When Maddie’s travel photographer brother Josh dies, she’s forced to fulfil his final wishes to spread his ashes in eight destinations with Dom, his best friend and the man who broke her heart seven years ago. Over two years we see how grief affects both, with Josh ever-present through his letters and the adventures he sends them on. Dom, the responsible, caring protector, unable to save his best friend. While spiky Maddie struggles with her feelings for Dom. Growing up with a neglectful, narcissistic mother and grandmother, Josh was her only family, so her ability to trust is non-existent and her abandonment sky high.

This book tugged at my emotions, Connelly deftly conveys Maddie and Dom's grief while carefully weaves a slow burn romance, as the enmity gives way to a tenuous friendship, before love. There’s a few twists thrown in – one I guessed and the other unfortunately signposted in the content warning (publishers – yes to warnings, but please keep the spoilers on a back page and tell people to go there for the full list). The secondary characters – Rosaline, Jeremy, Tula and Dom’s twin brothers Adam and Carter were also fantastic.

This book exceeded my expectations with its wit and snark, pathos and characters that jumped off the page. For days after reading this I had a massive book hangover, thinking about the characters as they felt so real. I had a giant hole in my heart with their grief and also the seven years of missed opportunities for everyone. It reminded me a lot of ‘Ten Years’ by Pernille Hughes which had a similar premise, and I highly recommend. Have the tissues ready for this!

Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the ARC.

A great read with heartbreaking undertones and a hot romance at its core - this is a book that really tugs at the emotions. I loved the journey that Dom and Maddie took, and the fact they took the reader with them at every step.

Absolutely loves this book. Dark humour, it's funny, enjoyable 7% into it and was loving it. Very real.n
Main character really relatable and funny.

Unsure why we have to be reminded how tall the mmc is, which is annoying but doesn't ruin the story for me.

I loved how the mfc was so self aware of herself and how she knew she was treating people sometimes badly, she didn't want too but it's how she protected herself.

⭐ 5 tear stained stars

what the hell 😭 it was so brutally soul and heart breaking, I had to stop reading a few times and pull myself together cause I couldn't see through my tears and I loved it.. seriously, what the hell 😭 ?! the portrayal of grief and all the emotions that can accompany it was perfect - Maddie and Dom go on an emotional journey to fulfill Josh's last wishes during which they try to deal with their own emotions and repair their damaged relationship - a perfect mix of pain, sadness interwoven with humor that makes you laugh through tears of sadness. This book broke me in the best way, I'd like to thank the author for this journey.

P.S.: Get your tissues ready

Binged this book in 1 day! I loved it so much. Maddie was such a raw protagonist, and even when she was being harsh you could understand her grief. I loved that the timeline wasn’t rushed and was spread over multiple years, but didn’t feel like it was dragging. It made the progression of the story seem really natural. Misunderstandings at the end were a little annoying but within the context, I was able to understand where everyone was coming from. Definitely excited for more reads from this author!

This one give you food for thought with the characters dealing with loss so it can be a lot but overall it’s a beautiful and amazing read so please soldier through if you can the result is worth it !!

I haven’t devoured a book like this in so long. I cried so much. I felt physically sick, I even found I couldn’t breathe at times 😭😭😭😭 The way this book made me feel? Indescribable.

Why is it the best books are always the hardest to praise? Words cannot do this beautiful book justice. It reminded why I love this genre. Go read this right now but just make sure you have tissues, a full day to yourself to binge and remember to breathe 🧸

This may be my unrealised favourite kind of romance. It reminded me of you with a view in the travelling with your ‘enemy’ for a loved one and I loved that as well.

Maddie is grieving, she has to fulfil her dead brother’s request and in order to do that she has to do it all with his best friend aka her ‘enemy’. Of course they bond, of course the miscommunication but they also learn to trust each other and open up, lean on each other. The story is drawn out over a few years and so the sense of grief is matched to the timeline but also you can get on board with the build up of these two MCs. Dom has his own grief and a secret to tell. When they have their epic fallout and Maddie pushes Dom away I like that it isn’t just a one epic declaration of love and they live happily ever after, I like that it is still that and so much more.
This was amazing to read and so well written I am looking out for what comes next!

