This was really good! It walked a fine line between a romance novel and general/women's fiction, which I was fine with. The representation was great, I loved that both characters talk at length about their respective mental health, and the therapy rep was wonderful. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a nice romance novel with depth.

3-3.5 star read!

tw: PTSD

This book is the third book in this series by Mazey Eddings; however, it can be read as a stand alone.

This particular story follows the love story of Indira and Jude. The tropes are childhood frenemies (brother’s best friend) to lovers I’d say. There isn’t as much of an enemies vibe as I’d say, so that’s why I’d go with frenemies. The banter is pretty good between the two and I loved their friendship triangle with Collin.

I do have to say that although I loved the focus on mental health and invisible illnesses, I feel like the individual character’s background stories weren’t fleshed out enough. I feel like something is missing in this book and I don’t know what. Also, I wish there was a bit more tension between the love interests.

Overall, such an easy read and I love the mental health awareness!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this wonderfully sweet electronic advanced reader copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts!

I'm in love with Indira and Jude's relationship. This had all my favorite things enemies to lovers, fake dating, spice, banter. I found myself relating so much to Indira. I also really appreciated the focus on mental health/therapy and dealing with Jude's ptsd. Most importantly this book has heart and is very real. Thank you net galley for this arc!

I really enjoyed this one. It has several different tropes! Fake dating, the best friend’s brother, childhood friends turned lovers, enemies to lovers… It speaks heavily about therapy, and the importance of it. Whether it be for a break up or a doctor losing a patient. The banter, quirky flirting, and the reminiscing about their childhood I loved reading.
Dira’s brother is getting married soon but she’s going through hard times, so she temporarily moves in with her brother, whose best friend, Jude, is also staying due to hard times. It was fun reading about Jude, Collin, Jeremy, and Dira all in the same house. Dira eventually gets the plus one of her dreams to her brother’s wedding!

Thank you Net Gallery for the ARC! I’ve so far read every ARC of Mazey’s and they’ve all been phenomenal. I loved Harper and Lizzie’s stories but Indira’s hit too close to home. Talks of mental health was amazing and the brothers best friend trope? Chef’s kiss. Overall this book had everything from the romance to important topics to friendship and amazing story that keeps you hooked from the beginning!

Such a cute romance, and I loved the main characters! I would definitely recommend this enemies to lovers and this is such a great series by Mazey Eddings. I thought she handled the nuanced conversation about mental health well and it was really relatable.

4.5 rounded up

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

I really enjoyed this title! The protagonists were flawed and awkward, but so very likeable. I really appreciated that PTSD and its long road to treatment were presented so honestly and realistically, and yet it still seemed to work in a romance in such a lovely and satisfying way!

rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

tropes:
enemies to lovers
brothers best friend
forced proximity
healing

This is book three in the brush with love series and follows Indira! She was always so supportive in the previous books so i was excited to be able to learn more about her!

Like in all Mazey books, there are very serious topics discussed in this book like ptsd, anxiety, depression and some dark flashbacks. please check the trigger warnings before reading! Though there are serious topics and themes throughout this book it was still an amazing read.

Indira catches her boyfriend cheating on her so she leaves and goes to stay with her brother and his partner for the time being. however, when she arrives she learns her brothers best friend, Jude, is also staying there while on leave from his job. Indira has loathed this man for years and can’t imagine a worse person to be stuck with. The more time they spend together though, she can see he is suffering and she wants to be there to help.

Indira and Jude just understand each other and are somehow the calming spirit for one another. watching them work through their own issue’s and struggles together was so emotional and also so special.

I also once again loved seeing our beloved side characters make their appearances and giving their comforting support. While also giving us that much needed comedy.

I really enjoyed this book and i can’t wait for everyone else to be able to read this too! if you enjoy a good enemies to lovers with a splash of brothers best friend and forced proximity… you should read this!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins and Mazey Eddings for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review!

I devour every one of Mazey Eddings's novels, but this one was special. Jude and Indira have made a wholesome and lusty home in my heart. Their love for each other is so authentic and the spice is PERFECT. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. As a thank-you, I will not shut up about this book. Anyone within a fifty-mile radius of me is not safe.

