Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings!

What’s it about?
A fake wedding date turns into the unexpected when childhood enemies find themselves sparking a romantic connection. Indira walks in on her boyfriend with a stranger, and her life goes up in flames. When Indira runs to her brother’s place, she finds her childhood enemy Jude home from his latest work assignment. Jude and Indira don’t get along, and they’re both in Indira’s brother’s wedding party (and all the festivities that come along with it).


I read this book in one sitting and stayed up waaaaay too late, relishing in the steamy scenes. As soon as I saw that Mazey was coming out with another novel (this girl is killing it, btw), I had to drop everything I was doing to read it. I am a thriller lover by nature but her rom-coms are my absolute favorite, and I love this set of characters. I’m so glad that with each book she releases, we get to revisit the lives of the characters in prior books. Mazey does a fantastic job depicting mental illnesses & PTSD, and while these are such heavy topics, the author expertly balances these with the perfect amount of humor, love, (lots of steam), and Inso about finding yourself.

If you’re an enemies to lovers fan, do not hesitate to pre-order this one!

I would very much like to declare my undying love for anything Mazey Eddings brings into the bookish world.
Indira’s story hooked my soul, held on and never let go. The way Indira and Jude came together and fought mental struggles was inspiring. Depicting mental illness can be a challenge for authors. Mazey Eddings does a superb job without over doing it or under-playing conditions. I loved the glimpses into her previous characters lives that were worked in to the story. I recommend this novel if you love sass, enemies to lovers trope, and the possibility of discovering something about yourself along the way. Thank you Mazey and St. Martin’s Press for my NetGalley ARC.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of “The Plus One.” I loved this book and highly recommend to readers of contemporary romance. The characters were unbelievably real and their relationship felt completely authentic. The story line had some heavy elements (PTSD) but the author managed to balance those elements with humor and a truly sweet romantic story. Please read Indira and Jude’s story - it is a 5 star read that will stay with you long after you finish.

DEVOURED.
I truly loved Indira and Jude’s story.

Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Spicy
Trauma
Brothers best friend
Sexual tension
LOL banter

I think this took first for me in the series. The character development was so raw, so real, I was 100% in.

Mazey Edding’s books are quickly becoming some of my favorite rom coms! I think what I like best about them is that the romance feels secondary to the character growth of the couple. I especially love how she portrays characters with mental illness. Indira and Jude both need to heal from traumatic events in their past. And they put in the work along side each other, but their relationship isn’t what does the healing. Also it’s an enemies to lovers, fake dating, brothers best friend. There was not way I wouldn’t love this.

4 stars. The Plus One was a little slow to start for me, and if I’m honest, at first, I wasn’t 100% jiving with Indira and Jude. It took a while for me to really get into the story, and start to feel their chemistry. But let me tell you, once I got there, I was totally there. I think that Eddings has a knack for addressing really serious topics, but also giving us really important moments of reprieve. And I loved the honest conversations about mental health in this book, but I lived for the moments of comedic reprieve. Once I finally started jiving with Indira and Jude, I started to notice their banter… which was top notch. If that’s something you look for in book couples, you will not be disappointed. If steam is another thing you’re looking for, again, that’s also something you won’t be disappointed with. I do wish we had more scenes between the girls (that aspect of found family was more prevalent in other books and something I really loved), but I enjoyed the moments we did get with them. Especially the epilogue, which was chefs kiss perfection. All in all, I really did enjoy this book. I liked Lizzie Blake more, but I think that’s partly because I am really drawn to quirky characters. But The Plus One also ended up being a really enjoyable read that I have no problem recommending. And if I’m honest, truly the biggest bummer is that this is the last book on the series! Just be forewarned, there are several potential trigger warnings, including PTSD, absentee parent, and cheating.

Disclaimer: the author and I are friends and she did send me this title to read quite a while ago.