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and provide my honest review

Book - PS. I hate you / Lauren Connolly

♾️

I don’t think I’ve given a book infinity rating yet (well since I’ve been reviewing)

I freaking LOVED this book. Maybe im just emotional at the moment but boy, the way this book broke my heart then made me laugh a second later.

Let’s start at the beginning, which is the end of Maddies brother Josh’s too short life. We meet Dom, her brothers best friend, who we can tell she’s had some sort of fling with which didn’t end well. Yeah she’s a bitch to him, but she just lost her brother and she needs to vent at someone. Dom becomes the perfect outlet.

Up to 30% in, I’m like, ok girl, I get you hate him, but you know, give the guy a break…. And then we relive THE scene that brought about these feelings. And let me tell you, I HATE HIM TOO!! Girl I have your back.

But reading through their journey together to say goodbye to the brother and best friend they lost, you start to get an inkling that this guy is ok, there must be more to the story.

It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking but at the same time laugh out loud story. So so many highlights to share with you, just of Maddies sarcastic humor(which I’m totally here for!) and her heartbreaking battles with insecurities.

I can’t make you read this book, but you NEED to read this book!!

The tea ☕️

💔 - journey through grief
⚔️ - haters to lovers
🗺️ - forced proximity trips
🛌 - one room
😒 - moody MMC
🌦️ - grumpy/sunshine
❤️ - 2nd chance
🚫 - brothers best friend


—- HIGHLIGHTS —

Dear Control Freak,
On my way.
Sincerely,
I Don’t Use Phones Because That’s How The Aliens Find You

Somewhere in the world, he’s angrily growling my name, and that brings me an immense amount of satisfaction.

But he still looks hot, fuck him very much.

“Can you tattoo this on me? Exactly as he wrote it?” I hold the precious letter out to Reggie and point to the signature. Love, Josh

“I know the world tells us that we need a mom and dad. But we don’t, Magpie. We need each other. You have me. Always.”

Has a woman ever wanted to both strangle and fondle a man so much?

“And do you see me now?” I whisper, the sound more vulnerable than I ever thought I’d let myself be with Dominic Perry again. He doesn’t hesitate on his answer. “You’re all I see.”

It feels like more. Like all the barriers I put in place have cracks in them and Dom is finding his way through to the center of me. And having him here, so close to my heart, is wonderful and terrible. Because I don’t know how to trust it. How to trust him.

I don’t know when it happened. Maybe I’ve been breaking every day of my life. Little fractures that have slowly built into the shattering, and now I am simply pieces of a person that I have to hold together with my own will. Without the help of anyone else. Because how can I trust that their hold will remain? How can I trust anyone else to keep the pieces of me together? I can’t even keep the pieces of me together.

He looms once more, voice deep with warning. “Get this straight, Maddie. I won’t go.”

“No, the ridiculous man presses a kiss against my hair, then speaks to me in a low soothing voice

“And I love him so much I think it’s a mortal wound.”

Maddie Sanderson is tasked with fulfilling her late brother Josh's final wish: to scatter his ashes across eight destinations he had hoped to visit before his life was cut short by cancer. However, Josh adds an unexpected twist—he arranges for Dominic Perry, his lifelong best friend and the last person Maddie wants to see, to accompany her on the trip.

Bound by their shared grief but separated by a painful past, Maddie and Dom embark on a poignant journey. As they travel to each destination, memories resurface, forcing them to confront their unresolved emotions. Their relationship takes a surprising turn when a snowstorm traps them together, leaving Maddie to wonder if Josh was trying to play matchmaker from beyond the grave. Yet, the scars of the past still linger, threatening to keep them apart.

I truly enjoyed watching the relationship between Maddie and Dom evolve. There were moments that made me smile, others that brought tears to my eyes. Their story felt heartfelt and real, and Josh’s presence was felt strongly through his connection to each character, adding depth and warmth to the narrative.

