if i had a nickel for every book with a dead brother who sends his sister and best friend on a scavenger hunt to help them realize theyre meant for each other and ruined me in the process i would have two nickels which isnt a lot but crazy that it happened twice 😭😭😭

lord have mercy when this book showed up in my email i was a little hesitant to go for it because i knew that it would hurt my feelings but once i saw just how many 4 & 5 stars this book had, that even though it was painful SO many people loved this story i just could help myself and knew that the pain would be worth it in the end and man was it ever 😭🩵

reading this book and feeling these emotions are akin to riding the hulk rollercoaster while absolutely plastered in the sense that youre laughing one second and then youre crying the next and then youre scared for whats to come and maybe you feel like throwing up a little because of all of these emotions youre cycling through 💀

this story had me hooked from start to finish, i loved both maddie and dom immediately and by the end of the first trip wanted these two to stop fucking around and be together immediately LOL. i was super glad to see that i didn’t necessarily have to wait very long for it to happen, i was pleasantly surprised by the open door scenes as well i didnt think this book would have any at all tbh!! this was one of my favorite third act break up books ive read because 1) i kinda agreed it needed to happen so maddie could get her shit together to be better for herself & their relationship but 2) because dom never stopped showing up, he did everything in his power to prove he was all in and i really admired that about him 🥹

i think that one of my absolute favorite things about this read was that even though the entire book josh has already passed away you feel like you really got to know him through the characters and his letters, you could just feel the love that he had for everyone and seeing the mark he made on those who were strangers to maddie & dom was very endearing. he is a character that i wish i would have gotten to know prior to his life ending bc he just seemed like one of the best kinds of people🥹

if you are in the market for a sad but very heartwarming and promises to put you back together again by the end of the book then look no further!!

This was a really sad but also really inspiring romance, and I have never read anything like it. The premise of the book is intriguing - Maddie's brother, Josh, dies and leaves her and his best friend, Dom, his ashes to spread out over eight states. Which would be fine if Maddie and Dom didn't hate each other. But, actually, maybe they don't. There were so many moving parts to this book, and I think it can be really difficult to pull it all together, but Lauren Connolly did a fantastic job. There was so much trauma (from all the characters) and so much growth.

I don't know about you, but I love a man who is understanding without being pushy or creepy or overbearing. Dominic was one of the most perfect MMC that I have ever read. Caring without being too much, listening, empathetic. Maddie really went through it in this book, but there was so much character development and you wanted to cheer for her the whole time. I really enjoy when authors understand and acknowledge the flaws their characters have, it makes it feel more realistic. There was, of course, the typical misunderstanding trope and the big fight in the third act, all of which you knew was coming. But it was written in such a way that it didn't seem rehearsed or overdone. It was predictable while maintaining its own storyline, and I think that is something to be really praised.

And Rosaline and Josh's story absolutely crushed me. Just, FYI, be prepared for that.

I honestly cried reading this and that NEVER happens for me while reading a book (unless a dog dies, but no dead dogs here!). It is heartbreaking and soul crushing but also amazing and so full of love. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

𝗣𝗦 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 is one of my favorites of the year and I hope everyone takes the time to read or listen to it, I feel like it has something for everybody. The premise of this story is without a doubt full of sorrow, as Maddie and Dom struggle with their grief over losing Josh, her brother and his best friend, while fulfilling his last wishes together. This book will break your heart, but make you laugh just as hard at the same time, I promise. I have so many notes, thoughts, and annotations throughout, and they are so hard to put into words without giving anything away.
As far as the characters, Maddie is absolutely amazing, and she overcomes so much. There were so many things that resonated with me throughout her journey, and I feel like Lauren created such a real, raw persona with her. And Dom is the ultimate book boyfriend, he made mistakes in their past but understood her enough in the present to know exactly what she needed. These two balance each other out in the most incredible way, and their relationship and character development played out in the best ways.
This way this story is written is perfection from beginning to end, and will stay with me for a long time to come. Actually I already can’t wait for a re-read, even though I’m still processing my first 😂

The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker, who is one of my all time favorites. She took what is already a perfect story, and elevated it even more. She captured the humor, emotion, tension, and personality of the characters so flawlessly! I highly recommend listening.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this eARC!

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly!

This was a book about grief with a messy, slow-burn romance mixed in. I really liked PS: I Hate You, but wasn't as in love with this book as others I've read it with.

Maddie's older brother dies of cancer and finds out at his funeral, that her brother's last wish was for her to spread his ashes in eight places with his best friend, Dominic. But there is some high school history between the two and along the way, they honor Josh and revisit their complicated past

I loved the letters that Josh left with the instructions, along with the travel destinations. I thought the raw and real grief that both Maddie and Dom shared along with the look at their past relationship was done so well. I felt for the characters, along with the other issues Maddie has in her relationship with her mom, but there was something about her that was a little too insufferable for me.

