This book was perfect in every single way. I absolutely was in love with Maggie and Dominic. Their relationship had so many layers to it. I loved watching them slowly develop feelings for each other. I also loved the big reveal at the end of all the letters. This book was funny, sweet, and perfect glimpse of dealing and healing from grief.

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a wonderful, heartwarming, emotional journey as two people grieve a brother and best friend as they not only discover things about each other, but also about themselves. This exceptionally written emotional romance featuring forced proximity, brother’s best friend, and hate to love; but it’s also so much more. It explores complex family relationships, found family, coping with grief, and mourning the loss of a loved one.

Maddie Sanderson was happy 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. Except in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission: Dominic Perry. Dom, Josh’s life-long best friend, was also the annoying man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, so together they travel on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way; over two years.

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 loved the whole idea 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 adventures through different states and the contents of each letter was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to read; as they keep Josh’s soul alive by reminiscing about his memory and all the fun times they had with him till the very end.

This was truly a beautiful, moving story focusing on 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. It definitely made me emotional and if you’ve ever lost a close loved one I think it will affect you as well. I definitely cried while reading this story which stayed with me long after I finished reading. It’s so much more than a grief story though, it’s a beautiful story of healing and moving forward even when it’s really difficult. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeply moving and thought-provoking read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin # PSIHate You

I almost gave up on this one since Maddie is such a miserable character but I am glad I stuck with it. I loved the concept of the various letters to get Josh’s ashes spread in places he wanted to visit but never made it to and I enjoyed getting to know the people in Maddie’s life. Maddie is flawed and her mother has done a number on her self-esteem but it’s heartwarming to see her eventually start to trust as the book goes on.

This truly was a bittersweet read. Connolly manages hard topics such as grief and heartbreak wonderfully. The book opens in a way I never would have expected and drew me into Maddie’s life from the very first chapter. I loved Maddie and Dom’s back-and-forth dialogue and their clash of a non-existent relationship. They end up on a road trip together to scatter her brother’s ashes and end up revisiting things that had happened between them in the past. This is a story with so much heart. I absolutely adored it.

💔Book Review💔
*
Summary- 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. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at her brother's funeral, she would have killed him for this.

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.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- thank you @netgalley , @berkleypub , and @bookofthemonth for the advanced copy of this ! I so fell in love with this wonderful character, maybe doubly because the main character has my name 🥰. This was super deep and dealt with really intense grief and some romance. I loved this one SO much. I think it dealt with grief in a really realistic and intentional way. I really enjoyed Maddie and Dom’a dynamic and chemistry. This one also makes me want to travel, all of the locations were described beautifully.
*
QOTD- if you could travel anywhere where would you go?! For me, Italy or Ireland!
*

Here are some quotes I liked…

“Thanks for the therapy.”

“Take me to the places I missed. Have fun for me.”

“I’m a sweatshirt slut, a hoodie whore.”

“I enjoy gossip and drama that has nothing to do with me.”

“Maybe we’re just ash spreading bang buddies.”

“These trips aren’t the reason I’m still obsessed with you.”

This book was an enjoyable read with lots of layers and endearing characters.

While the focus is on the grief associated with the loss of a brother, the MC Josh was also so much more than just a brother not only to Maddie but to so many others.

The friendship and connection between Josh, Maddie, Dom, the twins and Dom’s ex wife (for some reason I’m blanking on her name) felt so genuine. They had the type of friend group I’d want to be part of, always there for support each other, more like family than their own bio families.

💌Toxic Mother & Toxic Grandmother
💔Brother’s Best Friend
💌Found Family
💔Road Trip Honoring Bro’ Memory
💌Silly Tattoo
💔Funny Friend Proposal
💌Wicked Soundtrack Reference 💚🩷
💔Miscommunication
💌Second Chance Romance

I totally called the twist (at the end) in this one pretty early on, BUT that didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book. Towards the end I def teared up.

I really liked how Maddie took her mental health seriously and worked to establish healthy boundaries. That hard work especially when dealing with close familial relationships.

YESSSS. I loooooved this.

In PS: I HATE YOU, we have this deep, meaningful (and at times, refreshingly irreverent) story about grief and complicated family relationships that still manages to be wildly funny and sexy. It's everything I love about the romance genre and the important conversations it creates. It not only doesn't shy away from the hard stuff; it handles it deftly and with massive amounts of well-crafted humor and swoonworthy heart.

