this was the cutest darn thing. i read it in one sitting and it delivered exactly what i anticipated! the title was giving very much enemies to lovers which def enticed me, and while it was a little less enemies than i would’ve expected, the romance was sweet and swoony!

While this is a second chance, slow burn romance, it's also a book about grief. A messy, real book about grief and connection and trauma and mistakes and healing trust and growth. I didn't always agree with the choices the characters made, but I appreciated how real life this felt. And I loved the travel destinations I'm adding to my bucket list. ❤️ It's a great one to discuss.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy with me. All opinions are my own.

This was everything I needed in a contemporary romance novel!!!
Maddie and Dom have a strained relationship at the start of the book. They were once friends, had a one-night stand, and now are basically strangers, at least from Maddie’s point of view.
I adored the whole plot of Josh using his funeral as a means to bring Maddie and Dom back together, without them realizing it until halfway through the book. The adventure through different states and the reveal of each letter was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to read. Usually, I have a dislike for books that contain time skips, but this one does it so well, contributing to the plot without feeling unnecessary. I love how the story takes place over two years, with the main characters only meeting up every season for the next letter. I adore the character growth that takes place during the time skips.

Josh is the central heart and soul of this book. We know from the start that he has died, but the story keeps his soul alive throughout the novel by reminiscing about his memory and all the fun times the characters had with him till the very end. This was by far my favorite part of this book.
This was a story about loss, grief, and learning to move on while still holding those we love dear to our hearts, as well as a story about second-chance romance...
My main issue is that the romance aspect of this book could have been easily solved years ago if only the characters had communicated with each other. That’s my main irk about it. I would have loved this even more if it was a dual POV to get the male lead's side of the story, as he didn’t speak much until the second half of the novel. I think this would have made for a more fleshed-out conclusion, as it felt like something was missing for me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book hit me hard, making me embrace my own grief process, which is nasty, painful, and never completely heals. Even though the bleeding stops, the wound is always there, triggered by a small memory, a word, a place, or sometimes a person.

This bittersweet, emotionally compelling, but also promising enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, self-exploration, and second-chance romance is engaging and well-written. It takes two people on a journey, both literally and metaphorically, to understand their pasts, learn forgiveness, and discover themselves, thereby changing their future paths. Maddie and Dominic have a task to complete a bucket list for someone they love, someone they never wanted to lose, and whose disappearance from their lives hurt more than they could imagine.

Maddie Sanderson returns home for the funeral of her brother, the only family she had after years of dealing with an abusive grandmother and narcissistic mother, abandoned by their father at a young age. Her plan to attend the funeral in Philly and return to Seattle without looking back changes when her brother’s best friend Dominic, who is the main reason she left home at 19 after he broke her heart, is there to read his will. The worst part is that her brother's dying wish is for her and Dominic to visit eight different cities, spreading his ashes, starting from Delaware to Alaska—a journey that may take them two years to complete.

Maddie is initially against her brother's decision to take a long farewell trip with the man who hurt her feelings, making her insecure about people who may always choose to leave her like her father, ex-boyfriends, and now her brother. But she cannot betray her brother’s last wishes, and with each coordinate they reach, they open a letter he wrote. These letters are the only things left from her brother, motivating her to continue this journey.

During their travels, Maddie confronts her resentments and finds missing pieces of her past relationship with Dom. She realizes her hatred turns into forgiveness, and she starts thinking they can even be friends because they need each other. But the hardest thing is not falling for the man who broke her heart into pieces. Can she manage that when he's all she can see, and what if their feelings are mutual? Can Maddie get over her insecurities and learn to open her heart, destroy her walls, and give happiness a chance?

Overall, this is a beautiful, meaningful, angsty, bittersweet grief journey, with two people finding themselves lost in the dark, holding each other to see the end of the tunnel. I hated Maddie’s mother and wanted to punch her every time she opened her mouth to push insecurities on her daughter with her abusive words. I loved Maddie’s tough healing journey and her chemistry with Dom. What more can I add? I loved this book and have added Lauren Connolly to my auto-approved authors list!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this amazing novel’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Disclaimer: This is a book that you should read while hugging a comfort person, pet, blanket, stuffed animal, pillow, etc. because you'll need it. I read the last 30% of this book curled up against my sleeping partner in the wee hours of the morning crying my eyes out.

