Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Mazey Eddings is a genius writer. This book is amazing.

Seriously, though. I loved A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake so I was cautiously hopeful that the trifecta would wrap up with another winner and … it did! If you’ve enjoyed Eddings’ other books, you’ll love this one:

• Strong + smart main female character
• Past trauma
• Mental health obstacles
• Love interest with baggage who respects said strong + smart female
• Connection beyond a superficial tryst
• Great supporting (cameo) characters

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this ebook for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced.

I’ve read the first two books of this series, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake being one of my favorite reads of all time, and this one did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of mental health awareness in stories, and Mazey always delivers (plus a swoony romance, how can you not fall in love?). Her writing makes you truly feel for the characters, and this one did just that. I am not very familiar with PTSD, but listening to Jude’s story taught me so much more than I expected. This book also heavily involved therapy, and advocated for it which was one of my favorite aspects. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story that has done that so well. The way these two helped each other through their experiences, but also highlighted that the work needed independently is just as important was a message I feel so many of us need. This series will always be one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what Eddings has in store for us!!!

I did find myself struggling to get through the first half of this book, but once 50% hit I was totally sucked in. It did have the insta love factor for me until that point, since most of the childhood memories were negative (at first) so I felt a little thrown off when they suddenly were involved. I think the author did a great job at explaining this more towards the end (aaaah the framed doodles!!!).

Last but not least, the epilogue with all the girls together happily!! I love love loved how this series ended. Thank you so much for the ARC, it was my first ever and it was such an honor for it to be from a series that I hold so close!

The premise is that childhood enemies agree to fake date one another at Indira's brother's/Jude's best friend's wedding so she can avoid a recent ex who she caught cheating. But really, the book started with that for the first 1/5, then the main characters immediately got it on and got into a real relationship. The bulk of the book is a study in the two main character's mental health struggles, especially Jude's. It is well written, but I had to force myself to finish the book because it felt repetitive and way too long. Due to his PTSD, Indira is pulling all the weight in their relationship and Jude perhaps should have waited to start this relationship until he had worked on healing. Even during the beginning of the book, I personally found the childish insults and mean behavior between Indira and Jude annoying instead of endearing.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book. Indira was a little weird and I loved that about her. As a mental health professional, I connected with some of her struggles in doubting her ability to help others when she had her own personal challenges. That doubt is a real thing and I appreciated the support that her own therapist provided her in understanding that it didn't make her a less effective psychiatrist.

I really felt for Jude and his mental health challenges in this book. They were intense and visceral and it highlighted the traumas that doctors have to deal with in having lives in their hands.

I loved how Indira and Jude's relationship ended up - they were silly each other one minute and then it was all fireworks and steam. The road to get there was a little bumpy in my opinion - they had a really deep-seated hate for one another that was a bit immature and then suddenly they were in love. I feel like their relationship took too big of a leap there.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read. The steamy scenes were A++++++!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥½
⚠️: PTSD, infidelity (not between the main characters)

4.5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC!

This was my first time reading a book by Mazey Eddings and I very much enjoyed it! I feel like this book had so many tropes ( childhood enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, fake dating & forced proximity) but somehow did them all well without feeling too forced. This book had an abundance of heart & humor; I absolutely loved the banter in this book - there were several laugh out loud moments for me. But by far my favorite thing about this book was how it touched on and portrayed mental health, specifically ptsd. It felt raw and real to watch the characters navigate their struggles and support each other throughout the book.

I can’t wait to read the other books in this series & learn about the stories of Indira’s friend group!

“She’d known him her entire life, but this felt like the first time she was ever really seeing him.” *swoon*

Childhood nemeses decide to fake date for a wedding in Mazey Edding’s latest romance novel. Thankfully, they annoy the crap out of each other more than are mean or true enemies. When Indira walks in on her boyfriend Chris in a compromising position with a blonde and a jar of peanut butter, she grabs her stuff and her feral cat and crashes with her brother and his fiance. Both doctors themselves, they are hosting their old friend (and her sparring partner) Jude, on leave from a doctors-without-borders type stint that he’s doing to get a free ride through medical school. The time with GHCO has left its mark: sleepless nights, low energy, tension, survivor guilt, and little laughter now make up the once fun and funny Jude. Dira, a psychiatrist, slowly comes to recognize Jude’s behaviors as suffering from PTSD from the atrocities he’s witnessed. While her training and background are handy, she doesn’t see her role as fixing him.

