SO CUTE!
First off read the trigger warnings, there’s topics discussed that definitely will trigger people, don’t take them lightly. Your mental health matters!
Anyway I thought this was a very informative, and moving book. From the therapy sessions we see to how they go about their lives trying to get better it was all very well explained. I was so sad to see them both so broken and blaming themselves for things they couldn’t control. I really just wanted to hug them so bad!
At the end I think there was a lot smashed into the last few chapters that I would have loved to see more of but it was nice to see them a little in the future before the epilogue!
I’ll also never look at peanut butter the same… IYKYK🙃😂

This was a really cute romcom book about a fake dating relationship from enemies to lovers. It also touched on the hardships having a relationship with PTSD. I would definitely recommend this book if you liked the first two books in the ‘A Brush with Love’ series. I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for a honest review. The publish date is April 4, 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC.

An enemies-to-lovers romance, The Plus One is full of banter and steamy attraction. Jude and Indira are wonderfully round and complex characters that complement each other well, both as enemies and then as a couple.

I recommend picking this book up if enemies-to-lovers, steam and spice, and fake dating are tropes that pull you into a romance.

What I liked about this book:
✨perfect balance of funny and emotional
✨the banter between the frenemies
✨no third act break up!

I liked A Brush with Love; I enjoyed Lizzie Blake; but I loved Indira and Jude. Best of the 3 in my opinion!

I felt this book...a lot. I was enamored by the mental health awareness and it hit me like no other romance book has. I thought the author told the story of a person with PTSD so brilliantly, I felt I was inside of his brain. I thought the whole fake dating trope was actually unnecessary is this plot. I could understand it from a character standpoint, but it just felt a bit forced. I almost felt these characters would have gotten close without the need for it. Anyway I absolutely loved this book, already pre-ordered a paper copy and am working through the two other books in the series.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It starts off a little slow after the initial problem presenting itself. It had a nice slow burn between the mcs.

Jude’s storyline focuses a lot on the state of his mental health and him learning how to cope with his PTSD. He is a well written character in my opinion. As someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, I feel like the way they wrote his traumatic episodes was true to real life.

Indira’s storyline focuses on her (partial spoiler but not really) abandonment issues. She’s a very self aware character and the way she was written was also really good. Just because you know where your problems stem from doesn’t mean they suddenly go away.

As a couple, I loved J&I. They supported each other and understood each other really well. They had good chemistry and it was interesting to see them go from irritated with each other to head over heels in love.

This was the first book i read from the series, and I’m looking forward to reading the other two in the series.

I received an advance copy of this book, courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To say I loved this one is an understatement. The love, the friendships, the pain and the beautiful way it navigated grief and mental health was simply unmatched.

Jude and Indira’s banter was *chef’s kiss* and I love a good frenemies to lovers story

This story taught me so much about healing and to reach out for help when you need it, because mental health is so important and needs to be prioritized, and that even the strongest of people still require help.

This is a must read and comes out April 4th, 2023

A big thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The novel, The Plus One, is full of "content warning" situations and dysfunctions, yet, Mazey Eddings makes it work. A heavy topics kind of book presented in a more light-hearted way that gives the reader all the feels. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

For all the years of Indira’s childhood, Jude was her nemesis as well as her brother’s best friend. Circumstances lead to them teaming up to fake date through her brother's upcoming wedding festivities. This is a common trope, and it was done well.

The main theme of the book, though, is a realistic look into PTSD, anxiety, and debilitating panic attacks. Because of the deep dive into the mental health of both of our MCs, I felt there was less attention paid to the actual buildup of their romantic relationship. But there is still enough spicy romance to entertain readers just looking for love. I especially liked the snarky back and forth between Indira and Jude. 3.5/5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. I have been reading this series from Mazey Eddings since the beginning, and I have loved each one - more than the last. This is by far my favorite (and I loved them all).

Indira has always been the friend in this series I have been most intrigued with, and to pair her up with a "grumpy" Jude was perfection. This grumpy/sunshine is so much more than just that! Mazey Eddings threw in some romantic comedy vibes, enemies to lovers and brother's best friend! They all mixed perfectly together.

Jude has been through so much, and his "grumpiness" is well-earned. He tries to hide this part of him, but Indira sees him, and she understands him.

Growing up, Jude was Indra's brother's best friend, and she was the annoying little sister. They certainly didn't see eye to eye - they bickered back and forth. There was a time or two when Jude would show some concern for Indira, but it was so infrequent that she couldn't stand Jude for the most part.

