Women's Fiction
![Mazey Eddings - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0938R4VQX.jpg)
The Plus One: A Novel
"Mazey Eddings's writing is authentic, emotional, and intensely romantic! To me, it's like a Taylor Swift song in book form." - New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood
What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something these childhood enemies never expected in The Plus One, a sparkling romantic comedy by Mazey Eddings.
She's not looking to fix him. She's looking to love him, if he'll let her in.
Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Indira doesn't like Jude. Jude doesn't like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?
On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.
Jude has nothing together. A doctor that's spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend's wedding has him struggling to readjust.
Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that's stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other's fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit…real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn't be worse, is made a little better with the other around.
What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something these childhood enemies never expected in The Plus One, a sparkling romantic comedy by Mazey Eddings.
She's not looking to fix him. She's looking to love him, if he'll let her in.
Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Indira doesn't like Jude. Jude doesn't like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?
On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.
Jude has nothing together. A doctor that's spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend's wedding has him struggling to readjust.
Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that's stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other's fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit…real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn't be worse, is made a little better with the other around.
Editorial Reviews
"This is a must-read for fans of Eddings, filled with moments of comedic relief and steamy, intimate scenes." ―Library Journal
"Eddings delivers a heartwarming enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance...It's a fun combination of tropes, and, as their mutual trust grows, they eventually indulge their attraction in scenes both steamy and humorous. Readers will root for Eddings's wounded protagonists to find love and healing." - Publishers Weekly
"Indira and Jude are easy to root for: Not only is there undeniable heat between them, but they each demonstrate a lovely willingness to work on themselves as they try to reach for lasting love.. An uplifting and honest portrayal of the healing potential of companionship." - Kirkus
"I don't know how she does it, but somehow every book Mazey Eddings writes becomes my new favorite. It's impossible not to fall in love with Jude and Indira, both individually and as a couple. The Plus One is deliciously tropey, but also raw, honest, psychologically rich― and scorchingly hot." ―Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood
"Eddings delivers a heartwarming enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance...It's a fun combination of tropes, and, as their mutual trust grows, they eventually indulge their attraction in scenes both steamy and humorous. Readers will root for Eddings's wounded protagonists to find love and healing." - Publishers Weekly
"Indira and Jude are easy to root for: Not only is there undeniable heat between them, but they each demonstrate a lovely willingness to work on themselves as they try to reach for lasting love.. An uplifting and honest portrayal of the healing potential of companionship." - Kirkus
"I don't know how she does it, but somehow every book Mazey Eddings writes becomes my new favorite. It's impossible not to fall in love with Jude and Indira, both individually and as a couple. The Plus One is deliciously tropey, but also raw, honest, psychologically rich― and scorchingly hot." ―Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood
Readers Top Reviews
Lauren M
The Plus One “The Plus One” is the final installment of Mazey Eddings’s Brush with Love series. In this novel we are introduced to childhood enemies Indira Papadakis and Jude Bailey. Indira is Jude’s best friend Colin’s little sister. Jude is temporarily in town to serve as best man in Colin’s wedding. As part of a scholarship program that absolves him of his student debt he has spent the majority of his career overseas providing surgical assistance to victims of war and catastrophic natural disasters. Unfortunately, after constant exposure to such volatile environments, Jude has developed PTSD. He deals with it by ignoring it and pretending that he is fine. The only problem with this approach is that Indira is a therapist and she is able to see past the walls Jude puts up, which only keeps him on the offense. Jude is not the only one with issues. Indira has just been cheated on by her on again, off again boyfriend. To make matters worse, he’s a part of the wedding party since he happens to be her brother’s fiance’s cousin. Yeah, that’s not awkward. Oh and did I mention that she has to temporarily move in with her brother as a result of the breakup. And guess what? Jude is staying in the house as well before he goes on to his next assignment. As Indira and Jude navigate through Colin and Jeremy’s many wedding activities Indira finds herself constantly confronted by her ex and his new girlfriend, whom incidentally, he cheated on her with. Unfortunately, all the boisterous fanfare proves too much for Jude’s PTSD and as a result he has a difficult time proving to himself that he is mentally okay. It’s not long before Indira and Jude come to the conclusion that their forced proximity could prove beneficial to them both. As her fake boyfriend Jude will serve as a buffer between her and her ex. Ideally with him on her arm she will not come across as the spurned ex lover. In exchange, Indira will help Jude decompress when the wedding activities become especially stressful for him. Enemies to lovers. Best friend’s sister. Close proximity and fake dating. This crazy mashup of romance tropes makes for a fun read. I love reading how Indira gets under his skin during their MANY arguments because she is able to get past his protective walls. Slowly but surely, Jude’s numbness melts away and he begins to feel like his old self. Jude is not the only one who is blossoming from this fake dating situation. As the intimacy between them intensifies Indira begins get over her abandonment issues and she truly feels that she is worthy of love. The Plus One has a little something for every romance lover. Not one but three tropes and genuine and fun characters. Also, I like how the author addresses the issue of student debt in this country and how stressful it can be to a young professional just starting out in the world. I also, l...
KatyLauren M
Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming one of my favorite reads. This book is my favorite of the trilogy thanks to the mental health descriptions and dealing with that in personal relations. Just gah!
Rachel ShubinKaty
Another 5 stars for Mazey Edding! Indira and Jude are a complex and somewhat accidental coupling, combining a few of my favorite tropes in one book. If you’re a fan of A Brush with Love or Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, you will not be disappointed when picking up The Plus One. In fact, you’ll love all the cameos! Perfect for fans of: 🕶️ Fake dating 👨 Brother’s best friend 💥 Jokes & teasing 🏕️ One tent 😭 Emotional (in a good way) 🧠 Highly accurate depiction of mental health including PTSD 💕 Heartfelt moments 💍 Enemies to fake dating to lovers 🌶️ 3.5 spice
shells.romcomshel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The Plus One (Book 3 but a Standalone) I loved this book. It was deep. It was funny. It was spicy. Did I mention it was deep already? Trigger warnings were announced at the beginning of the read/audiobook and the toppings were really handled well. No spoilers but Chapter 12 hit me HARD. I’d literally be laughing one moment during the Cheesecake Factory scene and then on the verge of heartbreak. But it added so much to the characters! You’ll see lots of the characters from her first books A Brush with Love and Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake throughout the story along with Indira’s brother getting married 🏳️🌈. This has so many tropes like brothers best friend, close proximity, fake dating, and childhood frienemies. But also heavier things like mental health, PTSD, divorced childhood. The audiobook was fantastically narrated and I highly recommend pairing it.
