Alison's ex broke up with her, but never told his parents. When he unexpectedly dies, his sister asks Alison just to play along with having been happy and still dating him. This leads to Alison volunteering to clean out her ex's apartment with his best friend, Adam. Over four weekends' time, the two find a real connection, but Alison doesn't know how to tell him that she wasn't dating his friend anymore. This was a sweet love story. Related but unrelated, Alison has the BRCA gene and has had a mastectomy. This seemed kind of thrown in to me, and it didn't do much to move the story forward.

This book was a DELIGHT! I loved the banter and humor and heartfelt romance. I'll be following this author moving forward!

"Thirty-year-old post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier and reluctant thrill-seeker Alison Mullally arrives at her ex-boyfriend Sam’s funeral to find that no one knows he dumped her, she agrees to play the grieving girlfriend for the sake of the family and pack up Sam’s apartment with his prickly best friend, Adam Berg. After all, it’ll only take four weekends . . ."

This is where one will find love while grieving for ex and the life you may of had. The characters in the book are fantastic. Everything is perfectly written and all melts together. Adam and Alison are struggling after a loss. Their lives intertwine with each other. This leads to a bit of confusion, tension and laughs. After being forced together because of grief
Alison starts to have feeling for Adam, he ex’s best friend. But it is hard as people still think of her being with her ex.
Life isn’t always what we think it will be but when it gives you lemons you make lemonade. I really enjoyed this book and the struggles that Adam and Alison have while trying to start a anew again with each other..

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer is an engaging and heartfelt story that navigates the complexities of identity, grief, and unexpected romance. The protagonist, Alison Mullally, is a thirty-year-old BRCA 1 carrier who has undergone a preventative double mastectomy. When she arrives at her ex-boyfriend Sam’s funeral, she finds herself pretending to be his grieving girlfriend for the sake of his family.

Alison teams up with Sam’s prickly best friend, Adam Berg, to clear out Sam’s apartment over the course of four weekends. Despite Adam’s initial hostility and monosyllabic demeanor, a tenuous friendship with incredible chemistry and tension develops between them. Palmer beautifully captures Alison’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance, as she grapples with survivor’s guilt and the pressure to be someone she’s not.

The dynamics between Alison and Adam are compelling, filled with moments of humor, awkwardness, and emotional depth. As Alison learns to embrace her true self and confronts her feelings, the story unfolds into a touching narrative about love, loss, and the importance of being enough just as you are. A thoroughly enjoyable read that balances heartache and hope, making it a solid 4-star book.

I just reviewed Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer. Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary ebook.
This book definitely falls into chic lit, the ps I love you genre. It’s quite lovely, funny, sappy and made me lay awake in bed several mornings and evenings before getting up or going to sleep.
The characters are not sappy sweet, they are quite realistic and I rooted for each of them, even the dead one who seemed like a bit of a pillock, but he was integral to the story so that’s ok.
A great wee bit of escapism in between my world war ll genre.
I’m eagerly awaiting the authors next literary contribution.

Love both characters , this books had me laughing, choked up and feeling a lot . Enjoyed . A book to keep a eye out for .

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC. Fun little RomCom from a new author. Enjoyed it and looking forward to what she writes in the future.

This was a fun read. Not too heavy and perfect for a summer day on the beach. Predictable story line, but still entertaining.

Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley.

I found this to just be super fun and cute. I enjoyed this one immensely. I am not a huge romance reader, but this is what I needed at this moment. I loved that miscommunication was not a trope in this book, as I truly hate that.

Though this had some predictability, I enjoyed both characters and secondary characters a lot. Which made this easier to enjoy!

Great debut novel!

This was such an interesting premise! Alison recently got dumped by Sam, but when she goes to the funeral, Sam's sister asks her to pretend it was serious so the family thinks he was settling down, and chaos ensues from there. Alison and Sam's friend Adam are tasked with cleaning out his apartment and getting it ready to sell.
I enjoyed learning more about what having the BRCA1 gene means, and seeing Alison and Adam's personal growth was great, and the romance was so sweet. Alison struggles a lot with guilt and trying to be someone she isn't—| loved seeing her self-realization, but it was sometimes frustrating watching her try and be someone different (which I think was the point!). Overall, this was a sweet and interesting read for the mirrorball girlies (and Christmas fanatics).

Oh how enjoyable this book was! Palmer's characters exuded charm, their undeniable chemistry leaping off the page, and her writing crackling with electricity.

Adam initially brought to mind Nick from New Girl, in the most delightful way possible. While he may come across as a bit rough around the edges, it only adds to his appeal as the story progresses. The gradual warming up to Alison adds a special touch to their blossoming romance. Their witty banter is truly amusing, with moments that had me laughing out loud, feeling completely natural. The palpable chemistry and simmering sexual tension had me completely captivated. The scarf scene felt straight out of Pride and Prejudice, filled with subtle gestures that had me blushing.