Now she's grown up. She comes home to find her boyfriend, another woman, and peanut butter in a compromising position. She seeks refuge at her brother's house; low and behold, Jude is there too.
Indira's brother Jeremy and his partner, soon-to-be husband, now have 2 house guests, and the fun is about to begin. As the wedding festivities begin (and OMG, there is a lot of them), Indira and Jude need each other more, and a friendship leads to much more.

Jude is experiencing some PTSD, and Indira has her own baggage, and these two find solace in each other and not just in the bedroom. They support each other mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Mazey Eddings is becoming an instant read for me as her books are simultaneously unique, engaging, and funny. Her writing is immaculate, her characters relatable and loveable, and the story - is unputdownable!
PS. As a "Philly" girl - I absolutely love her Philadelphia references, and yes - Dellesandros' cheesesteaks are amazing, I agree!

As someone who is late in the game and did not read the first two “A Brush with Love” Series books, I found this book interesting and entertaining. It is not what I expected from the title or the synopsis, but still a book that I enjoyed reading.

Indira needs to move in with her brother Collin after finding her boyfriend cheating. When she arrives at his home, she sees his best friend/her childhood enemy Jude is already staying there, and they will have to share the same roof for the few weeks leading up Collin’s wedding. Jude, for his part, is home on leave from serving as an emergency doctor for an overseas organization dealing with disasters and is having a hard time dealing with what he’s lived through. During the lead-up to the wedding, Indira and Jude agree to “fake date” to help take the pressure of each of them, but they soon realize there is nothing fake about how they really feel about each other.

This book is part steamy romance/part serious novel regarding mental health. For the romance part, the author has us wait for almost half the book, but once Indira and Jude get together, I don’t know if STEAMY is enough to describe their relationship. There is chemistry between two characters from the beginning, and so it’s easy to root for these two to succeed together.

The serious part turns out to be the main conflict in the book. Jude battles serious demons surrounding his work overseas, leaving him fighting many internal and external battles. He’s home temporarily dealing with all these issues while knowing in a few weeks he will go back to the situation causing the trauma. Indira is the only one who can ground him and help him see through the pain he feels, and the author does a great job giving the reader a perspective of a very real issue that’s very hard to understand if you haven’t lived it.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was heavier than I thought it would be as a romantic fiction book, but I do think the author tried to balance this with the love between the main characters and some of the funny dialogue that happens between all the characters. I caught myself LOLing many times while reading. While I didn’t know the back story on some of the supportive cast, I didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t change how I interpreted this book. I would recommend this book to others and think it’s a solid 4/5 stars for me.

**A very big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for honest review**

4.75 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC. I wanna start of saying that I tried to wait to read this book but I just couldnt it. I needed it my life. I have read the other 2 books and loved them so I could not wait to dive into this one and let me tell you Eddings did not disappoint.
I was here for it all. I loved the story of Indira and Jude that love hate relationship they had. I loved the way the topics talked about were brought to light and how much they are relatable.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I definitely went into it thinking it was going to be a light-hearted romance and definitely is heavier than other books I regularly read. It was a great book, just not what I was expecting.

Indira's brother's wedding is coming up when she walks in on her boyfriend with another woman. Her (now ex) boyfriend is also in the wedding party so she strikes a deal with her childhood enemy and brother's best friend Jude. He agrees to be her fake date to the wedding which helps him deal with some of his social anxieties regarding pre-wedding celebrations.

This book gives a really good insight into PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks. The whole book had me wanting to hug Jude and protect him from the world.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! *

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

The Plus One was a fairly enjoyable read. While, there were elements I really liked throughout this book, there was just something missing in the romance for me to fully love it.

This is the third and final book in the A Brush with Love series, and while it can be read as a standalone, I would recommend just reading the prior books first for better context and backstory on certain characters.

It is dual POVs of the main characters, Indira Papadakis and Jude Bailey, and there are some great tropes like, childhood nemesis to lovers, brother’s best friend, close proximity and fake dating. I would also highly recommend checking the content and trigger warnings before reading.

The overall storyline was a bit more heavier than I was expecting; this was definitely not a rom-com or a lighthearted read to be honest. The story also focused a lot more on Jude and his journey with his mental health instead of Indira’s journey, which was a bit disappointing because I was expecting more of her story and growth.

