3.5 stars [Liked it] - This book started so strong! I was hooked right from the first few chapters. Unfortunately my interest died down little by little throughout the book but it was still enjoyable. I loved the characters and the deeper topics that were woven into the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Mazey Eddings has a knack for writing romance stories that feature quite serious topics. The Plus One is the third and final book in a series but you can easily read this one without reading the others. You’ll miss the backstory of the secondary characters but it won’t affect the main story at all.

This one features some familiar romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating. But the underlying story of Indira and Jude is so much more than those tropes. Indira is a psychiatrist who still suffers from the feeling of abandonment she experienced as a child, when her father left her family. Jude is a surgeon who signed up for a stint with a humanitarian medical organization in exchange for paying his medical tuition, thus leaving him without a major debt burden, but his experiences in “trouble spots” around the world have seriously messed with his head, and he suffers from PTSD. They were childhood “frenemies”, as Jude was Indira’s brother’s best friend, and now her brother is getting married, which is why Judy is on the scene. In addition to the Indira-Judy story, we have some truly laugh-out-loud situations related to Collin and Jeremy's wedding plans. Having just participated in our son’s same-sex wedding process, this whole story arc really touched my heart.

Warning: there are some very graphic steamy encounters, so if you’re listening to the audiobook, I advise using headphones!

The audiobook featured two narrators, one for Indira’s chapters and one for Jude’s: Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden. I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient and let me finish the book very quickly.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This book was really good, sweet, thoughtful, and has a lot of great mental health rep, but definitely check out those content warnings. Both characters are dealing with some pretty intense trauma. Indira and Jude are childhood enemies, since Jude tortured Indira as her brother's best friend. But as adults they reconnect when Indira’s brother Collin is getting married and Jude comes back from being a surgeon all over the world in war zones and developing nations. I liked a lot about this book: the banter, the mental health representation, and the sweet intimacy between Jude and Indira. My only issue with this book was that the ending felt a little rushed and the trauma that Jude is going through is hard to read about at times. But overall these hard topics are dealt with with grace and well done scenes, and I loved their happy endings and the sex scenes are very hot and sweet, a great combo. I recommend this book for fans of Eddings and this series, mental health representation, contemporary romantic comedy.

Indira and Jude have known each other most of their lives and actively hated each other for most of it. Indira’s brother is getting married and his best friend, Jude, happens to be in town for the main event. Can they set aside their differences for the wedding?

I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance and this one did not disappoint. The banter was exceptional and I liked how deep they got to understand each other as they hated each other less. I also liked that this book encourages therapy, especially as Jude is struggling with PTSD.

What I did not enjoy is how often they were walked in on every time they started to explore their physical attraction. I think it was to stress how much they were supposed to hate each other but it happens so many times that it feels like forced humor. This book juggled the enemies-to-lovers, best friend’s little sister, and fake dating tropes which was confusing at times. Additionally, there is a focus on specific details of the interactions of fellow couples in some of the scenes which I initially felt distracted from the plot. However, I then discovered that this is the third book in the series so I assume the previous and forthcoming books have to do with each of the partners. I did find it easy to read as a stand-alone.

Trigger Warnings: this book deals with parental abandonment, sexually explicit scenes, foul language, infidelity, and heavily deals with PTSD.

Thanks to St.Martin's Press for providing an electronic advanced reader copy through NetGalley for review. As of the date of this review, the book is currently set to be released on 04/04/2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I would like to preface this review by stating that Mazey Eddings became one of my favourite authors last summer - I borrrowed a copy of A Brush with Love from the library and devoured it while on vacation. I immediately pre-ordered Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake and anxiously awaited its release.

What I love about her books is that she writes about "real" people; in one book we meet Harper who suffers from terrible anxiety: and then in the second Lizzie's adhd and rejection sensitivity dysphoria get discussed. Both books deal with loss and with estrangement. Mazey doesn't shy away from delving into issues that I am drawn too and seek to better understand. Because of this, Harper and Lizzie Blake have joined my list of favourite characters, and these are books that I recommend to EVERYONE.

I was REALLY looking forward to getting into Indira's story because she had been a solid secondary character (part of the "crew") in both Harper and Lizzie's stories - and I honestly just wanted to get back to Philadelphia and hang out with everyone.

The premise of the book is: Indira moves in with her brother and his fiancée following a break up. This is 5 weeks ahead of their wedding. So obviously, her brother's best friend (Jude) is also staying at their place - and to say that Indira and Jude dislike one another is putting it lightly ... also.... bring on the sexual tension.

What follows is the development of their relationship in the lead up to the wedding.

