This book took a while for me to get into it but I am so glad I kept reading!

Jodie must complete her sister’s adventure-filled bucket list after she passes. She starts a a shy protagonist but all of these assignments lead to her growth and personal development. The recordings from her sister along the way were so gut-wrenching.

Future readers should focus on the fact this is primary a fiction book rather than a romance book. The romance developed near the end but the main plot of the book centers around Jodie and her journey with grief.

This was a fantastic and unique read that I am glad I picked up and I highly recommend others read.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I really liked the narration in this book and it fit the book perfectly. It did take me a bit to get into the book but that is normal with a new book but at about the 40% mark I couldn’t put it down!

This was the first book in a long time to make me sob.

Someone Else's Bucket List follows Jodie after her sister, Bree, passes away from leukemia. Jodie is shy and anxious and unsure of what she wants to do for a living, while Bree was an adventurous social media icon who traveled the world. In order to prevent her family from drowning in debt, Bree sets up a challenge for Jodie to complete her bucket list. If Jodie can complete the final items on the bucket list, a corporate sponsor will pay all of the medical debt for her family and everyone on her floor in the hospital.

This book was so emotional and rewarding to read. The writing style was perfect and the narrator really brought the story to life. I was so invested in this book and watching Jodie grow as a character as she went through the bucket list. The side characters were all so unique and fun to read about, too.

I felt all the emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, and at one point I even full on sobbed. There is so much depth to this book and it does such a great job of depicting grief. It is a book I have thought about regularly since reading it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone I can. This deserves so much more hype than it has gotten. I can't wait to see what else the author writes.

Bree Boyd is an adventurous, hugely successful Instagram influencer with more than a million followers. She has a younger sister, Jodie, who is her opposite. When Bree is diagnosed with leukemia, her family does everything they can to save her, including a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, it doesn't work and the Boyd family not only has to deal with grief, but they are burdened with a huge debt. A year later, a post is released on Bree's instagram feed, announcing that she had a bucket list that she wants her sister to complete for her. She has a sponsor and if she completes it, they will pay off the family's debt as well as the helping out some of the patients she was hospitalized with. Jodie feels she has no choice, but she is not eager to complete some of the items. Jodie has no idea what is in store for her, and how this will bring about major changes in her life.

I have a bucket list, although mine is nothing like Bree's was. I liked Jodie, but she is a shy and anxious twenty-something, who is struggling to find direction in her own life. She works hard, trying to help her parents pay off the medical debt, and is a loving sister who spent lots of time with Bree in the hospital and gave her bone marrow to try and save her. As she participated in the bucket list activities, I saw her grow, begin to stand up for herself, and open up to others. I loved that she was hearing her sister's voice guiding voice to keep her going. I also loved Bree's best friend who was also there for Jodie and actually became friends with someone she used to see as just the little sister. Although I normally don't like books dealing with social media and influencers, this was different. Bree used her influence to help others, first with her illness, and now helping both her sister and others dealing with a financial burden. This was a fun story with themes of family, friendship, finding your place, personal growth, and dealing with grief. I listened to Someone Else's Bucket List narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo. This is the first time with this narrator, and I enjoyed her performance. She gave the story a realistic feel and I enjoyed listening to this one. So, What's on your Bucket List?

I was intrigued by the premise.
Bree, is an adventurous, globe-trotting, hugely successful Instagram influencer with more than a million followers.
Jodie Boyd is a shy and anxious twenty-something, completely unsure what to do with her life.
Bree is the most alive person Jodie knows—up until Bree’s unfathomable, untimely death from Leukemia. The Boyds are devastated and overwhelmed with medical debt.
After the untimely death of Bree, Jodie takes the terrifying challenge of completing her sister’s bucket list as the world watches, in a bid to save her family—and others—from the crippling medical debt her cancer battle left behind.This is a story of sisterhood, love, death, grief, second chance at love and finding oneself.
It started so well, but later it was just ok.
I think the focus was later more on romance than the drama.
Executing the bucket list wasn't fun, no adventure, with the whole social media (pretense), attention and marketing wasn't my cup of tea.

I loved the family aspect of the story. The love, the bond, willingness to do anything to make each other happy was sweet enough to overlook the flaws.

