I loved ‘PS I love you’, so I was desperate to read the sequel. Imagine my surprise when my netgalley wish was granted by the publisher! I really enjoyed this book. Cecelia Ahern has produced a worthy sequel. I enjoyed seeing what had become of Holly. I preferred to read about Holly and the new characters introduced in the PS I love you club than the flashbacks of Holly and Gerry as I felt their story had been sufficiently explored in the first book - luckily there weren’t too many flash back scenes. As someone who thought the two sequels to ‘Me before you’ were pointless and ruined the legacy of the first book, I am pleased to say I think this sequel is much more successful. It could be read in its own right as a stand alone, but it seems a shame not to enjoy the full Holly and Gerry story and start at the beginning if you haven’t already read ‘PS I love you’. I would like to see a third book in this series. I think there is scope for that after ‘Postscript’.

Cecelia Ahern’s debut novel, P.S I Love You, has touched millions of lives all over the world. With numerous reprints and a Hollywood film under its belt, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had gone as far as it could go. However, this year, Cecelia Ahern is returning to her beloved characters and breathing life into them once more. Postscript, set seven years after the death of Holly’s husband Gerry, invites us back into the world of unexpected letters, rolling Irish hills and the power of infinite love.

My initial reaction when I heard about this sequel was uncontainable excitement; I adored P.S I Love You and whenever I spy it sitting on my bookcase I always wonder what happened to Holly in those years after the letters stopped arriving. Crazy, I know, she’s a fictional character, but Holly and Gerry’s story has stuck with me for years. After the excitement died down I started to panic – what if Holly was married again with kids and a dog and had forgotten all about Gerry?! Would I ever be able to think of her in the same way again?! Would Gerry’s memory still be alive or would people have forgotten about him and moved on? So many questions! So many fears that Postscript would completely change the way I felt about two of my most favourite fictional characters…

As previously mentioned, Postscript is set seven years after Gerry’s death and six since Holly read the last letter. Working in her sister’s shop and spending evenings with her trusted friends, Denise and Sharon, Holly is still adjusting to life without Gerry around. She agrees to take part in her sister’s podcast discussing Gerry’s letters but isn’t prepared for what comes next. A group of strangers, each with life limiting illnesses, have banded together to form the P.S I Love You Club, determined to leave things behind for their loved ones when the time comes. They approach Holly in the hope she will help them fulfil these last wishes and help them live on once they’ve died. Holly panics as a whole host of uncomfortable and upsetting memories arising from Gerry’s death. Were his letters really a gift or did they prolong Holly’s pain? Holly must make a decision. Should she carry on Gerry’s legacy or protect herself from the inevitable heartbreak that will happen all over again?

I fell back into Holly’s world faster than I thought possible. It felt like no time had passed but so much had changed. Cecelia managed to retain the essence of Holly and the rest of her world in this sequel even though years have passed between writing them. It felt like a seamless transition and a beautiful way of continuing their love story. As with all of Cecelia’s books, this one packed a punch and a half. The emotional turmoil that the characters go through is so intense and affected me more than I’d anticipated. It’s been a good while since I’ve shed tears at a book but I found myself crying three times whilst reading this novel. It was moving and honest about death yet somehow beautifully hopeful and optimistic about life.

Huge thanks to Harper Collins for the early review copy via NetGalley.

Postscript is a beautiful sequel to P.S I Love You and is everything I hoped it would be; powerful, poignant and a beautiful reminder that the ones you love will always be in your heart.