“Humour might be one of the most healing aspects of therapy” I know this isn’t a quote that is plastered everywhere, but it’s one that really spoke with me. As I quote a certain Mr. Styles, “Go to therapy, it’s important.”

Where do I begin with this book? Starting it, I just KNEW it was easily going into the Roses pile, but MAN, I didn’t think I’d be so impacted by this book (in a good way!) I’ve never annotated so much in my life - but listen it was GOOD. An absolute banger, how will I move on?

Jude and Indira are childhood enemies that agree to fake date each other for her brother (slash his best friend’s) wedding in order to distract Indira from her cheating ex boyfriend who will also be in attendance. With a little bit of tension, forced proximity and truly emotional 69-ing, it turns into something more.

I finished the book and I literally just had to sit and just be with the book and what had just happened. I went into this book with high expectations, I’ve read Mazey Eddings’ previous books and instantly fell in love. To learn a third one was coming out was a dream (and now I had the chance to read it before publication? I couldn’t have wished for something better.) This book exceeded any expectations I had, the raw emotion that grew between the two characters, the vulnerabilities that they had to present in order to communicate with each other — absolutely amazing.

I absolutely ate up these characters and seeing them not only fall in love, but grow together. I think what I adored so much was that neither person was “perfect” or “whole” or whatever term someone may want to use — they had things to work through and acknowledged that, but they were looking to still be there for each other. That, that hit. It made my views of love just so understood? Gah. The book was filled with so many heartfelt scenes (that house simile? I’m crying thinking about it) but also amazing banter to keep it light (also some STEAMY SCENES WOW). With the added bonus of seeing past characters? Winner winner chicken dinner.

I can understand that writing mental health is hard, I find that Mazey Eddings did a great job, though I do precaution that the trigger warnings are read before this. From my own personal experience, this book has made me appreciate my own therapy and how far I’ve come. There’s work to be done - but we should also focus of what we’ve succeeded in so far.

This book had me on the edge of my seat reading the tension, laughing out loud from the banter and crying like an absolute baby from the raw emotions. I can’t wait to read this series again.

😈 childhood enemies to lovers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
🏕️ one tent!!
🥸 fake dating
🧍‍♂️ brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister
🏘️ forced proximity
🧠 mental health/PTSD
✨ therapy rep
🌶️ yes. there is spice.

Thank you thank you thank you to Net Galley + St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC.

I found parts of this story difficult to read about (it was just my mood) but at the end I really enjoyed this one. Mazey Eddings is always having representation in her book and man, she's handling a heavy topic in this one with grace and compassion. I always learn something in her books but in a way that I'm also escaping reality and enjoying the book. This book does contain open bedroom/spicy scenes.

The Plus One tackles parental abandonment, strained family dynamics, medical care provider trauma, PTSD, panic attacks

Tropes include: grumpy sunshine, brothers best friend, fake dating, childhood friends/enemies, one bed/tent

This is the third instalment in the ‘Brush of Love’ series and if you are anything like me and tend to accidentally read series like this backwards, not to worry, this can still be read as a stand-alone!

This is an enemies to friends to lovers kind of romance with a splash of fake dating. The fake dating part falls to the background which I was happy about because I don’t really enjoy the whole fake dating trope.

Even though this is a romance, it deals with some heavy issues which are written about so beautifully. JUDE 🥹🥹🥹🥹 His struggles were captured so well. You felt for him through his entire journey. The evolution of his and Indira’s relationship was perfect. It was cute, funny, heartwarming and at times, heartbreaking. And he falls first so that’s just 🤌🏼 But don’t let the cute cover fool you… there is definitely spice 🔥

Hands down though, best interaction of the entire book:

"You look really nice," she added. "That's a great dress."
"Thanks. It has pockets." Indira said, tucking her hands into the folds of fabric to prove the point.
Lauren nodded in appreciation.

Why is this every girl possible 😂 I loved this so much.

Thank you so much to NetGallery and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

Every book in this series is perfect, but this one is by far my favorite. Eddings takes the popular fake-dating and brother's best friend trope and writes them in a way you've never seen before, the way the bookish community is always begging for. Before I write a messy review, I will say acknowledge this book will not be for everyone. If you don't like when characters talk everything out and are not a fan of cheesy, soulmate lines, this may not be for you. This is heavily character-driven so I can understand this book not being for everyone if they cannot connect to either Indira or Jude. But Eddings just does such a great job from characterization/character development to pacing and representation that I hope this book makes its way into many arms next year.

**To preface this book, please check trigger warnings because PTSD (among other things) plays a huge role in this novel. Jude's PTSD is consistent throughout the novel, including some anxiety/panic attacks and disassociation. Indira also has anxiety and skewed self-worth which plays a role in the novel.

