Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an a copy of this book to read and review. All of these comments and thoughts are my own!

This was a great read. I really truly loved it. The romance was good, the spice was hot 🔥, and the plot was fantastic.

I truly love how the book focused around Jude’s PTSD with his job in the military. I don’t think it’s talked about enough and that it isn’t taken as serious as it should be. My family is a military family and I’ve seen first had how this is and there should be better resources for people in the military that deal with PTSD.

I’m definitely buying a copy of this book because I want to reread it over and over. I just really loved this book.

5 stars!!!

This book was quite the emotional roller coaster. the characters were relatable and the spice was great.

Oh, this was such a wonderful read. I inhaled this book over the course of a few days. An absolutely beautiful story, which handles trauma and anxiety with grace and gentleness. I love Jude and Indira.

Totally obsessed! Posted my full review on my instagram but i absolutely loved every single minute of this! Will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy! Love her style!!!

Indira, a psychiatrist, walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her and immediately moves in with her brother. She quickly learns that his best friend is there for the next 6 weeks to celebrate the brothers wedding. They've grown up together and can't stand each other.... Or at least it seemed that way. Cute read!

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC <3

Mazey Eddings is now becoming one of my favorite authors! This is my second book by the author after reading Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. I absolutely loved The Plus One and it did not disappoint. Jude and Indira are childhood rivals that constantly bickered but are now forced together years later when Indira's brother and Jude's best friend Collin gets married. This couple was amazing and I was rooting for them the whole time I was reading. And the best part?? NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP! I also really loved the way that therapy and PTSD was handled in this book. It made me see that therapy is something that should be talked about and normalized way more and I love Mazey Eddings for including it in the entire book.

such an amazing ending to the series! I was hooked from the beginning. these character's story wrapped up the universe so well in my opinion. I felt like I was part of their world instead of just reading it.

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review of The Plus One (coming out April 4th!)

This book was not for me. I was really excited to read it, and I think the author set out to cover really important topics. But the final result felt too much like being told a lesson rather than trusting the reader and showing it through the characters and their story. The pacing felt slow, too. And some of the MC's behaviors felt out of character to me, like it was just a *moment* the author really wanted in the book, but didn't feel natural.

On the plus side, the spice was pretty steamy. Also, although it's third in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone (I didn't read the first two.)

This may be the book for you if you're looking for:
a medium burn
enemies to lovers trope
brother's best friend trope
fake dating trope
forced proximity trope (one scene)

I loved this book! I've read all three of Mazey's books and they keep getting better and better! I loved Jude and Indira and felt like they were equally portrayed in this book. There was witty banter and just the right amount of steam. I also love how mental illness is portrayed in Mazey's books and really found this one encouraging. I'm sad that the stories around this group of friends is wrapped up but excited to see what Mazey does next!

Brother’s best friend + no third act break up + fake dating + one tent + “good girl!"

Indira & Jude hate each other. They always have.

Indira ends a relationship when she walks in on her boyfriend with someone else.

Jude has spent three years in emergencies & humanitarian crises, and a quick trip home leaves him struggling.

Thrown together in an elaborate wedding event where Indira is forced to see her ex & Jude’s PTSD is spiraling, they agree to fake date to help each other survive. But those fake feelings start to feel real.

Read if you love…
- brother’s best friend
🫶🏼- dual POV
- fake dating
- ONE TENT
- teasing & banter
- open door
- no third act break up
- ”good girl”
- no miscommunication
- queer side characters
- cameos from MCs from both previous books
- PTSD & mental health rep
- very therapy positive

THIS BOOK. I loved it. Of the three books in this interconnected - but can be read as standalones - series, this one is my favorite!

The tropes are perfection. Brother’s best friend + fake dating + forced proximity with a side of ONE TENT! Sign me tf up right now! No miscommunication or third act break up were the icing on the cake!

I absolutely loved Indira & Jude’s relationship. I loved the way they were able to move from childhood enemies to really seeing each other in the deep dark heavy stuff. Indira is moving on from an ex cheating on her & Jude is deeply suffering from PTSD. And they hold each other in that in the most beautiful ways.