We start the story at the funeral for Maddie's older brother, who is discovered to have left one last dying request of his sister and best friend Dominic (annoyingly, Maddie's first love and subsequently the one who broke her heart). The pair must follow this posthumous scavenger hunt to scatter his ashes across different locations and states. This emotional trip brings the two together on a beautiful and gut-wrenching farewell journey; it also causes Maddie and Dom to wade through their complicated history.
 
I am simply screaming at the second-chance-road-trip-BBF-male pining extravaganza of this book! SO GOOD. But I don't dare reduce it to simply a list of (my favorite) tropes; it's got so much emotional depth and intelligence, and it's a story I'd be quick to return to again and again. It has so many meaningful things to say and expand on about grief, while simultaneously weaving in and letting us experience a beautiful and redemptive story of love and wanting, forgiveness and perspective. It's smartly written with well-developed characters, stakes worth investing in, and captivating reveals. What a read. (But Maddie's mom might catch these hands THO!!!)

I cannot WAIT to read more of Lauren's work and do the Lord's crucial work of recommending this book to everyone I know!

(Also, holler because this is the ONE (1) Berkley title I have ~ever~ been approved for on NetGalley. Ha. I'm glad it was this one.)

Thank you, thank you to Berkley and Net Galley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. PS: I Hate You is out now!

This book was so good. It has so much heart, along with loss and love.

Maddie and Dominic travel together to fulfill a wish of her dead brothers, scattering his ashes over 8 different places.

Maddie and Dominic have history, and so they struggle with this task. Obviously, they want to honor Josh, and so they do it, but it's obviously a frustrating and sometimes painful journey together.

You can see how both of them have conflicted feelings on this journey. Connolly writes such a well rounded story. This story has all of these elements and more, and I definitely suggest it.

I loved this book and I’ve already recommended it to so many people! The FMC was initially tricky to me because I thought she was being petty and rude, but the more we learned about her the more I felt like I understood her.. I loved both MCs and I loved their story and chemistry. This romance novel definitely had some spice, but it was definitely more focused on the plot. I cannot recommend this book enough, I absolutely loved it!

An angsty, heart wrenching journey. But worth it. That being said, I think it would’ve been better with dual POV.

Read for:
- Angst
- Forced proximity
- Travel
- Brother’s best friend
- Grief and healing

Grab your tissues and a pack of tabs because you’ll want to mark so many great quotes in this bittersweet love story. I can’t wait to see what Lauren writes next!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the gifted copy to use as a traveling arc! We loved being able to annotate a copy as a book club.

This was a captivating and emotionally charged romance that explores themes of grief, love, and second chances. The story follows Maddie and Dominic, two individuals brought together by the death of Josh, Maddie’s brother and Dominic’s best friend. Josh’s last wish is for them to spread his ashes over 8 different destinations, places he didn’t get to experience before he died.

Connolly masterfully weaves a tale of heartbreak and healing, capturing the raw emotions of loss and the complexities of human connection. The characters are deeply flawed and relatable, making their journey of self-discovery and redemption all the more compelling. The romance is slow burn but the focus is more about the characters grief and healing. It was such a poignant read that I couldn’t put down! I loved following Maddie and Dominic and seeing their grief turn into love.

I really enjoyed this book! I alternated between the audiobook and e book, and it tugged at my heartstrings. The story follows the main character as she navigates grief over the loss of her brother, alongside his best friend—the same man who broke her heart years ago. Together, they embark on a journey to visit the places her brother had hoped they’d see. While the pain of their past lingers, their connection and undeniable attraction grow stronger. The book has some surprisingly spicy moments, but at its core, it’s a heartfelt story of healing and love that will stay with you.

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleyromance #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram.

Okay friends. So much to unpack with this one. I’m going to try and make this as organized as I can 😅

THE PLOT. This is probably my fave part of the book. Basically our female lead’s (Maddie) brother died from cancer. His dying wish is to have Maddie scatter his ashes over eight destinations. But she has to do it with the guy he’s been avoiding for almost a decade, her brother’s bestfriend- Josh.

With a plot like this, it sure is heavy with emotional moments and dealing with grief. So please proceed accordingly.