Things I loved:
Fake dating without lying to everyone important in their lives
Forced proximity (one tent with awkward interactions)
No miscommunication, CONSTANT communication
Brother's best friend trope without the weird patriarchal aspect
THE THIRD ACT

Things I didn't love:
A tad too much emotional lifting on Indira's part
????

Jude and Indira decide to fake date for the events leading up to Indira's brother's wedding all because she caught her ex cheating on her. The two are upfront about the boundaries of this scheme with each other and their friends. Of course, just because they set up boundaries for themselves, doesn't mean their hearts obey. Jude and Indira reconnect and develop such a strong friendship that it makes their romance believable. Not only that, you root for the two to work out and know that they will last long term because of how much they care for each other and themselves. There were moments where I felt Indira was doing a lot more emotional labor for Jude, but it felt realistic because relationships aren't always about being "even." Sometimes, your person has to lead and Indira does this for Jude. I wish we got a bit more with Jude showing Indira how much he values her beyond words but it was nice to see both of their love languages in action throughout the novel.

Overall, this book gave me so many emotions and I cannot wait to have a physical copy so I can annotate it as much as I annotated my e-version.

I’ll start with saying I loved Mazey Eddings last book, and was thrilled when I got the opportunity to read The Plus One. Maybe there is a level of it being overhyped in my head, but unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but almost like the chapters in the book felt very jarring, like our characters could either be in intense pleasure or in crisis, there’s no in between. Almost like it was too silly and steamy for a more serious type of romance/women’s fiction, but too much working through really difficult topics to be a rom-com. I found the plot to be written to serve the story, instead of there really being a plot - the wedding activities drag on and are a bit ridiculous, Indira “doesn’t care” about her ex but needs a fake
boyfriend, forced proximity camping, etc. It just felt like forcing Indira and Jude together, instead of a natural progression. The intense enemies they’re at the beginning, feels quite childish and like they should be over it by now, as they don’t really have anything to be enemies over. Maybe if there had been more of a pining aspect it would have felt more realistic. Obviously many people love this book so all of this is likely a me problem, and if you enjoy a rom-com that has a lot of focus on mental health and working through trauma, you may enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this book even though I hadn't read the first two books in the series. Even though this is a romance book and it's light on the surface, there are some serious topics covered in this story. Especially PTSD.

At its heart this is a little bit of an enemies to lovers trope and fake it till you fall in love trope. Jude and Indira have known each other forever since he's her brother's best friend. And they can't stand each other. They are stuck living in the same house with Indira's brother and his partner. But they decide to fake being together so Indira doesn't have to suffer through watching her ex with his new partner alone.

And what do you think happens?

I loved all of the characters and enjoyed all the moments I spent with this book.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dare I say this is one of the best books I've ever read? Mazey continues to blow my mind with her wit, charm, and heartfelt characters. It had so much more to it and the way it broke into my heart and claimed it as its own is what happened when I read this story. Many parts of this story resonated with me including anxiety and self-worth. Mazey swoops in with her pure self and shows you that it's okay to feel this way. We all have insecurities, but we are worthy of love.

I loved Indira and her fierce spirit. She never gave up on Jude and was a true friend. I admire Indira's ability to recognize when Jude lost his grasp on reality. She doesn't back down, ever! She goes straight to him and helps him through whatever troubles he's feeling or thinking.

Jude... oh, my dear Jude. *sigh* Jude has PTSD from his tours as a doctor in 3rd world countries. He is perfect in his imperfect way. And the way he cares for Indira makes him even sweeter. The moment Jude remembers Indira's cheesesteak order from her youth melted my heart and was one of my favorite scenes.

*ARC courtesy of the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to the valued author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

This was such a satisfying read. Of course I love a good swoon-worthy romance, but the star of this book is the PTSD representation/overall focus on mental health. Mazey’s books do SUCH a nice job of balancing sweet, romantic (or spicy 🌶️) moments with real-world topics (anxiety, PTSD, trauma, etc). Her writing is authentic, raw, and relatable. Lots of fun tropes in this one too — enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, fake dating, forced proximity.

I couldn’t help but root for Jude and Indira. She genuinely wanted to help him without wanting to fix him, and it was just so satisfying watching him learn to unpack and feel comfortable with her. And for her to heal parts of herself, as well, along with him. We are here for the personal and relationship growth! 👏🏻 Their romance just felt really natural and genuine when all was said and done.

This was such a cute book. I loved the PTSD representation as well as the romance between the two main characters. It felt very believable and was such a cute love story.

