Indira and Jude don’t get along. Never have, never will. Growing up Jude was always around, being the life long best friend of Indiras brother. Now forced to live together and walk down the aisle together for the wedding if their best friend/brother, these two might have to learn how to be civil. This book is BEAUTIFUL. I loved the banter, and how authentic these characters felt. I loved how Jude’s PTSD was explored and handled with such care. I loved that Indira was struggling with her own things in different ways. God did I mention the banter??

The Plus One was truly fantastic. I’ve been impressed by both of the books that I’ve read from Mazey Eddings, but The Plus One is easily the best and more impactful of them. Indira and Jude were such likable and relatable characters who dealt with their problems in a healthy way.

This is not a lighthearted read at all - it’s grounded in very serious mental health struggles and discusses issues of PTSD, panic attacks, and parental abandonment. But the love and care given to these characters is outstanding. Jude and Dira feel like two real and genuine people who are just trying to survive the best they can. I empathized so much for both of them and just wanted them to find their happiness.

This is what I want when I pick up a contemporary romance now - I need funny, emotionally intelligent characters who have a genuine connection - and that’s what I got here in droves.

This was excellent and definitely one that I will be thinking about and recommending for a long time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s and Netgalley for the review copy.

Super cute childhood enemies to lovers story!
(Pub date - April 4, 2023)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Jude and Indira have disliked each other since they were kids. Jude is Indira’s brother’s best friend, while she was always the annoying sister.

Brought together as adults, forced proximity (staying at Indira’s brother’s house and helping organize his upcoming wedding) and a bit of fake dating help them see another side of one another they never did before. Jude is struggling with job-related trauma, and Indira is the perfect person to help him through it.

I thought the way Mazey tackled PTSD and anxiety/panic attacks was really well done. It was definitely a heavier book than I was expecting. I myself battle with anxiety so I think this was a big of a tougher read for me. I do appreciate how they talked a lot about normalizing therapy!

I liked the sorta “twist” on fake dating - it was only for one person, her close friends and brother knew it was fake (something that bothers me often with fake dating is everyone they love being in the dark, and that just makes me feel bad.
I could have used a little more “enemies” but it was great nonetheless!

While this is the 3rd book in the series, I think it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the others yet and didn't feel like I was missing anything!

Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Brother’s best friend
⭐️ Childhood enemies to lovers
⭐️ Forced Proximity
⭐️ Mental health rep
⭐️ Fake Dating
⭐️ Dual POV/3rd person

*trigger warning - this book shows a lot of anxiety/PTSD/mental health struggles, with descriptive panic attacks.

The Plus One
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re looking for slow burn, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, childhood friends, sharing one tent/living together, then this is the book for you! However, there’s so much more to this story than these tropes.

Our main character Indira catches her boyfriend cheating on her. As a result, she’s forced to temporarily move in with her brother Collin and his fiancé. She’s caught off guard when Collin’s best friend Jude is also staying there. Indira and Jude have butted heads since they were children. However, Indira and Jude find each other in a time where they both needed it the most.

💍 I had no idea how much this story would advocate and normalize mental health. It touches on how men need just as much attention towards their mental health, and how even though Indira is a psychiatrist herself, she also thrives with going to therapy
💍this book also touches on the importance of creating boundaries in your life. Whether it’s creating boundaries with unhealthy relationships, or making decisions to reduce exposures to a toxic work environment
💍I know it seems like there’s some heavy topics in this book, but this book is filled with humor and sarcasm from start to finish because that is Indira’s personality
💍 I feel like every romance book has that part where the characters have a “falling out” and then they of course realize how much they need each other. This one was brief, but made sense due to Jude and him trying to process his trauma. I appreciated how organic this felt.

I was truly rooting for Indira and Jude from start to finish. I appreciated their relationship, and how they always provided that permission to just feel their feelings. Jude and Indira are truly so cute together, but they also have that chemistry too 🔥

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Treat your shelves to this one as it is being released in just a few more days-April 4th!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's and Mazey Eddings for the e-arc of The Plus One! The title and cover had me originally intrigued and I was NOT disappointed. This is exactly the type of book I want to read when I pick up a romance. There are some trigger warnings to keep in mind prior to reading but the author handles all topics incredibly well.

Indira walks in on her boyfriend....and another woman a few months shy of her brothers wedding. Said (ex) boyfriend just happens to be apart of the wedding party. But so does Jude - her brother's best friend and also her childhood nemesis. As Jude and Indira both navigate through stresses and traumas in their life - they start to realize they may relate more to one another than they originally thought.

If you are a fan of forced proximity and enemies to lovers then you will absolutely adore this book. The characters and plot are incredibly written and not only that - but the HUMOUR is just amazing. I also love the real and raw way the author discusses mental health and includes this as a pivotal part to the plot. It is really well done and really relatable for all types of readers. I laughed, I teared and my heart just felt super happy after reading this!

I can't say enough great things about this book and I will definitely be picking up a physical copy to reread when it's published

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC! From the second this book started I was enamored with Jude, a fangirl of Indira, and generally in love with this book. I really appreciate how Mazey Eddings approaches mental health with such care and nuance, and this book is no different in that regard. Additionally I adore her strong female leads, who are smart, funny, well-spoken, and real. I adored this story and hope for Thu's story next!

