I loved this one from Mazey Eddings, definitely my favorite of the series. I thought it was so great how open Jude and Indira were with one another. I felt the conflicts could’ve been a bit stronger. It felt a little rushed but everything else was heartmelting and perfect. I truly appreciate how I pant at mental health and getting help was almost a character on its own.

5/5 ⭐️
4.5/5 🥵

Indira and Jude are two people who tolerate each other’s presence like one tolerates the common cold. Someone intrinsically present and hardly tolerated for the duration of there presence.

Indira, having been cheated on, goes to stay with her brother, Collin who is about to be married to his partner Jeremy. But Indira’s bad night only gets worse when her brother’s best friend, Jude opens the door to her brother’s house. Jude isn’t terrible, he’s just awful, with his contrite manner and crappy, albeit witty, come-backs. Jude is back from being stationed overseas as a response surgeon in areas of conflict. He got time off after 3 of he 4 year contract to attend the wedding. And he’s staying with Collin. Obviously Indira can’t complain too much as she needs a place to stay while she puts back the pieces of her life. And considering she’s has a doctorate in psychiatry that should be easy right? Well mental health doctors aren’t perfect and everyone needs a starting point when they find their boyfriend, balls deep in another woman with faces covered in peanut butter, right?

As the story continues we find Jude isn’t himself. His work has turned him into a shell of the person he once was. Experiencing terrible boughs of ptsd and trauma responses during the most menial times has got him on edge and struggling with the pre-wedding festivities and it’s only getting worse. But of all people, Indira notices, with her honey eyed stares and inexplicable knowing. And Jude is scared and drawn to her like a man dying of thirst and she’s an oasis in his desert of loneliness, fear and shame.

So when the idea is posed to go to this wedding together for support, no one could have predicted the outcome of these two childhood antagonists finding their person was with them all this time. And all it took was them seeing one another as people to find the love there. These two see each other and study the pieces and put their lives together with one another and create a beautiful story, showing how important mental health is and wanting to love one another fully and completely. As their best selves.

This story made me laugh, cry, rage, ponder and feel happy! It was the perfect 3rd book in a beautiful series about friends and their lives and lovers. Mazey’s writing got better with each story and this one has sealed the deal on making her and instant purchase author for me. The only nit picky thing I have to say, is that Collin has blonde light colored hair and green eyes, Indira has dark hair, dark skin and brown eyes. And they have the same parents and are Italian and Greek… the genetic descriptors threw me off. But again that’s me being very nit picky haha. Sorry I just had to mention it. Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC.

I don't know HOW I didn't realize this was part of the same series as Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake which was one of my favorite romances last year! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes of all time and this childhood enemies to lovers novel definitely scratched the itch. I love seeing representations of mental health in novels that are actually realistic and include non-linear healing. So often novels glamorize mental health and use it as a way to move the plot forward but Mazey Eddings handles it very well. I will gladly read and recommend anything she writes at this point.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for sharing this advanced reader copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This is the first book I've read by Mazey Eddings and surely, it didn't disappoint. Tbh, I didn't even read the synopsis before requesting it, but I just read the magic words: "fake date" and I'm in!

Opening the book (not literally since it's an ebook), there is a content warning which I totally appreciate. It focuses on mental health problem which usually is being stereotyped. Finishing this book, I felt that somehow, I have undergone therapy, too, if that's how it actually felt like to be in one. Both characters have suffered from a great deal amount of traumatic experiences and both were healing from it -- together. The chemistry between Jude and Indira is palpable. I felt it the moment Jude opened the door for Dira the first time.

I'm giving this a 4.5/5. The missing .5 is because I thought that the ending was lacking and rushed. A better ending for this wonderful couple should have been a little bit better.

Enemies to lovers. Fake dating. Forced proximity. Spicy sex scenes. Oh, yes! Did I say 69? Well, then, absolutely there is 69 here. LOL.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for providing me an eARC in exchange of an honest review. Book will be published on 04 April 2023.

DNF at 36%. Sadly, I don’t think the writing style was for me. Though I appreciate the mental health representation, I struggled to connect with the characters and believe that they were ever truly enemies.

The Plus One

“The Plus One” is the final installment of Mazey Eddings’s Brush with Love series. In this novel we are introduced to childhood enemies Indira Papadakis and Jude Bailey. Indira is Jude’s best friend Colin’s little sister. Jude is temporarily in town to serve as best man in Colin’s wedding. As part of a scholarship program that absolves him of his student debt he has spent the majority of his career overseas providing surgical assistance to victims of war and catastrophic natural disasters. Unfortunately, after constant exposure to such volatile environments, Jude has developed PTSD. He deals with it by ignoring it and pretending that he is fine. The only problem with this approach is that Indira is a therapist and she is able to see past the walls Jude puts up, which only keeps him on the offense.

