Mazey EddingsReseñas

n artist and a reclusive flower farmer learn to trust each other and start over again in Eddings's (The Plus One) latest. Opal is an art-school dropout with a dead-end job and a string of bad friends and worse exes. When she wins the lottery, she sees the chance to start over on a flower farm in in Asheville, NC, and make a business out of her art. Through a twist of fate and a series of impulsive decisions, she finds herself cohabiting with Pepper, a prickly flower farmer struggling to make ends meet after the death of her grandmother. Despite their clashing personalities and deep insecurities, the two soon find themselves drawn to one another and will have to work together to turn their dreams into reality. This is an engaging sapphic romance about two people who have a history of being taken advantage of and must learn to trust each other. Eddings brings a light and optimistic touch to characters dealing with substance addiction, grief, and the downsides of neurodivergence. VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy contemporary queer romance, meet-cutes, and rural settings. --Sierra Wilson (Reviewed 12/01/2023) (Library Journal).

Late Bloomer was a good read and the characters were nice. The best characters though were the secondary ones, especially Opal's two sisters. Not the best; not the worst.½

It was a three for the first half, but then Dan grew on me the way he did with Harper, and their connection was undeniably sweet in the end, ending with a four-star review. The best parts, though, we’re the friends, Lizzie and Thu (pronounced two).

Best entry in the series. I read it before 1&2 and liked it better than either of those (so, okay to skip).

i really didn't like this. the way they fell for each other felt entirely off the page (but was happening concurrently with the timeline we were reading) and so it was entirely unbelievable, which made this nearly unbearable for me. i did really like the adhd rep and the explanation of the way her brain works vs what it looks like to someone neurotypical on the outside.

Gr 9 Up—Two neurodiverse teens find love together over the course of a summer internship in Europe. Tilly's
spunk, quirky attitude, and search for understan

Late Bloomers by Mazey Eddings
Contemporary sapphic romance.
Opal Devlin likes to do things for people. Even when she can’t afford it herself. Winning the lottery is a surprise bonus she never expected. She also didn’t expect friends to immediately expect a handout. Opal takes the money and buys a farm, thinking she can finally make her art into a business. But when she gets there, she finds that the farm is still actively growing flowers and Pepper didn’t know her mother had sold the property out from under her. Opal and Pepper agree to coexist on the farm while they both make decisions on their future.

Lots of life planning, some angst, a bit of loving, and quite a few flower arrangements and metaphorical flower analogies.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook when reading this story. The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage. The performance is well done with distinct voices for Opal and Pepper as well as a couple of the secondary characters. Both the print version and audio also have chapter headings that tell you whose POV is being told. The different temperaments of Pepper and Opal come through clearly in the audio which helps in getting to know them both.

I enjoyed the sisterhood closeness and support of Opal’s sisters, Ophelia and Olivia. They are overjoyed at Opal’s winnings and drop everything to travel to her when she calls.
I’m glad Opal saw through her so called friend.
I also thought it was great that Opal was so supportive of the farm and the business.

Opposites attract romance with several depths of love and friendship and affection.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

another physical book bites the dust! no reason other than I was like, "wow I don't care about anything here!" YMMV though!

Spoilers have been removed.

There were moments in A Brush with Love where I laughed so hard, I thought I was going to pull a muscle. That is the talent of Mazey Eddings, one moment she can make you want to cry a river and the next you are laughing until you snort (not like I did that…more than once…twice.)

Harper has two immediate goals in life – to finish dental school and get her top residency pick. After that, she will commit her life to helping people and making a difference. As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t room for anything else, no matter what her friends said. She spent most of her life building up walls, protecting herself, and doing what it took to manage her anxiety. What she didn’t plan for is a certain green eyed, jaw-dropping gorgeous man with a mind erasing dimple colliding with those walls and destroying all of her hard earned work. With graduation so close and her future set, Harper can’t get “gooey” over some boy. Declaring that despite the incredible chemistry her and Dan seem to have, she can only offer a friendship - setting off an epic battle between heart and mind that will leave no survivors.

