The book starts with Indira navigating the ups and downs of her personal life while trying to celebrate her brother's wedding. However, she doesn't expect to see her brother's childhood best friend whom she despised. Toss in some other cliffhangers and you'll be left to wonder do they/don't they. The medical professionals are painted true to life (and I can speak from the standpoint of an associate professor in a college of medicine.) Also painted true to life is the violent situations they encounter.
Sure hope there is a sequel!

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is the third in The Brush With Love series, of which I have now read all three. These books standalone just fine, so only reading one or two would not be a problem with understanding and enjoyment. The Plus One starts off with a sticky mess (literally) and for Indira, it seems things can only go up, but upon arriving at her brother's home realizes they have gotten worse. The story is of Indira living at the home of her brother and his fiancé in the weeks leading up to their wedding and having to deal with the brother's childhood (and current) best friend that was the bane of her existence (and she his) growing up. There are many really cute things that happened during this book, and some pretty funny ones too. On the other hand, this book deals with some rather heavy issues, much centering around PTSD. I don't have any experience with this or know anyone that does, but it seemed to me that the author handled the delicate situations in the best way possible.

I am a fan of Mazey Eddings, but will admit that it had been a while since I read the preceding book in this series. No matter, because “The Plus One” stands on its own really nicely! This is a childhood enemies to fake dating to romance story, with a heavy, heavy dose of mental illness, and the value of therapy. Indira is a psychiatrist with a lot of issues stemming from her father abandoning her family when she was young. Jude is an emergency physician suffering from severe PTSD after being stationed in conflict zones. What is nice is that there are no big secrets or misunderstandings between the two — there is respect and honesty and giving each other a chance, which was a refreshing change of pace. And the spicy spicy scenes don’t hurt a bit either! Overall an enjoyable read, and it made me want to go back and read about some of the supporting characters’ stories!

✨ARC Review✨

“I wish to always remember the feeling of this moment.”

I absolutely adored this book! Indira is a psychiatrist, with an organized life, and a cheating boyfriend. Jude is a disheveled traveling ER physician, and is Indira’s brother’s best friend. The two have sworn each other off since they were kids. Yes, you are going to get some classic tropes in this book like childhood enemies, brother’s best friend, and fake dating, but this book is so much more than that, with bigger takeaways.

“You’re annoyingly adorable and simultaneously intolerable.”

Not only does it depict the harsh reality of how working in healthcare can deplete and change a person, it also portrays a larger reality, and that is it’s ok to NOT be ok. Both Indira and Jude are struggling through their own battles, but for different reasons. Indira has a failed relationship with her last boyfriend, and Jude’s nature of his job has taken a toll on him. They may both swear each other off, but they are actually alike in this regard of not having it all together, and the need for a “person”. I loved the vulnerability in this book, especially with how Jude’s character evolves. He opens himself up to Indira, and essentially becomes an open book. This is incredibly difficult for him to do, not only to allow someone into his life, but to accept help.

“You’ve always been my person, Jude. My annoying, wonderful person. And I think I’m your person too.”

What’s On The Pages:
-childhood enemies
-brother’s best friend
-enemies to lovers
-opposites attract
-fake dating
-forced proximity
-one tent

⚠️CW/TW: per author, PTSD from losing patients as a medical provider in emergency situations, emotional repercussions of growing up with divorced parents, moving on after a past partner cheats

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Steam Factor 🔥🔥🔥/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC! The Plus One is out April 4th!

I simply adored this book. This is the first book I have read in this series and I will for sure back track and read the first two.

Dira and Jude have despised each other since childhood. Best friends with Dira's brother Collin, Jude has always just been around. When Dira finds herself on her brother's doorstep with nowhere else to go, she is shocked to find Jude camping out there as well. With only weeks leading up to Collin's wedding, can the two put aside their differences?

This book had so much! Enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating and I was here for all of it. While it definitely had its romance comedy moment, Eddings tackles PTSD so beautifully and realistically. It was extremely easy to relate with these characters.

The honesty these characters portrayed to one another was simply a breath of fresh air. There was zero miscommunication and I loved that! The character development and growth was done so naturally.

