This was an emotional, and heartfelt romance. Our two main characters, Maddie and Dominic, have lost their brother, and best friend, Josh, to cancer. They are on a road trip to scatter his ashes across the states that he wanted to visit, but never got the chance. They are both dealing with immense grief. The grief aspect hit me hard as I lost my own dad to cancer and all too well how the grief is always there, lurking in the background. This road trip isn't easy for these two. Dom had broken Maddie's heart in the past. She still feels hurt about it. You still get to know who Josh was as a person even though he's gone through the characters sharing stories about him, and his own letters to them. So this one is definitely very sweet, but also pretty darn spicy too. I ended up really enjoying this one. I loved seeing how tragedy brought these two people back together.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is why I've been awake since 3am. I couldn't put it down. It's a book about second chances, grief, adventure, and self-work. It's also the only book of the year that made me cry real tears.

While I don't relate to the coping mechanisms Maddie utilized - I've never avoided a confrontation a day in my life - PS: I Hate You was written believably, and was just a great read. Plus...you know...it was hot.

This book. Ugh. It was perfect. I will for sure be picking up other books by this author.

What worked for me:
- Maddie's grief journey was so beautifully written. It felt very authentic.
- I loved that Josh was such a central character in the book, even though he was gone. I loved that his story was told through memories and the notes he left.
- The romance arc. I loved it. Maddie and Dom's connection was felt throughout the entire book.
- While Dom's journey isn't quite as prominent as Maddie's, I think his growth throughout the story was also great, even if only shown to highlight Maddie's journey.
- The traveling aspect of this was really great. Even though Maddie and Dom were traveling for a sad reason, I loved the authors descriptions of the places they visited, and it made me want to visit some of those places, as well.
- Maddie's overall character growth by the end of the book was wonderful. Her realization that she had some deep rooted issues and chose to find a therapist to help her work through her childhood trauma was great to see.

What didn't work for me:
- Honestly, I loved this book so much, so I have nothing here.

What you'll find:
- Brother's Best Friend
- Forced Proximity
- Dealing with Grief
- Some spicy moments
- Great banter
- Found family

Everyone grieves differently, and this rom-com captured grief beautifully. The book starts with Maddie at her brother’s funeral. She’s sharp, sarcastic, and prickly and I love her. Her brother left letters for all of the most important people (and some petty ones for some deserving folks, I like him too), but Maddie doesn’t get own letter. Maddie has to share with his best friend Dom, which would be fine if Dom hadn’t broken her heart years before. To make things worse he gives Maddie and Dom a mission to travel to the states he never made it to. If he weren’t already dead she would have killed him. The book was about love (it is a romance) but more so it was about grief and healing and the family you find along the way. The writing was good and I really enjoyed the characters. The lack of communication made the story drag just a little, but I think it worked since the two main characters were dealing with so much more than romance which is ok.

This should be marketed as contemporary fiction not romance. The entire book centers around grief and it’s so real. I loved the scavenger hunt twist at the end. I sobbed through the last 20% of the book.

Maddie and Josh were as close as siblings could be. His untimely death has left his friends and family devastated, especially Maddie and his best friend Dominic. Josh leaves letters behind, and he wants Maddie and Dom to divide his ashes and leave them at places he wanted to see.
Maddie is still angry at Dom over something that happened in high school and she can’t stop obsessing over it, which got tiresome for me.

The depictions of grief are real and honest, everyone processes the death of a loved one differently. I think the plot device with the letters from the deceased and the corresponding small trips is inspired, and I love the way the romance unfolds along with the journeys.
I also loved the different cities and attractions, I’d never heard of most of them and they sound fascinating. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy pub day to @laurenconnollyromance and PS I Hate You!!

Wowza, this book did a number on my heart. I laughed, I ugly cried, I got angry at the unfairness of some of the situations, and I really thought about how fleeting time is. This story reminds you to take the trip, eat the dessert, hug your loved ones extra close, and live for the moment because it may not come again.

Maddie and Dom’s dynamic was incredible. Their backstory pulled at my heartstrings, and their current love-hate situation cracked me up. The snark from Maddie is perfection, and the banter is 🤌! I also appreciated how they worked through so much together ❤️

My favorite part though, was the found family that surrounded Maddie when she needed them most. I adored Adam, Carter, Tula and Jeremy, and Maddie’s realization that she doesn’t have to be perfect to have love was such a relatable lesson.

This may not be a holiday read per se, but it gave me the cozy Christmas vibes and heartstring-pulling writing that I crave in a holiday romance. I also flew through it because this book is so bingeable and hooks you from the first chapter!

