P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a simultaneous heart-wrenching & heartwarming rollercoaster of an epically emotional romance that explores grief, healing & love in a truly beautiful way. This was an easy 5 star read that I’m extremely thankful I read.

P.S. I Hate You is great for those looking to read…
💙 Emotional Romance
💙 Second Chance
💙 Forced Proximity
💙 Brother’s Best Friend x Best Friend’s Little Sister
💙 Chronic Illness Representation (Asthma)
💙 Heavier Topics

This is honestly my surprise of the year because I was NOT prepared for this rollercoaster but I am so grateful for this ride, the big scary loops & all. This truly took me on a journey & the range of emotions I experienced is hard to put accurately into words. The sister & best friend of a man who passes away from cancer are sent on a multi state adventure to spread his ashes & experience places he never got to go. There’s letters at each stop & so much history, memories & feelings that will flip your heart a thousand times from all the feels.

I do recommend checking content notes as this deals with some heavy topics but I thought it was done with such care & grace.

If you are looking to feel love, tears, a plethora of all the feels & an adventure of a lifetime, I highly recommend P.S. I Hate You!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴍᴇ ɴᴏᴡ?”
“ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ.”

Omg Maddie & Dom are E V E R Y T H I N G.

This is a long review and I’m sorry I’m not sorry.

I read this book and highlighted the majority, and then I immediately reread the book and highlighted everything else (basically). 😅 but in all honestly this book was amazing. I ordered a physical copy from @bookofthemonth and reread it when that came, and then I just started listening to the audio (thanks #prha!!).

This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend romance, told by Maddie’s POV only. Which I absolutely loved and I think made that story even more amazing. I felt allll of Maddie’s emotions until I was the one sobbing. True story, I sat in my bath tub finishing this book and S O B B E D. Dom is going to make you absolutely fall in love with him, and the supporting characters in this, I want to hug them all. The book has so much heart. It’s about the importance of love and friendship and being honest, with others, but also yourself. About taking chances, and living life to the fullest, because you really don’t know when your last day will be your last. About letting people love all your parts, even the messy and not so pretty ones, because the right people will.

A full circle moment came to me while reading this book. Mike was at work convention and texts me that we were gifted sky diving tickets from the keynote speaker. It has been a bucket list item for us since we first started dating. And it was like my own little Josh was smiling down on me while at the perfect moment for it to happen while I was reading this one.

I made a list of all the places Josh sends Maddie and Dom to spread his ashes and now they’re on my bucket list too! 🥰

Wow. This book had it all. Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, friendship, grief, so many tears, spicy scenes, but it also made me laugh. Lauren did a beautiful job writing about the highs and lows of grief. The slow burn romance between Maddie and Dom was extremely heartfelt. The book is just so utterly human and took me on an emotional roller coaster. It is bittersweet and completely held my attention the entire time I was reading. There is also some miscommunication which usually bothers me in a book, but I felt it was written well! The way her brother was matchmaking behind the grave was pretty amazing. Guys, that epilogue 🥹 just prepare yourself!

P.S. I Hate You is a contemporary romance about two people with a complicated past, tasked with scattering the ashes of someone they loved at landmarks across the U.S.

Maddie Sanderson had her heart broken years ago by her brother Josh’s best friend, Dominic, when he proposed to another woman the morning after being intimate with Maddie. Devastated, she fled to the opposite coast to start a new life and successfully avoided him for seven years. However, after her beloved brother passes away from cancer, Maddie discovers at the funeral that Josh has requested she and Dominic take a series of trips together with his ashes. Despite her lingering anger toward Dominic, Maddie reluctantly agrees, hoping to feel closer to Josh’s memory. But as the trips unfold, Maddie begins to see glimpses of the Dominic she fell for all those years ago.

This book offers plenty of emotional and romantic moments designed to tug on the heartstrings. For readers who have experienced the loss of a sibling, Maddie’s desire to honor Josh’s memory might feel particularly poignant. However, I struggled with Maddie’s character, whose personality often swung wildly between pitiful, whiny, and a grating try-hard. Her sarcasm and attempts at humorous quips or insults felt more cringeworthy than amusing, and her claims of being a neglected introvert didn’t align with the fact that everyone she interacted with seemed inexplicably invested in her life—including two boys she babysat for one summer when they were thirteen.

