Someone Else’s Bucket List
Author: Amy T. Matthews
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4⭐️

Synopsis: Jodie is gifted a bucket list by her sister, Bree, after she passes away from cancer. If Jodie can complete the last 6 items on the 100 item bucket list, an airline carrier will pay off the rest of Bree’s medical bills. Determined to help her family and remember Bree, Jodie sets off to finish the list.

Thoughts: With grief comes happiness again. I loved how Jodie went from being the shy, younger child to finally understanding who she is and what she wants to do with her life. The portrayal of grief and sadness from the passing of a loved one was well written. I didn’t feel like it was overwhelming the whole story, but it didn’t skim over it either.

Read if:
* Your older sibling was always the gold while you were silver

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of someone elses bucket list. this was such a beautiful story of trying to live on after a terrible loss.

This is a story that revolves around the Boyd family. Bree, the older sister, is dying of cancer and knows she does not have
much time left. Her desire is for her sister, Jodie, to finish he bucket list. Jodie finds out what this entails through series of posts on Bree’s Instagram. If Jodie agrees to finish the list, all of the Boyd family’s medical debt will be paid off. Jodie agrees to finish the bucket list but this comes with some big challenges along the way. It was a sad story mixed in with a lot of humor as well. It took me a while to get into this book due to the sadness but I am glad I pushed through to the end. The romance had a big cheese factor at times but it was entertaining for sure. I give this one 3.5 stars. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

<i>A beautiful story of overcoming grief.</i>

Bree is dying with 6 items left to go on her bucket list. As her last wishes, she wants her sister, Jodie, to complete the remaining bucket list items. Bree entered into a contract with Iris Air to sponsor Jodie to complete this bucket list and post everything to social media in exchange for paying off Bree's crippling medical debt that has left Jodie basically working her life away. The items were to take piano lessons that Bree's parents paid for, but she never took, plant a tree, act out the orgasm scene from Harry Met Sally, a cameo on Broadway, flying over Antarctica and falling in love. We follow Jodie through all of the good and bad times she has while completing this list.

It wasn't so much of the items on the list but the growth of Jodie throughout the book that was beautiful. Seeing her become braver and really learning what she wanted out of life through this journey was amazing. The last chapter learning that Bree had even thought of Jodie when making some last minute adjustments to the list really got me.

This book really pulled at my heartstrings. It was funny, charming, heartbreaking, and cute all at the same time. Would definitely recommend picking this one up!

Thank you Amy T. Matthews, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book!

This book has one of the most peculiar bucket lists I’ve ever seen.
But when you want to accomplish every point and somehow you can’t figure out if it will be possible, things must change.
 
For a book that focuses on a bucket list, it sure does take time to present the said list. It’s longer than necessary, and the plot suffers from "a bit too much".
 
Bree and Jodie are sisters, but they couldn’t be more opposite of each other. When Bree, a travel influencer, died, it became Jodie’s job to finish her sister's bucket list.
So Jodie, a very shy and introverted character, needs to come out of her shell and face the world of wonders and goals.
 
I felt like Jodie needed more depth, and sometimes I felt like the character wasn’t evolving with the story, which came out a little bit off-putting.
 
On the other side, Jodie’s love for Bree was the thing that made me stay until the end.
 
With lovable characters and a sense of warmth, this book is perfect for someone looking for connection.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Oh, this book! The storyline surrounds the grief of losing a loved one. The author did such a wonderful job of connecting us to each of the individuals who have lost Bree, from her sister, to parents, to best friend, to her fans...all the people who Bree touched in life. Kelly is also grieving the loss of his father. I was so invested in not only the bucket list Jodie was instructed to continue for Bree, but the growth of relationships along the way. I cried, I laughed, I felt nostalgic, I cheered...and by the end, I happily sighed.

4 stars

It took me a while to start this book, primarily because the topic is such a difficult one to deal with, to come to terms with. Once I did start, however, I enjoyed reading it a lot.

I appreciated how grief was displayed - in all the ways one can feel it (well, there’s probably many more, but it did a good job of showing a variety), and showed how death touches those ‘left behind’, however odd that may sound.

Over the course of the book, I grew to love (most) characters, and found myself relating to Jodie, especially when it came to having to do things I am uncomfortable with.

