This is the story of Adam and Allie. He is the childhood best friend of Sam (they are drifting apart) and she is Sam's recently ex girlfriend. First thing, before the story, Sam dies. Allie goes to the funeral where the family thinks that she is still Sam's girlfriend. She doesn't have the heart to correct them so she goes along with it. So far along with it that she agrees to help Adam clear out Sam's old condo to get it ready for selling.

I loved that it started with the funeral. In that it is a rom com and goin got the funeral meant we could like Sam but weren't devastated by his death. The book does a great job of unfolding Adam and Allie's relationship. They were both relatable (I mean I can understand why neither was in a rush to correct the idea of best friend and girlfriend). My favorite part is the ending, where we find out Sam was going to introduce the two of them, because he knew they would be perfect for each other. It was overall a fun read.

I’m not really a rom-com reader but the title spoke to my GenX heart and I was not disappointed. The author deals with a whole lot of serious issues (grief, imposter syndrome, health issues) in the midst of a slow-burn romance and humor. Well done!

Very cute! I love that this wasn’t the typical romantic comedy (boy meets girl, crisis happens, they find their way back together) but rather it was a story of two people falling for each other under non-traditional (and arguably awkward) circumstances. On top of that, it hits some poignant life lessons about how overcoming adversity/fear doesn’t always fit a set mold. It can mean different things for different people.

This was a great debut! I love the title, but I think it's a little misleading / on the nose, maybe. While the line-level writing was cozy, I found the pacing and placement of plot points to be a bit awkward at times. I really appreciate the author's inclusion of BRCA and thought that was something added depth to the story, but the way it was dealt with sometimes felt a little contrived. While I liked Mara and Chelsea, they also didn't seem to hold on their own, and the trivia plot was a little overdone. All in all, though, this is an excellent debut! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is probably the most don't judge a book by its cover moment I've ever had. I did not think I was going to like this book. It did not feel like I was going to be interested, but from the beginning I found Alison endearing, and Adam was a great counterpart to her. I really enjoyed how the story played out, and while the initial situation that the protagonist gets herself into feels kind of contrived, I have a friend that I can absolutely see getting herself into the same place.
One of the best parts of this book is how her relationship with Sam seems to change over time, and how he seemed to know that Adam and Alison would get along. I liked how Alison stood up for herself when everything started to fall apart, and I especially liked that Adam didn't figure out that Alison and Sam broke up beforehand, and that when he did find out, he didn't make a big deal about it. They were able to move on without issue. Perfection.
The side characters were a little generic, and I honestly had a hard time telling Chelsea and Mara apart. But I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, as so much of the book was contained within Sam's apartment and only consisted of Adam and Alison together.
I really enjoyed this. Much more than I thought I would. I liked the chemistry between Alison and Adam, and felt like they had a real connection, unlike so many of the other romance books I've read lately. This felt like a book about a growing relationship that happened to have 1-2 sex scenes, rather than a collection of sex scenes badly strung together with forced quippy scenes between characters I couldn't care less about.
ALSO
Alison's BRCA was treated so well. I really like when characters have other stuff going on in their lives, and this was weaved in so well with the guilt, and the relationship with Alison's mom. I really liked it. I just liked this book a lot.

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

oh-kay, where do i begin? i definitely think i am not the target audience for this book. this is 100% a book i see a lot of millennials loving. it seems to be very 90's rom-com coded (which also seems to be the general consensus). i unfortunately found it very difficult to connect with the characters and the references just kinda flew over my head. i rlly enjoyed seeing the representation in alison. she finds out that she has the BRCA gene and gets a double mastectomy. seeing her deal with the grief of losing a part of herself and struggling with it happening at the age that it did for her was very interesting for me. i enjoyed how much more this book had to offer in terms of plot and depth. however, i felt the pacing was all over the place. initially, i was having a great time with the humour and the writing but slowly, it started boring me a little. i do think this is a cute read with great representation and lots of laugh-out-loud moments that i see millennials having a great time with. but unfortunately, it was a miss for me. i am excited to see what else the author does in the future though.

This book was a quick, entertaining read that I couldn’t put down! I love creativity of the story, as I could really see something like this happening and how real people might react to it.