4.5 ⭐️

Read if you Enjoy:
- Enemies to lovers
- Grumpy vs. Sunshine
- Childhood friends
- Brother's best friend trope
- Fake Dating
- Trauma Awareness (PTSD and Childhood Trauma)
- Open Door Romance

This was my introductory novel to Mazey Eddings and I really enjoyed it. I have not read the previous two books but it did not take away from my full enjoyment of this third installment.

Loved how Eddings navigated the complicated world of trauma throughout the story. I found myself highlighting one too many quotes describing trauma in such an empathic way. Loved how the main characters supported each other throughout the book. Indira had so much patience for Jude despite her own battles and feelings as she coped with her own trauma. This book got a bit heavy at some points, but as a reader, I felt it was a crucial part of the book and the characters. Loved how this book focused on communication and staying true to your feelings.

I loved the banter in this book! So many laugh-out-loud moments that had me swooning for these two. Highly recommended! Excited to read the rest of the books in the series.

Available on April 4th.

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

Mazey Eddings has done it again with this book! Personally, this has been my favorite book she has written and for good reasons. "The Plus One" is the story between Jude and Indira. Filled with fake dating and brother's best friend tropes, Eddings intertwines the comedy with the serious. Indira is a psychiatrist while Jude is a doctor working with a fictional "Doctors without Boarders" type of company to pay off his medical loans. Plagued with PTSD, the book does take some dark turns with Jude pretending to be fine but really not being. It is this relationship, with all the lows and highs, that make the book absolutely great. And better yet.... THERE IS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. This was a great ending for the type of trilogy of books Eddings wrote about the three friends and can't wait to see what she writes next.

Oh this was a good book. I read and loved Lizzie Blake last year and The Plus One has solidified that I need to read the first book. Just on its own, I probably would have liked this with it being enemies to lovers and fake dating… But Mazey is such a fabulous writer who is so great at handling the hard topics. I loved the evolution of Indira and Jude’s relationship, and I loved the exploration of their individual mental health journeys. This book just felt so warm and lovely. Highly recommend!

I am still on the verge of tears after the ending of this book. This is a very hard story that dives into PTSD and the general importance of mental health. I thought it was just beautiful. Indira & Jude are two amazing characters that both are suffering in their individual ways. Together, they bring out the best in each other and I just love them so much.

Mazey Eddings will forever be one of my fave authors!

Tropes:
Childhood Enemies
Forced Proximity
Years of pining

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 4, 2023

A enemies to lovers fake dating trope slow burn romance…but can there be too slow of a burn? Everything just goes a step too far to make this almost slapstick/cartoonish. The cat, all the OTT pre-wedding events, the bee costume/fart scene. I appreciate the dialogue on mental health but as a reader, I needed more background information on Jude to feel invested in the character.

Unfortunately, the super slow burn and the above issues squashed any momentum/build up, so by the time these two actually get together, I had a hard time believing the attraction and had already checked out.

I’m always here for a book that advocates for therapy and mental health wellness, and that is something that I find Mazey Eddings always delivers in her books.

My heart broke for both Idrina and Jude, they’d both been through the wringer, and through some wildly different traumas, but that didn’t stop me from crying for them.
The brothers best friend trope is a favourite of mine, but when they’re childhood enemies? Even better. There was some really sweet and heartfelt moments between Drina and Jude!
There was also some funny, lighthearted moments in The Plus One, but I found the relationship way more natural than Harper & Dan or Lizzie & Rake!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Mazey Eddings for an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review.

ALL the stars for The Plus One. Mazey Eddings has quickly cemented herself as a "immediate purchase" in my mind.

I loved the premise of this story, brother's best friend, mental health rep, flawed but earnest characters, "fake" dating, spicy scenes. This book had so much good, but the emotions were what worked the most for me. I love the way Eddings weaves in mental health for her characters, and that their worth is not tied to them being "fixed" or "broken". You don't need to be whole or healed to be loved, and this book was the perfect example of that.

Sometimes the "I've always loved you" feels ridiculous for me, but I like that it wasn't a forced proclamation, Eddings showed the way the MCs were connected for years even when they weren't able to acknowledge it themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit to going into this thinking it would be yet another fake dating at a wedding trope of a novel - which is sort of is- but it's so much more, Indira and Jude both have to get through a wedding weekend and pair up to do so. She's recently found her ex with another woman (and now they're everywhere she looks just about). Jude is struggling with PTSD and guilt after working as a physician in desperate locations overseas. It doesn't really matter that Dira has cred as a mental health provider- she's a good human who finds a way to help Jude, I know this is the third in a loosely linked series but it's perfectly fine as a standalone,. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to Eddings for working mental health into the novel. Good storytelling makes this a good read.

Fake dating, excellent mental health representation, only one tent, and childhood rivals to ... something more? If I hadn't already been super excited to read The Plus One based on Mazey Eddings' previous books, those themes would have convinced me. As I expected, this book delivered in a big way.