Despite the sad start, the hopeful tone of the book is such a positive in this book. I both enjoyed the romance, and would not have minded the book without it. I also do agree it seemed weirdly morbid at times, the way Jodie was set up to complete the bucket list created by her sister in front of an audience - in order to pay off a medical debt? While medical debt is an incredibly sad reality, I was not sure how I felt about seeing it being dealt with in this way - especially with the later revelations.

However, I chose to focus on the book as a story of growth and facing challenges. Overall, I’d rate it 4 stars!

The premise sounded great but the actual story and characters didnt do anything for me. I couldnt get over the fact that an influencer with tons of followers had no health insurance. This was the deal breaker for me.

Bree is dying and makes some additions to her bucket list. Her sister Jodie is tapped to finish the list. Bree has a big following online and 2 companies will pay all the medical expenses if Jodie will post as she finishes the list. Little does Jodie know that her life will be changed forever. This is a nice story of sisters who will do anything for each other and their family. Sad yet funny and realistic.

Bree, a social media influencer, has died of leukemia. Jodie, her sister, is in a joyless job working as much as she can to pay off the staggering medical debt her family has been saddled with since Bree’s passing. On the Thanksgiving after Bree’s death, a video is posted on her instagram by Bree herself. It’s Bree’s wish that Jodie finishes Bree’s Bucket List and if she does that while maintaining Bree’s 1M followers, the sponsor of the trip (an airline called Iris Air who’s CEO seems similar to Richard Branson) will pay off all of the medical debt and then some. And thus begins Jodie’s emotional and tumultuous journey to finish Bree’s Bucket List.

I loved this book. The sister relationship was poignant and how Jodie reacts to everything: the Iris Air rep, the challenges, the fact that every item is being watched by millions of people, and possibly new love. How Jodie saw herself vs how her family, friends, and high school teammates saw her was especially on point. Jodie finds herself, deals with the grief of her sister’s passing and realizes that she can enjoy life again without forgetting about Bree. The book was well done and has stayed with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC. Someone Else’s Bucket List is out now.

I loved this story especially because I have a younger sister, and Someone Else's Bucket List explores this sisterhood bond wonderfully.

The story begins with Bree, who is in hospital due to cancer and is living out her last few days with her family by her side. Cut to the next chapter where it's almost a year after Bree's death but her effervescence remains in the form of videos she scheduled for her family to see after her death.

In one of her videos, she reveals that she had six items left on her bucket list and it was her dying wish that her sister complete that list in place of her. And because she was a prolific social media influencer Jodie her sister had to film herself doing all the bucket list items. And if she managed to tick off all a corporate sponsor would offload her family's entire medical debt.

Jodie is shocked and terrified and think's her sister is crazy but nevertheless, she does embark on the journey with the whole world watching and it is one crazy ride.

Although reading the first chapter felt like reading a cancer memoir, things picked up immediately after the second chapter and I thoroughly enjoyed the book after that. It was fun and uplifting and touching all in one go.

I have never cried so much as I did during this book. I cried for characters that felt so real and honest.

I usually stay far, far, FAR away from anything c-word related but the hope in this book called to me. Yes, it’s heartbreaking (and realistic) but it’s also beautiful.

I don’t want to spoil anything but I’m definitely #teamJodie

It is well known that I love grief and loss book. I greatly enjoy shedding tears with the characters as they embark on their healing journey. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I attempted to read it twice, but still I could not connect with the main character. It made it difficult for me to root for her when I found her rather irritating. To compound that, there were these rather annoying side characters as well.

The bucket list was great. It had interesting tasks on it, and I especially loved that it reunited Jodie with someone from her past. There were just a multitude of other things that detracted from my enjoyment.

I am leaving three stars because I do not know if this book gets better as I have abandoned it.

A very nice book by Amy T. Matthews. I’ve never read a book by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and the characters.

It’s been a while since a book has made me sob, but this one did it! The grief was jumping off the pages and the characters were so likeable and I was rooting for healing for all. Loved it! Looking forward to reading more from Amy Matthews in the future.

