I really enjoyed this book! I absolutely loved Indira and Jude together. They seriously deserve the world. The book really touched on Jude’s mental health, specifically PTSD, and I think Mazey did a great job at explaining it and showing how it impacted Jude’s character and the people around him. I’m so glad Jude had Indira to guide him through his battle with his mental health.

Moving on from the heavier stuff, this book is packed with laughter and a bit of spice. I found myself audibly giggling throughout the entire book! It contained some of my favorite tropes, like brothers best friend and childhood enemies to lovers. I definitely would recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

(4.5⭐️) Taylor Swift songs: “New Year’s Day”, and “Golden”, and “peace”, more on those at the end, but also, “False God”!

If you like Tessa Bailey level spice with childhood nemesis/enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, fake dating, BUT ALSO beautifully written with amazing character growth real people with real problems trying to figure out life together, this is literally perfect for you. Personally, I’m deducting a tiny bit in my personal rating, only because I do not like this much spice in my books, but I loved pretty much every other aspect of the book, it’s just my personal preference. If it had less spice this would probably be a top tier book for me. But I can’t put this book at anything less than a 4.5, it was actually perfect in every other way for me. However, if you like spice, the spice in this was actually written very well! If you like more spice in your books this is definitely for you though, this is just my personal preference, absolutely nothing against the author at all, she did phenomenal.

For this book it was definitely the right choice to do dual alternating POVs. Instead of taking away all of the tension (like most enemies to lovers books do) if you just see how they are feeling for each other and know it’s reciprocated, you get to see these extremely complex characters slowly come to terms and heal from their own traumas. We also get to experience the revelation of their feelings for each other as they do, but it is written in such a beautiful way. I love how while being attracted to each other, they are obviously falling so hard for each other’s souls much more. They slowly become more and more vulnerable with each other, despite not being vulnerable people. Of course the main male character says a few thinks he likes of her physical appearance (actually almost all of them were about her eyes) after he realizes he has feelings for her, but I LOVE how he talked way more about her presence and how safe and comfortable he was feeling with her, and how he truly fell in love with her soul first. And everything feels so authentic between them. While this book definitely doesn’t skip out on their physical relationship, it heavily focuses on their emotional connection much more. I honestly think this book had one of the best emotional connections I’ve read, it was seriously amazing.

I also loved how mental health focused this was, she is a psychiatrist, but also goes to therapy and works on her past traumas with abandonment, and he is also working through a lot of PTSD. I love to see their beautiful relationship form as they both work on their own healing journeys, not trying to fix each other, but to be there through it all. This is really where the song “peace” comes in. They learn that the other will accept them no matter what baggage they carry, the other is there to help ease the burden.

This book was very much a “New Year’s Day” and “Golden” type of love (the songs by Taylor Swift). This book emphasizes how love is shown in the small, everyday moments, where “I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day”!!!! A quote from the book says: “He’d forgotten that happiness wasn’t a banging, violent emotion like all the others that bombarded him every moment. Happiness was soft. Uneventful. It was holding Indira’s hand. Sitting next to her on the couch and listening to her talk. It was a quiet cup of coffee with her next to him reading a magazine. It was teasing her, being goofy and pretending to pass out after sniffing her feet, making her shriek in outrage and giggle. Happiness was them.” 🥹🥹😭

Age rating: 17+, a little spicier than Emily Henry, about 3.5/5🌶️, like Tessa Bailey
*If you wanted to skip spicy scenes, skip from the middle of chapter 22, only read the last few pages, starting around page 180 of my conversion from ebook is correct (important plot point), and then completely skip chapter 23. Skip the last few pages of chapter 26, starting around page 214, (after he gives her the bday present). Skip second half of chapter 32, and the second half of chapter 39.

Thank you Netgalley for providing and advanced reader copy ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A very sincere f*ck you to Mazey Eddings for making me cry this hard in public over a happy ending :') This book single-handedly dismantled the patriarchy and cured every man of their internalized toxic masculinity. It mended my broken heart and imparted the wisdom of at least a year's worth of sessions with my therapist.

I went into this book totally blind, and could not have been more taken off guard by the depth I found in this rom-com. This is a childhood friends (frenemies?)-to-lovers story with banter and emotional wisdom that rivals Emily Henry's <i>Beach Read.</i> I don't say this lightly– <i>Beach Read</i> is one of my most reread books of all time.