This is one of the hardest books to review? Why you ask? Because it’s not a traditional romance where the male comes in and swoops the girl off of her feet. Instead, we have two flawed characters who essential save each other while maintaining a healthy relationship (even through the fake dating).

This book includes fake dating trope, wedding trope, boy next door trope, and mental health awareness including PTSD. Lovers of these tropes as well as lovers of books where the main characters learn how to communicate with each other in a positive way, should read this book.

I loved that we got to see these characters develop together but when looking at the romance as a whole, we see that their development happened within weeks. I think that’s only thing I didn’t enjoy in this novel. They went from essentially frenemies to saying how much they loved each other.


I received an arc for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Having read the first two books in this series, I was excited to get more of the fabulous Indira. While this book definitely had Mazey Edding's signature writing style --- seamlessly combining laugh out loud moments and tender moments of connection, it lacked that tangible sense of chemistry between the two characters the first two books had. It didn't feel like a true enemies to lovers plot line and the relationship felt very static, even as the couple explored the possibility of transitioning from a fake relationship to a real one.

I did love the honest and raw conversations about therapy and the importance of prioritizing mental health though!

Overall, an enjoyable read but Mazey set the bar high with the first two books in this series and that wasn't quite there for me.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book, The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. However, I was immediately disconnected due to the plot. It just didn’t engage me.

4/5 ⭐️ 3/5 ⭐️

I went into this book blind and I loved it! I haven’t read a book that describes the accuracy and struggles of mental health like this one.

Jude is a doctor working overseas in a lot of war torn areas and is back home to celebrate his childhood friends wedding. He is struggling tremendously with PTSD and anxiety. The way the author depicts this part of his life was really well written.

Indira is a psychologist that has some childhood trauma that she’s working through. Her and Jude have been childhood enemies for a long time. The banter and tension was perfect in this book. I really enjoyed their story and seeing the enemies to lovers transition ☺️

ARC REVIEW
The Plus One by Mazey Eddings

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautiful romcom that tackles some serious topics.

❤️ Indira had always hated her brother’s best friend Jude. But when he comes back from war torn areas as an outreach doctor, she might be exactly what he needs.

This was a good, quick read. Here’s what I liked:

❤️ Fake dating and “it’s always been you” tropes. Both are done really well here. Indira and Jude obviously work as a couple but it takes the fake dating to get them to realize it. Little stories they tell about the past shows how much they were really in love all along.

❤️ Indira. I adored her. She is fun and feisty. The chemistry she has with Jude and their bickering moments were my favorite.

❤️ The serious tone. Check TW. this book deals with PTSD and mental health wellness. But it does so really well. Both characters have major things in their lives that they have to work through. This is a big pro therapy book.

All in all, I loved the characters and the storyline. This is a must read for romcom lovers.

Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Release: 4/4

This book was a solid 4/5 stars!!! I really enjoyed the first book of the series, however the second book I did not like at all so honestly I wasn’t going into this book with high hopes, but thankfully, the book was great, definitely better than the second!!! I loved the dynamic between the FMC and MMC and how their friendship and then relationship began from her trying to help him with his mental issues, I think that part of their relationship adding a whole new depth to the story. I don’t have any critiques for the book, it was a solid Adult romance that could honestly pass as YA romance- nonetheless I recommend this book for people who are looking for an enemies to lovers, fake dating, or brothers best- friend trope than is light hearted but also has great depth to it!

6/10

I don’t want to like Mazey Eddings books. They are rom coms but without the standard storyline that defines a great rom com. You know exactly what’s going to happen within the first 10 pages. No surprises. The writing, IMHO, is ok. It doesn’t read like the way people would actually talk. And it goes in for a bit longer than I’d like the books too.

But she sure has a way of building likeable characters.

All her books also deal with mental health issues. Which is good, but oftentimes gets in the way of the actual story.

This book is the third in the series - each book is about one of four friends and their journeys of love.

