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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 his 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 farewell trip that spans 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.
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 farewell trip that spans 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.
432 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2024
1,959 people are currently reading
93.9k people want to read
About the author
Lauren Connolly
40books825followersLauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,774 reviews
December 2, 2024
The beginning of this book was so sweet and then it abruptly got so smutty in a way that felt out of character (and let the record show I have nooooo problem with smut.) The specific anatomical words the author used in the sex scenes were bone chilling (derogatory.) Also the male love interest was completely unrealistic towards the end- men don’t behave like that. But there were of course some sweet parts of the book too- I loved the found family aspect. And Dom was sexy. 3.5 stars.
March 15, 2025
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.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
December 19, 2024
“𝑨𝒏� 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘?� “𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆.�
±ᴡ👏👏👏
If you're a big fan of , 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. 🥰
“𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊� 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏.� “𝑯𝒐� 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
�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆ� ˚� my mood reader tendencies are showing hehe *adds another book to rotation*
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review as soon as I read the premise I know I will love this book 🥺
±ᴡ👏👏👏
If you're a big fan of , 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. 🥰
“𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊� 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏.� “𝑯𝒐� 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
�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆ� ˚� my mood reader tendencies are showing hehe *adds another book to rotation*
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review as soon as I read the premise I know I will love this book 🥺
January 3, 2025
I’m literally so disappointed and sad because i was so hyped for this!! Like i was so excited and waiting patiently for new year to read this because i saw a-lot of five stars and people saying they cried during every second of this book! My expectations were sky high and i was ready for this to be my first five stars read of 2025 but omg reading this felt like a punishment!! I was suffering 😭✋�
let’s start the our yapping session
the fmc � I never claimed to be mature. In fact,I’m often extremely immature for my age� these are her words not mine ✋� omg the whole book was ina single pov so i was stuck in her head all the time and the only thought that was in my mind was � what bad thing have i done in my life to deserve this� because ugh she was insufferable. I get she was hurting!! I understand but omg her lack of sympathy toward everyone around her even the people that cared about her was unbearable!! She was so mean and rude acting like she was the only one who was hurting but news flash Bestie you’re not the only one okay!!Ugh she was so bitter all the time and most of her action were childish it was actually embarrassing. I decided to read this so i can be sad and crying in the middle of the night but instead i got so angry and was scoffing and rolling my eyes it was so frustrating ✋�
the romance i’m all for a second chance romance because it’s a good trope but omg what was this 😭😂 I expected cute flashbacks or friendship between them or something but all i got was the flashbacks of the one night stand that they had and then she ran away 😭 so the one night stand was the one that made them fall in love? It must be one hell of a night ✋� so unrealistic plss!!! And excuse me he didn’t even spare a second thought about the fmc before going and proposing to the other woman!! And didn’t try to reach out or talk and explain anything for the fmc for 7 damn years and at the end he was like � but i’ve always loved u� can we have some standers ffs ✋� he didn’t even grovel for her after what he did! They fucked and kissed and everything like the past didn’t happen! This is a no from me!
- she always said that she loved him and that she knew him while she actually didn’t know shit!!! She didn’t know why he always felt and acted in a responsible way? Didn’t know about his brothers? About him taking it as his responsibility to care for them! She didn’t know what he really felt about josh or losing josh because he was the only one asking her what she felt most if the time? Or his grief about the son that he lost or anything? Ugh it’s so frustrating how self centered she was I can’t stand it ✋� Dom deserves a medal for keeping up with her because i could never ✋�
the grieving well that what i liked about the book! The grieving and Dom and josh friendship and their moments that what made me sad i loved it but the rest umm no✋�
let’s start the our yapping session
the fmc � I never claimed to be mature. In fact,I’m often extremely immature for my age� these are her words not mine ✋� omg the whole book was ina single pov so i was stuck in her head all the time and the only thought that was in my mind was � what bad thing have i done in my life to deserve this� because ugh she was insufferable. I get she was hurting!! I understand but omg her lack of sympathy toward everyone around her even the people that cared about her was unbearable!! She was so mean and rude acting like she was the only one who was hurting but news flash Bestie you’re not the only one okay!!Ugh she was so bitter all the time and most of her action were childish it was actually embarrassing. I decided to read this so i can be sad and crying in the middle of the night but instead i got so angry and was scoffing and rolling my eyes it was so frustrating ✋�
the romance i’m all for a second chance romance because it’s a good trope but omg what was this 😭😂 I expected cute flashbacks or friendship between them or something but all i got was the flashbacks of the one night stand that they had and then she ran away 😭 so the one night stand was the one that made them fall in love? It must be one hell of a night ✋� so unrealistic plss!!! And excuse me he didn’t even spare a second thought about the fmc before going and proposing to the other woman!! And didn’t try to reach out or talk and explain anything for the fmc for 7 damn years and at the end he was like � but i’ve always loved u� can we have some standers ffs ✋� he didn’t even grovel for her after what he did! They fucked and kissed and everything like the past didn’t happen! This is a no from me!
- she always said that she loved him and that she knew him while she actually didn’t know shit!!! She didn’t know why he always felt and acted in a responsible way? Didn’t know about his brothers? About him taking it as his responsibility to care for them! She didn’t know what he really felt about josh or losing josh because he was the only one asking her what she felt most if the time? Or his grief about the son that he lost or anything? Ugh it’s so frustrating how self centered she was I can’t stand it ✋� Dom deserves a medal for keeping up with her because i could never ✋�
the grieving well that what i liked about the book! The grieving and Dom and josh friendship and their moments that what made me sad i loved it but the rest umm no✋�
Read
December 21, 2024DNF at 60%
P. S. I Hate You � maybe? A little bit?
OK, OK � I don’t really hate this book. Hate is such an extreme word, but hard as I’ve tried to keep going, I’m two-thirds of the way in waiting for any glimmer of love to show up in my heart for this story, and it just isn’t sparking!
Here’s what I did like:
The premise. Twenty-six-year-old Maddie’s older brother Josh’s dying wish is that she travel to eight states he never got to visit and have an adventure of his choosing before scattering his ashes with the help of his best friend Dominic: the guy who broke her heart at nineteen. It had loads of potential.
