I don't think there is anything I can say that will ever do this book the justice it deserves. It was like a balm to my soul. Yes, the grief in these pages is absolutely palpable but so is the love and hope that seeped off the page only to settle deep down in my heart, wrapping it up, making it whole and full of happiness.

Jodie's older sister, Bree, loses her battle with leukemia at only 26 years old. What Jodie and her family don't realize is that Bree made plans that were going to flip their world upside down long after her death. Bree was an Instagram influencer that traveled the world. The more exotic the place the better. Nothing was off limits - cliff jumping, mountain climbing, swimming with whales. Bree had an exuberance for life that just couldn't be contained. Until cancer got the best of her.

Her family is awash in grief. Swallowed by the hole Bree left in her wake. Not to mention they are drowning in debt for Bree's medical care. Bree has made a plan to shake them from their grief and hopefully erase their never-ending debt at the same. Jodie must finish Bree's bucket list. If she succeeds then Iris Air, a brand she worked with often, will pay their debt in full.

Jodie can't believe it. She's always been the quiet one nursing her anxieties so there is no way she could possibly pull this off. A couple of examples of her bucket list items include: recreate the orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally at Katz's deli and walk on stage during a Broadway performance. Easy peasy, right? Jodie is horrified.

But....she'd do anything for her sister and her family. She is going to have to muster up the courage to pull this off one way or another. And maybe, just maybe, Jodie will discover she is far braver and stronger than she ever thought possible.

Again, this review does not do this book justice. The writing is exquisite and packed full of emotion. I loved these characters. Every single one of them. I had mentioned in an update I made that I have found my fictional family and it's the truth. This family had me right by the heart from the very start. Even Russel Sprout the dog, just be sure keep your shoes away from him! I thought the way the grief was handled in this book was so authentic but so was the deep-rooted love this family had for one another. All the feels. Oh, and just one more thing I'd like to add: #TeamKelly *Swoons* 🔥 5 Brilliant Shining Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy.

"Someone Else's Bucket List" by Amy T. Matthews is a poignant and uplifting novel that explores themes of grief, self-discovery, and the transformative power of embracing life's challenges. With a unique premise and relatable characters, this book takes readers on an emotional journey filled with hope, laughter, and love.

The story follows Jodie Boyd, a shy and anxious young woman who feels lost and uncertain about her future. Her older sister, Bree, was the complete opposite—an adventurous and successful Instagram influencer who lived life to the fullest. However, Bree tragically passes away from Leukemia, leaving the Boyd family devastated and burdened with medical debt.

In a surprising turn of events, Jodie discovers a series of secret posts on Bree's Instagram feed, outlining a challenge for Jodie to complete her sister's public bucket list. If Jodie accomplishes each item on the list and retains Bree's followers, a corporate sponsor will help alleviate the overwhelming medical debt. Reluctantly, Jodie accepts the challenge, even though it seems impossible and morally ambiguous. Little does she know that through this journey, her sister will continue to guide her from beyond the grave, teaching her valuable lessons about life and ultimately leading her to find love.

Amy T. Matthews has crafted a story that captures the essence of sisterly love, the impact of loss, and the importance of embracing new experiences. Jodie's character is beautifully developed, and readers will empathize with her struggles, fears, and self-doubt. As she embarks on her sister's bucket list, Jodie undergoes a remarkable transformation, slowly shedding her insecurities and finding her own voice and purpose in life.

"Someone Else's Bucket List" is an inspiring and heartfelt novel that reminds us to live life to the fullest, cherish our loved ones, and embrace the challenges that come our way. Amy T. Matthews delivers a touching and uplifting story that will leave readers with a renewed sense of hope and a greater appreciation for the beauty and unpredictability of life.

Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews was beautifully written and such an inspiring story. Jodie, major introvert, takes on the task of publicly completely her sister's bucket list since she passed. As a reader, I felt the emotional rollercoaster this character was going on. I loved this story so much and could see this being turned into a movie. It took a lot of strength for Jodie to move forward and can see a lot of readers relating to this book.

