When I picked up this book I thought I was getting a light, cozy enemies to lovers romance. That’s not quite what I got. Instead, I got something that has “For those who hurt…” as part of the dedication, and a few content warnings.

It kinda threw my expectations for a loop but I started reading, and kept reading, and finished reading, and was really glad I did.

The Plus One is delightful. It’s funny. It’s emotional. It handles the stigma of mental health and therapy beautifully. The characters are frustrating at times but they’re human and they’re flawed and that’s ok. Being flawed, and feeling broken doesn’t mean you’re not deserving of love.

I did feel like I had to take a star off because of the lack of enemies in the enemies-to-lovers part and how quickly the fake dating turned into real dating but overall this was a really fun read. This is my first Mazey Eddings book even though it’s technically the third in the series. It stands well on its own and I didn’t feel like I really missed anything despite not having read the first two books (that I will be adding to my TBR).

I was very excited to read the conclusion to the Brush With Love series since I've loved the other two so much. This one did not disappoint.

Read this for:
- Brother's best friend
- Childhood frenemies
- Roommates
- Forced proximity as part of the wedding party
- Only one tent
- Fake dating
- Lots of roasting each other
- Childhood memories
- Mental health rep

The whole Brush With Love series has a huge focus on mental health and dealing with serious issues, but to me this book was the most deep into the thick of things. You start off the story right in the midst of all the issues both Indira and Jude deal with. Going into this one, I think it's important to know it's a deeply emotional read especially since you are witnessing a lot of the on page results of the trauma Jude is dealing with from a result of his job as a doctor for international areas with extreme conflict and wars.

At the start we find Indira with a cheating ex, needing a place to stay. She moves in with her brother and his fiancé who is set to get married in several weeks. Due that, her brother's best friend Jude is also staying in the house. The two are forced together and quickly find out that they can be a support for one another.

While Indira is confronting her abandonment issues, Jude is dealing with PTSD from his job and feeling unworthy of ever being happy again. I loved that this story shows that you don't have to be completely healed to be accepted and loved. In the midst of your journey you are still valuable and lovable. The two shared so much history with one another, and as they started to drop their walls they were able to see how much they cared about one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the snark they gave one another. It was funny and so fun to see them roasting each other. I also loved seeing cameos from the rest of the friend group. The epilogue was everything because it really did wrap up all the couples in their HEAs.

I'm sad this series is over, but so grateful to have read it and felt all the feels from each and every one of these books. I can't wait to see what Mazey comes out with next!

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

Mazey Eddings has become a master of writing books with genuine, complete characters, and compassionate representations of mental health struggles, both of which I really respect. The Plus One had both of those elements in spades!

In The Plus One, Indira’s relationship has just blown up in spectacular fashion, so she goes to stay with her brother and his fiancé to sort her life out in the lead up to their wedding. Also staying there is her brother’s best friend, Jude, who’s come home for the wedding on a short leave from his work as a doctor treating people in countries with international humanitarian crises. But this heavy work has taken a toll on Jude’s mental health, and he’s not the same person he was when he left. Despite their childhood annoyances with each other, Jude and Indira start a fake relationship to help Indira avoid her ex, and to give Jude a clean excuse to escape stressful social situations arising in the many wedding events. But their fake relationship soon leads to real feelings, and Jude and Indira must navigate their unexpected connection while working to help Jude find his way back to himself.

There is so much I loved about this book. The characters are all incredible, which I know I can always count on in a Mazey book. Indira is so fun and independent, and I really enjoyed her therapy journey of reconciling her internal emotional struggles with her ability to be an effective therapist herself. Jude is just wonderful, and my heart broke for him over his internal struggle and how trapped he felt in a situation that was harming him. The side characters are equally delightful, lighting up and bringing comedy to every scene they’re in.

That said, there are two reasons this wasn’t a 5-star read for me.

First, the tone balance was a bit off for me. This book has a LOT of substance. There is a lot of narration and dialogue about mental health and coping with struggles. Which was great itself, but sometimes overpowered the romance. Conversely, while there are some truly hilarious scenes, the comedic feel got overpowered by the more emotional sections. I just wanted more comedy in this rom com, including more time spent with the wonderful side characters.

Second, I didn’t love the ending - the epilogue setting out what Jude and Indira decided to do with their lives. It just seemed like it came out of nowhere. I wish there was more foundation set throughout.

Overall, this was a really great, substantive rom com with strong themes of mental health and compassion. Can’t wait for more from the author!

Oh my heart! I have adored all of Mazey Eddings’ books! The narrators were perfect and two of my favorites! I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!

The Plus One definitely dealt with heavier issues, but there was so much heart. I loved how Indira and Jude went from enemies to lovers. I especially loved how Indira refused to give up on Jude. They had such a special connection. I love how he challenged his organization to protect his mental health. I was really disappointed that they didn’t recognize the importance of his mental health and still made him pay back his loan.

I also loved how they followed their dreams to start their own clinic. What a perfect ending to this group of friends!