This book has some wonderful romance tropes:

* Brother's Best Friend
* Enemies to Lovers
* Fake Dating
* Dual POV

But it also examines feelings of worthiness, PTSD and MASSIVE trauma. It examines how a person can move on when they are not only lost, but also feel worthless, demoralized and can't see their value any longer. This was probably the heaviest book in the series - with light moments - but it felt darker than the first two books.

I'm going to be honest - with both Harper and Lizzie's stories - I was 100% in from the beginning. This one took me a little bit to "warm up to" - I don't know if it's because I was a little tired (recovering from a terrible cold that knocked me out, and then daylight savings) or if I just didn't relate to Jude and Indira's issues the same way I was able to latch on to Harper and Lizzie's issues. Whatever it was, this was harder for me to get into. BUT I did end up enjoying it and I LOVED how it ended.

This was a 3.8 star read for me -- the last 3rd of the book was more like a 4 star read, but I just wasn't as hooked as I was previously. A solid read with some really beautiful moments, and again, Mazey Eddings was able to treat her subject matter and her characters with kindness and respect.

side note: Jude reminded me a lot of Owen Hunt's character when he and Christina first hooked up on Grey's Anatomy.

Recommended read - if you are going to read the first two books in a series, you need to read the third one as well! And also - IT WAS GOOD. It just had some big shoes to fill and I really really really loved Lizzie's story.

I adored The Plus One. It's much deeper and darker than a lot of romcoms, but that's all in its favor in my opinion. Check out full trigger warnings, but a heads up that The Plus One deals heavily with PTSD, war, and divorce. I loved Indira and Jude. They both felt very real and I loved the childhood frenemies to lovers dynamic. They had a beautiful friendship. Speaking of - the friendships in this book were so lovely, especially for the guys. Guys who talk about their feelings, are willing to actually talk through issues, and aren't afraid to say I love you to their friends: so wholesome and much needed! I also think Act 3 was dealt with very well and was very believable.

If I have any gripes, it is that I had a little bit of trouble with some of Judy's attitutdes/actions but I think this is likely just my experience of PTSD being a little different from his. And I found the steam (gets fairly steamy) to be a little over the top tonally. We have a very wholesome sassy relationship and I expected some spice but to me it felt like there was too much and the story would have felt just slightly more cohesive tonally had the spice been toned down a bit. But that is also just my personal preference.

Overall, I highly recommend The Plus One and would encourage people who want their romcoms with some depth and therapy to check this one out. It was seriously so good!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think Mazey Eddings does a nice job in the beginning listing out the potential triggers but it’s worth nothing them again: PTSD from losing patients as a medical provider in emergency situations, emotional repercussions from growing up with divorced parents and being cheated on.

Yep, it’s an heavy as it sounds.

You would think all of these tropes would be a ton of fun - brother’s best friend, enemies to lovers, fake dating, but this book is a lot more serious that I thought it would be. And it’s not the books fault but I’ve just read a lot of MMC has an issue and FMC is there to solve it. In this case Jude is an ER doctor for a fictional group that treats war zone and high risk locations. He’s back in town for his best friend Collin’s wedding. Indira is Collin’s younger sister, the three of them grew up together. She’s a psychologist who is going through some of her own stuff and shows up for Jude in the most massive way possible.

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

Indira and Jude have been at odds for a long time, their common denominator being Indira's brother Collin, who is also Jude's best friend. They are also doctors, too. While Indira is a psychiatrist, Jude opted to work overseas in indigenous areas with the level of work taking a toll on him due to the heavy burden of unfair tragedy. There's a raw and palpable vibe in this story starting with Indira's woes and then following up with Jude's personal traumas. It really hits a chord and shows a more sensitive side to the characters than the previous books and addresses more serious issues. I enjoyed the antagonism between Indira and Jude which eventually gave way to a truce as allies and then eventually more. I also have to hand it to Indira for being so astute and perceptive in recognizing Jude's facade and conflict and rather than ignoring him, she went out of her way to help him in a way that he couldn't reject. The slow burn chemistry was very well done in how two people who have always hated each other matured into two adults with their own broken stories who could provide solace to the other. It was perfect in the way that it made their relationship development more honest and vulnerable while building the tension and rapport. The side characters were all fantastic and I enjoyed all the love and support that both Jude and Indira received. This is the best book of the series, hands down.

