Cover Image: The Plus One

The Plus One

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

From the cover, The Plus One seems like a nice lighthearted enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, close proximity standard rom-com but there is so much more to this. The author does such a good job of weaving together trauma, therapy, abandonment, loss and also standard rom-com themes with plenty of chemistry. I really enjoyed it even though at times it was tough to read because it reminded me of my own struggles with some of the topics. I appreciated the author giving a strong trigger warning ahead of time and I loved the epilogues (yes multiple) that continues to expand on these themes.

Was this review helpful?

I was instantly captivated by the many rom-com tropes in The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. This was my first read by this author and I'm so glad I picked it up because not only is it incredibly heartfelt, but it's also hilarious and as a reader, I felt like I was genuinely going through the rollercoaster of emotions Indra and Jude went through.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an ARC of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Mazey Eddings stole my heart as I followed her writer's journey through IG, and she made me a super fan as soon as I got my hands on A Brush With Love (Book #1). Lizzie Blake became one of my favorite FMC of all time (Book #2), and I couldn't wait for Indira's story. I wasn't disappointed and can't even tell you at this point which book in this series in my favorite. I love them all and am sad to leave this friend group/happy bubble of romance and adorableness.

WHAT I LOVED:
* This is absolutely a rom-com, but in true Mazey Eddings fashion, it delves into more serious topics. She keeps it light, but still makes and impression. PTSD is a tricky subject to touch and I think she wrote about it from a perspective authentic to Jude and his environment and support system.
* Collin and Jeremy are such a sweet couple and adoring, caring humans/brothers
* The way Indira and Jude help each other through some internal conflicts, but therapy is always a prominent theme in this series (so thankful for that!)
* The banter and sarcasm! Yum!
* The spice level is perfect... a mix of sweet and sizzly and slow, slow burn.
* Lizzie, Rake, Harper, Dan and even little Evie all had bits and spotlights in this story, and little blips into inside jokes...

While I still hope Thu gets a story, Indira and Jude were a great way to end a beautiful series with characters I fell in love with. Mazey Eddings is on my auto-author list and I will cherish (and probably re-read) this series always.

Thank you for Mazey Eddings and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. I received an advanced review copy for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

It was such a blast, it made me all giggly and happy. I cried, laughed, squealed. It was so fun. I will make a more detailed review on my instagram :)

Was this review helpful?

I didn't expect to like this book as must as I did. I don't think that the blurb really sets up the tone of the book. This book will tear your heart out from the get-go. The mental health representation was heart wrenching, but so beautifully empathetically written. I appreciated that for neither character was love the cure-all for their problems (emotions or mental health), but instead just a part of the larger story. I loved these two characters and their messy lives and I feel like the author did a great job realistically telling their stories.

Was this review helpful?

I have found Mazey’s books to be hit or miss for me. I found her first book just okay, and I loved her second book. This most recent book was another just okay book. It was enjoyable while I was reading it, but it didn’t stand out to me at all.

I would still read more from Mazey, but I would set my expectations lower.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted ebook.

Was this review helpful?

This was not for me unfortunately. It was hard to get in a “groove” : relationship/ feel connected to some of the characters.

While the story itself was great, I liked the background and the emotions behind what was going on with Jude (the psychological aspect). I think I struggled with liking Indira and some of her childish behavior given her career choice.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Plus One in-store or online today.

Due to changes at my job and an overwhelming TBR, I could only finish reading this book post-release date, from my local library. But it was an incredibly heartwarming and hopeful romance.

Not only did we see Jude and Indira grow as a couple, but seeing their individual growth also contributed so much to the story. Eddings didn't pull punches when depicting mental health struggles and how different people live with them. Both Indira and Jude's traumas were explained with care, compassion, and understanding. But these real-world issues never overshadowed the blossoming romance between childhood rivals.

Seeing Jude and Indira relive their childhood memories was so wholesome and sweet. I loved watching the transformation for both from reluctant bridal party partners to friends to lovers. And the epilogue left me with such a warm, fuzzy feeling for their future.