I don’t think I exhaled until I finished this book. Talk about intensive! Mazey is the master of putting you into the shoes of her neurodiverse characters. Every feeling, the loss sense of control, the shifting of the world surrounding them, how they believe the world sees them – she hands it all to the reader as if we requested a fully immersive experience.

Don’t even get me started on Harper and Dan. Dan is an absolute daydream! A huge part of me wondered (especially since Mazey is a dentist), how much of his character is modeled after her boyfriend. If that man is even a fraction of the “swooniness” that is Dan, I am insanely jealous! As far as book boyfriend’s go, he just got bumped to the top of the list!

Asides for drooling over Dan, there were so many things to love about this book, the close friendships, the vulnerability, the support, and Mazey’s constant effort to remove the stigma around mental health, therapy, and seeking help. We never know what someone is going through and how our words can cut them and push their fears deeper.

Mazey also has the ability to create the most beautiful moments when her characters are intimate. It was no different when Harper and Dan slept together for the first time.

What got me the most is when we learned Harper’s “why”, why she had to be the best, had to succeed, what it all stood for, what it represented if she failed. When I finished reading that part, I took a moment and just said “Wow”.

I love Thu, Lizzie, and Indira! I hate that I read The Plus One first because I can’t remember what happens with Thu and Alex or Harper and Dan! Lizzie’s story is waiting for me in my TBR stack so hopefully that helps bridge the gap in my memory. For anyone who loves Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry, Mazey Eddings is right there, ready to win your heart.

Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming my favorite author for feel-good romances. The fact that her characters fall along the entire neuro-diversity / mental health issues spectrum is just a bonus.

Mazey Eddings is quickly becoming a favorite author! I have enjoyed her adult titles and was excited to read this new YA novel. I am proud to report that this book was just as good as I had hoped it would be! I knew that I was going to have a great time with this book when I found myself laughing out loud during the first 30 minutes of listening. I think the smile I had may have stayed on my face until the very end of the story.

Tilly and Oliver were wonderful characters who seemed destined to find each other. There were a few scenes that made me laugh and other moments that touched my heart. Tilly has ADHD and her family doesn’t always help support her in the best way even though they do care for her. Oliver has dealt with autism which can make it hard to make connections with others. I thought that the author did a phenomenal job of illustrating exactly what these two neurodivergent teens go through on a daily basis and I loved how they saw each other.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Justis Bolding and Chris Nelson did a great job with the story. I liked the way that they were both able to bring these wonderful characters to life through their narrator. I feel like their voices complemented each other’s very well and I found both to be very pleasant. I liked that they were both able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I do believe that their narration added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. These characters quickly worked their way into my heart and I found the story to be incredibly entertaining. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work!

I received a review copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Recorded Books, Inc.

This was a very funny book and I really enjoyed Lizzie and Rake as two individuals. Lizzie has always been told that she is “too much, too loud, too messy” all her life and I am a sucker for those kinds of characters and always want what’s best for them. Here through a series of insta-lust, stuff happens, and she winds up being pregnant with a stranger.

I have to say this is Mazey’s second book and I really like her writing style. I find her to be witty and hilarious. However, what didn’t work for me are the tropes I wrote earlier. I am not a fan of insta-love/lust and ultimately it didn’t fully work for me here.

All in all, this was a good beach book.

Huge thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this a lot! While being more serious than her previous books, I completely appreciated how the author deftly dealt with mental health and still gave a swoony couple to root for. I enjoyed Indira and Jude's journey to themselves and each other. And of course I am always down for a bit of fake dating :)

3.75 very satisfied stars.

Huge Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

While “A Brush with Love” has been staring at me from my TBR list for awhile now, this is the first book I’ve read by Mazey Eddings. I have to say 1) I thoroughly enjoyed it and 2) I am kicking myself for having not read A Brush With Love because it and Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake are within the same universe. While each are standalone, like most standalone with cross over characters – the stories intertwine and when read out of order, you end up with spoilers of the prior books. Despite the glimpse into the previous books, this one went straight to the bone. The intricate emotions Eddings weaves into the story pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It’s too real and too relatable as it describes moments, situations, and life experiences that anyone can either personally or within two degrees, relate.