THE ROMANCE TROPES. This book is like a buffet of romance tropes. First, we have the bestfriend’s brother. Then we have the one night stand/ second chance romance. That lead to enemies to lovers then to friends with benefits that eventually lead to friends to lovers. So yes, spice wise - I was surprised that this book contained some heat. I would give it a 3 on the 🌶️ scale. 😅

THE LEADS. Let’s get Josh out of the way, he was a solid book boyfriend. I just hope he communicates more 😂 But Maddie- I wasn’t a big fan of her initially. I find her petty at times but omg the emotional growth and character development for her was written really well! From the insecure and abandonment issues to being brave enough to take the leap of faith with love. I also love that she puzzles 😂

THE TRAVEL. So this book will take you everywhere! Night hiking, ocean swimming, visiting a ghost town, getting tattoos, and so much more! This book is definitely for those who love exploring the outdoors!

LIFE THINGS. One of my favorite parts of this book is all the life therapy moments in it. That you have to live everyday as if it’s your last. That work/ life balance is important. That establishing boundaries and cutting people off (even if they’re family) is okay if it gives you mental peace in return.

Overall, this book was a solid read. Definitely recommend for those who love an emotional book with some hints of travel.

💭 Will you ever go night hiking?
☕️ No for me. Ive read too many thrillers to know that it’s never a good idea 😂

This was definitely bittersweet and I really enjoyed it. I love an enemies to lovers that has little destination adventures with surprise letters. It was all orchestrated by her recently deceased brother and she had to go with her childhood crush/unrequited love/mess.
Maddie has always loved her brother’s best friend but an event that happened when they were in their teenish years caused her to go missing from his life and that of his little brothers who adored her.
I loved the little mini trips to the national parks to spread her brother’s ashes and the forced proximity of the trips. I will tell you when we finally got to the last letter and last location and that surprise. It made me cry. That was a twist I wasn’t expecting but it was what made the story bittersweet. Such a lovely romance and sweet found family.

PS: I HATE YOU by Lauren Connolly is a beautiful, emotional rollercoaster that had me crying, laughing, and cheering for Maddie and Dom every step of the way. This book captured my heart in ways I didn’t expect.

The tension between Maddie and Dom is palpable from the very beginning.The way Maddie navigates her brother’s death while coming face-to-face with old wounds was so beautifully written, The wounds from her past—her sense of being overlooked, abandoned, and emotionally neglected—are just as raw as the grief she’s grappling with after Josh’s death. The author does an incredible job exploring how these unresolved issues shape Maddie’s interactions with the people around her, especially Dom. Their journey is not just one of healing from the loss of Josh, but also of Maddie confronting the ways her past has impacted her ability to trust, love, and let go.

Let me tell you, I cried so much reading this book. The emotional depth of Maddie and Dom’s journey, both separately and together, is raw and real. Their shared grief, their fractured history, and their slow but steady reconnection left me with a tear-streaked face and a heart full of feelings. Their story is a testament to the messy, beautiful, complicated nature of love, forgiveness, and second chances.

The romance is slow-burn, but it’s beautifully earned, and the emotional payoff is so. worth. it.

An absolute must-read for anyone who loves a story about overcoming past trauma, finding love in unexpected places, and healing from grief in all its messy, complicated forms. It’s a heartfelt exploration of family—both the one you’re born into and the one you create along the way—and it will absolutely break your heart, in the best way possible.

I’m a little late in posting - to be a little vulnerable, as a person who’s older brother passed away from cancer, reading a book about a character who’s older brother passes away from cancer was just hitting a liiiiitle too close to home to read at the time I received it, but I was finally able to get into it.

I’m not going to compare Maddie’s journey to mine. What I will say is this was an emotional and heartfelt journey between Maddie and brother’s best friend Dom to spread her brother’s ashes at eight specific locations across the US as designated by her brother in his will. Dom is her nemesis (in her head) so this is extra hard for her, but the two start to form a begrudging friendship which turns to more as they go about carrying out these tasks.

Maddie was a bit immature, but to be fair, she had no good role models growing up and she is actually quite young still. So, it was reasonable she would be a bit bratty at times but it still got on my nerves to be fully honest even when I understood it.

However, I loved taciturn Dom, the caretaker, the big brother, the serious accountant who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was so worried about Maddie’s health and safety, even when she was rebuking him at every step.

This is a single POV, so we only see what Maddie thinks of things but I thought the author did a good job letting us know what Dom was thinking, even Maddie couldn’t understand it. Though it is quite emotional and grief heavy at times, there was also laughter amongst the tears.

Overall though I thought it was a well written exploration of grief, one I definitely recommend to those who like emotional borderline women’s fiction stories!