Cannot recommend this enough!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. It had both of my favorite tropes; enemies to lovers & brother’s best friend. Jude and Indira had so much chemistry and I loved the way they brought out the best in each other. This book puts a big focus on mental health which I think is very important. I thought it was done very well, showing the ugly parts of it and how to appropriately handle it. Overall, I thought this was a good read and I would recommend to anyone looking for something light and easy with a good message behind it.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a fantastic book!!! I love the way that each of these books builds the characters and the amount of mental health representation in each of them!! For this one specifically I LOVED the way that it was depicting the ways that struggling with mental health is okay and being able to grow and heal through these struggles is possible!

Was this review helpful?

There are certain things that no one can argue with. Like the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Gravity? Oh yeah, it's definitely real. And let's not forget, Indira and Jude? They absolutely can't stand each other. But what happens when these childhood enemies discover that they're the only ones they can count on?

Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What else could a late twenty-something want? Well...when she walks in on her boyfriend with a stranger, that perfect on-paper image goes up in flames. Jude has nothing together. He's a doctor who's spent the last three years traveling the world to deal with emergencies and humanitarian crises, but a quick trip home for his best friend's wedding has him struggling to readjust.

The elaborate, drawn-out wedding event is stressing Jude beyond belief, and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend more and more, the duo agree to be each other's fake dates for the wedding. When their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit real, they're both left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn't get any worse is made a little better with the other around.

Enemies to lovers? Check. Fake dating? Check. Forced proximity? Check. This book hit every nail perfectly for me. I received the third book in a series as an ARC, and I loved this so much that I went and read the other two, and now I'm buying them all so I can have the full series as physical copies. I loved Indira and Jude so much. One of the things I absolutely adore about this book is how it shines a light on mental illness and the importance of therapy. Eddings's dedication to transparency and representation in this regard is truly amazing.

This book was pure perfection! It has spicy scenes that kept me hooked, and the characters were adorable. I genuinely fell in love with all of them, and now I'm on a mission to read every single book Mazey has ever written. Huge, huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I think this is Eddings strongest yet! I felt so strongly towards these characters. Beautiful mental health rep, stunning characters, and it was both fun and heartfelt!

Was this review helpful?

Precious, happy, engaging, hot — after a disappointing read of A Brush With Love, I’m so glad to enjoy Mazey Eddings again!

Was this review helpful?

This book did not hook me at all. It was difficult to read and stay in the story. I did not like the characters and I did not like the writing

1/5 stars

Was this review helpful?

This book was pretty good definitely not my typical read by any means but it was such a fun easy read which is something I definitely needed

Was this review helpful?

So incredibly cute and enjoyable! I really was afraid that I wouldn't like this but! Thankfully I did!

Was this review helpful?

I really liked the book. It is a mix of a romance and also deals with important ssues such as Post Tramatic Stress Syndrom (PTS). It is the story of a woman who gets dumped and leaves her job since she works with her ex-boyfriend. She goes to stay with her brother and finds out his best friend—her arch enemy is also staying there. It is a bit of a rom com during the first part of the book because she decides to pretend to date her enemy to make her ex-boyfriend jealous and show that she has moved on. Well, as in most romances, they fall in love. However, there are many obstacles and some of these are quite serious. The author’s inclusion of serious subjects along with the romance makes the story seem more real and gives it meaning. She does not make it too sappy although some of it is heart wrenching. I enjoyed the book and will read another book by her in the future.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

I looooove Mazey Eddings!

It wasn’t that long ago that I was able to meet up for tea with Kristin Dwyer and we were talking about her fellow AVL writers. When she mentioned Mazey lived in the area, I gushed and gushed about how much I’ve loved every single book and every single character, and how I couldn’t wait to read this one!

AND IT WAS AMAZING!!! I was so excited for Indira’s story and she was such a fun protagonist! The build up to the wedding date—ugh—I know that feeling! This was such a cute story and I loved this journey for Indira!

Was this review helpful?

After reading the first two books in this series this one was very different from what I was expecting. I loved all of the discussions surrounding mental health, ptsd, and trauma. I love how pro therapy this book was and how much Indira grew and developed throughout the book. I also enjoyed the different take on the classic childhood friends to lovers trope. I do wish the pacing was consistent I flew through the beginning and end but the middle was pretty slow and dragging for me, other than that this book was so good with such incredible representation spread throughout.

Was this review helpful?