Even days after I finished reading P.S. I Hate You, I still think about it. This can be both good and bad, but in this case it’s definitely the latter.

P.S. I Hate You is a moving story of hope, tenacity, nostalgia and the strong conviction that you have to work for the things that matter to you. It’s about the fear of making life-changing decisions and fighting for your beliefs with the risk of failing in the end. It made me reflect on my own relationships and behaviour.

Sophie Ranald does a fantastic job at storytelling, her outstanding writing used just the right amount of description to paint a picture but not too much to not direct your fantasy a certain way.
I loved how the chapters were written from different perspectives. Chapters that take place in the present are told from Abby’s perspective, while flashback chapters were told by a third-person narrator. It created a great distance to the past of the MCs and gave the couples history more depths, which is essential in a second-chance romance.

P.S. I Hate You choses a very authentic approach without romanticising and it’s a perfect mix of comedy, drama and romance. Starting a new chapter, you’ll never know how you’ll feel in the end.

And that’s what it does best, it makes you FEEL. Big time.

If you expected a light and breezy love story, this might not be for you and I think it’s important to point out that this book contains triggers, so please be aware.

I can see how easily relationships could end up in the place that Abbie and Matt found themselves. We’re all guilty of not making the effort to chat or connect, and when they had been through the challenges they faced, it’s no wonder Abbie felt the end was near for them as a couple… so it was quite inspirational to see her not give in, to put in the work and effort and for the both of them to realise that what they had was worth saving. And shrimp was a lovely bonus too! I really enjoyed the story overall and has definitely made me think about making the effort to reconnect with my other half… when I’m not reading of course!

I got this book in a genre that I never read by an author I have never heard of because I am trying to broaden my horizons in music and books. I didn't expect much from it, but couldn't put it down. It is a fairly deep book about how the marriage relationship can become stale and ultimately broken due to disappointment and hidden secrets.
The best thing about the book is that it is set in London. The dialogue is full of British slang. I had to constantly look up words such as snogging to find out what was going on. It was cracking read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Bookouture for the advanced copy!

P.S. I Hate You is a second chance romance that follows high school sweethearts Matt and Abbie after their happily ever after. After dating in high school, doing long-distance through university, struggling with fertility, and leaving teaspoons on the kitchen sink, Abbie and Matt have lost their spark. Abbie decides it’s time they get back to being them and embarks on Operation Memory Lane with the help of her best friends.

I loved Abbie and Matt. They had amazingly witty banter, and Ranald expertly depicts everyday love through them. This novel does not require you to suspend disbelief at all – it feels like Abbie and Matt could be your friends (and I would love to be besties with them - invite me to the next dinner!!)! This book has one of the best girl groups I’ve read, and I would really like to be part of the Girlfriend’s Club. Matt’s wedding speech?? So cute; I was genuinely grinning while reading that scene (and most of the others).

I love the way this story jumps through time. The timeline adds to the story and perfectly shows Matt and Abbie as a couple. I found that the book really picks up about halfway through once you get a feel for Matt and Abbie. I also LOVE that there wasn’t a third-act breakup – thank you, Sophie!

I appreciate the realistic discussion and depiction of a friend suffering from addiction. Both Abbie’s relationship, Matt’s relationship, and the others’ relationships with Andy felt real and gently depicted how addiction can impact friendships. I also appreciate the infertility representation Ranald provides. I did, however, find brief moments of fatphobia throughout the novel which always takes away from the book, not matter how enjoyable I find it.

Overall, this is an extremely cute, no-steam, heartwarming, witty, and realistic second-chance romance that I would recommend to absolutely anyone who loves romcoms.

CW: addiction, drug abuse, infertility, miscarriage

This book started out kind of slow for me and I considered shelving it as DNF, but I forged on and followed the course of Matt and Abbie's relationship. I didn't particularly love any of the characters or feel drawn into their lives. The whole book was just kind of... meh.... for me. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. It just... was. I could relate to the nuances of marriage and the ups and downs the couple faced, but I was definitely ready for a resolution one way or another by the end. There were a lot of elements that were touched on, but not explored. Everything felt very surface for me. And I still have no idea why the title is P.S. I Hate You ?!?!

Abbie and Matt don't hate each other- they've just.....They've been together 20 years, married for 9, and now, in a time when they're more or less stuck in the house together, the little things are getting to Abbie. Anyone who has been in a long term relationship will recognize the challenges but know that this is not a dysfunctional couple, just one that needs a spark. Can recreating old happy events help? There's humor here as well as a bit of sadness. This is,. however, very much a second chance romance so ...Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I have read another book by this author previously but one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It was too slow paced for me and I was expecting something slightly different after reading the blurb. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the actual plot of it but I just think the title gave off a different expectation 🤷🏽‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for a complimentary copy in exchange for a review.

this was so wonderfully written and wholesome, i loved it. it broke my heart as well and i just . . . ahh it was so good. i loved the addition of Shrimp too. <3

Abbie and Matt are the “couple goals” of their circle of friends. Behind closed doors their relationship isn’t as swoon-worthy as it seems. Faced with the realization that maybe the end is near, Abbie must decide if rekindling the romance that once gave her butterflies is worth it.

