I expected a light, fluffy rom-com when I began this ARC, but boy was I wrong. This was a deep, intensely descriptive narrative of living with PTSD and anxiety. I feel like the book began with Indira as the primary protagonist and ends with Jude. There are some spicy scenes. I got a little bogged down toward the end and almost put it away. Like, that it might have ended better if it happened sooner? That may make no sense.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of Mazey’s work. I find them relatable and wholesome. However, I did find “The Plus One” a little bit slow and linear. I believe the high expectations got the best of me this time. Still, I am super grateful for getting the chance to read this beforehand!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving me for an ARC of The Plus One. I was drawn in by the title and the cover. I am very excited to see if the content of the book is just as interesting.

For those that have read my reviews, here are my thoughts during the read. For those that are new to reading my reviews, I like to type out my thoughts while reading and give an overall review at the end. Feel free to skip to the bottom for my overall thoughts on The Plus One by Mazey Eddings.

First thoughts: I LOVE that there is a page just for content warnings. I honestly think all books should have this if there is triggering content within.

I don't know if I'll be able to look at peanut butter the same way 😂

"It's not what it looks like"?????? Is he for real?!?? I was cheated on in the past, but thankfully I never had to witness it.

Eee! It's my favorite type of book! Written with multiple perspectives!! I love seeing things from multiple characters POVs!!

Is GHCO like Doctors Without Boarders?

Why is Indira lying for that POS cheating d-wad? It doesn't matter if he's Jeremy's family.

Prediction: the reason Jude ends up liking Indira is because the psychiatrist part of her gets him to talk through his PTSD.

I can relate to Indira and feeling like I'm not good enough for people. It's a very heartbreaking feeling.

It's funny they talk about Grey's Anatomy, I just finished binge watching it to get prepared for the new season.

The way Jude describes Indira and her ability to read people probably helps her to be an amazing psychiatrist.

I also relate to Jude coming from a home with financial instability, and wanting to not be a burden to your family because of financial needs. I grew up thinking about ways to save money and not keep a ton of debt.

I'm dying of his reaction to walking in on her in the bathroom 😂😂

I don't understand why Jude doesn't think his best friend would notice he's acting different. Best friends notice things even when you try to hide it.

I kind of understand what Indira is talking about, feeling abandoned when someone leaves. Even if they aren't leaving you per say, but moving on and growing up. It's a difficult feeling.

I don't have experience with PTSD but it seems like very intense anxiety caused by certain triggers.. and I have anxiety, so I couldn't imagine having something worse than that being amplified.

The amount of trust he must have in Indira to open up to her. I know he feels shame after telling her, but it was a big step to share with her all he's been through.

I can relate to Indira trying to park 😂😂 parallel parking is the devil's creation

Chris saying Indira got into a relationship fast not only is annoying because he literally got into a relationship while IN a relationship, but also, Indira and Jude have known each other forever, it wouldn't be that weird if it truly happened.

Jude standing up to Chris 😍😍

OMG! That kiss!!!

Tears, I'm in literal tears reading Indira talk about how she felt like if she were better or enough her dad would have stayed. I felt the EXACT same way when my dad left. And I looked for attention from guys because I wanted to feel like I was enough for someone.

"Was being roasted her love language?" 😂😂

My heart is so sad because they both have developed feelings for the other yet don't know about the others feelings because they're both too stupid to admit that they have said feelings!

Jude not having a comeback and saying "expect a witty comeback text in 7-10 business days" is like me with comebacks. My brain takes WAY to long to produce one.

The dreaded farting noise the couch makes to ruin good old-fashioned sexual tension 🤣😂

Mmk. It just got real juicy...

Hahahahaha!!! Indira freaking out and blurting out that Jeremey walked in on them naked 😂😂 perfect 😂😂

Collins reaction, "don't hurt each other" instead of being mad was so sweet. And him saying "you're my 2 favorite people" and Jeremy's reaction to that, haha!

His birthday gift to her was so adorable 😍

I love that he kept so many little notes from her from when they were teenagers.

😂🥰 His mom betting his dad they would get together 15 years ago! "Don you owe me ten dollars"

Jude is breaking my heart pulling away from Indira like that. Could she possibly go with him? Be his support through it all? Work virtually?

She told him she loves him 🥰🥰🥰

I love cuddling my husband with skin-to-skin contact, like Jude says, it makey me feel calm and safe.

I love the similes and metaphors she used to describe wanting to be there for him even if he isn't prepared for her to be there fully.

My heart breaks for Collin, expecting his dad to be different this time because it's his wedding.

I'm so happy that Indira called their dad. Someone needed to tell that jerk off.

Jude has Indira when he gets home, just having that could help him keep some of the overwhelming sadness at bay.

I've noticed Mazey uses the term "decadent/decadence" quite a bit.. aren't there other terms she could use??

I'm so glad that Jude is getting help!

