It was a sweet book and a good read if not entirely unrealistic. The characters met and fell in love I felt like in the span of a day. There wasn’t much action mainly just cooking and funerals, but it did showcase ptsd and I feel like the author did a good job of adding that aspect in. The plot was a little thin at times, and the characters didn’t have a lot of depth but they were likable.

"𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬."

☆☆☆☆/5

Read if you like:
Steel Magnolias & Fried Green Tomatoes
Cross-generational closeness
Small town community
Second chance romance
Humor
Multiple POV x 3
Mental health rep

Synopsis: This tale unfolds as a story of love and commitment within a small-town community. Esther and the Funeral Ladies work tirelessly to comfort mourners through the soothing power of food.

Unfortunately, Esther falls victim to an internet scam, endangering her home. Her Gen Z granddaughter, Iris, and the community unite to prevent the loss, but the question remains if Esther will allow their intervention.

Amidst changes in the small town, Iris, fiercely loyal, sees everyone move on when Cooper and his half-sister arrive as mourners. As they arrive, she feels she may have found a way to ease her unhappiness and has found the missing piece of her heart.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book very much! What resonated strongly with me was the tight-knit and devoted relationships among Esther's family and friends, coupled with the well-placed humor throughout. The writing was smooth and well-crafted, prompting my eagerness to return home from wherever I was just to continue reading!

There are some intricate and weighty themes, but it is refreshing that some of them involve mental health representation. I encountered only one issue, which may be subjective and didn’t diminish the overall excellence of this book.

There are also mentions of faith and religion, but again, not a deterrent.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @avonbooks for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. And thank you, @claireswinarski for these wonderful characters!

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski was a captivating story.
With relatable and endearing characters.
I really enjoyed the setting. Being in a small town in Wisconsin was a great change of scenery.
I thought it was well written and it held my attention so that’s something.
I will most definitely pick up Swinarski’s next title.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. Then, the description of 'a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a mysterious young man work to bring a community together' sounded like a fun uplifting read. I love the idea of 'The Funeral Ladies', the power of women, friendship and community coming together through food to help other families and the community. I was excited to read how that would unfold.

Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed.
I would have loved more interaction of the funeral ladies, but I enjoyed all the characters in the book from the Grandma's to the Priest and the younger generation getting involved. Lots of great characters and the family bond is great.
A few parts felt a little disjointed where I had to go back a couple pages and re-read something to help it make sense.
The story deals with some heavy topics, but is filled with wisdom. Some trigger/content warnings would be helpful for the beginning of the book. Flashbacks, PTSD, emotional abuse, and alcoholism are also prevalent.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend. I give it a 3.5 - 3.75 rounded up to a 4. I can't wait to see this book in person once it goes to print.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books/Harper Voyager for the ARC, and @claireswinarski
#NetGalley #TheFuneralLadiesofEllerieCounty #ClaireSwinarski #AvonBooks #HarperVoyager

I loved the book. Growing up in a small town I can relate to the characters. My grandmother being heavily involved in church brought back home. It is a lovely read.

This charming book set in northern Wisconsin is easy to read, with complex characters facing challenges that readers will relate to. The author draws on recent headlines and weaves the storyline between facing personal challenges and tugging at your heartstrings. I really enjoyed it and think our readers will too!

You don’t know, do you? You don’t know you were empty until you’re suddenly full.”

Esther and her friends have made countless casseroles, pies, and cream of something sides for the funerals of Ellerie County for as long as they have called the Northwoods of Wisconsin home. They are the behind the scenes helpers, keeping life smooth. But when Esther falls for an internet scam that leaves her family home in peril, the Funeral Ladies - and Esther’s family - rally together. They have an unexpected help in Cooper Welsh, the son of a Food Network star and beloved daughter of Ellerie, home for his mother’s untimely funeral. When Cooper strikes up a relationship with Esther’s granddaughter Iris, Esther sees the beginnings of her own love story with her husband - complete with very familiar complications.

This book has all the makings of a Hallmark movie, on paper, but don’t dismiss it as soapy or bubbly, despite the romance imprint. The Funeral Ladies is a tender, lovely book about complex topics - PTSD, the continued utility and infantilization of the elderly - swirled with the simple: love, community, hope.

** Thank you to Avon Books for a review copy in exchange for an honest review. **

The book covered a lot of great topics, and I loved Esther’s POV. I wish the book focused more on the actual funeral ladies instead of Iris and Cooper. Overall, very enjoyable and easy to read, shows the charm of a small town and the importance of community. I would have liked the ending to be a bit better developed.

I loved the premise of this novel and thought it was charming at times. I didn’t care for the storyline about PTSD though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Claire Swinarski's middle grade fiction, so requested this ARC expecting the same depth. This one, however, wasn't my favorite. I didn't hate it either. I'd describe the novel's tone as a cross between the Christian movie, Fireproof, and a Christmas Hallmark. The tone doesn't lend itself to the surprisingly generous amount of profanity littering the dialogue, The characters, outside of Esther, are cliche. The plot is predictable. Still, I willingly sunk into the story each time I picked up the book. Ellerie, WI is a dream. I have friends who will love this book, but I'm not recommending it to everybody.