Even though I did not read the first two books in this series it served very well as a stand alone. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mazey Eddings did a great job with this story. Indira and Jude were sooooo cute! I loved their connection and how well they balanced each other out. I am excited to read more books by Mazey Eddings!

The Plus One was Book #3 in A Brush with Love but the first one in the series I read - you do not need to read the others in the series to enjoy this book.

When Jude and Indira, sworn childhood enemies, find themselves involved in the same {stressful} wedding and all the events leading up to it... what could go wrong when they decide to be each other's pretend date.... besides accidently falling in love?

There was so much depth with Jude's character in this book and his struggles/anxiety that come from traveling to some of the worst humanitarian crises as a doctor. I appreciate the depth that Eddings gave Jude as a character.

I love the enemies to lovers troupe and the way Indira supported Jude through his issues in this book was believable.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

🩺 childhood enemies to lovers
🌸 brother’s best friend
🩺 fake dating
🌸 forced proximity

The Plus One is a sweet and (mostly) lighthearted romance that follows two childhood frenemies as they’re forced together by unforeseen circumstances. After walking in on her boyfriend with another woman, Indira Papadakis seeks refuge at her older brother’s house…only to find her childhood nemesis also staying there. As a doctor that’s spent the last few years treating humanitarian crises, Jude Bailey struggles to readjust to life while he’s home for his best friend’s wedding. To help each other out, Indira and Jude agree to be each other’s fake dates. But all too soon, their fake affection starts to feel real…

I think The Plus One is my favorite of the series. Indira and Jude’s journey from enemies to lovers was heartwarming and authentic. On the outside, Indira appears to have her shit together. She’s strong and fiery and outspoken, but like many of us, Indira struggles with self worth. She’s a therapist with a therapist, and I absolutely loved that. It’s a reminder that no one has life figured out, and that healing is a marathon rather than a sprint. After witnessing some of the darkest parts of the world, Jude is irrevocably a changed man who now suffers from PTSD. This story is about two broken souls who find comfort and solace in one another, but they also encourage each other to heal from past traumas.

Indira and Jude’s story is a beautiful one that focuses on mental health through meaningful depictions of anxiety, PTSD and childhood trauma. Their love for one another was touching, and it was a joy to read their journey. Their love was patient, understanding and supportive. As much as I enjoyed this book, it feels bittersweet to say goodbye to this amazing series and its wonderfully unique characters.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Plus One in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4.25 🌟

=======================================
Year Pub/Re Pub: 4/4/23
Setting: PA
Page Length: 320
Genre: CR/Rom Com
Sub-Genre/Age: brothers' best friend, enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity.
Source: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.
Cliffhanger: no
Standalone /Part of a Series/Installment: Bk# 3, A Brush With Love
Epilogue Included: yes Thu's dress shopping
=======================================
POV (1st/2nd/3rd Person): 3rd
=======================================
BOOK DESCRIPTION
=======================================
M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F
HEA/HFN/etc Ending: HEA
Contains Cheating: yes, h is cheated on- not by H
Contains Children: no
Flashbacks: yes, Indira's dad leaving, mom being devastated. Jude's time in war torn countries
Amount of Sex In The Book: too much though Halloween was good for the bee:)
Overall Smex Rating: 5
=======================================
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
=======================================
HERO: Jude Bailey
Hero Description: travelled last 3 years as ER Dr and humanitarian with Global Health Crisis Organization (GHCO). Having a hard time re-adjusting to regular life. Was Indira's nemesis in childhood, but Jude was Collin's bff
Hero Likability Rating: 4
HEROINE: Indira Papadakis
Heroine Description: late 20s, psychiatrist @ children's outpatient center. Feels abandoned, failed relationships and estranged father. She is in therapy since volunteering in school.
Heroine Likability Rating: 4
Secondary characters:
Collin-Indira's brother, getting married in a month, wants father to give him away
Jeremy-Collin's fiancé
Angela-Indira's mom
Greg-Indira's dad , on his 3rd marriage, expecting baby
Lizzie/Rake/baby Evie-Indira's bff and her family
Harper/Dan-Indira's bff and her man
Thu/Alex- Indira's bff and her fiance
====================================
H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO
=======================================
OW/OM/Exes: Indira's ex Chris. Jude hasn't had any serious relationships to speak of.
Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: Chris cheats on Indira- she walked in on him. Chris is Jeremy's cousin so he will be around for the wedding.
Did OW/OM/Ex Ruin the Book For You: no
=======================================
TRIGGERS/WARNING: mental health - PTSD, panic attacks, social anxiety, depression
=======================================
AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Mazey Eddings, 1st time author for me
=======================================
PERSONAL OVERVIEW
======================================
Overall Rating: 3
Do You Recommend This Book: yes
Will You Re-read This Book: yes
Would you read more books by this author: yes