"You're allowed to be broken... and you're allowed to be repaired. I love every piece of you and however they fit together"

Mazey Eddings is a brilliant writer who has created two of the most beautiful, broken souls I've ever read. Indira and Jude are so so sad and their journey to each other is one of the most meaningful and real that I have ever read. I think what Mazey does so well, are her poignant and accurate mental health representations in every book she's written. She understands the full range of humanity and has written real love stories that are messy and human but so beautiful. This book is genuinely one of the best books I have ever read. Balancing humor and heart, Indira and Jude are profoundly wonderful and if you don't cry at least once reading this book, are you okay?

The deep longing to love and be loved something that everyone can relate to and I think that you will find yourself in either Indira or Jude. It is my genuine hope that everyone loves this book as much as I do.

I totally jumped on the chance to read Mazey Eddings' third installment in her Philly Girls (my name for them) series. Indira always seems so reasonable and put together in the previous books, where she is a supporting character (both in the literary way and in the personality way.) We see how supportive she is for Lizzie in Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. So here the spotlight is on her and she is fully exposed. She is still the most supportive, wonderful friend but we also get to see her around everyone she is comfortable with and those inside conversations and vulnerabilities reveal insecurities and abandonment and a lot more emotional outbursts than you might have predicted. I personally loved every bit of it.
Jude is so, so broken. He is a baby bird that was completely trampled by life. I love that his backstory isn't a broken home tragedy. Just loving, honest, hard working parents. I love that he is still connected with his childhood friend, Collin.
As for their chemistry, it was definitely hot. The mix of childhood frenemies and both characters being at an all-time low with different aspects of their life gives both the 'how' and the 'why' to the novel. Eddings' gives them support and tools to grow together and come out better. And the HEA is earnest and tangible. I appreciate that. Eddings' gift is mixing the mental processing of life, the ache that forces emotional growth in a person, with the humor and joy that keeps them from completely falling apart. We get to tuck in alongside each of them and learn and grow and laugh.
Thank you so much for the ARC! I dropped everything else as soon as I downloaded it and I am sure I will read it again before it comes out next year.

I’m so speechless! I read three books of the series! I adored them! I want to hug each of the characters and write long sentences to tell how much I loved them but “Plus One” is so much special than the other two books!It’s extraordinary, honest, pure, realistic! Especially if you suffer from anxiety issues, questioning your self worth, meaning of your life, you can easily attach with the characters just like I did! It helps you to embrace your imperfectness and your insecurities!

Everything is written in those pages are like real life stories! Jude is my perfect imperfect hero! His predicaments, his inner tortures, his inner fight, fears, bottled up feelings were so relatable!

And Indira was fiery,smart, perfectionist questioning her self worth. I loved how she acted so patient, caring, neutral around Jude. I loved how she stands next to him when he needs her most, holding him tight with her healing hands,supporting him fully. Because healing him also means healing her self.

I loved their enemies to lovers, fake dating ( even though only people they lie to Indira’s cheating ex and his new girlfriend she’s caught in the act) , forced proximity ( living at the next room and sharing some camping tent) tropes!
And of course I loved the ending with the contribution of previous books’ amazing characters!

I highly recommend you to read entire books of the series and leave this one for the last! ( you gotta save the best for the last) The author’s realistic approach to mental health issues is so inspirational and helpful. Don’t miss this series!

Many many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this fantastic digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions and thanks to Mazey Eddings to create those memorable characters earned a special place in my heart!

Each book gets better and better (how is that possible?!)

THIS BOOK. I have so many (soooo many!) feels. And they're all good ones.
Jude has just returned for a short break from his humanitarian work as a doctor in war-torn countries. Understandably, he has seen and experienced some horrible things - and it's changed him. Broken him.
Indira is a psychiatrist and is working through some tough spots of her own. Jude is best friends with Indira's older brother and has returned home for his upcoming wedding. Although Jude and Indira "grew up together" they had more of a hate/hate, brother/sister, tit for tat relationship. Indira notices Jude is struggling and since she's just ended things with her boyfriend (who is also in the wedding party) they decide to be each others' "plus one" to help alleviate some of the wedding anxiety.
In the midst of wedding events and friendly excursions,, Jude and Indira are both dealing with some very real issues - coping in healthy and unhealthy ways.

