This was my first Mazey Eddings's book. This is the third book in the A Brush with Love series. Indira and Jude's enemies to lovers romance is well written, sweet, complex, passionate, and emotional. The characters are interesting. This is a good brother's best friend romance. Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden did an excellent job bringing this story to life. #NetGalley

While being a cute romance with quirky characters, I found this one to just be average. I didn't love it as much as Lizzy Blake.

Short synopsis: After walking in on my boyfriend sleeping with someone else (peanut butter involved) Indira restarts her life, and runs into her brothers best friend/childhood nemesis Jude.

My thoughts: I’ve decided that Mazey can write such amazing, thoughtful, tender characters and I just love them! Indira and Jude is no different, they are just so caring and tender with and really strive to understand each other.

There were some laugh out loud moments, but some really thought provoking moments too about really digging down deep and finding yourself through honesty. Also, this definitely heats up the spice factor!

Mazey has such a great way of discussing very important topics in such a healthy and honest way. Mental health in any capacity is so important!

Read if you love:
- Mental health positive books
- Brothers best friend
- Childhood nemesis
- Fake dating
- Interconnected stand alone

This book took the brother's best friend and fake dating trope and added a bunch of trauma to the mix. Overall, the book wasn't bad. The characters had complex backgrounds, and there were relatable aspects in the story.

This book takes itself far too seriously. I read romances to have some lighthearted fun, not plum depths.
I literally rolled my eyes several times while listening to this. It could have been good if it wasn't so pious and endlessly angsty.

Everyone is broken but there's still hope.

This book is the therapy I didn’t know I needed. It’s quirky, funny, heartfelt, and JUDE. My heart. Joe Arden had me crying in all the best ways. I feel so much of what Jude is going through and I just wanted to hug him throughout this whole book. Imani Jade Powers is great as Indira too, who is fighting her own inner battles.

I love how much The Plus One focuses on mental health, and points out that yeah, you can set a broken bone or stop the bleeding from an injury, but that is just the first step. You can’t truly heal if your mind is hurt, and so many times we push away things like PTSD because it can’t be seen. We tell ourselves we’re fine, other people are fine, because we don’t look like we’re broken, but we are. And it’s okay to ask for help.

Indira and Jude are two people who look like they’ve got it all together, but really they don’t. They’re awkward and insecure, and the only thing keeping them from being together is their own thoughts and worries. For all the heaviness of their inner turmoil though, they do still manage to have some funny camping time, and fake dating turned real attraction that has everybody shocked. This was a quick, fun read for me and the first book from Mazey Eddings I've read. I'll have to check out her others.

Jude & Indira have my heart💖 absolutely love them🥺✨💗

Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

While a little predictable in the direction of the storyline, I really enjoyed The Plus One. The trauma, particularly suffered by Jude, added another dimension of the story usually not present in a typical romance novel. I enjoyed the characters, and appreciated the normalization of therapy throughout the book. The spicy scenes were rather graphic, and a little abrupt, but what can you do.
The Plus One is a quick read (or in this case, listen), and I liked the narrators chosen. When multiple narrators are used, I typically appreciate when each narrator is responsible only for their chapters, but felt in this case, the audiobook could have benefitted from some of the dialog being split.
Overall, would recommend!

Indira recently caught her boyfriend cheating, and Jude is struggling with his mental health after spending time as a doctor in humanitarian crises. The two to fake date their way through the wedding festivities of Indira’s brother and Jude’s best friend. However, the childhood enemies are beginning to have real feelings.

I enjoyed this. I do think Jude’s journey with mental health added a lot to the story. It was fun! It was fun! The audiobook was good.

Yes, yes, YES. I love this. A perfect balance of hilarious and serious. Sexy and sweet. I laughed out loud reading every book single in this series, Mazey Eddings is truly underrated. The characters in these books are so well developed, I loved each and every one of them. The plot are simple in concept but heartfelt and well executed.

The Plus One is potentially my favorite in the series too (though really there’s not a weak link in the line up!) It’s got it all - Brothers best friend, enemies to lovers, fake dating. All of my weaknesses handled by a more than competent author (hallelujah!)

