i enjoyed this book so much!!
i am a sucker for second chance romances and this book was so beautiful and heartbreaking! i love how it dived a bit into infertility as it’s a common issue a lot of people deal with!

It probably takes a lot of courage to write a book that goes on about life way past the 'Happy-Ever-After' moment, starting at the point where most romance books fear to tread. But it's for this reason that I wanted to read Sophie Ranald's take on an ol' married couple who have gone past the heady feeling of youthful love, into the realities of battered and bruising married life.

There's nothing in the (somewhat malicious-sounding) title however, that suggests it would fit the storyline at all; instead, Ranald tells the story of Matt and Abbie's meandering relationship and how it grows over the years (through third-person flashbacks and a first-person present) amidst adversity and Abbie's frantic attempts to revive what they used to have. And it's a journey that isn't a typical one that goes uphill and climaxes at the end with a horrible fight but one that mirrors many real-life relationships: sometimes plodding forward, sometimes halting.

I didn't exactly find myself laughing throughout as Ranald chooses to focus on more 'random' type flashbacks showing their incremental growth with some moments that would make you smile rather than say, significant sexual milestones. But throughout, there's a sense of rawness that's never lost and even by the end, we have Matt/Abbie not exactly waltzing into a golden sunset but finding peace enough to move forward despite the unsolved problems they've been facing.

I did go into this thinking it would be a 'hard' read and wasn't surprised when I was proven right..since I was actually keen on exploring stories that go past the HEA. Having Matt/Abbie stay the solid couple that Ranald wants them to be by the end and remain still standing despite everything thrown at them...and maybe that's really the whole point of it all for those who want to see that light at the end of the tunnel.

Matt and Abbies relationship is as adorable as it is heartbreaking. The book is charming, uplifting, and honest. The real trials of growing up and long term relationships. I am also a huge sucker for all the nostalgic feels of the early 2000s. Would definitely recommend!!

This was such a surprising and lovely story, it wasn't at all what I was expecting from the blurb/title, but I really loved it. There actually wasn't much hate on display at all between Abbie and Matt, just a lot of love that had gotten mixed up and muddled by life and let-downs into resentment and distance.

It's quite an achievement to have crafted a romance about a married couple which deals so openly and sensitively with issues such as infertility and addiction, but which remains funny and charming and sweet throughout.

Highly recommend!! This book is a definite page-turner! You'll be left thinking about the story long after you put the book down. First book to read by this author but definitely not my last!

#PSIHateYou by Sophie Ranald is an honest and impactful second chance romance. This novel alternates between the past and present of Abbie and her husband as they work through their marriage slump, secrets and infertility.
Anyone who has been in a long term relationship knows the work it requires and this book honestly portrays this 📚🤓❤️

Thank you to #NetGallery and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review

P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald
Rating: ★ ★
Genre: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
Format: 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
Length: 𝟐𝟖𝟕 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
Trigger warnings: 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞
Release date: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟑𝐫𝐝, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

𝘗.𝘚. 𝘐 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

I really wanted to love this book. But at the end of the day there wasn’t any character that stood out for me, no one that I genuinely cared about. It was hard to root for Matt and Abbie because they had such a dysfunctional relationship. I can’t believe that after twenty-two years most of their problems revolved around the fact that they cannot communication with each other.

Abbie would complain about Matt’s behavior to anyone, except Matt. How is this helpful? Both of them were keeping big secrets from each other. I don’t know how a marriage can be successful without trust and open communication.

Another major issue I had was the plot point of infertility. You could tell early on that there was major tension between Matt and Abbie and I guessed early on that it would be this. As someone who suffers from infertility, it would have been nice to know that this was an important part of the story, it could have been included in the synopsis.

Overall, I couldn’t root for Matt and Abbie to fix their marriage because honestly, I don’t know that they really bring out the best in each other.

A great take on a history of a marriage relatable and fun characters with a realistic and charming story. A fun read

This is the story of a couple who have been together for a long time now and somewhere the spark is gone. So, they try to find a way back to each other, overcome the hurt and disappointments along the way. You could say it was the journey of a couple trying to find a new way to be with each other. A quick one time read, this one.

I enjoyed this book but it didn’t absolutely hook me from the start it took me a long time to get into it.

I have read Sophie Ranald books before and unfortunately this one isn’t my favourite.

I love romance storylines of married couples, and the idea of retracing a 20-year love intrigued me at first glance. The author wonderfully captured the breadth of emotions of a love relationship, but the plot was slow to progress, and I found myself losing interest amidst the long monologues. I rather enjoyed the sweet ending, and the British humor laced throughout.

It's time for a second chance ROMANCE! This story had some dips into sadness and it really shows how much work it takes in a marriage to get onto the same page. I think Abbie and Matt are relatable to so many people in struggling relationships. The steps it takes to make things work despite issues like infertility will draw you in.

I gave this 3.5 stars

After a couple of disasters, I have realized that women’s fiction is just not for me... with the exception of two authors, Sophie Ranald being one of them. I’m not sure if it’s because the couple in the story have been together for the same number of years as me and my husband, but something really hit home for me with this book, and I just loved it! I think the synopsis makes the book sound like it’s all serious, so I want to reassure you there are lighthearted and funny bits mixed in with the serious moments. I read a fair amount of books from UK authors, but I still learn new terms from time to time, and I can now add “minge” to my vocabulary 😉

I do think that the description of the book should include a content trigger warning for infertility and miscarriage, as these are issues that affect quite a few people and can be upsetting to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review-- thank you!