This book follows Indira, who apparently is super sexy, and pretty funny, and can’t keep a healthy relationship. When she goes back to her brothers house she sees his best friend Jude. Jude is experiencing PTSD. Jude and Indira claim they don’t like each other but they clearly do. Yadda yadda yadda, they hook up and fall madly in love.

I don’t consider this a spoiler because, again, you’ll figure it all out in 10 pages.

The big challenge I have with this book is the pedantic banter about illness that seems to go nowhere. That said, just when you think you’ve had enough, along comes a graphic sex scene which is part of Mazey’s core style. The scenes are both sexy and cringeworthy. I’m not a big fan of the terminology Mazey uses.

Anyway, Mazey, I believe is an acquired taste. I would imagine she has a huge loyal following - probably primarily women.

As for me, the jury is out whether or not two of her books is enough for me.

#netgalley #plusone

I’ve either loved or really disliked Mazey Eddings’ books in the past, but after the love Lizzie’s story, I was so ready to dive into this book. It was both a friends and enemies to lovers (just read it to understand). We had forced proximity, one tent (not bed), and lots of banter. All in all, very promising. Eddings didn’t disappoint in most ways. I laughed a lot and almost immediately was rooting for Jude and Indira.

Eddings tackled a difficult topic—mental health—by going straight for PTSD. While I think it ended well, for the longest time Jude was attempting to fix his trauma by focusing on his new relationship with Indira. The crazy thing was, despite knowing how much he’s been through and working professionally as a psychiatrist, Indira lets him! I love that she made him feel safe, but on the flip side, it seemed like he used her as a crutch. The few times she checks in on his mental health, he redirects her back to their relationship (usually sex) and she once again lets him. A large part of their relationship just felt too unhealthy.

Indira claimed that she didn’t want him to view her as his psychiatrist, but she tries to do that at times. I’m fact, she spends more time trying to have him unpack his trauma with her, over talking to a real therapist. The first time she really pushes it, is literally at the last second. Seven weeks off could’ve been spent in therapy, but she waits until he has seven days left.

I don’t know if this should dissuade you from reading it, and in the end I think his mental health is addressed in a healthy way. However, just be aware it takes awhile to get there.

4.5 stars rounded down!

Don't let the cute covers in this series fool you.. these are some of the most heartfelt, real, emotional and funny contemporary romances I've read in a long time. This book hit me in the same spot that Abby Jimenez's books do - the perfect blend of toe-curling romantic comedy and characters who REAL people can relate to.

The depiction of mental health in all of these books is outstanding, that alone should be enough to make anyone pick up this book. Both Jude and Indira were such fantastic characters, but not without their own faults which made me love them even more. Both carried different pain from their past that deeply affected their present and future selves, but the way both reacted to and gave the other the support needed was beautifully done. I was glad to be on this journey with both Jude and Indira, as well as the characters from the previous books. Mazey, you've made a forever fan out of me, I look forward to reading more from you in the future!!

Not to mention.. this book was SPICY.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's, and Mazey Eddings for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars for me

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fake dating

Jude and Dira are childhood enemies. Jude is the best friend of Dira's brothers. Now in present time they are both staying at her brother's house leading up to his wedding. Dira and Jude are both going through a tough time and are surprised to find comfort in one another.

My favorite thing about this book was how it touched on mental health and how great of a job it did portraying the struggles each character was facing.

Personally, I felt that the romance between the two happened really fast considering how much they supposedly disliked each other. I also am one to prefer a slow burn romance, so maybe it's just my personal preference getting in the way.

Overall, I liked this book and would definitely read more by this author! Thanks for the ARC Netgalley!

In “The Plus One” by Mazey Eddings we meet Indira – right from the start it seems like she has everything going for her. But one early trip back to her apartment and everything changes. Just when she thought her life could not get any worse, when she goes to find solace at her brothers and his fiancés house, she finds Jude, her brother’s best friend who is in town for his wedding. But who was also her arch nemesis growing up. As they navigate all the pre-wedding events together Indira starts to think maybe it was a mistake to try to have him run over by car when he stole her bicycle all those years ago.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley, and this is my honest review.