“I’m not afraid of the days with you in them,” I whisper. “I’m afraid of the ones I might have without you.”

Maddie Sanderson wants to kill her brother. Unfortunately, she’s already at his funeral. When Maddie’s brother dies from cancer, she finds out he’s asked her to scatter his ashes in eight different destinations. She would be happy to do that for him, but he decided his best friend, Dom, would share the adventure with her. Maddie had a crush on Dom her entire childhood until he broke her heart.

Wow this book hit me hard. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I probably snorted once or twice. (PB&J anyone?) It’s a look at grief and family trauma and being scared to love.

Oh, Dom. He’s strong and dependable and loves things to be just so. Is he a little uptight sometimes? Sure. But he just wants to take care of everyone and everything.

Did Maddie drive me crazy sometimes? Yes, she did. But I also love her snarky humor and defensive comebacks. Her relationship with Dom in all of its stages is my favorite thing ever. She pokes at him to make him loosen up but he nudges her to open her heart. I love everything about the two of them.

I love that their story takes place over two years so we get to see their relationship ebb and flow and also allow Maddie to work through her grief and trauma over a longer period.

The trips. The letters. The adventures. The puzzles. It all stole my heart.

Read this book for:
-Asthma rep
-Grief
-Travel and adventure
-Brother’s best friend
-Single POV
-Many open door scenes

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This book had me feeling all the emotions. I laughed and cried and needed time to just contemplate during and after reading. So that makes it an excellent book in my opinion.

The book starts at the funeral for Maddie's brother. He left behind a letter asking her and his best friend Dom to travel to 8 different states and open additional letters in each place. Dom had previously broken Maddie's heart when they were teens, and she wants nothing to do with him now. But she dearly wants every last letter from her brother.

The book takes place over a long timeline that felt appropriate to the grief process and to the story development. The pacing was so well done. I felt consistently with Maddie through every aspect of her journey, both emotional and physical. I relate so much reading about an introverted female processing grief and big emotions. And I enjoyed the many travel destinations.

I really loved Maddie's two best friends, Tula and Jeremy. Indeed, I would have loved to see even more of them. And I also adored Dom's younger twin brothers. All of the secondary characters were so nuanced and alive, whether I liked them or not.

And then there's the second chance romance. And I found it just as heart-wrenching as other parts of the story. I know this book is one that I will sit with for a long time.

Karissa Vacker performed the audiobook incredibly well. Some of the emotion I felt (and tears) are owed directly to how amazingly she voiced Maddie's character.

4.5 stars rounded up

This is one of those books that I can’t adequately verbalize how much or why loved it. The short explanation is that I will be getting the trophy, rereading, annotating AND re-listening via audio. So there’s that.

Dominic Perry. New book boyfriend unlocked.
If you’re a fan of Abby Jimenez MMCs, you’re going to love Dom.

📖The book opens at Maddie’s brother’s funeral, where she finds out that Josh’s last wishes are for her and his best friend, Dominic, to spread his ashes among 8 destinations…together. Of course she has history with Dom that has left her hurt and resentful for many years (7 years to be exact). So now she has to travel the US with Dom while she is simultaneously not dealing well with the grief of losing Josh.

Dom really takes it to the next level the way he shows up for Maddie while she works through things. The letters from Josh and how they each responded really got me. But I really loved how we got to see more of Josh through his last letter.

There were tears. I cried multiple times. So many emotions from this book, and I loved every minute of it. I related to Maddie on many levels, but mostly how she handled her emotions and compartmentalized her relationships. If you’re looking for an emotional romcom — this is it.

Don't let this cover fool you, this isn't a super fun lighthearted read, but it is an amazing one with a few laughs for sure.
Maddie's brother has just passed away leaving her reeling. Everyone leaves, she doesn't let anyone in and she is trying to process her grief. His best friend, and her nemesis, Dom has been tasked with his will and he let's Maddie know that Josh wrote them a letter. Dom and Maddie need to travel the US and visit places that Josh missed out on and spread a little of him in each place. Maddie is not on board with this plan, but she has no choice because this is one last thing she can do for her brother and she isn't willing to let him go just yet.
While doing these little tasks, she learns more about Dom than she expected and their relationship is more open and honest than it has ever been. She starts to realize that maybe when he broke her heart years ago, they both just were kids and Dom made the choice he thought was best at the time. There were sooooo many heart breaking moments in this book and I am crying just thinking about them as I write this, but there were so many beautiful, loving ones as well. Maddie's relationship with herself, her mother, her brother and Dom were all so complicated and it was such a journey to see her process everything. It helped that she had some amazing friends too. I loved this book and would give it more than five stars if I could.
Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and Lauren Connolly for an early copy.