PS: I Hate You is a heart-wrenching, second-chance romance with a heavy focus on grief. It’s full of love, loss and healing.

Maddie Sanderson lost her brother to cancer and his dying wish is that she scatter his ashes in eight destinations that he never got to visit. The catch? She must do this with his best friend, Dominic Perry. The man who broke her heart when she was 19.

Grief is never easy and I appreciate how it was portrayed here. Lauren Connolly did an amazing job showing the highs and lows of the grieving process.
My heart broke for Maddie as she struggled to adjust to life without her brother. Her remaining family is awful so aside from her two best friends, he was really all she had.

She’s definitely not happy about having to spend time with Dom but the promise of a new letter from Josh at each destination makes his presence tolerable. Despite their complicated past, they start to grow closer during their trips. I enjoyed the letters and tasks Josh left for Dom and Maddie at each stop. Being able to share their grief and memories allows both of them to slowly begin to heal.

I loved Maddie’s snark. Part of her grieving process includes sarcasm and some of her interactions with Dom were incredibly entertaining. I really loved them together. Their chemistry was palpable from the very beginning. I have to admit I was a bit impatient for Maddie to let go of the past but at the same time, I can’t blame her for guarding her heart.

I LOVED the Perry family, especially Adam and Carter!

I definitely recommend this if you're looking for a sweet romance that will tug at your heartstrings.

I love a romance that elicits a range of emotions. PS: I Hate You is a perfect example. I laughed (a lot), I cried, I got angry and frustrated, I swooned, and I felt relief. This beautiful, steamy, multi-trope romance includes enemies to lovers, second chance, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and road trip. It’s definitely a wild ride and one you’ll probably want to read all in one sitting.

At its core, it’s a hard-fought romance, an exploration of grief, and a range of loving relationships (mf, sibling, and friendship). It begins at the funeral of Maddie’s brother Josh who died of cancer just shy of 30. She hasn’t been home for seven years, since her youthful crush and brother’s best friend Dom broke her heart. So, the last thing that she wants is for him to discover her in a coat closet where’s she’s fallen into a box half-full of toilet paper rolls. Unfortunately, he’s as handsome as ever and her heart clearly hasn’t gotten the message that she hates him. When Dom, as executor, passes out letters from Josh to those closest to him, Maddie is devastated to find that Josh has not only written one letter jointly to Dom and her, but that his dying wish is that they visit eight states together that he, as a world-traveling photographer, never got the chance to see. His instructions are to find the geographical coordinates in a certain order, read a new letter at each location, fulfill location-specific tasks, scatter some of his ashes, and take a joint selfie. It’s pretty obvious that he has ulterior motives, but it’ll take nearly two years, a lot of snarky comments from Maddie, requests from Josh that pull both of them out of their comfort zones, and some forced proximity before the walls Maddie has built start to crumble and they finally begin to discuss the past.

This would have been a 5* read for me, but Maddie’s immaturity and rude behavior were really off-putting. Yes, she has scars from her neglectful, cruel and abusive parents and grandmother and deep-seated abandonment issues, but Dom is so thoughtful and protective, that you can’t help rooting for him (even if you don’t know his reasons for breaking her heart years before). Author Connolly puts some trigger warnings at the beginning, and it’s important to read them because there are some heavy issues. Overall, however, there’s so much to love about this book that I highly recommend it.

This book was incredible. It portrays grief and loss in such a raw, emotional, and absolutely devastating way, that I was immediately invested in Maddie’s story. Her heartbreak was realistic and relatable, and I just wanted to put on a sweatshirt and give her a hug. The loss of her brother, Josh, is a huge focal point of the book, but it also doesn’t detract from one of the most achingly beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. Dom’s love for Maddie was so tender. He just wants to take care of her and love her, and she won’t let him. Their relationship is fraught with a complicated past, angst, pining, miscommunication, and bad timing. Dom and Maddie are forced to spend time together to spread Josh’s ashes, and as his best friend and sister, they are the only people who truly understand what it’s like to miss him. Watching them fall in love was so rewarding because they had to work so hard for their happily ever after. This book will make you cry, laugh, and fall in love. Go read it!
✉️
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
✉️
Read if you like:
▫️brother’s best friend
▫️childhood crush and first love
▫️she hates him
▫️grumpy x sunshine
▫️found family
▫️forced proximity
▫️second chance
▫️dual timeline
✉️
Thank you to Berkley Romance, Berkley Publishing, Lauren Connolly, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.