"The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County" is a story of family. Family by blood and family by choice are treated equally in this story. This story follows Esther, a widowed grandmother, and her family as well as the family of superstar chef, Ivan Welsh. When Ivan and his children, Cooper and Cricket, arrive in Ellerie under horrific circumstances, the Funeral Ladies ensure they feel welcome through this tricky period.

Esther, too, has her own share of trouble and must lean on her family for help. Her daughter, Fran, and granddaughters, Iris and Olivia, will stop at nothing to help sweet Esther. These women are all very close and will always look out for each other, even if it means saying something that could be upsetting to family.

As the story progresses, we see some deeper topics and themes such as PTSD, sickness, abuse, alcoholism, and grief.

My initial draw to this text was that it takes place in the Midwest. Having been born and raised in Missouri, I appreciated the consistent attention to detail of the Midwestern culture. If it's summer, it's only natural to be outside on a dock with a beer in your hand. The small details of different cheese types and choosing to include specific county names when discussing the summer cabin culture. Besides the physical setting, the people reminded me of home. The community feeling of the Midwest, especially in summer, is unmatched. Swinarski perfectly captured how strongly people care for their friends and families. Esther has lived in Ellerie for the majority of her life at this point and has had the same friends since she was young, and even her Grandchildren are familiar with these women. This moment struck a special chord in my heart thinking about my own Midwest Grandma and her friends who have watched me grow up.

This book suprised me in a really good way. I went in expecting a fairly lighthearted story about Midwestern grandmas. The characters were beautifully rounded and created to change and grow. I felt like I knew every single character because of Swinarski's clear development of each of them.

Between the love, the heartbreak, the joy, and the tears this book really covered all of the bases for me. Although the characters had their own troubles, I could count on the Funeral Ladies to always cheer me up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Claire Swinarski for allowing me to read the ARC of this text. I'm counting down the days until March 12, 2024!

I really hope this author writes a sequel to this story because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters.

Esther Larson knows the only way to make a good pie is with your hands.

This is how you are introduced to the main character. Three generations of Larson women live in Ellerie County, Wisconsin: Eighty two year old widow, Esther; Mary Frances, who is a side character but a very supportive one; and Iris, the tech savvy Gen Z who owns an AirB&B.
The story is mostly from the POV of Esther and Iris. The author does a great job of showing the generational gaps such as Esther being a devout Catholic in a small town and active in several community groups, for example-the funeral ladies. Whereas Iris has friends that are Instagram famous and has her own freelance business.

We meet Cooper, the third POV as he and his half sister and father try to find the church for his stepmother’s funeral. Here he meets Esther and she offers Iris’s Air B&B as a place to stay.
Cooper’s story is filled with trauma and heartache. His father is a celebrity chef and very distant. His mother abandoned him and his stepmother was killed in a car accident. His only goal is to make sure his half sister knows she is cared for and loved. However, Cooper has his own struggles with PTSD and tries to battle it alone.
The subject of PTSD and mental health are heavily discussed which I greatly appreciate that the author goes as deep as she does.

Esther feeling lonely falls victim to a money scam and is on the brink of losing her home. Her family tries to figure out how to get the money back without hurting Esther’s pride even further. Iris suggests she get the funeral ladies together to make a community cookbook after Cooper finds an old copy at the storage unit of Annabelle’s and sell it for the holiday season. At first Esther refuses the help but eventually agrees and even has fun putting the book together with her granddaughter.

Iris and Cooper end up spending a lot of time together and falling in love but it’s not enough to keep the darkness away. Cooper leaves to focus on himself to be able to be the best for his sister and the love of his life. Esther also sees the darkness and does not want this life for Iris because she too loved a man who saw trauma and had his own struggles.

Love is choices.

I definitely recommend this book and think it would be great as a book club book.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County struck me as an appealing story - I’ve liked books with similar themes by Lorna Landvik and J. Ryan Stradal, but, I had a hard time with this one. There’s almost too much going on - there’s the title’s chief funeral lady, Esther, but her story didn’t seem like the main plot, so readers may find themselves disappointed or confused about the story the book wants to tell. Certainly the characters are compelling, but I didn’t find myself anxious to pick this book back up and moved on to other books before returning to finish this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book is told from 3 POVs: Esther, the beloved grandma; Iris, her granddaughter and small town enthusiast; and Cooper drawn to town for his stepmom's funeral who then falls in love with Iris.

Esther and her friends have spent 50 years experencing life together. Especially funerals, where they provide comfort food for the grieving families.

Esther, known for her community service, faces a challenge when she loses $30,000 to an online scam, leaving her too embarrassed to ask for assistance.

Iris is a freelance graphic designer who bought and refurbished a cabin as a rental home for tourists coming to the lake.