Indira couldn’t ask for a better life. Dream job, wonderful boyfriend, and the honor of watching her brother marry the love of his life in his upcoming nuptials. While she knew life was pulling her in different directions, she was determined to reclaim control and refocus her priorities. The problem was one of her priorities was busy with a blond on her couch when she decided to surprise him with a home cooked meal and wine. Completely floored, mainly by the amount of peanut butter involved in the deplorable scene, Indira flees to find solace at her brother’s home – only to be greeted by her childhood nemesis, Jude. There were two things Indira could feel directly to her soul, her love for psychiatry and her loathing for Jude.

Apparently the feeling was mutual from the look of sheer disdain he shared upon seeing her. For Jude, the biggest problem he had with Indira was her ability to see directly into the recesses of the human mind, to the things one wanted to keep hidden. After the ever plaguing nightmare of GHCO that has left him as a shell of his former self, the last thing he needed was her looking at him, seeing him, knowing his secrets.

All they needed to do was avoid each other, so simple yet impossible as they were part of her brother’s wedding party. Add that her now ex was also a groomsmen and Indira couldn’t figure out who she wronged in life for this to be her situation. The one thing she has gotten right is that something is off with Jude. When an incident reveals what lurks beneath, the two agree to help each other survive the pre-wedding events with the goal to come out in one piece. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer – but how close is too close?

What I like about it: First, while I understand it is standard formula for many authors, I am so grateful we skipped over the breakup, make up rigmarole in this one. What I also celebrated was continuous message projecting the power of understanding, acceptance, trust, being seen, and asking for help. Yes, this was a romantic comedy and quite humorous (the running gag about the peanut butter was a nice touch) but Eddings took it so much further than that. She used the love story as the foundation of two people struggling to survive the world around them, finding each other and still acknowledging that the struggle exists – that love isn’t going to conquer all but having a support system does make an impact. Doing the work, sitting through the hard parts, failing and trying anyway despite the plague of self doubt – that is what you saw in this story.

What I love about it: I love the issues of mental health that were tackled in this book. From Indira’s abandonment issues and need for extrinsic validation to Jude’s struggle with PTSD. It was gut wrenching to have the easy brush off of mental health highlighted in this book. Eddings is right – it is an invisible disorder, disease, illness that isn’t treated with the same sense of urgency as a broken bone or an infection. The mind is sick, broken, fractured, take a pick but because we can’t look at it and see it for ourselves, only witness what people are experiencing (or say they are experiencing), we have the right to invalidate it.

There were so many moments of Indira sharing knowledge on how to embrace the struggles that one may experience. Her constant reminders that no one is broken, helpless, and that you can be a multitude of things – happy and sad, struggling and forgiving, there wasn’t a moment where one of her diatribes shouldn’t have been made into a presentation and shared with the world. So many could benefit from her message.

Asides for the philosophical rollercoaster, the sensual scenes in this book were intense! It wasn’t even the explicit scenes that were hot, the make out and building up moments were scorching as well. The amount of attention shared between two people was never lost. Every touch, every thought, every moment – you bore witness to all of it. You felt the love and connection well before the characters verbalized it.

I have every intention of going back and ready Edding’s books from the beginning. I can’t gush enough over how much I enjoyed this book, how immensely I value what it taught me, and the imprint it has made on me as a whole.

After Indira walks in on her boyfriend having sex with someone on their couch, she immediately packs up her things and goes to stay with her brother, Collin. When she arrives, she discovers that Collin's best friend and her childhood nemesis, Jude is staying with him also. With Collin's wedding to his boyfriend, approaching, Indira doesn't want to do anything to spoil the celebration, but she is edgy, and Jude's presence doesn't help. However, as a practicing psychiatrist, Indira starts to notice differences in behavior from the Jude she has always known. As they decide to be each other's "plus one" for the wedding, Indira navigates their growing attraction to one another while trying to figure out what could be wrong with Jude.