Overrall it was ok.

Thank you NetGalley & HighBridge Audio for this Audiobook.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this heartbreaking, yet charming story. Jody is left with fulfilling her sisters bucket list after a bone marrow transplant,

🎧I listened to the audiobook format and really enjoyed the narration choice.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-themes of grief
-loss of a loved one, and how to honor them
-heartbreak

*many thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This was a really beautiful and heartbreaking story. I really loved how Brenda Scott Wlazlo narrated this story. This is a story about two sisters. One that has cancer and the one that always feels unnoticed . When Bree passes away and leaves her bucket list behind for her sister to complete you see a whole different side of Jodie. This will make you fall in love with these characters and this story. I highly recommend this book!!!


Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

When Jodie's sister dies at an early age from leukemia she leaves an unfinished bucket list and millions of Instagram followers who have been following along on her journey. After a year of missing her they open up Instagram to find that she has left them videos she scheduled prior to her death, and she wants Jodie to finish her bucket list. There is even a billionaire attached to help pay for the tasks and the medical bills. I think it's so sad that a family could go into so much debt because of medical bills that they are barely getting by, but that is the sad reality for a lot of Americans. I liked the story and will admit I teared up for the last chapter. I think there were parts of the story that seemed unbelievable and had me rolling my eyes, but all in all it was a cute story about the love of sisters, growing up and figuring out what you want in life and not settling.

Someone Else's Bucket List had aspects that I enjoyed like the exploration of self and grief. I liked the reflection and the overall premise. I just found the overall book to be too long. Getting to the bucket list took a long time and the exploration into Jodie's character could have coincided with this.
Thank you HighBridge Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of her sister, Jodie is struggling to find her footing. Bree was a popular influencer who never got to complete her bucket list. When a video appears at Thanksgiving challenging Jodie to complete the bucket list in exchange for paying off Bree’s (and other’s) medical debt, Jodie has no choice but to finish someone else’s bucket list. (See what I did there?)

In a strange twist of events, Amy T. Matthews is also Amy Berry, so after reading The McBrides of Montana books, I had to read this. I wanted to love it, but I just didn’t connect with Jodie. I know it was part of her journey, but I needed her to speak up sooner.

I had heard so many good things about this book before I requested, and it did not disappoint! It was so sweet and charming

Drowning in debt after helping her sister with a bone marrow transplant Jody is now left trying to fulfill her sisters bucket list. Jody’s sister was an social media influencer that asked for help on her bucket list knowing her sister would not have the funds to complete it all. Throughout the story Jody grew frustrated by having everyone tell her how to check things off the bucket list and how to do them. She kept doing it for the money and when she was done with the list, she started living for herself.

📚📚 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝔻𝕒𝕪! 📚📚

𝓢𝓸𝓶𝒆𝓸𝓷𝒆 𝓔𝓵𝓼𝒆’𝓼 ℬ𝓾𝓬𝓴𝒆𝓽 ℒ𝓲𝓼𝓽
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“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.”

I was so pleased by this book. It could have easily been a book all about throwing caution to the wind & living life, but instead it was a thoughtful & touching story about moving past grief, finding ways to honor loved ones who have died, & choosing to live a full life. I liked Bree’s foresight into scheduling her social posts after her death & her dreaming of perfect holidays afterwards. I didn’t love the fact that her family wasn’t warned about it, but it would have taken away from the story. There were parts of the story that I really connected with from personal experiences. I appreciated the message in this book about how people can misunderstand others' opinions if assumptions are made. I think I tend to assume what people think of me, so it’s a good thing to keep in mind. I was frustrated by the pushy characters that were trying to use the bucket list to their own interests & means. Overall, it was a great book & it made me want to make my own bucket list.

I think this is a great book that everyone should read. Some people that will appreciate this book are those who have lost loved ones unexpectedly and struggled with their grief. Another population would be those that are feeling stagnant in their lives and looking for ways to reframe the future. Goodreads recommends this read to those who also enjoyed Someone Else’s Shoes by Moyes, Mad Honey by Picoult, and The Bucket List by Hanna.