I really enjoyed the story between Jude and Indira. This is a great enemies to lovers story. The author provides thoughtful character development and the relationship between Indira and Jude shows what it means to push your partner to be the best version of themselves.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an a copy of this book to read and review. All of these comments and thoughts are my own!

This was a great read. I really truly loved it. The romance was good, the spice was hot 🔥, and the plot was fantastic.

I truly love how the book focused around Jude’s PTSD with his job in the military. I don’t think it’s talked about enough and that it isn’t taken as serious as it should be. My family is a military family and I’ve seen first had how this is and there should be better resources for people in the military that deal with PTSD.

I’m definitely buying a copy of this book because I want to reread it over and over. I just really loved this book.

5 stars!!!

This book was quite the emotional roller coaster. the characters were relatable and the spice was great.

Oh, this was such a wonderful read. I inhaled this book over the course of a few days. An absolutely beautiful story, which handles trauma and anxiety with grace and gentleness. I love Jude and Indira.

Totally obsessed! Posted my full review on my instagram but i absolutely loved every single minute of this! Will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy! Love her style!!!

Indira, a psychiatrist, walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her and immediately moves in with her brother. She quickly learns that his best friend is there for the next 6 weeks to celebrate the brothers wedding. They've grown up together and can't stand each other.... Or at least it seemed that way. Cute read!

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC <3

Mazey Eddings is now becoming one of my favorite authors! This is my second book by the author after reading Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. I absolutely loved The Plus One and it did not disappoint. Jude and Indira are childhood rivals that constantly bickered but are now forced together years later when Indira's brother and Jude's best friend Collin gets married. This couple was amazing and I was rooting for them the whole time I was reading. And the best part?? NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP! I also really loved the way that therapy and PTSD was handled in this book. It made me see that therapy is something that should be talked about and normalized way more and I love Mazey Eddings for including it in the entire book.

such an amazing ending to the series! I was hooked from the beginning. these character's story wrapped up the universe so well in my opinion. I felt like I was part of their world instead of just reading it.

Thank you NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review of The Plus One (coming out April 4th!)

This book was not for me. I was really excited to read it, and I think the author set out to cover really important topics. But the final result felt too much like being told a lesson rather than trusting the reader and showing it through the characters and their story. The pacing felt slow, too. And some of the MC's behaviors felt out of character to me, like it was just a *moment* the author really wanted in the book, but didn't feel natural.

On the plus side, the spice was pretty steamy. Also, although it's third in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone (I didn't read the first two.)

This may be the book for you if you're looking for:
a medium burn
enemies to lovers trope
brother's best friend trope
fake dating trope
forced proximity trope (one scene)

I loved this book! I've read all three of Mazey's books and they keep getting better and better! I loved Jude and Indira and felt like they were equally portrayed in this book. There was witty banter and just the right amount of steam. I also love how mental illness is portrayed in Mazey's books and really found this one encouraging. I'm sad that the stories around this group of friends is wrapped up but excited to see what Mazey does next!

Brother’s best friend + no third act break up + fake dating + one tent + “good girl!"

Indira & Jude hate each other. They always have.

Indira ends a relationship when she walks in on her boyfriend with someone else.

Jude has spent three years in emergencies & humanitarian crises, and a quick trip home leaves him struggling.

Thrown together in an elaborate wedding event where Indira is forced to see her ex & Jude’s PTSD is spiraling, they agree to fake date to help each other survive. But those fake feelings start to feel real.

Read if you love…
- brother’s best friend
🫶🏼- dual POV
- fake dating
- ONE TENT
- teasing & banter
- open door
- no third act break up
- ”good girl”
- no miscommunication
- queer side characters
- cameos from MCs from both previous books
- PTSD & mental health rep
- very therapy positive

THIS BOOK. I loved it. Of the three books in this interconnected - but can be read as standalones - series, this one is my favorite!

The tropes are perfection. Brother’s best friend + fake dating + forced proximity with a side of ONE TENT! Sign me tf up right now! No miscommunication or third act break up were the icing on the cake!

I absolutely loved Indira & Jude’s relationship. I loved the way they were able to move from childhood enemies to really seeing each other in the deep dark heavy stuff. Indira is moving on from an ex cheating on her & Jude is deeply suffering from PTSD. And they hold each other in that in the most beautiful ways.

The teasing & the banter added so much balance to the tougher themes. And their “we’ve known each other since we were kids” history added years worth of things they could tease about. Collin, Indira’s brother, & his fiancé Jeremy had the BEST one liners & added humor!

And the interconnected series? I adored catching up with Dan, Harper, Lizzie, Rake, & Thu!

Thank you to St Martins Press & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: PTSD from losing patients as a medical provider in emergency situations; emotional repercussions of growing up with divorced parents; moving on after an ex cheats