I will say though, the discussions regarding PTSD, therapy and self-love were beautifully written. The representation of mental health and all its struggles was so powerful as well. There were definitely a few moments that made me tear up.

The romance between Indira and Jude was fine. Their romantic development did feel somewhat rushed though. Their shift between nemesis to lovers felt quite sudden, as there really wasn’t a lot of tension or buildup in my opinion. But, there were some heartfelt, amusing and steamy moments between them that I truly enjoyed. I also really liked all the snippets of when they were younger.

Indira’s support and understanding of Jude’s struggle was truly amazing. I loved her devotion and commitment towards their relationship and their mental health. Her acceptance regarding her father was heartbreaking but beautifully written as well. I wished, that had been more discussed upon, especially with her brother.

There was no third act conflict, which I absolutely appreciated. They both communicated their feelings and agreed to worked through their obstacles together. The last few chapters were a bit drawn out though, but there was still a really heartwarming conclusion.

Overall, not my favorite book from this author but still a decent read with amazing mental health representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

From the publisher:Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exits. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit… real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around.

What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something these childhood enemies never expected in the next sparkling romantic comedy by Mazey Eddings.
**************************************************************************************************************************
My review:
This book was everything I love in a romance: enemies to lovers without too much nastiness, realistic characters, romance (duh), banter, timely issues, and some pretty good bedroom romps.

One of the best parts is that the female MC is the savior. She supports, loves, and helps Jude to save himself. She is not weak, trite or simpering in any way. Indira does not need rescue....love that. Also strong is the focus on mental health and its importance. Jude's trauma is real and the realism Eddings uses to teach us about that is inspiring.

I laughed out loud a lot in this book...Jude and Indira's banter is great and creative. They made me smile. Their ability to go from insult to making out was perfect. (She regularly tells him he's "the worst" and if that isn't the most relationship thing ever I don't know what is.)

I worried how it would end (spoiler...rom-coms always end happy, but one can still worry). And then I was pleased with the wrap up. Great book. I will look for the author's other works.

5 stars
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy ebook in exchange for my review.

I was so excited for this release after reading the first two in the series. Unfortunately this was my least favorite. Indira didn’t have the same character development for me as Harper and Lizzie. It went too quickly from “we’re childhood frenemies” to “actually I’ve always been in love with you.” I appreciated the mental health discussion but overall the book fell a bit flat. Indira and Jude weren’t believable for me as a lasting couple.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.75⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I truly adored this book! If you haven’t read it you need to!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Fake dating
Bother’s best friend
Forced proximity
Childhood enemies to lovers
Great banter
Steamy reads
Romantic comedies

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The authors note!
mental health rep
It felt so genuine
I wasn’t expecting such an emotional roller coaster but I loved every second of it

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “I'm not looking to fix you," she said, staring straight into his eyes. "I'm here to love you.”

The Plus One
Mazey Eddings

Genre: Romance
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Recommended: Yes!

By far my favorite book of hers! What an amazing read and I highly recommend to everyone!

Read if you like…
* Mental health rep!
* Brother’s best friend
* Childhood rivals to lovers
* Healthy communication!

Give this book all of the stars!
After reading Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, I was so excited to read this next release from Mazey Eddings. The Plus One did not disappoint!

Only giving this book five stars is going it an injustice!! All of the stars are needed! ⭐️ this was definitely one where I was sad to get to the last page.

Indira and Jude are couples goals. Indira is fiery and doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. Jude is quieter and watching him come out of his shell and back to life was great to see. Their banter was off the charts and had me laughing and smiling like a fool as I was reading. I loved how Mazey made it so easy to understand how they could go from being mortal frenemies to loving each other so hard. Relationships are 100% but aren’t always 50/50, and I think that is so evident with Indira and Jude. They step up for one another as needed, but also give each other the space just to be.

Note that there is a significant amount of trauma and PTSD discussed in The Plus One. I thought Mazey Eddings did a great job addressing these situations in a way that felt real and honest. There was no quick fix, but lots of hard work and understanding.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Mazey Eddings for an advanced copy. This is my honest review.

I will never view peanut butter the same after the first chapter

So glad Indira got her own book! I loved seeing cameos from Harper & Dan (A Brush With Love) and Lizzy & Rake (Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake).

Grammy the 🐈
Brothers best friend!!!!
Hate to friends to more
Forced proximity
Therapy positive
Fake dating
He falls first
One tent

A must read author for me!