This was a slow-burn, forced proximity, second chance novel with mild to medium spice that I've been obsessing over the past few days (to the point where my partner suggested that I take a break from reading). This book made me laugh out loud at times, my jaw drop in disbelief on a few occasions, had me giggling with glee and anticipation numerous times, and had me on the verge of tears and bawling my eyes out more times than I can count. I had a really hard time putting down this book whilst also doing whatever I could to prolong my reading experience (by re-reading certain interactions over and over again) because I didn't want the story to end.

The story follows Maddie, a chronically asthmatic 26/27 year-old, who is grieving the loss of her older brother, Josh. At the funeral, she discovers that Josh left her and Dom (Josh's best friend) instructions on how to scatter his ashes, including a series of letters addressed to both her and Dom for them to open together and read at specified destinations across the U.S. The only issue? Maddie absolutely hates Dom for breaking her heart 7 years ago. But Maddie is determined to fulfill and honor her brother's wishes, even if it means spending time with someone who brings back painful memories of their shared past.

This was a beautifully crafted, emotional, and heartbreaking story with loveable characters and heartwarming relationships.

First, let's talk about Maddie. Maddie goes through various stages of grief and emotional distress as she grapples with the loss of her brother and with her feelings towards Dom while bottling up all these feelings by losing herself in her work. She's angry at the world and at Dom and comes across as snarky and mean but we quickly learn that she has a morbid and dry (and very funny!) sense of humour that she uses as a defense mechanism. She's also a workaholic and is constantly throwing herself into her work instead of taking time off to grieve and work through her emotional stress. Maddie was such a well-developed and oftentimes funny character who is going through so much in life - I found her to be incredibly relatable and really connected with everything that she was going through. To top it off, I found her puzzle, sweatshirt and cheese addiction very endearing (can we be BFFs?!)

Then there's Dom. A looming, serious, and responsible man, Dom is a very loyal friend to Josh, and also incredibly patient with Maddie's anger and occasional outbursts. I really liked experiencing how Maddie's feelings towards Dom changed as she slowly came to the realizing as to just how much Dom loved Josh and is also grieving as much as she was. I also loved their banter and texts (Dom is a worrywart and I love that!). Maddie's scared to trust and open up to Dom (I don't blame her, given their history), so I really loved seeing Dom work on and slowly gain Maddie's trust.

I also want to acknowledge the amazing side characters. I loved Dom's younger twin brothers, Adam and Carter (Adam, mainly). They're like Fred and George from Harry Potter - they're so funny! Maddie's best friends Jeremy and Tula are also amazing (the moment I first read about Jeremy, I knew there had to be a Jeremy-Dom interaction and I just couldn't wait for it!). I loved all of these characters so much, I would love to read a book (or short story) about them.

Finally, although this is a romance novel, this is also very much a book about grief, loss, and acceptance. This book handled these themes perfectly and I had a really good cry (for the first time in a really long time!).

Overall, I loved the themes that this book tackled, the romance, the friendships, the humour, and the banter. This is definitely one of the best romance novels that I've read in a while.

Also, I would LOVE it if the author published another version of this book from Dom's POV.

"P.S. I Hate You" is a refreshingly honest and engaging novel that perfectly captures the complexities of love and hate in a tumultuous relationship. The author skillfully develops the protagonists, whose fiery interactions and palpable chemistry make for a compelling read. The story delves deep into the characters' emotions, exploring their vulnerabilities and growth in a way that feels authentic and relatable. The witty banter and intense moments of conflict keep the narrative lively and dynamic. While the plot follows some familiar romance tropes, the unique character dynamics and unexpected twists add a fresh spin to the genre. Overall, "P.S. I Hate You" is an entertaining and heartfelt read that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the thin line between love and hate.

Maddie always harbored a secret crush on her big brother's best friend, Dominic. One summer her wildest dreams are fulfilled when they finally hookup. However, Dominic shattered her heart by proposing to his on-again, off-again girlfriend the very next day.

