4.5 ⭐️

Read if you Enjoy:
- Enemies to lovers
- Grumpy vs. Sunshine
- Childhood friends
- Brother's best friend trope
- Fake Dating
- Trauma Awareness (PTSD and Childhood Trauma)
- Open Door Romance

This was my introductory novel to Mazey Eddings and I really enjoyed it. I have not read the previous two books but it did not take away from my full enjoyment of this third installment.

Loved how Eddings navigated the complicated world of trauma throughout the story. I found myself highlighting one too many quotes describing trauma in such an empathic way. Loved how the main characters supported each other throughout the book. Indira had so much patience for Jude despite her own battles and feelings as she coped with her own trauma. This book got a bit heavy at some points, but as a reader, I felt it was a crucial part of the book and the characters. Loved how this book focused on communication and staying true to your feelings.

I loved the banter in this book! So many laugh-out-loud moments that had me swooning for these two. Highly recommended! Excited to read the rest of the books in the series.

Available on April 4th.

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mazey Eddings has done it again with this book! Personally, this has been my favorite book she has written and for good reasons. "The Plus One" is the story between Jude and Indira. Filled with fake dating and brother's best friend tropes, Eddings intertwines the comedy with the serious. Indira is a psychiatrist while Jude is a doctor working with a fictional "Doctors without Boarders" type of company to pay off his medical loans. Plagued with PTSD, the book does take some dark turns with Jude pretending to be fine but really not being. It is this relationship, with all the lows and highs, that make the book absolutely great. And better yet.... THERE IS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. This was a great ending for the type of trilogy of books Eddings wrote about the three friends and can't wait to see what she writes next.

Oh this was a good book. I read and loved Lizzie Blake last year and The Plus One has solidified that I need to read the first book. Just on its own, I probably would have liked this with it being enemies to lovers and fake dating… But Mazey is such a fabulous writer who is so great at handling the hard topics. I loved the evolution of Indira and Jude’s relationship, and I loved the exploration of their individual mental health journeys. This book just felt so warm and lovely. Highly recommend!

I am still on the verge of tears after the ending of this book. This is a very hard story that dives into PTSD and the general importance of mental health. I thought it was just beautiful. Indira & Jude are two amazing characters that both are suffering in their individual ways. Together, they bring out the best in each other and I just love them so much.

Mazey Eddings will forever be one of my fave authors!

Tropes:
Childhood Enemies
Forced Proximity
Years of pining

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 4, 2023

A enemies to lovers fake dating trope slow burn romance…but can there be too slow of a burn? Everything just goes a step too far to make this almost slapstick/cartoonish. The cat, all the OTT pre-wedding events, the bee costume/fart scene. I appreciate the dialogue on mental health but as a reader, I needed more background information on Jude to feel invested in the character.

Unfortunately, the super slow burn and the above issues squashed any momentum/build up, so by the time these two actually get together, I had a hard time believing the attraction and had already checked out.

I’m always here for a book that advocates for therapy and mental health wellness, and that is something that I find Mazey Eddings always delivers in her books.

My heart broke for both Idrina and Jude, they’d both been through the wringer, and through some wildly different traumas, but that didn’t stop me from crying for them.
The brothers best friend trope is a favourite of mine, but when they’re childhood enemies? Even better. There was some really sweet and heartfelt moments between Drina and Jude!
There was also some funny, lighthearted moments in The Plus One, but I found the relationship way more natural than Harper & Dan or Lizzie & Rake!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Mazey Eddings for an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review.

ALL the stars for The Plus One. Mazey Eddings has quickly cemented herself as a "immediate purchase" in my mind.

I loved the premise of this story, brother's best friend, mental health rep, flawed but earnest characters, "fake" dating, spicy scenes. This book had so much good, but the emotions were what worked the most for me. I love the way Eddings weaves in mental health for her characters, and that their worth is not tied to them being "fixed" or "broken". You don't need to be whole or healed to be loved, and this book was the perfect example of that.

Sometimes the "I've always loved you" feels ridiculous for me, but I like that it wasn't a forced proclamation, Eddings showed the way the MCs were connected for years even when they weren't able to acknowledge it themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I admit to going into this thinking it would be yet another fake dating at a wedding trope of a novel - which is sort of is- but it's so much more, Indira and Jude both have to get through a wedding weekend and pair up to do so. She's recently found her ex with another woman (and now they're everywhere she looks just about). Jude is struggling with PTSD and guilt after working as a physician in desperate locations overseas. It doesn't really matter that Dira has cred as a mental health provider- she's a good human who finds a way to help Jude, I know this is the third in a loosely linked series but it's perfectly fine as a standalone,. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to Eddings for working mental health into the novel. Good storytelling makes this a good read.