I hate how difficult it is to describe to someone who doesn't have a mental illness how you're mental illness works and why it is real. People just think you're making it up because they can't see it.

I love that they started a nonprofit together.

Ahh! They're engaged!!



**Going into this book I didn't realize it was the third in a series. With that being said, I am in desperate need of reading the first two.

This book was so good, the relatability to both Jude and Indira on various levels. The emotional ride it took me on was incredible. Again, I'm excited to go back and read the first 2 books, and look forward to what I'm hoping is a 4th book!

To say I am a HUGE Mazey Eddings Fan is an understatement! I fell in love with her writing after Brush with love (plus being a dentist myself I was hooked!), then came lizzie - who won my heart being a firecracker....so needless to say when I received this arc I screamed with delight! (and lets be real - I will read any and all books Mazey writes from here on out).

With that said - I am so very grateful to have read this book and hear Indira and Jude's story. Its lovely, painful, raw, steamy and truly hits on the tough discussion of mental and physical health, but in a way that truly gets you to pay attention! I think over the three books Mazey has truly grown as a writer too - only now hoping Thu gets a book too because I don't want this series to end!

Please look at the Trigger warners and enjoy this book as much as I did!!!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the free book.
This is my favorite book in this friendship series. I fell hard and fast for Indira and Jude and their fake dating. Like her other books, Eddings doesn't shy away from having characters that are neurodiverent and that have to learn to be okay with not being okay. I absolutely love these parts of her books, which will keep me always coming back. I also adore her characters. This book is serious, but these characters have so much fun together. I enjoyed the sibling dynamics between Indira and Collin, the friendship between the women/couples, and the parent/adult child relationship exploration. Also, the balance of the amount of chapters in Indira and Jude's POV worked well for me. It was a great balance to give a well-rounded story. If you like your romance with lots of honesty and vulnerability, I highly recommend checking out all three books in this series.
This is door wide open romance. And she does list the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, which is so appreciated.

I love that each book gets a little spicier and spicier. Each book has been absolutely amazing, but it’s easy to say this one is my favorite so far. Even the cover is perfect!

I love that it’s emotional and not just a smutty romance. Indira and Jude forever!!

I enjoyed the previous books in this series and The Plus One is no exception! Sometimes romance books can be a bit far fetched but Mazey's characters seem more real to me. I love her approach to difficult topics. I'll be reading more from this author!

I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mazey Eddings continues her series, this time with a childhood friends romance between Indira and Jude.
She is Jude's best friend's sister and was a thorn in their side growing up. But it's been a few years since Indira and Jude have spent time together. He has been working as a surgeon overseas in war-torn settings and she has been working as a counselor. They reconnect when he returns home for her brother Collin's wedding. They both find themselves crashing at Collin's house for the weeks leading up to the wedding, Jude because he is on a break from working overseas and Indira because she broke up with her boyfriend Chris after discovering him in a sticky situation with another woman.

These two are childhood frenemies, full of witty banter, teasing and general sarcastic comments but underneath it all, there seems to be a real spark. However, Jude is reeling from the trauma of what he's seen over the last three years and Indira is still trying to move on from the childhood hurts of her dad walking out on their family. These two might just have the opportunity to be vulnerable enough with each other to create a life together. In the meantime, they're testing the waters with some steamy, off the charts romance.

Mazey Eddings brings her usual vulnerable characters and real life situations to the romance genre where people aren't just falling in love with someone else, but also growing into how they're wired and who they are.

Childhood enemies to adult lovers? Yes please! Indira is a thoughtful child psychiatrist who can’t help caring about everyone. Her brother Collin is getting married and guess who is back in town - none other than his childhood best friend, Jude. Jude is an emergency medicine doctor who travels the world and treats patients in need. He is trying really hard to be there for his friend but is secretly suffering from severe PTSD from his humanitarian efforts.

Collin and Jude were inseparable as kids and Indira always tried to tag along (as little sisters often do) but was often the third wheel. And so most of Jude and Indira’s childhood interactions were spent bickering. Now fast forward to present day, and the two of them are thrown together in the wedding festivities. Add in a sprinkle of fake dating and you get a lovely and very real story.

By profession and nature, Indira can sense that Jude needs her help and she won’t stop until he takes it. And Jude may have thought that he disliked his best friend’s sister but realizes that he was wrong all along. Together, they surprise everyone and also themselves!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

The Plus One was a very good romance story. Better than many contemporary romances I have read lately and for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am not a big fan of falling for the little sister of the best friend trope especially when she has come directly out of a long-term relationship involving cheating, but the rest of the story was well put together and I got past it. I also got past literally pages and pages of erotica to stay focused on the story.

