Alison’s ex-boyfriend is dead. And her drive to do what she thinks she should do gets her back into her relationship with him at his funeral where she meets his family and best friend, Adam. Alison and Adam work together over four weekends to help out their recently deceased friend’s family and… well, it’s a romance. You know how it goes. The plot was sweet, and the characters were lovable. The writing was a bit clunky at points which brings my rating down a bit. Content warning: BCRA, preventative surgery are major themes throughout.

What a great debut. I haven't read a romance before where the main character carries the BRCA 1 gene and has had a double mastectomy. (This is not a spoiler--it comes up very early in the book.) Alison's unresolved feelings about this have led her to embrace a more adventurous life, even if she kind of hates hiking. And Adam is definitely stuck before he meets Alison at her (ex-) boyfriend's funeral, where it quickly becomes clear that everyone thinks they were still dating. An unusual premise, for sure, but it leads to some classic rom-com disasters and some heartwarming moments.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL is such a sweet, fun read! Alison was a great heroine, and I enjoyed hearing about her journey with BRCA. Adam was a loving, cinnamon roll grump of a hero and their chemistry was palpable. Even though it was closed door, I still loved all of the intimacy the characters shared and found myself wrapped up in their love story. The emotional arcs were perfect and the ending was so delightful. I loved seeing where the characters ended up together.

Four weekends and a funeral

Girl gets dumped. Ex-boyfriend tragically passes away. No one at the funeral knows he dumped her. Girl gets guilt-tripped into keeping the dumping a secret. Enter hot best friend of ex-boyfriend.

The synopsis of this book and the first several chapters had me concerned that the plot of this book was going to be a little uncomfortably predictable but I confidently confirm that this book was full of surprises! This author through her own experiences is able to portray a millennial woman with the BRCA gene with such vulnerable honesty. I think people often wish to see into the future but the BRCA Gene is the real-life application of seeing into the future and proves how difficult this information is to process.

I also want to note that I will always praise romance authors for creating complicated female lead characters with real depth. This genre is often plagued with pixie dream girls and while that is fun on occasion we need to support authors that incorporate the complicated reality of being a woman.

I am excited to read more from this author and home that she continues to write in this genre.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this digital advance readers copy.

After Alison finds out she has the BRCA1 gene, she has surgery to avoid breast cancer. She feels she must take on a series of challenges and her new boyfriend Sam, an avid outdoor adventurer, is the perfect match for her quest. But he dumps her and six weeks later he dies in a climbing accident. When she attends his funeral, his sister asks her to play along with the ruse that she is still his girlfriend. She agrees. She is then paired with his good friend Adam to pack up and ready his townhouse for sale. Though Adam and Alison get off to a rough start, as they share secrets their romance blossoms. Palmer has written a sweet book about trying to be someone you aren’t and finding your best self. It was an enjoyable read with a few surprises. This a quite a nice surprise for a debut. I will look forward to future books from Ellie Palmer. I thank NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Alison attends her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral not realizing he didn't tell anyone they broke up. Sam's sister asks Alison to play along for the day and she offers to pack up his apartment to his grieving mother. Sam's college friend Adam also offers to pack up the apartment. They will spend the next 4 weekends working on the apartment. At first Adam rarely talks to Alison and seems to not want her around but as they spend more time together, they slowly get to know each other and become friends and maybe more. I enjoyed this book because in addition to the possible love story between Alison and Sam, the book also tells about Alison's friendships and her passion for her work. Alison also had a double-mastectomy since she was a BRCA 1 carrier which is an important part of her story. I really enjoyed this book since Alison was such a well rounded character and her relationship with Sam was fun to read about.

I loved this story so much. It was so much more than just a sweet romance (but also the romance was so charming and heartwarming). Ali is such an endearing protagonist and I loved her journey just as much as her and Adam’s story. I also was so pleasantly surprised about the way Sam was developed as a character and his impact on everyone around him. I truly loved every character, from Ali’s trivia friends and coworkers to Adam and Sam’s families.