The book also touched on Maddie’s difficult upbringing and her complex relationship with her mother. While heartbreaking, these moments added emotional layers without detracting from the central story of Maddie’s journey to say goodbye to her brother.

Overall, this was a deeply touching and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy!

Wow what an emotional roller coaster! When I started this I thought it was just going to be another Rom com. Maddie pissed me off to no end throughout the entire book but I think that’s the sign of great character development.

This covers so many important topics like grief and learning to trust and love people. I was sobbing my heart out at the end and I think I need to lie in a dark room for a bit.

Would recommend !!

Wow! I just finished this and it was fantastic! Will fully review when I’ve had more time but I will say it was just the perfect mix of everything you want in a modern romance. The characters the storyline’s and the ending - perfection!!

I am actually speechless, a story like this one does not come around very often. I was hooked from page 1, maddie is so relatable that you feel every emotion she does. The way the author has written is incredible, i was crying one minute and laughing the next. I thought this was going to be a typical romantic novel but it was so much more than that.
And the relationships they all have is so well written they feel real, i felt the emotions from dom about his brothers friendship with maddie before he spoke and it was done in such a joyful way. The ending was spot on, everything tied up neatly. Absolutely fantastic!

Firstly, thank you so much to Quercus, Netgalley & Lauren for the opportunity to read The ARC of PS. I Hate You in exchange for honest feedback 🫶🏻

This was an absolute pleasure to read & I have never related to a character more. Maddie Sanderson has been through a horrific time after losing her brother (Josh - the light in her life) to cancer and deals with it through sarcastic humour & snapping at everyone, especially those closest to her. Rather than opening up about her true feelings & fears and showing her vulnerable side, she suffers alone with the worry that everyone will leave her 🖤✨️

Queue Dom... the looming best friend of Josh & a guy that Maddie had a huge crush on years ago, until she didn't - I'll say no more! 👀 They have a wee bit of history, and it's safe to they're not a huuuge fan of each other when they're forced into becoming travel companions 🫣 🛩

For a story that you'd expect to be raw, dark, vulnerable and emotional (which it absolutely is - I cried a couple of times! 😭), Lauren injects perfectly placed humour which shows that everyone deals with their grief in their own way, and that it's okay that everyone deals with it differently.

This story hit me pretty hard because I lost my little sister in 2003 when she was 9 & I was 11; she was born with a rare genetic condition, so different circumstances, but this book felt like a heavy, warm blanket over my shoulders that made me feel less alone and like someone understood 🦋

I genuinely loved everything about this story & it will stay with me for a long time. I'll be recommending it to everyone 🖤 This is my favourite book of the year & it will absolutely be added to my all-time favourites list.

🦋 'Just Keep Living' 🦋

Maddie Sanderson embarks on a heartfelt journey to fulfil her late brother’s dying wish, scattering his ashes across eight states he never got the chance to visit. But she’s forced to share this bittersweet adventure with Dominic Perry, her brother's best friend and the man who broke her heart years ago. As they navigate stunning landscapes and confront their tangled past, an unexpected snowstorm brings them closer than ever, sparking questions about whether her brother's spirit might be orchestrating a second chance for them. With grief and old wounds resurfacing, Maddie must decide if she can trust Dom again and whether this journey is truly about honouring her brother’s memory or finding a new path forward with the man she once loved.

I received an advance copy of this book to review from Quercus Books, via NetGalley. I really appreciated the opportunity to do this!

I so rarely describe a book this way, but this was life-changing. I am struggling to come up with the words to accurately convey how good this book is, and how much I loved it. I was hooked a few pages in, and the story consumed my thoughts from every moment thereafter.
This is not only a beautiful romance, but a raw and honest journey of grief.
I was smiling, laughing, crying, swooning...you name it! And sometimes multiple of those from the same page. I felt every emotion as if I was Maddie. I felt her grief. I understood her insecurities. I celebrated her triumphs. And I definitely live for her snarky humour.

Lauren Connolly - you and your team have done something so special here. This book deserves every accolade sent its way. I look forward to seeing this grace the best seller's lists when it's released!

I could not recommend this book more. Please read it!

Thank you again!