The themes. I appreciate any author who draws attention to serious themes and the complexity of being human, so props to her for that. This story examined the grief journey in all its messiness, since people usually aren’t their best selves when trying to process pain. No matter how difficult it was to like Maddie’s behavior, at least I could understand it. It also dealt with chronic illness in the form of her asthma and her mother’s toxic narcissism.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
The main character. Grieving or not, Maddie herself says at one point: “I never claimed to be mature. In fact, I am often extremely immature for my age.� It shows often and it’s pretty insufferable in the first half of the book to watch how she treats Dom in her pain. I’m sure if I kept reading, he’ll be the saint who forgives all her insults and she'll see the light about his past choices, but it feels too easy to just gloss over how utterly obnoxious she’s been by blaming all of it on her grief. Dom’s willingness to keep taking her verbal punches isn't admirable to me.
The spice. I can handle a decent amount of spice in my books, though I’ll always prefer the door slightly less open. What I can’t handle is sexuality that’s anatomically described in great detail or relies on more crass sexual terms to get me onboard with how much they want each other. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this stuff, but even my twenties self would cringe at some of the narrative and dialogue.
The audio. I’ve enjoyed Karissa Vacker’s narration for other books, but she nails Maddie’s immaturity and constant snark so well that I suspect it actually made me dislike her more than I might’ve if I’d only read it.
Anyways, the book is working well for many others as evidenced by it's overall rating, so I’ll accept that as me just being the wrong reader for it. It’s well-written - it’s just not my type, so to speak! Since it’s a DNF, I’ll withhold a rating.
____________________________
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Lauren Connolly for this digital ARC to honestly review. It's available now.
P. S. I Hate You � maybe? A little bit?
OK, OK � I don’t really hate this book. Hate is such an extreme word, but hard as I’ve tried to keep going, I’m two-thirds of the way in waiting for any glimmer of love to show up in my heart for this story, and it just isn’t sparking!
Here’s what I did like:
The premise. Twenty-six-year-old Maddie’s older brother Josh’s dying wish is that she travel to eight states he never got to visit and have an adventure of his choosing before scattering his ashes with the help of his best friend Dominic: the guy who broke her heart at nineteen. It had loads of potential.
The themes. I appreciate any author who draws attention to serious themes and the complexity of being human, so props to her for that. This story examined the grief journey in all its messiness, since people usually aren’t their best selves when trying to process pain. No matter how difficult it was to like Maddie’s behavior, at least I could understand it. It also dealt with chronic illness in the form of her asthma and her mother’s toxic narcissism.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
The main character. Grieving or not, Maddie herself says at one point: “I never claimed to be mature. In fact, I am often extremely immature for my age.� It shows often and it’s pretty insufferable in the first half of the book to watch how she treats Dom in her pain. I’m sure if I kept reading, he’ll be the saint who forgives all her insults and she'll see the light about his past choices, but it feels too easy to just gloss over how utterly obnoxious she’s been by blaming all of it on her grief. Dom’s willingness to keep taking her verbal punches isn't admirable to me.
The spice. I can handle a decent amount of spice in my books, though I’ll always prefer the door slightly less open. What I can’t handle is sexuality that’s anatomically described in great detail or relies on more crass sexual terms to get me onboard with how much they want each other. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this stuff, but even my twenties self would cringe at some of the narrative and dialogue.
The audio. I’ve enjoyed Karissa Vacker’s narration for other books, but she nails Maddie’s immaturity and constant snark so well that I suspect it actually made me dislike her more than I might’ve if I’d only read it.
Anyways, the book is working well for many others as evidenced by it's overall rating, so I’ll accept that as me just being the wrong reader for it. It’s well-written - it’s just not my type, so to speak! Since it’s a DNF, I’ll withhold a rating.
____________________________
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and author Lauren Connolly for this digital ARC to honestly review. It's available now.
August 1, 2024
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 book focuses 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...
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!
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 book focuses 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...
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!
March 26, 2025
There will be spoilers in this review.
I feel like I should start this off with something positive as I always try to do but to be very honest with you nothing comes to mind rn.
Now, in theory, the idea of two exes having to come together to fulfil the last wish of their brother/best friend sounds like a good story. In practice, however, it wasn’t.
I’ll admit that at first, I was entertained. It was easy to read, the pacing was good. I’m always intrigued by second chance romances, I just can’t resist them for some reason. And I thought Maddie was kind of fun and relatable with her standoffish behaviour at first. That didn’t last very long, though, unfortunately.
Because she was awful. Like the most annoying, rude and childish character I’ve read about in a long time. She felt so sorry for herself and treated everyone so terribly, especially Dom. And I feel like the book tried to justify her behaviour with the fact that her brother had just died, which made me so angry. Like she wasn’t the only one hurting and grieving, and even if that doesn’t give her the right to act this way. I’ve seen children deal with their emotions better than she did.
Now consider that this book has 400+ pages written entirely from her POV and you know why this was a struggle for me.
As for the romance, it also didn’t work for me. For one, they weren’t even exes?! They had one singular hook up like 10 years ago, and then he decided to marry his actual ex THE NEXT DAY because he found out she was pregnant.
And that’s just not something I could forgive. He very literally chose another woman over her one day after they fucked and stayed married to that woman for years (even though there wasn’t even a kid because she had a miscarriage).
It also came across as kind of pathetic for her to still be this upset about it. Instead of hating him so much, she should have been glad that he showed his true colours early on and just moved tf on. Like I would never take this dude back, wtf.
Also there were some really weird things in here that just bothered me sm:
-Dom’s brother tells a room full of people at Josh’s funeral that Maddie was in his teenage spank bank (this is a direct quote) and she found this funny? And not at all weird or gross??
-Maddie and Dom spread some of the ashes at a beach in like knee-deep water, like right at the beach?! But the ashes don’t sink, so she freaks out and starts to press them underwater with her hands, standing right in his ashes. Am I supposed to find this funny??
Just very weird all around.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
___
Trying to catch up on arcs 🏃♀️➡️🏃♀️➡️🏃♀️➡�
I feel like I should start this off with something positive as I always try to do but to be very honest with you nothing comes to mind rn.
