Jude and Indira have my whole heart. I adore Dan & Harper and Lizzie & Rake, but Jude & Indira are on a whole new level. The snarky banter, the beautifully complicated relationship, it's beyond perfection. It has been a bit since a book has made actual tears roll down my face and this one did.

"She held a magnifying glass up to the most hidden parts of his soul and still smiled, happy to simply know him."

"If heaven existed on earth, it was in a blanket fort with Indira Papadakis."

"Yes, I like your house, Jude. I've always liked your house..."

Every single one of these scenes (and more) had me in tears. The sentimentality of these two just killed me in the best way, the glimpses of their past and piecing together who they are now. Indira's unwavering and gentle encouragement for Jude. They are complex and well developed characters, they're messy and chaotic and beautiful. It's also full of humor and the most incredible banter I've ever read. I can not say enough good things about this book there are not enough superlatives in the world. If you only read one book for the rest of your life, make it this one.

Thank you for the advance reader copy of this novel. I didn't finish this novel as the language in it was fiercely not for me. Dropping the f bomb REPEATEDLY in the open pages didn't set the tone for a book I wanted to invest time in. Maybe for some, but this one wasn't for me.

I'd say this is Eddings best book yet. Her writing keeps getting stronger and stronger but still keeps her humor and also kindness when writing about sensitive topics

ARC REVIEW
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

God, do I love myself a broken man. Definitely not in real life but in a book? Yes please!

After catching her boyfriend cheating Indira packs up to move in with her brother and his fiancé until she can get her feet back on the ground. Not realizing he brothers best friend is also staying at his house and is in town for the wedding.

I thought This was going to be a silly fake dating kinda deal- boy, was it not. And that’s not a bad thing at all! Book deals heavily with mental health issues, mainly, ptsd and Jude broke my damn heart. I’m not one prone to anxiety/panic but the way it’s described seemed pretty realistic. I really loved their story and how Indira was Jude’s comfort person. I found myself laughing out loud at certain points so the book isn’t a total downer. Their story seemed very realistic and the emotions seemed very authentic.

I loved how both characters got eachother and could flip between caring and understanding to ragging on eachother the next sentence. Having read Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake and finding the characters and situations a little ridiculous I was skeptical to read this one. Lizzie was kind of annoying and Rake wasn’t very fleshed out. Indira and Jude are completely opposite and seem like real life people. I would definitely recommend this book!

This wasn't a light rom com novel. There were lots of fun parts but there was depth in the storyline of the main characters. The serious issue of PTSD was handled very well. I appreciate Eddings tackling it. I highly recommend this book. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #ThePlusOne

4.5 stars

My favourite Mazey Eddings book so far!! I loved this book, Indira and Jude have my whole heart ❤️

Their chemistry in this book was absolutely amazing, the snark, the brother’s best friend trope, the hate to friend to love trope, sooo good! And sooo entertaining and fun while still containing an important message about healing and traumas and mental health❤️ it’s the perfect balance of what you need and what you want in a romance book🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the earc in return for an honest review

I loved this book. I can't explain how much it made me feel while I was reading it. Easily one of my favorite rom coms of all time. The way mental health and PTSD was addressed in this book was amazing. I laughed, I cried and I think I will never be the same person. Bold assumption but with this book I felt seen in a way that I have rarely felt in my life.

It was my first time reading a Mazey Eddings book and it was an amazing experience, I definitely need to read her other books.

When the book is published I'm going to do a longer review again but I'm definitely running to pre-order a copy of The plus one for me.

Indira, a psychologist, is in an on/off relationship with a guy named Chris when she walks into their apartment and finds him with another woman. She immediately packs her backs ad goes to her brother's place and forget about Chris.

When she reaches her brother Collin's place, she automatically feels better and at home with her brother, his fiancee Jeremy, and Collin's best friend Jude. Jude grew up with Collin and the two boys had always teased Indira.

Collin and Jeremy's wedding is coming up and while Indira and Chris have broken up, Chris is still invited to the wedding and it is assumed that his new girlfriend will be there as well. While certain events leading up to the wedding has made it very awkward for Indira with Chris being around, Jude decides that he will be Indira's fake boyfriend in front of Chris so that Chris will leave Indira alone and also for Chris to be jealous that she has already moved on.

