4.25

Firstly, a big thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book was truly beautiful, meaningful, and emotional. Maddie's humor throughout the story was fantastic, and the way it was written made me feel deeply connected to her and Dom and their journey through grief.

That said, I wasn't a fan of the "spice" in the book. Honestly, it felt like it was included just to check off a trope, and I don't think it was necessary at all.

Maddie's mother... wow. She infuriated me, especially during the lunch scene. Her cruelty was unbearable.

Chapter 41, the last letter...speechless. The tears escaped me!

Overall, such a great read, the book starts off sweet, cute, and enjoyable, but for me, it lost a bit of its charm when the spice was introduced. However, from Chapter 41 onward, I was in constant tears, utterly invested in the story. I loved it, I felt every emotion.

Will be adding Lauren Connolly to the list of auto read authors!

this was a funny, romantic and exciting enemies to lovers. perfect for people who love the brothers best friend trope.

before maddie’s brother passed away (which happens before the book start and is not a spoiler) he wrote in his will that she and his best friend dominic was gonna go on a road trip and spread his ashes around the country. this was such a unique storyline and it looked good on paper, unfortunately it did fell a little flat. there was many funny and romantic moments in the book but nothing over the top and super exciting. it was fun but i wasn’t kicking my feet thinking about these characters.

it was a fun, short, somewhat emotional read. the perfect palette cleanser

Maddie's brother has died and in his will he tasked Maddie and his best friend Dom with scattering his ashes in the American States he never got chance to visit. However, Maddie and Dom don't get along and Maddie can't think of anything worse than having to spend all this time with Dom. The story takes us on their journey of fulfilling this task and finding out if they can put their past issues behind them.

This was my first book by this author, and I actually quite liked it! A word of warning though, there are some sex scenes which were quite descriptive, so it's definitely more for the adult audience! I liked the enemies to lovers theme, and I really liked Dom's character who was just swoonworthy! Maddie was, for me, a little less likeable, and I didn't like how she treated Dom sometimes. There were plenty of emotional moments throughout the book, especially with the letters from Maddie's brother, and these were written really well.

It was an enjoyable romantic read with plenty of spice, lighthearted at times and moments which pull at your heart strings. The trips to the different locations around America sounded amazing and I enjoyed visiting these places with them. Would recommend!

P.S: I Hate You is a heartwarming, emotional journey as Maddie grieves her brother Josh who tragically died from cancer and he is Dom’s best friend. A contemporary, romance novel that also explores complex family relationships, found family and coping with grief.
The relationship between Dom and Maddie was complicated but they had history from the very beginning of the book and I was hooked.

If you’re a fan of P.S. I love you then you will love this book. This was more than just a romance, it’s a moving story about how, even in death, someone can bring us back together.

Tropes:

Second chance romance
Grief journey
Brother’s best friend
Enemies-to-lovers
Slow burn
Small town
Grumpy sunshine
Forced proximity

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the ARC.

The concept of the book really intrigued me, didn’t find that it was executed very well. I was not very impressed with the main characters, specifically Maddie. She was very unkind to Dom for most of the book. I struggled to wait to root for the characters.

I find the way grief was explored was done well and it was fast paced making it easier to read.

I just struggled with it a lot as maddie infuriated me.

This book is definitely a ride. Captivating from the first chapter, frustrating to no end, bringing to tears (Maddie, girl, I cried for both of us), and at the same time unbearably sweet and hot and even funny. It's a journey of grief, both physical and spiritual, and this pain, this loss the MCs are dealing with hits so hard. Messy, believable characters, found family trope and the second chance romance. Well, the latter one is the sole reason I didn't give it five shining stars, I just don't think Dom earned the second chance (sorry, honey, you did an incredibly stupid thing). Still, loved this story and expect to come back to it someday.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the eARC of this book.

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, let me tell you.

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. Like, 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 or…?