An exploration of love in its many forms, as well as the complex nature of grief, Lauren does an incredible job of tackling so many heavy topics in a beautifully heartbreaking and healing way. And goodness, did @karissavacker slay the audio on this one. She’s always been one of my favorite narrators, and she destroyed my heart in this one with the palpable emotion ever present in her voice. What an absolute rockstar!! Give me all the @karissavacker audiobooks!!

I could gush about this one all day, but the TL,DR gist is: Pick this one up today because you won’t want to miss it!

This is easily one of my favorite books of the year! This book is the lovechild of You, With a View + The Ex Vows + P.S. I Love You. I wasn’t expecting to cry actual tears just a few pages in. I’ll be honest though, I found Maddie to very annoying and bitchy in the beginning. I really couldn’t understand why she was so rude and mean to Dom, but it all made sense as the truth unfolded. I thought that following the characters through 8 destinations was going to get boring real quick, but the plot and pacing were perfect. I absolutely loved getting to know Josh through the letters. The surprise at the end of the journey had me in a chokehold. Lauren Connolly owes me a new sweater—mine was filled with tears and snot by the end of the book.

This book was perfect in every single way. I absolutely was in love with Maggie and Dominic. Their relationship had so many layers to it. I loved watching them slowly develop feelings for each other. I also loved the big reveal at the end of all the letters. This book was funny, sweet, and perfect glimpse of dealing and healing from grief.

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a wonderful, heartwarming, emotional journey as two people grieve a brother and best friend as they not only discover things about each other, but also about themselves. This exceptionally written emotional romance featuring forced proximity, brother’s best friend, and hate to love; but it’s also so much more. It explores complex family relationships, found family, coping with grief, and mourning the loss of a loved one.

Maddie Sanderson was happy 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. Except in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission: Dominic Perry. Dom, Josh’s life-long best friend, was also the annoying man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, so together they travel on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way; over two years.

Maddie and Dom have a strained relationship at the start of the book. They were once friends, had a one-night stand, and now are basically strangers, at least from Maddie’s point of view. I loved the whole idea of Josh using his funeral as a means to bring Maddie and Dom back together, without them realizing it until halfway through the book. The adventures through different states and the contents of each letter was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to read; as they keep Josh’s soul alive by reminiscing about his memory and all the fun times they had with him till the very end.

This was truly a beautiful, moving story focusing on loss, grief, and learning to move on while still holding those we love dear to our hearts, as well as a story about second-chance romance. It definitely made me emotional and if you’ve ever lost a close loved one I think it will affect you as well. I definitely cried while reading this story which stayed with me long after I finished reading. It’s so much more than a grief story though, it’s a beautiful story of healing and moving forward even when it’s really difficult. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeply moving and thought-provoking read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin # PSIHate You

I almost gave up on this one since Maddie is such a miserable character but I am glad I stuck with it. I loved the concept of the various letters to get Josh’s ashes spread in places he wanted to visit but never made it to and I enjoyed getting to know the people in Maddie’s life. Maddie is flawed and her mother has done a number on her self-esteem but it’s heartwarming to see her eventually start to trust as the book goes on.

This truly was a bittersweet read. Connolly manages hard topics such as grief and heartbreak wonderfully. The book opens in a way I never would have expected and drew me into Maddie’s life from the very first chapter. I loved Maddie and Dom’s back-and-forth dialogue and their clash of a non-existent relationship. They end up on a road trip together to scatter her brother’s ashes and end up revisiting things that had happened between them in the past. This is a story with so much heart. I absolutely adored it.

💔Book Review💔
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Summary- 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. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at her brother's funeral, she would have killed him for this.

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.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts- thank you @netgalley , @berkleypub , and @bookofthemonth for the advanced copy of this ! I so fell in love with this wonderful character, maybe doubly because the main character has my name 🥰. This was super deep and dealt with really intense grief and some romance. I loved this one SO much. I think it dealt with grief in a really realistic and intentional way. I really enjoyed Maddie and Dom’a dynamic and chemistry. This one also makes me want to travel, all of the locations were described beautifully.
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QOTD- if you could travel anywhere where would you go?! For me, Italy or Ireland!
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Here are some quotes I liked…

“Thanks for the therapy.”

“Take me to the places I missed. Have fun for me.”

“I’m a sweatshirt slut, a hoodie whore.”

“I enjoy gossip and drama that has nothing to do with me.”

“Maybe we’re just ash spreading bang buddies.”

“These trips aren’t the reason I’m still obsessed with you.”