The Plus One is less romance and more a tale of characters dealing with mental health concerns. While Indira and Jude do get romantically involved with each other, a bigger part of the story involves issues with abandonment and PTSD. Both are handled with grace, and the PTSD, especially, is presented differently than I've seen in other books. The author's own experience with PTSD shines through, adding realism to the narrative. While the romance is satisfying, it seems to be used more as a plot device to introduce these more serious topics. Overall, The Plus One is a good romance anchored by significant themes.½

I love that this book talks about Jude's PTSD and how difficult it is to deal with and how understanding some people can be. I love that Indira and Jude went from enemies to lovers. The book is just the right amount of spicy and story. Hope there will be a book #4. Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden did a great job of narrating this novel, this isn't the first audiobook I have listened to that was narrated by Imani Jade Powers and it won't be the last.

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
A Brush With Love series #3. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. 5e epilogue does wrap up all three relationships of the series.
Indira was the pesky little sister of Jude’s best friend and neither liked the other. When Indira walks in on her boyfriend being unfaithful, she moves in with her brother at the same time Jude is staying there as well. Wedding prep is keeping the circle of friends busy so Indira and Jude end up faking a relationship. Fake, real, who can say what goes on behind closed doors?

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version alternating with an Ebook. The narration was done by Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden. I like that the series was all different narrators so listening doesn’t get the stories and characters mixed up. The narrators compliment each other very well while each takes their gender POV. Both gave amazing performances on the stress of PTSD, the overwhelming sounds of everyday and, of course, the passion they eventually felt for each other. For me, the audio gave the characters life and a specific “look” that I don’t generally find with an ebook.
I listened to the audio at 1.5.

There are trigger warnings mentioned in the beginning of the book which was helpful to understand the depth of Jude’s detachment. I admired Indira for her support and stance to Jude. Yes, she had training but her words are heartfelt.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

This was great! I believe that Mazey Eddings does an amazing job of dealing with mental health issues and this book was no exception. I read the other two books in the series before picking this one up so I was already somewhat familiar with the characters but it was great to finally read Harper and Dan’s story.

I really liked Harper and Dan and thought that they were a great match. I like the fact that the characters are going to dental school since I don’t feel like that is a setting that I have seen very often. Harper and Dan both had a lot of issues that they were dealing with and I felt like the way they worked through things was very realistic. I did wish that Harper would have let Dan in a little quicker than she did but I loved their journey overall.

Emily Lawrence and Vikas Adam did a great job with this story. They both have very pleasant voices which were easy to listen to for hours at a time. I loved that they were able to bring the characters of this story to life by adding just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I thought that their voices complimented each other incredibly well. Their performance definitely added to my overall enjoyment o this story.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I found this to be a wonderful listen with characters that were very easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.

I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio.

This was fantastic! I loved Indira and Jude. They have known each other since they were young children since Jude was Indira’s brother’s best friend. They are not huge fans of each other but with Indira’s brother getting married, they somehow find themselves living in the same house. After deciding to be each other’s dates for all of the wedding festivities, the fake situation starts to become very real.

Jude and Indira were wonderful characters. Both Jude and Indira had a lot of issues to deal with personally and I liked the way they supported each other. I thought that the story dealt with mental health and therapy in a very positive manner. I thought that they were really good for each other and the chemistry between them was palpable. I really enjoyed their journey towards a happily ever after.

I thought that Imani Jade Powers and Joe Arden did a fantastic job with the narration of this book. I thought that they both did a wonderful job of bringing this cast of characters to life and I thought that their voices complimented each other very well. They added just the right amount of emotion to their reading and I am certain that their performance added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of contemporary romance. This book is the third book in the Brush with Love series but it reads perfectly fine as a stand-alone. I had a great time with this book and look forward to reading more of this author’s work soon.

I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and St Martin’s Griffin.

I have not read the first two books in this series and it was not a detriment.

Much more "real" than other romances. Very much in the mental health space. Probably one of the more realistic fake dating troupe books I have read.