Just very weird all around.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this novel fell at its first (and arguably biggest) hurdle – I just didn’t like the main character. I found her behaviour to be immature and her connection to her love interest to be unfounded.

Maddie wasn't very nice to Dom for a large chunk of the story. I understood that her brother had just died and Dom had done something unforgivable (and for a long time nameless) to her, but introducing her character as this prickly person straight away made it tough for me to get on her side. She just came across as immature and petty, and never really developed as the plot progressed.

Maddie’s behaviour towards Dom didn't make me want them to get together. When I was still in the dark about what Dom had done to her in the past, I felt like he didn’t deserve her vitriol. When I did find out, my opinion of him changed. Despite him trying to make up for his mistakes, I still felt like Maddie and Dom were not a good couple. They needed to work on their communication skills before leaping into a relationship.

I appreciated the story's relatively fast pacing. However, when Maddie and Dom eventually made the gear shift from ‘enemies’ to lovers, I felt like this transition was too fast. Unfortunately, to me this book had so much wasted potential.

I love, love, love this book. Heart achingly beautiful, I adored the main characters and the journey they take on together. Beautifully explores love, loyalty and family. More please!

"And do you see me now?"
"You're all I see."

Rating: 3.5/5

- brother's best friend
- hate to love
- grief journey
- 🌶️🌶️/5
- single pov
- narration by Karissa Vacker

POV: When your brother passes, he leaves you and his best friend (who broke your heart years ago) a set of instructions to scatter his ashes in the eight states he never visited.

This didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It could've been because I listened to a five-star audiobook beforehand. But it took me a while to warm up to Maddie. I understand and appreciate that everyone's grief journey differs.

However, there's so much emphasis on her animosity towards Dom. The tagline on the cover even calls them exes when they only shared a brief moment seven years ago, which initially rubbed me the wrong way.

Things do look up when she finally stops hating Dom and starts to understand him better (his need for control and to take care of others). She thinks her brother pairs them together so she can take care of Dom. But then she also doesn't tell her best friends about Dom, which rubbed me the wrong way again 😅. Are we sensing a pattern?

She's a difficult character to fall for. Luckily, she's surrounded by lovable characters, including sweet, honest, and flawed Dom, his brothers, and her friends. They bring the story to life. I also love that their relationship centres around travel (I'm a traveller at heart, after all).

Finally, Karissa Vacker is the perfect narrator for single POV, as I love her male voice.

While this might not have been my favourite book, I can see why others adore it.

📝 Loss and bereavement
❤️ Second Chance romance
📝 Forced Proximity
❤️ Brother's best friend

Paraphrased Summary ~
Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that he 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. Her brother's life-long best friend, and the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart.
They embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

✨️ Warning: a few soft spoilers ahead. ✨️

This was one of the most beautiful books I've read. I know it's only January, but it for sure will be one of my top books of 2025.

The emotions are so raw. The writing is incredible and conveys so many complex feelings perfectly. Maddie is such an interesting character: she wears her heart on her sleeve but equally suffers internal battles to keep her vulnerability and insecurities hidden. The way she navigates her own thoughts and feelings is so realistic and something I feel so many people will be able to relate to.

Dominic Perry: goodness me. What can I say? I love him. I completely viewed him through Maddie's lense (as narrator). At first, I found him annoying and stiff and far too serious. As we come to learn more about him and Maddie's guards slowly come down, I couldn't help but fall in love with his character right along with her!

Perfect book. Made me cry. A bit of spice also sprinkled in.

5 stars, 100%!

Wow. *P.S. I Hate You* was one hundred percent a five-star read. This book was absolutely amazing. I read it overnight in two sittings. Lauren has created a masterpiece with the characters she has crafted, the plot, the writing style… everything about this read was wonderful.