Devastated, Maddie moved across the country to start her life anew. Now, many years later, at her brother’s funeral, she discovers that he had a dying wish: for her to travel to seven U.S. states to spread his ashes with Dominic- now divorced- the very last person she wants to see again.

Reluctantly, Maddie agrees and embarks on a journey with Dominic. As they go on these uniquely curated road trips together, they slowly begin to let down their walls, unravel their past, and ultimately realize that their love never truly faded.

This emotional romance delves into heavy topics like grief and childhood trauma, while also featuring beautiful travel scenes and the joy of found family. Fans of second chance romances with intense emotional depth will enjoy this novel.

Recommended for fans of Kate Clayborn.

This was such an incredibly beautiful story!! The author seamlessly weaved the love story in with deeper themes of grief. This allowed me to really connect to the characters and their story. I loved the travel aspect and it was just so fun to read about. Second chance romance will forever be one of favorite tropes and I think the author did an incredible job with it. I loved this book! Thank you for providing me with an arc!

Phenomenal. PS I Hate You really gut punched me and had me sobbing several times. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author. Highly recommend!

Seriously run and pre-order this romance by Lauren Connolly immediately! This is the fifth book I've read by this author and certainly my favorite and her best work. I don't cry easily at books, and the epilogue had me so emotional I was tearing up!

Read this for:
- Road trip
- She hates him but really loves him
- Forced proximity
- Brother's best friend
- Asthma rep
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Childhood crush
- Second chance

Maddie Sanderson is forced to go on a road trip spreading her dead brother's ashes as her brother's last wish to her and his best friend. The problem is that the stoic Dominic Perry is not anyway she wants to be around having shared a tumultuous past with him leaving her heartbroken.

The story takes you on extended road trips happening over a couple years of going from one destination to another to read and enact Maddie's brother's wishes in all the states and places he couldn't end up getting to when he was alive.

This book explores what it means to grieve. How the past trauma we experience can effect our current way of processing the grief. There is no timeline and no set way to go through it, only that you have to go through it.

Maddie comes from a past of neglect, and that trauma really impacts her when here brother "leaves" her when he dies. Even though it was not his fault, her anger throughout the story is palpable. As she is forced to get closer to Dom, she starts to let her walls fall down, and think that maybe he deserves another chance.

Dom is able to ride the waves of Maddie's emotions and know what she truly needs and provide that caring nonjudgmental space for one another. He truly knows her and supports her in any way he can. The chemistry between these too is extremely intense and once they give into it, it is something that cannot be denied.

I really loved seeing how much growth Maddie had throughout her journey of grieving. She was stubborn, but eventually she started to really see how she was in her own way and let down her walls to be vulnerable with Dom and her friends that really cared for her.

I felt like this book had such a unique and emotional storyline that will have you laughing, crying, and blushing. The best things you want out of a romance! This one will be staying with me for a long time and I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you to Berkley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Talk about a tear jerker. I 100% cried multiple times throughout this book. Maddie's feelings and worried of loneliness and loved ones leaving her really affect her grieving over her brother's death... this story is an amazing journey across the country that is fueled by love.

Besides the emotional toll this book has put me through... 😭 let's talk about our MMC Dom.... 🥵 where can I find one? This book is not only emotional and heart wrenching, it's also fun with banter and hot with spice. Lauren Connolly really went ALL OUT.

Preorder this book. It's a must. It read so smoothly and was so amazing... I'm going to go contemplate my life choices and call my brothers now.

Thank you Berkley, Netgalley, and the author for review copies. Lauren is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and I’m so proud to have read her Berkley debut, PS I Hate You. Lauren provides us with content warnings in the beginning which is helpful because this book is not a light-hearded romcom. However, as someone who is too familiar with grief and loss, I feel like Lauren completely nails all of the complicated feelings that come along with losing someone you care about, including finding some of the humorous moments amidst devastating sadness. Brother’s Best Friend is a top-tier trope IMO and paired with the second chance and traveling/forced proximity, this book also packs some strong romance punches.

If you’re a fan of Abby Jimenez, Jessica Joyce, Emily Henry – that is, if you’re in the reading mood to feel your feelings, I cannot recommend this book enough.

I loved this book! The depth of the characters and the grieving process resonated with me. I love the plot line and the characters growth.

