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!

A little cheesy at times but still enjoyed it overall!! Fake dating your brother’s childhood friend that you hated growing up trope

This series has been so unexpected. Usually I prefer when an author is consistent across the board, but I have had different reading experiences with each of these books and I think this one might be the best one yet.

The first book was cute and lighthearted, the second book was over-the-top, but this one is very grounded. It focuses on mental health, but not in a gimmicky way. In a meaningful way that I'm sure every reader will be able to relate to. While I think many rom-com stories focus on the whirlwind nature of romance, I love how this portrays a healthy, working connection between two people. It feels very real and genuine.

So probably my favourite book in the series so far!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5 stars. This is my favorite Mazey Eddings book by far! It is a fun combination of multiple tropes, including fake dating and falling for the brother's best friend. The two main characters, Indira and Jude, are dynamic and engaging, and reading about them falling for each other was very sweet. The side characters are also well-developed, and it was very fun to see the main characters of Mazey Eddings' previous novels briefly appear in this book. This story also contains heavy themes, and the author does a good job balancing those with lighthearted and humorous moments. All in all, this book was definitely worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book.
I really wanted to like this book but 25% in and I just can’t get into the characters. I wanted to like the main characters but between the cheating, anxiety, and ptsd, it just didn’t gel for me.

Mazey Eddings does it again! She writes a spicy, heartfelt, fun, and funny romance with main characters that crackled with chemistry. The characters feel so human and , as always with Mazey, they stand for something without that thing being heavy handedly shoved down your throat. I love this book I love this book I love this book

I love the way the other skillfully worked the mental health thread into a delightful enemies to lovers romance. Off to find something else she’s written.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Looking for a light rom-com? This isn't it. I really enjoyed the previous books in this series and I love all the friends in the group, including the main characters here, Indira and Jude. That said, this was a tough read with a heavy subject matter and, very unlike me, took a long time to finish. I thought it dragged in many places and could have been shorter. Not an uplifting story, that's for sure, although it is wonderfully written, and there are some laugh out loud moments. Having read the author's note at the end, I applaud her for taking on the subject matter, considering her personal experiences. It's just not what I'm looking for in a romance, but it also won't stop me from reading her future books.

PLEASE remove the use of the “c word”! It was mentioned at least twice and the first time I almost stopped reading the book then and there because of it. I think it’s a very well known fact that everyone, especially women, hate that word and it’s vulgarity. Now that being aside, I did enjoy this book and gave it 3/5 stars. It was a bit slow in the middle for me. Somewhat uneventful with the fake dating trope because the fake dating didn’t last long at all. I loved Indira and Jude together and really loved Collin as well. I also would’ve preferred a slower burn and less dirty (this book was pure filth in the romance scenes) and more flirty/teasing/buildup. I also wish there was more humor and maybe a less triggering anxiety/PTSD focus.

I will always and forever love a contemporary romance. Something about the real, honest, emotional and often funny journeys that the characters embark on just feels relatable and touches you in a way that is hard to find in other genres.

While I haven't read the other two previous novels in this series, 'The Plus One' had me laughing, crying and crazily texting my friends at all hours to update them on what was happening (even though they likely had no idea what I was even talking about).

These characters were relatable, lovable and ultimately the perfect couple and story to end off the year of 2022 for me. From my enjoyment of this novel, I will definitely have to go back and read the first two!

The Plus One is set to be published on April 4, 2023. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the digital Advanced Reader's Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book by Mazey Eddings. I found that the mental health issues in this book was covered well. I loved the hate to love romance between the couple and the banter was supreme. Even though some of the topics were heavy there were some laugh out loud scenes as well.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I am Looking forward to reading from this author more.

5 wonderful, well-earned stars. It’s hard to put into words how special this book is. Mazey Eddings has done it again and crafted the loveliest, most heartwarming, emotional-yet-hysterical contemporary romance novel.This book feels like if the very heart of Taylor Swift’s album FOLKLORE became a book. It’s a smart, romantic whirlwind of a story. It’s a rom-com-dram in every sense, and I could not put it down. I cried multiple times. This will forever be one of my favorite books because it centers two characters who learn that their own emotional struggles are not failings or a reflection of their own worth. It was so beautiful to watch Indira and Jude learn to love and be loved in the way they deserve.

I really enjoyed lizzie blakes best mistake, so I just KNEW I’d enjoy this one! I am definately buying this book. Already mentioned it in book club. Shout out to netgalley and publishing for allowing me to read and review this awesome book! 5 STARS!

Mazey Eddings pairs spicy romance with depth and beautiful representation in her writing. She does such justice to the hard topics in her books. In The Plus One, she focuses on mental health, parental abandonment, PTSD, medical provider stress and trauma. I love the way Mazey Eddings uses Indira & her journey to shine such a light on therapy - demystifying it and normalizing it for Jude, yet really it’s for the benefit of the readers, too. I loved Indira and Jude as a couple & their transition from enemies to lovers was beautiful though I would have loved more tension and build up to that plot line in the story. In some ways, the back 40% of the book felt like a giant epilogue. I enjoyed it and loved diving into Jude’s challenges and how they navigated things after Collin’s wedding, it just felt like a new/different plot at times. I love the writing and the exploration that Eddings is doing through her characters & I look forward to whatever she does next.

Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced e-galley! The Plus One releases April 2023 - don’t miss it!

As per usual, Mazel Eddings really does a great job of talking about a mental illness with care, compassion and just such normalcy. Her characters are sweet and amazing, and the stories are fun.

I liked A Brush with Love and then ended up loving Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, so I was really excited for The Plus One but it sadly didn’t quite meet my expectations.

The synopsis made the book sound like a light-hearted and funny read (at least that’s what I got from it) and it ended up being quite a lot darker than expected. One of the main themes of the book is Jude’s PTSD and while I always love mental health rep in romance, reading about his trauma made the story more intense than I feel like it’s being marketed.

The romance between Indira and Jude could’ve been a lot more developed and I wish the wedding would’ve been a bigger part of the story.

All in all, I was unfortunately a bit disappointed by The Plus One. However, I do think that readers will enjoy it if they know what to expect.

THIS BOOK... this book! it's been a few days since i finished reading it and i still can't collect my thoughts enough to write a coherent review.

this book focused heavily on the main characters' issues and the journey they went through to cope with those issues and i loved every second of it. i really appreciated all the discussions about mental health, and some of them hit close to home. i was rooting for jude and indira, and i can't put into words how proud and emotional i was by the progress they made throughout the book. they were flawed and wonderful and occasionally frustrating and just so... real. i felt extremely connected to them.

the author also did a great job at interlacing the main characters’ individual arcs with their romance. they did have their problems, but they managed to communicate with each other (which is sadly a rare thing in romance books) and work through their obstacles together. jude and indira were also a very fun couple to read about. they had great banter (with each other and against other people), and it was very palpable how much they loved each other. the little crumbs from their past that were sprinkled throughout the book also made it all THAT much sweeter.

i also loved other aspects of the book, such as the side characters and the writing (THIS WRITING HELLO???? as soon as i finished this book i immediately added mazey eddings’ other books to my tbr, and i'll also be looking out for her future releases), but as previously stated, i'm not capable of gathering my thoughts and saying much more about this book.

all in all, this book felt like sweet nothing by taylor swift but a lot heavier. i finished this book about 2 weeks before 2022 ends. i didn't think i was going to find a new favorite book for the rest of the year, but i was wrong. this book easily made my top 3 of the year, and i'm looking forward to rereading it in the future.

thank you to st. martin’s press and netgalley for providing this arc!