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.

PS: This Is A Must Read
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)  
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5) 
Audio Rating: 🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️(5/5)

“Love, Josh”

Tropes:   
Brother’s Best Friend
Road Trip
Second Chance
Snowed In
Found Family
Grief Rep
~
Vibes:
My first Lauren Connolly book, and I’m completely HOOKED.

These characters were absolute perfection. Maddie Sanderson’s snark is witty, her character growth is spectacular, and her love story is applaud worthy. Dominick Perry is a top-tier book boyfriend, quiet and responsible, willing to admit mistakes and show up when it counts. I love the Maddie’s friend group - Jeremy and Tula are the truest of friends! I need more of the Perry Twins - Adam and Carter! Josh was a brilliant puppeteer, and I ended up liking Rosaline by the end. Cecilia can go rot in a ditch somewhere, and Florence can take a trip to the sun 😡.

The only part that frustrated me was the miscommunication, but they were all young and making poor decisions. I was also surprised this was dual POV - because I craved Dom’s perspective - but the single POV captured Maddie’s grief so well!

Final thoughts - the letters, the banter, the spice, the road trip adventures - this book is so freaking amazing.

It’s a must read/listen!
~
Audio Notes:
Absolutely fantastic performance by Karissa Vacker - I’ll be adding this to my top favorites for 2024. Perfect comedic timing, pacing, and emotion. I highly recommend this audiobook.
~
Recommended to...  
All romance readers who crave character development, banter, and a forever kind of love.

Oh my gosh I adored this book!!! I swooned and I sobbed. I truly don't have the words to sum up everything I felt while reading this book. It's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Grief roadtrip books are hard to pull off because the grief can be very heavy. This story never felt unbalanced though because Lauren Connolly infused the book with so much snark and banter that the book was never weighed down by the sadness. This story was deliciously bittersweet. The angst was an absolutely delight. I fell in love with Dom and Maddie's relationship but I also fell in love with Josh. He felt full of life despite everything we learned about him coming from flashbacks. Dom's steady presence was the perfect anchor for Maddie's turbulent grief. I loved watching Dom be there for Maddie time and time again during the most difficult points of her grieving process. Watching them grieve together and remember together was extremely heartwarming. I adored everything about this book and I'm very excited about this author's future releases!

I liked the premise of P.S.: I Hate You You, and I adored the love interest, Dom, who was a sweetheart, but I found the main heroine, Maddie, annoying and immature. I had high expectations for the book because of all the positive reviews, but I found it hard to enjoy because of how insufferable Maddie was. I don't mind unlikable characters in some genres, but in romantic fiction, I want characters I like and can root for. Although I appreciated the portrayal of loss and grief, it wasn't enough for me to love the book.

A story that made me laugh, smile, and cry! I went in blindly for this title, and I loved every second of the journey! Beautifully written with a unique story and plot. I absolutely fell in love with the characters!

Thank you for this ARC!

This book got me. It had me laughing, swooning & crying all in a span of five pages. I thought it was an amazing depiction of grief and how personal each person's journey is. I loved the second chance romance and all the romantic tension in between. It's an amazing book that I will sure to recommend for years to come,

This was FANTASTIC. I could not put it down. I was immediately pulled in by the wittiness and humor of our fmc but then stayed glued with the premise of our two mcs having a past. What I wasn't expecting was the deep level of grief and processing that goes along with it, but it made this book so much better. I love when a romance book can make me laugh and swoon but I love it even more when it handles a serious or hard topic, and does it well. The writing was great, the characters were fantastic, and the story just felt so incredibly real that I was in tears by the end. I'm gonna leave a semi spoiler praise down below but just know that I love this book so freakin much and I know it'll be one I reread someday. I will absolutely be purchasing a copy for my shelves!!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advance ebook!



* semi spoiler below**




I just wanted to sing my praises for how this book came to its conclusion. With the big conflict, I love how it wasn't just an easy 2 second fix. It took a lot of time, dedication, and self work to get to the point where our MCs could be together and that just felt really realistic and I really appreciated it!

