The Plus One by Mazey Eddings

 A Brush with Love #3

Rating: ★★★★★

Dates Read: 1/31/23-2/1-23

    There are certain things that no one can argue with. Like the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Gravity? Oh yeah, it's definitely real. And let's not forget, Indira and Jude? They absolutely can't stand each other. But what happens when these childhood enemies discover that they're the only ones they can count on?

    Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What else could a late twenty-something want? Well...when she walks in on her boyfriend with a stranger, that perfect on-paper image goes up in flames. Jude has nothing together. He's a doctor who's spent the last three years traveling the world to deal with emergencies and humanitarian crises, but a quick trip home for his best friend's wedding has him struggling to readjust. 

    The elaborate, drawn-out wedding event is stressing Jude beyond belief, and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend more and more, the duo agree to be each other's fake dates for the wedding. When their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit real, they're both left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn't get any worse is made a little better with the other around.

    Enemies to lovers? Check. Fake dating? Check. Forced proximity? Check. This book hit every nail perfectly for me. I received the third book in a series as an ARC, and I loved this so much that I went and read the other two, and now I'm buying them all so I can have the full series as physical copies. I loved Indira and Jude so much. One of the things I absolutely adore about this book is how it shines a light on mental illness and the importance of therapy. Eddings's dedication to transparency and representation in this regard is truly amazing.

    This book was pure perfection! It has spicy scenes that kept me hooked, and the characters were adorable. I genuinely fell in love with all of them, and now I'm on a mission to read every single book Mazey has ever written. Huge, huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.