Alison’s ex-boyfriend, Sam, passes away and upon attending his funeral, no one in the family seems to know Sam broke up with her six weeks earlier except his sister who asks Alison to play along. So she does, but ends up getting herself roped into helping pack up his apartment and belongings with Sam’s best friend, Adam, for the next four weekends. Adam is grumpy and doesn’t seem to talk much. As they slowly get to know each other, the force proximity turns to more than friendship…but each has different reservations on moving forward.

I really appreciate how the book covered the family dynamics and mental health aspects for each character. The characters were heartfelt and very relatable, but still quirky with funny sarcastic banter. I especially enjoyed the lady trivia trio. Every girl should be lucky to have two best friends like Mara & Chelsea.

A special thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Putnam Group for an advanced digital copy of this book!

I need to lead this review by agreeing with FMC Alison's best friend, Chelsea: Harrison Ford at any age can get it and share that the opening line made my jaw drop.

FW&AF is if While You Were Sleeping (ELITE romcom) and In Five Years by Rebecca Serle had a baby.

Setting: Minnesota; Twin Cities and Duluth
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Fake Dating*, "Forbidden" Love, Enemies to Lovers

FW&AF follows FMC Alison and MMC Adam.
Alison is a train enthusiast and transportation consultant, who is focused on the guilt of who she is supposed to be since she cheated death after testing for the BRCA1 gene by burying herself in self help books and hobbies that do not spark joy. In her journey of being someone she is not, her two best friends (Chelsea and Mara), as well as Adam call her out on it.
Adam, works in construction with a passion for carpentry (OKAY HI HARRISON FORD!!) who knows what he wants, but doesn't have the courage to follow through and execute.

Needs a TW for breast cancer, mastectomy, reconstruction surgery, passing of a loved one off page...
I found it interesting that this is closed door, when the ovarian ultrasound was so incredibly detailed. Like, I still feel it.

It felt more like a medical drama than a romance novel at times. I’m not sure if this is a love story between two people, or more so a love story for yourself, with a side story of two people falling in love.

This is Ellie Palmer's debut novel, and I look forward to reading future works of hers.
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital ARC!

What a great debut novel! It reminded me SO much of the movie While You Were Sleeping, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. Alison is a very likeable heroine who has been through a lot (physically and mentally), so you can't help but like her and empathize with her character. And if you love a good enemies-to-lovers or forced proximity trope then you'll get a big kick out of Four Weekends and a Funeral. Normally, I don't care much for secondary characters, but Mara and Chelsea added so much depth to the story and the girl power vibes were awesome. I would recommend this book to everyone, and I look forward to reading more of Ellie Palmer's work in the future.

Highly recommend checking out this debut romance novel when it comes out in August. This book has a super fun premise: Alison shows up to her ex-boyfriend’s funeral but his family thinks she’s still his girlfriend. Not wanting to upset them during this trying time, Alison not only plays along, but also offers to clean out his condo, alongside his best friend Adam. What comes next is a top tier forced proximity, grumpy sunshine romance. I loved Adam, the rugged Minnesota mountain man and Alison, a double mastectomy survivor who feels desperate to change her life after her BRCA diagnosis. I also really appreciated the female friendships in this book (hoping for future books about Chelsea and Patrick and Mara and a rival trivia bro).

Four Weekends and a Funeral

3.25 ⭐️

I picked up this one way earlier that the @netgalley due date because it just sounded so cute and funny! And while it did have funny parts, there was a lot more depth to it than I anticipated.

Alison is at her ex-boyfriend’s funeral when she finds out everyone still thinks they were dating when he died. She’s asked to help clean up his apartment with his best friend. The two end up working together and finding a quick friendship and more. Alison is also dealing with a pre-cancerous prognosis and the grief that comes with losing a part of herself.

I loved the Minnesota setting and all the little Easter eggs from around Duluth and the Twin Cities! The chapter titles and even some of the offhanded comments about Alison’s mastectomy seemed like they went a little too far and were a little too overt. Alison and Adam both showed great character growth and I really enjoyed that!