Dominic, meanwhile, was reduced to a one-dimensional “growly” and “responsible” archetype. The intimate scenes felt misplaced and overly detailed, clashing with the more poignant themes of grief explored in the story. Maddie’s family—her mother, grandmother, and father—came across as cartoonishly toxic, which detracted from what could have been a nuanced portrayal of a dysfunctional family.

While the premise had the potential to deliver a heartfelt exploration of grief and second-chance romance, the execution fell short due to an irritating protagonist, an overemphasis on love scenes, and unrealistic characterizations.

Maddie Sanderson just lost her older brother Josh to cancer, and she is devastated. She is at his funeral in an ill-fitting dress, hiding in a supply closet, checking work emails on her laptop. She is hiding from her grief. She is hiding from her mother. And she is hiding from the man who broke her heart years ago.

Dominic Perry, Josh’s best friend, finds Maddie hiding in the closet, because he needs her. Josh had made him executor of his will, and Maddie needed to be there for what Dom had to say. As he handed out personal letters from Josh to his grandmother, his mother, Dom’s ex-wife Rosaline, Dom’s parents, Dom’s twin brothers Carter and Adam, Maddie waited with bated breath until he pulls out her letter. But there is no letter for Maddie. It’s a big envelope with several individual letters for Maddie and Dom. Together.

Josh had been an adventurer. He had traveled the world taking photos, meeting people, living large. Every once in a while, he would talk Maddie into coming on a trip with him, but she preferred to stay close to home, where her asthma was under control and her jigsaw puzzles were nearby. But his final wish was for Maddie and Dom, together, to spread his ashes in 8 different places, in 8 states that he said he never got the chance to visit. There is an envelope for each destination: Delaware, Alabama, Kansas, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Alaska.

Since they’re in Pennsylvania, they decide to go ahead and head to Delaware. Josh left a set of coordinates for each destination, and Maddie and Dom find themselves on the beach. They read the letter Josh left them and release some of his ashes in the ocean. Afterwards, per Josh’s instructions, they go to a bar for Dogfish Head beers on tap and a toast to Josh. Then they get stupid drunk. Since neither Maddie nor Dom are in any shape to drive, they find a motel and raid the vending machine for snacks. They head to their individual rooms, but not without a steamy kiss.

As the months go by, and the trips bring Maddie and Dom together for a brief time, Maddie’s old anger starts to slip away, and Dom’s tight-fisted control starts to loosen. They remember the night the spent together as kids, the one before Dom and Rosaline decided to get married, upending Maddie’s life and sending her to the other side of the country. But now he’s divorced, and they share their grief over losing Josh as they experience new adventures across the country.

Maddie starts to wonder if her brother is acting as matchmaker from beyond the grave, but her grief and childhood trauma still burn brightly in her heart. Will she be able to get past her mistrust of Dominic to give them a real chance at love? Or is she destined to do her jigsaw puzzles at home alone?

PS: I Hate You is a bittersweet romance filled with grief and tattoos, travel and trauma, cheese and snowstorms, glowworms and glaciers. This story of healing is so moving as well as laugh-out-loud funny, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Maddie and Dom. There are wonderful surprises along the way, but there were also several moments where I was reaching for tissues. There are ups and downs, ins and outs, and so much love in these pages.

I loved this book so much, but there were moments I had to step away. Maddie’s pain is so strong in some moments, so present, that I had to take a minute to catch my own breath. There is so much love for Josh that his loss is palpable to these characters. But the love and friendship is also strong, so there is a lot of hope and warmth and true love in Maddie’s found family. This book is absolutely lovely, but it may prove to be too much for someone who is actively grieving a loss, so please keep that in mind. PS: I Hate You is beautifully written, a love letter to the triumph of the human spirit in the face of loss, and just so much fun.

Egalleys for PS: I Hate You were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


““As I reach into my bag, my wrist protests the movement, a reminder of the words sketched into it. Love, Josh What a perfect metaphor, because damn, does that love hurt right now, too.””



The timing for me finally reading this book after having it for a while couldn't be more special. It turns out life had me experiencing the same as Maddie and Dom. I lost someone a few weeks ago.

And while my path has been different from Maddie and Dom's, this book has accompanied me and given me happiness and tears and laughter and empathy.

And that's what this story is all about: love in different forms, grief in different forms, happiness, loneliness, family and found family, and how to live every moment to the fullest.