Wow. This was such an intense and heartbreaking love story. I cried and laughed and cried again. But it was so worth it from beginning to end. Perfection. I hope this author gives us more from this world
10* stars and a must read.

this was such a fun book! I loved maddie and dom and this honestly dived into some deep stuff and it was handled very nicely

I recently found Lauren Connelly and I have to say she is a brilliant author. However, this book is just a masterpiece.

Maddie is dealing with the loss of her brother, a toxic family and is now expected to travel with a man she loved from afar but rejected her as soon as he had her. Maddie has so much depth and character and I feel her pain and her love. This is not just a story of love, it’s a story of growth, of loss, and of found family.

I could not put this down. At all. I stayed up late and got up early. This has been in my brain from the moment I picked it up.

All I can say is that is this book is all I see.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book. This was my first book by this author and I truly loved every word! Thia book did a fabulous job telling a beautiful love story while also weaving in the difficult subject of grief. The characters were so relatable and beautifully written. As they navigated their grief, I enjoyed reading about how they found comfort in each other and relied on one another I was also rooting for their second chance love story the entire time. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of
the year!
See below for a brief synopsis:
Maddie is in her mid twenties and has just lost her big brother to a devastating battle with cancer. When she reads the letter he left for her, it reveals his plans for her to visit all of the states that he didn't make it to alongside his best friend Dom. Maddie had a brief romantic history with Dom back in her late teens and his actions at the end of their relationship devasted her. As Maddie and Dom travel to all do the places that her big brother left for them, they read a new letter he wrote. The development of their relationship over the course of a few years was a joy to read. As they finsld their way back to each other, they realize that it's okay to rely on one another. Wow, I just loved it! 5 bright shiny stars! Highly recommend!

This book absolutely slayed me

But in a completely amazing way. I read the first 20% of the book with tears in my eyes, a tight chest, and second-hand moral outrage burning in my gut. I read the last 20% of the book working my way through a box of tissues - literally. It looked like I had a snow pile next to me.
I am not a huge fan of emotionally devastating books - there’s generally enough of that in real life, in my opinion - however I am a huge fan of Lauren. And as usual, she delivers in this book. The emotions of the characters are so very real that this book really is quite the journey. There is plenty of humour sprinkled through the entire story, and moments of perfectly timed comic relief.
If you are struggling with grief or loss yourself, I’d suggest reading with a bit of caution. This book is so very well written and immersive, that it could be a bit much to take on - or, it could be the perfect story to help guide you through. Only you can know.
No matter what is going on in your life, I’d suggest that anyone who dives in to this heartrendingly beautiful story, have some tissues handy, and if you aren't into public displays of emotion, this may not be the right book for your commute!

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of the book, however this review is my own honest opinion.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Final wishes are a funny thing. My mom asked to be scattered under a tree at our home but it seemed so final to me so I kept a bit of her and took her on the trip she planned for us to Yellowstone and the Tetons (her final gift to us before she died). It was really cathartic and beautiful to share picnics and the scenes with her ashes. Lauren Connolly’s P.S. I Hate You conveyed this sentiment perfectly. When Maddie is tasked with spreading her brother’s ashes with his best friend in the states he never visited, she is less than thrilled to travel with the man she had a failed summer fling with years ago. This beautiful, heartfelt rom com tackles grief in an unconventional yet moving manner that gives the reader permission to grieve and feel the feelings in your own way. Life is too dang short not to live it on our own terms with the people we love and Lauren Connolly celebrates this poignantly in her new novel P.S. I Hate You Too.

Review is on Goodreads and final review will be in instagram closer to publication date and Amazon when published!

The tropes for this book would be a second chance, brother's best friends romance, with a dose of forced proximity and single room. But PS: I Hate you was so much more than the sum of it's tropes. It is a bittersweet love story about going through the grief of losing your most beloved person while trying to navigate the wounds of your first heartbreak. It was about learning to trust people and take the risks that are worth it in spite of your family trauma and fear of abandonment. It's about letting your support system help you through the tough times, because that's what friends are for. This wasn't just a plain contemporary romance with one straight plot line. This book made me feel so many emotions all at once. I absolutely enjoyed it. loved the characters as well.