I did not know that this was the third book in a series so I now desperately want to watch the other books because I loved this so much. I really felt for both Indira and Jude and I want them to be happy forever. I cried tears of joy and sadness and loved every minute reading it. I read it in a day which I have not done in a while.

Thank you for this ARC! I’ve loved the first 2 installments about this series of friends and this third book in the A Brush With Love series is no different!

I loved that Indira and Jude’s journey was not a traditional enemies to lovers. Watching them grow together through their issues without huge fights or unforgivable acts was a breath of fresh air.

Here’s to crossing my fingers that there’s a 4th book coming down the pipeline!

Based upon the description, I was expecting a very light hearted romance. While there was plenty of romance and humor, I was not ready for the amount of emotional depth these characters had. Not to say that romance characters usually lack depth, but wow were these characters well thought out. I LOVED Jude! I’ve never read a book where the male character had such emotional depth and where the male character struggled with anxiety/depression. It was so new for me and I really loved it! Usually the female main character is the one we really get hear and learn about in terms of their past and their struggles with anxiety, depression, etc versus for the males characters it’s sort of brushed over. Not in this book!

I highly recommend for those looking for a sweet, sarcastic, spicy, and incredibly real and vulnerable enemies to lovers story!

The only thing I would change is that I maybe wish there was more of the fake dating or that it took a little bit longer for the characters to get together. Once they got together the rest of the book felt a little repetitive and felt sort of rushed in the sense the main characters went from hating each other to being madly in love realllly quick. But I still loved Indira and Jude’s relationship!

Thank you to NetGallery, St Martin’s Press and the talented Mazey Eddings for this ARC.

The Plus One is a beautiful book about broken people. Do not let the cover misguide you. This is not a light and fluffy read. There is definitely humour and moments of lightness with the perfect amount of spiciness.

This book is about childhood enemies Indira and Jude who become friends when Jude returns for his best friend’s wedding (he happens to be Indira’s brother). Both characters have experienced past trauma. This is really a journey of healing (not fixing). Honestly, the character of Jude broke my heart. I don’t want to say too much other than to say I loved these characters. I wanted them to be okay and to be happy.

“She turned her head to look at Jude, and he stared at her like she was the center of his world.” Just kill me now! I mean if that isn’t the most perfect sentence.

I really want people to read this, just remember it will make your heart heavy!

I reasonably enjoyed Mazey Eddings' previous 2 books in this series and I was fully expecting this third installment to be similarly entertaining. However, my assumption proved firmly false. I couldn't justify spending my precious reading time on something that made me roll my eyes so much. It was all so fabricated and artificial. Nothing about the story or Indira and Jude's feelings felt genuine or real to me. Sorry to say thos was a DNF at 48% for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

I’ve come to really appreciate the way this author handles serious real life issues and how they intertwine specifically within romance. This book did not disappoint at all! The chemistry and dynamic between the main characters was particularly incredible.

LOVED this one! I appreciated that, while it was a romance, it had so many more layers. I felt like the characters came across as truly realistic people, with traumas and problems and flaws and joy. A very substantive romance. Highly recommend this one to anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety or depression.

I did note some spacing issues between sentences and one or two grammatical errors, but nothing that altered my opinion on the overall story. There were a handful or so of words throughout the book I rarely hear, if at all and had to search to put into context. This didn’t bother me necessarily, but took a bit of time to research.

Indira and Jude have known each other since they were kids and have never really gotten along. Following a breakup, Indira is forced to seek shelter with her brother Colin and unbeknownst to her, his best friend Jude has already taken up temporary residence during an extended vacation from med school training. Now that Indira and Jude are living under one roof, they find themselves needing dates to Colin’s upcoming wedding. It seems the fake dating, forced proximity and the wedding festivities have brought more than a little joy to everyone’s life and let’s just say these two get a little closer than they bargained for!

The banter and chemistry between Indira and Jude was palpable. I felt the characters were well written and easy to relate to. My heart broke for Jude and Indira in their weakest moments and I felt joy for them in others. I was happy to see more of Harper, Lizzie and Thu in the story because they didn’t make much of an appearance in Lizzie Blake. I really hope Thu’s story is in the works because I will definitely be reading it.

TW:
PTSD
Anxiety
Child abandonment
Cheating

Without question, Mazey Eddings books are always perfection. They're real, messy, and lovely stories all with incredible mental health representation thrown in the mix. I've been craving Indira's story since her introduction in A Brush with Love, though I didn't know how hard it would hit me. She's dealing with her father's abandonment as well as the hilarious betrayal of her boyfriend and now? Now she's forced to spend time with her childhood nemesis. Mix with all of the vibes that come with a wedding and it's a recipe for romance. She never shies away from the tough aspects of PTSD and really paints therapy in such a positive light. The number of quotes I highlighted from this one is unreal and I'm never going to look at organic peanut butter in the same way.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Enemies to lovers??? Grumpy x sunshine??? They’ve known each other since childhood??? He’s her brothers best friend??? Fake dating??? This book had ALL of the best tropes and I adored it.

This book was sweet, emotional, steamy, and portrayed mental health and trauma in such a realistic way. Indira and Jude are childhood enemies who grew up alongside each other due to Jude’s friendship with Dira’s brother Collin. Fast forward to present day and Dira, now a therapist, and Jude, a surgeon, find themselves both living at Collin’s house leading up to his wedding.

Mazey Eddings has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors. I fell in love immediately with the characters in The Plus One and was so satisfied with the way they fell in love with each other. This book was thoughtful and steamy and just an all around treat. Thank you so much St. Martins Press and Netgalley for my ARC.

This was AMAZING! Included so much mental health rep including PTSD, anxiety, and many other perspectives I miss in romance novels! I loved how much of an emphasis was placed on self-healing, it resonated with me so much!