A great story about grief, but also about family, friendship, hope and courage to face your fears and insecurities and be brave enough to live your life to the fullest because there is no guarantee of tomorrow only of today. Jodie’s journey to fill her sister’s bucket list after she died will help her open her heart to new possibilities and the love of her life. The audiobook is great.

When social media influencer Bree dies of leukemia, leaving behind a mountain of debt for her family, her sister Jodie agrees to take on Bree’s bucket list to rid her family of the debt. The only stipulation, she has to keep all of Bree’s followers.

This book broke my heart completely. While it was a little slow to start, I found myself completely enthralled with Jodie’s journey through the bucket list all the way to the end.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and Amy T Matthews for the ARC of this book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel is basically P.S. I Love You but with sisters. So get your hankies ready before you crack this one open.

When outgoing, adventurous Instagram influencer Bree dies of leukemia, she leaves her family with a mountain of medical debt. She also leaves her Instagram account, with ~1 million followers, and her incomplete bucket list to her introverted younger sister, Jodie. Before Bree died, she arranged for a corporate sponsor to pay for Jodie to complete Bree’s bucket list. The sponsor also agreed to pay off some of her medical bills each time Jodie completes one of Bree’s bucket list items. So, with over a million people watching, Jodie attempts to grant her sister’s last wish.

This novel was in turns melancholic, cringey, uplifting, cheesy, and heartfelt. In other words, it was a little bit all over the place. There were parts I didn’t enjoy and parts I really liked. The characters were all really well written, even if the story sometimes didn’t do them justice. In the end, I did enjoy the book, even if it was a little Hallmark-y for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington, and Ms. Matthews for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Frankly I have really mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, the passages about grief and how it cripples the dceceased's surviving family and friends were so poignant and so evocative, it made me wonder if the author had personally experienced a similar loss. On the other hand, I found the entire idea of commercializing the grief into social media posts, and the "hijacking" of the bucket list by the airline publicity team, to be repugnant.

You can read the synopsis for yourself, so I won't resummarize the book. Suffice to say, Jodie (the surviving sister) is basically sleepwalking through life, numb to the world, crippled by grief and debt and totally stagnant. So I can understand that being, I don't know, commandeered by Cheryl into makeovers and posts and appearances might be hard to resist. Jodie's been floating along on the current for so long she's forgotten how to stand, let alone swim against it. But it felt so awkward to me to see items on Bree's bucket list happening without ANY input from Jodie: the tree planting was almost painfully awkward and uncomfortable and just wrong. So many times Jodie's grief felt trivialized under the weight of the social media aspect of the plot. And yes, I realize that Jodie had to be shaken free of her comfortable blanket of numbness and given fuel to shake free of her grief and live her own life, but watching it happen under duress and on-camera made me so sad for her.

Things weren't all bleak. I really enjoyed the portions were Jodie was able to surface from her grief and start feeling other emotions; I loved her friendship with Claudia; and I was really behind her journey to reconnect with Kelly Wong and to finally realize she'd treated him the way that Cheryl had treated her, by ignoring (or at least, failing to acknowledge) his feelings and his grief. And I LOVED the author's depiction of grief and the way various people experience it. Overall despite the heavy-sounding topic the book was an easy, compulsive read, and I gobbled it up at record speed. I wish Claudia had gotten a lot more page time because I LOVED her character and I was rooting for her almost as much as Jodie.

Overall I would say this book was a hard one to rate because I really disliked some aspects of it and I really loved others. I'll say ⭐⭐⭐1/2 stars.