Fake dating, excellent mental health representation, only one tent, and childhood rivals to ... something more? If I hadn't already been super excited to read The Plus One based on Mazey Eddings' previous books, those themes would have convinced me. As I expected, this book delivered in a big way.

One of my favorite things about Mazey's books is how she portrays mental health. In this book, Jude is dealing with PTSD and panic attacks - it impacts every aspect of his life and at the start of the book he's attempting to hide it from everyone. His management of his mental health was a long journey and felt realistic and wasn't instantly solved.

Jude and Indira were so, so, so sweet together. Even when they were antagonistic to each other, they had excellent chemistry. I loved how Indira just SAW Jude - when everyone else around him was oblivious to his mental health struggles, she saw through his facade and did her best to reach out to him.

Jude and Indira's transition from fake dating to a real relationship was delicious - there was pining, a bit of denial, some excellent banter, and terrible pet names. Even from early in their fake dating period, I couldn't help but root for them. I love that we got dual POV for this story - it added depth to their love story and made their relationship feel that much more well rounded.

Another one of the things I love most about Mazey's writing is how much dimension she gives her side characters. Jeremy and Collin were both delightful additions to this story - they added heart and humor to the story. I also really loved getting to see Harper and Lizzie - to read about them thriving in their happy ever afters.

The Plus One was an emotional and swoony romance - a perfect ending to the Brush With Love series. Jude and Indira might just be my favorite Brush With Love couple - and that was a high bar to beat. I'll definitely be rereading this series very soon.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Indira and Jude were a great couple, and I enjoyed reading about their journey from frenemies to lovers. Watching the two of them slowly heal from their mental trauma was very satisfying, and I read it all in one go. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

4ish stars

This was a fun read. I requested it knowing I had enjoyed a previous book from the writer, but I didn’t actually realize they were part of the same series; this was the third one, which means I’ll need to go back and read the second one at some point. Either way, it works as a standalone story, and the only thing that clued me in was a handful of familiar character names (as well as having medical settings as the backdrop for the book). I appreciate how this is a rom-com that also tackles some really big issues (ex. PTSD), all of which I thought were handled with care, including a list of content warnings at the beginning of the book. Overall, I had fun with this book; something about the way this writer crafts her stories just works for me, and I’m looking forward to checking out other work from her in the future.

Let’s start off by acknowledging I’ve clearly been living under a rock as this is the first book by author Mazey Eddings I’ve read. I only just realized The Plus One is actually the third book in the A Brush With Love series, this is despite a friend recommending the previous two books in the series a few weeks ago. Despite being book 3 this book can absolutely be read as a stand alone. While there are references to characters in the other books it never takes away from the story or leaves you feeling like you don’t know enough. I will absolutely be adding the other two books to my TBR as well.

I have been reading a lot of fake relationship stories lately and this was another one that was really well done. Indira finds out very quickly and abruptly the life she thought she had was about to come crumbling down when she walks in on her boyfriend and another woman. This leaves her little choice but to move in with her brother and his fiancee while she tries to sort out her next steps. This would all be fine and dandy if it wasn’t because her brothers best friend who also happens to be her childhood nemesis Jude Bailey was also currently staying there. If she is being honest with herself, she knew her relationship wasn’t going anywhere so she isn’t really upset about their breakup, seeing him flaunting his relationship with his mistress during all of the pre-wedding celebration she could do without.

Jude, a doctor, is on leave from his work aiding people in conflict zones to attend his best friends wedding. However, while he is home it is becoming obvious he has been suppressing his experiences he has lived through and the inhumane situations he has witnesses while on assignment. He is dreading his return to work after the ceremony. This book deals with PTSD and anxiety/panic attacks on page, I personally think it was done really well. It is honest yet raw and shows wonderful examples of the kind of actions people can take to help others who are struggling.

While neither is thrilled about it Indira and Jude come up with a plan, they are going to be each others plus one to the wedding. Honestly, I loved these two together for so many reasons. Given Indiras profession as a phycologist she has a unique ability to see Judes struggles and help him find the tools to work through it. This way of loving is so beautiful and raw made even more meaningful knowing these two have known each other for most of both their lives. I loved their banter and snarky comments, it seemed exactly like you would think childhood nemesis turning lovers trying to hide their affection for one another would interact.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Plus One is the third and final book in the Brush with Love series and in my opinion, the best book out of the three!

The Plus One follows Indira from the previous books and her brother’s best friend Jude, her childhood enemy. The two decide to help each other out by fake dating for Indira’s brother’s wedding as Indira has to deal with her cheating ex and Jude is going through PTSD after 3 years of traveling to humanitarian crises as a surgeon and could use an excuse to escape the wedding chaos.

