This book got me. It had me laughing, swooning & crying all in a span of five pages. I thought it was an amazing depiction of grief and how personal each person's journey is. I loved the second chance romance and all the romantic tension in between. It's an amazing book that I will sure to recommend for years to come,

This was FANTASTIC. I could not put it down. I was immediately pulled in by the wittiness and humor of our fmc but then stayed glued with the premise of our two mcs having a past. What I wasn't expecting was the deep level of grief and processing that goes along with it, but it made this book so much better. I love when a romance book can make me laugh and swoon but I love it even more when it handles a serious or hard topic, and does it well. The writing was great, the characters were fantastic, and the story just felt so incredibly real that I was in tears by the end. I'm gonna leave a semi spoiler praise down below but just know that I love this book so freakin much and I know it'll be one I reread someday. I will absolutely be purchasing a copy for my shelves!!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advance ebook!



* semi spoiler below**




I just wanted to sing my praises for how this book came to its conclusion. With the big conflict, I love how it wasn't just an easy 2 second fix. It took a lot of time, dedication, and self work to get to the point where our MCs could be together and that just felt really realistic and I really appreciated it!

4.5/5

This book. Just wow. The story line was amazing even with the heartache attached. It was very easy to relate to the characters especially with all their hardships. I will say it did start off a bit slow, but once it took off, I couldn't put it down. I will also say, Maddie at first was a bit insufferable, I couldn't stand her but once we saw her growth on her own and alongside Dom, I was rooting for her (and them) at the end. I fell in love with how natural Maddie and Dom's relationship was, at times it felt like I knew them in real life. I did love some of the banter between the two and how much Maddie exasperated Dom but he secretly liked it too. Defintiely a great read and one to recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. I'll be honest, at first, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like Maddie because there were times she made choices that were frustrating or refused to communicate, but I felt like the way she moved through her grief was so raw and real that I understood why she did certain things. I applaud Lauren Connolly's writing because there were things that happened in the story that I'm usually so annoyed by in other books but it was handled perfectly here and I enjoyed every second that I was reading this book.

Maddie and Dom's trips and experiences throughout the story were so moving and I thought it was a gorgeous exploration how people handle losing someone so close to them. I loved all their banter, their relationship felt like it moved at a natural pace, and the spice was spicing nicely. Maddie's other relationships in the book were also done so well; the twins were perfection, her friends in Seattle were great, and her mom/grandmother were horrible and I'm glad she got away from them. I haven't read a book where a main character has chronic asthma and I thought the representation was done well.

The last 20% of this book had me crying pretty much the whole time - it was absolutely fantastic. I genuinely can't recommend this book enough, I loved it. Thank you to the publisher for the eARC - all thoughts are my own!

Making a prediction that this is *the* romance book of the year—absolutely incredible! I laughed, I cried… and I mean literally cried five times in the final chapters (and I am not a crier). It completely wrecked me in the best way possible.

The story follows a young woman navigating the heartbreak of losing her brother, balanced with moments of humor and lightness that make it unforgettable. The characters are perfectly layered, and the ending is nothing short of breathtaking.

This isn’t just my favorite romance of the year—it might be my favorite book of the year, period.

Book Review 📖✨💌

thank you so much partner @berkleypub @berkleyromance for the gifted ARC!

PS: I Hate You
by Lauren Connolly

About the book 👇🏽

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

✨My thoughts:

Poignant in the best possible way. I found myself up at 5am (again) to finish this story that has me drowning in tears and in complete disarray. This truly is a bittersweet story that will surely pull at the heart strings of its readers. I have so many feelings about this story and I know I will not be able to accurately put them into words or even do this story justice with a review. I cried, I laughed, and then I cried some more. This angsty story will have you laughing one moment and crying the next, stirring a multitude of emotions within you. It’s a story of loss, the loss of someone, the loss of a future, the loss of complicated relationships….but it’s also a story of second chances, finding what family means, and finding those you want to surround yourself with for the time you have left on this planet. To say this story resonated with me would be an understatement and truthfully… it deserves infinite stars. Grief looks different to everyone, narcissistic people come in all different packages, and family is what YOU make it. Clearly this book found me at the right time because the resounding saying that’s been floating around is this… “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" meaning… the bonds you choose are stronger than those you inherit. PS: I Hate You is out 12/3/24 and I WILL be getting myself a finished copy to cherish forever.