This was a heartbreaking but also beautiful story. It was funny, sweet, and sometimes intense but so worth reading. I loved reading the entire time and I loved all of the characters. The flashbacks to Jodie’s sister in the hospital were perfectly placed. The bucket list items were a perfect mix of ridiculous and sentimental. I loved all the different adventures that Jodie, and Bree, were able to experience. I loved seeing Jodie become more confident in herself and work through her grief. This book handles grief well and shows how loss impacts, not just close family, but everyone who knows them.

What a wonderful, wonderful book. There is grief and loss and heartbreak but there is also hope and joy and so much love.

Jodie was happy to watch from the sidelines as her older sister, Bree, traveled the world as an Instagram influencer. When Bree dies after a long, expensive battle with leukemia, she entrusts the completion of her bucket list to Jodie. This terrifies introverted Jodie but she bravely takes on the challenge. And I was rooting for her the whole way.

Brenda Scott Wlazlo does a fantastic job as the narrator. She is able to capture the differences in Bree and Jodie's personalities.

*I received an advance copy of this audiobook from RB Media and Netgalley and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

When I read the description for this book I was instantly intrigued. It sounded so thought provoking. Would I be able to finish my loved one’s bucket list? Could I continue on in my grief? Beyond the influencer aspect and consumerism of the thing, I was touched by it. There’s so much emotion written into these pages, and it’s not all grief. I laughed out loud so many times. A very cathartic read for sure. #TeamKelly 
Brenda Scott Wazlo conveyed the grief and the humor deftly. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Amy T. Matthews, Kensington Books, Highbridge Audio, and NetGalley for the gifted copies.

This story of Jodie and Bree enveloped me right away. What others found depressing, I found honest and real. Death and grief are tough subjects, but I went into it with hope.

Parts of this story were interesting. I enjoyed the concept, Bree’s communications to her family, Jodie’s growth, and particularly, the first and last chapter.

However, the book was a miss for me. It was so drawn out that it missed the opportunity to be meaningful. There was a lot of unnecessary conversation. I typically read a book in less than a week, but this one took me more than six weeks.

I both read and listened to this book. Usually, I prefer to listen to a lighter books such as this one, but I mostly read it so I could get through it at a faster pace.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Although I really loved the premise of this book, however I ended up having a few issues. For one, the book felt too long and started to drag on towards the end. the writing felt repetitive and overly embellished. And, I feel bad saying it, but Jodie was often overly dramatic and I struggled to connect with her.

Overall, I did enjoy the story idea and how full of emotion this book was, and would consider picking up this authors next book.

I listened to the audiobook and want to mention that I found that the narrator, Brenda Scott Wlazlo, did a fantastic job and captured the many emotions and up and downs of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

1. I loved the premise of this book. An instagrammed dies of cancer and posthumously forces her sister to fulfill the incomplete items on her bucket list.
2. But I never clicked with the writing. It was so very melodramatic and repetitive. Jodie annoyed me. She was upset about everything all the time. She made me anxious.
3. This book was way, way, way too long. It had a slow start. At about 30% in I became interested. At about 60% in my interest was flagging again. At about 80% a spark of interest reignited and then it took forever to end.
4. This is well-written and, like I said, has a solid premise but something is missing for me. It just fell so flat for me and when the end finally came I just felt relieved to be done.
5. Why didn’t I DNF? It had potential. I kept hoping each new page would be the moment we clicked. We just never did.

It all comes down to personal preference. It just didn’t work for me. It was a lot of misery business and not what I thought the story would be, adding in that the characters frustrated me from beginning to end. I get that it’s a horrible and utterly tragic situation, but at a certain point, just suck it up because this company is literally paying off hundreds of thousands in medical bills, and while uncomfortable, they actually aren’t asking for a whole lot. Heck, they’re even doing all the heavy lifting! I thought the personal journey would be bigger and more eye-opening. It was very static and she bitched the entire way through. I definitely expected our lead to get “into” it and find some sort of joy. But again, back to the misery business.

Also, playing into all that is the very long lead in, with first person narrative from the dying. It all felt like too much and I just didn’t enjoy it. I still don’t think my two star review is entirely reflective of the book though. I can see many enjoying the emotional journey. But again, just not for me all the way through.

I received a free early audio copy from the publisher. The narration was well done but only emphasized all the issues I had with the story. I might have liked it slightly better had it been a physical copy experience.