*P.S. I Hate You* tells the story of a girl and her brother's best friend, who also happens to be her enemy, as they embark on a beautiful tribute journey for her deceased brother to spread his ashes across multiple states. The author handles the topic of grief with so much sensitivity and the respect that it deserves. Even though this book deals with some very heavy topics, it is done with a beautiful and intricate mix of somberness and laughter, making this a perfect read.

Lauren’s characters are truly beautiful, and the plot is paced superbly, making this read a page-turner. Once you start, you don’t want to stop. There is a beautiful romance story that emerges from the pages, with great spice for all the spice lovers. The relationships that unfold within this book are so heartwarming. This book takes you to a number of different locations with the characters, with Lauren describing all of them so perfectly that, as a reader, you truly feel like you are there. I absolutely loved this story, and I don’t have anything negative to say, nor any critiques to pick out. Lovers of the brother's best friend x enemies to lovers x found family x second chance tropes will eat this book up. The tropes are woven into the plot so well and fit the story perfectly. Romance readers are going to adore this story, so make sure to grab a copy as soon as you can.

Thankyou for the gifted copy. Check out @brydzandherbooks for more reviews and bookish content.

I may or may not have shed a tear (or more) reading this book.

After her brother’s tragic death from cancer, Maddie finds herself embroiled in a scavenger hunt she can’t refuse, with the one man she hoped to never see again. With 8 letters, 8 destinations and 8 lots of ashes, Maddie and Dom follow Josh’s instructions and may even find themselves in their grief along the way.

So very good, with hilarity, romance, spice, loss, and so much more!

The emotion contained within these pages was perfectly balanced by the rom-com elements, and tears were followed by giggles at Maddie's shenanigans and sarcasm. Dom was pure book-boyfriend material, with his constancy, supportiveness and dedication to fulfilling his best friend's final wishes.

When I picked up PS: I Hate You, I knew I was in for a second-chance romance, but this book delivered so much more than just the tropes I expected. Sure, it’s packed with some of my favorites—grumpy-sunshine moments, road trips, and forced proximity—but what really pulled me in was the emotional depth.

The story centers around Maddie and Dom, two characters thrown together in a whirlwind of grief, old wounds, and… well, a shared mission to honor her brother’s last wish. I couldn’t help but laugh at the biting humor and Maddie’s inner monologues, which perfectly captured her struggle to deal with Dom’s infuriating charm. Speaking of Dom—ugh, he’s that kind of hero you want to hate but can’t help falling for.

The dynamic between them was sizzling yet layered with so much heartache that I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Every interaction between them felt like a mix of fireworks and unresolved tension. And then there were those moments on their cross-country journey—equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking—that made me feel like I was riding shotgun on their emotional rollercoaster.

Admittedly, the storyline isn’t groundbreaking (second chances aren’t a new trope), but the little twists made it unique and captivating. I found myself crying my heart out at the heartfelt moments while still rooting for Maddie and Dom to find their way back to each other.

By the end, I was a puddle of emotions and left wondering if I was still mad at Dom or just completely in love with him. If you’re a sucker for messy emotions, grief-tinged romance, and sizzling chemistry, this one is for you. Lauren Connolly absolutely nailed the balance between humor and heartache.


Thank you to Quercus Books for gifting me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I wasn't sure where this would lead but it was super cute with a small dash of spice, it was heartbreaking and heart warming all at once. There was up and downs and everything in between.

Baddie, loses her brother, her life line, her only supportive family member! Dom, Josh's best friend, is sent on a road trip around 8 states to spread his ashes,

I feel the FMCs hatred towards the MMC was a bit too much sometimes but the dynamic as a whole was great. I loved Maddies Sarcasm and oddities. Dom was so swoon worthy cute.

Spice wise it was OK, not too spicy which is good for minimal spice lovers, very demure.

Over all I enjoyed this, I would recommend.

4.25 Stars!

This book made me feel all of the feelings and I am definitely going to read it again in the near future.

Maddie returns home for the funeral of her brother after fleeing when her heart is broken his best friend. Her brother’s last wishes were that they scattered his ashes in different states, and at each destination left them a letter to read.