This book seemed to suffer from too many tropes giving none of them enough attention to make an impact. Brothers best friend under the same roof should have brought tension and there was none of that. Actually conflict was almost non existent for the main characters. Speaking of, how can you have any form of enemies to lovers without conflict? I would have enjoyed the story more if Eddings leaned into one more than the other.
I did find the writing to be very funny and there are ALOT of spicy scenes if that is what you are looking for!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Who is the LAST person you want to see after you walk in on your boyfriend of over a year licking peanut butter off of another woman? For Indira, it's her brother's best friend and her own childhood frenemy who is now super hot: Jude. ⁠
⁠
Sadly for Indira, when she moves out of her shared apartment and into her brother's house, she also has to be roommates with Jude. He is in town for the month leading up to his best friend Collin's wedding, and he's not thrilled about living with Indira, either. In his case, he's dealing with major trauma from his job with the Global Healthcare Organization, and having his safe space with Collin interrupted by loud, traditional sibling bickering isn't helping. Only, as it turns out, Indira and Jude are able to strike up a friendship of their own as they navigate the emotions that Collin's wedding is provoking.

Mazey Eddings's romances always include characters who are dealing with their own psychological issues. On the one hand, it's refreshing to read about characters who understand that they have to work on their own mental health before they can truly commit to a healthy relationship. The issue with this in a romance novel is that often, the resolution of the conflict is an almost too-pat "I'm going to therapy now so everything is fixed!" Here, Indira's character is especially compelling: at the beginning of the book, we learn that she attends therapy regularly to maintain her equilibrium. Although she is a psychiatrist herself, she also doesn't act as Jude's healthcare provider, instead providing an example for him to follow.

Eddings has found her stride: The Plus One is a great addition to the series!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was a really cute second-chance romance. I really enjoyed reading about Jude and Indira’s history with growing up together and the relationship they had together before.
This book was a mess of tropes but they all ended up working well together and made the book very different and distinct from other books that could be similar to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for an eARC of this book.

Disclaimer - I didn't realize this book was in a series when i requested it, so my review is for the book as a standalone. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC! I'm so glad I got to read it.

Indira is a therapist who struggles with her own abandonment issues as a child of divorce and after (spoiler alert?) finding her boyfriend in bed with someone else, she moves in with her brother and his fiance – only to find her childhood enemy also crashing there before the wedding. Jude (said enemy) is a trauma doctor working overseas on-site at many humanitarian crises which have left him numb/struggling with PTSD.

The believability of their chemistry, the writing, the lovable side characters – I loved this book so much and couldn't put it down. It was equally wholesome/sweet romance with the right amounts of emotional gravity. I found myself resonating with both main characters and loved watching them on their healing journeys, individually and together. I just wish the epilogue was longer/more about them!

This book stood up really well as a standalone, but I'm excited to go back and read books 1 + 2 and anything else from Mazey Eddings!

4.5 Stars!

Absolutely loved. Perfect hate to love, it’s always been you vibes. Fantastic mental health rep. Mazey is such a talented writer, and I love her stories so much.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
Length: 320 Pages
Pub Date: 4/4/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Mazey Eddings did it again!! This romcom is equal parts mental health representation, humor, & chemistry. I absolutely loved Indira & Jude’s story and cannot recommend this book enough.

On the surface, we have a childhood nemesis-to-lovers story where she is his best friends younger sister. When we did deeper though, we get a real look into the vulnerability it takes to have any kind of relationship (romantic or platonic) when you have PTSD, trauma, or a history that leads to feelings around mental health but really balances it out beautifully with humor & adorable moments. And the chemistry between these two is amazing! Added bonus is it takes place in Philly which made my heart so happy 🖤

Pub day is coming up so if you like a romantic comedy with depth and realness definitely add this one to your tbr!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted arc in return for my honest opinion.

This is a lovely romance- but enemies to lovers is always a favorite of mine. Although- in this case it's childhood rivals to lovers. It's humorous, yet also deals with discussion of serious issues (PTSD). This is my first time reading anything by this author - and I read it without reading the prior two books. I enjoyed it greatly!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. I pushed myself to finish, but debated several times on not finishing it.

This is the third book in the Brush With Love series. I enjoyed the second book, but didn't enjoy the first in this series. I was really hoping this one would be like the second book for me, but, sadly, it was not. I had a hard time becoming attached to the characters and I found myself bored while reading it. It felt very one dimensional and at times juvenile. I did appreciate the author shining a light on mental health, advocating for therapy and showing aspects of PTSD. But I'm afraid reading this book right after Doller's latest didn't help, because I was made more aware of how this book was lacking in so many ways.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

A beautiful, smart, sexy, romantic, and mental health focused romance. It still manages to give rom-com vibes with the enemies to lovers sparring and friendly characters. BUT it’s also deeply, personally, emotional and meaningful. Issues of PTSD, anxiety, abandonment, career insecurity, and financial stress, and it’s all handled with sincerity. Nothing is heavy-handed. And through it all, Indira and Jude just feel right together.

