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

This started as a really pleasant story about friendship and family coming together to help one of their own, somewhere about half way through it became a HEAVIER darker story about a man with PTSD. The funeral ladies took a backseat.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed "The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County! What a charming & heart-warming mid-western story, centering on a scammed grandma & head "funeral lady", Esther and her savvy grand-daughter, Iris and her romance with traumatized paramedic Cooper. The local cookbook fund-raiser is a real winner & I love that recipes are included which seem pretty authentic to the area & fictional contributors! I also appreciated the "clean" romance & while I was fine with the PTSD inclusion as a plot device, it is something that some readers may want to be aware of. This novel would also be a good choice for a book club. My sincere thanks to the publisher & Net galley for the complimentary DRC, my sincere pleasure to review it!

The magic of this novel lies not just in its endearing characters but also in the community spirit it embodies. As Iris, Cooper, and Esther navigate their respective challenges, a community cookbook becomes a surprising source of solace. The quirky inclusion of casseroles and cream of chicken soup mix adds a touch of humor and authenticity, highlighting the comforting power of shared recipes and communal efforts.

Swinarski skillfully weaves together themes of family, community, and resilience, creating a narrative that resonates with warmth and sincerity. The characters are richly developed, each carrying their own burdens and dreams, making them relatable and endearing. The story doesn't shy away from tackling issues of modern life, including internet scams and the challenges faced by the younger generation in a changing world.

"The Funeral Ladies Cookbook" is a heartening reminder that sometimes, amid life's complexities, a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can offer solace and healing. With its blend of humor, heart, and a dash of Midwestern charm, this novel is a delectable treat for readers seeking a feel-good story that celebrates the strength of family, the resilience of community, and the transformative power of a good meal.

This book had some heavy-hitting moments and some trigger warnings - PTSD, Death, Gun violence, etc. With that said, I really developed an appreciation for the characters, especially Esther. The combination of real-life crisis, grief, community, and found family really brought this story to life. I was content with the pacing, the level of detail, and the overall plot. Overall enjoyed this read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this one it shows the beauty of the small town and how the countryside rally’s behind each other . Overall a good book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I'm conflicted on this book. I really enjoyed the story of the funeral ladies and especially liked how they rally together to help each other. The part that was difficult was the extensive talk of the PTSD. My favorite character of course was Esther. I would love to hang out with her and glean all of her recipes and cooking knowledge.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

4/5

Overall a charming story about the people of a small town coming together and to overcome. When the head of the funeral ladies at the church in small town Wisconsin is scammed out of her nest egg, can her community rally around her to keep her in her home? With a celebrity chef in town with his handsome son, an ambitious grand daughter about and a charming cast of characters overall a nice read.

I struggled with three things keeping it from a 5 star:
- I do not like mass shootings being used as a plot point, it feels gimmicky and really rubs me wrong. There was a very heavy hand of this in the entire story and I could have done with a softer anchor point
-it got a bit pro Catholicism for my taste
- the way the grand daughter talked about being a Gen Z irked me

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings
- Language
- Loss of Parent
- Gun Violence
- Extensive talk on PTSD

Rating this one is hard, and I'm torn! I did enjoy most of this book, but there were multiple parts that I had a big problem with and made me want to quit reading a few times if I'm being totally honest.

This was laugh out loud funny at multiple moments throughout but also touched on some very heavy subjects, including PTSD. I loved the quirky/sassy personalities of the funeral ladies. I loved the community of Ellerie County. Everyone supported each other and banned together in times of grief and hardship, true to small town living. I loved the family bond between Esther, her daughter, and granddaughters. These things really made this a wholesome and comforting read.

Here's where I had issues:
Although Catholicism and related practices were woven throughout this book, it in NO way displayed any elements of faith or displayed any characteristics of a true Christian. There were many uses of cuss words, including multiple uses of GD. A 13 year old child also cussed a few times when speaking to her father and legal- guardian brother. In one conversation between two characters, one mentions not even believing while the other said she wished she didn't believe. There was another time that God was referred to "Mr. Hot Shit, "which was very disappointing and honestly offensive.