I felt the full spectrum of human emotion reading this–the humor that's woven throughout almost made me pee my pants on multiple occasions, the romance was perfectly paced and had me swooning from start to finish, the steam was just the perfect amount of heat, and the heart-wrenchingly tender depiction of PTSD literally made me weep. I want to sit down every person I love and beg them to read this. One of the best books I've read this year; I know I sound dramatic with this review but I MEAN IT it is THAT good. 🥹😭 Prepare to be sick of me because I will not rest until every person I have ever met pre-orders this book.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series and Plus One did not disappoint! This read is relatable from friendships to romances every reader can find themselves in this story.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so humbled to have received all three novels in this series via an advanced format through Netgalley.
A Brush with Love (4-Stars, Advanced Listener's Copy/ALC)
Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake (5-Stars, Advanced Reader's Copy/ARC)
The Plus One (5-Stars, Advanced Reader's Copy/ARC)

The Plus One is likely my favorite of the three and will join Lizzie Blake in my Top Ten of 2022!

As someone who has read all three in publication order, this is contains the most amount of mental health rep. That doesn't make it any less of a romance because Mazey Eddings is a fantastic author. The rep is important and embedded so well into the storyline and the growth of the couple. This friends to lovers couple are so precious. Having dual POV helped to show Jude's version of the wedding events and then Indira's perspective and it really highlighted the individual character development in addition to their romance. The mental health commentary is done so well that it's so heartfelt and meaningful to the storyline. So, while it's not a light and fluffy novel, it's such a great novel to cozy up to this winter season.

I don't want to spoil anything but thank you Mazey for that extensive epilogue! It perfectly rounded out the trilogy of companion novels.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was really hoping to love this one because I have physical copies of the first two books in the series but this book failed to meet my expectations. To be fair, I didn’t realize that this book was even part of a series but each book is based on a different character so you don’t have to read the first two to understand the third. I haven’t read the first two books yet but now I don’t know if I want to after this.

One of the main things that made me not finish this book was when we got to read chapters from Jude’s POV. The very first chapter of his made me want to drop the book entirely. How can an author try and be secretive about something that is going on in that character’s life when we are literally in their head? Apparently, Jude had a bad day but we didn’t get to know anything about it but he kept referencing to it in his head. Basically, his whole chapter was, “wow, that thing that happened earlier put me in a bad mood”. But we don’t get to know what that thing is. No one talks like that in their head.

There was also a lot of telling, not showing in this book. In one of the first few chapters, we get to learn how Indira goes about loving people. How she fails in every relationship and why. This might not sound like a big deal but the way it was written was cringey and weird.

And lastly, I want to bring it back around to the beginning. You shouldn’t read this book for the sole reason of the first chapter. Indira walks in on her boyfriend with another girl. Seems like a normal scene for a romance book, right? Wrong. The boyfriend and girl are covered in peanut butter. It sounds funny now but again, the writing made it the cringiest scene I have ever read in my entire life.

Pleasantly surprised at how well the mixing of romcom and some heavy mental health aspects were done in this book! I wasn’t certain I would enjoy the two together (I prefer my romance to be light!) but it was so well done! After reading I will certainly be diving into this authors other work!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to get an advanced e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I read the first book in this stand alone series, and now I read the third book and I NEED to find the second one! The way the author develops the characters and makes you feel all of their emotions is remarkable. I love how she tackles the stigma and importance of mental health, it was a breath of fresh air. The love stories in this novel are also top notch, with some spice sprinkled in for good measure.

I have to admit, a meme from someone who had already read the ARC of The Plus One is why I read ABWL. Because I will never start a series out of order though these could be read standalone. And I praise the meme today.

Indira finds herself staying with her brother after a sudden (albeit necessary) break up. She is annoyed to find her brothers childhood best friend Jude is also staying there in the weeks leading up to her brothers wedding. Jude and Indira were always enemies growing up. But is there more to their grown up feud? A scheme to fake date through the pre-wedding activities so Indira can avoid her ex may bring the two closer than ever before.

Underneath quiet, reserved Jude lies a broken man. Years of serving as a surgeon in humanitarian crisis zones has left him closed off and hollow. A new posting looms in the distance but somehow Jude finds comfort and support in Indira.

I cried so many times during my reading. I felt these characters deep in my heart. Jude’s pain is so real on page that I wanted to read into my kindle and hug him. Well done Mazey Eddings. If you haven’t started this series yet I HIGHLY suggest it in preparation for this books release in April ❤️

4.25/5 stars! Loved this third entry in the Brush with Love series. Enjoyed the enemies to lovers and faking dating tropes. Indira is sassy, funny, and just trying to get her life back together. I saw a lot of myself in her and sped through this story. Would highly recommend for contemporary romance fans.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Mazey Eddings is a genius writer. This book is amazing.

