I just finished Four Weekends and a Funeral and let’s just say that you can now refer to me as Ellie Palmer’s newest fan. I really enjoyed this romantic comedy. I adored the characters, flaws and all. Palmer did an excellent job of incorporating tough topics but keeping the story light — the characters were so good humored (even Adam), which helped. I will admit that, initially, I had to get used to Palmer’s quick whit paired with her descriptive storytelling. But, after a while, I fell into the rhythm of her writing and genuinely appreciated it.

This book was like watching a lovely Christmas story. If you want the feel good story with a spin, this is the book. Gave me Abbey Jimenez vibes. I thought it was adorable and am a bit sad it’s over.

It’s just a little white lie, that’s what Alison tells herself, what follows is a hilarious series of incidents that proves “no good deed goes unpunished.”

At the funeral of her ex, Alison realizes he never bothered to tell his family and friends that they were no longer together. As the ultimate people-pleaser she agrees to help Sam's “best friend” empty out his condo.

Adam has his own problems, no one realizes just how far apart he and Sam had drifted. The least he can do is get the condo ready to sell.

What follows is 4 weekends of Alison and Adam working together, misunderstandings, mutual pining, a hilarious cast of secondary characters, cut throat quizzo and an ending twist you won't see coming! I highly recommend it.

This was perfect! Four weekends and a Funeral is filled with depth, grief, tension, and love of course.

I simply couldn’t put it down once I started reading. I think this would be a perfect read for any fans of Emily Henry and Annabel Monaghan!

Thank you netgalley and Putnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a real sleeper hit for me. I loved the main character’s representation of people with the BRCA gene. It was a really powerful look at the unique circumstances of someone in this situation- the difficult decisions they have to make, the unusual grief that comes along with it… It was incredibly thought provoking. The developing relationship and banter between the couple was great- but even better was the relationship between the three best friends. I would love a sequel or two to this story!! Just putting that out into the universe. Definitely a 4.5 for me I think. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Thanks to Net Galley and Putnam for the advanced copy!

I was excited about this book from the announcement, and it did not disappoint. Alison it’s so relatable to so many people. Her portrayal of guilt and grief Will really hit home for some people. And Adam himself is so sweet, kind thoughtful, and overall caring. This novel really is a portrait of two people bettering themselves through each other loved!

The main character and I share the same love of a certain Billy Crystal movie and this book was such a charming nod to 90s rom com feelings. It has my favorite tropes of grump-sunshine, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers. The characters were sharp, witty, and loveable. The story line was unique and thoughtful. This was more than a romance, it was also a story of people dealing with grief, health, and complicated relationships. I truly enjoyed this read. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for letting me read.

I really enjoyed this book! As a Minnesota transplant, I enjoyed the locations and real Minnesota activities and locations sprinkled through the book. (Though I always want a MN set romance to include the Saint Paul Winter Carnival!)

Starting a story at a funeral seems like a risky endeavor, but the situation is where the story really begins. Al and Sam’s relationship ended well before Sam’s tragic accident. Being re-introduced to Sam’s family at his funeral as his girlfriend is a twist Al certainly didn’t expect. Getting roped (guilted) into clearing out Sam’s condo… a logical follow up. And of course Sam’s oldest friend is also roped into the task.

Grief is weird. Throwing two attractive, single people together for a daunting task as they are grieving is a romance waiting to happen. The author weaves in Al’s struggles with her femininity post mastectomy, her uncertainties about her medical world as a “cancer gene” carrier adds a layer to the decisions Al makes and her struggles as a “survivor.” Adam had also slid away from Sam prior to his death, but still wants to help his family. He has is own type of survivors guilt to deal with,

This isn’t a fireworks immediately type of story’s more of a slow burn. But once it ignites, this is such a great romance.

This was a quick, easy read. The draw between the main characters was a slow build, which I enjoyed and it was nice that it wasn't "spicy." It was nice that there were strong friendships involved. I didn't love the way Ben's parents based his value on "settling down” and I think that’s the feeling the reader is expected to take away. All in all, it was a fun read and I look forward to more Ellie Palmer novels.

This book is tender, drily funny, with a real sense of place. It’s layered and rich with well-developed secondary characters. Very much a romance for grownups (both MCs start dealing with their ish in therapy, and there’s no “true loved fixed me!)—I would characterize it more as women’s fiction than a pure romance novel. The FMC has her big realization about 15% past the point that it became tedious, but the book wraps up so well I forgot about that by the end. It was a perfect just before Christmas read!

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.

Four Weekends and a Funeral has all the elements of a cozy rom-com movie that you watch cuddled up in your favorite blanket. It’s got the Grumpy Sunshine/Forced Proximity tropes mixed with genuinely likable characters.

Alison and Adam meet at Sam’s funeral. They share Sam - Alison’s ex-boyfriend and Adam’s best friend - and agree to clean out Sam’s condo after Alison is mistaken for Sam’s current romantic partner. What no one expects is for Alison and Adam to fall for each other.

This is a sweet love story with plenty of substance and emotional growth. Ellie Palmer’s debut is delightful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam/Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a free ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral. This book will be released 8/6/2024.

This book is the debut novel for Ellie Palmer. It will certainly be devoured by romantic comedy fans.

Trigger warnings include death of a friend, breast cancer and surgery, and ovarian cancer and surgery.

The main character, Allison, turns up at her recent exes funeral only to find out that he never told anyone they broke up. His sister begs her to play along, which she awkwardly agrees to. Playing along leads to being responsible for cleaning out and organizing his apartment with his grumpy, delicious best friend. They go from enemies to friends to lovers… all mixed with a “we shouldn’t be doing this” vibe.

This book is an easy read and delightful. All characters, even the annoying ones, are likable and relatable. A reminder to always be yourself and not try to be what others think you should be…

I was in the mood for a good romance book this week and I sure got it with Four Weekends and a Funeral. I finished this book in two sittings over 24 hours. I really enjoyed the characters and how they came together as well as all their individual nuances. This book reminded me a lot of books by Abby Jimenez. The story line wasn’t predictable to me like so many romances can be. I look forward to more books from Ellie Palmer.

Okay so, I will say this book was a very cute read. It honestly felt like I was watching a rom com movie made in the early 2000s or something and lets be honest, I rewatch those movies all the time. I think the target audience, or people who should read this book, are people who want that classic rom com movie feel. I could tell from early on that the author must have had some sort of connection to the BRCA because chapter six was my favorite part of the book. Very unique take on how the character felt and really liked that. The only issue I had was towards the end of the book, it was that typically classic ‘cheesy’ rom com movie feel and it was just a little too cheesy for me. But overall, amazing debut novel and would recommend to someone looking for that rom com feel!

special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced look at the book in exchange for an honest review.

In this debut romance, we meet Alison and Adam. While they meet at the worst circumstance possible, they end up leaning on each other while dealing with the loss of their friend Sam (Alison’s ex boyfriend turned into close friend). Not only that, Alison is BRCA1 positive and weighing her options for the prevention of ovarian cancer.

This story was so cute and some times absolutely heartbreaking. We see Alison deal with losing a part of herself and trying to heal within making more health decisions. It dives into the gene and the complications that arise with it and also complex grief. Her friendships were so strong and the way everyone was always there for her was so heart warming.

I do feel like the pacing was a little off. I understand they fell for each other in 4 weeks but to me it seemed a little rushed.
Overall I think “Four Weekends and a Funeral” is an entertaining read with great representation. Banter and humor mixed well, this is the best of both worlds for readers who enjoy romance, humor, and real life issues. I’ll be reading more by Ellie Palmer for sure!

This was such a cute romantic comedy book. It was the perfect feel-good novel I needed. It featured the protagonist, Alison, and her journey through dealing with her ex's death (Sam) as well as her own for being a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. It features her ex's best friend, Adam, and their combined journey and Adam's own personal journey and coming to terms with losing a best friend. The book starts out with Sam's funeral and pretty quickly you see that no one knows that Alison and Sam broke up several weeks ago. For the benefit of the family, she pretends to be Sam's girlfriend even at the time of his funeral, and it turns into chaos from there.

The debut novel gave me a LOT to think about. Some themes include - self-identity, grief, guilt, and betrayal. I'm glad that I got to learn more and read through the perspective of a character that had undergone a double mastectomy.

Now to the romance - it served all the feel good vibes without the spice. For me the pacing was not was I was expecting. It started out as a slow burn and then really sped up halfway. However, at this halfway point is where I connected with Adam as a character and really started routing for Alison and him. Still, it left me wanting more - a slower climb to the climax, more character exploration, and more scenes between Alison and Adam.

This was an enjoyable and feel-good read (it really kept me glued to my Kindle while on the treadmill). I'm so routing for Ellie Palmer and can't wait to see this come out on 8/6/24!

First off, loved this read. The banter, storyline, talks about mental health included in the romance, along with all of the millennial references, A+. Only thing I was kind of off-put by was that he ghosted her for 3 weeks, and the FMC was completely fine with this? I don't know, maybe she's in a better place than I am, but I'd feel put off by this. And it went straight to the I-love-yous straight after. If you like a good rom-com with an otherwise wonderful couple, read this book asap!

Unique and fresh take on some well-loved tropes in the romance genre. It could be incredibly funny one moment and the next would have a take on grief and mourning that felt like an absolute gut punch. All these characters felt real in their experiences. But above all it had a lovely romance that made me giddy.

It's going to be a great year for romance! 🌸 Let me start by gushing over FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL, a stunning debut novel by Ellie Palmer (@elliepalmerwrites). Ellis is such a talented and funny writer and she had me hooked from the first line of FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL!
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Here’s the blurb:

A tender, laugh-out-loud debut romance about a woman who ends up in over her head after a little white lie . . .

The right guy at the dead wrong time.

When 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 . . . 

But Adam doesn’t want Alison anywhere near him. Forced to spend long hours with the grump, and his monosyllabic demeanor, Alison decides she must put her people-pleasing abilities to the test. She will make him like her. And after awkward family affairs and packing up dilemmas, the two form a tenuous friendship . . . if “friendship” means incredible chemistry and tension between them. Can Alison come clean and finally embrace the life and love she's always wanted? Or will her little white lie get in the way of her new, unexpected romance?
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Pub. Date: August 6, 2024, and you can preorder now at the link in @elliepalmerwrites ’s bio! And if you can’t wait until August for Ellie’s writing, she has a delightful newsletter, link also on her profile.
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