Comments/Notes: Indira was so sweet and caring towards Jude. She knew what to do for him immediately, her profession coming in handy. Loved the friendship between Jude and Collin. It's sad I don't know many male bffs that say I love you. I thought Indira was so strong taking on Jude knowing all his issues. Didn't care for all the sex scenes . 1-2 between the H/h is cool. There was not much action besides the sexy times, so I did a lot of picking up and putting down. It was very slow burn.

Indira and Jude have been adversaries since childhood. Indira’s older brother has always been Jude best friend even through college and medical school. Indira is a child psychiatrist while Jude has spent the last three years doing emergency medicine in war torn places as well as disaster aid for an organization who paid for his schooling. Indira thought her life was fine until she walks in on her boyfriend in flagrante delicto oddly involving peanut butter. Jude is home on an extended leave to celebrate Indira’s brother upcoming over the top wedding with a big lead up of celebrations, but he is floundering, deeply suffering from PTSD while trying to hide it from everyone.

At low points in both their lives and suddenly living with together in her brother Collin’s house, Indira and Jude come to an arrangement to help each other out from the unpleasant situation for her of seeing her ex and his to girlfriend as part of the wedding parties, and Jude’s near inability to function at times especially around crowds. Although they both have a boat load of emotional baggage, Jude is nearly non-functioning at risk for becoming mentally unstable. Indira recognizes his problems better than most people would because of her profession and sets out to not only solve her own issues but help set Jude on the right road to mental health.

This book is a bit of an unusual mix of two deeply wounded people trying to recover from emotional traumas juxtaposed with the elements of rom-com romance. The first part of the book is almost depressing with Jude’s shattered emotional state overriding the story; however, once he and Indira foment their fake date plan and start interacting as a couple, the humor and comical situations begin to lighten up the tone. This story is the third book in the A Brush With Love series but can be read as a standalone.

Cute and heartfelt, a nice follow up for Eddings. I wasn't as invested in this one as a couple of other of her novels, because sometimes it felt like the chemistry was lacking. But overall, it was a cute story, good representation, and a fun cast to follow. People will also appreciate the steamy scenes which Eddings writes well.

Fake date, enemies to lovers... the premise sounded promising. Unfortunately, I had difficulty getting into this book but I didn't want my 1st DNF this early in the year, so I persevered. The latter half of the book got better, but still not quite making up for Jude's early PTSD set-up feeling forced and overwritten/acted. While I jumped into this series without having read the previous books, I didn't feel like I missed too much of the other characters' stories, which is a good thing. I know this will seem harsh to Eddings' fans, but I give this a 1.5-2 rating.

Mazey Eddings is becoming one of my favorite authors! I love her story lines including neurodiversity because it’s just so relatable. The plus one is about childhood enemies Jude and Indira. Indira’s brother is about to get married and his best friend Jude is back in town. And they already can’t stand each other, but then indiras cheating ex is invited to the wedding too and she can’t stand watching him make out with the girl he cheated with. Jude then offers to be her date to the wedding and they start “fake” dating. Indira is a psychiatrist and begins to notice PTSD symptoms in Jude and he finds comfort being near her. This book was a slow burn that made me laugh and made me feel for the characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Thank you to SMP for a gifted copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This series is a must read for everyone who loves romance. They are easy to ready, funny, have great representation, and very likable characters. Once you pick it up, you won't want to stop. This one has many tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity and fake dating. The Plus One is heavily focused on trauma and therapy, but done with great care. She does not beat you over the same message but at the end of the book, it did make me think hey maybe I should go see a therapist and talk about my problems just to get it out ya know?