One of my favorite tropes is fake dating, so I'm there for that. Great mental health rep in the book, though it felt a little "love will light the way" at times.

4.5 wow. First thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This book felt like going to therapy but in the best way. Indira and Jude are to very broken people who you just want to hold until they realize how much they deserve to be loved. I loved this book. I loved how Eddings showed how freaking flawed everyone van be but that healing isn't this linear journey. Jude has seen the absolute worst of humanity and honestly he just needs a hug and to be left alone. I loved how PTSD was explored in this book through Judes character. It was a real and honest portrayal of how the things we carry can effect every aspect of our life. Although y'all know was cheering on my feet for Indira when are stood up to her dad everyone who has ever had a parent abandon them or leave them constantly feeling small this book is for you. I cried so much and it felt so therapeutic. I loved it and Jude and Idrina deserve their HEA. Huge thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

A must read!!!! This book and series hold such a special place in my heart. I love romance novels, and I love how Mazey writes neurodivergent characters and characters dealing with mental health issues.

In this book specifically, Indira deals with abandonment issues and is in therapy the whole time. Jude is dealing with PTSD and it’s pretty severe. Mazey wrote this so well and with so much care.

Now for the romance!!! I was SWOONING, blushing, and teary eyed while reading. I loved this love story so freaking much.

I have 30+ kindle highlights, but here’s one of my favorite quotes. :)

“He’d forgotten that happiness wasn’t a banging, violent emotion like all the others that bombarded him every moment. Happiness was soft. Uneventful. It was holding Indira’s hand. Sitting next to her on the couch and listening to her talk. It was a quiet cup of coffee with her next to him reading a magazine. It was teasing her, being goofy and pretending to pass out after sniffing her feet, making her shriek in outrage and giggle. Happiness was them.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the early copy.

I adored this book so much . I loved the mental health aspects as well as each individual characters journey for healing . I thought sometimes it flew a tad too fast or jumped around and I’m still not a fan of 3rd person- personal
Choice , but I loved this book nonetheless

Let me start off by saying the mental health representation was awesome. I really enjoyed how pro-therapy it was and that it tried to tackle difficult issues.
I really wanted to love this one, but I found it difficult to finish it and had a hard time becoming invested in the characters. I didn't love how much time jumping there was. I felt like we missed key parts of growth. The sibling bickering was a tad much for me and never felt resolved, they kept brushing it under the rug. I also can't believe im saying this but the smut was too much? Jude didn't seem like a "good girl" kinda guy and it always seemed to happen at the wrong times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! .

i enjoyed the beginning when they hated each other and unfortunately they got together too soon and it just wasn’t good. too much sex for me & i didn’t like any of the characters. it wasn’t a good series and i honestly don’t recommend. it will take MANY amazing reviews for me to read any more of Mazey’s books.

Let me start off by saying I LOVE that we made addressing PTSD a main plot point in a romance novel. More of this please!! I think it was handled so well, and that the portrayal of Jude's PTSD was spot on. PTSD comes in so many shapes and sizes and symptoms, so there is no "correct" way to portray it, but there are harmful stereotypes that exist out there in media and this book did not showcase any of those. So so many thanks to the author for dedicating a book to this subject.

I also really loved Jude and Dira's relationship (enemies to lovers + brother's best friend is a combo I'll go for any day of the week), and the fact that she became is safe harbor, his calm space in his chaotic life made my heart get all gooey and melty. She supported him but did not try to "fix" him, and I could not love that more.

What I didn't like, and what took one star away: I've read romance books in the third person before and liked them well-enough, but for some reason it just kind of removed me from the story a bit too much for my liking in this one. PTSD is an intensely personal thing, and I think it would've had more of an emotional impact if we'd gotten first person perspective from both Jude and Dira. I also think the title is a little misleading -- yes, they're fake dates to the wedding, but that's not a main plot point, her family knows, and it doesn't even really get introduced until at least 20% in. So it's kind of a strange title and way to promote the book.

All in all, 4/5 stars. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC.

✨ Review ✨ The Plus One by Mazey Eddings; Narrated by Imani Jade Powers; Joe Arden

Despite discussing really serious topics like PTSD, cheating and abandonment, and mental health more broadly, this book was an absolute delight to read.

Indira catches her bf cheating on her (and there's peanut butter involved...) and she flocks to stay with her brother, who's preparing to get married in a few weeks. The brother's best friend Jude (and Indira's childhood nemesis) is staying with her brother, because he's home for a few weeks from his grueling international aid medical position to help his friend prepare to get married.

Indira and Jude pretend to start dating to get back at PB boyfriend, and their banter built on years of childhood shenanigans was just so much fun. I loved all their goofy jokes and playfulness, and even as they grappled with their own mental health issues, this was a fun read.