The teasing & the banter added so much balance to the tougher themes. And their “we’ve known each other since we were kids” history added years worth of things they could tease about. Collin, Indira’s brother, & his fiancé Jeremy had the BEST one liners & added humor!

And the interconnected series? I adored catching up with Dan, Harper, Lizzie, Rake, & Thu!

Thank you to St Martins Press & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: PTSD from losing patients as a medical provider in emergency situations; emotional repercussions of growing up with divorced parents; moving on after an ex cheats

This is the third book in a series (but can be read as a stand-alone) and I’ve read both of the other books. All three are fine romances on their own. They are cute, mostly fun, but deal with some pretty tough topics.

This one actually felt a little close to home and I found myself really identifying with Indira. Her fears about being loved were easy to relate to. Her therapy sessions were interesting and she had a good perspective on herself.

She ends up falling for her older brother’s best friend Jude, who she has known since childhood. The bickering is light and fun, and I also enjoy a good forced proximity situation.

One thing I really liked about this romance was no third act breakup. They actually… communicated! And the book was better for it. A couple of steamy scenes, but nothing too intense. I do agree with some other reviewers that it was a touch too long, and some things take pages when it could have taken a paragraph.

Overall, this is a decent romance. I’d recommend this one to a friend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mazey keeps getting better and better. I absolutely loved, loved, loved this story and these characters. I love this series and am so happy with how things wrapped up. Jude and Indira are definitely my favorite and their love for each other was so beautiful to read. Ugh, I just freaking loved this.

Have you ever felt like a plus one?

There is something sweet, spicy, and heartwarming about this fantastic book. With a serious plot and some truly laugh-out-loud moments, it's a winning blend. The setting is a fake dating trope with some unexpected twists.

I admire the author's approach to mental health issues. The situation is written about in a respectful and well-researched manner. As a result of reading the author's information, I felt more informed about the topic. Mazey Eddings novel The Plus One is very enjoyable, and I look forward to reading her future works.

The Plus One is available on April 4th.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this cozy novel with me. This is a story you don't want to miss.

#ThePlusOne

Not my favorite. Book is also more on the explicit side so be warned about that. In case you are looking for a clean read this is not it. I didn’t relate to the characters and the story very much so it wasn’t my favorite

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending this e-arc my way in exchange for an honest review.

When I pick up a romance, this is exactly what I want. I want to fall for the characters and root for them, individually and together. I want to have 15 more reasons why I should raise my standards for future relationships and why I love love. I want to have fun, cry, feel safe, and cozy while reading. I want to feel the love and care the author put into the book and Mazey Eddings hits all those points out of the ballpark every time. Every Mazey Eddings book just gets better than the last and instantly becomes a new favorite.

"Things have changed dramatically for Jude after camping-like the entire trip had shifted the tectonic plates of his heart, creating a devastating earthquake that made constant thoughts of Indira rattle through his mind."
This is an early copy and these lines may be changed/removed in the final version.

A childhood frenemies-to-lovers romance following Indira, who was recently cheated on and moved in with her brother until she finds her own space, and Jude, Indira's brother's best friend that has returned home to attend his wedding and struggling with his PTSD. Indira and Jude have always had a frenemies relationship where they teased, insulted, and joked with each other. Everyone around them has been wary of them being in the same room but now, it seems Indira and Jude can't stay away from each other. They have begun a fake dating relationship to show Indira's ex that she's fine without him and for Jude to feel more comfortable in triggering spaces because she makes him feel safe. Throughout their relationship, they worked through their issues (individually and together with some push back on Jude's part) and became reintroduced to each other after years of not being in contact.

I am in love with this book. I could not tell you how many times I squealed or swooned over the characters, how many times I smiled at the love and care the characters had for each other and support to heal. I LOVED the "you deserve love no matter your flaws and I love you, I will be here when you're ready" conversations. They just connected with me in ways I didn't expect and I cried. The therapists? Incredible reminders to allow myself grace and loving myself, allowing others to do the same. I just couldn't get enough of Indira and Jude and the pop-ups of Mazey's other characters. 5 out of 5 stars. My only complaint was the multiple time jumps in the ending chapters and epilogue confused me. I wasn't sure where exactly each event was on the trilogy's timeline and I feel like Lizzie's daughter should be older than a toddler? Other than that, this is another perfect book, another 5 stars from Mazey.

