REVIEW: The Plus-One List by Amy Ewing

THE PLUS-ONE LIST by Amy Ewing brought together two things I can never resist in a romance: a heroine who needs space to be herself and a man who makes room for her without asking her to become someone else. Add a destination wedding, the promise of a romantic escape to Mexico City, and a pack of senior rescue dogs, and there was plenty here to catch my attention.

I liked the idea of a heroine who felt more comfortable with her dogs than with people, especially in a genre that often makes confidence and spontaneity look effortless. And Agustín? A charming journalist with a secret agenda is a recipe for romantic trouble. I wanted to see how a relationship could develop when one person was learning to let someone in and the other had a very good reason to keep part of himself hidden.

Listen, a man who can make an anxious heroine feel comfortable without treating her like a project? That’s already a very good start. I loved how Agustín gave Eloise room to navigate unfamiliar situations while encouraging her to experience more of the world at her own pace. Taking their fake-date arrangement to Mexico City added such a lovely layer to their connection, especially as Eloise got to see Agustín in his element and become part of his world. The transition from pretending to be a couple to developing genuine feelings was sweet, but his secret complicated that growing trust in a way that made their romance more than just a dreamy vacation fling. I liked seeing Eloise open herself up to love without having to become someone she wasn’t—and watching Agustín face the consequences of the one thing he should have been honest about from the start.

I loved the combination of a dreamy Mexico City getaway, a charming journalist with a secret, and a heroine whose senior rescue dogs were a very important part of her world. But what really stood out to me was seeing Eloise slowly open herself up to new experiences without losing the parts of herself that made her who she was. Agustín brought plenty of charm to the romance, but it was the way their connection challenged them both to be more honest and vulnerable that made their story so sweet. Add in the food, the family, and all those vacation-romance vibes.

THE PLUS-ONE LIST was a lovely reminder that sometimes the best kind of love is the kind that lets you be completely yourself.

TROPES & VIBES
💌 Fake Dating
✈️ Destination Wedding
🌴 Vacation Romance
📰 Charming Journalist Hero
🌷 Anxious Heroine
💞 Fake Date to Real Feelings
💚 Supportive, Green-Flag Hero
🐶 Senior Rescue Dogs
🏡 Found Family
🌮 Mexico City Adventures
🤫 Secret Agenda

Book Info:

Publication: May 26, 2026 | MIRA |

Eloise, who struggles with anxiety, strongly prefers the company of her senior rescue dogs to people. But when her best friend announces she’s getting married in Mexico City and every guest must have a date, the pressure is on. Using an exclusive “plus-one list,” Eloise winds up with Agustín, a charming journalist and immigrant who recently moved to New York City from Mexico.

Agustín is on a mission to write the article of his career, but to do that, he’ll need to snag an interview with a man who’s proven impossible to track down. His only chance is to catch the source unaware at the upcoming “wedding of the century.” At first, being Eloise’s plus-one seems like the perfect solution, a purely transactional arrangement. Eloise is not looking for romance, and Agustín sees no need to tell her about his true motives for coming to the wedding.

As they play tourists in Agustín’s hometown, sampling smoky cocktails and delicious street food and meeting his family, Eloise slowly comes out of her shell. Suddenly, her blossoming trust in Agustín starts to grow into something deeper. But if Agustín wants to keep that trust, he’ll need to come clean—before their fragile connection is broken forever.

The Plus-One List is a deeply vulnerable and intimate romance novel that will make readers long for a dazzlingly romantic summer vacation.