couldn't help but root for them. I particularly loved how Indira emphasized to Jude that she isn't with him to counsel/treat him over his issues. She is just there to love him.

This story is about hope and the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how it feels at any given point in time. It's about love and light and having someone in your corner no matter what. And I love everything about that.
Read if you like:
Fake dating romances
Respectful mental health disorder portrayals
Open door romances

I am a huge fan of Mazey Eddings. Her books have not disappointed me in the past and this is no exception. The author does an incredible job of navigating trauma with care and compassion through this story. It’s a realistic look at mental health told with layers of humor and spice.

Representation matters. Throughout this series, I saw myself, loved ones and friends in her characters.

Another 5 star read!

This book was cute - I’ve never read the prior books in the series but was still able to understand the story no problem.

Jude was perfectly imperfect, and the connection between Indira and Jude was so sweet. I love that they started as frenemies and moved into fake dating and finally onto real dating. The relationship seemed so genuine and sweet, and I loved how it developed.

The ending was great - I only wish we knew how Jude handled the debt and what it meant for their life, as they mentioned the amount and other info throughout the story.

There were a lot of things in this book that worked for me, and a few things that didn't. However, it's now been too long since I finished to remember them all - but here. we. go!

rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
genre: romance
steam: open door, multiple scenes

Now, in my opinion, the hard parts of this book (Jude's PTSD and general anxiety) only really work in this setting because Indira is a therapist. If she had any other occupation, I don't think that they would have been able to work out and find their way to each other. As it stands, I absolutely loved the positive look at mental health and therapy that Eddings shows through both of the MCs. Indira is a therapist who is in therapy herself to work through her variety of relationship problems (and how she feels like a fraud to be giving others therapy when she needs it herself). -- Some of my favorite scenes were of Indira in her therapist's office just having to work through her problems out loud because she was the victim of the classic "And how do you feel about that?" -- Jude is an overseas doctor who has seen too much in his short career, and needs techniques and support to be able to make it through the day.

I love the idea that this book is both brother's best friend and childhood enemies to fake dating and lovers. However, I do wish we'd been able to see more flashbacks or stories of them butting heads as kids! Because, to this reader, it's pretty obvious they were into each other and just denying their feelings from very early on. 😂

Overall, this covers the hard topics that Mazey Eddings is known for with humor and harsh reality all rolled into one - oh, and some steamy scenes, obviously.

I know I've done a terrible job summing up my feelings on this book, and I think it's because even though I read it a while ago, I'm still not sure. I would recommend it, but it's a tough read. It's a lot of hard moments broken up by some levity. I think I'll remember and love Jude forever.

This book was a lot deeper than I had anticipated. There’s a warning in the beginning but I wasn’t prepared for how deep it gets. Just be warned that it’s not a light read!

mazey eddings i am begging you to stop breaking my heart and putting it back together!!! i need a moment (or several) to recover from tpo and really the whole brush with love series.

first and foremost, tpo like the other books in the series gives the characters the opportunity to fall in love, heal from their past, experience all the emotions, and just be people that are so real and easy to love!!!

indira and jude had me from the first page, begging me to fall in love with them too (and obviously i did). the progression from childhood hate to friends to being each others person was just so stunning!! it was inevitable, beautiful, and thoroughly enjoyable!!!

kid of divorce rep anyone? bc indira was so f***ing real with all her feelings and experiences of feeling left behind and broken because of her parent’s decisions!!!! i have never felt more seen than in indira’s struggle with accepting the effects her parents divorce had and still has one her.

the ptsd rep in here was just heartwrenching. jude’s story was hard to read but handled with such care. the feelings that he wrestled with were familiar, so i am grateful to eddings for how she handled his character arc.

what i love most about mazey eddings is that her fmcs are allowed to be emotional and hurt. i feel like so many romances gloss over emotions, but these ones feel everything and it makes an emo girl like me so pleased to see it.

In the final installment of stories round this group of friends, we focus on Indira this time. The book starts off with a breakup involving peanut butter and a cheating boyfriend (thanks for those images Mazey.) Indira moves in with her brother Collin as he and his fiance Jeremy prepare for their wedding. She shows up unexpectedly and is met at the door by her brother's best friend and childhood frenemy, Jude. They butt heads and help the guys prepare for their wedding and catch up along the way.