TW: Cancer, death

Jodie is the opposite of her outgoing sister, Bree. She has been living a quiet life while Bree, an influencer, has been in the spotlight building her following on her Instagram account as she travels the world. But then Bree, who has no health insurance, is hospitalized battling, and ultimately losing her fight with cancer. Jodie is tasked with fulfilling what remains left to do on Bree's bucket list. And if she does it all, her family will no longer have mountains of medical debt because a brand agrees to pay it off as part of a marketing campaign. It's up to Jodie to complete the list, publically via Instagram and save her mourning family from a future of crushing debt.

I had a really hard time feeling okay with this scenario... as an introvert with anxiety myself, it was off-putting to have a storyline focusing on making someone with anxiety do these things, while mourning the death of her sister, all without mentioning therapy at all... and as a very public marketing ploy. It felt very uncomfortable. But as Jodie worked up the courage to get through the bucket list, I couldn't help but cheer her on. Overall, if you can see past the cringe factors, it's an entertaining book with a protagonist you can root for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Someone Else’s Bucket List is an emotional story of family love and stepping outside your comfort zone. It is a beautiful, and humourous read.

What an emotional, heart-warming read! It has been quite some time since I’ve let myself read this kind of book. Yes, I’d read the synopsis, but nothing prepared me for the first few chapters of this book.

We are introduced to Instagram influencer Bree who suddenly finds herself in the hospital never knowing that she would never step foot outside of this building again. Indeed, the first several chapters of the book are Bree’s reflections as she remembers the story of her life. The reader is introduced to all of those who Bree holds dearly as they provide support to her through this long hospitalization and her eventual death. This was a meaningful yet difficult read for me, as those around me also battle cancer. I will say I’m so glad that I stuck with this story.

The book jumps to the family’s first Thanksgiving after Bree’s death. The family’s individual grieving is palpable and heartbreaking. The impact of paying for Bree’s hospital and medical treatment is devastating. Bree had predicted and planned what the family would be going through as they attempted to celebrate this first holiday without her. What they didn’t know is that Bree had recorded several messages to her family and followers on Instagram including a plan to get her family out of debt. That is, for her younger sister Jodie to complete Bree’s bucket list.

Jodie is not the outgoing and adventurous woman her older sister was and the challenges which she must complete take her completely out of her comfort zone. What she doesn’t know is that Bree chose her to complete her list for this very reason.

There are many hilarious moments as we journey with Jodie as she completes each task. I loved the metamorphosis we see transpire in Jodie as the story progresses and the resultant changes in the rest of her family. I fell in love with each of these characters – for their strength, determination and ability to move on after tragedy. This story is sure to stay with me for many years to come.

I recommend this book to those readers who enjoy Women’s Fiction.

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

3 ⭐️

I liked the premise of this book, completing a bucket list for a loved one that couldn’t do it themselves.

However, the first 1/4 of the book was all set up and it was just a bit too slow for me. It also felt quite disconnected from the story. I understand why it was there to create the background but I think that could have been done much quicker or in another ways to tie it in. I felt like I kept waiting to get into the story.

The bucket list was interesting enough as it went on but also quite obvious with a lot of the plot. It dragged on and you knew immediately how it was going to play out.

I think if you enjoy slower paced books and HEA then this would be your book!

In this novel, twenty-six-year-old Bree is dying of Leukemia. She’s a social media influence with over a million followers and growing. When she passes away, her family struggles with their grief as well as mounting medical debt. Her younger sister, Jodie, discovers that Bree has prerecorded social media posts in the form of a bucket list that she challenges Jodie to complete. At the heart of the novel is a nice idea about keeping someone’s spirit alive after they pass, but the pacing felt sluggish and I was left questioning who benefits from this online stunt: Jodie or the company behind Bree’s social influencing platform? Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced review copy.

This book was a great story. It was a little emotional, sad, funny, and was enjoyable to read. It connected with what goes on with today's instagram influencers and how it helped save a family from losing their home.

