For my first Lauren Connolly novel, I thought was such a lovely, yet heartbreaking surprise. I was captivated by the spin on a different way to portray a romance, in the unhurried way in which both Maddie and Dom healed separately, and then together. I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Lauren Connolly for an ARC provided via NetGalley!**

UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!

Maddie Sanderson is far from the adventurous type...that title belonged to her brother, footloose and fancy free world traveler, Josh. But at just 29 years of age, Josh tragically passes away, leaving a long list of unfulfilled travel destinations in his wake, not to mention a grieving family who just can't believe he is gone. Since his passing is the result of a battle with cancer, however, Josh had some time to think about the sort of legacy and message he wanted to leave behind...and it just so happens he had a bit of a crafty 'game' up his sleeve. His dying wish was for his sister Maddie to visit some of the bucket list destinations he DIDN'T see...sounds like a beautiful way to honor his memory, right?

WRONG. Because Josh added one tiny 'clause' to his postmortem contract...Maddie cannot take these journeys alone. No, it's Josh's best friend Dominic Perry who must travel WITH her...the same Dominic Perry who 'loved her and left her' after uh, one night of 'amore' in their teen years. Dom is obnoxious, and clearly doesn't have any problem breaking hearts...but gosh darn it, he's just so HANDSOME. (Sorry, I am trying to keep my vitriol out of this summary...) Despite their snipe filled and snarky relationship, the two begrudgingly agree that it's Josh's way or the highway (or I guess, Josh's way AND the highway?) and set off on a year long quest (yes, we have to follow them for that long) to fulfill his requests. But as grief pops up in the most unexpected of places, could the mistakes of the past be forgotten as the two attempt to mend their broken hearts...and end up finding more than just solace in one another? Or will this long, LONG trip be all the proof that Maddie needs that her feelings for Dom should stay locked away with her teenage angst...and she should battle her grief on her own?

Okay, so let's start with the elephant in the room. I don't think I've seen too many other reviews mention this...but this book is either an intentional riff or a twisted rip off of Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You. I mean, I HAVE to think it was intentional due to the plethora of similarities: aside from the obvious one in the title, as the premise includes the deceased loved one (who passed from a tragic, wasting disease) leaves a TRAVEL BUCKET LIST for their loved one to find with missions to complete. This both helps them work through their grief AND find themselves along the way. So throw in an obnoxious sidekick, make the MC insufferable, AND force them to fall in love along the way...and you have this book. But where P.S. I Love You was drowning in empathy, nuance, care, and insight, THIS book was drowning in immature, obnoxious, odd, and frankly insufferable behavior, with next to NO character growth...and that made it feel more like a 'Nolex' masquerading as a Rolex, if you know what I mean.

Aside from the fact that I was so taken aback by the complete lack of acknowledgement (or even a gentle nod!) to the source material, let's get into these characters, as much as I would rather not revisit them. Unlike the utterly lovable Holly in Ahern's book, we get Maddie, a self-described 'immature' girl (and yes, I refuse to call her a woman) who is such a doormat she might as well have 'Welcome' printed on her forehead. I mean, really. She doesn't deal with her feelings of grief in any way, but yet is so hung up on essentially a one night stand where she thought she received a 'pity favor' of activity with Dom that she can't get over it? ALSO. Apparently asthma is essentially the world's scariest disease...at least, that's how it is presented here. One of the only times that Dom acts 'kindly' towards her (TBH, to me it read creepy and possessive) was when he got very angry about her climbing somewhere without her inhaler. I mean, I've known people with asthma and somewhat severe asthma at that....and NONE of this rang true. All it gave me were more reasons to dislike Dom.

...And there are PLENTY of those, trust me. If his behavior towards Maddie in the past wasn't enough of a turn off, when you read the icky set of circumstances that forced his one night with Maddie to BE only one night...you'll like him even less. His character is nothing short of abhorrent. I'm sorry he lost his friend, but losing someone doesn't make you a good person by default. The more time I was forced to spend with him, the LESS I liked him and honestly wished that we could just fast forward to the next letter from Josh and skip ALL of the 'will-they-won't-they' nonsense between Maddie and Josh. Which brings me to my next point, and one of the book's next main pitfalls: you can't have the ONLY likable character be a dead brother. Having to wait for little glimmers of kindness and common decency and even maturity in LETTER format only? Torturous. I couldn't believe we actually had to go through an entire YEAR of traveling with these two...I honestly started to feel like maybe Josh was the lucky one because he just didn't have to be AROUND either of these humans anymore.