Jude has been a part of a fictional Doctors Without Borders program to pay for medical school the last 3 years and has seen some SHIT. Indira, being a psychiatrist (I think) immediately picks up on the fact that he has some unresolved trauma. She gently lets him know she's there for him and encourages him to open up a little. Jude finds it easier to tell her than anyone else in his life and just bottles up his PTSD. As the 2 spend time near each other and slowly open up to each other they find they never hated each other, and actually really like each other.

The 2 decide to be each other's +1 for the wedding and fake date after a few "wedding workshops" with the bridal party which her ex is a part of as well. It's easier than deal with finding someone new in time for the wedding and answering awkward questions, but that's exactly what the 2 end of doing with each other. They push each other to talk about their personal issues and ways to support each other while working on them. Indira has issues from her dad leaving their family as a kid and the resulting fallout that her mom went through. The ending made sense and was sweet. I love that there was no 3rd act break up, just a natural conflict.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. It's not my favorite because that title goes to Lizzie Blake, who does make a few appearances with her daughters! There is a like 18 month time skip from the last book which I also appreciated. It gave everyone time to enjoy their happy endings, Harper and Dan included. Jude and Dira get their happy ending that works for them and I enjoyed myself along the way.

I am obsessed with this series, and I am so excited to get an ARC of this next book!!!
Indira and Jude are the absolute sweetest, funniest, loveliest couple! Both these characters have faced hardships and trauma that have led them to doubting their worthiness, but I can't think of two people more worthy of each others love than Indira and Jude. I absolutely love their frenemies-to-lovers story. Growing up together, picking on each other, going right back into that routine of being constantly annoyed by one-another is really fun to read. And then both of them realizing they have always meant more to one another than they let on, leads to them forming the most beautiful and deep romantic love. The way they both become such beacons of hope and safety and laughter and comfort made me cry real tears and laugh big laughs all the way through.
And of course I LOVED the side characters, especially meeting Collin and Jeremey, two of the loveliest, funniest supporting characters I have ever read. They are so adorably fun and loyal. And seeing all the characters I've come to love so far in this series (including little Evie <3) made my heart so happy.
So. To sum up. I love this book, I love this series, I love and adore all the characters here, and I am left an emotional mess in the best way after reading.
Thank you for the ARC!!!

Okay it's official.... I have hit the bookish jackpot with ANOTHER stellar read! 🎉 Please book gods, don't ever let this end! 🙏

The Plus One is not a fluffy rom com. It's deep, it's emotional, it's incredibly heavy at times. But I have learned that I need heavy themes with my romance. I need that substance and I need my characters to have a great deal of growth. This has that in spades. I also love that it has just the right amount of spice that adds to the chemistry, without overshadowing the plot.

This checked off a whole bunch of trope boxes: forced proximity, childhood enemies to lovers, one bed, brother's best friend, and probably a few more too. 😅

Indira and Jude are so great together, and my favorite part was watching them grow and heal and cope and lean on one another in doing so! I love Jude's sensitivity and his willingness to be vulnerable in front of Indira (we need more men like this in the world!!!!)

As I mentioned above, this has some very heavy themes. And yet... It's still a romcom. As another reviewer mentioned, the author has a way of dealing with sensitive and heavy topics while also keeping it light. That's some serious talent. 👏🏻 Mazey Eddings is good y'all. She's so freaking good.

As usual, I read along with audiobook in my headphones. The audiobook narrator dream team Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden performed this flawlessly. I couldn't imagine a better duo. Absolutely perfection!🙌🏼

Thank you SMP for the gifted paperback and eARC, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC. 💗

💐🤍 Book Review 🤍💐

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
5/5 🌟

I did not realize that this book was #3 of a series when I requested this arc but now I’m on the target app trying to stop myself from buying the entire series.

It’s been a while since I’ve fallen in love with a book that wasn’t Yeehaw, hockey, or single dad, but this one re-wired my brain.

Mazey writes about mental health in such a flawless way. She writes about two characters, Indira and Jude, who are maneuvering through life with different issues impacting their mental health and how they help each other and themselves.