Happy reading 💌✨

guys, guys, this is serious… i’m in love with dom!!!!

this book i received as an arc but i also picked it as my november book of the month, THANK GOD. this story was just so unexpected and i don’t know why, i was really enjoying it but the the halfway mark hit and i became utterly obsessed!! the book is about maddie whose brother has just passed away and he left her a series of notes that she can open when she travels to the places he has assigned. the catch is that she has to do this with dom, he brothers best friend, and the two of them have some history so it’s gonna be angsty!!!!

i absolutely adore dom, every time he spoke in the latter half of this book i was swooning. best book boyfriend i’ve discovered this fall for sure!!! i wish more than anything we had just a bit of his perspective but it was amazing anyway. maddie is so funny and she’s so easy to feel for and love. she’s having a hard time, obviously, but she’s also just struggling in life and her emotions are very big. seeing her take this journey and lay her brother to rest while falling in love and finding herself was so beautiful. she deserves all the best things and i love her so much!!! the two of them together were just perfection. i was skeptical because of their past and because of dom’s other relationship business but none of that mattered. they were hot, which was kinda unexpected but welcomed, and they just have some much love for each other.

this will be my obsession from now on. i love reading books that remind me why i love contemporary romance so much. the genre is just unbeatable sometimes. this book comes out on december third and you guys need to pick it up. i sobbed, you may not, but either way it’s so a good book. the travel element also adds such a fun vibe to this book and i just enjoyed it so fucking much. i smiled majority of my time reading it and that is a great marker for a great book!!!!

*thank you netgalley and berkeley for the arc*

This book is excellent. Like genuinely excellent.

I giggled. I swooned. I cried. I laugh-cried. I fell in love with another fictional man.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author & will absolutely not be the last.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved this.

Thank you Berkeley Romance, Lauren Connolly, and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews for this and I 100% agree. I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook which was flawlessly narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Maddie and Dom haven’t seen each other for years until they finally reunite at her brother and his best friend Josh’s funeral. When Josh’s will is read, they discover he left them letters which included trips they must take to get several more letters from him.

Their relationship starts off filled with animosity on Maddie’s side, but she can’t get feeling closer to Dom as they spend time on the adventures Josh created for them. They had so many amazing destinations.

This was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Maddie has been left by so many people before that she struggles to trust Dom. I enjoyed how Josh’s adventures pushed them closer to each other as they opened up to one another.

Despite having very heavy moments this was a delight and I couldn’t put it down!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

When I read the summary, I was a little nervous that I was in for a heavy read— but I worried for no reason! While the theme of grief is present throughout the book and it *is* an emotional roller coaster, there is also humor, romance and healing. It is so well done.

The journey that Dom and Maddie go on is beautiful— and I’m not just talking about the destinations that they visited. I really liked how the story was revealed to us, one puzzle piece at a time and how everything fits together at the end (IYKYK).

Maddie is feisty and easy to root for and Dom is the perfect mix of steadfast and protective. It makes for a great dynamic!

Even though he was gone, I liked that Josh was still a heavy presence in this book! The relationships he had with Maddie and Dom were so special. It showed how much of an impact our loved ones can leave behind.

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry & Jessica Joyce!

Read if you like:
- He Falls First
- Second Chance Romance
- Road Trip
- Found Family
- One Bed

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the advance reader copy!

Why did this book leave me in shambles? Literally, I was sobbing my eyes so many times as I read P.S. I Hate You. And I now need everyone else to read it as well. It's so freaking good. It's not a romance read. I will warn you that it's more of an emotional romance read than the typical rom-com read. Keep that in mind, and you will love the story even more. I will also say to check out the content warning beforehand because it may not be for everyone.