This book is a highly creative, sexy, and entertaining execution of enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and grumpy-meets-sunshine tropes. In this rom-com world, thirty-year-old Allison Mullally finds herself in one of the most awkward situations: pretending to be in a relationship with a dead guy! Sam, her adventurous and thrill-seeking ex-boyfriend, dumped her six weeks ago because of their vast differences. Throughout their short relationship, Allison pretended to be happy, prioritizing Sam's needs, even participating in extreme sports activities she despised.

Now, she's attending Sam's funeral in unstylish and uncomfortable clothes, only to discover that Sam's family believes they were still dating at the time of his death. Sam's sister requests her to continue the charade, as the family insisted on Sam settling down when he was alive. Allison reluctantly agrees, thinking she can fake-date a dead guy for the sake of his grieving family. However, her commitment takes an unexpected turn when she is forced to team up with Adam, Sam's uptight, grumpy, and frustrating best friend, to pack up Sam’s belongings in his apartment for four weekends.

Despite initial reservations, Allison finds herself drawn to Adam. Their witty banter and blooming intimacy spark a natural friendship between them. As their chemistry hits the roof, and tensions rise, they realize they need to come clean and give their relationship a chance. However, Allison must confront her own insecurities and decide if she's brave enough to risk her heart.

The book boasts amazing supporting characters, with a special emphasis on the fantastic girl power of Mara and Chelsea. Unlike some romances where secondary characters feel forced, these characters add depth and atmosphere to the story. The witty banter and palpable chemistry between Adam and Allison make for a highly entertaining read. The book expertly balances emotional chapters related to family relationships, providing different perspectives on various situations.

In conclusion, I had an amazing time reading this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to die-hard rom-com lovers.

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.

3.5⭐️

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice romance and I appreciated that the plot did go deeper than your typical rom com. I also enjoyed the theme of learning to love yourself and know I could see some of myself in the main character, Alison.

There were a couple of things that held me back from absolutely loving this book. At times, the pacing felt slow. In addition, despite the depth to the characters I had a hard time really connecting with them.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and definitely worth a read. Thank you to both NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

i liked this book! this was pretty fun ! i found the content great and a pretty good perspective! it was good

Four weekends and a funeral is probably one of the most satisfying and original romances I read this year.
The starting point is Alison who finds herself fake dating her dead ex boyfriend while falling for sad dead ex boyfriend's best friend Adam.

I found this book tender, sweet, important to read. I loved how it dealt with grief and survivor's guilt. They're not easy topics to handle but the author did beautifully.

The romance is absolutely sweet and stunningly written. Alison and Adam have great chemistry and their slowburn was so satisfying to read. Also the characters separately were so well written and felt so real. Again to the author's merit.
And, lastly, a shout out to the friend group which was so fun and entertaining and I hope those same characters get books in the future. I'd be very interested.
I don't think I can recommend this book enough, truly.

What a fun novel! After her ex-boyfriend passes away, Alison attends his funeral to find out that his family never knew they broke up! She spontaneously agrees to help clean out Sam's apartment with his friend Adam. As the weekends go by, Alison starts to see that Adam isn't as cold as he first appears. She also learns that she needs to accept herself for who she is. Will the spark turn to flames?

A great read and it had me thinking about the things I do because 'I'm supposed to' and re-evaluate my life!

Oh how I loved this! Loved, loved, loved. This is such a sweet story about loss, love and becoming who you really are. I will be recommending this to anyone who will listen.

This was such a wonderful debut! I love a good romcom, and this one immediately became one of my new favorites. Four Weekends and a Funeral follows Alison Mullaly, who arrives at her ex-boyfriend's funeral only to find out that no one knows they'd broken up. Determined to make things easier for his family, Alison plays the role of grief-stricken girlfriend and agrees to spend four weekends packing up her ex's apartment with his best friend, Adam. As Alison and Adam work together to finish the job, their awkward silences soon turn into an unexpected friendship...and maybe even something more. Can Alison finally become the person she's meant to be—and allow herself to fall for the person she's meant to be with?

I loved this book so much! I definitely see the comparisons to movies like When Harry Met Sally and While You Were Sleeping, and since those are two of my favorite romcoms of all time, it's no surprise that I enjoyed this story just as much. However, while Four Weekends and a Funeral captures the tone and comforting feeling of a classic romcom, it also certainly stands on its own, with a unique, fresh premise that hooked me instantly. Alison and Adam are both likable, endearing, and well-developed characters, and it's impossible not to root for them, both as individuals and as a couple. I especially appreciated Alison's whole journey. I had never read a book with a character who carries the BRCA 1 gene/has a preventative double mastectomy, and I thought the exploration of that storyline was so candid and touching. I also loved watching Alison come to the realization that she didn't need to apologize for being herself. She didn't need to feel guilty for wanting a quieter life, she didn't need to hide or downplay her interests and passions, she didn't need to push herself to be someone she wasn't—because she was already enough, just as she was. It was heartwarming to see her finally be content with who she was, and I found her personality so relatable!

This story was packed with emotion and depth, but it was also just a total joy to read—it truly embodied both the "rom" and the "com!" The chemistry and banter between Alison and Adam had me smiling nonstop at my screen. The trivia aspect of the story and all the pop culture references were so much fun to read about, too, and there were so many hilarious moments throughout the book. I also loved the side characters, from Alison's best friends, to her coworkers, to hers, Adam's, and Sam's respective families. They felt just as real and vivid as Alison and Adam did, and I enjoyed following Alison's different relationships with all of them, especially her friendship with Mara and Chelsea! I'm hoping those two each get their own books one day, too—I would love to see these characters again and read their stories. Either way, I am so excited to see what Ellie Palmer writes next, and would highly recommend Four Weekends and a Funeral! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC.

a brilliant book. i haven’t read anything like this ever in think? i was just thinking about how much i would love a while you were sleeping-esque romcom and this so delivered for me! while you were sleeping, when harry met sally, and four weddings and a funeral are all some of my most favorite romcoms ever and this beautiful magical book blended them all together so perfectly that i’m going to be thinking about it and craving more books just like it for years to come.

ali and adam were such likeable characters to me not only were they entertaining as heck but it was so easy to fall in love with them and feel for them. even during frustrating fights and miscommunications that would normally bug me i just felt bad and wanted to wrap tbem up. they were both just two hurting and scared a people trying to navigate a strange situation and i was rooting for them so hard from start to finish. luv luv luved them bad!!

while the plot as a whole was so perfectly unique, i’ve also never read a book that dealt with breast cancer survival/preventative mastectomies in such a close up way (or really at all to be honest) and it was so emotional and added so much depth and character to the book that i really enjoyed! there was certainly no shortage of emotions to be felt during this!

… while we’re on the topic of allll the emotions!!! despite this book dealing with such heavy topics like grief and surviving cancer and preventing cancer and losing parts of your body in the process, it was still genuinely so much fun!! i was literallt smiling so big for so much of the book!! the banter was bantering THE WHOLE! time!! and i love that!! i feel like sometimes in an “enemies” to lovers type book the playful banterness will start off really strong and then will be lost once the couple starts entering their lover era lol but i love when they can stay playful and carry the banter into their relationships!!

just adored so much of this: the banter! ali’s humor! and persistence to make adam like her!! adam’s thoughtfulness (like WOAH!!!!!!) the banter of course!! the tension!!!!!!!!!! the culture references (otrivia benson and marquizka hargitay!!! i was bursting out laughing as a mariska girl myself)!!!! and of course of course the girl gang!!! i LOVE A GIRL GANG!!!
overall just. such an amazing heartwarming entertaining love story!! a brilliant debut for ellie palmer! thank you so so much to NetGalley and putnam books for this arc!!!

Four Weekends and a Funeral is both a book about grief and survivor's guilt (in many forms) and a romance. As a book about grief, it's a five star read for me. Allison's struggle with what it means to "skip" cancer (in her mind) is really powerful. The author has a personal connection to this, but it's so relatable within the novel and even though it can be frustrating to watch Allison constantly sabotage her own happiness, it's clear that she's processing the path her life has taken as best she can. There's a lot of really great stuff in this portion of the novel, and it's written beautifully.

As for the romance plot, my biggest issue was the pacing. Tonally, it really does feel like an homage to 90s romantic comedies. Certainly the mmc references them directly near the end. However, it's not really a slow burn, as the romance turns steamy fairly early on. And the third act break up is more of a second act break up, and it takes a long time for that to resolve itself.

I think this book is best when read as a novel about grief with a romance subplot. On balance, I'd give it 4 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.