Indira is one of the most mature immature characters I have ever read about. She’s witty and makes fart jokes, but she also knows how to read people and know exactly what they need. Jude is so complex. He’s seen the roughest part of life and it’s impacted his daily life. The way he is illustrated in this book is one of the most realistic depictions of PTSD that I’ve ever read. Their relationship is one of my favorites because they help each other, but they make the final decisions to help themselves first. It’s such a great lesson and I can’t get over how important this book is for mental health advocacy. 🥹

Swipe for some of my fav quotes ever 💛 Buddy read this with my day one @_reedfish and yes, Jude made us cry.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this arc in exchange for an honest review! The Plus One is out on Tuesday ✨

This is the third book in A Brush With Love series. but could be read as a standalone.. With each book, I find I like this author's style more and more. She writes about real people with real issues. She doesn't shy away from things that aren't shiny and perfect. Her books aren't afraid to get into the muck of imperfection and brokenness.

The Plus One gives us two beautifully damaged characters. Indira, a psychiatrist who is passionate about her job and helping others. But also realizes that she has "work" to put in herself in dealing with past hurts and damage done by her father. Jude is a surgeon who has been traveling internationally to war-torn and ravaged countries all across the globe to help people as part of the arrangement for paying back his staggering medical school loans. But he's finding that the toll it's taking on his mental health may not be worth it.

Historically, Indira and Jude have been "enemies" - - even though Jude is Indira's brother's best friend, they always seemed to be in direct competition and were continually fighting. Yet, they are thrown together for her brother's extended wedding lead up. Indira is struggling with recently finding her boyfriend cheating on her and Jude is having a tough time being around everyone in a normal situation without letting his recent experiences overseas impact him. Together they strike up an arrangement to "fake date" through the wedding. It will help Indira tolerate being around her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend and it will help Jude because she can buffer him from the noise and actions of other people. But what starts out as fake dating quickly turns towards something neither of them recognizes....and yet both of them are curious about.

This book has a lovely mix of humor, spice, serious emotional topics as well as a general feel good base. However, if you have any triggers, I recommend you reference the trigger warnings that the author addresses prior to reading the book to be sure it's something you're comfortable with.

AUDIOBOOK: The narration for this was done quite well and added to my overall enjoyment of the story. I felt that all the voices for each character were done well and kept my attention. I would recommend this audio to anyone who enjoys that medium. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to them and review them. The opinions contained in my review are my own.

When Indira comes home to her boyfriend cheating on her, she needs a new place to stay. When she goes to her brother, Collin's home she is greeted by his best friend and her worst enemy, Jude. Collin is getting married, and Jude has just gotten off assignment with the medical organization he works with where he goes to countries in crisis and provides emergency care. Indira, a psychiatrist, can tell that there is something going on with Jude (beyond just his usual annoying tendencies), and quickly becomes Jude's safe space amongst all the hectic pre-wedding activities.

This was another gem from Mazey Eddings! One of my favorite things about Mazey's books is that she does not shy away from mental health issues, and instead tackles them head on. Jude's struggle with PTSD was so raw and real, and I love that she includes it in this book. Her normalization of therapy, and of mental illness is one of the things I love most about her as an author. Beyond that, she has snappy and snarky banter that I can't get enough of, sexual tension and chemistry that is amazing, and the most fun secondary characters. Each book she puts out becomes my new favorite because she just keeps getting better. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us!

Thank you to Penguin Putnam Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Jude, my sweet baby, all the stars.

I have all the love for Mazzey Eddings. I read Brush with Love a year ago and knew I wanted more of her writing. And wow, did I get it with this book.

After walking into her boyfriend cheating on her, Indira packs her belongs to stay with her brother Collin. When she gets there, she didn’t realize her arch nemesis since childhood, Jude, was already staying there. Jude and Indira are further pushed together as they are apart of Collin’s upcoming wedding. When Indira finds out that Jude is facing anxiety issues from his job, they concoct a plan to fake date so that she was can help calm him down while showing off that she’s moved on from her ex.

While this book is a fake-dating trope, it’s not super heavy in the book. I feel like the bigger emphasis is on Indira and Jude moving past their differences and coming together. I felt for Jude so much in this book. Every time he had an anxiety attack I just wanted to wrap him up in a hug. Indira was also a great female character. Despite being cheated on, she was very sure of herself and Jude. She really wanted the best for him and was the best partner for him. Indira had her own growth in the this book as well and I was so proud of her.