Seriously, though. I loved A Brush With Love and Lizzie Blake so I was cautiously hopeful that the trifecta would wrap up with another winner and … it did! If you’ve enjoyed Eddings’ other books, you’ll love this one:

• Strong + smart main female character
• Past trauma
• Mental health obstacles
• Love interest with baggage who respects said strong + smart female
• Connection beyond a superficial tryst
• Great supporting (cameo) characters

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this ebook for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced.

I’ve read the first two books of this series, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake being one of my favorite reads of all time, and this one did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of mental health awareness in stories, and Mazey always delivers (plus a swoony romance, how can you not fall in love?). Her writing makes you truly feel for the characters, and this one did just that. I am not very familiar with PTSD, but listening to Jude’s story taught me so much more than I expected. This book also heavily involved therapy, and advocated for it which was one of my favorite aspects. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story that has done that so well. The way these two helped each other through their experiences, but also highlighted that the work needed independently is just as important was a message I feel so many of us need. This series will always be one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what Eddings has in store for us!!!

I did find myself struggling to get through the first half of this book, but once 50% hit I was totally sucked in. It did have the insta love factor for me until that point, since most of the childhood memories were negative (at first) so I felt a little thrown off when they suddenly were involved. I think the author did a great job at explaining this more towards the end (aaaah the framed doodles!!!).

Last but not least, the epilogue with all the girls together happily!! I love love loved how this series ended. Thank you so much for the ARC, it was my first ever and it was such an honor for it to be from a series that I hold so close!

The premise is that childhood enemies agree to fake date one another at Indira's brother's/Jude's best friend's wedding so she can avoid a recent ex who she caught cheating. But really, the book started with that for the first 1/5, then the main characters immediately got it on and got into a real relationship. The bulk of the book is a study in the two main character's mental health struggles, especially Jude's. It is well written, but I had to force myself to finish the book because it felt repetitive and way too long. Due to his PTSD, Indira is pulling all the weight in their relationship and Jude perhaps should have waited to start this relationship until he had worked on healing. Even during the beginning of the book, I personally found the childish insults and mean behavior between Indira and Jude annoying instead of endearing.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book. Indira was a little weird and I loved that about her. As a mental health professional, I connected with some of her struggles in doubting her ability to help others when she had her own personal challenges. That doubt is a real thing and I appreciated the support that her own therapist provided her in understanding that it didn't make her a less effective psychiatrist.

I really felt for Jude and his mental health challenges in this book. They were intense and visceral and it highlighted the traumas that doctors have to deal with in having lives in their hands.

I loved how Indira and Jude's relationship ended up - they were silly each other one minute and then it was all fireworks and steam. The road to get there was a little bumpy in my opinion - they had a really deep-seated hate for one another that was a bit immature and then suddenly they were in love. I feel like their relationship took too big of a leap there.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read. The steamy scenes were A++++++!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥½
⚠️: PTSD, infidelity (not between the main characters)

4.5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC!

This was my first time reading a book by Mazey Eddings and I very much enjoyed it! I feel like this book had so many tropes ( childhood enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, fake dating & forced proximity) but somehow did them all well without feeling too forced. This book had an abundance of heart & humor; I absolutely loved the banter in this book - there were several laugh out loud moments for me. But by far my favorite thing about this book was how it touched on and portrayed mental health, specifically ptsd. It felt raw and real to watch the characters navigate their struggles and support each other throughout the book.

I can’t wait to read the other books in this series & learn about the stories of Indira’s friend group!

“She’d known him her entire life, but this felt like the first time she was ever really seeing him.” *swoon*

Childhood nemeses decide to fake date for a wedding in Mazey Edding’s latest romance novel. Thankfully, they annoy the crap out of each other more than are mean or true enemies. When Indira walks in on her boyfriend Chris in a compromising position with a blonde and a jar of peanut butter, she grabs her stuff and her feral cat and crashes with her brother and his fiance. Both doctors themselves, they are hosting their old friend (and her sparring partner) Jude, on leave from a doctors-without-borders type stint that he’s doing to get a free ride through medical school. The time with GHCO has left its mark: sleepless nights, low energy, tension, survivor guilt, and little laughter now make up the once fun and funny Jude. Dira, a psychiatrist, slowly comes to recognize Jude’s behaviors as suffering from PTSD from the atrocities he’s witnessed. While her training and background are handy, she doesn’t see her role as fixing him.