Jodie Boyd is everything her older sister, Bree, is not: shy, anxious, and unsure about her future. Bree seems to have everything: an Instagram influencer that has been able to parlay her magnetic personality into a way of seeing the world. When Bree is diagnosed with leukemia, and dies too soon, Jodie is devastated. The family is crushed under a mountain of debt, but on the eve of Thanksgiving, a timed video from Bree is about to change it all. Can Jodie fulfill her sister's dying wish of a completed bucket list?

The first part of the book almost sucks the air out of the room, with the author bringing Bree to life and death in increments. The Boyds' world is thrown upside down and Jodie's parents cannot seem to see their younger daughter through the grief for their older one. Though this is uncomfortable and sad to read, it definitely has a ring of truth to it. Jodie blossoms and comes alive thoughout the novel, some of which is good to read. Jodie has self esteem issues, but does not need to be changed. I like how Bree's voice comes to Jodie, as she remembers how encouraging her sister was for her.

As to the negative part of the book, I did not like how the author had Bree present her plan. It seemed that she knew her family well and it was out of character to cause them pain. Grief over a loved one never quite goes away and this type of jolt would have gutted most people.

Overall, I enjoyed Someone Else's Bucket List. Not normally a reader of romance, this was the type of book that I would usually pick from the category. I would recommend it to other readers.

I’m not sure why I thought Someone Else’s Bucket List would be an easy read, especially given the central theme of death and grief. Maybe it’s how the synopsis presents the story, and it made it sound like a fun read about someone learning more about her sister and herself. Don’t get me wrong, that does happen, and it’s just that there is a heavy layer of sadness and grief as well.

Jody’s feelings of loss and duty are raw and honest. She feels it’s her responsibility to fill the void her sister left and the mountain of bills that resulted from Bree’s illness. Jody is an introvert who is happier watching sports than being the center of attention. But her sense of duty guides her to do what is best for the family.

Some characters are exactly what you would picture with a huge corporate social media account on the line (looking at you, Maya). Others could be your neighbor, the person at the grocery store, or anybody you know. While Ryan is a bit over the top, it makes sense, given the fact he’s a CEO of an airline. I want to find a store like Hopper’s to visit. It’s a bar with a grocery store in the back. And with someone who looks like Thor as the owner, I could enjoy a visit or two.

There is bound to be something in Someone Else’s Bucket List for everyone: travel, adventure, romance, drama, and hope!

I loved this book that will break your heart and remake it, and adored the beautifully drawn characters and compelling tale of love, grief, and new life. If you prize women's fiction, I dare you to put this down before the last page. Highest marks!

Both heartbreaking and uplifting. Her sister dies, and she completes her sisters bucket list. Really makes you think.

I found this book a little slow getting into, primarily because YA fiction isn't really my thing, but the farther I read the more sophisticated the themes of this book became and very quickly it became a book that was extremely hard to put down.

Jodie Boyd has lost her sister, Bree, to cancer. Her family has a mountain of debt as a result of the medical efforts to save her life. Jodie is doing her best to help with the expenses, moving home and taking a job that she hates to help pay off this debt. It's not enough, and the Boyd family is slowly drowning under the bills. Enter Bree's final request, her final six bucket list items, and a billionaire and his company who are willing to underwrite the whole project, provided Jodie is the one to complete it.

Except Jodie isn't Bree. Bree is a social promoter, has a million followers on Instagram, and is a dynamic force of personality. Jodie is quiet, anxious, and socially unsure of herself. But she agrees because if she takes on the project, the billionaire and his company will pay the medical bills - ALL of them.

Grief can make you forget who you are as you remember your lost loved one. It can leave you directionless as you try to fill the hole that they left. It can make you attempt things in their honor that you would never attempt on your own volition. And sometimes, through doing these things, you can figure out where you lost yourself and help you find where you wanted to be all along.

I wasn't sure when I started this book that I would even like it. I ended up loving it.

( The only reason I didn't five star this book is such a minor thing, it's almost not worth mentioning, but it was annoying enough that I feel like it could be easily fixed in a second edition printing. Claudia - pick a name and stay with it. I get it. It's her nickname. But stop with the continual shifting between Claudia and Claude - often times in adjacent sentences - because it's linguistically disruptive and really breaks the flow of the story. )