Have you ever read a romance that immediately makes you giddy? It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. You want to kick your feet in the air because the banter is that good. You want to become best friends with the main characters. You never want to put the book down because you have to know what happens next.

I’ve read very few romances that make me feel that way and PS: I Hate You is one of them.

I love a romance that makes me feel a lot of emotions, that has a believable storyline, and is bingeable. This book checks all three of those boxes. I can’t wait to read more by Lauren Connolly.

PS: I Hate You is perfect for readers who love an emotional romance that might make you cry. It features a single POV, forced proximity and sibling’s best friend tropes.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

In P.S. I Hate You, when a man dies of cancer, he leaves a series of letters addressed to his sister and his best friend, instructing them to visit a list of places he never got to see. And each place had a certain task to be completed. The story is told through the lens of his sister - grieving and trying to still live her life in the face of it. This book broke me. The grief, the guilt, the regrets were so raw and so real. The pain and sorrow was tangible. But it was also funny, heartwarming and full of hope, resilience and forgiveness. Some close proximity, some enemies to lovers, some second chance romance, all mixed in this bittersweet romcom. Such a tender and sweet book.

The premise of the book is a clever one. The eight destinations Maddie and Dom must visit serve as both literal and metaphorical settings for the characters' emotional journeys. Each destination offers not just a physical location to visit but also an opportunity for the characters to reflect, grow, and heal. As they travel together, their relationship shifts and deepens, slowly unveiling the reasons behind their past heartbreak and the pain they both carry.

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Maddie is completely broken-hearted, mourning the loss of her brother, Josh. During the reading of his will, Maddie learns that Josh has left instructions for her to spread his ashes in eight different states, and embark on this adventure with his best friend, Dom. Though these two both miss Josh severely, Maddie cannot stand being in the same room as Dom, and the forced proximity of these trips causes tensions to run high. While clinging to the last pieces of Josh they still have, Maddie and Dom reminisce about the person they are both missing and the memories they share, stripping them slowly of the impenetrable walls that were once in place between them.

This is another romcom that while full of humor, is also full of grief. Taking place over the course of two plus years, we follow Maddie from the pits of despair, to the highs of love and friendship, and then all the places in between. She often handled pain by lashing out with witty insults and sarcasm, but also felt like such a realistic character following her unique and challenging journey. This is all from Maddie’s perspective, and while at times I missed Dom’s point of view, I think it added to the story, even if his character often felt a little flat. This one comes out tomorrow and I highly suggest for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

This is my first Lauren Connolly read and I honestly don’t know what I’ve been doing with my life not knowing about her. Thank goodness for holiday shopping because I’ve already added some of her books to my cart and I can’t wait to read them.

This story took me completely and pleasantly by surprise. This time of year is always so busy. I’ve been working all Thanksgiving weekend long, but every single spare minute I’ve had, I’ve been glued to this story. I loved meeting Maddie. She might just be my spirit animal. She loves puzzles and reading, has a bit of an anxious brain, and is just a down-to-earth girl that reminds me of my best friends. She’s going through a lot with the loss of her brother, and the grief she is grappling with is just so…moving. The way she’s dealing is so…vulnerable. Her brother Josh really leads this story with his letters and encouragement of his sister and best friend. I also love the way Maddie is with The Perry family and especially Dom.

Maddie and Dom are on an adventure and it spans a few years but it goes by wayyyy too fast. This book clocks in at a little over 400 pages but it definitely reads like a breeze. I love the destinations that Maddie and Dom visit, especially the glow worms and cozy cabin. (Message me when you’re done reading this so we can moon over the places together!) I loved their character development, their angst, and the way they learn and grow together. From the minute I met Dom I really, really liked him. He’s a mystery. He’s responsible. He’s used to always putting people first. I love what Maddie brings out in him.

This story has so much heart and I couldn’t wait to come back to be with the characters. It is such a heartwarming, thoughtful, tender read that I highly, highly recommend!

“𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘?” “𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆.”

WHAT👏A👏BOOK👏

If you're a big fan of P.S I love You, let me tell you this book is going to top it!!!! Yes, I said it! This story is emotionally and devastatingly beautiful, and I could talk about it all day long. 🥹✨

The book follows Maddie Sanderson, who has recently lost her brother, Josh. His final wish? To take a trip to eight different states to spread his ashes. At each destination, there's a letter waiting for her. Easy, right? NOPE. Josh also insists that his best friend, Domenic Perry, accompany her. The problem? Maddie and Domenic have a history, and she is not ready to reopen those old wounds or forgive him lol she definitely hates him.

