PS. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.

Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction — Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

Grace did a really good review of the book here.

The Plot: Holly receives letters, one for each month, instructing her of tasks she must complete each month. Turns out, before her hubby passed away, he wrote these letters. Some are silly, like singing karaoke or buying a bedside lamp. Some are sad, like getting rid of his personal belongings. But they have a purpose, to help Holly move on with her life.

Gerry, the hubby, calls it the list of things to do. It started off as a joke. Holly and Gerry "fight" over who should turn off the bedroom light. Gerry jokes asking, "What will you do when I'm gone." She replies saying her new husband will do it. It's then Gerry says he's going to make her a list of things to do/not to do. #1 being, turn off the light. #2, watch out for the bed post. (because the light is now off and she can't see as she makes her way back to bed.)

We watch Holly do her best to move on with her life. She has her good days and she has her bad. When her best friend, Denise announces she's getting married and her other best friend Shannon, announce she's pregnant on the same day, Holly is genuinely happy for them. But she has those feelings of loneliness, hurt and being left behind.

I really liked this book. It made me laugh, it made me sad, and it made me misty eyed. It made me think what would I do in Holly's shoes. I finished this book in one day cause I had to know what Gerry's tasks were for Holly to complete.

I've heard this is going to be made into a movie starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. Gerard Butler, yummy. Hilary Swank as Holly though. Meh... Can't picture it.

Grade: B+

Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

From naughty children to rebellious teenagers, Rosie and Alex have stuck by each other through thick and thin. But just as as they're discovering the joys of teenage nights on the town and dating disasters, they're separated. Alex's family move from Dublin to America - and Alex goes with them. For good.

Rosie's lost without him. But on the eve of her departure to join Alex in Boston, Rosie gets news that will change her life forever - and keep her at home in Ireland.

Their magical connection sees them through the ups and downs of each others lives, but neither of them knows whether their friendship can survive the years and miles - or new relationships.

And at the back of Rosie's mind is whether they were meant to be more than just good friends all along. Misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck have kept them apart, but when presented with the ultimate opportunity, will they gamble everything for true love?

After reading PS I Love You, I raced out and put my name down at the library for Cecilia Ahern's other books because I just *had* to read them. And today just happened to be my day..so I picked up Where Rainbows End, raced home and started to read it. Now let me tell you..by the third chapter I had probably laughed out loud at least sixteen times. No joke. I just couldn't help myself. The things that Rosie and Alex said when they were but 5 years old..oh it's priceless.

At first, I thought the first chapter of "letters" between Alex and Rosie was just the authors' way of introducing us to the characters and setting the scene..but after the first 5 chapters being the same as the first, I quickly flicked forward (without looking too closely and spoiling the story) and I realised that the entire book was made up of letters, emails, IM-ing, and various other communications like that to tell the story. I was a bit skeptical with this form of story telling and I wondered if any author could pull it off. But amazingly, even though the story was told in letter/email and whatever else format, I was still thoroughly engrossed by the story.

There was not one page in this book that I wasn't cheering on Alex and Rosie wishing and hoping they they'd finally sort through the obstacles and just be together. But I guess Cecilia must like to torture her readers, because I was in absolute agony the entire time..becoming giddy with excitement at the possibility that their HEA is on the rise, and then to have it come crashing down because life happened.

Seriously, I love the whole "The One That Got Away" and the "Best Friend is my soul mate" type plots..but towards the end of this one, I didn't know if my heart could take any more separation between Alex and Rosie. It was so obvious that they needed to be together. I understand that things happen that alter our course in life, but oh my gosh, did Rosie and Alex have so many life changing moments that affected their HEA! I just wanted to shout: Enough already! Haven't they been through enough to prove that they belong together?! I was so upset for them and their missed opportunity. No really, I felt like I was the one being deprived of my HEA.

Personally, I would have been far happier if Alex and Rosie finally sorted through everything a few years earlier than they did, because wow..their battle for love was such a long and hard one. I only wish that they spent of that time together, than trying to sort through their lives.

But even though I would have liked a HEA sooner, I still liked this one very much. I laughed out loud alot, especially in the earlier chapters and I became very teary eyed when I read some entries. You'll see what I mean when and if you read this one. I'd love to say I'd want everyone to read this one..but this one might not be everyone's cup of tea. There's alot of bad timing and life changing consequences from one error in judgement..so you've been warned. But if you can handle that, then I'd say..definitely pick this one up to read.