I can overlook language, and I can accept a character who has different beliefs and morals than me, but the religious aspects of this book just really made me feel some type of way. As mentioned above, apart from that, this was a great great read. I would still recommend this to others.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Publishing and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

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I enjoyed my journey to Ellerie County and my visits with the Funeral ladies! I loved the contrast between gen z and the boomer generation and the conflicts that each deals with in our internet based society. This was a fun read with some deep issues embedded in the story. It gave me a little nudge of “Kitchens of the Great Midwest” probably just because of the setting and culture h the story. 4 stars!

Did not expect this book to take the turns it did but wow I am INVESTED. I’d like to move to ellerie county and become one of the funeral ladies.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read!

The setting alone is like eating apple pie on the holidays! Such a warm-hearted comfort read, the perfect book for a break in your favorite go to genre!

This book a quick comfort read set in small town Wisconsin and centers on 3 POV: Esther Larsen, a stern but caring matriarch, her granddaughter Iris, and Cooper who is finds himself in town for the funeral of his stepmother with his sister and father. I loved the setting- the small town pride and midwestern spirit is strong in this book. I also enjoyed the depiction the small town, the complicated family dynamics, and the friendships of the funeral ladies themselves. This book had me yearning for a community of my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this multigenerational story set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

What I loved:
-The Funeral Ladies—I want to have a cocktail with them!
-The setting of Wisconsin, through most of the seasons. This FL girl loved reading the vivid descriptions of life on a lake.
-The Catholic Church community and 70 years of memories.
-Found family, amongst friends and strangers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy.

I loved this book so much! The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie county is definitely one of my top reads of the year. The Wisconsin scenery is right at home for me (WI born & raised) and I loved the strong friendships that the women have created over the years. They cook together for funeral luncheons where they discuss what happens in their lives. One of the women falls for an online scam, and they work together to save her home. Some really heavy topics are brought up and I think it really made me love and connect with this book even more so. Trigger warnings are gun violence, mass shooting, PTSD, emotional abuse, alcoholism and flashbacks of Vietnam.

“The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County” by Claire Swinarski is sure to be the next big book club hit! The book is very engaging and has a great cast of characters who pull you into the story right away and make you feel like a friend. I love the bond between Iris and her family and Esther and her Funeral Ladies. This reminds me of my own family, friends, and the power of community. Church groups, friend groups, and library book clubs would all be great audiences for this book.

The story deals with some heavy topics and is filled with generational wisdom but doesn’t feel overdone. It is said that children are more like their grandparents than their parents, and we see this play out between Iris and Esther. Both women have boundless compassion and strength. This is both a great gift and a burden. This compassion is what gets Esther into trouble in the first place- she is in danger of losing her house due to an internet scammer. While she feels this is her burden to bear and her mistake, her friends, family, and community quietly rally around her. Esther has made the food for Ellerie County funerals for years, helps others in their times of need, and never once gossips or complains about it. When it is her turn for similar support, she is reluctant. Iris and the Funeral Ladies decide to make a community cookbook to raise funds. This project ultimately becomes bigger than Esther, Iris, or the Funeral Ladies ever imagined. It is an important reminder to honor and cherish this moment in time, preserve those memories, and remember the past. I can see groups reading this book and getting together to discuss it while bringing their own important dishes and recipes to swap.

Some trigger/content warnings would be helpful for the beginning of the book. The synopsis doesn’t mention that a past mass shooting plays a major role in the novel. Flashbacks, PTSD, emotional abuse, and alcoholism are also prevalent.

While I did love this book, I gave this novel 4 stars out of 5 because some of the characters felt less developed and their plot lines felt less necessary to the book overall. Felix’ characteristics changed depending on how he was needed for the plot. In some part, this was due to how other characters remembered Felix, but overall, he felt inconsistent and only written as a plot device. We also started to see some generational trauma be dealt with by both Iris and Cooper, but it would have been nice to see that go further. The ending wrapped up very quickly, and perhaps needed an epilogue after a longer time to really show true growth and change. I’m not sure the mass shooting and PTSD storylines were actually necessary to the book, it could have focused on Esther, Iris, and the lives of the other Funeral Ladies and been just as successful. However, it did allow characters to work through some personal issues. Also, very minor, but the synopsis says it includes recipes and there is only one recipe, and that recipe does not include a time or temperature for baking. Having the pie crust recipe, then an actual pie recipe to go with it may be better. I would have also liked to have seen the cheesy potato casserole recipe, which was mentioned multiple times in the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. The story is engaging and powerful. It is a testament to the power of women, friendship, and community. It is also testament to the power of homemade food to heal the heart and mind. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.