The author did an incredible job making this story feel so realistic! I was worried it would be rushed, but it wasn’t. The timeline felt authentic, showing just how long it actually takes to spread ashes across eight states (it took around two years). Each time Maddie and Domenic tackled another letter, let’s just say… Josh knew what he was doing 👀

Maddie Sanderson’s heartbreak was raw and relatable. The way she processes her emotions isn’t perfect (honestly, we all struggle), but that’s what makes her journey feel so real. Some heartbreaks leave scars, and with her past, you can feel her struggles and most importantly her growth. Meanwhile, Domenic starts off as this quiet, stoic character, but once he begins opening up? OOF. I fell hard for him. 🥰

“𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏.” “𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓? 𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

"𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆, 𝒊'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑵𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘."

Now, let’s talk about the romance. 🫠 The miscommunication in this book will have you wanting to slap everyone involved. But honestly? It’s what makes the story so believable. Once you understand their history and circumstances, you might find yourself thinking you’d react the same way. TBH, I just want to hug EVERYONE in this book and never let go. 🫂💖

"𝑴𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕"

Why 5 stars?
1. I CRIED LIKE A BABY. SO. MANY. TIMES.
2. I was invested! The characters, the journey, the emotions—it all pulled me in.
3. This was my first book by Lauren Connolly, and now I can’t wait to read more from her! 🥹👏

Highly recommend this heartfelt, gut-wrenching, and ultimately beautiful read.

Tropes
🧩 brother's best friend
🧩 forced proximity
🧩 witty banter
🧩 enemies to lovers
🧩 miscommunication past
🧩 he falls hard and never lets her go

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

Read this if you like:
•childhood crush
•found family
•sad romances

This book was heavy on the grief but it was also heavy on the laugh out loud moments. The characters were real, raw, and relatable. The found family was amazing. The story was absolutely beautiful.

when her brother passes away, maddie receives a letter from him that he’d arranged before he died requesting that she scatter his ashes in the places he never got the chance to visit. but she’s not going alone. her brother’s lifelong best friend will be joining her. aka the man who broke her heart years ago. maddie and dominic spend the next year meeting up in different pre-planned destinations to spread the ashes and read another letter that was left for them.

as you can guess from the premise, this definitely had some sad and bittersweet moments that tugged at the heartstrings! but i thought they were done so well. it made for such a sweet and unique set up to the romance, and it overall had a lighthearted, witty, banter filled vibe.

Loved how Dom was so transparent about his feelings towards Maddie— I’m sure all the girlies would like these real-life men to learn a thing or two from him lol! I found Maddie a bit annoying with her not opening up to her “best friends” about her brothers passing wishes and how she’s been spending her time, or rather who she’s been spending that time with. As much as I couldn’t stand her at times, you can’t help but to really feel empathy for her considering all she’s been through.

I think my fave part of the story was all the ways that Josh, though deceased, was a part of this story! I love how humorous he was and just how intentional he was about the places he sent Dom + Maddie and how he brought them together. He also pushed them both to do things that they wouldn’t do on their own and I found that to be quite endearing! Oh & I loved Tullah for getting on Maddie about having an important work-life balance. It’s so easy to get lost in your work especially when you’re really good at it but we’re all soooo much more than what we do Monday-Friday and once we all “clock out” or end the work day, it’s good to really disconnect from work & be present in everything else around you! 🌱

I really loved this. I laughed and cried my way through it and constantly felt like I got punched in the stomach (complimentary). So heartfelt with lots of yearning(!!!). Stories about grief can be really tough to read but I appreciated the compassion and humor that the romance arc brought to it. This is totally the blueprint for found family and I loved the support they showed each other. It was surprisingly spicy too??? Not a complaint per se but by the end the scenes (while short) didn’t feel like they added much to the story. I would have appreciated deeper dives into the emotional connection or longer/more detailed scenes instead of brief, vague descriptions of sex marathons.

Overall I enjoyed the writing. Maddie was bitter (same tho) but funny and Dom was h-o-t. However there were some stylistic choices that really irked me, the big one being the author’s use of “the man” in reference to the MMC when it’s clear who’s being referenced and she could have just used “he.” It appeared 150 times (I searched) and made for awkward reading.

big thanks to Berkley, the author, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review! xoxo🫶🏻

Everyone grieves in their own way. As this book opens, Maddie is at the memorial service for her beloved brother, Josh, not yet 30 years old. Not surprisingly, Maddie is falling apart. Josh has left instructions in his will, that Maddie and his best friend, Dom, should travel together to 8 places in the US that he never got to (he was a global traveler and a professional wildlife photographer) and to scatter his ashes in specific places. Problem: Dom broke Maddie’s heart when she was 19 and she hates him! So that’s the premise of the book.