While I didn’t love the book, it wasn’t bad. The title felt a bit over-dramatic to me. Abbie doesn’t hate Matt, they honestly just desperately need some therapy. The lack of general, mundane level communication between them drove me nuts. It felt dragged out and throwing the duel timeline in didn’t add much to the overall story. The supporting characters felt more interesting than Abbie herself which was a bummer. I appreciate the general “things aren’t as they seem in relationships” trope and the typical ending of the honeymoon phase.

3.5 stars. 4 if you can relate to it. Of all the tropes out there, second chance romance (in this case dealing with marital troubles) isn't my favourite, but I do still enjoy them as they're always sweet stories. This book might make me reconsider. ! I think P.S I Hate You is probably relatable to a lot of people. Abbie and Matt were childhood sweethearts and twenty years later, Abbie is feeling like something is missing and it's harder to overlook the small things that Matt does (like leaving his teaspoon on the counter). She launches Operation Memory Lane to reignite their spark. I think this book could've been better if it was dual POV! I read the book in one sitting and enjoyed the read and would recommend it to others! If you're

Big fan of Sophie Ranald so was so happy to get an advanced copy of this.
While I enjoyed it I REALLY wish authorz would stopped doing duel time lines. I hate them and they make me want to quick the book.

A quick, fun and easy read that engaged me the whole way through. I couldnt put it down and would definitely recommend this as a perfect summer read.

Sophie has done it again! This was such a fun read. Abbie and Matt are having marriage troubles and are trying to relive their old memories in the hopes of bringing back the romance into their relationship.

At first I was skeptical about this because Abbie and Matt are slightly older than couples I would typically read about, and I wondered if I would be able to relate to them enough. I didn’t need to worry though! I still loved the characters and was rooting for them the whole way through.

I also enjoyed the chapters from when they were younger and how we got to see how they met and got together. The infertility storyline was hard to read, and the author definitely didn’t hold back when telling the story of their struggles, which I’m glad about. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend this book if you feel you could be triggered by this storyline.

I still haven’t read a bad Sophie Ranald book and I’m very excited for her next book, whenever that will be!

Really really loved this book. The characters are so well written. It felt authentic in explaining the problems Abbie & Matt have in their marriage. They could be blaming each other (and maybe they are a bit) but you can also see how they were put into difficult positions and it made me wonder, what would I do if I had a friend like Andy?
I really like the way it flits between when they were teenagers and first got together and back to now, when they are married a few years and both working from home. Anyone whose worked from home during the pandemic will be able to relate to the situation of having them either end of the kitchen table, wearing pajama bottoms underneath the table and a nice top above for the zoom calls! I was so rooting for them and found some of their story heart breaking. Love the girlfriends club too - a really enjoyable read. Highly recommend!

Second chance romances are a trope I either love or hate. At first I wasnt convinced with this story. Abbie annoyed me. A lot. I thought she complained about very normal things in a long term relationship and I felt bad for Matt. But then I recognized myself and my husband in the two of them and I started to fall in love with them and their story. I loved the path their story ended up taking and can't wait to read more of Sophie's work.

I found the mood and setting from P.S. I Hate You very different from the writer's other books. Abbie and Matt's relationship is very real and touching and you want them to get their second chance at making things right. I enjoyed the two timelines that showed how the relationship changed over time. Overall, the book is a quiet, moving read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Just as I expected from this author - absolutely readable, fantastic characters, a few smiles and a little bit of pain.

Really well written. Definitely an author I’ll always pick up for a great read.

In some ways this book is not completely as I expected. Follows the life of Abbie and Matt, who are struggling with married life. Taking you on a journey of revisiting events to try and reignite that love, and taking you back in time to them in there youth. Both eventually revealing a secret they've held for many years, not knowing if this will break them or make them stronger. Can they get that love back?....

First half of the book was a slow burner, not as much humour in it as I would've liked. Overall a good read.

"A trip down memory lane, you say?" he asked.
"Something like that," I said. "I’m up for that," Matt agreed.

When I read the description, I was so excited to see Abbie & Matt fighting to save their marriage so I decided to give it a try. Their issues were real and woeful, they had been married for nine years and had been dating longer than that. Abbie & Matt were cute together especially in the glimpses that we got of their past but the secrets they hid from each other were huge and I didn't like the way they were just brushed off by saying that the characters have matured over the years and there was no point in getting angry over them now. The angst that was supposed to usually come with reading about a marriage in crisis was missing and because of that, this book was mostly a miss for me. This was an okay kind of read, I mean, I liked it but I didn't love it. Though I enjoyed the parts where Abbie came up with sudden plans to recreate their past experiences and Matt just went along with them without any doubts. They were equally trying to save their marriage and wanted to be together. There simply wasn't as much conflict as I had expected tbh. I still adored the calm and peaceful life that Abbie & Matt has settled into with their newly found pet cat and some great set of friends though!

Thank you Netgalley & Bookouture for the eARC

A book that I really didn’t care for but I don’t regret reading it. Though I don’t’ think I’ll pick up anything else by this author.