The cheating ex is the cousin of a groom and in the wedding party, so not only will Dira have to make nice, but of course, one-up the asshole. Enter Jude, who finds being around her comforting, and they decide it’s a win-win to act as supports for one another at the upcoming nuptials and many prep sessions and outings leading up to the wedding. They don’t talk about the fact she remembers their last hug before he went away, and he remembers the details of her cheesesteak order. Finding her old journals leads to her sharing some of what she wrote about him, and them reminiscing the occasions he was chivalrous instead of just a teenage douchebag.

The novel features forced proximity, only one tent!, relentless roasting, naked people getting walked in on (accidentally), hurt/comfort and fake dating, along with were real mental health and grief issues that are handled beautifully by imperfect adults. Snippets of Dira’s own therapy sessions are interspersed and are wonderfully reassuring for all of us that self-awareness is a huge part of coping and healing.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #ThePlusOne from #NetGalley

Mortified to admit that I left this review sitting for so long that I basically forgot what happened.

What I do know is that this was my least favourite of the three books in the series. Not by much. Don't get me wrong, I still greatly enjoyed it and Eddings' signature dry humour and banter. Her books haven't failed to make me laugh out loud yet, and for that alone I will read anything she writes. This just didn't quite give me what I wanted. Really needed more wedding and fake dating shenanigans, not going to lie. Indira and Jude were perfect to really pull one over on their friends ... and themselves.

As with her previous books, Eddings writes a heartwarming story with genuine mental health rep. In this case, PTSD, and it's tough to get through sometimes. Jude really was struggling to keep himself calm in the most common of situations, and it's impossible not to feel what he's experiencing. In his job as a humanitarian doctor, he's seen too many hopeless things that keep him up at night. Bro needed a hug so bad. I found Indira to be a good counterbalance for him. Being a therapist, she was able to recognize that something was off with him and begin to help him, all while the pair of them fall in love. I'm usually not a fan of childhood friends/enemies to lovers, but this was so cute!

I'm always calling for romance novel conflicts that aren't fights ... but not like this. Which makes me feel like an ass. This conflict was centred more on Jude's PTSD and how he's struggling to cope with what is going on, and while I have absolutely no issues with that, that big relationship climax felt like a blip. I kept waiting for something to happen between Indira and Jude, expecting the other shoe to fall. And honestly, that's what made this my least favourite. I just needed more from the last 25%.

I wasn't sure if we were going to get a fourth book for Thu, but from the way this wrapped up it is clear that the series is done. And I'm okay with that. Everyone got their happy ending and I thought it was very sweet and quite satisfying to see where each couple ended up a few years down the road.

I LOVED this book. This was a 5 star read for me for sure. It had me laughing so hard one second and crying the next. It is a brothers best friend, childhood friends to lovers and a little tiny bit of fake dating. Everything I love in a romance.

While this book did have me laughing out loud it is not a lighthearted romcom. The MMC suffers from some pretty heavy conflict zone PTSD and the the MFC is also working through her own childhood trauma. So if you think listening to descriptions of PTSD might trigger you this isn't for you. I however loved that part of the story.

Lastly I also loved the spicy scenes. It is definitely a spicy book but the scenes to me were much more real than you typically see in romcoms. They were hot and tension filled but also slightly awkward and imperfectly perfect and I liked that. I would definitely recommend this book.

I honestly believe that each book in this series is better than the last! THE PLUS ONE follows Indira and Jude, her brother's best friend from childhood. They don't *really* fake date because they tell their close friends it's only a ruse to get back at Indira's ex-boyfriend, but as stories like these go, it grows into more. While this book is a romance at heart, it has so much more going for it. Jude has PTSD from a job that has shown him nothing but horrors, and Indira supports him through his process of coming to terms with his work. It was depicted very well, and I appreciate the representation of both Jude and Indira working through things in their past, like PTSD or a father's abandonment, both separately and together. I love the side characters as well (of course), but I wish we'd had more time with the friend group that this series follows! We didn't get many scenes with all four girls, and that was what I loved about this series; that they all spent time together. I also loved the third-act conflict because it wasn't stereotypical, thank goodness! Overall I did really enjoy this book, and if you've enjoyed the previous books in this series, you'll love this one!