Now, in theory, the idea of two exes having to come together to fulfil the last wish of their brother/best friend sounds like a good story. In practice, however, it wasn’t.
I’ll admit that at first, I was entertained. It was easy to read, the pacing was good. I’m always intrigued by second chance romances, I just can’t resist them for some reason. And I thought Maddie was kind of fun and relatable with her standoffish behaviour at first. That didn’t last very long, though, unfortunately.
Because she was awful. Like the most annoying, rude and childish character I’ve read about in a long time. She felt so sorry for herself and treated everyone so terribly, especially Dom. And I feel like the book tried to justify her behaviour with the fact that her brother had just died, which made me so angry. Like she wasn’t the only one hurting and grieving, and even if that doesn’t give her the right to act this way. I’ve seen children deal with their emotions better than she did.
Now consider that this book has 400+ pages written entirely from her POV and you know why this was a struggle for me.
As for the romance, it also didn’t work for me. For one, they weren’t even exes?! They had one singular hook up like 10 years ago, and then he decided to marry his actual ex THE NEXT DAY because he found out she was pregnant.
And that’s just not something I could forgive. He very literally chose another woman over her one day after they fucked and stayed married to that woman for years (even though there wasn’t even a kid because she had a miscarriage).
It also came across as kind of pathetic for her to still be this upset about it. Instead of hating him so much, she should have been glad that he showed his true colours early on and just moved tf on. Like I would never take this dude back, wtf.
Also there were some really weird things in here that just bothered me sm:
-Dom’s brother tells a room full of people at Josh’s funeral that Maddie was in his teenage spank bank (this is a direct quote) and she found this funny? And not at all weird or gross??
-Maddie and Dom spread some of the ashes at a beach in like knee-deep water, like right at the beach?! But the ashes don’t sink, so she freaks out and starts to press them underwater with her hands, standing right in his ashes. Am I supposed to find this funny??
Just very weird all around.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
___
Trying to catch up on arcs 🏃♀️➡️🏃♀️➡️🏃♀️➡�
November 27, 2024
if i had a nickel for every book with a dead brother who sends his sister and best friend on a scavenger hunt to help them realize theyre meant for each other and ruined me in the process i would have two nickels which isnt a lot but crazy that it happened twice 😭😭😭
lord have mercy when this book showed up in my email i was a little hesitant to go for it because i knew that it would hurt my feelings but once i saw just how many 4 & 5 stars this book had, that even though it was painful SO many people loved this story i just could help myself and knew that the pain would be worth it in the end and man was it ever 😭🩵
reading this book and feeling these emotions are akin to riding the hulk rollercoaster while absolutely plastered in the sense that youre laughing one second and then youre crying the next and then youre scared for whats to come and maybe you feel like throwing up a little because of all of these emotions youre cycling through 💀
this story had me hooked from start to finish, i loved both maddie and dom immediately and by the end of the first trip wanted these two to stop fucking around and be together immediately LOL. i was super glad to see that i didn’t necessarily have to wait very long for it to happen, i was pleasantly surprised by the open door scenes as well i didnt think this book would have any at all tbh!! this was one of my favorite third act break up books ive read because 1) i kinda agreed it needed to happen so maddie could get her shit together to be better for herself & their relationship but 2) because dom never stopped showing up, he did everything in his power to prove he was all in and i really admired that about him 🥹
i think that one of my absolute favorite things about this read was that even though the entire book josh has already passed away you feel like you really got to know him through the characters and his letters, you could just feel the love that he had for everyone and seeing the mark he made on those who were strangers to maddie & dom was very endearing. he is a character that i wish i would have gotten to know prior to his life ending bc he just seemed like one of the best kinds of people🥹
if you are in the market for a sad but very heartwarming and promises to put you back together again by the end of the book then look no further!!
lord have mercy when this book showed up in my email i was a little hesitant to go for it because i knew that it would hurt my feelings but once i saw just how many 4 & 5 stars this book had, that even though it was painful SO many people loved this story i just could help myself and knew that the pain would be worth it in the end and man was it ever 😭🩵
reading this book and feeling these emotions are akin to riding the hulk rollercoaster while absolutely plastered in the sense that youre laughing one second and then youre crying the next and then youre scared for whats to come and maybe you feel like throwing up a little because of all of these emotions youre cycling through 💀
this story had me hooked from start to finish, i loved both maddie and dom immediately and by the end of the first trip wanted these two to stop fucking around and be together immediately LOL. i was super glad to see that i didn’t necessarily have to wait very long for it to happen, i was pleasantly surprised by the open door scenes as well i didnt think this book would have any at all tbh!! this was one of my favorite third act break up books ive read because 1) i kinda agreed it needed to happen so maddie could get her shit together to be better for herself & their relationship but 2) because dom never stopped showing up, he did everything in his power to prove he was all in and i really admired that about him 🥹
i think that one of my absolute favorite things about this read was that even though the entire book josh has already passed away you feel like you really got to know him through the characters and his letters, you could just feel the love that he had for everyone and seeing the mark he made on those who were strangers to maddie & dom was very endearing. he is a character that i wish i would have gotten to know prior to his life ending bc he just seemed like one of the best kinds of people🥹
if you are in the market for a sad but very heartwarming and promises to put you back together again by the end of the book then look no further!!
January 30, 2025
4.25💫
"I messed up. I will again. You had me on a pedestal, and I hurt you when I fell off it. I can't promise you perfection, much as I want to be that man for you. What I can swear is that I will never be the one to leave. I'm yours, Maddie Sanderson. And I'm ready to wait, as long as it takes."
Maddie + Dom💛💛
This was so sweet. The storyline was so sad and i just ached for maddie because she was going through so much. she didn’t want to train someone at work because she didn’t want to give her boss a reason to leave her like everyone else:( thats so sad. Dom was so good to her and picked up all of the pieces to help put her back together. He love love loves her and always has.
I also just adore the twins so much. Best side characters frl!!!