Honestly, The Plus One is like a love letter to therapy. And I mean that in the best possible way. As a proponent of therapy (and a LMHC) I'm a little partial, but this book is just full of so much goodness and truth... Truths about human nature, the science behind trauma, relationships, and healthy boundaries. It is such a gift to watch Jude and Indira begin to heal both individually and together. Mazey Eddings writes about feelings that coexist - and that's exactly what happens while reading. I could cry for the hurt the characters were feeling, but laugh at their banter. Joy and sadness, anger and pride, love and annoyance - feelings can coexist and it's ok to feel them! The Plus One is so much more than a rom-com, enemies to lovers trope. It's a story of hope and healing. friendship and love. grit and perseverance.

Three cheers for supportive friends, good therapists, and steamy romance ;-) Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely a must read!

After reading Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, I was so excited to be sent this one!! If you’ve read Lizzie Blake, this one tells Indira (one of Lizzie’s best friends) story and it’s so so good.

What I loved:

- This one had some of my absolute favorite tropes: Childhood enemies to lovers, fake dating, brother’s best friend
- The banter between Indira and Jude is SO good!
- This The Plus One deals with some very heavy topics- PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, emotional neglect. Though these are heavy, Mazey writes them with respect for the emotions attached to each and gives an accurate depiction of therapy.
- Indira. Indira is so so kind, caring and compassionate. I loved watching her relationship with Jude and how she helped him along his path to healing.
- The appearances from other Mazey Eddings books! I loved seeing Lizzie and Rake again and their little ones.
- I felt this book had the perfect balance of steam and plot.
- There’s honestly nothing I didn’t love about this book really. It was just perfection!


If you love emotional rom coms, you’ll love this one!!

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

No one can balance humor, romance, and the depths of the characters quite like Mazey Eddings!
Brother’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes, so I was sure going into the book that I would like it, but I also loved how it was kind of a twist on the trope. While Indira and Jude had bickered, they had a lifetime of memories that had already laid a foundation for the relationship they form in this book and I loved that for them! It also allowed them to have amazing and believable chemistry right off of the bat.
It’s really hard to balance a romcom with potential trauma that the characters have gone through, and watching Jude and Indira’s journeys to heal while also falling in love was adorable!
I also loved meeting Jeremy and Collin, and I liked how they allowed Indira and Jude to strive for a relationship like theirs.
My only problem was that the ending felt a little clunky, but I also appreciated one last scene with the main friend group that I have grown to love over the last three books!

If i was to summarize the book The Plus One, I would say, powerful. This book can give you the feels for the characters to be successful in their relationship as well as in their professional and mental health life. Indira and Jude's story was emotional as well as very steamy. Childhood nemesis to lovers, plus brothers best friend, is always a favorite trope of mine and it was done well. Their banter was amazing throughout the novel and I loved the playfulness for the characters in the relationship and their ability and how often they just laughed together.
This is an excellent book, I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

I have no words to describe how this book made me feel. It is so beautiful and the love that Indira and Jude have for each other is so real. I really loved the PTSD representation and how it was handled. I'm obsessed with every single one of Indira's speeches to Jude.

I received an arc through netgalley.

The Plus One by @mazeyeddings felt like a hug meant just for me.

Somehow I scored a super early ARC of the third book in Mazey's Brush With Love universe.If you've watched my Stories or my clock app uploads, you already know I was ecstatic. (Link in bio, in case you want to watch the TTs).

