Jude is Indira's brother's best friend, The thing is, they always hated each other, as sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Now that Collin is getting married to Jeremy and are planning on many events leading up to the big day, Indira and Jude, her to get back at her ex, Chris, and him because she has a very calming effect on his anxiety, decide that fake dating would help them both get through tough times during these events.
This is book 3 in the A Brush with Love series, a brother's best friend, enemies to fake dating to lovers romance, and I loved it! I loved the banter, the side characters, the focus on mental health and how grounded the main characters are. I've already read book 1, but I'm definitely going back to read book 2 (I didn't know this was a series!). You can totally read this as a stand alone, but I strongly recommend reading at least book 1, A Brush with Love, not because you need to, but because it is so good!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This author really incorporated the witty humour that many people look for in their romance novels. I'm also a sucker for a wedding setting so this was a good fit for me to read immediately. The cover was also one of the things that pulled me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. How does Mazey Eddings do it time and time again? Every book in this series makes me laugh and cry, has some 🌶️🌶️🌶️ scenes and normalizes/advocates for mental health. This one may be my favorite yet! It also has all of the tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating. More of this world, please!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

I loved this, I read it in a day and didn’t know it was the therapy session I needed. 😭

This book is incredibly emotional, it had its funny moments and steamy moments but self love was a big theme in this.

4.5 stars!

This is a brothers best friend/enemies to friends to fake dating to lovers. I would describe it as very light on the enemies as they do quickly express so much care and consideration for each other even when their actual dialogue might not express it. This would be great for readers looking for more mature (but still fun!) adult characters who act realistically and with no third act breakup.

I did feel that the will they/won't they got a little bit tired and I do consider this a slow burn. I felt like some of Jude's issues were very much repeated thoughts and conversations and I was hoping for some action or even just conflict. I picked up and put this one down a bit in the beginning.

With that said, the writing in this is wonderful. I feel like when I read something described as "rom com" I worry it's a bit contrived, but this isn't like that at all. This is real rom com. Genuine humor is naturally expressed in the overall tone and doesn't take away from the couple.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I'm looking forward to reading Mazey Eddings's backlog and future releases!

This is the third book in the A Brush With Love series, and I’m really going to miss all these characters. The author writes female friendship and romantic relationships with emotion and heart. I loved Harper and Dan, Lizzie and Blake, and now Indira and Jude.

Indira and Jude’s relationship goes way back - childhood enemies - and Jude is Indira’s brother’s best friend. Indira moves in with her brother after a relationship suddenly ends. Jude moves in with him while home from his overseas medical job. Everyone jumps in to help with wedding planning, and Jude and Indira agree to be each others fake dates at the big event.

The story is fun and full of romantic moments and steamy attraction. However, the author weaves this in with serious adult issues like PTSD, anxiety, family estrangement, and cheating. Eddings takes such care with these issues and the characters do not run away from difficult circumstances or hard conversations.

I loved how Indira and Jude became friends and lovers. How they accepted one another and supported one another. How they leaned on each other to become stronger.

Of course, we also get glimpses of their friends and family. A strong supporting cast is what makes this whole series shine. In this final book, I was delighted to see our favorite friends and significant others show up in several scenes.

Mazey Eddings is now one of favorite authors. I can’t wait to see what she will write next I know for sure it will be emotional, delightful, and unique - a perfect romance read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

St. Martin's Press. This was good. Thanks for the advanced read. As always, NetGalley, Thanks! This was a cute read dealing with the coupling of Jude and Indira. I like that name Mazey. The book was paced really realistically and the chapters were good lengths to enjoy even as a reader that really love thrillers as well as rom-coms. I do not want to give too much away but it was well done. I do not know if the PTSD was represented correctly as I have never been close to someone that had it at that level but it played a strong part in the book and it was done well.

Review: The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
4.5/5 ⭐️
The Plus One is the third in a series of interconnected standalone a from Mazey Eddings. I read the first last year and really loved Mazey’s writing. I hadn’t made it to Lizzie Blake’s book yet, but when I was able to get my hands on this newest one I powered through both of them super fast!

The Plus One brings us a little bit of everything- brother’s best friend, forced proximity, fake dating, and even only one bed (err….tent, I guess 😆). I loved all the little bits thrown in!

I’m always so pleased with Mazey’s characters and how much real life she pours into them. The more difficult themes in her books are always handled in such a delicate but honest way. Indira and Jude both being a lot of baggage to the table and it was refreshing to see both these characters take ownership of their own behaviors and work to better themselves for their own sake, as well as to be a better partner.

The Plus One is another sweet, enjoyable read. Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review.