I truly encourage everyone to read it. And I truly want to read more from this author.

Especially if she considers giving a book to Adam and one to Carter (I truly hope so)




““I’m leaving your home, but I’m not leaving you. I’m not going anywhere.” Dom gives his speech to the molding, and I’m grateful because I don’t know if I could survive the next words paired with the weight of his gaze. “I messed up. I will again . You had me on a pedestal, and I hurt you when I fell off it. I can’t promise you perfection, much as I want to be that man for you. What I can swear is that I will never be the one to leave. I’m yours , Maddie Sanderson. And I’m ready to wait , as long as it takes.””

Wow! I almost hate that I read this book at the end of 2024, because it has become one of my favorite romances of the year! I've always loved romances that blend humor, tension, and vulnerability, and this forced proximity/road trip plot line really worked well. Especially given that the purpose of the road trip is to spread the ashes of the FMC's brother. The journey of grief, while falling in love was such an intimate and raw story that captivated my attention. I would bounce between laughing and crying, and by the end of the story, I was both inspired and full of wanderlust.

I am a tough critic as anyone who knows me knows, and this book got me hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t get enough of it. I was burning through pages but at the same time wanting to slow down and savour it because it was going to be ending. It is bittersweet, compelling and takes you on a journey both literally and metaphorically. If you are a fan of: forced proximity, second chance romance and characters with lots of evolution, you’ll be a fan of this story.
Maddie and Dom have a bucket list of things to complete after Maddies brother, who was also Don’s best friend, passes away and leaves them this as his last wish. They are both devastated at the loss of him and his life has left such a hole in them they don’t know how to move on. Maddie finds this challenge exceptionally difficult because she left home after Dom broke her heart several years ago.. During this trip with Dom, Maddie is forced to deal with the feelings that remain with Dom and try and turn all her heartbreak and resentment into something she can cope with so they can spend the time they need to together as they spread her brothers ashes all over the US as his list wish. Maddie has to learn to let go and see the man Dom is now instead of the immature dude he was back then. If she lets down her walls, could they have another shot?
Maddies family, in particular her mother, was the absolute worst, and I was glad to see Maddie’s growth towards that toxic relationship. And Maddie and Dom’s chemistry was top tier.
This story is filled with angst, humor and made me want to put everything this author writes on my automatic read list.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

4.25 stars overall

Man this book is something special. I’ll start this off by saying I’m usually very hesitant reading books that deal so heavily with grief. Once it becomes a part of your everyday life you don’t really want to read about it too if that makes sense. But there was something about 𝙋𝙎: 𝙄 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙔𝙤𝙪 that just drew me in and I couldn’t put the book down.

You will certainly get some PS: I Love You vibes while reading this but it’s so much more than that. Maddie lost her brother to cancer and she seems so lost in life and addicted to her job that she hides in a closet at his funeral doing work on her laptop. Of course the person who finds her is Dominic Perry that man she has history with and who she hates because of what he did the day after they spent a night together. Dominic has been put in charge of Josh’s affairs and notifies the family and close friends that Josh left letters for them. To Maddie’s horror she finds out that Josh has written to both her and Dominic and paired them up together to send them off to travel the country together and spread his ashes in eight different locations. Maddie follows through with the idea because of how much she loves her brother but secrets are revealed, hurt is starting to turn back into love, and there’s a lot of healing going on for all the characters involved.

Of course I cried throughout many parts of the book. There was one major plot twist than I figured out not even halfway through the story and when it was a revealed I shouted I KNEW IT! Once all was revealed I did feel like I wanted to shake Maddie, Dominic, and even Josh. I related far too well to Maddie’s fears of people leaving her whether it be voluntarily or dying. This was my first book by Lauren and I’m looking forward to reading more by her. If you decide to pick this one up please check the trigger warnings ahead of time and protect your heart and your peace.

Many thanks to Berkley Romance for my free book and Netgalley for the eARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book. It was a romcom, but also loaded with trauma since Maddie lost her brother to cancer.

It is probably a very emotional book if you’ve lost a sibling and also probably if you struggle with feelings of abandonment, so be warned.

Definitely some P.S. I Love You vibes, but in a totally different way since Maddie’s brother, Josh, left her and his best friend, Dom, letters with coordinates and instructions to allow him to visit places left on his bucket list.