This author also likes to fixate on certain words, enough that they caught my attention from being repeated so often: taciturn is apparently a fave, along with references to areolas, and calling people 'dick bags'. The whole book just had an air of immaturity that felt very YA for a novel that was supposed to be tackling grief, love, and have a certain level of emotional depth. There's also a weird passage where Maddie wants to like Dom's arm. (Okay?) If you think things like a dog peeing on you are funny, then you will undoubtedly laugh along with these characters, instead of the cringing I did through 50-60% of this. This not only kept taking me out of the story, but just detracted from every emotional moment that COULD have given this book the grounded feel it so desperately needed. When a travel aficionado such as myself does NOT enjoy a book that allows me to travel all sorts of places...that says it all right there. I kept waiting to feel something...ANYTHING....but all I could bring myself to feel was annoyed.

Have you ever seen those drawings of Disney characters where artists age them up or make them look evil...and while at its core it is familiar, it just feels WRONG? Much like these semi-facsimiles, whereas P.S. I Love You stands the test of time as a powerful, emotional story, PS I Hate You simply reads like a cheap, unlikable imitation.

3 stars, rounded up from 2.5

P.S. I Hate You is a twist on your traditional enemies to lovers story in that the hatred really only goes one way. Maddie hates Dom for reasons that unfold throughout a series of flashbacks, all of which center around secrets and misunderstandings. Despite the fact that I feel a lot of these things could have been addressed by a simple conversation, the story really grabbed me. It was entertaining and layered, and I liked getting to know Maddie’s late brother through her and Dom’s eyes. The ending ties up neatly, but some of the circumstances surrounding their estrangement continue to seem sort of flimsy to me… but not so much that it ruined the book. Really I’d rate it more like a 3.5. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc,

this book has everything you could want in a second chance romance! I haven’t moved on from maddie and dom, and I don’t think I will. there’s found family, tragic loss, inescapable friendship, heartfelt moments, a creative plot, unraveling grief, sarcastic banter, steamy scenes, healing wounds, wrapped up in a perfect bow 😭❤️‍🩹 I found myself wanting to finish to see how it ends, but also drag it out so I could experience this story for as long as possible. this was incredible lauren connolly!!!

This book was beautiful, and I cried so many times. Watching them come together to work through their grief and their past mistakes was incredibly satisfying.

I adored this book.

Maddie Sanderson is tasked with her brother’s dying wish in traveling to eight destinations to spread his ashes, with his best friend and the man who broke her heart, Dominic Perry.

Maddie is sharp witted and loves a good jab. She values her close friends and the trust it brings her. Eventually, Maddie will come to appreciate the gift her brother provides her in his will.

Dom is the most patient and understanding person as demonstrated in the latter half of this story. He is respectful in supporting Maddie while recognizing he needs to give it time.

The two and a half year journey was long but felt realistic for Maddie and Dom’s relationship arc. There is no direct way to navigate emotional trauma and that was captured beautifully in this story.

I loved the outdoorsy destinations, the exploration of grief, the romance, the family and friend dynamics and truly, the puzzle Josh left in his legacy.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an e-ARC of this via Netgalley.

What drew me to this book was the depth of the storyline. Exes Maddie and Dominic are forced to travel together after Maddie’s brother, who was Dominic’s best friend, dies of cancer. It was his dying wish that the two of them spread his ashes and complete his bucket list.

I’m going to be bold and say the story and the way it was told reminded me a lot of Emily Henry’s novels. I know! That is a lot to live up to. But that was the vibe!! I read this in less than a day between a hair appointment and the remainder of a lazy Saturday. It is over 400 pages but very binge-able.

Genre: Rom-Com
Tropes: Brother's best friend, second chance
TW; death of a loved one, cancer

I went into this book with little or no knowledge of the plot except that it's a Romantic Comedy featuring a grieving FMC and her brother's best friend. Needless to say, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but was ready for the ride and I'm so glad I buckled up and let this book take me on all the awesome adventures of our main characters.

From seeing real life glow worms to hiking a pro-level trail, Maddie and Dominic take their task of living the moments Maddie's brother wanted them to experience with courage, intentionality - and so much sexual tension. I loved the back drop of the relationships between Josh and Maddie and Josh and Dominic and I really appreciated how well Lauren Connolly represented how immense, long lasting, and fluid grief can be.

For the romance, there was just enough of a miscommunication trope for a plausible "enemies to lovers" (but not really enemies to lovers) relationship but without it seeming over the top or becoming too annoying. I liked that there was a subtle sexual pining from the jump but that there were serious life circumstances that were thrown in to make the relationship just out of reach until our happily ever after. I will gladly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a top notch romance with a lot of heart.