Super easy read and the plot moved pretty fast. I do wish we spent a little more time in each spot visiting where Josh told them to, not just maybe a chapter of half a chapter for each trip. Overall, so sweet, emotional, heartwarming, and just so good!!!!
botm november 2024�
"I messed up. I will again. You had me on a pedestal, and I hurt you when I fell off it. I can't promise you perfection, much as I want to be that man for you. What I can swear is that I will never be the one to leave. I'm yours, Maddie Sanderson. And I'm ready to wait, as long as it takes."
Maddie + Dom💛💛
This was so sweet. The storyline was so sad and i just ached for maddie because she was going through so much. she didn’t want to train someone at work because she didn’t want to give her boss a reason to leave her like everyone else:( thats so sad. Dom was so good to her and picked up all of the pieces to help put her back together. He love love loves her and always has.
I also just adore the twins so much. Best side characters frl!!!
Super easy read and the plot moved pretty fast. I do wish we spent a little more time in each spot visiting where Josh told them to, not just maybe a chapter of half a chapter for each trip. Overall, so sweet, emotional, heartwarming, and just so good!!!!
botm november 2024�
December 20, 2024
hell no
he’s her brothers best friend who she’s had a crush on for ages and they end up hooking up when he’s on a break with his high school sweet heart but the very next day his gf tells him she’s pregnant and they get married but it’s all good bc he only did it to do the right thing and he acc loves the fmc 🤡 yet he had no issue staying w the ow for like 7 years. yeah fuck that
he’s her brothers best friend who she’s had a crush on for ages and they end up hooking up when he’s on a break with his high school sweet heart but the very next day his gf tells him she’s pregnant and they get married but it’s all good bc he only did it to do the right thing and he acc loves the fmc 🤡 yet he had no issue staying w the ow for like 7 years. yeah fuck that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2025
Just finished this book with tears in my eyes.
I’ll be honest—getting through the first 30% wasn’t easy. Maddie, the main character was insufferable at least to me. She is an introvert who avoids risks, shuts people out, and resists others' care or advice. She’s grieving her beloved brother, Josh, who passed away from cancer, and has endured emotional abuse from her mother and grandmother. Maddie works with data, lives a guarded life, and can’t seem to allow herself to simply... cry.
Yet, even though Josh is gone, Connolly’s writing keeps him vivid on every page. His memory lingers as Maddie and his best friend Dominic follow the instructions he left them—eight envelopes, each with coordinates to places where they are to scatter his ashes. But for Maddie, spending time with Dom is painful; he once broke her heart.
While it follows some familiar beats—enemies to lovers and back again—this story is so much more. It’s about healing from loss, family hurt, and the walls we build when those who should love us most let us down. I didn’t understand Maddie’s anger at first, but as her story unfolded, her pain and rejection became so clear—abandonment by her family, and ultimately, losing her brother.
There’s romance, sure, with some steamy moments, but what really stands out is the chemistry and deep history between Maddie and Dom. Their shared past, the eight places Josh sends them, and the love and loss that ripple through each stop make this a tearful journey. Josh’s absence is powerful, and you feel how deeply he’s missed.
I would have liked the author to explore that pivotal day in their youth a bit more, but by the end, I understood why she chose not to.
In the end, this was more than just a romance—it’s a moving story about how, even in death, someone can bring us back together.
Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for the advanced copy!
I’ll be honest—getting through the first 30% wasn’t easy. Maddie, the main character was insufferable at least to me. She is an introvert who avoids risks, shuts people out, and resists others' care or advice. She’s grieving her beloved brother, Josh, who passed away from cancer, and has endured emotional abuse from her mother and grandmother. Maddie works with data, lives a guarded life, and can’t seem to allow herself to simply... cry.
Yet, even though Josh is gone, Connolly’s writing keeps him vivid on every page. His memory lingers as Maddie and his best friend Dominic follow the instructions he left them—eight envelopes, each with coordinates to places where they are to scatter his ashes. But for Maddie, spending time with Dom is painful; he once broke her heart.
While it follows some familiar beats—enemies to lovers and back again—this story is so much more. It’s about healing from loss, family hurt, and the walls we build when those who should love us most let us down. I didn’t understand Maddie’s anger at first, but as her story unfolded, her pain and rejection became so clear—abandonment by her family, and ultimately, losing her brother.
There’s romance, sure, with some steamy moments, but what really stands out is the chemistry and deep history between Maddie and Dom. Their shared past, the eight places Josh sends them, and the love and loss that ripple through each stop make this a tearful journey. Josh’s absence is powerful, and you feel how deeply he’s missed.
I would have liked the author to explore that pivotal day in their youth a bit more, but by the end, I understood why she chose not to.
In the end, this was more than just a romance—it’s a moving story about how, even in death, someone can bring us back together.
Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for the advanced copy!
December 19, 2024
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 with the fmc and ol� brothers best friend 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
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 with the fmc and ol� brothers best friend 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
November 15, 2024
I had high hopes for this book seeing as it’s so highly rated. However, in my opinion, the characters lacked depth of real humans, which fell annoyingly flat on the page. But the most grueling aspect of getting through this 400+ page book was how emotionally immature the main character is, whose toxic inner dialogue is redundant, chapter after chapter. I would not recommend this book to a single person I know.
March 22, 2025
Wow! Such a beautiful story. I had my doubt when I started PS: I Hate You. I was not a big fan of Maddie. It seem she is a bitch. Being resentful of everything. And yet, I fall in love with the story.
Miss Connolly done a perfect job bringing her characters to live. The plot and how she unravel Maddie so I ended up loving her.
This book is brilliant.
5 stars
Miss Connolly done a perfect job bringing her characters to live. The plot and how she unravel Maddie so I ended up loving her.
This book is brilliant.
5 stars
January 18, 2025
*Thank you NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
4.25 Stars!
Watch me reading this book again in the very near future.
Also, drop all your current reads and pick up this book, if you're into the 'chick lit' genre. ;)
I received an email saying that I have access to this book, which I had never noticed before. However, after reading the premise, I know this book is right up my alley.
The topes:
- One bed trope
- Bestfriend's sister
- Second chance romance
- Passed away sibling's last wish
- Brother's bestfriend
- Friends to enemies/strangers to more
- Roadtrip with the person you still have feelings for after many years
4.25 Stars!
Watch me reading this book again in the very near future.