There were just a couple quibbles here and there, and it’s not a true fake-dating trope. It’s a half-assed charade for the benefit of only two characters, out of many that know the truth, that’s pretty much over before it begins and didn’t really feel necessary. But the good far outweighs that hiccup.

Overall, I loved it and highly recommend.

This book was so good! I'm always a sucker for fake dating and enemies to lovers (childhood nemesis/older brother's best friend), so I really loved reading Indira and Jude's story. But this book was so much more than a care free romance. Yes it had great laugh out loud banter and swoon worthy declarations, but it also deals which much more serious topics. It focuses a lot on PTSD, abandonment, and the importance of going to therapy. I think Eddings did an excellent job handling these topics with care.

I haven't read any of the other books by this author, but I'm hoping to remedy that soon.

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

4.5 stars

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Plus One releases April 4, 2023

This story starts out with Indira walking in on her boyfriend cheating on her. He just so happens to also be the cousin of her brother’s fiancé.

After this incident, Indira chooses to crash with her brother and his fiancé, which lands her under the same roof as her childhood "enemy" and brother’s best friend, Jude, as it’s five weeks out until her brother’s wedding.

Unable to avoid the uncomfortability of being around her ex and his new girlfriend at all of the pre-wedding events, Jude and Indira agree to fake date.

This is not a fully light and fluffy read. Often deep and melancholic as Indira works through some of her emotions and inner turmoil with her therapist about happiness and abandonment issues as a byproduct of being a child of divorced parents, and as Jude navigates having ptsd and sensory overload from being an emergency medical doctor in war torn environments.

The fake dating was a good catalyst for tension and breaking down those barriers of physical touch, but the progression at first was a little bit silly and unnatural since all of their friends and family were already so familiar with their established dynamic of being less-than-friendly towards each other and it was really only a show for her ex, Chris, which did he even care? Not all that much.
It makes me question whether this still would have happened the same way if Indira’s therapist never suggested to try being friends with Jude.

It’s quite interesting to read about the affects of ptsd, although it did come across pretty heavy handed in the beginning and could have been toned down ever so slightly as Jude was on the verge of a mental breakdown nearly every other sentence and we were immediately thrown into his unstable headspace with not much character background.
Despite this rocky beginning for me, the camping trip and Halloween night were such large turning points and I really started to fall in love with these two characters as a couple.
They were so tender with each other and their relationship was really healthy.

Jude had a lot of potential for being a soft cinnamon roll mmc. It makes me so curious to know what he was like before his job with the GHCO.
It’s not often that we get to embrace a man in a romance novel be so vulnerable, breakdown, cry, openly work through his struggles and seek help. The development was amazing, therapy is normalized, and the metaphor of a mind as a house was ingenious.

You think you’re getting a surface level, fake dating, fun frenemies wedding, but it is so much more than that underneath. (also a forewarning: the wedding doesn’t happen until nearly 80% and it’s a very small part to a grander story)

What I appreciated most of all was the fact that them getting into a relationship did not mean suddenly absolving their problems or brushing them under the rug, as if loving someone else could fix everything in the second it takes to snap your fingers. These are flawed characters who openly acknowledge that and are okay with growth and the non-linear process of healing.

<i>“Living—fully, unabashedly, fearlessly living—isn’t the easy way out, Jude. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever fucking do. Numbing yourself is the easy part […] Choose your health. It’s okay to let go of something that’s hurting you. That won’t ever change the love you had for it. If anything, it will let you preserve that love. But you can move away from something that doesn’t serve you. That doesn’t make you weak, that makes you brave.”</i>

Another small thing I really appreciated here was during the topic of consent and being tested — using the words “I’m negative” instead of “I’m clean”.

Out of context things I loved:
- the framed piece of paper they doodled on that he kept for 20 years (!!!)
- his parents placing a bet on them
- the jar of peanut butter 1.5 years later LMAO

I don’t know how I feel knowing that we won’t get a book for Thu/Alex, but I guess the large time jump in the epilogue wrapped things up as best as it could.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The characters in this book were well developed and likable. I appreciated that they didn't frustrate me to the point of wanting to throw my phone across the room. The chemistry and moments shared between the love interests were enjoyable, and their banter was fun.

The book explored the topic of living with PTSD, which I found interesting and informative. The writing was engaging and thought-provoking. The plot flowed seamlessly and kept my attention throughout the book. The story was unique compared to other romance books I've read. I have no criticisms to make of this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading every minute of this book.

I recommend this book to fans of Emily Henry.