I don’t have all that much more to say really! Just this: read these books, they’re great!

Audio 4/5: No je n’sais quoi but very very well done. Great acting and emotion, excellent voices and delivery. No complaints.

this book was absolutely perfection. i finished in one sitting. couldn’t get enough!!! there is something about mazey eddings writing that captivates you from the very start and you are left feeling so attracted to these characters!

Super cute childhood enemies to lovers story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Jude and Indira have disliked each other since they were kids. Jude is Indira’s brother’s best friend, while she was always the annoying sister.

Brought together as adults, forced proximity (staying at Indira’s brother’s house and helping organize his upcoming wedding) and a bit of fake dating help them see another side of one another they never did before. Jude is struggling with job-related trauma, and Indira is the perfect person to help him through it.

I thought the way Mazey tackled PTSD and anxiety/panic attacks was really well done. It was definitely a heavier book than I was expecting. I myself battle with anxiety so I think this was a big of a tougher read for me. I do appreciate how they talked a lot about normalizing therapy!

I liked the sorta “twist” on fake dating - it was only for one person, her close friends and brother knew it was fake (something that bothers me often with fake dating is everyone they love being in the dark, and that just makes me feel bad.
I could have used a little more “enemies” but it was great nonetheless!

While this is the 3rd book in the series, I think it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the others yet and didn't feel like I was missing anything!

Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Brother’s best friend
⭐️ Childhood enemies to lovers
⭐️ Forced Proximity
⭐️ Mental health rep
⭐️ Fake Dating
⭐️ Dual POV/3rd person

*trigger warning - this book shows a lot of anxiety/PTSD/mental health struggles, with descriptive panic attacks.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings was absolutely, utterly delightful, full of laughter and heart. The audiobook was fantastically done. Highly recommended!!

This book was everything and then some. I adored learning more about Indira and the introduction of Jude was perfect. They were both so perfectly flawed in their own ways and I loved that. Watching their relationship unfold as they learned to love themselves and ultimately each other just made my heart so happy. This entire series holds such a special place in my heart, I truly don't want it to end.

The narrators were perfect for this - they held the right emotion and kept me thoroughly engaged through my entire listen. Points also to the fact they sounded just as good at 2.25x speed!

Thank you to the publisher for this ALC. Mazey Eddings does not write a bad book and this may be my favorite.

Rom-com style romance that uses elements enemies (more so frenemies) to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, best friend of siblings, and childhood friend troupes. There is a nice balance of steamy romance and humor with real-life issues like mental health and stigma and a little bit of finding yourself after the end of a relationship or difficult chapter in your life.

I’m not really into the whole “enemies to lovers” trope, but this one was hilarious. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

This was a sweet enemies to lovers story. And made even better because they were enemies in childhood! Plus he’s her brother’s best friend. Heck. Yes.

Their romance is really sweet, but what I enjoyed most was watching them help each other through their difficulties: hers, overcoming a bad breakup and his, dealing with PTSD from his job.

Indira walks in on her boyfriend deep in the throes of another woman, so she turns to her brother for a place to call home. However, she gets an unexpected surprise when her childhood enemy and brother's best friend, Jude, answers the door. She has no compassion for him, until she begins to notice some small changes. For example, he's jumpy at loud noises and acts even more awkward. The two decide to put aside their differences and go as far as to fake date during the wedding festivities. They soon find the fake part isn't necessary!

I loved this rom-com! It had frenemies-turned-lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating. The relatable characters dealt with real-life issues, making it heartwarming. While heavier than the first book, it balanced hilarity, witty banter, life lessons, and steaminess. The dual narration in the audiobook brought the emotions to life, keeping me engaged. Jude's hardships tugged at my heart. Although I read it as a standalone, I now plan to read the second book. It surpassed my expectations, but the first book will always hold a special place in my heart. Indira's perfect life is disrupted when she catches her cheating boyfriend during her brother's wedding. Staying with her brother, she finds Jude, her childhood nemesis, as an unexpected house guest. Reluctantly becoming each other's plus-ones, they discover their mutual dislike may have been a misconception all along.