Jude is not the only one with issues. Indira has just been cheated on by her on again, off again boyfriend. To make matters worse, he’s a part of the wedding party since he happens to be her brother’s fiance’s cousin. Yeah, that’s not awkward. Oh and did I mention that she has to temporarily move in with her brother as a result of the breakup. And guess what? Jude is staying in the house as well before he goes on to his next assignment.

As Indira and Jude navigate through Colin and Jeremy’s many wedding activities Indira finds herself constantly confronted by her ex and his new girlfriend, whom incidentally, he cheated on her with. Unfortunately, all the boisterous fanfare proves too much for Jude’s PTSD and as a result he has a difficult time proving to himself that he is mentally okay. It’s not long before Indira and Jude come to the conclusion that their forced proximity could prove beneficial to them both. As her fake boyfriend Jude will serve as a buffer between her and her ex. Ideally with him on her arm she will not come across as the spurned ex lover. In exchange, Indira will help Jude decompress when the wedding activities become especially stressful for him.

Enemies to lovers. Best friend’s sister. Close proximity and fake dating. This crazy mashup of romance tropes makes for a fun read. I love reading how Indira gets under his skin during their MANY arguments because she is able to get past his protective walls. Slowly but surely, Jude’s numbness melts away and he begins to feel like his old self.

Jude is not the only one who is blossoming from this fake dating situation. As the intimacy between them intensifies Indira begins get over her abandonment issues and she truly feels that she is worthy of love.

The Plus One has a little something for every romance lover. Not one but three tropes and genuine and fun characters. Also, I like how the author addresses the issue of student debt in this country and how stressful it can be to a young professional just starting out in the world. I also, like how knowledgeable and sensitive Eddings is around the subject of PTSD. Although it does not come close to its predecessor “Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake”I still really enjoyed this one.

From the cover and the blurb, I thought this was going to be a very lighthearted book. I got so much more depth and, honestly, trauma than I expected.

I started the book, not quite liking Indira. The hatred between her and Jude was a little forced. I had a really hard time believing that even kids that grew up together would continue to be so cruel to each other when they got their late 20s. However, she really grew on me. I loved her devotion to her clients. I loved how she and Jude made each other better. I loved the emphasis on working through trauma and therapy. I even liked how the initial betrayal by her boyfriend was handled. The story was handled with enough humorous moments to make it entertaining and some thing that brought joy.


Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

I am a mess. I’m a wreck. My face is streaked with dry tears. Did I just attend a therapy session? I’m pretty sure that’s what this book was. Oh my gosh I can’t form words for this. 5/5 stars all the way. Go preorder this ASAP. Jude and Indira were absolutely everything and my new fave couple. The mental health representation was phenomenal as usual with Mazey. The PTSD was heart wrenching and just left you speechless. It made you want to just hug Jude and never let him go. Indira’s strength was absolutely everything. To see her gain confidence in this book and see just how strong she is. Inspiring. Truly.

The sexual tension was chefs kiss. The romance as a whole was so well done. The reminder that you don’t have to be perfect for love. You don’t have to wait until you’re healed to love and be loved. Which that really hits close to home. So, thank you for that reminder. As usual the side characters were gripping. The personalities they all give off just flow so well. The friends are all so different, but they fit so well together.

I could go on and on with this review. The spice was delicious, you will laugh, you will cry, and you’ll experience rage during certain moments. You’ll also never look at peanut butter the same.

This was another well-done read by Mazey Eddings. We see the last friend in the friend group get their happily ever after. It had heavy medical world viewpoints because the man has a doctor's background and the woman is a psychiatrist. I thought the build to the relationship was well done and it also took time to showcase the need for mental health resources. I also liked the build-up to Indria's brother's wedding. I really loved that we got to see other characters from previous books, specifically Lizzie.

THANK YOU NET GALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS. That being said, rating and feelings are my own:

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a pleasant surprise for me and I’m so glad I was approved for this ARC. I had previously DNFed a Mazey Eddings book so I was a little wary of trying her again, but I think her writing style was one I just needed to get used to because after a few chapters I was hooked. The dual POV done in third person narrative can be tough for me to connect with, but I got used to it enough that it stopped bothering me too much. Indira and Jude follow the enemies to lovers trope- but not really- and the fake dating trope- but not really (they tell their friends and family about it so it’s only fake to, like, 3 people)- so none of the tropey stuff gets too much in the way of their story. I loved that their relationship developed through really deep conversation and we really feel the connection and love growing between them. I especially loved the lack of the third act breakup- it actually feels like one is coming but then they (gasp!) talk about things instead like mature adults??? Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised too. Jude is dealing with some serious PTSD after being stationed in different international war zones as a surgeon, and he is in full denial that anything can be done to help get him through it- until Indira helps show him the way.