I wanted to shake Maddie, but she was also grieving and didn’t have a very good familial support system after Josh passed. Her mom and grandmother were awful to her and her dad wasn’t in her life. She felt very abandoned and I knew she was acting out.

Maddie didn’t necessarily hate Dom, but she really liked him growing up and then they briefly had a moment and he turned around and married someone almost immediately after. Maddie’s coping mechanism was to completely remove herself from the situation, which meant that years later, being forced to deal with and work with Dom as part of Josh’s wishes was difficult for her.

I loved seeing Maddie and Dom work through their grief of losing Josh together, even though Maddie was clearly upset with him and yet still struggling with attraction.

I definitely recommend the book. I loved that Maddie was flawed and no matter what happened with the romance, it didn’t cover up or replace her need to figure out how to work through her feelings and stop pushing people away, which I appreciated. I hate when real issues in a romance seem to disappear with the introduction of hot love interest because that’s not how that works.

There was grief, romance, hate, love, friendship, and even some spice in this one!

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio and to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for for the ARC.

“Dom needs to learn there’s things in life you can’t control. And I’m one of them.”

I adore this book! As a strong female myself I find that a lot of romances tend to have damsel in distress type main characters. So to have a hot man and a spicy woman is so refreshing!! I feel seen 👀 Also yesss to the asthma representation. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Respiratory Therapist over here so to say that I loved this book is an understatement.

It takes a special man to handle a strong woman. Ask my husband (love you boo). So Dom is a dream!! Overall the perfect romance that will tear at your heartstrings in the best possible way.

As for the audiobook.. if you have ever read any audiobook reviews from me I have two words. Karissa. Vacker. So *chefs kiss*. 10/10. Highly recommended. You get the point.

First thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for an electronic arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Maddie’s family life left a lot to be desired but she always has her brother Josh. However Josh dies and leaves her a wish to have take him to the final 8 states he didn’t get to. However he had to include her enemy Dom in the final request. She has history with Dom and not sure if she can survive grief and Dom.

What I liked: this is really good look at grief especially when your family life is not ideal. Maddie is not especially likable but she does grow and learn throughout the book. There were times I did get pretty frustrated with her but I think that shows how good of a book it is when you do get mad at a character. Maddie is also very sarcastic and loved her sarcasm with Dom.

The final journey with Josh was so nice and liked how truly personal it was. I couldn’t imagine having to do this with my one true person. I liked how it also wasn’t an instant love story but took place over an extended period of time. I like seeing books deal with grief and showing the journey it can be.

The side characters in the book including Dom’s family and Maddie’s family were a great addition and fit the story. I didn’t feel like they were forced or too much.

Overall I do recommend this book for romance, romance-com fans, and people who like a little more depth in their romance. The hype is real folks.

So. I absolutely adored Maddie and Dom’s story and how it navigated love and grief. Did I expect to be an emotional mess for most of the book? No. Would I change anything about said emotional wreckage? Also no! If anything, I want many other books just like this one. I loved the PS I Love You vibes this story had with the letters and challenges Josh created for Maddie and Dom. The chemistry and banter between the two was one of the many reasons the novel was binge worthy. I truly appreciated how realistic this story was especially with the navigation of grief, in its many forms. The opening of the letters and exploration of their associated destinations never felt forced or rushed, especially as it was spaced out to when they could both take time off.

What an emotionally heartbreaking yet beautiful story! PS I Hate You is an enemies-to-lovers, brother's best friend, second chance romance. Your heart will hurt in the best way while reading this book, the HEA being well-deserved 🥹.

Maddie is our heroine, and we see her in her most raw and vulnerable state. She struggles to mourn the death of her brother. Grief comes differently to everyone, and in Maddie's case, she couldn't cry. She closed herself off and lashed out.

Maddie has a complicated history with Dominic Perry, her brother's best friend. She hates his guts and can't forget the time he broke her heart. Now, Dom and her must embark on an adventure to honor Josh's last wishes. They must travel together and, in doing so, old wounds are mended. Let's just say Josh knew what he was doing all along 😉.

This was such a gut-wrenching and heartfelt slow burn romance that quickly became a favorite!! I loved it, wholeheartedly!