If you're looking for a romance that is deeper with a focus on grief and healing you'll enjoy this book.

A heartfelt thank you to @netgalley @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted digital and audiobook advanced copies of this phenomenal story. #berkleypartner #berkleyromance #prhaudioinfluencer (Also, what fun to buddy read this with over a dozen other Berkley program friends!)

When Josh Sanderson’s life is tragically cut short by cancer, his dying wish sends his sister Maggie and his best friend Dom on a journey that neither of them is prepared for. Tasked with traveling to the eight states Josh never got to visit and spreading his ashes, Maggie and Dom are armed with only Josh’s letters for guidance. The problem? Maggie can’t stand Dom—or more truthfully, she’s wildly attracted to him and hasn’t forgiven him for breaking her heart a decade ago.

The road trips are packed with challenges and as they retrace Josh’s adventurous spirit, from the ocean to the Badlands and beyond, they begin to see not just how deeply Josh loved them, but how much they might need each other.

This book wrecked me in the best way possible. It’s a heart-wrenching yet hopeful story where love and grief are tightly intertwined. Despite Josh’s death before the story begins, his presence is vivid, his love for Maggie and Dom guiding their every step. Maggie’s struggles with trust—fueled by her manipulative mother—and Dom’s deep-seated need to care for others add incredible depth to their journey. As the two clash, laugh, and push each other’s buttons, their emotional walls start to crumble.

Connolly masterfully weaves a story that will break your heart and piece it back together while making you laugh out loud. The humor and sharp banter between Maggie and Dom balance the raw emotion, making their eight road trips unforgettable. If you’re looking for a book that’s equal parts devastating, uplifting, and beautifully written, this one is a must-read.

The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Karissa Vacker. She’s turned in another exceptional performance (11h 22m)

🤍Book review 🤍

PS: I Hate You
by Lauren Connolly


PS: I Hate You is a touching and heartfelt story about love, loss, and rediscovery. After losing her brother Josh to cancer, Maddie embarks on a journey to fulfill his final wish: scattering his ashes across eight destinations he dreamed of visiting. Her reluctant travel companion is Dominic, Josh’s best friend—and Maddie’s first love.
The story beautifully balances grief and humor, making it both heart-wrenching and uplifting. Maddie and Dom’s shared loss creates a complex, emotional bond that grows as they revisit their past and build hope for the future. The letters from Josh are a particularly moving touch, adding depth and warmth to the story.
While some parts felt a bit predictable, the emotional growth of the characters and their eventual healing made for a gratifying read. Fans of PS I Love You will find this bittersweet journey both poignant and satisfying. Highly recommend
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

This is a bittersweet romance that is just as much about grief as it is about love. Maddie's older brother's dying wish is that she scatter his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old Josh never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission: his best friend, Dominic. Maddie and Dom have history together, and she hasn't forgiven him for breaking her teenage heart. Maddie and Dom embark on their forced series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way. Maddie's grief is raw, she lashes out in anger, and her fear of abandonment is evident right from the get-go. This isn't a rom-com, so don't read it if you're just looking for a lighthearted laugh. But if you're like me and appreciate romance novels that delve into deeper, tougher topics with messy complicated characters who find each other on their healing journey, this book is for you.

This is the first book of Lauren Connelly’s I’ve read, and let me tell you…it won’t be the last.
This debut author has earned herself a lifelong fan. I loved this book so much that I’ll blind-buy her next book. Just tell me what it’s called and when it goes on sale!
The story follows Maddie, a young woman grappling with the devastating loss of her brother to cancer. He wasn’t just her sibling; he was her anchor, her only real family. The mother and grandmother are AWFUL. They’re selfish and self-serving, and their ineptitude toward parenthood only strengthens just how important Maddie and Josh were to each other because each other was all they really had. Before his passing, he created a heartfelt wishlist for Maddie to complete—a journey to visit several states, accompanied by his best friend, who also happens to be Maddie’s first love. As the miles pass, Maddie begins to realize that her feelings for Dom are not as past tense as she hoped.
First of all, this freaking book made me cry. The depth of Maddie’s love for her brother and the raw honesty of her grief resonate powerfully. If you have ever lost someone you loved dearly, you will not only understand but connect with her grief in a way that will most likely dredge up your own. It was deeply sad, but it was not depressing. If you have not found a way to the other side of your own grief, yet, I think reading Maddie’s journey will help ease you toward it. I am not through my own, yet, but this was a cathartic read. I loved it very much.
Touching and beautifully written, this book isn’t just about loss—it’s about love, resilience, and rediscovery. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the kind of book that keeps you up late in the night because you just can’t wait to find out how it ends. I appreciated that it took place over a span of time which made it more realistic that the main characters were going on these short trips and also displayed how grief ebbs and flows. There is no one right way to experience loss. Characters in the book were dealing with serious trauma and grief and I felt like the way it was addressed made sense. Make sure to have tissues handy and be prepared for a book hangover. #PSIHateYou