REVIEW💌

PS:I Hate You ~ Lauren Connolly
Pages: 432
Genre: Romance

Love, Last Wishes, and a Cross-Country Journey.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
So, I am a big fan of going into books blind - I’m big on hype, recommendations from people I trust, or just simply my own vibes when I look at a book. This was chosen off the latter and my vibes are not to be messed with. A major plus that this was a BOTM pick to cross off my list. I feel like I’m ordering every month but just stacking them on my nightstand. I truly truly loved this one, so much so that I’m debating whether it should be in my top 10 of 2024.

I think my strong love for this comes from my own experience with grief - although Maddie was a toughie, I understood her and I could appreciate her mix of raw sadness and snark. Mix in a hot romance and I was sold. A really great concept, super pacing, heart, soul, and some steam. Kinda sad it’s over, really happy I read it!

I went into this beautiful book completely blind with only the knowledge that many of my friends had cried their way through it.

And from the first few chapters, I could see why. This is an emotionally heavy, beautifully captivating, raw and genuine story on so many levels that I don’t think my review will even come close to doing it justice. But I’m going to try anyway.

Maddie’s older brother just recently died, and in order to help honor his memory, she has to go on eight separate adventures to spread his ashes in eight different states. But that’s not enough of a challenge for her. No. He also leaves a note for her stating that she has to do it with the one man she can’t stand. Her brother’s best friend. The very man who broke her heart by sleeping with her and then proposing to his ex-girlfriend the very next day.

LIKE WHAT‽‽‽‽ When I tell you that I was pissed at Dom for that for most of the book, I’m not even kidding. That said, I had a feeling something deeper had gone down and Maddie likely just didn’t get the full story—since, well, it’s a romance book too.

And I was right. But even still, what an awful thing to experience. The one man you’ve crushed on forever finally shows you he might feel the same thing for you? AND THEN HE PROPOSES TO SOMEONE ELSE THE VERY NEXT DAY?????

I’m clearly still not over it.

Beyond this part of the story though, I loved the depth that Lauren created between Maddie and Dom, their shared history, the scavenger hunt Maddie’s brother left for them both, and how even in his passing, he was trying to bring his two favorite people together.

All of this to say…this is a beautiful book. Both in print and in audio. And you need to read it. But please be prepared for the heaviness alongside some lighthearted moments.

Read this if you enjoy:
- Childhood crush
- Second chance
- Forced proximity
- One bed
- Found family
- Brother’s best friend
- Enemies to lovers
- Witty banter
- He falls hard and never stops

CW: loss, grief, negligent and emotionally abusive family

This. Book.

I loved this book. It made me laugh, gasp, say awwww, and boo-hoo like my heart was broken.

💔 "I'm not afraid of the days with you in them. I'm afraid of the ones I might have without you." 💔

The characters. The story. The devastation. The friendships. The young love-turn enemies (one sided)-turned love. The consistently showing up. The possessive "She's mine." The siblings. The found family. Josh. Adam and Carter. Jeremy. DOM.

This author did such a wonderful job building these characters and bringing them to life. I guessed one thing early on but nothing else. Josh. The loss of Maddie's brother was so real and the quest he sent his sister and best friend on was just a joy to read. Her snark. His stoic sarcasm. Ugh. I loved it all. I want their tattoo but with a different name obviously.

Read this book. Have some tissues handy. You will love everyone involved except for two older women that are evil.

My only drawback was the miscommunication on Maddie's part. For that reason alone...I give this book 4.8 stars out of 5, rounded up to 5.

What to expect:
▫️second chance romance
▫️travel adventures
▫️snowed in
▫️piggy back rides
▫️spicy content that isn’t skippable

I’ve enjoyed Lauren’s books that are part of the Green Valley Heroes series, but this was next level. I loved this different take on the movie PS I Love You, but with a way more happy & satisfying ending. I thought the angry depiction of grief was realistic, even if the FMC was rough to like at times because of it. The relationships were messy, and I thought some parts were predictable, but overall it was a heart warming and emotional read.

I can’t remember the last time I pulled an all-nighter reading a book, but this one pulled me in so much that I couldn’t put it down until these characters found their happily ever after 🥹 PS: I Hate You is a story of finding love in grief, but it’s also an adventure filled with little moments that show both the beauty and the pain of honoring a lost loved one.