4.5/5

This book. Just wow. The story line was amazing even with the heartache attached. It was very easy to relate to the characters especially with all their hardships. I will say it did start off a bit slow, but once it took off, I couldn't put it down. I will also say, Maddie at first was a bit insufferable, I couldn't stand her but once we saw her growth on her own and alongside Dom, I was rooting for her (and them) at the end. I fell in love with how natural Maddie and Dom's relationship was, at times it felt like I knew them in real life. I did love some of the banter between the two and how much Maddie exasperated Dom but he secretly liked it too. Defintiely a great read and one to recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. I'll be honest, at first, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like Maddie because there were times she made choices that were frustrating or refused to communicate, but I felt like the way she moved through her grief was so raw and real that I understood why she did certain things. I applaud Lauren Connolly's writing because there were things that happened in the story that I'm usually so annoyed by in other books but it was handled perfectly here and I enjoyed every second that I was reading this book.

Maddie and Dom's trips and experiences throughout the story were so moving and I thought it was a gorgeous exploration how people handle losing someone so close to them. I loved all their banter, their relationship felt like it moved at a natural pace, and the spice was spicing nicely. Maddie's other relationships in the book were also done so well; the twins were perfection, her friends in Seattle were great, and her mom/grandmother were horrible and I'm glad she got away from them. I haven't read a book where a main character has chronic asthma and I thought the representation was done well.

The last 20% of this book had me crying pretty much the whole time - it was absolutely fantastic. I genuinely can't recommend this book enough, I loved it. Thank you to the publisher for the eARC - all thoughts are my own!

Making a prediction that this is *the* romance book of the year—absolutely incredible! I laughed, I cried… and I mean literally cried five times in the final chapters (and I am not a crier). It completely wrecked me in the best way possible.

The story follows a young woman navigating the heartbreak of losing her brother, balanced with moments of humor and lightness that make it unforgettable. The characters are perfectly layered, and the ending is nothing short of breathtaking.

This isn’t just my favorite romance of the year—it might be my favorite book of the year, period.

Book Review 📖✨💌

thank you so much partner @berkleypub @berkleyromance for the gifted ARC!

PS: I Hate You
by Lauren Connolly

About the book 👇🏽

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

✨My thoughts:

Poignant in the best possible way. I found myself up at 5am (again) to finish this story that has me drowning in tears and in complete disarray. This truly is a bittersweet story that will surely pull at the heart strings of its readers. I have so many feelings about this story and I know I will not be able to accurately put them into words or even do this story justice with a review. I cried, I laughed, and then I cried some more. This angsty story will have you laughing one moment and crying the next, stirring a multitude of emotions within you. It’s a story of loss, the loss of someone, the loss of a future, the loss of complicated relationships….but it’s also a story of second chances, finding what family means, and finding those you want to surround yourself with for the time you have left on this planet. To say this story resonated with me would be an understatement and truthfully… it deserves infinite stars. Grief looks different to everyone, narcissistic people come in all different packages, and family is what YOU make it. Clearly this book found me at the right time because the resounding saying that’s been floating around is this… “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" meaning… the bonds you choose are stronger than those you inherit. PS: I Hate You is out 12/3/24 and I WILL be getting myself a finished copy to cherish forever.

Happy reading 💌✨

guys, guys, this is serious… i’m in love with dom!!!!

this book i received as an arc but i also picked it as my november book of the month, THANK GOD. this story was just so unexpected and i don’t know why, i was really enjoying it but the the halfway mark hit and i became utterly obsessed!! the book is about maddie whose brother has just passed away and he left her a series of notes that she can open when she travels to the places he has assigned. the catch is that she has to do this with dom, he brothers best friend, and the two of them have some history so it’s gonna be angsty!!!!

i absolutely adore dom, every time he spoke in the latter half of this book i was swooning. best book boyfriend i’ve discovered this fall for sure!!! i wish more than anything we had just a bit of his perspective but it was amazing anyway. maddie is so funny and she’s so easy to feel for and love. she’s having a hard time, obviously, but she’s also just struggling in life and her emotions are very big. seeing her take this journey and lay her brother to rest while falling in love and finding herself was so beautiful. she deserves all the best things and i love her so much!!! the two of them together were just perfection. i was skeptical because of their past and because of dom’s other relationship business but none of that mattered. they were hot, which was kinda unexpected but welcomed, and they just have some much love for each other.

this will be my obsession from now on. i love reading books that remind me why i love contemporary romance so much. the genre is just unbeatable sometimes. this book comes out on december third and you guys need to pick it up. i sobbed, you may not, but either way it’s so a good book. the travel element also adds such a fun vibe to this book and i just enjoyed it so fucking much. i smiled majority of my time reading it and that is a great marker for a great book!!!!