The author did a great job of making the story feel authentic, and you really felt Maddie’s grief come through. I loved that Maddie’s brothers was kept as the forefront of the story and you felt like you knew him!

While this story has romance in it, and some of it steamy, you do feel connected to the characters and shows you despite losing the one person you cared for, they ensured you were put back together again and found true happiness.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this poignant hate-love, late brother's best friend story with added road trip, forced proximity and a hint of second chance at love tropes. After about a quarter of the book I wanted to give up because Maddie's aggressive and sarcastic nature really annoyed me, but now in hindsight I'm really glad I kept reading. Her lack of self-worth, her self-sabotage, her dysfunctional relationship with her obnoxious family apart from her late brother, her fears, her vulnerability and her bouts of asthma were palpable and painful to witness as the story progressed.
The well written story is intense and full of pent-up emotions, angst, grief, drama, heartwrenching and heartwarming moments, interesting geographical tidbits, romance and steamy love scenes. I especially loved the letters and assignments that Maddie's late brother Josh left for her and Dom. They always made me smile and cry. I really liked Dom’s character. He is stoic and supportive. At first I thought it was a shame that the story was only told from Maddie's perspective, but I realised over time that the story couldn't have been told any other way.
There are also lots of endearing secondary characters who stood by Maddie and what really touched me was that Josh, although already deceased, influenced a large part of the story and the readers were still able to get to know and love him.

At her brother Josh's funeral service, Maddie meets his best friend and her childhood crush Dom, who broke her heart years ago and whom she has avoided ever since. Josh was her anchor and she finds it hard to let him go. Unexpectedly, Josh leaves her and Dom a series of coordinates that they must visit together to scatter some of his ashes and read the accompanying letter he has prepared for each stop on their journeys.
Maddie hates Dom from the bottom of her heart, but they keep travelling together anyway to fulfil Josh's last wish and realise over time that the tasks are more profound than expected...

If you like emotional romance novels that make you smile and tear you up, you are sure to enjoy this book.

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

I loved this book!! (even tho it made me cry several times...it was worth it tho)

This book is so tender and loving and also a bit angsty and just really all the emotions

The book is set over several years which I loved as you really got to see the main character process all the emotions and it didn't feel too rushed (or too drawn out)

I really enjoyed the main characters and love seeing their relationship grow and change

Even tho Josh isn't actually a character in this book I really feel like I got to know him

I loved the physical journey that we went on with the characters and them exploring all these places

Spoilers about the MMC and the 3rd act conflict: I knew his previous marriage was dodgy from the start but the plot twist on why and subsequent feelings from his ex wife surprised me, like I didn't see the twist happening

- second chance
- brothers best friend
- childhood friends to hooking up to enemies to lovers
- long time mutual crushes

Thank you to Quercus for the eARC - all opinions are my own

3.5 Stars

Being in love with your brother’s best friend is hard. Being in love with your brother’s best friend who rejected you and then asked his ex to marry him the day after you hook up with him? Arguably the worst. That is why Maddie moved across the country years ago to get away from the man who broke her heart. Now, her brother has passed, and he has sent her and his best friend on a trip to 8 different states to spread his ashes. Maddie cannot imagine saying no, but she can’t imagine anything worse than spending so much time with a man she hates. But, as they travel across the US and take in the extraordinary land Maddie’s brother wanted them to experience, maybe they can find some common ground.

This book pulled at my heartstrings. It was heartfelt, cheesy at times, but it really made you cherish the characters, and want them to grow. I think my favorite part was that the end wasn’t initially all tied up with a bow like so many romance novels do. These characters had to work for it, and that felt special to me.

If you like an enemies to lovers, a she fell first, he fell harder, or a brother’s best friend trope, this book is for you. There’s a tiny miscommunication trope as well, but in this case, I’ll allow it.

Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Connolly, and Quercus Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.