Maddie’s older brother Josh was a wondrous spirit who loved to experience all the beauty the world had to give. When he loses his cancer battle, he leaves one final request for Maddie and his lifelong best friend, Dominic: scatter his ashes across the eight states he never got to visit. Maddie and Dom wholeheartedly want to honor Josh’s final request, but the problem is, they’re two people with their guards up, unwilling to readily face the falling out they had years before. Still, being the person who likes to follow rules to the letter, Dom insists they go on the journey. Crossing thousands of miles, following the puzzle pieces in the form of destination letters, Maddie and Dom revisit their past while taking Josh on one last trip.

Grief is such a difficult subject to navigate, but Lauren Connolly did an incredible job displaying the vulnerability in it. I loved how realistic these characters were as found themselves bound together by what seemed like an impossible task. It was very clear how much love Maddie and Dom had to give by the way they fiercely showed up throughout the story, despite the complications each had in their personal lives. Lauren wove humor, tension, and chemistry into the story so well, and it made me love the healing experience and comforting relationships Josh’s wishes brought them 🧡

If you’re a fan of second chances, found families, emotional stories that also feature lighthearted moments, and complex characters growing through trauma, I definitely recommend this for you 💙

Oh wow. There are not enough stars in the world for this book and the way it made me feel. As someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one that I was very close to, it hit home with every nuance of grief written in the pages. The love, the laughter, the inappropriate humor, the dark wit, the soul-deep emptiness, the need to hold on, and so much more. The beauty of this novel lies in the way it breaks you, but also puts you back together again. Life's gifts after death are there, you just need to look for them and be open to finding them when you're ready. The audiobook is narrated beautifully by Karissa Vacker and I'm not sure anyone else could have brought the depth to the story that she did.

Favorite Quotes:

When I’m next to her, I might as well be two inches tall and built of childish insecurities.

“She get tired of you refusing to let her peg you because you already have a stick up your ass?” Dom chokes on his swallow of beer and pounds a fist on the bar top as he struggles to get the liquid down his throat rather than his lungs. “Maddie!” He gasps finally. “What?” I hide an evil grin behind the rim of my gin and tonic. “I was just asking a question.”

Jeremy is so hot, I used to apply sunscreen before hanging out with him. If I could get sunburn from a person, it would be him. And worse than that? He has a great personality. Funny, smart, and kind.

A childhood that consisted of zero control over my life makes it almost impossible for me to allow someone else to dictate my choices now.

If I have one day left, or thousands, I want you to be in every one of them.


My Review:

This one had me feeling all the feels and produced a thousand pounds of heart-squeezing insights. The writing was cleverly parsed, highly perceptive, and so poignant it grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go. I was turned inside out and upside down and I couldn’t have loved it more. I was totally enamored with Dominic, but Maddie broke my heart, several times. I may have experienced some ocular leakage and hot rocks in my throat in between giggle-snorts and outright laughing aloud. Maddie was concerned that she couldn’t cry, which is also something I rarely do, but oddly enough, I found I had no problem weeping for her.

I enjoyed Maddie and Dom as individual characters, but not so much as a couple. Their romance felt underdeveloped, and the constant miscommunications between them became frustrating. I found Maddie’s character tiny bit annoying.

While the book didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped, I still think it’s a worthwhile read with some great moments.

Wow. This was such an intense and heartbreaking love story. I cried and laughed and cried again. But it was so worth it from beginning to end. Perfection. I hope this author gives us more from this world.
10* stars and a must read.

A beautiful blend of genuine emotion and grief mixed with a snappy second chance romance. The banter between the characters really kept the story from getting too heavy. Loved the twist at the end.

Short synopsis: After her brother dies, he leaves a letter for Maddie and his best friend Dom to scatter his ashes across to various locations.

My thoughts: I immediately loved this one once I got a taste of Maddie’s snark and sense of humor. The banter between Maddie and Dom was great, their chemistry was sizzling. Speaking of sizzling, this was a tad bit spicier than I was expecting.

There are definitely some heavier themes in this, grief, abandonment and childhood trauma to name a few. But I really liked how therapy was introduced to help the characters grow and thrive.

I loved visiting the various l actions along with Dom and Maddie, and finding all the secret adventures that Josh sent them on. I really liked how they were able to grieve such a big loss together. The ending was just so sweet and unexpected.

Read if you love:
- Brothers Best Friend
- Road trip/Travel
- Puzzles
- Heavier topics
- Growth
- Second chance romance

WOW I loved this book so much. What a great, emotional rom-com with depth!!! So swoon-y and cute but also did serious stuff really well. Super impressed by this one, will def be recommending.