The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book. Let me start by saying, I read this way back in September last year when I got an early ARC. I loved it just as much as the first two of Mazey's first books, and this is what I wrote immediately after finishing it:

"Don't mind me just laying here in bed freaking out about how good this was, how good the series was, and how I need to read them all again but just need to bask in Indira and Jude for a little while since my heart feels like it could burst! Mazey slayed it again! Childhood nemeses to lovers, fake dating, and incredible mental health rep... Wow!"

As I said, the MCs in the final book in this series, Indira and Jude, are so precious! This story dives deep into mental health and other serious topics while also delivering on both hilarious and just plain lovely moments. They decide to fake date for a series of wedding events to save them both from stressful situations and, as per usual, fake dating never leaves you not feeling some kind of way for the other person.

I have indeed decided to reread the first two in the series (A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake) before my pre-order for The Plus One arrives, at which point I will immediately read it again. I recommend you do the same before this book is released on Apr 4/23!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC, and thank you @mazeyeddings for this story!

#ThePlusOne #MazeyEddings #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #ARC #AmReading #RomanceNovel #Trilogy

The Plus One
By: Mazey Eddings
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars


Five Key Feels

-No spoilers, but this book started with a bang, and I was cracking up.

-I loved the evolution of Jude and Indira’s relationship.

-It was fun to watch their fake dating, especially with so much history.

-Collin and Indira have a really amazing support system, even though they had a hard childhood.

-It was sad to read about Jude’s trauma, and it was something I was not expecting.


——

The Plus One was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 4/18/23

I started this book thinking it would be a fun and light hearted, fake dating, enemies to lovers romance.

While there was a good amount of that, there was also quite a bit of sadness and drama, which I was not expecting.

Don’t get me wrong, this was a really engaging book, and I enjoyed it. It just had more of the sadness element, maybe a little too much for me.

Regardless, I think this is a good book, and worth reading. Just, set your expectations a little bit!


#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #theplusone #mazeyeddings #stmartinspress

Indira and Jude have disliked each other since childhood, but agree to fake date to help each other through Collin's (Indira's brother/Jude's best friend) wedding.

Ooh I really enjoyed this one. We get all the fun rom com tropes — frenemies to lovers, brother's best friend, fake dating, forced proximity — plus some serious discussions around mental health.

I love that our pair have known (and disliked) one another since they were kids and their favorite pastime is roasting the other. The digs were all in good fun and made for great banter.

There is a lot of heart too as Indira sees Jude struggling with PTSD and worms her way past his emotional barriers to try and provide comfort and help.

A great story overall that blends heart and humor with some steamy scenes. It's technically part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this early review copy.

This book made me have all the feelings and laugh within the first few pages! Indira discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her so she goes to stay with her older brother. Who opens the door? Her brother best friend and her childhood enemy, Jude.

Jude is back in town for his best friends wedding after 3 years of being a surgeon in humanitarian crises around the world. Suffering from PTSD, Indira is the only one who truly sees him and how he is struggling.

With her brothers wedding coming up, the two make a deal to fake date. It helps Indira save face in front of her ex and his new girl, and allows Jude an excuse to disappear when the celebrations become to much.

The result is tension, confused feelings, discoveries, and amazing banter. I loved the lack of third act break up and the A+ communication.



Tropes: brothers best friend, fake dating, enemies to lovers
Content warnings: ptsd, parental abandonment

Simply put. I loved Jude and Indira's story.

The enemies banter ("Indira: do you want to lunch with me? Or dinner? Jude: I don't eat." 🤣🤣), the supportive friends and family (getting to see friends from earlier books in the series, Jude watching greys with Collin. And Collin quoting pick me choose me love me. The fact that Jude's parents bet money decades ago that they'd eventually end up together🤣🤣).

They both truly fought FOR each other. But on that note, while the romance was light and full of butterflies, the overall story was heavy. I absolutely loved Jude from the get go and my heart absolutely broke for him every step of the way. I loved Indira's support without being overly pushy. At one point telling him "to get the air you need but when you come back we'll move forward together." I questioned at some point the handling of certain moments but this part wrecked me for him, for them. The ending felt a little rushed and I wish the epilogue focused on the two of them rather than the whole series friend group, but ending with showing the entire support system, the found family, felt right for the content of the story.