This is the second book of Eddings' that I've read, and I'll be back for more. Great engaging audio narration as well!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: contemporary f/m romance
Location: Philadelphia
Reminds me of: the other books in this series b/c characters keep popping up :)
Pub Date: April 4, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ earnest mental health discussions paired with goofy banter
⭕️ fake dating
⭕️ childhood friends getting together
⭕️ cheesesteak

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Another good story for the group of friends we first met in A Brush with Love. This book features Indira, who is a psychiatrist, and Jude, her brother Collin's best friend since childhood. Indira has baggage of her own relating to her father leaving the family when she was young. Jude is suffering from PTSD from his time serving as a surgeon for a world medical group that sends medical teams to areas around the world where emergency care is needed. Jude is home for several weeks for Collin's wedding and his staying at Collin's house. Indira just found her live-in boyfriend with another woman and needs to stay at Collin's house as well. Indira recognizes that Jude is not fine as he says he is. Despite the "hate" relationship they had growing up, they are prepared to help each other in the present. This was really a moving story with some laugh at loud moments and plenty of tears.

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 im 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.

Really enjoyed this read. A little slow but overall a good look into mental health. Really enjoyable characters with progression of personalities. Some spicy moments bring excitement. Covered hard to speak about topics in a tasteful, real manner which I can appreciate.

honestly, I don’t think this author is for me. I keep trying to see if anything changed, but this one fell to the same problems I had with a brush with love and lizzie blake’s best mistake!

I really enjoyed the frenemy concept, and it instantly brought me back to middle school when all I would read were catty girl dramas like pretty little liars and the clique. however, I wanted more of that!!! I was way more invested in jude’s life with indira versus her romantic relationship.

which leads me to the fact that jude just cannot see the red flags … like at all… and I was legitimately screaming at my kindle for her to make better decisions (which never worked in case you’re wondering lol).

I absolutely love mazey’s style of writing but the plots just need some more flow to me!

thank you to st martins and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: alsace riesling

4.5★ Summary: When long time frenemies Indira and Jude are thrown together for her brother’s huge wedding celebration, they devise a plan to be each other’s fake dates. Soon, however, things begin to feel a bit too real…

Thoughts: I really enjoy Mazey Eddings story telling and the wonderful, life-like characters she creates. This is the third installment in her Brush With Love series and while Lizzie still holds the number one spot, I loved this one and our MCs Indira and Jude, almost as much.

Right off the bat, The Plus One features a lot of tropes I adore. I’m a big fan of enemies to lovers and brother’s best friend, and have really taken a liking to fake dating. I think each and every one of these tropes was well executed and felt very authentic to the story. Nothing felt forced or out of place.

I always love the representation Eddings includes in her books, and this was no exception. The PTSD and anxiety Jude copes with, along with the therapy Indira undergoes, were all presented in a very realistic and honest way. In fact, the therapy sessions in which Indira opens up about her history with Jude, were some of my favorite scenes hands down.

My only criticism is that there were times were the story seemed to drag just a bit, and therefore might have been just a tad too long. Otherwise, I think this is a really great romcom with a lot of emotional depth and I highly recommend both the book and the series.

Read if you like:
•enemies to lovers
•brother’s best friend
•fake dating
•forced proximity
•mental health rep
•open door romance

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martine Press Puc for this earc

This book was great! As a person who works in a mental health clinic, I see every day how important it is to take care of your mental health no matter if you’re having a good day or a bad day.

This story did a really good job showing two people, who have completely different issues, help each other in the way that works for the other person and be in a relationship with the knowledge that that no relationship is perfect.

I think it’s the first time I’ve read a book when both characters are doctors (Dira is a psychiatrist and Jude is a surgeon) and where it’s written very clearly how important therapy is for both of them. Probably even more important that any other profession because they have to give pieces of themselves every time they help someone and very often people forget that doctors are also people.

Overall a really sweet romance with a lot of important topics.

Mazey Eddings writes stories with that are filled with such a BIG HEART. Her writing draws you in and gives you all the feels. There are fun tropes and important mental health representation in THE PLUS ONE (it's always fun to see characters from previous books, too!).

SYNOPSIS: “He’d been writing love on every inch of her heart since they were kids, and he’d found the most beautiful, messy, ridiculous reminder of that and put it in a frame.”
Indira and Jude have been rivals since childhood. But Jude has always been her older brother Collin’s best friend, so the three of them all grew up together. And ever since, Indira and Jude have always given each other a hard time. The story begins with Indira walking in on her boyfriend cheating on her. She quickly hightails it to her brother’s house to stay until she can find a place of her own, and who opens the door? None other than Jude, who has just returned from serving a global organization similar to Doctors Without Borders. Jude is also staying with Collin and his fiancée’, Jeremy. Indira and Jude are forced to live in the same house and prepare for Collin’s wedding, all while reminiscing about their pasts. And then they decide to make a pact and become each other’s “plus one” at Collin’s wedding.

REVIEW: Mazey Eddings has written a sweet enemies-to-lovers love story. This story delicately addressed PTSD and abandonment, and I was touched by how both were handled throughout. This is a slow burn, and a sweet enemies-to-lovers story that you won’t want to miss. It comes out April 4th, so be sure to snag your copy! I plan on adding more books by @mazyeddings to my TBR!