Also, drop all your current reads and pick up this book, if you're into the 'chick lit' genre. ;)
I received an email saying that I have access to this book, which I had never noticed before. However, after reading the premise, I know this book is right up my alley.
The topes:
- One bed trope
- Bestfriend's sister
- Second chance romance
- Passed away sibling's last wish
- Brother's bestfriend
- Friends to enemies/strangers to more
- Roadtrip with the person you still have feelings for after many years
November 19, 2024
Book Of The Month, you did me dirty. I can’t even count the number of times I almost DNF. I think I only kept reading because I paid for it and didn’t borrow it from the library. The main female character is SO ANNOYING. And immature. I couldn’t stand her. Also the cover says, “two exes� they aren’t exes, they were friends and spent one night together. Do Not Recommend.
December 8, 2024
the way this made me violently ill. throwing up. pissing blood. shitting tears. frothing at the mouth. what the fuck.
February 18, 2025
Now, I’m not someone who gets emotional over books, I’m more likely to laugh at a book than cry at one (but this one made me laugh AND cry).
This book is actually laugh out loud funny. Maddie, our FMC, is literally the most snarky and sarcastic woman i’ve ever had to pleasure of reading about. Like, several moments had me genuinely dying of laughter. And Dom, our MMC, can dish it back out too! This was such a funny book while also being a tear jerker!
Maddie’s brother Josh dies, and his final wish is for his ashes to be spread at 8 different locations he didn’t get a chance to visit before dying from lung cancer. The thing is, the task is for Maddie and Dom, her brother’s best friend who Maddie had a complicated history with.
One thing I really liked about this book, is that the timeline isn’t rushed. They don’t visit all locations within a few months and fall in love fast. This book takes place over several years.
I wish this book was longer, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Maddie and Dom yet.
This book is actually laugh out loud funny. Maddie, our FMC, is literally the most snarky and sarcastic woman i’ve ever had to pleasure of reading about. Like, several moments had me genuinely dying of laughter. And Dom, our MMC, can dish it back out too! This was such a funny book while also being a tear jerker!
Maddie’s brother Josh dies, and his final wish is for his ashes to be spread at 8 different locations he didn’t get a chance to visit before dying from lung cancer. The thing is, the task is for Maddie and Dom, her brother’s best friend who Maddie had a complicated history with.
One thing I really liked about this book, is that the timeline isn’t rushed. They don’t visit all locations within a few months and fall in love fast. This book takes place over several years.
I wish this book was longer, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Maddie and Dom yet.
March 2, 2025
Well, this one was a mix of hating it and liking it.
Maddie is in her twenties, a workaholic who hates nothing more than feeling abandoned. It seems this keeps happening to her. The latest person to leave her is her brother, who died of cancer when the book begins.
Maddie tries to avoid everyone and hides in a closet. She doesn't recognize anyone at the funeral. Also, she doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother or grandmother; both seem to despise her.
Josh, her brother, was the one person she could count on. What she wasn’t prepared for was him asking a favor from beyond the grave. He wants her and his best friend, Dominic Perry, to spread his ashes across eight different states he never got to visit. Maddie wishes she could say no because Dominic is the man who broke her heart, and she still harbors a lot of anger toward him.
What could go wrong?
Things I didn’t like:
Maddie was so immature at times (or most of the time), and it drove me insane! She was extremely rude and obnoxious for half the book—or more.
I didn’t like the way she treated her friends.
I hated how she behaved in state number seven.
The reason behind Dominic’s behavior when they were younger.
Things I liked:
The twins.
The descriptions of the views at the places they traveled to.
Maddie’s best friends.
In the end, I won’t say I loved the resolution of their troubles, but I liked it well enough.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
| | |
Maddie is in her twenties, a workaholic who hates nothing more than feeling abandoned. It seems this keeps happening to her. The latest person to leave her is her brother, who died of cancer when the book begins.
Maddie tries to avoid everyone and hides in a closet. She doesn't recognize anyone at the funeral. Also, she doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother or grandmother; both seem to despise her.
Josh, her brother, was the one person she could count on. What she wasn’t prepared for was him asking a favor from beyond the grave. He wants her and his best friend, Dominic Perry, to spread his ashes across eight different states he never got to visit. Maddie wishes she could say no because Dominic is the man who broke her heart, and she still harbors a lot of anger toward him.
What could go wrong?
Things I didn’t like:
Maddie was so immature at times (or most of the time), and it drove me insane! She was extremely rude and obnoxious for half the book—or more.
I didn’t like the way she treated her friends.
I hated how she behaved in state number seven.
The reason behind Dominic’s behavior when they were younger.
Things I liked:
The twins.
The descriptions of the views at the places they traveled to.
Maddie’s best friends.
In the end, I won’t say I loved the resolution of their troubles, but I liked it well enough.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
| | |
January 4, 2025
**Many thanks to Berkley and Lauren Connolly for an ARC provided via NetGalley!**
🚨 UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT! 🚨
Maddie Sanderson is far from the adventurous type...that title belonged to her brother, footloose and fancy free world traveler, Josh. But at just 29 years of age, Josh tragically passes away, leaving a long list of unfulfilled travel destinations in his wake, not to mention a grieving family who just can't believe he is gone. Since his passing is the result of a battle with cancer, however, Josh had some time to think about the sort of legacy and message he wanted to leave behind...and it just so happens he had a bit of a crafty 'game' up his sleeve. His dying wish was for his sister Maddie to visit some of the bucket list destinations he DIDN'T see...sounds like a beautiful way to honor his memory, right?