4/5

Dylan's Review:

Hero: Alex Stewart
Heroine: Rosie Dunne
Category: Chick Lit
Page Count: 400+
Grade: B++

Sometimes you've got to get things wrong a few times before you can get them right.

First off, I didn't think this was the same book that Grace reviewed a while back because it had a different title, but then I started reading the book and by page 7, I was laughing out loud and grinning from cheek to cheek, knowing this was the same book that she was talking about.

I swear, this story was one gigantic emotional rollercoaster for me. I loved it just as much as I hated it and I think I hated the book because it took them SO long to get things right. They just kept going round and round and I didn't know how much I could take anymore.

I totally picked this book up on accident, thinking I was just going to see what the story was like, just kind of browse through this book because I had already just started The Stranger In Her Bed by Janet Chapman.

But I forgot all about Ethan's book (I know the scandal, huh Grace and Jazz?) once I started reading this book. I was so engrossed in this book that my niece, Chloe who is not a reader begged me last night to hurry and finish the book so that she can read it for school. She needs an SSR book and thinks this book will be just perfect for her.

I loved seeing Alex and Rosie grow from young snot nosed kids with magicians at their parties to elementary school kids who hated double maths on Monday. I loved reading all about Rosie's 16th birthday and the trouble that Alex and Rosie got into. I loved everything about this book, except the big IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH crap that kept them from each other, for all those years.

This story, the best friends falling in love storyline is one of my all time favorites and the one that got away, well yeah Grace can tell you all about how much I just love this storylines (it's a storyline love that we both share) and this one fit those both to the tee.

It was great just as it was horrible that so many things got in between these two being together. Cecilia Ahern did a fantastic job of wrapping me up in Alex and Rosie's world, because I was rootin' them on since the beginning, after the book ended though, I felt emotionally drained and I called Grace crying because I was so happy and so worn out by the book, but by golly I did love the book and Alex...gosh I loved me some Alex, even when he was being such a dummy head...

Go read this book! Gosh I want to experience the "silence".

*sigh*

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.

Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed "P.S. I Love You."

As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing - and being braver than ever before.

Life is for living, she realises - but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

My friend Jamie recommended this book to me, after a friend of hers pushed her into reading this. Actually, it was more like: Jamie read one particular section of the book and I demanded to read to know the title of the book so I could get my hands on it. I was gripped by the story even before I knew what hit me.

Here was what Jamie read to me:

PS. I love you. Holly, I know you love me. You don't nee my belongings to remember me by, you don't need to keep them as proof that I existed or still exist in your mind. You don't need to wear my sweater to feel me around you; I'm already here...always wrapping my arms around you.

This story was more about the journey Holly had to trudge through in the months after the recent death of her husband, her love, her best friend. We see how she grieves for the man she had lost, how she tries to put on a brave face for the world to see and we see her at her worst. And then, with the help of Gerry's encouraging letters we have some uplifting moments when Holly tries to embrace her life and continue on without her mate. Even after death, Gerry knew exactly what to say and do to help Holly move on with her life.

My heart hurt for Holly when she was consumed with loneliness while everyone around her seemed to have "moved on" with the rest of the lives. My throat tightened when John (Gerry & Holly's best friend) confronted Holly about locking herself away from the world and expecting it to stop because Gerry was no longer with them. And then my vision blurred when John spoke about his feelings of missing his best friend so openly.

It's not a typical romantic tale with a sure thing happily ever after that many other novels guarantee, but rather this gives us perhaps a more realistic tale containing some poignant moments, some outrageously funny, moments we all wish we never had to experience and also a reminder that a small act of kindness can be remembered and can change someone else's life. PS I Love You may not have the HEA formula attached in the end, but I do think it provides its readers with a sense of contentment. A sense of accomplishment. It wasn't exactly what I had anticipated for it's ending, but like life and something that was preached in this book..not everything turns out exactly the way you plan. So you have to take it as it comes, adjust and finally accept.

I'm so glad Jamie mentioned this book to me, because I really enjoyed it. It was something different, something a touch more realistic and that much more bittersweet. I'm really impressed by Cecilia (I looked her up, and she was only 21 when she published this book!) and I'm definitely looking forward to reading her other books. I've already put myself on her waiting list.

FYI..PS I Love You movie rights have been bought by Warner Brothers so we should probably see this one out on the big screen some time in the future. I can't wait!

4.5/5