One of my favorite things about Mazey's books is how she portrays mental health. In this book, Jude is dealing with PTSD and panic attacks - it impacts every aspect of his life and at the start of the book he's attempting to hide it from everyone. His management of his mental health was a long journey and felt realistic and wasn't instantly solved.

Jude and Indira were so, so, so sweet together. Even when they were antagonistic to each other, they had excellent chemistry. I loved how Indira just SAW Jude - when everyone else around him was oblivious to his mental health struggles, she saw through his facade and did her best to reach out to him.

Jude and Indira's transition from fake dating to a real relationship was delicious - there was pining, a bit of denial, some excellent banter, and terrible pet names. Even from early in their fake dating period, I couldn't help but root for them. I love that we got dual POV for this story - it added depth to their love story and made their relationship feel that much more well rounded.

Another one of the things I love most about Mazey's writing is how much dimension she gives her side characters. Jeremy and Collin were both delightful additions to this story - they added heart and humor to the story. I also really loved getting to see Harper and Lizzie - to read about them thriving in their happy ever afters.

The Plus One was an emotional and swoony romance - a perfect ending to the Brush With Love series. Jude and Indira might just be my favorite Brush With Love couple - and that was a high bar to beat. I'll definitely be rereading this series very soon.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Indira and Jude were a great couple, and I enjoyed reading about their journey from frenemies to lovers. Watching the two of them slowly heal from their mental trauma was very satisfying, and I read it all in one go. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

4ish stars

This was a fun read. I requested it knowing I had enjoyed a previous book from the writer, but I didn’t actually realize they were part of the same series; this was the third one, which means I’ll need to go back and read the second one at some point. Either way, it works as a standalone story, and the only thing that clued me in was a handful of familiar character names (as well as having medical settings as the backdrop for the book). I appreciate how this is a rom-com that also tackles some really big issues (ex. PTSD), all of which I thought were handled with care, including a list of content warnings at the beginning of the book. Overall, I had fun with this book; something about the way this writer crafts her stories just works for me, and I’m looking forward to checking out other work from her in the future.

Let’s start off by acknowledging I’ve clearly been living under a rock as this is the first book by author Mazey Eddings I’ve read. I only just realized The Plus One is actually the third book in the A Brush With Love series, this is despite a friend recommending the previous two books in the series a few weeks ago. Despite being book 3 this book can absolutely be read as a stand alone. While there are references to characters in the other books it never takes away from the story or leaves you feeling like you don’t know enough. I will absolutely be adding the other two books to my TBR as well.

I have been reading a lot of fake relationship stories lately and this was another one that was really well done. Indira finds out very quickly and abruptly the life she thought she had was about to come crumbling down when she walks in on her boyfriend and another woman. This leaves her little choice but to move in with her brother and his fiancee while she tries to sort out her next steps. This would all be fine and dandy if it wasn’t because her brothers best friend who also happens to be her childhood nemesis Jude Bailey was also currently staying there. If she is being honest with herself, she knew her relationship wasn’t going anywhere so she isn’t really upset about their breakup, seeing him flaunting his relationship with his mistress during all of the pre-wedding celebration she could do without.

Jude, a doctor, is on leave from his work aiding people in conflict zones to attend his best friends wedding. However, while he is home it is becoming obvious he has been suppressing his experiences he has lived through and the inhumane situations he has witnesses while on assignment. He is dreading his return to work after the ceremony. This book deals with PTSD and anxiety/panic attacks on page, I personally think it was done really well. It is honest yet raw and shows wonderful examples of the kind of actions people can take to help others who are struggling.

While neither is thrilled about it Indira and Jude come up with a plan, they are going to be each others plus one to the wedding. Honestly, I loved these two together for so many reasons. Given Indiras profession as a phycologist she has a unique ability to see Judes struggles and help him find the tools to work through it. This way of loving is so beautiful and raw made even more meaningful knowing these two have known each other for most of both their lives. I loved their banter and snarky comments, it seemed exactly like you would think childhood nemesis turning lovers trying to hide their affection for one another would interact.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Plus One is the third and final book in the Brush with Love series and in my opinion, the best book out of the three!

The Plus One follows Indira from the previous books and her brother’s best friend Jude, her childhood enemy. The two decide to help each other out by fake dating for Indira’s brother’s wedding as Indira has to deal with her cheating ex and Jude is going through PTSD after 3 years of traveling to humanitarian crises as a surgeon and could use an excuse to escape the wedding chaos.

While this book had many of my favourite tropes (childhood enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, and fake dating), I love how this book went deeper and explored a healthy relationship between two people going through their own trauma. The communication, the healthy coping mechanisms, and the character development were all so well done.

Overall, I love how Mazey Eddings writes rom-coms that are cute and make you laugh while also exploring mental health and neurodiversity with such care. I’m sad this series is over but I can’t wait to read future books by this author!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

Like every book, this book won’t be for everyone. It’s heavy on the therapy (but not in a preachy way, in a really accessible, approachable, and relatable way). Some parts were over-the-top ridiculous (like any good rom-com), but at the heart, it’s a cute enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, brother’s-best-friend romance.

#netgalley #arcreads #april4 #read #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #theplusone #comingsoon