This book was an enjoyable read with lots of layers and endearing characters.

While the focus is on the grief associated with the loss of a brother, the MC Josh was also so much more than just a brother not only to Maddie but to so many others.

The friendship and connection between Josh, Maddie, Dom, the twins and Dom’s ex wife (for some reason I’m blanking on her name) felt so genuine. They had the type of friend group I’d want to be part of, always there for support each other, more like family than their own bio families.

💌Toxic Mother & Toxic Grandmother
💔Brother’s Best Friend
💌Found Family
💔Road Trip Honoring Bro’ Memory
💌Silly Tattoo
💔Funny Friend Proposal
💌Wicked Soundtrack Reference 💚🩷
💔Miscommunication
💌Second Chance Romance

I totally called the twist (at the end) in this one pretty early on, BUT that didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book. Towards the end I def teared up.

I really liked how Maddie took her mental health seriously and worked to establish healthy boundaries. That hard work especially when dealing with close familial relationships.

YESSSS. I loooooved this.

In PS: I HATE YOU, we have this deep, meaningful (and at times, refreshingly irreverent) story about grief and complicated family relationships that still manages to be wildly funny and sexy. It's everything I love about the romance genre and the important conversations it creates. It not only doesn't shy away from the hard stuff; it handles it deftly and with massive amounts of well-crafted humor and swoonworthy heart.

We start the story at the funeral for Maddie's older brother, who is discovered to have left one last dying request of his sister and best friend Dominic (annoyingly, Maddie's first love and subsequently the one who broke her heart). The pair must follow this posthumous scavenger hunt to scatter his ashes across different locations and states. This emotional trip brings the two together on a beautiful and gut-wrenching farewell journey; it also causes Maddie and Dom to wade through their complicated history.
 
I am simply screaming at the second-chance-road-trip-BBF-male pining extravaganza of this book! SO GOOD. But I don't dare reduce it to simply a list of (my favorite) tropes; it's got so much emotional depth and intelligence, and it's a story I'd be quick to return to again and again. It has so many meaningful things to say and expand on about grief, while simultaneously weaving in and letting us experience a beautiful and redemptive story of love and wanting, forgiveness and perspective. It's smartly written with well-developed characters, stakes worth investing in, and captivating reveals. What a read. (But Maddie's mom might catch these hands THO!!!)

I cannot WAIT to read more of Lauren's work and do the Lord's crucial work of recommending this book to everyone I know!

(Also, holler because this is the ONE (1) Berkley title I have ~ever~ been approved for on NetGalley. Ha. I'm glad it was this one.)

Thank you, thank you to Berkley and Net Galley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. PS: I Hate You is out now!

This book was so good. It has so much heart, along with loss and love.

Maddie and Dominic travel together to fulfill a wish of her dead brothers, scattering his ashes over 8 different places.

Maddie and Dominic have history, and so they struggle with this task. Obviously, they want to honor Josh, and so they do it, but it's obviously a frustrating and sometimes painful journey together.

You can see how both of them have conflicted feelings on this journey. Connolly writes such a well rounded story. This story has all of these elements and more, and I definitely suggest it.

I loved this book and I’ve already recommended it to so many people! The FMC was initially tricky to me because I thought she was being petty and rude, but the more we learned about her the more I felt like I understood her.. I loved both MCs and I loved their story and chemistry. This romance novel definitely had some spice, but it was definitely more focused on the plot. I cannot recommend this book enough, I absolutely loved it!

An angsty, heart wrenching journey. But worth it. That being said, I think it would’ve been better with dual POV.

Read for:
- Angst
- Forced proximity
- Travel
- Brother’s best friend
- Grief and healing

Grab your tissues and a pack of tabs because you’ll want to mark so many great quotes in this bittersweet love story. I can’t wait to see what Lauren writes next!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted copy to use as a traveling arc! We loved being able to annotate a copy as a book club.

This was a captivating and emotionally charged romance that explores themes of grief, love, and second chances. The story follows Maddie and Dominic, two individuals brought together by the death of Josh, Maddie’s brother and Dominic’s best friend. Josh’s last wish is for them to spread his ashes over 8 different destinations, places he didn’t get to experience before he died.

Connolly masterfully weaves a tale of heartbreak and healing, capturing the raw emotions of loss and the complexities of human connection. The characters are deeply flawed and relatable, making their journey of self-discovery and redemption all the more compelling. The romance is slow burn but the focus is more about the characters grief and healing. It was such a poignant read that I couldn’t put down! I loved following Maddie and Dominic and seeing their grief turn into love.