Hoping for spin offs of Mara and Chelsea because they were both so lovable and I need more of them in the future.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I truly loved this one and for me the writing style was reminiscent of Abby Jimenez, who I love. I will definitely buy more books by this author in the future..

The book opens with Allison attending the funeral of a boyfriend she had recently broken up with. It turns out that the family is unaware that they had broken up and the sister asks her to pretend that they were still together to ease some pain for the parents. In the meantime, she meets his best friend and agrees to help clean out the ex boyfriends condo with him. Watching Adam and Ali's love story unfold was incredibly sweet. They are both struggling through choosing what they want in life and focusing on themselves instead of what other people want for them. Allison has just undergone a double mastectomy due to a BRCA mutation and that is also a huge part of her story and character. Overall, it was an incredibly sweet book that felt real and had a lot of depth in the characters. I would absolutely recommend it. Thankful to have gotten an early copy!

Ellie Palmer’s fresh, funny voice hooked me from the first page of FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL.

At her ex’s funeral, Alison learns that none of his family members know they broke up. Feeling terrible for his family, she agrees to help pack up her ex’s condo to prepare it for sale. But her ex’s best friend, Adam, is also helping with the task. He’s a grump who wants nothing to do with her. Over the course of several weekends, though, a friendship forms, and soon their attraction and feelings for each other are too hard to ignore.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but the characters’ journeys — Alison’s in particular since the story is told from her POV — are full of such tenderness, vulnerability, and depth. I fell in love with Alison and Adam, and I know readers will, too.

CW for some heavy topics: Alison has a BRCA diagnosis and has had a double mastectomy, both of which play a major role in the story. There’s also discussions of breast cancer, grief, ovarian cancer risk and a possible oophorectomy, and concerns about fertility issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

this is such a unique, sweet, loving story. I’ve never read a retelling of “four weddings and a funeral” like this and I really liked it! Alison and Adam meet during a low point, both being charged with cleaning out the apartment of her ex/ his brother after he passes. I appreciated Alison’s determination to be kind and supportive to his family. And Adam is a surely, sweet grump who learns to open up and finds an unexpected friend and partner.
overall a very sweet, unique story.
thank you for the arc :)

Jessica Joyce said to read this book, so naturally, I immediately read this book.

Four Weekend and a Funeral was SUCH a pleasant surprise! The story follows Alison, who finds herself in quite the predicament after her ex boyfriend passed away and she agrees to clear out his apartment in an effort to help his family out. But, with just the twist we needed, she ends up having an apartment-packing partner - Adam, her ex’s emotionally distant (and obviously hot) bff.

I loved the characters in this story and really was rooting for them. Their emotional growth was really endearing, and honestly touched on topics that I’ve struggled with myself (am I “doing” enough with my life, am I grateful enough, etc.) I think the only thing I struggled with was some of the pacing (kind of a slow burn) but it was not enough to lessen my interest in the story. The banter was *excellent* and the female friendships/side characters were a great treat as well.

This does not come out until Aug 2024 (sad) BUT - add it to your TBR now!!!!

Big thank you to NetGalley & Putnam for an ARC of this book!

I loved this sweet novel about a woman who's stuck having to clean her ex's apartment with his best friend when he unexpectedly dies before his family knows that they've broken up. You have to suspend disbelief for many of the things in this story but it's also a sweet story to get swept up in and with all that's going on in the world, i always appreciate books that feel like a cozy blanket and a warm hug.

with gratitude to netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is simply phenomenal! Ellie Palmer has a way with words and she sweeps you into Alison's world. Alison and Adam's romance is so gentle and real as they struggle to open up to each other. Palmer is a master with craft, making you swoon and ache throughout. A million stars! Please read now!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Putnam and especially the author Ellie Palmer fo chance to read this debut novel. It’s a fun rom com and I enjoyed the main characters transformations along with their Freinds who are along for the ride,
The novel,is humorous while also dealing with tougher issues including health issues and loss of a friend. Recommend this book for a thoughtful enjoyable reading experience

I just finished reading “Four Weekends and a Funeral” and I can tell you right now that I’m going to immediately read anything else Ellie Palmer writes. This story follows Alison, a woman who shows up to her ex-boyfriend’s funeral to find that no one knows they broke up. Not wanting to upset the family more, she pretends that they were still dating when he died, but things quickly spiral out of control. She spends the next four weekends working closely together with her ex’s grumpy best friend to clean out her ex’s apartment, all the while keeping up the fake dating her dead boyfriend charade.