Even though I want to express everything about my love for P.S. I Hate You, I don't want to spoil the book. So I want to say much, even though I do. I will say that this book is the perfect read for an emotional romance story. It's literally going to make you cry while also falling in love with the characters finding themselves again. It will also make you believe that love is worth it when you make the time and energy to do so. You just need to be certain about loving someone. It may be an inconvenience, but the most realistic love ever. That's all I am going to say. Just keep that in mind, and you are going to love this book as much as I do.

i want to say really nice things about this, particularly the grief portrayal because this is a lot more rom-traum than not, but…i kinda can’t. this won’t be a story i’ll be coming back to anytime soon

i thought so many aspects of this book were odd: the dead brother extravaganza was a morbid take for a romance (although i DO completely understand that is, in fact, the whole point) and the healing romance that i thought started off strong dwindled into a melodramatic third act going on 10 season with a spinoff series tangent.

it was bingable which i think speaks to the writing but the story itself didn’t capture my heart and from the reviews that seems to be a me thing!! i wouldn’t want to deter anyone from reading this especially if they enjoy more meaningful deeper romances

This was a great story exploring grief, friendship, and love! I enjoyed Maddie and Dom meeting various people on their journey that knew Josh and the two of them finding their way through their grief together.

Ugh. This was so beautiful and funny and everything I want in contemporary romance. One of the better “hate to love” I’ve read!

5/5 stars!!!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reading copy!

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish! Maddie and Dom were both such loveable characters and I thoroughly enjoyed following them through this story. This book had it all -- romance, travel, found family, a bit of spice and some really powerful, emotional moments. Grief is such a hard thing to write about and Lauren Connolly truly nailed this. Each character experienced grief a little bit differently and it was intense and moving to read. The romance was so sweet, albeit a bit of a slow burn. There wasn't a ton of spicy moments but the moments that were spicy were 10/10 -- really well done. When written well, I really enjoy reading about characters traveling and visiting new places, and this was a super fun addition to this story.

Honestly, this book was everything I could have wanted. I don't always enjoy longer romances like this (anything 400+ pages seems long to me haha) but I did not want this one to end. I was so happy and so sad reading this and was moved to tears on numerous occasions. Absolutely loved it.

A great story about a complex relationship between Maddie and Dominic navigating love and grief. The only thing that keeps me from giving this 5 stars was the fact that i got a little frustrated by how diificult Maddie's personality made the story. The miscommunication trope drug out a little too long. It was a beautifully written romance and I loved it though!

Started this IMMEDIATELY upon receiving and absolutely could not put it down. I wasn't...expecting that?? Lauren Connolly, you nailed it!

I finished this book and immediately wanted to start it from the beginning. That happened with “Red, White, and Royal Blue” “Eleanor and Park”, and “The Hating Game.” Maddie was so easy to love and it was so easy follow along her POV. I loved her antics and crazy way of thinking. Dom had my heart from the beginning and even when I knew what would happen, this book gave me all the feels. There was one part of the storyline I wasn’t sold on near the end, but I like it anyway. Don’t sleep on this book. It will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and root for Maddie.

PS: I Hate You
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

OMG THIS BOOK. This might be a top read of the year, and I’m not even kidding. I LOVED this book. Everything about this book was perfect and I have literally nothing negative to say about it. This is a true masterpiece- no notes.
I thought of this book in my spare time while reading and now I still think about it everyday after.
Maddie and Dom have my heart. This is a wonderful story that will have you experiencing every emotion possible.
You witness these two characters undergo their grief journey after losing someone important to them. The grieving and mental health representation was so raw and well-written.
These characters will take various vacations, and this story is told over a long timeline. The trips were so fun and I could have read about them going on one hundred vacations and it never would have gotten old.
While it’s packed full of some of the best tropes, you will feel so attached to these characters. Maddie was such a strong character and so witty. I adored her character and her sense of humor.
The banter between her and Dom was flawless.
And Dom? Wow. GET ME A PLATE OF HIM. TWO WORDS. GIRL! DINNER! If you want the example of the perfect MMC- it’s him. Trust me, it’s impossible not to love him.
It was so delightful to have so many relatable quotes that can really make you cry, yet also have so much humor that you’re laughing out loud.
I just…wow. I need more. This book is officially out December 3rd, so add it to your TBR now. However, this was an early release in November BOTM.

Read If You Like:
🛩️brothers best friend
🛩️childhood friends
🛩️traveling the country
🛩️realistic grief representation
🛩️she “hates” him!!!

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly evoked a range of emotions in me, from laughter to tears and everything in between. Through the backdrop of gut-wrenching loss, Connolly skillfully weaves a heartwarming tale of healing and unexpected love. This captivating book had me engrossed from the very first page.