First of all, as noted by the author at the beginning of the book, this story addresses heavy topics such as trauma and PTSD. While this is indeed a romance story, readers should be aware that those heavy topics are a <i>constant</i> theme all throughout the story.
Below are the notes that I made while reading:
- Slapping "childhood" before the "enemies-to-lovers" does not mean that it's an out for NOT giving readers the "enemies" feels. These two were prickly with each other at best.
- 20% in and Indira had more on page interactions with her therapist than with Jude.
- Indira runs hot and cold. She's snarky (and not the kind that I like) and in the same breath can be soft and gentle. I am getting whiplash.
- Heavily focused on mental health, PTSD and therapy.
- For a grown woman, Indira is unbelievably chilldish at times: the way she exploded at her brother about their father during a pre-wedding gathering, then felt embarrassed when her brother chided her. And oh my God, the obsession with the peanut butter thing was cringey af. Let it go!
- 50% in and no actual fake <b>dating</b> happened. It also went from occasional glances across the room, to a make-out session finishing in "we deserve happiness together" halfway through the story, which for me felt like it jumped from 0 to 100 in a beat. No fake-dating happened. They, in fact, went real <i>real</i> quick.
- Some of the roasts (and dry wit) landed better than others.
- Also, for fun, here is the amount of giggling that happened in this book: giggle (38), giggles (12), giggling (10), giggled (13).

I had many issues with the author's first book (that I dnf'ed). I still wanted to give this one a try, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. At least I powered through this one to the end, although a lot of skimming through did happen.

Thank you to St Martin's Press for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was very disappointed by this book.

What played a big part in my disappointment was the structural problems with the trope executions. This is supposed to be fake dating enemies to lovers but these tropes played such a minuscule role in the overall story. There was no tension, no real push or pull that enemies to lovers should have in spades. The couple was together for the majority of the story.

What redeemed the story a little bit for me was the mental health rep. Mazey definitely knows what she's doing when it comes to representation in that aspect.

The book is contemporary romance, is sweet, emotional and a it makes you smile while reading. On a downside it uses to much vulgar language for my taste.

Indira and Jade are a very cute couple. They have known eachother since childhood, but dont get along at all, until they fall in love. The book has heavy themes of mental health and Focus on finding love to heal trauma.

This is my first book of the Author and it is the third in the series. It can be read as a standalone but it mentions the characters on the first and Second book a lot as secundary characters.

Thank you to Netgally and the Author for the Advance copy review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

It's offical...I'm throwing in the towel regarding this author. I have now tried all her three books in this series but clearly I'm an outlier because these are not for me. I bought her first two and now this arc but her writing, characters and stories are not good.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is perfect. This is the type of book where you want to make sure you read every word. I didn’t want it to end and I know I will be reading it again soon.

Indira, after finding her boyfriend cheating, temporarily moves in with her brother, his fiancé, and Jude her childhood enemy who also happens to be her brother’s best friend. Jude and Indira have always had a volatile relationship but haven’t seen each other in years. Jude has been away working as a surgeon in countries suffering from humanitarian crises but is now home on leave to celebrate his best friend’s wedding. Unfortunately, Indira is forced to see her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend a lot during these wedding festivities and Jude is struggling to re-adjust to being home. Jude and Indira decide to call a truce and be each other’s fake date for the wedding. Their close proximity to one another might actually be helping Jude and maybe Indira likes this whole fake dating thing a little more than she thought she would. Jude and Indira are imperfect characters but oh so lovable and the steam was *chefs kiss*
The characters struggle with some difficult mental health issues on page. Eddings takes great care with discussing these heavy topics but please check trigger warnings before reading.
I really can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I have read and loved the other two books in this series but this is my favorite. The Plus One is a beautiful story that instills the fact that everyone is worthy of love.

Things I loved:
-The banter is witty, cunning, and laugh out loud funny.
-Positive therapy representation.
-Strong female friendships.
-No third act break-up!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would love to be able to give The Plus One five million stars instead of the five stars I’m limited to here, because THIS! THIS BOOK is the reason my heart craves romance novels, especially a book that is filled with ALL of the emotions a person is capable of feeling. My heart was in constant motion, swooping up and down with the mercurial emotions displayed by Jude and Indira. My face was busy too, grinning like a fool at times, frowning when things got sad. The intensity of this book was next level, as both Jude and Indira clawed their way through trauma and pain to reach the highs of a love that was limitless. My soul was touched by the knowledge that they were each other’s safe place, the anchor that held them steady through stormy times. And isn’t that what makes love even more precious? That without the hurt, the joy would be less, that laughter would not be poignantly beautiful. Because that is the story of Indira and Jude, who laughed and teased and loved with abandon—and who also cried and suffered and hurt just as freely. I could have continued reading their love story forever, always wanting to feel as if I were part of their lives. I’ve enjoyed every book in this series, and I’m sorry to say goodbye to them all—Harper and Dan, Lizzie and Rake, Thu and Alex, and, especially Indira and Jude.

Indira thought everything was going well. She had the job, the car, the boyfriend. Things are upended when she walks in on her boyfriend with another woman. Worse than this, her ex-boyfriend and her are both in her brother's wedding party in seven weeks. Enter Jude. Jude is her brother's best friend, and has been her sworn enemy forever. He has been travelling the world as a doctor helping out with humanitarian crisis and seems to be struggling in his return from war torn countries. With both Jude and Indira seeming to struggle in the events leading up to the wedding they agree to fake date to get through this occasion. The only problem is, they start to have real feelings and try to figure out how their lives can fit together.