This book had me feeling all the feels.
Maddie has just lost her brother and because he knew he was going to pass, he left Maddie and his best friend Dom, a bit of an adventure.
He wants them to go together to the eight states he never made it to and spread his ashes. The only problem is that years ago Dom broke Maddie's heart and she has no desire to see him again let alone spend days/ months with him. But this is the only way to see her brother's last words to her so she will suck it up and go.
While I hated Maddie's mother and grandmother from their first scene, I loved her relationship with her brother and Dom's brothers. And every time especially in the beginning of their trek that Dom and Maddie were together, or just communicating at all, she had me laughing out loud at the zingers that she was sending his way. I loved it when they finally hashed out the past and started to grow closer, and even though the romance wasn't the focus of the story I loved it all the same. ,
Then certain parts would come out of nowhere and have me tearing up. And while I don't normally reach for books with grief as a main focus I couldn't put this one down.
I loved everything from the characters to the romance, and the relationships, and seeing both Dom and Maddie work through their grief over Josh's passing was beautiful and heartwrenching.
I will definitely be checking out Lauren Connelly's other books after reading this one.

PS I Hate You is about the relationship between Maddie and Dom. Maddie's brother, Josh, has just died from cancer. He leaves instructions for Maddie and Dom to take his ashes to places he never got to travel in the US. This leaves just 8 states for the two to visit. The incentive is at each place there will be a letter from Josh to read. Maddie is happy to have more words from her brother, but she is not pleased to be stuck with Dom as her travel buddy. Years ago the two hooked up, but then Dom broke her heart by deciding to marry his high school girlfriend, Rosaline. He did this the morning after he slept with Maddie. This is the powder keg of emotions Maddie embarks on the journey with Dom.

This story was well done. Maddie and Dom are a slow burn. Which is always fun. But in addition to their romance there is a host of characters who have platonic relationships with Maddie and they are just as important to her emotional growth as the romance with Dom.

If you enjoy stories with second chance romances, close friendships, family dysfunction, and realistic portrayals of grief then this is a great book to pick up! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC.

While not a debut, this is the first novel I’ve read from this talented voice. Heavy on emotion and featuring some of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, second chance, forced proximity) set against the backdrop of grief, this book blew me away and I can’t wait to read more from Connolly!

This is an emotionally heavy romance (not a rom-com, which is fine!). I love a good road trip romance, and it did not disappoint! Just be prepared for some heavy topics mixed in with all the delightful pining and sweetness.

"PS I Hate You" hit me in the feels repeatedly, yet I kept coming back for more. I laughed, cried, and felt every bit of the sorrow and love shared between Maddie and Dom. The audio was superb, thanks to @karissavacker, who brought these characters to life wonderfully.

All of the characters were well-developed and relatable. Dom was so dependable and kind that I fell in love with him instantly. I felt a deep connection to Maddie, the asthmatic introvert, as the story unfolded over the course of a year. Believe me when I say I loathed her and Josh’s mother; she is the most selfish character I've encountered in a while. 😩 The support from their friends throughout the story was beautiful. Everyone deserves to have friends like them. The extended timeline allowed Maddie and Dom ample time to grieve and say goodbye to their brother and best friend without feeling rushed.

“Sometimes something big happens. And it makes you look at your life. And you realize you’ve been living it wrong.”

TLDR: I absolutely adore this book. It’s a heart-wrenching yet tender story of love, loss, grief, and the path to healing. It’s also incredibly funny—a delightful balance of emotion and humor that wrecked me in the best way possible. Do yourself a favor and grab this book and maybe a box of tissues too!

It’s easily one of my top reads this year. I’ve read it a few times now and each time the experience was completely different but equally wonderful. The first time I was captivated by Maddie and Dom, their history, their present journey, the unique travel destinations, and Josh’s deep love for them. Though he died before the book starts his presence is felt throughout the book making him a very real character in this story. I just love him! The second I was in the depths of my own grief and I literally sobbed through the book. I identified with Maddie in a way I never expected. Her hurt, her pain, and her anger. So real. Ugh, and the sweet friends that were there to love and support her as she worked through it all. I felt all of it on such a deep level. The more recent read was just an absolute delight. Even better than the first. I basked in the humor of it all. The writing is so witty. The emails, the texts, the verbal sparring. It’s so good. Oh, and Dom. He is a gem of an MMC. Top notch book boyfriend material.

Tropes + Things
second chance
brother’s best friend
forced proximity
found family
single POV/1st person