In conclusion, Second Chance Romance is quickly becoming one of my favorite tropes, and surprisingly so is failed marriage?!
* hopefully that's not a hint as to how my own future marriage will become someday ahahah

But this book follows Abbie and Matt, your average high school sweethearts who became lovers at age 17 when Matt heroically saved Abbie from a pigeon. Now they beat many odds, friends had troubles in their high school sweetheart relationships and have had kids and split up and from the beginning it seemed like Matt and Abbie were the only pair that stood the strong 20 years.
Now it happens to everyone, but the honeymoon stage quickly becomes mundane, routine, boring for Abbie and she begins to have second thoughts about them together, and if they were meant to be together. Undoubtedly a tough situation to be in when she begins questioning the spark that they once had, if they ever had it, or what happened and where it went.

Now to the main plot, Abbie's friends suggest she try to recreate that spark and just remind each other why they fell in love in the first place, so she begins to recreate first dates, important events, and even choosing too revisit some tough times and memories to show why they persevered through it, but when some old concerns and memories come to haunt, things go sideways.

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Now I don't do spoilers in reviews so you will need to read the rest when it comes out, but I thoroughly enjoyed their story. It reminded me of the story 'You Deserve Each Other' by Sarah Hogle in regard to repairing marriage books. May be my newest obsession; eek!!
But such a cute read! It also is written in Past/Present tense to give you some insight as to why she sets up certain dates the way she does, so you aren't left in the dark as to why she's recreating some memories and not others.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers, I loved this book :)

The story
Abbie and Matt met when she was the new girl at the school, and have been together for the past 20 years, married for 9 of these. But as time has passed and life has happened, their seemingly perfect relationship from the outside has been anything but. The intimacy has disappeared and small things irritate them. But it’s the big things that remain unsaid, secrets not shared that are the real problem. Abbie’s friends suggest revisiting memory lane, and this sometimes helps, but also results in deeper hurt. Can they heal the broken parts of their relationship and forge a new way of being?

My thoughts
This is a deeply honest and poignant look at a close and long relationship between a couple who despite all the positives, are struggling to keep their relationship alive. The strain of lockdown, a spare bedroom being saved for children that don’t arrive and history that remains unspoken lie between them. I felt a heavy sadness for both Abbie and Matt when reading this story, and could appreciate where they are in their lives. At times, I wasn’t sure if they could pull their relationship from the depths, or if they even wanted to. This is beautifully written, honest (the Hollywood wax story 🙈🙈) and very, very real. Well done on an excellent read Sophie Ranald. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this uncorrected advance review copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.75⭐️

Would recommend if you like:
✅second chance romance
✅past and present storylines
✅honesty about infertility challenges
✅rescuing and adopting a cute kitten 🐈

I've slowly been getting into a second chance romance trope, but this book missed the mark for me. Abbie and Matt have been struggling in their relationship for awhile and Abbie decided to start Operation Memory Lane to rekindle their love. I thought this idea was really cute but didn't play out as well as Abbie had hoped. I also don't think the characters hate each other, but have fallen out of love and need to find their way back to each other. Going on walks together and reminiscing on first kisses and dates was adorable and some of my favorite moments of this book.

Overall I didn't really love this book because it felt like I was reading about a married couple that lived down the street from me. The few mentions of current pop-culture trends (ie: the Tik Tok dance trend the renegade) was funny but felt a little cringey. I was looking for a read that would transport out of current-day but felt like I was reading about a couple who were barely trying to save their marriage. I wanted more love, passion, and excitement. Instead I ended up feeling sad about long-term relationships and not as hopeful for love.

Matt and Abbie have been together since J.Lo and Coldplay were topping the charts. After twenty years together, two years of working at the same kitchen table in lockdown, and not talking about their empty room upstairs, Abbie worries that the magic has gone and the two of them set out to rekindle their old flame. I love Sophie Ranald's pacey, unpretentious romances and this is no exception. I particularly loved:

- Abbie's bickering bosses and her copywriting gig for a sex toy brand called 'Quim'
- Abbie and Matt's quest to adopt an abandoned cat, Shrimp
- A bunch of middle-class parents going wild at a Wireless-type festival ('snogging by the Negroni stand')

Also no spoilers, but I was worried that their story would end with the usual miracle and was pleased when it did not - it doesn't happen for everybody and I was happy (for these fictional characters)! that they could move on and still have fulfilling lives. Ranald has her finger on the pulse - just like the sex-toy manufacturers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!

I don't usually go for books that delve into marital troubles. But the cover and the blurb just made me go for it and I wasn't let down.
Matt and Abs have been together for 20 years...let that sink in. They've known each other since high school (in all its '00s glory with low waisted everything) and ever since they first laid eyes on each other, that was it.
But after 20 years, things get a bit...irritating. So, why not take a teip down memory lane and give their story one more shot?
This book managed to show love through different stages of a relationship in beautiful ways and I'm happy I went on this journey.

An enjoyable read, I finished this book in one sitting, I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for something to take your mind off the world as it stands right now. I give it five stars

This was my first book I've read by Sophie Ranald and it didn't disapoint.

The story is told by Abbi's pov and it goes between the present and the past. I loved how they took trips down memory lane, recreating dates to try and re kindle the spark.

As we all know marriage doesn't just happen and we all have good and bad days, there is a serious topic of fertility in there which I think many can relate to. That being said it was light hearted and it was really funny in places.

It was a easy read that I read over a few days, I just couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed it

I aThis was my first book I've read by Sophie Ranald and it didn't disapoint.

The story is told by Abbi's pov and it goes between the present and the past. I loved how they took trips down memory lane, recreating dates to try and re kindle the spark.

As we all know marriage doesn't just happen and we all have good and bad days, there is a serious topic of fertility in there which I think many can relate to. That being said it was light hearted and it was really funny in places.

It was a easy read that I read over a few days, I just couldn't put it down! I am however slightly confused over the title 🤔