I had a hard time relating to Maddie’s behavior and her crude language. We eventually find out what made Maddie the way she is, and that made her a more sympathetic character. Dom comes off as wooden at first, but he turns out to be just as grief-stricken as Maddie; he just handles it differently.

Since this is a romance, I’m not revealing a spoiler by saying that the two of them wind up together. Their journey was a good one - real road trips to interesting places. But it took way too long to reveal why Dom did what he did all those years ago. (Miscommunication/non-communication trope - ugh). And once they started “being intimate”, they couldn’t stop. And that became problematic for me. It was just too much - and in too much detail.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was the best book I read this year!!! I laughed and cried. This book was therapeutic In a way. Lauren’s writing was perfection and I can’t wait to read more from her. This story was perfection. I’m coming several for gifts this year.

Such a pull at your heartstrings emotional, second chance romance. Based on the final wishes of her late brother, Maddie embarks on a set of road trips where the destinations are revealed in a series of letters. The caveat is that she needs to complete these with Josh’s best friend and her former crush, Dom. The story is told in first person from the PoV of Maddie. The overall plot was one of grief coping, but it was nicely balanced with pockets of humor, the romantic connection and growth (and some spice) between the main characters and a small twist near the end of the book. This epistolary driven book will be one I remember.

These days, I usually stick to cozy, low stakes, low angst romances as a way of escaping the real world. However, I requested P.S. I Hate You because of the author, who writes a fun paranormal romance series, Folk Haven, that I love. I ended up enjoying this book, but it's definitely a departure from the author's other series, with a strong focus on grief and how to move on after losing one of the people you most loved in the world.

At the start of the book, Maddie and Dominic are lost in grief over the death of Maddie's brother Josh, who casts a long shadow throughout the book. We come to know Josh through stories and through the letters he leaves them, which take them on a quest to spread his ashes in the seven states he didn't manage to visit before his untimely death at age 30. On top of that, Maddie and Dominic have a shared romantic history that did not go well, leaving Maddie barely able to tolerate Dom's presence and Dom filled with regret for the past. However, as they are forced together over a two year period after Josh's death, they have no choice but to re-examine their own shared history, make peace with it, and figure out whether they want their paths to converge in the future.

I have to admit that although I usually love "prickly" heroines, Maddie was a bit much even for me. She had a horrible upbringing where her brother was about the only person to show her any love or kindness, so her unproductive emotional responses made sense, but didn't make for an easy read. At least she finally realized that she needed help and got herself into therapy! As for Dominic, it was hard to know what he was thinking as the book was written solely in Maddie's first person POV. Overall, if you are looking for a heartfelt and emotional read that will put you through the wringer, this book fills the bill. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I went into this book blindly, only drawn by the funny title and cover. And wow was I blown away. I devoured this book! A must for anyone who has experienced grief or maybe wants to understand a loved one who is grieving. Maddie is tasked with scattering her 29y/o brother’s ashes in eight places he never got to visit before dying of cancer. The issue-his will designated that she has to do all of these trips with his best friend Dom - the man who broke her heart years before. Over the course of a few years, they reluctantly reunite on these trips to say goodbye to Josh, but little by little, the hate begins to chip away and it’s almost as if Josh knew what he was doing beyond the grave.
This was a beautiful story of finding hope and new beginnings after heartbreak and loss (with a touch of humor throughout). I didn’t want this one to end!
Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

This was such an emotional read. I started the audiobook and at first I couldn’t put it down and had to know what happened next. Then, much like Maddie, I started to slow down to try and make it last longer. PS: I Hate You will definitely make your heart hurt, but it will also make you smile and laugh. It’s a second chance romance, but it’s also a love story between friends, family, and one’s self. Maddie’s journey is the focus of the story though, so I would classify this one as women’s fiction.

Maddie wasn’t always the most likeable or mature character, but we all deal with pain in different ways. Her struggles were so relatable and I thought the topics of loss and grief were handled extremely well. Her history with Dom was complicated, but I appreciated that she stood on her own before opening her heart again. I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of spice in this one!

The performance by Karissa Vacker was fantastic as always! She conveyed so much emotion in her performance and I love both her male and female voices. She is definitely one of my favorite narrators.

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW: death of loved one, cancer, complicated grief, estrangement/strained family relationships, asthma, panic attacks, parental neglect and abandonment, miscarriage (past, secondary character), domestic violence/abuse (secondary character, past)