Now onto rereading the first two books in the series to sit with these characters for a little bit longer 😊


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Where do I begin? The first half of this book is all the tropes and I wanted to just lick the pages. Enemies to lover but also brother’s best friend with a sprinkle of close proximity/one bed or in this case one small camping tent. (Chef’s kiss right there!) But …ok this book got heavy and the last bit I guess I still need to digest.

The mood of Massey third book was a lot less bubbly then A Brush with Love and Lizzie Blake’s best mistake. And I don’t know if I like that. I was expecting bubbly and for the most party the book delivered but it didn’t end with that happily ever after feeling you expect in a romcom. It ended on a ‘we are all human and we make mistakes but we just kind of power through and so we find the happy moments vibe. ‘


Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. The Plus One will be available April 4, 2023.

This book was such a delight to read. I went in without any expectations after reading an arc of Tilly in Technicolour. I loved the way the story was set up and I appreciated the respective struggles that each character faced. I enjoyed this book as a romance but it also had a deep amount of emotional content which heightened my enjoyment of the novel. The banter between Indira and Jude made me laugh out loud while reading. I’ll definitely be reading the first books in the series as soon as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

With her last novel in this series, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake Mazey Eddings has become an auto-buy author for me. She has a way of creating these beautiful, messy, relatable, lovable characters. Indira and Jude are no different. In this book she masterfully tackles PTSD and difficult family dynamics (abandonment primarily). While Indira and Jude show no mercy in roasting each other and Collin (Indira's brother and Jude's best friend), the sweetness, love and tenderness they also show each other is just beautiful. Sweet and tender, funny and heartbreaking, Mazey does it again in The Plus One. Absolutely, 1000% recommend this book. Now please tell me we are getting Thu's story soon!

I loved A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake so much that I put Mazey Eddings at the very top of my instant read list. After reading The Plus One, I can confidently say that she will continue to hold this title. Eddings is a master at writing witty, angsty, and steamy romance with characters who feel authentic and experiences that feel real. While a lot of romance novels prefer to stay 'cute' and surface level, this book has no problem getting emotionally deep. This book contained one of the most honest, well done handlings of anxiety and PTSD that I've ever read in a fiction novel, without sacrificing the heartwarming and sweet tones readers come to romance for. It had me feeling every emotion in a manner of a few hours and will firmly sit at the top of my favorites list for books I've read this year. If you're looking for a steamy, fake-dating, dislike to love romance with a lot of heart, The Plus One is the book for you!

This book follows Indira, a psychiatrist, and her big brothers life ling best friend Jude, an emergency surgery working oversees.

I loved the banter between these two characters. They dig at one another and drive one another crazy, but that is their love language.

I had a really hard time getting through this book. I personally found it bounced from one place to another without a great flow. It was loaded with detail, which I usually appreciate, but at times it was just too much.

There may be some triggers included cheating and PTSD.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All of these thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored The Plus One! I have loved every book of the A Brush With Love series but this one was just so special. We’ve gotten to know Indira over the last two books and getting to read her story made me understand and appreciate her character so much more. Raw, emotional, perfectly imperfect characters, Philly, amazing friendship, a hilarious creature cat and full of so much love. 5/5⭐️



Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This is the third of Mazey Eddings books that I have read and she has quickly become a favorite. Her characters feel like friends. She is funny, witty heartwarming and still also writes seriously steamy scenes too. I truly enjoyed this enemies to lovers story of Jude and Indira. One aspect I truly appreciate in Eddings books is including characters with real world struggles. I will continue reading everything Mazey writes.

I received this book ARC through NetGallery. This book is the last in the Brush with Love series. This book was my favorite in the series! The book followed Indira, child psychiatrist and Jude, her brothers childhood best friend. Indira walks in on her boyfriend with another woman using her organic peanut butter. She decides that she’s had enough of this guy and goes to her brother’s house to stay. When she arrives at her brother's, she find Jude there, who seems less like himself. Jude is home for Indira’s brother Colin’s wedding. Jude has been working for the Global Health Organization around the globe providing emergency care in war torn countries. Jude is struggling to adjust to his everyday life. Due to Indira’s breakup with her boyfriend (her future brother in law's cousin and fellow wedding party member) and Jude’s growing anxiety, they agree to pretend date to support each other. The story follows the progress on Jude and Indira’s friendship as well as improving ones mental health. Harper, Dan, Thu, Lizzie and Rake make various appearances in the book. I love how openly this book talks about mental health.

My favorite quotes:
“We don’t have to be perfect. I know I can fall apart with you. I can thrash and struggle and slog through my demons and your arms will always hold me. Let me be that for you.”