WRONG. Because Josh added one tiny 'clause' to his postmortem contract...Maddie cannot take these journeys alone. No, it's Josh's best friend Dominic Perry who must travel WITH her...the same Dominic Perry who 'loved her and left her' after uh, one night of 'amore' in their teen years. Dom is obnoxious, and clearly doesn't have any problem breaking hearts...but gosh darn it, he's just so HANDSOME. ( Sorry, I am trying to keep my vitriol out of this summary ...🙄) Despite their snipe filled and snarky relationship, the two begrudgingly agree that it's Josh's way or the highway (or I guess, Josh's way AND the highway?) and set off on a year long quest ( yes, we have to follow them for that long ) to fulfill his requests. But as grief pops up in the most unexpected of places, could the mistakes of the past be forgotten as the two attempt to mend their broken hearts...and end up finding more than just solace in one another? Or will this long, LONG trip be all the proof that Maddie needs that her feelings for Dom should stay locked away with her teenage angst...and she should battle her grief on her own?
Okay, so let's start with the elephant in the room. I don't think I've seen too many other reviews mention this...but this book is either an intentional riff or a twisted rip off of Cecelia Ahern's I mean, I HAVE to think it was intentional due to the plethora of similarities: aside from the obvious one in the title, as the premise includes the deceased loved one (who passed from a tragic, wasting disease) leaves a TRAVEL BUCKET LIST for their loved one to find with missions to complete. This both helps them work through their grief AND find themselves along the way. So throw in an obnoxious sidekick, make the MC insufferable, AND force them to fall in love along the way...and you have this book. But where P.S. I Love You was drowning in empathy, nuance, care, and insight, THIS book was drowning in immature, obnoxious, odd, and frankly insufferable behavior, with next to NO character growth...and that made it feel more like a 'Nolex' masquerading as a Rolex, if you know what I mean.
Aside from the fact that I was so taken aback by the complete lack of acknowledgement (or even a gentle nod!) to the source material, let's get into these characters, as much as I would rather not revisit them. Unlike the utterly lovable Holly in Ahern's book, we get Maddie, a self-described 'immature' girl (and yes, I refuse to call her a woman) who is such a doormat she might as well have 'Welcome' printed on her forehead. I mean, really. She doesn't deal with her feelings of grief in any way, but yet is so hung up on essentially a one night stand where she thought she received a 'pity favor' of activity with Dom that she can't get over it? ALSO. Apparently asthma is essentially the world's scariest disease...at least, that's how it is presented here. One of the only times that Dom acts 'kindly' towards her (TBH, to me it read creepy and possessive) was when he got very angry about her climbing somewhere without her inhaler. I mean, I've known people with asthma and somewhat severe asthma at that...and NONE of this rang true. All it gave me were more reasons to dislike Dom.
...And there are PLENTY of those, trust me. If his behavior towards Maddie in the past wasn't enough of a turn off, when you read the icky set of circumstances that forced his one night with Maddie to BE only one night...you'll like him even less. His character is nothing short of abhorrent. I'm sorry he lost his friend, but losing someone doesn't make you a good person by default. The more time I was forced to spend with him, the LESS I liked him and honestly wished that we could just fast forward to the next letter from Josh and skip ALL of the 'will-they-won't-they' nonsense between Maddie and Josh. Which brings me to my next point, and one of the book's next main pitfalls: you can't have the ONLY likable character be a dead brother. Having to wait for little glimmers of kindness and common decency and even maturity in LETTER format only? Torturous. I couldn't believe we actually had to go through an entire YEAR of traveling with these two...I honestly started to feel like maybe Josh was the lucky one because he just didn't have to be AROUND either of these humans anymore. 🤦♀�
This author also likes to fixate on certain words, enough that they caught my attention from being repeated so often: taciturn is apparently a fave, along with references to areolas, and calling people 'dick bags'. 🙄 The whole book just had an air of immaturity that felt very YA for a novel that was supposed to be tackling grief, love, and have a certain level of emotional depth. There's also a weird passage where Maddie wants to like Dom's arm. (Okay?) If you think things like a dog peeing on you are funny, then you will undoubtedly laugh along with these characters, instead of the cringing I did through 50-60% of this. This not only kept taking me out of the story, but just detracted from every emotional moment that COULD have given this book the grounded feel it so desperately needed. When a travel aficionado such as myself does NOT enjoy a book that allows me to travel all sorts of places...that says it all right there. I kept waiting to feel something...ANYTHING...but all I could bring myself to feel was annoyed.
Have you ever seen those drawings of Disney characters where artists age them up or make them look evil...and while at its core it is familiar, it just feels WRONG? Much like these semi-facsimiles, whereas stands the test of time as a powerful, emotional story, PS I Hate You simply reads like a cheap, unlikable imitation.
3 stars. rounded up from 2.5
🚨 UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT! 🚨
Maddie Sanderson is far from the adventurous type...that title belonged to her brother, footloose and fancy free world traveler, Josh. But at just 29 years of age, Josh tragically passes away, leaving a long list of unfulfilled travel destinations in his wake, not to mention a grieving family who just can't believe he is gone. Since his passing is the result of a battle with cancer, however, Josh had some time to think about the sort of legacy and message he wanted to leave behind...and it just so happens he had a bit of a crafty 'game' up his sleeve. His dying wish was for his sister Maddie to visit some of the bucket list destinations he DIDN'T see...sounds like a beautiful way to honor his memory, right?
WRONG. Because Josh added one tiny 'clause' to his postmortem contract...Maddie cannot take these journeys alone. No, it's Josh's best friend Dominic Perry who must travel WITH her...the same Dominic Perry who 'loved her and left her' after uh, one night of 'amore' in their teen years. Dom is obnoxious, and clearly doesn't have any problem breaking hearts...but gosh darn it, he's just so HANDSOME. ( Sorry, I am trying to keep my vitriol out of this summary ...🙄) Despite their snipe filled and snarky relationship, the two begrudgingly agree that it's Josh's way or the highway (or I guess, Josh's way AND the highway?) and set off on a year long quest ( yes, we have to follow them for that long ) to fulfill his requests. But as grief pops up in the most unexpected of places, could the mistakes of the past be forgotten as the two attempt to mend their broken hearts...and end up finding more than just solace in one another? Or will this long, LONG trip be all the proof that Maddie needs that her feelings for Dom should stay locked away with her teenage angst...and she should battle her grief on her own?