I felt like this really was Jude’s story, and Indira was a side character, and I actually ended up really appreciating that, as we got to see the mental health representation followed through the full book (plus Indira was a little boring/underdeveloped for me). Indira is a fundamental part of his journey and I was worried at first that it would become a co-dependent relationship, but the author tactfully handles that with Jude’s acceptance that while Indira helped him get the treatment he needed, he was able to follow through on it with or without her.

If I could change anything that would give this book more stars from me, I would have really liked to see more of their childhood/past that caused them to be such great enemies- and maybe more of them as current-day enemies before they became friends and then lovers. I felt like the enemies part didn’t really matter much because we barely saw it exist, it was kind of just a trope they had to throw in there as a conflict but it just didn’t do much for the story. I loved the childhood stories they told and I would have loved to see more of those, if only to maybe see how much they really were never enemies at all.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy! I love this whole series and this book did not disappoint. I loved the enemies to lovers storyline and the reunions with the friends.

Third in the series, though easily the one I enjoyed the most! A fun little romance with a huge emphasis on the importance of mental health. Though I usually don't like my romance to have a heavy bent, this novel approached the topic with a pretty steady hand and didn't turn the novel into a book with a touch of romance, as most tend to do. I'm not a fan of the 'knew one another as kids and now are adults with ~feelings~' trope, but The Plus One makes the reader love the characters despite the trope. There is trauma discussion in this book and, more specifically, how that trauma follows you through life, but the novel leans into how opening yourself up and allowing vulnerability can let others help carry your burdens with you and improve your life. I really enjoyed it.

This book was wonderful, and I was happy to see a book address recovering from a trauma so effortlessly! It was a sweet book that leaves you emotional!

This book was the perfect brother’s best friend and enemies to lovers read! It mostly covers the multiple weeks leading up to Indira’s brothers wedding. Jude’s character was so loveable, and I loved how vulnerable Indira was at times. There were a lot of important topics covered in the book like the impact of an absent parent and struggling with PTSD.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for approving my request for an arc of this. I appreciate it so much.

I liked Mazey’s first book but for me, this one really takes the cake. Not only do I enjoy Mazey’s writing but her storytelling is really good. The chemistry that she created between Jude and Indira was palpable. I found myself grinning. I felt sooooo much for these too. To bring my emotions to the forefront like this….this story had me feeling so many things, specifically raw and tender. This story felt like a hug. It felt warm. It was tense and it was beautiful.

One of the things I really look for when it comes to romance is whether or not the author will show us that the chemistry is there instead of just tell us and I believe Mazey was able to accomplish this. She made the characters extremely lovable and relatable.

I also think Mazey handles the topic of trauma so well. I feel really blessed to have been able to read this book. I don’t do this often but I will be revisiting this book. I am pretty sure I’m going to buy a physical copy for myself because I love it so much. I highly recommend this.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in one weekday.

At the beginning of the book, Indira finds her boyfriend cheating on her so she moves in with her brother, his fiance, and her brother's best friend, Jude, who was her childhood enemy.

I loved the glimpse we see into their childhood through her diaries and when Jude framed that piece of paper they bickered on, I swooned.

I enjoyed seeing how supportive Indira and Jude were to each other throughout the book and both main character's growth throughout the story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Y’all this book was SO GOOD! Classic enemies to lovers/childhood crush. Jude and Indira together were just some straight up perfection.
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You want some funny, relatable characters? You want to laugh out loud at dialogue? You want people who actually talk 👏🏼 about 👏🏼 their 👏🏼 issues 👏🏼?? Look no further than The Plus One.
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4.5/5🌟

This was definitely a good book, and was much deeper than I expected it to be.

Indira and Jude were great main characters. They had a lot of depth and had a lot of individual character development that contributed to the development of their relationship - their individual struggles pushed them to work as a team and support each other, which made me root for them much more than if they had turned against each other in addition to their individual struggles.

PTSD plays a pretty significant role in this book. Jude's experience with trauma and struggles with mental health were more serious than I expected after just reading the summary for this book, so just know going in that it is very emotional and intense at times. The way that Dira supported him throughout his struggles and encouraged him to get help in whatever way was right for him was so sweet and respectful, and it definitely made their relationship stronger and differentiated it from your typical romance novel relationship.

Overall, I'm really glad that I read this book, and I think it is well written and is a great pick if you want a romance with a lot of depth! This was the first book I've read by Mazey Eddings, but I really enjoyed her writing style and am now very interested in reading more by her.

Huge thanks to St. Martin's and to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely love Mazey Eddings! Brush With Love is one of my favorite comfort books of the last two years and The Plus One lived up to my expectations. I love how mental health is approached and how Jude’s PTSD feels real. Indira has the best witty comebacks.