Wow! Where do I even begin with this book. It was AMAZING, and I am at a loss for words. I probably should start by saying to make sure you have tissues close by when going in to this one. I cried literally like every single chapter with the first set of tears less than 30 pages in. I binged the entire book in one sitting. I don't even know where to start with what I loved because every single second of this read was phenomenal. I've sat with my feelings for a few days, and I'm still just in awe. I can't even figure out what to read next. Gosh, this was just so incredibly good. It's for sure going to be an instant bestseller! I wish I could give it a million stars!

Special thanks to @prhaudio for the complimentary ALC and @berkley for the ARC of PS I Hate You.

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a heartfelt and emotionally complex romance that blends the themes of grief, forgiveness, and second chances. The novel follows Maddie Sanderson, a woman tasked with fulfilling her late brother Josh's dying wish—to scatter his ashes across eight destinations he never got to visit and while doing so she'll receive letters Josh left for her. However, there's a slight catch....she'll have an impossible travel companion: Dominic Perry, Josh's best friend, and Maddie's long-time source of heartbreak. Together, they must face both the physical journey and the emotional one as they revisit the past, heal old wounds, and confront a future, neither expected.

Connolly does a good job of portraying the tension and attraction between Maddie and Dom. Their shared history is laden with unresolved feelings, and their banter crackles with a mix of bitterness and underlying chemistry. Despite Maddie’s initial reluctance, the chemistry between the two builds gradually, making their evolving relationship feel natural and organic. The setup of a forced travel partnership adds a layer of tension, as their journey through various beautiful and remote destinations mirrors their emotional journey of healing and reconciliation.

The audiobook narration is <chef's kiss> 🤌 Karissa really brings out all the emotion the characters are experiencing.

Lauren Connolly has crafted a heartfelt and poignant tale of forgiveness, healing, and love that endures despite the trials life throws at us. We'd recommend this one for readers looking for a romance that is both touching and full of heart.

It was fine. It was very "P. S. I Love You."

However the major issue that I had with it was that Maddie was such a brat. Unjustifiably so. She was way too immature for the age that she was supposed to portray. So much so, that I wasn't wanting her to get the guy. I wanted him to turn and run away from her toxicity as soon as humanly possible. It's hard to have a romance when you actively rooting against the couple getting together.

Drowning in grief after losing her beloved brother, Josh, to cancer at the young age of 29, Maddie Sanderson is tasked with spreading his ashes in eight different places that require serious travel. Maddie is horrified to find out that Josh’s best friend, Dominic Perry, must be her travel partner. Maddie is loath to accept her brother’s last wishes, but to read the precious letters that go along with her assignment, she must acquiesce. Dominic had broken Maddie’s heart seven years ago, so he is the last person she wants to spend any amount of time with the burden of this task.

At Dom’s insistence, they follow the rules beginning the first trip almost immediately. Maddie’s attitude is a toxic mix of grief, resentment, anger, and incredulity at being forced to spend time with Dom. Each trip takes months to plan and accomplish. Since Maddie grew up with Dom’s family as her only refuge from her own cruel and insensitive mother and grandmother, she has many strong connections to all the Perrys.

Despite the smiley cover, this book is definitely a Women’s Fiction and is in no way a rom-com or mainly a romance. Maddie is a difficult character who is quite immature, has a self-destructive inner monologue, and a huge resistance to giving Dom any grace for his prior actions. Dom is very patient with Maddie bearing guilt for hurting her while processing his own grief. I found Maddie to be an irritating unsympathetic character who was really a major emotional mess beyond her current grief circumstances. This story is quite drawn out and as the author notes, comes with several trigger warnings of “emotionally difficult topics.” Readers should be prepared for a very angst driven, heartwrenching ride.

Well this one hurt quite a bit. I don’t think I ever really read a part where my eyes weren’t burning or read.

Sometimes I get a bit hesitant with 2nd chance romances, but this one is by far my absolute favorite. Maddie’s brother, Josh, passed away and his last will was for her and his best friend, Dom, to explore the last few states he couldn’t visit.

Very straightforward and yet, the plot is as intricate as feelings always are. Everything that has happened, everything that the characters have felt, was so realistic, so genuine it was honestly painful to how much this book has wreaked havoc on emotions.