Okay, so let's start with the elephant in the room. I don't think I've seen too many other reviews mention this...but this book is either an intentional riff or a twisted rip off of Cecelia Ahern's I mean, I HAVE to think it was intentional due to the plethora of similarities: aside from the obvious one in the title, as the premise includes the deceased loved one (who passed from a tragic, wasting disease) leaves a TRAVEL BUCKET LIST for their loved one to find with missions to complete. This both helps them work through their grief AND find themselves along the way. So throw in an obnoxious sidekick, make the MC insufferable, AND force them to fall in love along the way...and you have this book. But where P.S. I Love You was drowning in empathy, nuance, care, and insight, THIS book was drowning in immature, obnoxious, odd, and frankly insufferable behavior, with next to NO character growth...and that made it feel more like a 'Nolex' masquerading as a Rolex, if you know what I mean.
Aside from the fact that I was so taken aback by the complete lack of acknowledgement (or even a gentle nod!) to the source material, let's get into these characters, as much as I would rather not revisit them. Unlike the utterly lovable Holly in Ahern's book, we get Maddie, a self-described 'immature' girl (and yes, I refuse to call her a woman) who is such a doormat she might as well have 'Welcome' printed on her forehead. I mean, really. She doesn't deal with her feelings of grief in any way, but yet is so hung up on essentially a one night stand where she thought she received a 'pity favor' of activity with Dom that she can't get over it? ALSO. Apparently asthma is essentially the world's scariest disease...at least, that's how it is presented here. One of the only times that Dom acts 'kindly' towards her (TBH, to me it read creepy and possessive) was when he got very angry about her climbing somewhere without her inhaler. I mean, I've known people with asthma and somewhat severe asthma at that...and NONE of this rang true. All it gave me were more reasons to dislike Dom.
...And there are PLENTY of those, trust me. If his behavior towards Maddie in the past wasn't enough of a turn off, when you read the icky set of circumstances that forced his one night with Maddie to BE only one night...you'll like him even less. His character is nothing short of abhorrent. I'm sorry he lost his friend, but losing someone doesn't make you a good person by default. The more time I was forced to spend with him, the LESS I liked him and honestly wished that we could just fast forward to the next letter from Josh and skip ALL of the 'will-they-won't-they' nonsense between Maddie and Josh. Which brings me to my next point, and one of the book's next main pitfalls: you can't have the ONLY likable character be a dead brother. Having to wait for little glimmers of kindness and common decency and even maturity in LETTER format only? Torturous. I couldn't believe we actually had to go through an entire YEAR of traveling with these two...I honestly started to feel like maybe Josh was the lucky one because he just didn't have to be AROUND either of these humans anymore. 🤦♀�
This author also likes to fixate on certain words, enough that they caught my attention from being repeated so often: taciturn is apparently a fave, along with references to areolas, and calling people 'dick bags'. 🙄 The whole book just had an air of immaturity that felt very YA for a novel that was supposed to be tackling grief, love, and have a certain level of emotional depth. There's also a weird passage where Maddie wants to like Dom's arm. (Okay?) If you think things like a dog peeing on you are funny, then you will undoubtedly laugh along with these characters, instead of the cringing I did through 50-60% of this. This not only kept taking me out of the story, but just detracted from every emotional moment that COULD have given this book the grounded feel it so desperately needed. When a travel aficionado such as myself does NOT enjoy a book that allows me to travel all sorts of places...that says it all right there. I kept waiting to feel something...ANYTHING...but all I could bring myself to feel was annoyed.
Have you ever seen those drawings of Disney characters where artists age them up or make them look evil...and while at its core it is familiar, it just feels WRONG? Much like these semi-facsimiles, whereas stands the test of time as a powerful, emotional story, PS I Hate You simply reads like a cheap, unlikable imitation.
3 stars. rounded up from 2.5
December 20, 2024
3.75 so many good moments, I wanted this to be a 5 star, but there were just a few things that bugged me.
December 18, 2024
I am broken
December 12, 2024
This book made me cry in public
December 1, 2024
ARC provided by Berkley through NetGalley.
4.5 stars! �
This may have pulled me out of my reading slump, but also I think Lauren Connolly needs to pay for my therapy bill after the emotional roller coaster this book put me through.
PS: I Hate You is an exceptionally written contemporary 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 is a complex character that readers will come to love if they give her a chance. She has a lot of emotional pain and anger, stemming from abandonment issues and childhood trauma. As the story unfolds, it was so rewarding to see her work on herself to come to a place where she was able to learn forgiveness and start a healing journey.
The relationship between Dom and Maddie was complicated but so angst filled that I could have read about it for hundreds of pages more. There was a lot of history (and hurt) but from the very beginning of the book it was clear that their chemistry was steamy and I was hooked from chapter 1. One of my favorite aspects of the story was how the book takes place over the course of a couple years, so the pacing felt very natural. I loved following along on their adventurers to give Maddie’s brother and Dom’s best friend, Josh, one final goodbye.
Apparently Rom-Traums are my new favorite genre, because a lot of the romance books I’ve absolutely loved lately have had a healthy dose of emotional trauma sprinkled in. If you enjoy hot, angsty romance, emotional healing, and a super compelling story about love, PS: I Hate You needs to be on your radar.
4.5 stars! �
This may have pulled me out of my reading slump, but also I think Lauren Connolly needs to pay for my therapy bill after the emotional roller coaster this book put me through.
PS: I Hate You is an exceptionally written contemporary 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 is a complex character that readers will come to love if they give her a chance. She has a lot of emotional pain and anger, stemming from abandonment issues and childhood trauma. As the story unfolds, it was so rewarding to see her work on herself to come to a place where she was able to learn forgiveness and start a healing journey.
The relationship between Dom and Maddie was complicated but so angst filled that I could have read about it for hundreds of pages more. There was a lot of history (and hurt) but from the very beginning of the book it was clear that their chemistry was steamy and I was hooked from chapter 1. One of my favorite aspects of the story was how the book takes place over the course of a couple years, so the pacing felt very natural. I loved following along on their adventurers to give Maddie’s brother and Dom’s best friend, Josh, one final goodbye.
Apparently Rom-Traums are my new favorite genre, because a lot of the romance books I’ve absolutely loved lately have had a healthy dose of emotional trauma sprinkled in. If you enjoy hot, angsty romance, emotional healing, and a super compelling story about love, PS: I Hate You needs to be on your radar.
