Review & Giveaway - - PS: I Hate You

PS: I Hate You

by Lauren Connolly

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at her brother's funeral, she would have killed him for this.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.

Santa Says:

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a five star read with engaging characters and breathtaking places and people. I will warn you to have tissues handy. You’re going to need them because this rom-com will test your fortitude. Don’t worry there will be happy and sad tears in equal portions. 

The main character, Maddie and her brother Josh were very close having grown up with a verbally and emotionally abusive grandmother, a self-absorbed mother and the less said about the father, the better. Actually, the less said about this trio of losers, the better. Josh and Maddie were each other’s anchors. Maddie's life is turned upside down by her brother's year-long battle with cancer. It’s a battle that he loses at the tender age of 29. A lifelong adventurer and outdoor photographer, he traveled the world. His dying wish outlined in his will is that his sister spread his ashes in eight places in the United States that he never got to see. Maddie is more than happy to fulfill his wishes except he wants her to make the trip with his best friend Dom Perry.  Maddie would rather eat glass than spend any time with the boy, er man, who broke her heart.  

Growing up, their only other source of normalcy and security came from Josh’s childhood best friends Dom and Rosaline. Maddie was the younger sister always at their heels. From an early age Maddie worshipped Dom Perry and basked in the warmth of his family. Dom and Rosaline were high school sweethearts but broke up for a brief time while in college. After a romantic interlude with Dom during that break, Maddie came upon Dom proposing to Rosaline. Oh, yes he did! Heartbroken, Maddie went far away to college and purged Dom from her heart. 

However, Maddie agrees to go on this excursion across the country with a now divorced Dom. What they discover along the way is that Josh has picked some pretty incredible places to spread his ashes. They also discover who they really are as individuals. Old hurts and betrayal come to the surface and misunderstandings come to light. And, yes, there is a snow storm and an inn with just one bed! Thank you romance trope gods! There is also a mind blowing revelation that I didn't see coming at all! I love those kinds of surprises. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have always liked younger sister in love with brother’s best friend stories but this one was layered with so many emotions. I cried for Josh gone much too soon. I lost my own brother when he was only 44 years old. Twenty years later, it still leaves an ache, especially during the holidays. But Josh played Maddie and Dom like fiddles in bringing them together. Well done, Josh and well done, Lauren Connelly. I look forward to more from this author.

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Readers, have you read any books by Lauren Connolly?

Do you enjoy books that elicit deep emotional responses?

What are the places (world-wide) that you'd like to see?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 8 will receive a print copy of PS: I Hate You.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18