READ IF YOU LIKE

🌸 Brother’s best friend
🌸 Enemies to lovers
🌸 Fake dating
🌸 Dual POV

THOUGHTS

This was an emotional, but amazing romance novel! The author did such a great job showing the reader what PTSD can look and feel like.

Both main characters, Jude and Indira, have their own pasts and trauma that they have to work through during the book. The author shows us how helpful therapy can be, but how hard it can be to convince yourself to go. I love how this book can help fight against the stigma that surrounds therapy and mental health.

I also just really loved the tropes and the banter throughout the book. The romance aspect was so cute (but also spicy 👀). I adore Indira and Jude!

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance!

A little cheesy at times but still enjoyed it overall!! Fake dating your brother’s childhood friend that you hated growing up trope

This series has been so unexpected. Usually I prefer when an author is consistent across the board, but I have had different reading experiences with each of these books and I think this one might be the best one yet.

The first book was cute and lighthearted, the second book was over-the-top, but this one is very grounded. It focuses on mental health, but not in a gimmicky way. In a meaningful way that I'm sure every reader will be able to relate to. While I think many rom-com stories focus on the whirlwind nature of romance, I love how this portrays a healthy, working connection between two people. It feels very real and genuine.

So probably my favourite book in the series so far!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5 stars. This is my favorite Mazey Eddings book by far! It is a fun combination of multiple tropes, including fake dating and falling for the brother's best friend. The two main characters, Indira and Jude, are dynamic and engaging, and reading about them falling for each other was very sweet. The side characters are also well-developed, and it was very fun to see the main characters of Mazey Eddings' previous novels briefly appear in this book. This story also contains heavy themes, and the author does a good job balancing those with lighthearted and humorous moments. All in all, this book was definitely worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book.
I really wanted to like this book but 25% in and I just can’t get into the characters. I wanted to like the main characters but between the cheating, anxiety, and ptsd, it just didn’t gel for me.

Mazey Eddings does it again! She writes a spicy, heartfelt, fun, and funny romance with main characters that crackled with chemistry. The characters feel so human and , as always with Mazey, they stand for something without that thing being heavy handedly shoved down your throat. I love this book I love this book I love this book

I love the way the other skillfully worked the mental health thread into a delightful enemies to lovers romance. Off to find something else she’s written.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Looking for a light rom-com? This isn't it. I really enjoyed the previous books in this series and I love all the friends in the group, including the main characters here, Indira and Jude. That said, this was a tough read with a heavy subject matter and, very unlike me, took a long time to finish. I thought it dragged in many places and could have been shorter. Not an uplifting story, that's for sure, although it is wonderfully written, and there are some laugh out loud moments. Having read the author's note at the end, I applaud her for taking on the subject matter, considering her personal experiences. It's just not what I'm looking for in a romance, but it also won't stop me from reading her future books.

PLEASE remove the use of the “c word”! It was mentioned at least twice and the first time I almost stopped reading the book then and there because of it. I think it’s a very well known fact that everyone, especially women, hate that word and it’s vulgarity. Now that being aside, I did enjoy this book and gave it 3/5 stars. It was a bit slow in the middle for me. Somewhat uneventful with the fake dating trope because the fake dating didn’t last long at all. I loved Indira and Jude together and really loved Collin as well. I also would’ve preferred a slower burn and less dirty (this book was pure filth in the romance scenes) and more flirty/teasing/buildup. I also wish there was more humor and maybe a less triggering anxiety/PTSD focus.

I will always and forever love a contemporary romance. Something about the real, honest, emotional and often funny journeys that the characters embark on just feels relatable and touches you in a way that is hard to find in other genres.

While I haven't read the other two previous novels in this series, 'The Plus One' had me laughing, crying and crazily texting my friends at all hours to update them on what was happening (even though they likely had no idea what I was even talking about).

These characters were relatable, lovable and ultimately the perfect couple and story to end off the year of 2022 for me. From my enjoyment of this novel, I will definitely have to go back and read the first two!

The Plus One is set to be published on April 4, 2023. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the digital Advanced Reader's Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book by Mazey Eddings. I found that the mental health issues in this book was covered well. I loved the hate to love romance between the couple and the banter was supreme. Even though some of the topics were heavy there were some laugh out loud scenes as well.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I am Looking forward to reading from this author more.