While this book had many of my favourite tropes (childhood enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, and fake dating), I love how this book went deeper and explored a healthy relationship between two people going through their own trauma. The communication, the healthy coping mechanisms, and the character development were all so well done.

Overall, I love how Mazey Eddings writes rom-coms that are cute and make you laugh while also exploring mental health and neurodiversity with such care. I’m sad this series is over but I can’t wait to read future books by this author!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

Like every book, this book won’t be for everyone. It’s heavy on the therapy (but not in a preachy way, in a really accessible, approachable, and relatable way). Some parts were over-the-top ridiculous (like any good rom-com), but at the heart, it’s a cute enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, brother’s-best-friend romance.

#netgalley #arcreads #april4 #read #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #theplusone #comingsoon

💒 The Plus One 💒
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was an absolute delight. Indira and Jude are my new favorite couple. They are just so sweet and so human. Mental health is addressed in such a great and real way in this book. And the 🌶 is 😘! If you like romance at all, please pick up this book! It comes out April 4!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

Format: 📱

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (several, highly explicit scenes)
Trigger Warning: cheating (side character), PTSD, brief mentions of parental abandonment

After walking in on her boyfriend cheating, Indira Papadakis is forced to move in with her brother and his fiance. Little does she know, her brother's best friend Jude Bailey is also living with them while on leave from his job providing medical services in war torn countries. Jude and Indira always drove each other crazy growing up, but they soon find comfort in each other as Jude realizes that Indira is the only one who can help him with the PTSD he suffers due to his job. And when they decide to fake date leading up to Indira's brother's wedding, they quickly realize their romantic feelings aren't so fake after all. Can these two help each other move on from past hurts and find love?

After reading Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake, I was so excited to get an ARC for this book. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with Jude and Indira. They never really embodied the enemies to lovers vibe that was promised, and even the fake dating was not what I hoped for going in. That being said, there were still many things I liked about their story. The mental health journey they went on was the real star of the show and was done very well. I've never read about a character with PTSD, and I appreciated how the author addressed it in Jude's storyline. Seeing Indira able to comfort Jude, encourage him to get therapy, and even reconsider his job was extremely heartwarming. And the communication between these two was excellent in the moments when Jude wanted to just give up. While the romance didn't quite win me over, I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a great story about addressing mental health struggles. And I think fans of the series as a whole will feel extremely satisfied with the sweet epilogue!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings

Indira is at a crossroads with her current relationship she finds her boyfriend with another women in their home. She runs to her brother's house who is in the process of getting married. As she arrives to her brother's house she finds her brothers high school best friend Jude who is staying there. Indira and Jude end up supporting each other even though they did not like each other growing up.

This is book 3 in A Brush with Love series. This one pulls at your heart with the discussion of PTSD from Jude who worked overseas with a medical unit that works in poor countries or dire situation countries who may be fighting in war. Jude feels broken and thinks life will never be right for him again he is on a seven-week break. Indira is also dealing with a break-up and feeling not capable of doing her job as a therapist.

It was funny at times where I laughed out loud and other times it was serious talking about trauma and PTSD. This story was done right in how these topics where discussed which made the story more engaging and it helps the reader become invested in caring about the characters.

I have enjoyed the series so far and only need to read book one which will be read real soon. Narrated by Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden who did such a good job putting emotion into the story and bringing life to the characters. This was a five-star read for me and I recommend this romance to anyone who loves romance there are some tropes in this one, but the story flowed really well which made for a quick read.

Thank you to Netgally and MacMillan Audio as well as St. Martin's Press for a free copy of The Plus One for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

DNF AT 36%.

I tried really hard to keep going, but couldn’t. I didn’t love A Brush with Love, but really enjoyed Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake. Seeing that The Plus One was a brothers best friend and enemies to lovers romance (my two favorite tropes) I was sure I would love this.

However, I just couldn’t connect with the characters and wasn’t a fan of the writing. Although each chapter indicated who’s POV it was, I never felt like I was actually reading that characters POV. I didn’t feel this was written well in the third person and at times it felt more like a narration.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I’m a big fan of all of Mazey Edding’s books so far and this one was no different. I think Lizzie’s story was my favorite of the bunch, but Indira and Jude were lovely to read about.

It was refreshing to see a story so focused on mental health and helping people/family/friends. It’s one of the few times I think I enjoyed the first half of the story best. The banter between Dira and Jude was great.

Another good one from the author! Would definitely recommend.

The Plus One is definitely my favorite in the series! I loved that both Indira and Jude were written to show how anxiety and depression can affect people differently. The past of each character was well explained, and the relationship between the two characters felt real. The chemistry was easy and natural, and the friendship of the other women from previous stories was reflected on so we still got flashbacks of past characters.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.