Brew Boyd lived her life freely. She did everything online for sponsors and for free trips across the country, she had over 1 million followers. At 26 years ago, her life was off to another adventure. No job, just Bree and her followers. Until she got sick and went to the hospital for pneumonia. She had more than pneumonia, she had leukemia and never knew it. With no insurance, her family worked several shifts to support her mounting bills. Her little sister, Jodie, gave up her apartment and moved back home to help with money and donated bone marrow, Bree died anyways.

The first Thanksgiving after her death, the family is destroyed. But Bree had made Jodie and Claudia, Bree's best friend since grade school, promise to cook an elaborate meal, because the chemo destroyed her sense of taste and smell months ago. She wanted them to enjoy it for her. While the duo were cooking, Bree had had prerecorded a message the night before Thanksgiving to hit Instagram. She'd planned something before she died. She knew that her family would be in trouble with her debt, so she had arranged with an airline that she was a sponsor for once to help pay off her debts. But the catch is, Jodie has to finish the last 6 items on her bucket list. Most are easy, like planting a tree, but acting out the same scene in "When Harry met Sally" in the deli with the fake orgasm in public and online was asking a lot. But as each one is checked off, large checks are sent to the hospital to pay off her bills.

Jodie knows how much her family needs the money, so she doesn't have a choice in the matter. But when the airline rep, Cheryl, is constantly pulling fast ones without her consent, Jodie can only take so much. What was supposed to be fun and respecting her sister's last wishes, turns out to be a circus act that Jodie wants no part of.

She finally speaks her mind to the billionaire owner of the airlines after being humiliated on camera and around the world. Making sure they are on the same page, she gets set to finish the last 2 on the list with joy. But the last one on the list is to fall in love and she gets rejected after finally finding the courage to act. With the debt gone now, it's time for Jodie to start her own life for good. If she ever happens to love again, that's up to her. Or is it?

A must read!

I really loved this book. Amy Matthews has written something beautiful with themes of love, grief, and personal growth. With characters I came to know and love, I immersed myself in Jodie's story hoping it would not end. Someone Else's Bucket List will make a wonderful movie.

Jodie is tasked to finish her dead sister’s bucket list to relieve their family of the hospital bills. And they weren’t the easiest things to do as she needs to really come out of her comfort zone. She’s in for a whirlwind of activities with a hurricane of new people and old friends. She’ll do anything for her sister, she isn’t sure how she’ll fulfill the last item on the list, to fall in love.

A contemporary fiction that involves going out of one’s comfort that also tackles grief with a sprinkle of romance. Grief rooted from the death of a family member is the central theme and the bucket list is what jumpstarts the family towards acceptance and moving forward.

Everyone kept pressuring Jodie to do these things so that their debt would lessen, yet no one cared what she thought about it. It’s really hard for an introvert to come out of their shell, it takes time and lots of self-reassurance to be able to do a task. So I really applaud Jodie for doing everything.

Every character at some point annoyed me in some way, how they kept pestering, pressuring, and forcing Jodie into uncomfortable situations. There were also the miscommunications, or lack of communication to be precise. The romance aspect had me on the edge of my seat, and without spoiling anything, I almost threw my device across the room in anger.

Overall, it’s a great book about an adventure to moving on from grief. It isn’t the easiest ride, yet it’s a necessary one to remember that there is still joy in life.

It took me an age to read this book, not because it wasn’t any good but because life happens.

The story has inspired me to try and enjoy my life abit more. I have a lot of illnesses and sometimes I feel like I am just existing. I should see the fact I’m still here is a positive.

I loved the characters.

The following review was posted on my blog today, on Tuesday, May 21st, two days before publication. It will not be shared on Instagram as to not push out low-rating reviews, but has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





“She assumed it was what all old women did. Had sisters who plonked themselves at your kitchen table and annoyed you, from the cradle to the grave. It had never occurred to her that cancer might get in the way.”

Genre: General Fiction
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses grief, cancer, and death at a young age to a very impactful detail.