Jude has PTSD and the book does a great job of being inside his head and trying to explain through his thoughts and feelings what that is like. Indira is a likable character with abandonment issues, and also a psychiatrist. The addition of their childhood relationship (he is her older brothers best friend) is a great part of this book.

Many many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.½

The Plus One is a brother's best friend romance with strong mental health representation. Indira and Collin grew up with Jude. Collin is getting married, and Jude has taken a leave from his job as a doctor who goes to war torn and high-risk areas of the world to serve the people who need medical assistance. He has seen and experienced some unbelievable things and is suffering from PTSD. His PTSD is making his everyday life difficult, and he is having a hard time dealing with his feelings. Indira works in a mental health field and knows that something is off with Jude. She has her own issues to work through and has also just broken up with her boyfriend. She and Jude enter into a fake dating situation because her ex is part of the pre-wedding festivities, and Jude needs someone to help him escape situations that make him feel uncomfortable. They find their feelings for each other evolving and it is beautiful and at times heartbreaking to read.

This is not my favorite of Mazey Eddings books, but I still love how she writes. The feelings are raw, real, and truly believable. I loved seeing characters from previous books reappear so we could see how they were doing. The friendships are tight. I love how they support each other. I am a fan of Mazey Eddings and look forward to her future books.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press - St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

This was a cute rom com, with a whole lot of sexual activity - so be prepared.
Lizzie has ADHD, and she flings herself into things without a lot of thought. So, when she meets Rake, an attractive Aussie in Philadelphia for a meeting, she picks him up and one thing leads to another. She inadvertently leaves something in his hotel room, so another night of fun awaits.
However, 2 weeks later, Lizzie realizes she might be pregnant. Rake flies back to the US to ask Lizzie to allow him to co-parent with her. She agrees, and the rest is the two of them trying to make it work.
If you are looking for a steamy romance with a flawed heroine, this would be a book for you.
I liked how kind Rake was, and how bold Lizzie was. I am not sure I think someone would move halfway around the world for someone they had a 2 night stand with - but I guess stranger things have happened.

For all the years of Indira’s childhood, Jude was her nemesis as well as her brother’s best friend. Circumstances lead to them teaming up to fake date through her brother's upcoming wedding festivities. This is a common trope, and it was done well.

The main theme of the book, though, is a realistic look into PTSD, anxiety, and debilitating panic attacks. Because of the deep dive into the mental health of both of our MCs, I felt there was less attention paid to the actual buildup of their romantic relationship. But there is still enough spicy romance to entertain readers just looking for love. I especially liked the snarky back and forth between Indira and Jude. 3.5/5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC.

I love Lizzie's character, she has real self-esteem issues from her childhood, she is neurodivergent, and she speaks up on behalf of those she loves. Rake is awesome, I love how he sees the real Lizzie and loves her for all her attributes, including that brain of hers. I thoroughly enjoyed the second book in the A Brush with Love series and I am very much looking forward to reading book #3 The Plus One, Spring 2023, where we will follow Indira through a challenging time.
Summer Morton and Will Peters did a great job of narrating this audiobook. I was able to listen at 2.0x speed and still understand everything being said. I will definitely look for book narrated by these voice actors in the future.

The Plus One is the third entry in the A Brush with Love series. Like the original A Brush with Love, it’s a light contemporary romance that also addresses a mental health issue. In this case the topic is PTSD, and one of the main characters happens to be a mental health professional. Even with that, what really makes this so good is all the teasing and bickering between the childhood enemies‑to‑adult lovers couple. The story features the same group of friends that were introduced in the first book and I’m curious to see who will take the lead role in the next one.
Disclosure: I received an advance copy from Goodreads Giveaways to review.½

A Brush with Love is a light contemporary romance with a twist - it also addresses a mental health issue, in this case anxiety disorder. The author herself is neurodiverse and has ‘made it her mission to … destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain’. There's a brief content warning in the beginning although the topic is handled with enough respect and support that I don’t think any part of it would be triggering. Some of the dialogue is cheesy and the couple's meet‑cute turns into insta‑love, but where's the fun in a contemporary romance without a trope or two?½