Our hero, Dr Jude Bailey, returns from working for a global health organization a traumatized and nearly broken man from experiences he can't fully process. He returns home on a break for his best friend's wedding with no idea what will happen after that. At the same time, Indira Papadakis ends up staying with her brother because she's left her cheating boyfriend. There is history between Jude and Indira going back a lifetime and not always good, but in their current situations they find unexpected support in each other. Working through their issues against the backdrop of an over the top wedding set a very good stage for the vulnerability Jude had to accept as part of facing his demons. Indira has issues too involving abandonment stemming from her father leaving the family to fend alone and then, of course, the cheating boyfriend.

Two imperfect characters trying to piece themselves back together and find love with each other was a nice change. The theme that was we all deserve love and acceptance and even forgiveness for our failings is a nice one. I did feel the ending of the story with what seemed like several epilogues dragged on and on, but apparently this book is part of a series.

Thank you Mazy Eddings and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I do recommend it to anyone looking for a different kind of romance story.

The third book in the trilogy may just be the best! I loved seeing the whole friend group back together from A Brush with Love and Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.

I enjoyed getting to know Indira and Jude’s relationship while also noting their separate mental health journeys. The writing showing Jude’s PTSD struggles was visceral.

This book had all the tropes: Brother’s best friend, childhood frenemies/enemies to lovers, and fake dating. Their banter at the beginning had me LOLing. Also love that the doctors could enjoy Grey’s Anatomy for the emotional storylines and not fixate on any minor medical inaccuracies. 😂

Super cute book all around with excellent character development of the MCs and supporting cast. 10/10 👍

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
What a wonderful , unique, realistic story! From the plot, to the very realistic and flawed characters, to the real world problems, … it was all so good. Extremely well written and I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Mazey Eddings, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wish the love story would have had a bit more of a slow burn because it seemed like it happened very fast and pretty early in the book. I'm a little tired of fake dating stories, but this sticks out because of the way mental health impacts the characters. Highly recommended for public library collections.

This is one of the best takes on the brother’s best friend trope that I’ve read. Even though there’s some animosity between Indira and Jude at first and they delightfully bicker even after the romance gets going, it’s also clear there’s genuine concern and warmth between the characters, stemming from years of history. There’s so much feeling in Eddings’ writing, especially as she’s tackling mental health issues, and the romantic relationship will definitely make you swoon, laugh and possibly cry. I also enjoyed seeing the characters from the past books, and the new ones like Indira’s brother and his boyfriend were fun additions as well. But if this is indeed the end of this series, it’s kinda odd that Thu didn’t get her own book.

3.5 Stars
One thing Mazey Eddings does really well in her books is writing about mental health issues. With each of her books, I genuinely feel for the character that's going through it. Needless to say, this book did amazing in that aspect. And I loved seeing how Indira and Jude's relationship progressed despite going through their struggles. I really enjoyed their romance overall, and I think their relationship developed really naturally

This was such an adorable wholesome read. Both main characters were so likable and relatable & it made me fall in love with both of them instantly. The communication between the couple was A-MA-ZING. Definitely recommend this to all romance book lovers out there.

I absolutely loved this book. While I've enjoyed both of Mazey Edding's other books, this one was on another level. It was incredibly emotional, funny, and very, very real. The portrayal of the characters' mental health issues was very realistic, and it was great to see in a book. Mazey Eddings handles heavier topics very gracefully and honestly, and I enjoyed that.
Jude and Indira were really great main characters, and the chemistry between them was great! I enjoyed both of their characters, and the side characters were really well-written and distinct as well! I loved Colin and Jeremy.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was relatively fast-paced, and the writing is excellent; it's very easy to read. I would definitely recommend this book!

This is easily my favorite Mazey Eddings book to date and the series just keeps getting better and better! If there's one thing Mazey can do, it's write an entertaining book with compelling characters and a raw vulnerability that leaves you aching for the characters and their struggles.

I adored the characters in this book and I love that we are making our way through the friend circle as each character has such a different story to tell. I love when not only are the main characters captivating, but when the side characters are just as entertaining and developed. Indira was such a great character and I love how she's the perfect example of how even being self-aware does not stop us from being human. Jude was a fantastic character and his struggles with PTSD bring more conversation around the stigma that is mental health and being brave enough to reach out for help. I empathized with Jude so much and his experiences made my heart ache as I rooted for him throughout the book.

I loved that not only do we get an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but also a fake dating trope (we all know that the lines blur there really fast and I'm such a sucker for the characters using real emotions to fuel their fake dating farce). There's entertaining dialogue, lots of playful banter, and some spice for contemporary romance lovers. You'll be left smiling like a fool at times and tearing up at others.

Overall, I can't sing enough praises for this book and I will certainly continue following Mazey's work as it combines lighthearted romance with banter and emotional vulnerability that leaves you with lessons to learn and more characters to swoon over!

Wow what a book, when it comes to romance books I tend to be picky but this book didn’t leave me disappointed in anyways. How they dealt with conflicts were perfect and well done

This is a completely acceptable read though I didn't LOVE it. The premise is fine, the characters are as you'd expect, and I found it to be a nice read.