The cheating ex is the cousin of a groom and in the wedding party, so not only will Dira have to make nice, but of course, one-up the asshole. Enter Jude, who finds being around her comforting, and they decide it’s a win-win to act as supports for one another at the upcoming nuptials and many prep sessions and outings leading up to the wedding. They don’t talk about the fact she remembers their last hug before he went away, and he remembers the details of her cheesesteak order. Finding her old journals leads to her sharing some of what she wrote about him, and them reminiscing the occasions he was chivalrous instead of just a teenage douchebag.

The novel features forced proximity, only one tent!, relentless roasting, naked people getting walked in on (accidentally), hurt/comfort and fake dating, along with were real mental health and grief issues that are handled beautifully by imperfect adults. Snippets of Dira’s own therapy sessions are interspersed and are wonderfully reassuring for all of us that self-awareness is a huge part of coping and healing.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #ThePlusOne from #NetGalley

Mortified to admit that I left this review sitting for so long that I basically forgot what happened.

What I do know is that this was my least favourite of the three books in the series. Not by much. Don't get me wrong, I still greatly enjoyed it and Eddings' signature dry humour and banter. Her books haven't failed to make me laugh out loud yet, and for that alone I will read anything she writes. This just didn't quite give me what I wanted. Really needed more wedding and fake dating shenanigans, not going to lie. Indira and Jude were perfect to really pull one over on their friends ... and themselves.

As with her previous books, Eddings writes a heartwarming story with genuine mental health rep. In this case, PTSD, and it's tough to get through sometimes. Jude really was struggling to keep himself calm in the most common of situations, and it's impossible not to feel what he's experiencing. In his job as a humanitarian doctor, he's seen too many hopeless things that keep him up at night. Bro needed a hug so bad. I found Indira to be a good counterbalance for him. Being a therapist, she was able to recognize that something was off with him and begin to help him, all while the pair of them fall in love. I'm usually not a fan of childhood friends/enemies to lovers, but this was so cute!

I'm always calling for romance novel conflicts that aren't fights ... but not like this. Which makes me feel like an ass. This conflict was centred more on Jude's PTSD and how he's struggling to cope with what is going on, and while I have absolutely no issues with that, that big relationship climax felt like a blip. I kept waiting for something to happen between Indira and Jude, expecting the other shoe to fall. And honestly, that's what made this my least favourite. I just needed more from the last 25%.

I wasn't sure if we were going to get a fourth book for Thu, but from the way this wrapped up it is clear that the series is done. And I'm okay with that. Everyone got their happy ending and I thought it was very sweet and quite satisfying to see where each couple ended up a few years down the road.

I LOVED this book. This was a 5 star read for me for sure. It had me laughing so hard one second and crying the next. It is a brothers best friend, childhood friends to lovers and a little tiny bit of fake dating. Everything I love in a romance.

While this book did have me laughing out loud it is not a lighthearted romcom. The MMC suffers from some pretty heavy conflict zone PTSD and the the MFC is also working through her own childhood trauma. So if you think listening to descriptions of PTSD might trigger you this isn't for you. I however loved that part of the story.

Lastly I also loved the spicy scenes. It is definitely a spicy book but the scenes to me were much more real than you typically see in romcoms. They were hot and tension filled but also slightly awkward and imperfectly perfect and I liked that. I would definitely recommend this book.

I honestly believe that each book in this series is better than the last! THE PLUS ONE follows Indira and Jude, her brother's best friend from childhood. They don't *really* fake date because they tell their close friends it's only a ruse to get back at Indira's ex-boyfriend, but as stories like these go, it grows into more. While this book is a romance at heart, it has so much more going for it. Jude has PTSD from a job that has shown him nothing but horrors, and Indira supports him through his process of coming to terms with his work. It was depicted very well, and I appreciate the representation of both Jude and Indira working through things in their past, like PTSD or a father's abandonment, both separately and together. I love the side characters as well (of course), but I wish we'd had more time with the friend group that this series follows! We didn't get many scenes with all four girls, and that was what I loved about this series; that they all spent time together. I also loved the third-act conflict because it wasn't stereotypical, thank goodness! Overall I did really enjoy this book, and if you've enjoyed the previous books in this series, you'll love this one!

READ IF YOU LIKE

🌸 Brother’s best friend
🌸 Enemies to lovers
🌸 Fake dating
🌸 Dual POV

THOUGHTS

This was an emotional, but amazing romance novel! The author did such a great job showing the reader what PTSD can look and feel like.

Both main characters, Jude and Indira, have their own pasts and trauma that they have to work through during the book. The author shows us how helpful therapy can be, but how hard it can be to convince yourself to go. I love how this book can help fight against the stigma that surrounds therapy and mental health.

I also just really loved the tropes and the banter throughout the book. The romance aspect was so cute (but also spicy 👀). I adore Indira and Jude!

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance!