This was such a joyful, heartfelt, and funny read, hitting my personal sweet spot with a blend of Big Feels romance and a strong central character arc for a heroine at a crossroads in her life. After a serious medical diagnosis, she’s trying to “earn” her right to keep living, immersed in comparative grief for what she is and isn’t undergoing. She cheated death. Shouldn’t she make every minute count? Of course, making every minute count is different for everyone, but that’s not always easy to see in the middle of family, work, medical, and other life pressures. Thankfully, Palmer gives her heroine a loving family, two fabulous best friends who are primed for their own books (seeds of their stories and romances are planted here) and a hot, introverted carpenter love interest who’s crazy about her from their first awkward meeting. The two meet at a funeral for his friend and her ex, where they end up taking on the project of sorting out the deceased personal goods and readying his condo for sale. It’s a beautiful set-up for both to work through their grief and rethink what really matters in life, and Palmer does a stellar job blending the emotional weight of the story with sharp, wry humor, some seriously competitive trivia nights, a joyful celebration of Minnesota culture, and, of course, a swoony romance between two people so obviously right for each other, it’s impossible not to cheer when they finally embrace their connection, and all it could mean for the lives they want to lead.

Four Weekends and a Funeral successfully managed to find the perfect balance of dealing with serious issues (BRCA, parental cancer, death of a friend) and laugh out loud moments. There is also a strong female friend group who support each other unconditionally. The romance developed at a perfect pace. I hope the author writes books about the main character's best friends as they had some of the best humorous lines and scenes.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This book was very enjoyable! I adore the enemies to lovers trope and this one did not disappoint! The plot was creative and unlike any other romance book I’ve read.

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐
Expected publication August 6, 2024

When a Rom-Com takes deep dives into subjects such as grief and health, you have a mix up that hits on all the emotions. Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer does exactly that.

What I enjoyed about this book was Palmer's ability to make Sam, the deceased ex, feel like an active part of the story. I also enjoyed the witty exchanges between Ali and Adam, along with the humor sprinkled throughout their conversations and in texts with friends.

Although I appreciated the author's writing style, I never truly engaged with 'Four Weekends and a Funeral.' Overall, the book had a Hallmark movie feel, which can be enjoyable at the right place and time, but this wasn't it for me. The pacing seemed uneven, and there wasn't a compelling hook to draw me back in.

As a debut novel, Four Weekends and a Funeral has Ellie Palmer on my radar for future releases.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are authentically my own.

I'm not crying, you're crying. Okay we are all crying. Minnesota Hallmark movie for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC.

Four Weekends and a Funeral - by Ellie Palmer

What it’s about:

Alison goes to her ex-boyfriend’s funeral to find that no one knows they’ve broken up, and she’s asked to play the grieving girlfriend for the sake of the family. She agrees to help her ex’s grumpy best friend Adam pack up his belongings, which they expect to finish over the course of four weekends. As Alison tries to chip away at Adam’s surly demeanor, tension and chemistry build between the two, but will Ali’s lie about her relationship status come back to bite her?

What I liked:

While this book handled some very sensitive topics (trigger warnings: cancer genes, death of a boyfriend), it was overall a low angst story. Maybe I am personally triggered right now by these topics, so I appreciated the light-hearted natured through which they were addressed. If the story fell into heavier territory, it might’ve been tough for me to personally stomach, but I really liked watching Ali’s quirky personality break down Adam’s walls. Lots of fun 90’s/millennial banter - some might find it annoying or not get the references, but I WAS HERE FOR IT!

I also loved how it tackled the idea of what to do with second chances… do you accept who you truly are or constantly seek self-improvement? This all felt very realistic and true to the human experience.

Stars: 4/5
Spice: 1/5

Read if you like:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Slow Burn
Closed Door
90’s rom-com vibes


Ellie, this was a great debut and I can’t wait to read from you in the future! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s giving Emily Henry, this needs to be turned into a rom-com ASAP! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, all the emotions and a great book.

This book was made for me. As a girlie in my early 30s I loved the pop culture references. The banter had me laughing, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Even though it's a romantic comedy, this book touches on so much more than that. The FMC was so easy to relate to, it made me as the reader feel like a part of the story. Granted, I was left with some questions..... but it's fine. I would still throw this book in my beach bag and share it with my friends.

Thank you @NetGalley and Ellie Palmer for this truly well written un-putdownable romance that had me HOOKED. This ranks in my top ARCs I’ve received, and I cannot wait to buy the print copy when it releases so I can read it again and have this masterpiece on my shelf!

The plot: Alison goes to her ex-boyfriend’s (more of a fling) funeral, only to find out that his family believes they were still together when he died because he never told them that they broke up. His sister asks Alison to play along, and before she knows it she’s agreed to help clear out his apartment with his grumpy best friend to help out his parents. Falling in love with said best friend ensues.

I loved everything about this book! I loved the characters sooo much. The banter was so good, I was cackling. I also just LOVE Adam. He was sweet, and funny, and so dreamy I cannot.

Alison was such a nuanced character. I felt so seen by some of her body issues in related to her health/surgeries and how it feels to be in a different body, especially in terms of intimacy. Trigger warning for talks of cancer, and of course grief.

Her desire to be a different person was so loaded and there was a lot to unpack, but she felt so real.

I just loved the side characters too. Even though Sam was dead, he was still so present in the story? It was really impressive the way the author made Sam as much of a living breathing side character as the others.

The romance was my favorite part, obviously. Some quotes that had me gagging:

“Because I was asleep—in this walking, talking, waking coma. And now I’m awake. You woke me up.”

“I imagine your every detail. Constantly. God, imagine the things I could accomplish if I could think about anything other than you: my favorite person.”

He looks at me in a way I feel in my toes before he lifts one finger and traces the corner of my lip. Then he asks, his voice so low I almost miss it, “Why do you think I want to hear that?” (Knowing the context makes this so much more squeal worthy I promise)

“There’s nothing between us. No one between us. Just Adam and me. Nothing has ever felt so much like mine.”

***

I HIGHLY recommend putting this on your TBR! It will definitely rank one of my top romances of the year.

Ellie Palmer, I will be visiting everything you’ve ever written. But if you could answer just one thing for me:

HOW DID HE DIE???

Have you ever met someone and thought, "Wow, this timing is terrible?" That's exactly what happens when Alison meets Adam at a funeral. Too bad Adam doesn't feel the same way. Or does he?

Ellie Palmer pulls no punches as she tackles the tough topic of "cheating cancer," meeting new people, figuring out what you want in life and who you want in it. I was hooked from the very first page, wondering how this was going to end and who was going to be hurt in the process. Through friendship and bar trivia, this story developed into one of my favorite kinds of books: the ones where the story has romance and not the other way around.

I highly recommend this book!

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel. Alison attends her ex-boyfriend’, Sam’s funeral, only to find out he never told anyone (except his sister) that they broke up. So to everyone at the funeral, she is still the current girlfriend. Sam’s sister asks Alison to go along with it, so as not to cause any more heartbreak especially to their parents, who reveled in the idea Sam was finally settling down. Alison is soon tasked with going through her ex’s apartment and packing his belongings up, with his best friend. These two were riding a fine line with their feelings and journey so it took me a little bit to get into the story, but I like how the author ended the book.
Overall, a great read. I enjoyed the chapter titles and loved the punny trivia night group names. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Group Penguin for the ARC of this novel.

I read this book in one day, I couldn't stop! I found it so sweet and funny, I was laughing aloud the whole time!

I really enjoyed the unique storyline. Fake dating your dead ex per the request of his sister to help preserve his memory for his parents? Then falling for the grumpy best friend of your dead ex and you're helping him clean out your ex's apartment? Definitely can't find another lol. With such widely used troupes, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, and enemies to lovers, it so easily could've felt like all of the other books that have those troupes. But it didn't!

I loved Ali and Adam's relationship and their character development, both in their relationship and as individuals. I really enjoyed that their relationship didn't feel forced, it came about naturally. I loved how sweet Adam was to Ali once he started falling for her.

I HIGHLY recommend this one. It'll make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart at the same time.

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

This book follows Alison as she figures out who she is post double mastectomy. Cue the reason it caught my eye and I was dying to read it! I had a prophylactic double mastectomy in June 2023. Unlike Ali, I am not BRCA positive, but had high family history and my own scare. I found myself nodding along with this book as things were discussed like “I need to live a HUGE life because I cheated a cancer diagnosis.” and during discussions of how different your body is/mourning your lost boobs. This book is a fantastic read outside of the mastectomy/BRAC discussion, but I loved the layer of education those parts did provide. The readers are able to fall in love with all of the characters because there’s enough detail given for both main and side characters. If you don’t like spoilers, stop reading here. I was slightly “uncomfortable” with the whole “I’m the ex girlfriend who is faking being the girlfriend while clearly falling in love with the long time best friend.” aspect of the plot UNTIL THE END! The author lead us down this semi rocky path that ended in a beautiful destination. Hiking is a theme in this book and the whole plot was like one big hike. You stick it out through the weeds and end with breathtaking views. I’m super excited about this book being published this fall.. it’ll be a crowd favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance e-copy of Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer, in exchange of an honest review.

