A Brush with Love Series Review by Mazey Eddings

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was my first read in this series. I received an ARC eBook on NetGalley and dove right in. After finishing the book, I knew I was going to want to read the first book in the series as well. One thing I love about this series is that Mazey writes with such truth about mental illness. She has included anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, divorce, loss of parents and so much more into her stories. Real things that real people struggle with everyday.

A Brush with Love

My Rating: 3.5

Goodreads Rating: 4.72

Harper is always ahead of the game. She is about to be placed in one of the most prestigious oral surgery programs and works her butt off to make sure she is the best. She is constantly pushing herself to perfection, and eventually that constant exhaustion catches up to her. She meets Dan, a first year dental student, and starts to lose some of the perfectionism she works so hard to maintain. Dan has his own demons that he faces everyday. The two of them become closer, but their own mental struggles start to put a wedge between them.

Lizzie Blakes Best Mistake

My Rating: 4

Goodreads Rating: 3.97

Lizzie’s ADHD causes her to make little mistakes quite frequently, but when her inability to hold focus causes her to lose her job at a bakery, she lets go of her rules for two nights. A two night stand with the gorgeous, charming Rake. Rake is in town only for a small amount of time, and the night after his encounter with Lizzie, he heads back to Australia. When a few weeks later Lizzie realizes she has a baby in her belly, she tells Rake, and he moves back to do anything he can to be a part of his child's life. Lizzie and Rake will try the platonic life, but that attraction that was there the first two nights is still burning like a wildfire.

The Plus One

My Rating: 5

Goodreads Rating: 4.13

After walking in on her boyfriend and a woman in a compromising situation, Indira finds herself in need of a place to crash while she gets her feet back on the ground. She turns to her brother, Colin, who welcomes her with open arms. Unfortunately, her brother's best friend, Jude, is in town for a few weeks for Colin's wedding. He has the guest room, so Indira takes the couch. Jude and Indira have always had a bickering relationship, and it seems that nothing has changed. Nothing except Jude. His PTSD from working as a surgeon in other countries in high stress situations has crippled him. With Indira not wanting to be a part of wedding activities since her ex-boyfriend will be there, and Jude not thriving in loud situations, they agree to be each other's “fake plus one” to get through the wedding season.

Review

This series got better with every book. I loved how they were all connected, through dental school, friends and family. It is always exciting to get a glimpse of a previous couple while reading a new book.

All of the characters' struggles felt so very real and close to home. Mental illness is something that should be talked about and it is refreshing when it is incorporated into the books we read since so many of us live with it everyday. I loved that all of the characters took steps towards bettering their life. In order to save others, we must first put the oxygen mask on ourselves, and these stories showed us why.

While many people are not a fan of the pregnancy trope, I felt Lizzie Blakes Best Mistake was an example of a well done pregnancy trope. My favorite of the three novels was The Plus One, because Indria and Jude’s story was just such a beautiful journey. I loved how they grew up together, and found each other later in life.

I am very excited for Mazey Eddings new book, Tilly in Technicolor, coming out August 2023!

Have you read any Mazey Eddings yet?