Indira and Jude have grown up and are no longer kids, so their teasing relationship has changed. Jude is a surgeon for GHCO, an organization that perform emergency medicine in areas where there's natural disasters or conflicted areas. In exchange for his service, GHCO helps pay for his student loans. Jude definitely has classic signs of PSTD and Indira is there to guide him to realizing he needs help.

After reading the first 5 chapters, I was rolling my eyes as this really started to read like a super classic romance book, which there's nothing wrong with, but I didn't want to read another book that didn't stand out. I did enjoy the way the author wrote and I was curious to where this story was going to take me. I was definitely wrong as this is NOT your typical romance book. While there are very heavy topics, I do think Mazey Eddings did an amazing job to allow the seriousness of the topics, but without a very intense weight on one's shoulders. For me, it was enough to feel for the characters' struggles without crossing the line of it effecting my own mental health. I enjoyed reading how even Indira goes to a psychologist for help. I loved how the conflict between the characters was not a misunderstanding or someone did something stupid and the other person took it pretty hard. This was about teamwork! The only part that I wasn't a huge fan of, and this is my own opinion, was that certain romantic parts were erotic and I didn't think a lot of it was necessary. I felt like it was added to give the reader a break from some of the serious topics.

I just want to wrap Jude up in a big hug and not let go. This was such a beautiful romance, and loved seeing both Idira and Jude heal from their traumas together, one step at a time. The mental health rep in this is incredible, if a bit heavy at times. However, this book also had me in tears laughing which was a nice balance, there were some hilarious moments in this! I haven’t read the other books in this series yet, but I am now! Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for and honest review.

With a focus on mental health, The Plus One is a slow burn friends to lovers story with solid and nuanced characters. Although Indira and Jude are not quite as appealing as Eddings's earlier protaganists, they will subtly steal your heart.

While I enjoyed Mazeys first book this one didn't really do it for me. I found the characters unlikeable and just wasn't invested in them getting the HEA. I'll definitely read more from her in the future though!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

There was moments in this story that I could see potential but a lot of the story fell flat for me as I just didn’t see the connection that the characters would have. The story didn’t flow well and was difficult to connect with. I wanted to like it more but just didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for providing this eArc in exchange for my honest review

I love Indira and Jude’s story. They have known each other since they were kids when Jude became best friends with Indira’s brother. The “annoying little sister” who always wanted to follow them around is now all grown up and just out of a long term relationship. Jude, a doctor, is home from overseas where he has been practicing medicine in underprivileged countries. Indira’s brother is getting married and the two decide to “fake date” so Indira can get back at her ex.

What develops is a renewed friendship where Indira and Jude get to know each other as adults. They have deep conversations about life, love, careers and family. Indira tells Jude how afraid she is to lose people after her father walked out on them so many years ago. Her self worth has been severely compromised. Jude tells Indira how difficult it has been for him to see the horrors of war, the suffering of the poor, and relive the deaths that haunt him. This issue of mental health plays an important role in this book.

As Indira and Jude keep up their charade, feelings deepen and a loving relationship emerges. It is quite obvious that no one is faking anymore. This book is emotional and heartwarming as both characters are struggling to navigate their past and take a leap of faith into the future. This story will make you laugh and cry, you will fall in love with all the characters, and Jude and Indira will steal a piece of your heart.

“We all hurtle through life, getting bumped and cracked and broken along the way, but we are solely responsible for our own healing.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of the Plus One was tropey as hell (brother’s best friend + fake dating + enemies to lovers) but the book wins points for the payoff being character development driven and not simply the two romantic leads getting together. Of all the books in the author’s BookTok acclaimed Brush With Love series, this was the one that sounded most up my alley. I can’t say I’m fully convinced to read the others after this as the supporting characters weren’t introduced in such a way that had me curious about their backstories but I had fun nonetheless.
TW: parental neglect, PTSD

Indira and Jude do not like each other AT ALL; this has been a firm fact since childhood. Now, as adults, they find themselves thrown together as they prepare for the wedding of two people they love. To help one another out, the two form a "plus one" pact through each stage of the process. What starts as a problematic relationship soon offers both protagonists a deeper look into what could be. Mazey Eddings, The Plus One, is a surprisingly unexpected twist on enemies to lovers' troupe. This book is worth adding to your shelf as a love story with depth and heart.