*thank you netgalley and berkeley for the arc*

This book is excellent. Like genuinely excellent.

I giggled. I swooned. I cried. I laugh-cried. I fell in love with another fictional man.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author & will absolutely not be the last.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved this.

Thank you Berkeley Romance, Lauren Connolly, and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews for this and I 100% agree. I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook which was flawlessly narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Maddie and Dom haven’t seen each other for years until they finally reunite at her brother and his best friend Josh’s funeral. When Josh’s will is read, they discover he left them letters which included trips they must take to get several more letters from him.

Their relationship starts off filled with animosity on Maddie’s side, but she can’t get feeling closer to Dom as they spend time on the adventures Josh created for them. They had so many amazing destinations.

This was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Maddie has been left by so many people before that she struggles to trust Dom. I enjoyed how Josh’s adventures pushed them closer to each other as they opened up to one another.

Despite having very heavy moments this was a delight and I couldn’t put it down!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

When I read the summary, I was a little nervous that I was in for a heavy read— but I worried for no reason! While the theme of grief is present throughout the book and it *is* an emotional roller coaster, there is also humor, romance and healing. It is so well done.

The journey that Dom and Maddie go on is beautiful— and I’m not just talking about the destinations that they visited. I really liked how the story was revealed to us, one puzzle piece at a time and how everything fits together at the end (IYKYK).

Maddie is feisty and easy to root for and Dom is the perfect mix of steadfast and protective. It makes for a great dynamic!

Even though he was gone, I liked that Josh was still a heavy presence in this book! The relationships he had with Maddie and Dom were so special. It showed how much of an impact our loved ones can leave behind.

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry & Jessica Joyce!

Read if you like:
- He Falls First
- Second Chance Romance
- Road Trip
- Found Family
- One Bed

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the advance reader copy!

Why did this book leave me in shambles? Literally, I was sobbing my eyes so many times as I read P.S. I Hate You. And I now need everyone else to read it as well. It's so freaking good. It's not a romance read. I will warn you that it's more of an emotional romance read than the typical rom-com read. Keep that in mind, and you will love the story even more. I will also say to check out the content warning beforehand because it may not be for everyone.

Even though I want to express everything about my love for P.S. I Hate You, I don't want to spoil the book. So I want to say much, even though I do. I will say that this book is the perfect read for an emotional romance story. It's literally going to make you cry while also falling in love with the characters finding themselves again. It will also make you believe that love is worth it when you make the time and energy to do so. You just need to be certain about loving someone. It may be an inconvenience, but the most realistic love ever. That's all I am going to say. Just keep that in mind, and you are going to love this book as much as I do.

This was a great story exploring grief, friendship, and love! I enjoyed Maddie and Dom meeting various people on their journey that knew Josh and the two of them finding their way through their grief together.

Ugh. This was so beautiful and funny and everything I want in contemporary romance. One of the better “hate to love” I’ve read!

5/5 stars!!!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reading copy!

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish! Maddie and Dom were both such loveable characters and I thoroughly enjoyed following them through this story. This book had it all -- romance, travel, found family, a bit of spice and some really powerful, emotional moments. Grief is such a hard thing to write about and Lauren Connolly truly nailed this. Each character experienced grief a little bit differently and it was intense and moving to read. The romance was so sweet, albeit a bit of a slow burn. There wasn't a ton of spicy moments but the moments that were spicy were 10/10 -- really well done. When written well, I really enjoy reading about characters traveling and visiting new places, and this was a super fun addition to this story.

Honestly, this book was everything I could have wanted. I don't always enjoy longer romances like this (anything 400+ pages seems long to me haha) but I did not want this one to end. I was so happy and so sad reading this and was moved to tears on numerous occasions. Absolutely loved it.