This book is full of so many cute moments. And the spice? Oh wow, sweet Jude I was not expecting it.

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin’s Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a fun story. I love a good friends to lovers trope with some added TS references. I really enjoyed the plot line and how it all added up. I wasn’t a huge fan of how mental illness played a part in this one, it was almost too much at the end. I liked that each of the characters focused on their own mental health, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the fact that it took over their relationship at the end. Ending was so cute and I can’t wait for another book by this author!

The Plus One is, quite simply, a fantastic read. Not that I was expecting any different, having read and loved the first two books in Mazey Eddings’ A Brush with Love series. Still, it’s always a great feeling to dive into a book and find yourself relating to, falling for, and empathizing with the characters.

Eddings again makes mental health part of the conversation, something I admire about her writing. I admit that it can sometimes feel like a hard slog for an emotional reader like me, but there’s honesty in her descriptions that make her characters come alive. I alternatively wanted to coddle and cuddle Indira and (in particular) Jude, support them in finding their voices and asking for help, and shake them to force them out of their heads to focus on what’s important.

This mental health narrative makes for an all the feels kind of romance because, while not as light-hearted as the first two books in this series, The Plus One has moments sure to bring a smile to your face. Not to mention plenty of steamy sexiness for those who prefer their love stories to have that spice fueling the character’s connection to one another. Me? I would’ve been happy either way, so invested was I in Dira and Jude skirting around enemies and flashing past fakers to get to forever.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, MacMillan Publishers, and NetGalley for the e-arc of The Plus One! I know Mazey jokes that Indira and Jude are her problem children, but I just loved this dual POV and childhood enemies to lovers story so freaking much!

After Indira walks in on her boyfriend using peanut butter in order to get freaky with another woman, she promptly dumps him and decides to move in with her older brother and his fiancé. The kicker is that her childhood nemesis and older brother's best friend is back from an overseas doctor program and also staying with her brother.
Jude has spent the last 3 years serving in various war-torn or disaster-stricken countries providing aid and performing emergency surgeries. All of that humanitarian work has left a dark spot on Jude's soul, and throughout the book we see his PTSD responses to everything he's witnessed.
Indira and Jude have known each other for most of their lives, and Indira (being the introspective psychiatrist that she is) immediately notices that Jude is not himself. Even when he denies that nothing is wrong, she doesn't back down and forces him to open up to her. The Plus One follows Jude and Indira's relationship and mental health journies. From Jude and Indira realizing that fake dating doesn't seem so fake, to Indira helping Jude process his disasters and loving him even when he feels like he doesn't deserve it.

One of the reasons why I love Mazey Eddings books so much is how she goes about dealing with mental health issues and providing her characters with the progress that they need, even if their mental health journeys aren't neatly tied up at the end of the book. She always provides the best content warnings in the beginning of her books and discloses that she's not perfect at describing everyone's trauma. I feel like I can relate to almost every character that she's written, and it makes me love them even more and become that much more emotionally invested in their stories.
I think Mazey did an amazing job on the plot, the characters, and all of the spicy scenes (hello 34 + 35 scene!!!!). I think some of my favorite scenes were when Indira went to therapy, because her therapist's advice sounded too real. Also, all of the banter between Indira and Jude, how they "hate" each other but are actually deeply in love.

Everyone needs to read The Plus One ASAP!!!!

This was the first book I read by Mazey Eddings and I enjoyed her writing style. It was fun and fresh while still dealing with heavy topics like PTSD and anxiety. The enemies to lovers trope is not usually my favorite, but this was done well. The steamy scenes were *chefs kiss* and I loved all the banter between Jude and Indira. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

Mazey Eddings is becoming one of my must read contemporary romance authors and I’m not sad about it!

In this one we have Indira and Jude, two childhood frenemies who are thrust back together when they both have to attend a wedding.

There’s a smidge of fake dating, a lot of forced proximity tension, but what I loved the most about this book was the focus placed on PTSD and the effects of trauma on a person.

Jude is a doctor who has spent years helping people in war torn areas, and as a result he struggles.

I loved the focus that this book placed on the importance of mental health and I would highly recommend!

The spice is spicy, the story is cute, and the underlying message is important, so what’s not to love??

I was lucky enough to have both the audio and ebook advanced copies and I loved the audio for any of my audio listeners out there!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!