“Loving yourself isn’t a sin, Jude. Giving yourself love won’t diminish the love and caring you give to others. In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do for the people in your life.”

After A Brush with Love, Mazey Eddings has been a one-click for me. She always packs a lot of heart and humor into her books, which I love. There's also mental health rep in every book which I think is extremely important and she handles very carefully. The MMC, Jude, has PTSD. He's a doctor who is on scholarship through a program with the Global Health Care Organization and has 13 months left of field work.

The FMC, Indira, is a psychiatrist who walks in on her boyfriend in a, shall we say, compromising position with another woman. She goes to live with her brother, who's about to get married, so at least she can help with that, but there are two BIG problems; 1. Her now ex is the cousin of the man marrying her brother, so she'll be forced to be around him and 2. Her childhood arch nemesis and brother's BFF, Jude, is also staying with her brother.

As much as they antagonize each other, they really compliment each other. Being around Indira actually helps Jude feel better and Jude, in turn, helps with Indira's ex-BF drama. There's A LOT of banter, which I love in an "enemies/rivals to lovers" romance and we even get an "only one bed" plot line and those are always fun.

I really loved this book, as I have the previous two. They were all 5 Star reads for me. I believe this series is done, but I can't wait to see what Mazey comes out with next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
5 Stars

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for chance to read The Plus One in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fantastic book! This book is number 3 in the A Brush With Love series but my first time reading Mazey’s work. It is an RomCom. It covers fake dating, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers. I love that also has a mental health representation!

I can’t wait for this story to be available to everyone. I know it’s going to be the next big bookstagram hit!

This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be going back to read her previous books! She was able to blend very heavy topics including trauma and comedy flawlwssless and without taking away from the seriousness of the issues. As someone with a very strong background in mental health, I was very impressed with how these issues were discussed. I enjoyed the characters stories, relationships and long history with one another. I will absolutely recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4⭐️ I am so impressed with how this book handled some really tough topics. I really enjoyed Jude and Indira’s journey! Read this if you like: brothers best friend, a romance with some substance, and some spice! Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Oh my gosh, I LOVED this book. I was a little hesitant during the first few chapters, but WOW, I'm so happy I picked this up. I know this is the third book of the series, but I read it as a standalone without any confusion.

Indira and Jude have known each other since they were kids. To Jude, Indira is his best friend's annoying little sister and they spent their entire childhood and adolescence competing, picking on, and avoiding each other. Now as adults, Indira is an optimistic, child psychiatrist, where Jude is more stoic, facing PTSD from his time as a trauma surgeon serving war-ridden areas. It wasn't until Indira catches her boyfriend cheating right before her brother's wedding that her and Jude agree to be each other's date. She doesn't have to go stag to an event where her cheating ex is an attendee, and Jude gets a distraction when the noise and crowd get to be too much.

The representation in this story was top-tier! I loved the dialogue surrounding trauma, PTSD, parental abandonment, the benefits of therapy, and men who acknowledge and break down their feelings.... *chef's kiss*.

I literally had 0 expectations going into this as it was my first Mazey Eddings book. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this advanced copy!

The Plus One is just as good as all of Mazey’s other books, which if you know my content at all, are among my all-time favourites.

The Plus One is laugh-out-loud funny. Mazey Eddings truly writes a romcom, in a way that few authors are doing currently.

The Plus One deals with sensitive topics with a tremendous amount of care. This book somehow manages to be both genuinely funny and heartbreakingly sincere.

The Plus One captures exactly what I love about the Romance genre; the characters in this book are able to understand each other in a way that no one else has, and they are able to support and love each other through hard times while bringing out the joy and humour in their partner.

This book is a perfect example of why Romance is my favourite genre. I highly recommend reading the books in order, as this was the perfect ending to such a beloved series. 5/5 stars!

Although I didn't read the other two books in the A Brush with Love series, that didn't deter me from enjoying The Plus One! The story follows Indira and her brother's friend and childhood enemy, Jude, as they agreed to be each other's fake dates to her brother's upcoming wedding. The story has you rooting for the two of them from the start, while including layers of complex issues such as PTSD, family drama, and cheating. With all the fun and lighthearted moments that will make you laugh, the serious and emotional undertones might bring you to tears. Mazey Eddings did a great job balancing the many tropes woven into what normally would be a simple romance story. Thank you to NetGalley for my first ARC!