4.5 stars- This book was on my must reads for 2023, so I was ecstatic when I got an ARC!
Indira finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her right before her brother’s wedding. Jude, Indira’s brother’s best friend, is her nemesis.. and is also back in town for the wedding. They are forced to spend a ~lot~ of time together, both of them dealing with their own issues- Indira with her ex, and Jude with PTSD. They quickly realize they need each others help, and come up with the plan to be each other’s fake date to the wedding.

This book has fake dating, forced proximity, and does a good job grappling with mental health and it’s effects on life. It made me squeal and laugh out loud- I definitely recommend! A big shout out to St. Martin’s Press and @netgalley for the ARC, be sure to pick this one up on April 4th!

First and foremost, I adore all of Mazey Eddings’ books and this one was no different!

The Plus One follows Indira’s story as she decides to get back at an ex by fake dating her brother’s best friend. Once a mortal enemy of Indira’s, Jude returns from giving medical treatment to those in war-torn countries with some major demons threatening to drown him. Indira’s sassy, but sunny attitude is like a breath of fresh air for him. The two lean on each other and find love and security in an unexpected place.

I want to be friends with Indira Papadakis! I can’t get enough of this circle of friends and love how Indira’s story played out. I would highly recommend reading the other 2 books in the series before diving into The Plus One, but it isn’t totally necessary. I really have no complaints. It was romantic, spicy, and a total feel-good. 5 Stars!

I loved this book! Mazey Eddings has become an auto-read author for me with this series. I love how tactfully and insightfully she handles mental health while also maintaining the lighthearted vibes and HEA I look for in a romance. I literally thought, “wait, is Mazey a therapist?” as I was reading this then learned from her acknowledgments that her insight is based on personal trauma and subsequent therapy; her vulnerability shines in this novel. Beyond the mental health aspect, this was a deliciously slow burn (until it wasn’t) with great steam and even better friendships. Listen, I know they’re all happy and things are tied up nicely, but Thu is my fave in the girl gang… Mazey, please, I am begging you to give Thu a book. Thank you for your consideration. 😊

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before its release day on april 18.

I did not know the book was the third in the series but by the time i realized it i was in too deep to go back. This is the frist book i read by this author and will definitely will be going back to read book 1 & 2.
This story features:
Childhood nemeses-to-lovers ,Fake dating , your older brother’s best friend, only one bed (tent), FEELINGS. ANGST , Characters learning how to discuss and process trauma & mentions of PTSD
Our story begins with Jude & Indira who have known each other since they were kids, they meet since jude is best friends with Indira’s brother. The hate has been present since day one. Now hate, is a strong word, i would say its more like I-dont-like-you-and- i-will-make-fun-of-you-and-roast-until-i-die which is honestly one of my favorite thropes to read.
Jude is back for his best friends wedding in 6 weeks and Indira has to stay with her brother since she is unexpectedly single after a peanut butter accident. They slowly start to torture each other and to spend more time together. I honestly loved how their relationship changed and it didnt feel forced. The sory moved on a realistic pace.
MazeyEddings writes a lovely story that features a touch of comedy that makes it for a fun read. She also handles the PTSD of jude in a realistic and respectful way.

Thank you SO much for the chance to read this incredible book early!

I began this book two days ago and found myself in the infamous struggle of wanting to read because it was so good and trying NOT to read in order to savor it. I loved how the characters were human, with real issues that I could relate to, and watching them fall in love was just the best. Thanks to Mazey Eddings for writing such a beautiful, realistic, and terribly romantic story! 5 out of 5 shining stars!!

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley I was able to devour THE PLUS ONE (Pub 04.04). This is the 3rd Mazey Eddings book I’ve read and it’s safe to say I’m a fan- of both the author and the person. ⁣
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:⁣
- Enemies to lovers⁣
- Best friends brother ⁣
- Fake dating & forced proximity⁣
- Past trauma and active healing. ⁣
- Parental abandonment⁣
- Mental health representation- PTSD and anxiety attacks⁣
- Tender, honest and vulnerable conversations.⁣

It had the elements I’ve come to appreciate in Eddings books: Funny and full of sharp dialogue. Authentic and incredibly heartwarming with characters that were layered and authentic. But this book felt heavier with even more depth than previous books in the “series”. It is no doubt due to my personal connection to a loved one with PTSD. ⁣
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Once again Mazey crafts characters whose experiences jump through the page right into my heart. The tenderness between Indira and Jude- oh.my.goodness. It was perfection and a reminder that everyone deserves to be loved for exactly who they are.⁣
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Romance with heft.

I adored this story and series from start to finish. At the moment, I’m too emotional to write a long review, but it was yet another five-star book by the incredible Mazey Eddings. Each story tackles mental health in an honest way that is so rare to find represented. Mazey is truly a gift to the romance genre. I look forward to reading her books for many years to come.

Read this even if you hate romance for Jude & Indira's discussions on mental health. They were truly insightful.

I’ve read all three of the Brush With Love books and have appreciated the author’s dip into mental health and how one deals with various issues. She handles them delicately and shows us the deep down feelings, with words, actions and descriptions that make you feel the character’s angst, tears and joy.
This enemies, to friends, to lovers book is witty, snippy and fun. I enjoyed following Indira and Jude through their relationship and the way Indira is able to help Jude open up and see we are all flawed and also help him see the way forward. I loved how this normalizes therapy, mental heath and seeking help when needed.
The big turn off for me is allllll the sex. Having read her other books before, I’m not surprised, but just don’t feel I need to read this over and over and over again…so I tend skim/fast forward to the more important parts. Out of the three in this trilogy, I think A Brush With Love was the best, this is second and Lizzie Blake was third.
Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy.