I enjoyed this book so much. Starting the year off on the light but terrific side. This book paces itself into my best rom com of the year category. It will be hard to beat. Allison and Sam had been dating a fairly short amount of time. Sam broke up with Allison because she wouldn’t do anything out of her comfort zone. Sam lived his life as an adventurer and broke up with Allison canoeing in the middle of a lake. He dies six weeks later in a car accident. Allison, with one of her best friends,attends Sam’s funeral with all of his friends/fraternity brothers..
They are Adam and Allison are cornered later by Sam’s parentsAllison thanked for being Sams serious girlfriend enough to maybesettle him down.. His sister requests that Allison play along for her mom’s sake. Dr. Lewis states they need to ready Sam’s pace for sale by Dec.1. Allisonand Adam volunteer to do this job. They get off to a rocky start because Allison sees Adam as a grump. Over time they grow a very close connection. As any really good rom-com does. I am recommending this to anyone who likes a ro-com weekend. This is a pretty quick read. I definitely give this book jazz hands with my two thumbs up. Special thanks to #NetGalley, #GPPutnamandSons, #PenguinRandomHouse, #ElliePalmer, #A FuneralandFourWeekends, pub. Date Aug 6, 2024

this was sooo cute <33 i really loved the characters and the romance. after reading some mid romances, this one stood out!

This book is a unique telling of a fake-dating (does it count when one of them is dead?), grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity romance that I would absolutely recommend.

Alison shows up to her ex-boyfriend, Sam’s, funeral only to find out that he didn’t tell anyone about their breakup 6 weeks prior. For the sake of his grieving family, she plays along without thinking of the potential consequences. That’s also when she meets Adam, Sam’s best friend, and agrees to help him clean out Sam’s apartment.

The story unfolds from there and touches on topics like friendship, grief, guilt, and self-acceptance. It really surpassed my expectations and I was not ready for it to end! I hope we get a spin-off about Mara or Chelsea!

Ellie Palmer did a great job writing about heavy topics while keeping the story light-hearted and relatable. I will definitely keep an eye out for her future releases!

“Four Weekends and a Funeral” is a romance book (debut) by Ellie Palmer. Calling this “just” a romance book feels a bit limiting - as there’s also a continuing theme of BRCA 1 throughout the book. I have really mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, there’s Alison, the female main character, who is still, at the age of 30, trying to figure out who she is and, more importantly, what she wants out of life and herself. She wants to like so many things, but at the cost of being true to herself. In that regard, I just could not relate to Alison at all. She had her friends who loved her for being herself, but Alison herself wasn’t happy with who she was - and so often I wanted to shake her by the shoulders and say “you are good enough as you are!” As for the main male character, Adam, I liked him a lot. He’s a bit uncomfortable around people, happiest in his workshop, and is perfectly okay with his life - though he’s open to opening it a bit more to include others. The “meet cute” I felt was well played - though, as the cover states, it’s the wrong time. I can see a lot of people really enjoying this book, but it didn’t always work for me. The moments where I laughed out loud were over little minor comments that were throwaway bits and at times this book seemed really focusing on generational things my younger family members might instantly get (1990s things?). Also, toward the three-quarters mark, the pacing seemed to slow down a bit (or maybe it was a lack of continuing storyline before the conflict?) and I felt myself losing interest. I can see why some have commented on the BRCA1 storyline as being a bit heavy - I get it and found some of it educational, but at times it did seem a bit heavy handed, though I did get it. Overall, I’d rate this a 3.5 star, but I’ve rounded it up to 4 stars as this is a debut novel. I do think some will absolutely enjoy this book more than I did -and I’d be willing to read another book by this author.

Alison and Sam broke up just before Labor Day. Six weeks later, Sam dies in a car accident. But it turns out he never told his family they broke up—so to ease his family’s pain, Alison pretends to be the Current Girlfriend. It’s all going fine, until she ends up cleaning out Sam’s apartment with his best friend.

This book was good and funny from the first line. I love a book with a clever premise and this definitely delivered on that. We also had great slow burn, vulnerability, and growth with our two main characters. Not to mention an ensemble cast I am dying to see more of.

One of the main themes of the book is guilt—survivor’s guilt in different forms, as well as variations I won’t mention to avoid spoilers. In the story, Alison is obsessed with bettering herself and believed that Sam could help her get there. Her journey is heartwarming and smart, and Adam provides a perfect partner for her. Message from the future: you’re going to love this one (iykyk).

This quirky read was a fun start to the year for me. We meet Allison at her ex-boyfriend, Sam's, funeral and has to act like they were still dating before he died. In a wild turn of events, Allison and his best friend Adam are asked to help pack up and repair some things around Sam's apartment to get it ready to sell. Over four weekends, Allison and Adam bond while dealing with their own issues as they pack Sam's apartment. This read dealt with some heavy issues like grief, Allison's recovery from a preventative mastectomy after discovering she carries the BRCA-1 gene, and finding your direction in life, but also brought some humor and levity through side characters like Allison's best friends and Adam's family. I'm not rushing to recommend this one, but I did appreciate it's unique subject matter compared to other recent romance reads.

My face aches from reading this book. I had to force myself to stop smiling to mitigate risk of crows feet. It’s going in my 10-star reads tag. Absolutely fantastic.

Things I loved:
-A grumpy x sunshine romance that I can actually get behind. I was hooked from the first chapter. Hooked as in I skipped dinner to read this book straight through. I’m really hungry now.
-The survivors guilt is real. This book put me in my feels.
-… guys who like hiking that much are a red flag, okay!? Same vibe as putting “I am super active and need someone that can keep up with me” in a tinder bio.
-How different Alison, Mara, and Chelsea are. Nailed female friendships.
-Loved the pop culture references.
-Obsessed with the chemistry between Adam and Alison. Alison is very funny for being a self proclaimed bore. And the jealousy, UGH. Loved it. They made me smile like very few romance book couples have.

Notes (because I technically didn’t dislike anything about this book):
-I didn’t know this was a fade to black and actually cried out in frustration, but I understand that full penetra… I don’t think I’m allowed to write that… scenes are not for everyone.

Hold up… I just learned this is Ellie Palmer’s debut novel. I cannot wait to tell all my bookish friends that I got to read an ARC copy of this book and introduce them to this wonderful woman and wonderful story. Amazing read, wish I could wipe it from my memory and read it again.

I absolutely loved this story! I laughed, got teary, and found myself talking to the characters while reading. The survivors guilt and later acceptance was so well done, I really felt like I was right there with Al.

This was such a good book absolutely loved it! First time reading this author can’t wait to read more!

I loved this! It was funny and charming and the main couple had such great banter and chemistry. I found myself smiling while reading it and even the deeper subjects were written so well. I basically read full time as my job finding new books so sometimes I just love reading something that is easy and pulls you right in. Also I’m a sucker for grumpy sunshine dynamic. Will for sure be purchasing this for the library in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

My first read of the new year and I absolutely adored this book. The author's writing is hilarious and phenomenal, and I found myself snort-laughing even while I was feeling sad for the characters because my imaginations of the author's words and descriptions were so funny. The banter between all the characters (not just between the main couple) were all on point. I loved all of the interactions, especially between Alison and her friends, Mara and Chelsea. Mara and Chelsea, even though they were side characters, were definitely the main highlights of the book. Their characters were developed very well and they felt like well-dimensioned characters that had their own personalities and purposes, not just there to help Alison's journey. I especially loved Mara's character - I identified with her competitive nature and found it so endearing and funny. Their friendships with Alison were so touching and they were so supportive of her struggles.

Thoughts on the main couple (Alison and Adam): a grumpy/sunshine relationship - the banter and chemistry were off the charts. I liked how they each had their own struggles and they both took the time to work on them. I was rooting for their characters individually and together - it was so obvious that they were perfect for each other that it was easy to root for their relationship. I was so happy to see their character development by the end of the book. Their romance story reminded me of the movie While You Were Sleeping.

Overall, a great read. The writing was excellent and I truly enjoyed/got a kick out of the trivia team name puns. An excellent debut novel. I'm looking forward to see what Ellie Palmer writes next! 1.5-2/5 rating on Spice level.

This book is absolute romantic comedy perfection. The premise is gold and the writing is phenomenal. Ali, Adam, and their friends (even the dead one) come alive on the page and make their way into your hearts until you are pining for the HEA. The grand gesture at the end is *chef's kiss*. Honestly, I loved everything about this book. Ellie Palmer is an author to watch and I will be watching!

A good but not amazing book in my opinion. I was entertained but thought the story was slow-moving at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Romance, holidays, friends, family, and a funeral (maybe in that order, may not!)… one of the best books I’ve read this year! From the first chapter I was hooked on Alison’s journey of finding herself and finding love all while maintaining a fake relationship. Alison’s journey and relationships are real life relatable, a balance of joy and happiness vs. real life situations and grief. I could not put this book down! A must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Despite serious subjects in the background, this was an easy read. The pacing was good throughout and the characters were fully thought through, including secondary characters. The actual romance of this book skipped over some predictable, plot devices that it could have easily used. At times, I found myself getting slightly annoyed with the female main character but in a way that I believe her friends within the book were also getting slightly annoyed. This was a good debut, and I hope to see follow up books for the two other friendships within this trio of the main female character.

Sometimes you meet the right guy at the dead wrong time. Going to her ex boyfriend’s funeral, Alison is mistaken for the ex’s current girlfriend by the family and she doesn’t have the heart to share the truth with them. She soon finds herself offering to clean out his apartment with his friend Adam.

This book was thoughtful, cute and real. It deals with strong topics as death, cancer and reconstruction surgery. If you can handle those topics I think you’ll enjoy this book of finding love not where you expect.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Group for the ARC!

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer was an enjoyable read. The chapter lengths were just right—I prefer shorter chapters. While the writing style for this book didn't completely engage me for extended periods, I found the plot idea good, and the characters were genuinely lovable. Overall, it's a promising debut novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
Absolutely loved this book! I could relate to this book on so many levels…cancer, celiac disease, seatbelt pillows in everyone’s vehicles, people pleaser, etc.
I laughed out loud throughout and the characters were relatable. Adam and Alison were funny and sweet.
While this book is a rom-com it touches on important issues as well giving it depth and learning to accept and love yourself as you are. Highly recommend.

I liked where the book was going when it first started I just didn’t like how Adam and Al came together. Adam just seemed like such a grump.

I think she should have gone on the trip to Chile with Adam in tow. Patagonia is beautiful!

I LOVED everything about this book!

I am so glad that this was the last book I finished in 2023 because I am ending the year with one of my favorite books of the year! Ellie Palmer gives us wit, humor, impeccable timing, wonderful circle of friends, and the grumpiest of grumps that make my heart swell.

Recap:
Ali has never been much of an adventure seeker - but after she found out she was a BRCA 1 Carrier and underwent a double mastectomy, she feels she owes it to herself to take risks and live life at its fullest. When her ex boyfriend and thriller seeker Sam suddenly passes away, she finds herself at his funeral - where no one knows they broke up - stuck playing the part of mourning girlfriend. She is now stuck cleaning out Sam's apartment with his estranged best friend, Adam. It would only take four weekends. Now, Grumpy Adam and Ali are stuck together for a month, full of awkward moments, great banter, lots of chemistry, and such good romance.

Review:
Honestly, I loved every minute of this book. Ellie does such a great job of making these wonderful romantic moments without being cheesy or over the top. They are just Billy Crystal perfection. I loved the tender moments with each other, how Ali has such a great support group, how they both discovered how to be the best versions of themselves, and not what others wanted them to be or who they thought they should be. It was such a good book and I cannot wait for others to read it! Adam Berg is the grumpiest and I love everything about him. All the stars. Loved it.

Read if you like:
Grumpy / Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Mental Health representation

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this entertaining book in exchange for my honest thoughts.