I have loved every book in this series, and The Plus One is no exception. The way Eddings weaves the character's mental health journeys with their love story is beautiful. The portrayal of PTSD was authentic (speaking from personal experience here) and thoughtfully done, and I loved the way Indira was there for Jude throughout the book. And despite the heavier subject matter this novel deals with, it was still a ton of fun and an entertaining read. Jude and Indira may just be my favorite Mazey Eddings couple yet!

I fell in love with Mazey Edding’s books when I read “Lizzie Blake” and “The Plus One” did not let me down.

Indira lost her home because her boyfriend decided to cheat on her. So she moves in with her brother at the same time that her brother’s lifelong friend, Jude, is visiting for 6 weeks to help with his best friend’s wedding.

Jude suffers from PTSD while Indira is working through some dad abandonment issues. Jude & Indira’s relationship is filled with some heartwrenching real & raw emotions that is navigated and written so well.

This was a hard book to read - definitely some trigger and content warnings - but it was such a good book that I would sell my soul to be able to experience for the first time. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchanged for my honest and unbiased review.

This was my first Mazey Eddings book, and it will not be my last! The Plus One is such an amazing and beautifully written book about Indira and Jude.

She writes in such an insightful way about PTSD, growing up with divorced parents, and moving on after being cheated on. As these subjects are severe on ones’ mental health, she keeps a lighthearted vibe throughout the book. This book was 3rd in the Brush of Love Series, but it’s good as a standalone.

The Plus One is amazing and inspiring as well as heartbreaking and magical all at the same time 💛 I cannot wait to read more by Eddings!

Both Indira and Jude were compelling characters. Their relationship development was so damn cute and I could not get enough of their support for one another. Seriously, their dynamic is so cute. I love that they show effort in their relationship with one another, even before it turns romantic. Indira noticing when Jude needs physical touch to ground himself versus when he needs time alone to process his feelings, and Jude not knowing how to help Indira when she's crying so he asks her what she needs from him. These moments are just a couple out of many that show how both characters are willing to make themselves a little vulnerable to help the other and are really trying to understand and help the other person. None of the compassion in their interactions is performative or begrudging, it comes from such a genuine, heartwarming place.

My second-favorite relationship in this book was that between Jude and Indira's brother Collin. Their video call at the end of the book? I legit had to put my Kindle down and take a moment to absorb what a sweet moment that was. I love this author's writing for many reasons, one of the biggest being the way she writes her characters. It's honestly a little sad that presenting men as both vulnerable and powerful is so unique to popular media, but this author consistently does it and I love her for that. It's so nice to see male characters admitting they hurt and need help, to lean on their support systems, and to simply cry and feel their emotions. Eddings consistently shows that vulnerability and strength are not mutually exclusive characteristics, and while it's great to see with all characters I especially love seeing it in her male characters.

This book is far more than just a romance. As the author states at the beginning of the book, it covers some heavy topics. Indira and Collin both struggle with the effects of their parents' divorce, both experiencing and working through their trauma in different ways. Jude has to face the PTSD of working as a doctor within a humanitarian organization that provides aid to countries suffering from natural disasters, war, and more. While I haven't experienced any of these myself I feel like the author handled them in thorough and sensitive ways. More than anything the message that seems to be conveyed throughout the book is that it's OK to seek help when you need it and to rely on your support network. It doesn't make you weak, bad at your job, a bad friend, or a lesser person.

This book is just so wholesome. My heart feels full after reading it. Between the wonderful romance, the amazing friendship dynamics, and the attention to mental health and therapy, I just feel so content. I would definitely recommend this author and this series to anyone and everyone. Even if you don't think you'll connect with anything in the books, I guarantee there will be something lurking in the pages that grabs your attention and makes you fall for it.

While not an OMG amazing & groundbreaking book to read, definitely a solid addition to most collections.