I found Alison to be a captivating main character. While the theme of self-acceptance through her character may seem cliché at times, her endearing nature makes it all the more relatable. I found myself rooting for her throughout the book, appreciating the powerful message Palmer conveys about embracing one's true self. This heartfelt romantic comedy also delves into important themes of grief and survivor's guilt, particularly related to breast cancer. Amidst the lighthearted moments, the serious ones are handled with sensitivity and care. The discussions about the BRCA1 gene mutation, a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer, between Alison, her mother, and sister felt organic and significant in the context of the romance. I was truly invested in Alison's journey, and seeing Adam support her endeared me to their relationship even more.

The supporting characters are equally endearing. Mara and Chelsea shine as fantastic best friends, their dynamic adding depth to the story. The portrayal of female friendships, filled with warmth and empowerment, was heartwarming. The absence of unnecessary drama among the friends, coupled with their ability to make me laugh, made their bond even more enjoyable.

The conclusion was nothing short of perfect, leaving me with a fluttering heart throughout the entire book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

4.5 stars for this delightful read from Ellie Palmer!

Everything I loved about this book:
*** The grieving process represented; grieving the loss of a loved one, the feelings of guilt, shame, and always questioning What If?
*** The first person perspective of someone who’s had a double masectomy and the feelings of loss/grief.
*** The humor! I laughed out loud so many times, and found myself smirking/giggling throughout.
*** Our MMC <sigh>. Big soft spot for him!
*** The chemistry and slow burn was perfect.

I highly recommend this romcom to all my romance readers!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam books for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

The premise of the book was unique & I liked the author’s reading style. I didn’t really connect to the characters or their relationship, but overall an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC.

Four weekends and a funeral was a brilliant idea but unfortunately it wasn’t executed well. It could’ve been so much more had author added little depth to her characters.

Sam’s death felt like a joke, he did so much for them but idk it felt like they lacked empathy when it comes to Sam and it was getting annoying. I know everyone has a different coping mechanism but Adam and especially Alison’s character were too shallow. It could’ve been so much better if tone for this book was a little serious, at the beginning at least.

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is so clever. The first line is chef's kiss. There was so much potential between Alison and Adam but ultimately, the characters, especially Adam, felt a little flat and the chemistry felt like a sparkler instead of a fireworks.

I'm sad I didn't end up loving this romance like I had hoped for. While the premise of the story sounded right up my ally with a twist on the fake dating trope, the characters felt too unattached for me to fully care what happened to them. This read probably more as a contemporary fiction story with a romance subplot, but I can definitely foresee myself reading from this author again.

I loved this story and I loved the writing style. It was so easy to read and it was light and wonderful while still having substance. The only part that didn't read as easily was the chapter explaining her job and office situation. Other than that, I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral! I was very much looking forward to this one.

I thought this was a unique plot with some laugh out loud moments, relatable characters and a sweet love story.

I was missing a bit of tension between Ali and Adam and struggled a bit getting pulled in to their story. I think this book is a great super light read that touches on topics you don’t normally see in romance novels like death and cancer but with a humorous spin. Enjoyed it!

This is an **incredible** book -- I loved absolutely everything about it (!). I'm so glad that I dipped back into the NetGalley/ARC system to read this one after being invited by the publisher.

This seems to be Ellie Palmer's first novel, and she's skyrocketed to the top of my must-buy-immediately list of authors. The writing was SO snappy and laugh-out-loud funny. I highlighted so many witty lines and bits of dialogue while reading, and I frequently drew glares from my trying-to-sleep partner while I was cackling in bed:

"When I asked you if you were busy and you sent me a picture of a girl eating on a toilet in a bathroom stall, I didn't realize that was a firm plan."
or

"What kind of school allows children to perform improv in front of people? Kids shouldn't have this much confidence."

I inhaled this book.

While Adam is a swoony main character, the real stars of this book are Alison and her friends Chelsea and Mara. Trivia teams with punny names also steal multiple scenes (Ruth Bader Winsburg is just genius).

I've already insisted multiple friends buy/read this book STAT, and I hope you will, too.

The concept of this book is so wild but I loved it! This is definitely giving forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, and... well, does fake dating count? Alison and Adam were so cute when they were together. I wish we got more of their relationship when they didn't have things holding them back. The last calendar notification, when everything falls into place, gave me butterflies and I was so happy that everything worked out for them... and probably would have, given the circumstances.

This is another ARC I've read recently where the FMC reflects on their BRCA 1 journey and I am so glad to see more stories, especially in the romance genre, talking about this. These women are incredibly strong and I am sure there are people that will appreciate the representation.

I highly recommend this book!

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**