“Someone Else’s Bucket List” follows Bree and Jodie Boyd, two sisters who may have been complete opposites but who ultimately loved each other for who they were. Bree was a travel influencer, who was completing a bucket list before she was diagnosed with cancer and sadly succumbed to it. Now, with 1 million followers waiting on Bree and surmounting unpayable medical debt, Jodie receives the task to finish of Bree’s bucket list and if she does, said medical debt will be payed off. It’s a no-brainer, right? Bree has to finish this bucket list, if only to feel closer to her sister—even if one of the remaining items is falling in love, and how the hell is she supposed to do that?

I felt so much while reading this book—I cried, I laughed, I was lowkey very anxious as I identified deeply with Jodie. Overall, this book was a rollercoaster and I enjoyed almost every part of it. I’ve been mostly reading romance this year, so it was honestly impressive how this book caught my attention even without the upfront romance factor. The characters were lovable and the read truly entertaining, it read like it would be a really awesome movie.

Are you looking for a women’s fiction read focused on sisterly love, life after loss, and jumping out of your comfort zone? Then “Someone Else’s Bucket List” is perfect for you.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Jodie is nothing like her adventurous and social Instagram influencer sister, Bree. Jodie is shy, and unsure what to do with her life. She’s also devastated when Bree passed from Leukemia. But Bree had a plan for her family to help pay off her medical debts. Jodie is going to finish her bucket list and none of the items will be easy for her.

This was such a great read. It is sad and they don’t hold anything back when it comes to your emotions, but it’s real, it’s funny, and it’s just a great read! There is a little bit of a miscommunication trope to it, which I hate, but it was okay because the rest of the story was perfect for me. I love a good sister book, and while the sister relationship wasn’t portrayed in the present tense, there’s a lot of history and emotion.

“You never really have someone, not forever. You just get them for a little while, if you’re lucky. And you never know how long you have them for.”

Someone Else’s Bucket List comes out 5/23.

Someone Else’s Bucket List is about Jodie, a grieving sister, who takes over the last remaining items on her sister Bree’s bucket list, finding herself and love along the way.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. It was a bit slow to start and to end, but the ride was immersive. Jodie is definitely very relatable, but I didn’t find her to be likeable (not exactly a bad thing in my book). I rooted for her and was relieved she finally came around even though it took a bit longer than I would’ve hoped.

A great beach read or holiday read for anyone who’s feeling a little down. If you enjoy a large cast of characters and a regular ordinary protagonist, this one is for you.

Tissue alert!

Wow what a powerful amazing book!

The first few chapters were about Bree. The rest of the story was all Jodie and her experiences.

The book was well written and the characters felt so real.

Jodie had been in Brees shadow because brew was almost larger than life. Brew was exuberant, joyful and had a zest for life.

Jodie was just a great character, shy awkward, doubting herself, anxious. She was just sort of going through life going through the motions.

Now there is illness and grief in the story but it's written well.

When the family is saddled with insane debt, there is an offer for Jodie to complete the bucket list in exchange for the debt to be paid off.

I liked as there for the list, New York, Claud, Cheryl, everyone.

I just can't find the words,this story was powerful and each character was great.


I liked Brees. Planning ahead b for her family, I liked how the whole Instagram thing was done.

I liked Jodies growth during the book. And see he and Kelly were believable.

This is a book that will be read many times and it is still clear in my mind now.


Highly recommended 5. Stars


My thanks to the author publish er. And Net Galley


I can't talk enough at the store about this one

3.75⭐️

Bree dies of leukaemia and her dying wish is for her sister Jodie to finish her bucket list but comes with specific terms.

what I loved about the story is the sisterhood and family love which was portrayed beautifully, also I loved Jodie’s journey with feeling lost in her life and navigating her grief for her sister while trying to fulfil her dying wish. And I enjoyed the romance part of the story it was sweet.
Now If it was just at that the book would’ve been a 4 stars for me but the thing I didn’t like at all is the social media and all the media attention part, it felt forced and cheesy at times and I was struggling to get through these moments.