Upon discovering that Esther might lose her cherished childhood home, she concocts a plan for the funeral ladies to create a community cookbook, the proceeds of which will help prevent Esther from losing the house she holds dear.

Devastated by the loss of his stepmom, Annabelle, Cooper finds solace in the opportunity to leave the city. Seeking an escape from the trauma of his paramedic past, this quaint little town becomes a haven.

Iris met Cooper when he and his stepsister needed a place to stay. Offeirng him the rental, an immediate connection sparked between them. They both fell hard and fast. Unfortunately, Cooper couldn't outrun his past trauma and when his PTSD is triggered, he becomes a different person.

This book is ultimately about family. At times it's a difficult read because it deals with tragedy, PTSD, and violence. But it's also an incredible story. Because family is the nucleus of who we are together and alone.

As always I like to find a quote that causes introspection or promotes conversation:

"It was exhausting, trying to convince all these people that sometimes love didn't look like a pat on the back. That sometimes it looked like telling hard truths you didn't want to hear."

I adored The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins and @claireswinarski for the advanced e-book copy. I can't wait until March 12, 2024 when I can purchase the hard copy.

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County is a nice book. It was enjoyable to read! I give it 3 out of 5 stars because it didn’t blow me away. It’s not that I disliked it, it’s a sad yet heartwarming story. It just didn’t grab me and hold my interest.

I find when there are lots of characters in a book I struggle a bit to keep everything straight and none of them get strongly developed.

This book is such a cozy, lovely story. I adored the characters that Swinarski created - the small-town connectedness and real-life nature of them were so authentic & just enjoyable to read about. I found myself laughing out loud at multiple points during some of the banter. Unfortunately about 80% of the way through the book, the plot had a twist that I didn't particularly enjoy, and that knocked off a couple of stars for me personally. I'd recommend reviewing triggers prior to reading as it turned fairly PTSD-heavy, but I appreciated the author's realistic point of view and would consider reading other books by Swinarski in the future.

I really expected to like this one more than I did. And while I didn't hate reading it, finishing has left me with an odd taste in my mouth. Some bits of it just made me uncomfortable. I HATED the way drunk driving was normalized. Heavy drinking was so casual in this book, and although it was addressed in one of the characters, the normalcy of it made me uncomfortable. I also didn't love the religious aspects. I'm not 100% sure where they went wrong, but some bits of this just felt preachy.

With that being said though, I did like the funeral ladies. Their snark was cute and I loved the relationships they had built with each other. I liked the focus on food and their cookbook was a cute ideal to rally around. I just wish we'd had more of them and less of Iris and Cooper.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County may be the best book I've read that tells the story of a small rural town. Through a wide cast of characters, you get all aspects of rural life - reliance on community, knowing everyone in town, the secrets we keep to ourselves, and small town traditions. This book feels so honest and interesting.

The funeral ladies are a group of women committed to make sure that anyone grieving in Ellerie County is fed with good comfort food. They work tirelessly to care for their community, and now Esther needs them to help care for her too.

If you decide to jump in, make sure you keep track of the cast of characters at the beginning, because there are a lot of lives to keep track of. But I promise it's worth it! I'm grateful to NetGalley and Avon Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book, it made me nostalgic for a town I've never been to!

I really enjoyed this book so much. As I read I could feel the emotions coming off the page. It is written so well I didn't want to stop reading it. It was such a great book that I can't get it off my mind. I adore Esther and i could so see her in a bunch of different women in my life. Iris i could see parts of myself in her. 5 stars.
I just reviewed The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski. #TheFuneralLadiesofEllerieCounty #NetGalley
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I liked how it jumps right into the story but still gives you context of who the character are. I’ve been enjoying dual or multi perspective books a lot lately. Has me giggling/cracking a laugh smile easily.

- Being from Hartland, Wisconsin, I enjoyed the references to things and towns in the area that I could relate to. But the mention of a mass murder at a Christmas parade made it hard to continue reading. A plot point inspired by the Waukesha Christmas parade and Chicago suburbs parade shooting didn’t sit well with me Being that this was a real event that happened in that area made mention of it in the book triggering at best and distasteful and harmful at worst. I wasn’t at the tragic event but still found it difficult. It may be recency bias. Someone with Vietnam ptsd could say the same about this book but it doesn’t affect me as a reader the same way. On the other hand, I appreciate the acknowledgment of the real world that we’re living in and making people think about the realities of gun violence and the after affects in America

- Maybe wasn’t reading closely enough at the start but I feel like I missed an introduction to who Hazel. Esther just started talking about her out of nowhere

- Would have liked a little more detail on the Iris and Cooper feelings and attraction. It’s not like much is skipped over but still feels fast maybe. Like Iris mentions they’ve been dating “for a summer” but it had been 1-3 dates at that point

- I should have seen Ivan’s illness coming but I really didn’t! A good twist

- I hope that the published version of this book will include some trigger warnings