I really enjoyed this. It was deeply personal and emotional. i LOVED how supportive Indira was for Jude, this really avoided a lot of tropes that involve MC’s who are damaged. Indira would not give up on him and i loved their really healthy, supportive dynamic. I loved their childhood history and stories, they were really cute and funny. Overall i wish there was some for of the fake dating trope, but i did really love this.

Classic enemies to friends to lovers rom-com

Indira and Jude have know each other since they were kids and have never liked each other Never. Or so they think. As adults they find themselves in a situation where they must fake date each other and one thing leads to another and each finds out the other is not so bad. But how will they feel about each once the fake dating is over? That's where the book gets fun!

Let me start by saying a special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an ARC of Mazey Edding's new book, The Plus One. This book is actually my first time reading something by Mazey Eddings. And let me say that Edding's did a wonderful job. Getting to know Jude, our MMC who is a surgeon, and Indira, our MFC and a psychiatrist, was a beautiful experience. Jude and Indira struggle with hidden traumas that doesn't stop them from the need to help others, showing how complex people can be with their lives and still have the need to help fix others. This book is a dual pov mainly focusing on Jude and his struggles with PTSD from working in war/conflict zones. Jude and Indira have known one another since childhood due to Jude's friendship with Collin, Indira's brother, and have reunited as they prepare for Collin's wedding. And may I add that they highly dislike one another and have had an almost two-decade feud. What was so beautiful about this book is Eddings taking her time to develop both of the MCs and not pushing aside their struggles after their realizations of their feelings for one another. The chemistry and tension between Jude and Indira are undeniable and it only grows as the story goes on. Also if you are a fan of banter like me then this book will satisfy your needs in this new enemies-to-lovers book. Some of the most impactful scenes in the story were seeing the emotional and deep conversations between Jude and Indira as it allowed them both to finally open up to someone and make the essential healing they need to do. Some of the triggering topics in the book include PTSD, Mental Illness, Parental Abandonment, Cheating, Medical Details, and Traumatic Event details. This book will be released on April 4 of this year and you surely won't want to miss it. Once again I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of the book.

Super cute book. Loved the smut! The story line was great and I love how two people find their way back to each other even through all their trumas!

After coming home and finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Indira needed another place to stay. Her only option was with her brother, Collin. When she arrived, the day took another downward turn. The door was answered by her childhood enemy and her brother's best friend, Jude. He was in town for Collin's upcoming wedding and was also staying at the house. The wedding was a little over a month away and Jude planned to stay with Collin to help with the preparations. Indira knew she would have to try and get along with Jude although she had years of experience with doing the opposite. To make matters worse, her ex was also part of the wedding party and would most likely bring his new girlfriend to any pre-wedding social events. Great, just great.

Jude was an emergency medicine doctor who worked for an organization that sent people all over the world to help in crisis situations. Jude promised four years of his services in exchange for them paying his med school tuition. Jude recently returned from an especially difficult assignment and was set to leave for his next position shortly after the wedding. He had a little over a year left on his contract and was having trouble handling the stress and trauma he had witnessed. Jude was often triggered by noises and crowds and would think he was back in the in the dangerous situations. Indira was a psychiatrist and noticed Jude's reactions. She tried to talk to him about it, but Jude was not interested. He noticed that she was uncomfortable at gatherings with her ex and his new girlfriend present. They agreed to pose as a couple until the wedding and be each other's plus one. Jude hoped he would help Indira get through the next couple of weeks around the ex and Indira hoped Jude would feel comfortable enough with her to talk about his job and how it was affecting him.

This was so much fun. I was cackling at parts of this book. Both Indira and Jude were great main characters. It had bits of several romantic tropes and it worked for me. The spice level was a 4/5. This was the third book in the Brush with Love series and we see past characters from previous novels in this story as well. I enjoyed the banter among all of the friends. You could feel the love they had for each other. I especially appreciated the note from the author at the beginning of the book about emotional topics discussed in the book. Readers definitely want this information. I had a big smile at the end of this book.

I received an e-ARC for The Plus One and want to thank Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book.