This story dealt a lot with loss and personal growth, but also had a heavy dose of humor. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times, which I don’t do often while reading books! The whole book was heartwarming and completely drew me in, but I especially loved the ending. It’s the sort of swoony ending that makes you want to cry happy tears because everything came together so nicely to lead to the characters’ happily ever after.

The author did such a good job writing the characters so I felt like I really knew them. The dialogue flowed easily, in a way where the interactions felt so natural, like I could really picture everything happening right as I read it. I loved this book and am so excited to watch Palmer’s career grow once this book comes out next August, because I’m certain other people will love it, too!

Though the concept snared me instantly, the initial leap into the book is just that -- a leap. It feels like there's no exposition, no time to get used to the characters, the setting, anything before you're thrown directly into the central conflict of the book. While a charming feature of some fantasy novels, I did not enjoy the experience in this realistic fiction.

A girl pretending to be 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 at her ex's funeral all while falling for said ex's grumpy bestfriend... 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.

𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 opens up to Allison Mullaly getting caught in a fake dating scenario at her ex's funeral. But things get complicated as the weeks go by with her boxing up his apartment and growing closer to his grumpy lumberjack of a bestfriend.

- ~ -

Allison believes she's cheated cancer after an early detection and an immediate double mastectomy. In compensation, she forces herself to live life not merely survive by taking on adventures she detests.

Adam's last interaction with his late bestfriend was a fight cursing out their lifestyles and as he tries to moves on with his ex-girlfriend, the guilt seems to overpower.

I was really pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this debut actually.

Ali and Adam are a bit both dense. They both want something different from life but are too hesitant to stand up for it. Basically a perfect match.

Adam was the perfect combination of grumpy lumberjack meets cinnamon roll only for her and how Allison's sunshiness drew out smiles from him and her patience too and how they declared each other their favourite person.... swoon.

𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯.

- ~ -

3.98 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

What a great read! Although there was loss the story was/ wasn’t mainly about that. It was a tale of two introverts brought together by an extrovert. A little push through reminders from the beyond to not let life pass you by. I loved the gruffness of Adam who kept his thoughts close to his chest and Alison the timid survivor. This was a light story mainly but taught knowledge of BRAC 1 that opened my eyes to the struggle and all that goes with it. I thought Ms Palmer did an excellent explanation through the character of the myriad of thoughts that go through your head when you have any sort of health scare. Her knowing from personal experience. I thought this was an excellent debut and I’m hoping that Chelsea and Mara will have their own stories. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am voluntarily leaving my thoughts

Four Weekends and a Funeral is a charming romance with characters to root for! Alison's ex-boyfriend, Sam, dies suddenly (first page of the book, so no spoilers here!), but his parents do not realize that Alison and Sam broke up weeks before his untimely death. They ask her, with the help of Sam's best friend, hot carpenter Adam, to box up Sam's apartment. And there begins the insta-chemistry between Alison and Adam! Alison is also on a journey to live her best life after a double mastectomy, but she isn't sure what "best life" means for her.
This book reminded me of the 1995 movie, While You Were Sleeping, in the best possible way. Adam even has a reversible denim/khaki jacket like Bill Pullman! Read this book if you are in the mood for a light-hearted romance with dashes of hiking, trivia, and trains.
Thank you to Putnam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is a mystery/thriller with different point of views from the characters and beautifully written. The timelines were also very well written.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.

Overall I give this 5 out 5 because it really was a great book and I will definitely read more from this Author. I enjoyed the thrill of the plot and its twists.