As heartbreaking as this book was, it’s also so so beautiful and will be one of my favorite reads this year.

This book was so good! I laughed, I cried, I couldn't stop reading it. I love the MMC! This is a book that had me thinking about still, days after finishing it. No notes!

All the stars for this incredible story!!

The way this story was written was so beautiful. The elements of grief mixed with laughter really helped with the overall feel of the story. It’s a heartfelt emotional journey filled with sadness, laughter and friendships.

Everyone should have a Jeremy, Tula and Dom in their life. The way these friends really cared for Maddie and helped her along in her journey of healing was amazing.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and feel so much for these characters.

A deeply emotional, forced proximity, brother's best friend road trip second chance romance that sees two people grieving the death from cancer friend/brother who are tasked with scattering his ashes together across 8 states. This was full of emotional depth, disability rep (the female MC has asthma) and lots of angst/pining. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jessica Joyce and Sarah Adler. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars
At the funeral of her 29 year-old brother, Josh, Maddie learns that he left a series of letters for her and his life-long friend, Dominic, asking them to travel to 8 states that he never had the chance to visit and sprinkle some of his ashes. The mission is complicated by the fact that it has been 7 years since Dom broke Maddie's heart and she hasn't spoken to him since. Over the course of the next couple of years, the two of them visit Delaware, Alabama, Kansas, Arizona, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho and Alaska as they take Josh along on the adventures that he didn't have a chance to enjoy before he died and savour his words in the letters he left for each destination. Spending time together on these trips forces Maddie to confront her resentment of Dom and as her feelings toward him start to soften she realizes that there's a risk that she'll fall in love with him again.

I was drawn to PS: I Hate You because of the concept of travelling to various places on a farewell tour to a loved one. There are a bunch of tropes - enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, miscommunication, forced proximity, one bed - but two main characters dealing with grief is heavier subject matter than a typical romance. The positives - I enjoyed the travel parts but would have preferred more time in each place, the grief process that Maddie and Dom go through after Josh's death was relatable, and I appreciated the found family that Maddie had with her two close friends and Dom's brothers who all helped her get through the grieving process. The negatives - Maddie can be insufferable but grief affects everyone differently so I cut her some slack but I didn't love Dom's behaviour after they break-up late in the book - it was a bit stalkerish. Also a little more than halfway through the book they get together and the sex scenes are quite graphic which felt out of place for the story. This was an okay read for me but nothing special - early reviewers are raving about this book though so I'm clearly an outlier.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

5 stars⭐- I adored this so much.

P.S. I HATE YOU by Lauren Connolly
432 pages
Contemporary romance with a bit of spice (which are my favorites!! give me the real love story and a splash of spice.)

Thank you to Netgalley, Lauren Connolly, and Berkley for the #ARC in return for an honest review. I do want to say that as much as I loved this book, it has quite the heavy background so PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!! This a new favorite of 2024....

What did I enjoy/what to expect?
👍🏻grief journey. this book made me look at how I deal with grief and my process. It is different for everyone: it can be ugly, tiring, sad, and messy. And sometimes there is beauty in that.
👍🏻 "never give up on yourself or finding true love"
👍🏻brothers best friend
👍🏻DOM WAS PERFECTION ugh my heart
👍🏻angst and tension
👍🏻second chance romance
👍🏻sad and gut wrenching

What could have been better?
👎🏻why why why did we get that weird love triangle/relationship in the end...... could have done without that.
👎🏻miscommunication trope

I adored this book! Seriously. One of the best romances I’ve read all year.

It’s been a while since I loved a book boyfriend as much I loved Dominic Perry. Most MMCs are either controlling alpha types or sweet golden retrievers. Dom manages to be a strong character witho being controlling. He cares for everyone and wants things to go a certain way, but he also allows the FMC to stand on her own two feet and make her own choices. Despite the enemies to lovers vibes, there was mutual respect between the two MCs.

Maddie, the FMC, gave us chronic illness rep as she suffered from asthma. She had a lot of trauma to deal with from her childhood and her brother’s death. I thought her character arc was so well written. Watching her growth was beautiful. All the side characters were great as well. I loved how, since the book is single POV, we got to know the other characters little by little as Maddie learned to open up.

The plot was an original take on the road-trip trope. Having them visit a variety of far flung locations over the course of time instead of merely traveling from point A to point B, made for a more varied story! I appreciated that we still got to follow Maddie in between trips as she reflected and digested the things that happened during their times of forced proximity. And that forced proximity led to some excellent spicy scenes. No closed doors here!

I cried at the ending, which I loved. And I definitely recommend this romance. It’s a must-read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for the chance to review this ARC.