There is something wonderful about this book and all of Mazey Eddings books thus far. She writes serious issues and plots, all the while adding humour and beauty to a story. Mental health is discussed in an open and raw way with a spotlight on the fact that mental health deserves as much help as physical health. I loved both Indira and Jude and found them to be wonderful, strong characters that were facing their own issues, but cared so much for each other (even when enemies) were there to support when the other needed it.

I loved that we were able to see some of our favourites from the previous A Brush with Love books, making it nice to see what everyone was up to. All the characters feel like people that you love to catch up with, after not seeing them for a while. I love seeing the continued happily ever afters for all these characters and it makes me a bit sad this series is over!

I loved this book and this series! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Fake dating, enemies to lovers, brothers’ best friend, forced proximity – all the good tropes! I laughed, I cried, I related to the story. So many of us struggle with mental health & I applaud the way Mazey navigated that aspect of this book. I liked the openness of going to therapy & I loved the “house” metaphor Indira used while trying to get Jude to understand his mental illness. There was great banter & some very steamy scenes. I loved this journey of two people coming together through hard times, supporting each other & growing together. This was a great book & just made me more of a Mazey Eddings fan!

“We honor the human body. Respect it. But we take the mind for granted. We ignore the invisible illnesses that plague countless people every single day.”

The book starts with Indira navigating the ups and downs of her personal life while trying to celebrate her brother's wedding. However, she doesn't expect to see her brother's childhood best friend whom she despised. Toss in some other cliffhangers and you'll be left to wonder do they/don't they. The medical professionals are painted true to life (and I can speak from the standpoint of an associate professor in a college of medicine.) Also painted true to life is the violent situations they encounter.
Sure hope there is a sequel!

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings is the third in The Brush With Love series, of which I have now read all three. These books standalone just fine, so only reading one or two would not be a problem with understanding and enjoyment. The Plus One starts off with a sticky mess (literally) and for Indira, it seems things can only go up, but upon arriving at her brother's home realizes they have gotten worse. The story is of Indira living at the home of her brother and his fiancé in the weeks leading up to their wedding and having to deal with the brother's childhood (and current) best friend that was the bane of her existence (and she his) growing up. There are many really cute things that happened during this book, and some pretty funny ones too. On the other hand, this book deals with some rather heavy issues, much centering around PTSD. I don't have any experience with this or know anyone that does, but it seemed to me that the author handled the delicate situations in the best way possible.

I am a fan of Mazey Eddings, but will admit that it had been a while since I read the preceding book in this series. No matter, because “The Plus One” stands on its own really nicely! This is a childhood enemies to fake dating to romance story, with a heavy, heavy dose of mental illness, and the value of therapy. Indira is a psychiatrist with a lot of issues stemming from her father abandoning her family when she was young. Jude is an emergency physician suffering from severe PTSD after being stationed in conflict zones. What is nice is that there are no big secrets or misunderstandings between the two — there is respect and honesty and giving each other a chance, which was a refreshing change of pace. And the spicy spicy scenes don’t hurt a bit either! Overall an enjoyable read, and it made me want to go back and read about some of the supporting characters’ stories!

✨ARC Review✨

“I wish to always remember the feeling of this moment.”

I absolutely adored this book! Indira is a psychiatrist, with an organized life, and a cheating boyfriend. Jude is a disheveled traveling ER physician, and is Indira’s brother’s best friend. The two have sworn each other off since they were kids. Yes, you are going to get some classic tropes in this book like childhood enemies, brother’s best friend, and fake dating, but this book is so much more than that, with bigger takeaways.

“You’re annoyingly adorable and simultaneously intolerable.”

Not only does it depict the harsh reality of how working in healthcare can deplete and change a person, it also portrays a larger reality, and that is it’s ok to NOT be ok. Both Indira and Jude are struggling through their own battles, but for different reasons. Indira has a failed relationship with her last boyfriend, and Jude’s nature of his job has taken a toll on him. They may both swear each other off, but they are actually alike in this regard of not having it all together, and the need for a “person”. I loved the vulnerability in this book, especially with how Jude’s character evolves. He opens himself up to Indira, and essentially becomes an open book. This is incredibly difficult for him to do, not only to allow someone into his life, but to accept help.

“You’ve always been my person, Jude. My annoying, wonderful person. And I think I’m your person too.”

What’s On The Pages:
-childhood enemies
-brother’s best friend
-enemies to lovers
-opposites attract
-fake dating
-forced proximity
-one tent

⚠️CW/TW: per author, PTSD from losing patients as a medical provider in emergency situations, emotional repercussions of growing up with divorced parents, moving on after a past partner cheats

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Steam Factor 🔥🔥🔥/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC! The Plus One is out April 4th!