"With a captivating premise and a heartfelt exploration of living life to the fullest, 'Four Weekends and a Funeral' by Ellie Palmer is a delightful read. The well-developed characters, particularly Alison and Adam, bring a wonderful mix of banter, chemistry, and introspection. The book offers moments of laughter, romance, and quiet contemplation, inviting readers to reflect on their own aspirations and what it truly means to live fully. Palmer's writing style makes for a fun and easy reading experience. This charming novel deserves a solid 4 stars!"

Romance readers, and fans of 2000s romantic comedies, add this one to your TBR right now. Like right now.

rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
genre: romance
format: ebook
release date: Aug. 6, 2024

This book had everything that I love in a romance novel: fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and a little enemies to lovers. I absolutely loved the progression of Alison and Adam’s romance - between the tense silences, text message exchanges, and ultimately, the romantic confessions - I could not get enough of them.

And all of the little Midwestern nods! LOVE. I mean, Bar trivia? A debate about the beauty of cheese filled food? A Packers bar? COME ON.

I think my favorite part about this romance is that it really highlights the feeling of “guilt.” Now, I don’t have survivor’s guilt, but I do have mom guilt. You hear similar stories or see other moms on social media and you think, “I should want to do that. I should want to play pirates and make trains out of paper towel rolls,” but you don’t and then you feel bad. But I think this book highlights that you shouldn’t feel bad - you should be who you are and you shouldn’t feel like you should be another way.

Read if you like:
While You Were Sleeping
Lots of Midwestern Nods
Enemies-to-Lovers Banter
Harrison Ford
RomComs & Hallmark Movies

I really enjoyed this book! I found myself laughing out loud A LOT and got teary eyed a few times. I loved Adam and Al equally and enjoyed their banter.

While I found this book funny I did not feel myself being pulled in, I often had to force myself to pick this book up just to finish it before the review deadline. While this book did sound like it was right up my alley it fell short of my expectations

"Four Weekends and a Funeral" was a beautiful new take on the traditional "Hallmark" (iykyk) romance story. The deeply vulnerable inclusion of Ellie Palmer's own experience with the BRCA 1 mutation added a new level to the story that made the romance between Adam and Ali hit even harder. I absolutely adored the way in which the story maintained real emotion, while also giving the reader the lighthearted joy that one expects from Hallmark romance. I absolutely loved the atypical representation that this storyline brought and I found it beautiful that Ellie Palmer used her own experience and heart to discuss this incredibly unique perspective of someone living with BRCA 1.

On another note! I absolutely adored the grumpy/sunshine trope between Adam and Ali. Their connection bursted off the page and thought that Ellie Palmer's subliminal inclusion of romance movie quotes/homages truly added a special little sprinkle to their love story. Also, as a fellow Twin Cities resident (Go Gophers!), I loved the little Minnesota moments! Minnesota is not often portrayed in the fiction (let alone, romance) genre, so I was so excited to see some authentic portrayals of MN!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am so glad I was offered an ARC! So excited to see what's next for Ellie Palmer!

3.5 stars. Aww! This was so sweet. And very informative about recovery from double mastectomy and BRCA 1. Alison gets guilted into pretending to still have been in a relationship with her now deceased ex-boyfriend. His best friend, Adam, is a curmudgeon (my favorite) and a perfect match for Alison. A lovely grumpy/sunshine dynamic. They spend their weekends cleaning the deceased's apartment and bonding. Some really smart, funny dialog and best friend characters that are a hoot. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer 💓

Honest Arc Review!

Let me just say, I loved the representation behind this. It was amazing for the author to use her talents to represent breast cancer and carriers of the BRCA1 mutation. I also LOVED the characters and their stories. Adam and Alison were adorable and I the grumpy/sunshine was well portrayed.

That being said I found it very slow moving. I got a bit bored when Adam and Alison weren’t together. Like when she was at work or with her friends, I found myself eager to skip through until they were together again. Also, I feel like mentioning a lot of movies tends to limit your reader. I find myself an avid movie-lover (mainly horror and action) but I had to look up a lot of the romance ones mentioned to understand what the characters were talking about.

It was a good book, but I probably won’t read it again.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
N/A spice
4.5/5 Comprehensible ✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽.5

Genre - Romance