November 22, 2024
first half was so promising but maddie is INSUFFERABLE
January 7, 2025
Ps I hated it
August 16, 2024
Reading this book was an intense and emotional experience for me. The story of losing a brother and the deep grief that follows was portrayed so vividly that I couldn’t help but feel connected to the characters. The author did an incredible job of capturing the raw pain of such a loss, and I found myself deeply moved by the sister's journey through her grief.
As the story unfolded, I felt a deep connection to the sister as she navigated her way through the unimaginable pain of losing someone so close. Her bond with her friend became a lifeline, a way to cope with the overwhelming sadness. Their journey together wasn’t just a physical one, but an emotional and spiritual quest to find meaning and healing. The way they supported each other, even in their own moments of vulnerability, added a layer of depth to the narrative that I truly appreciated.
What struck me the most was how the book balanced the heaviness of grief with moments of hope and connection. The sister's relationship with her friend provided a sense of solidarity and understanding, showing how important it is to have someone by your side during the darkest times. By the end of the book, I felt a sense of closure, not just for the characters, but for myself as well. It was a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and friendship to help us heal.
This story stayed with me long after I finished reading. It was heartbreaking, yes, but also a powerful exploration of loss, love, and the journey toward healing. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeply moving and thought-provoking read.
As the story unfolded, I felt a deep connection to the sister as she navigated her way through the unimaginable pain of losing someone so close. Her bond with her friend became a lifeline, a way to cope with the overwhelming sadness. Their journey together wasn’t just a physical one, but an emotional and spiritual quest to find meaning and healing. The way they supported each other, even in their own moments of vulnerability, added a layer of depth to the narrative that I truly appreciated.
What struck me the most was how the book balanced the heaviness of grief with moments of hope and connection. The sister's relationship with her friend provided a sense of solidarity and understanding, showing how important it is to have someone by your side during the darkest times. By the end of the book, I felt a sense of closure, not just for the characters, but for myself as well. It was a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and friendship to help us heal.
This story stayed with me long after I finished reading. It was heartbreaking, yes, but also a powerful exploration of loss, love, and the journey toward healing. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeply moving and thought-provoking read.
Read
October 31, 2024Why I Love It
By Hannah Brown
I love a road trip. I love a good romance. So I would’ve been happy with a good road trip romance. Imagine my surprise when I read PS: I Hate You and found not only that, but also so much more.
Maddie’s older brother Josh has just died from cancer. Before the full weight of her grief has sunk in, she’s given a last message from her brother. Except, she can’t read it—not alone, that is. In his will, Josh requested that Maddie scatter his ashes across eight destinations he never got to see, and that she do it with his lifelong best friend, Dominic.
The thing is: Dominic and Maddie have history, and it’s not a happy one. After spending years in love with her brother’s best friend, they started a relationship which ended with her heartbroken and him engaged to someone else. Now she will have to travel with him, sharing the last pieces of her brother and remembering the past she wishes to forget.
This is just the book I needed going into the holiday season. Lauren Connolly has written a stunning novel about losing love and finding it again, about discovering solace in memory, and taking comfort in the people around you. I laughed, I cried, I loved every moment living in this story. If you’re looking to read something that will make you feel every emotion and heal you along the way, pick up PS: I Hate You this month!
By Hannah Brown
I love a road trip. I love a good romance. So I would’ve been happy with a good road trip romance. Imagine my surprise when I read PS: I Hate You and found not only that, but also so much more.
Maddie’s older brother Josh has just died from cancer. Before the full weight of her grief has sunk in, she’s given a last message from her brother. Except, she can’t read it—not alone, that is. In his will, Josh requested that Maddie scatter his ashes across eight destinations he never got to see, and that she do it with his lifelong best friend, Dominic.
The thing is: Dominic and Maddie have history, and it’s not a happy one. After spending years in love with her brother’s best friend, they started a relationship which ended with her heartbroken and him engaged to someone else. Now she will have to travel with him, sharing the last pieces of her brother and remembering the past she wishes to forget.
This is just the book I needed going into the holiday season. Lauren Connolly has written a stunning novel about losing love and finding it again, about discovering solace in memory, and taking comfort in the people around you. I laughed, I cried, I loved every moment living in this story. If you’re looking to read something that will make you feel every emotion and heal you along the way, pick up PS: I Hate You this month!
Read
November 14, 2024I needed some fluff after last week's total trash fire, and I almost bailed when I realized Msddie was raw with grief after the loss of her brother. Having lost both my brothers, I emphatically didn't want a romance about losing brothers, and yet the snark in her style caught at me, and before I knew it, I'm going through those pages.
The thing about second-chance, grumpy/sunshine romances is, most of the time the plot is built around a devastation long ago that has been a gaping wound due to total lack of communication. Usually I really dislike this trope, especially when there is no reason for two supposed adults not to take the time to communicate. But Connolly builds in excellent reasons for that not happening--Maddie is deeply angry at having been abandoned by everyone she loved most, that she doesn't see it when she ghosts her beloveds in turn.
How Dom gets through those layers of anger--how Maddie does the work on her own--made the pages turn. I loved the friendships here. I loved the other woman's story. I loved Dom's family, and how Maddie and Dom finally broke the walls down. And how I cackled at Maddie's snark!
The thing about second-chance, grumpy/sunshine romances is, most of the time the plot is built around a devastation long ago that has been a gaping wound due to total lack of communication. Usually I really dislike this trope, especially when there is no reason for two supposed adults not to take the time to communicate. But Connolly builds in excellent reasons for that not happening--Maddie is deeply angry at having been abandoned by everyone she loved most, that she doesn't see it when she ghosts her beloveds in turn.
How Dom gets through those layers of anger--how Maddie does the work on her own--made the pages turn. I loved the friendships here. I loved the other woman's story. I loved Dom's family, and how Maddie and Dom finally broke the walls down. And how I cackled at Maddie's snark!
December 8, 2024
sobbing my eyes out this was so beautiful. literally couldn’t put it down even though i have a flight i have to be awake for in 4 hours lol.
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