This book features strong representation and discussion of PTSD and panic attacks that could potentially be triggering for some people.

Really enjoyed the fact that this book was able to weave in serious topics (childhood abandonment issues, trust issues and PTSD) along with making me genuinely laugh out loud.

A perfect mix of serious and light, this book centered on Indira who has just walked in on her cheating fiance. She flees to her brother's house and who answers the door?!? The person she despises most and her brother's best friend, Jude. Most of her childhood was spent ribbing each other and things start off the same way in adulthood. But the close quarters of both living with her brother show them that they can be friends...and once they open that door, it's not too far to lovers. Will they be able to work through all of their issues both together and separately? Can love heal the broken pieces of you?

Much thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press doe the ARC.

I can't believe how this author was able to weave really tough topics (PTSD especially) with hilarious banter, a swoonworthy MMC, and steamy scenes. My heart absolutely ached for Jude, the MMC, who is on leave from a doctors without borders type assignment in which he's witnessed a lot of trauma. Indira, the FMC, is a psychiatrist, and there is so much attention paid to importance of mental health and how we shouldn't take it for granted. But unlike a lot of women's fiction masquerading as romance these days, the heavy topics didn't outweigh the developing feelings between Jude and Indira at the core. Watching them go from childhood enemies to tentative friends to can't-stop-thinking-about-you lovers was beautiful. I would recommend this to any fans of Kate Clayborne or Kate Canterbury.

Upcoming Release!
The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is book 3 in the A Brush with Love series and centers on Indira and a childhood friend, Jude.
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The book takes a look at abandonment, the importance of mental health & the access to it, as well as the effects of workplace (medical professional) trauma. This book felt deeper than the first two books, but that could just be how I interpreted it. As a veteran of the Air Force, there was a comment where Jude alluded to military service (to answer a question) would be my only critique…while Jude experienced trauma due to the area he was in as a traveling doctor, it is wholly different from combat trauma.
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The open-door romance comes much later as opposed to Lizzie Blake but each worked for their respective stories.
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I loved that Indira and Jude were childhood friends who drifted apart and didn’t really like each other, and reconnected. They fake dated, and then moved into real feelings. There is so much depth to this one!
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Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley I felt like I won the lottery when I was gifted this copy.
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TW: cheating, trauma - PTSD to include (panic attacks, anxiety, depression), abandonment

Starts off well. Indira has just broken up with a douchebag cheater, right in time for Jude, her childhood frenemy, to walk back into her life. Cue both the enemies-to-lovers and brother's best friend tropes.

It kinda started dragging in the middle, too much will-they-won't-they without moving forward either the story line or the relationship.

Unfortunately, it never picked back up after that, but devolved into an in depth examination of the effects of PTSD. The relationship and storyline just got shoved to the side.

Started as a 4 star, dropped down to a 3 star for about the middle half, then unfortunately ended on a 2 star.

The cat was kinda funny though.

I can’t believe this was only the first book I’ve read by Mazey Eddings and now I need to go through her back list! I LOVED this book so much and was so excited to get this ARC via NetGalley and the publisher. This book was definitely 5 stars and I’ve got the rest of Mazey Edding’s books next up on my TBR!



The Plus One follows childhood frenemies Indira and Jude as they prepare for Indira’s brother’s wedding. Indira has just broken up by her cheating boyfriend who happens to also be in the bridal party. Jude is on leave from his job as a medical provider in emergency situations abroad and dealing with sever PTSD while trying to hide that from his friends. When they team up to fake date in order to help Indira keep away from her ex and give Jude an excuse to step out when overwhelmed, they realize that what they thought was hate may have been something a little more like love. These two childhood frenemies now reunited were so incredible- their growth and support of each other was phenomenal. Indira was so understanding and supportive of Jude even when he felt like he didn’t deserve it and Jude always had Indira’s back. I honestly want to reread this book again for the joy I felt reading any interactions between these two.



If you love childhood frenemies to lovers, mental health representation, and mature, lovable characters, please read this book. It was absolutely phenomenal.