The Plus One by Mazey Eddings

If you've read The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test & The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, you'll remember that The Heart Principle was much more emotional and much more focused on their separate health/mental health journeys (especially the female MC) and less time was spent specifically on the romantic relationship. I feel like The Plus One is similar to the Heart Principle in this trilogy.

Indira has just walked in on her boyfriend having sex with someone else and is now effectively homeless and crashing with her brother. But she's going to have to keep seeing her ex at her brother's wedding festivities because they're both in the wedding party (her ex is related to her brother's fiancé). And on top of that, her childhood nemesis and brother's best friend Jude is staying with her brother as well. Jude has been serving as a doctor through an international relief program and is grappling with severe PTSD but isn't acknowledging it to anyone or seeking professional help. Indira and Jude butt heads during the first few days they're together but slowly start to let one another in, which leads to a fake dating proposition. Indira will save face at the wedding events by having a date with her and Jude will have a bit of relief from the crowds and loud noises because he can sneak off somewhere quiet with Indira without really raising too much attention.

I feel like a majority of the story focused on their separate mental health journeys and while they did have very sweet moments and deep conversations together, it still felt like they declared they loved one another kind of quickly. But I loved the mental health representation and I loved the support that Indira and Jude committed to one another in small and big ways. And we got to see a Harper, Dan, Thu, Alex, Lizzie and Rake in the story a bit, which is always fun! Overall it was a very enjoyable emotional romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy to review!