I loved this open-door romance. If you read the previous two books (A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake 's Best Mistake), you know Indira is a fierce friend. What Jude (who the reader meets in this book) brings out of her is that friendship on fire. And Indira shows Jude that he deserves happiness and love. It's a credible, beautiful, relationship arc.

This brother's best friend, frenemies to lovers story is not a lighthearted rom-com. There are funny moments for sure, but it tackles heavy issues like cheating, parental divorce, and PTSD. Mazey does address these in an author's note at the start.

Be warned: This is one of those books I will RAVE about for the coming months.

My feelings are all over the place! This book was deeply emotional, but also so tender and I LOVED IT! !!!I think Mazey is really adding to the romance genre by exploring how hurt can exist alongside love AND how to respect and care and support people dealing with mental illness or riddled with hurt.

I love Indira. I love Jude. I love them for one another.

I think something that stood out to me was how expertly Mazey handled Indira being a psychiatrist by profession and then being a lover to Jude by choice and how she (Indira) handled the duality of those roles. While sometimes it was difficult as a reader to sit with Jude's hurt and experience what he was going through, I would sit back with my discomfort and realize the reality of the experiences of those with PTSD.

I would absolutely recommend this book. I think Mazey handles the topics she writes about with such care and thoughtfulness and I for one am happy to get to experience it!

This third book in this amazing series was everything I've come to expect and love from Mazey. I enjoyed all 3 books, so it's saying a lot to say that Indira and Jude's story might be my favorite! A childhood enemies to lovers story that so kindly deals with both main characters' trauma and mental health struggles as they work to heal all those hurts, somehow still making me laugh so much!

RATING: 5/5 STARS

Another 5 star rating for Mazey Eddings!! I completely fell in love with Indira and Jude’s story. The tropes in THE PLUS ONE are pretty common in rom-coms (enemies to lovers, fake dating, brother’s best friend), but they were done so well in this book, in such a fresh and unique style. Eddings’ books delve deep into mental health issues and present challenges that really put unconditional love to the test. The representation of anxiety, physician burnout, and PTSD resonated with me - I was so touched by the compassion with which it was handled. This book was a masterpiece and I loved every second of reading it. :)

Thank you to St. Martin's, NetGalley, and the author for my early review copy. While I consider Mazey a dear friend, my love of this novel was in no way influenced by our relationship; all opinions are fully my own!

This is exactly what I want when I pick up a contemporary romance. Real, smart, sexy, emotional and funny, starring characters whose journeys I became invested in and whose happiness I was rooting for. Each in their own ways, Jude and Indira carried pain with them from their pasts and fears that shaped how they perceived their future. Watching them learn to trust each other with their vulnerabilities and wounds, seeing how they gave each other kindness and tenderness when they needed it most, was a profoundly affirming portrayal of mental health struggles, trauma, PTSD, and the complex journey of navigating and healing.

On top of the incredibly touching, wise, lovely portrayal of mental health and finding love as we heal from trauma, was the joy of seeing the BRUSH WITH LOVE world of characters coming together. These characters feel like old friends and the group scenes were an absolute treat. I'm sorry to say goodbye to this world, but so glad I've been able to come along this incredible journey and finally see Indira and Jude get their happily ever after!

THE PLUS ONE is out April 4, 2023, and I can't wait for readers to have it in their hands!

I LOVE MAZEY EDDINGS BOOKS. Like. I know I will cry every time kind of love.

Mazey has crafted a heart achingly sweet childhood nemesis to friends to lovers romance with zero third act break up because sometimes supporting your partners through pain is the better choice than letting them suffer through their internal struggles alone.

Jude is a sad sack I want to protect so badly and Indira is a no nonsense shit stirring smart ass I love more than anything. Their banter and teasing is so stinking cute and laugh out loud funny that I had tears from laughing so hard and also crying from the emo a little bit.

Plus we get cameos from Harper, Dan, Lizzie, Rake, and the rest of the gang so it's the ultimate reunion book. Obsessed. Can't wait to have it physically in my hands.