...sigh.
The first half of this was so good and enjoyable (banter, fun writing, great character dynamics), and then the third act conflict hit and ruined everything. this book just really loses momentum once the two characters get together, and then it's like treading water until we hit the dreaded third act conflict, which really strained credulity. the problem in this case is that the characters' conflicts are so defined and obvious, like something straight out of a novel outline (Alison's conflict will be that she's Forcing Herself to Be Adventurous, and Adam's will be that he's Not Bold Enough to Progress in His Life). and you can tell that these conflicts lack complexity because they become increasingly repetitive throughout the story, with characters just saying the same things in slightly different ways. the last third of this was such a disappointment for me--it's like the book built me up in the beginning just to sorely let me down in the end
a good romance needs to not just be able to build tension effectively, but also to resolve tension effectively. this novel did the first well and the second poorly, the result being a super promising and enjoyable story feeling, by its end, lackluster and disappointing.

I LOVED this book. I will be checking more out by this author. I will say, I was hesitant about the concept. I thought for sure I would feel weird about the situation, but IT WORKED. I loved both main characters and even every single side character. The two main characters had amazing character development. I loved that it went deeper with their own stories and how they conquered those things. This had the perfect amount of humor and even holiday charm, without it being a total holiday book.

Is it too early to say this book is one of my favorite reads of the year? If you're a fan of heartwarming romances with a touch of humor, this book is a perfect choice. Ellie Palmer’s "Four Weekends and a Funeral" is a delightful book that beautifully captures the essence of unexpected romance. Thank you to the publisher for another amazing eARC!

This book simply a delight! I loved how they approached cancer - it's something that touches so many families and it was nice to see how it weaved into the story without being detracting or extremely heavy.

This book started out really strong for me. The first chapter hooked me and I saw the parallels throughout the book of While You Were Sleeping a little bit (the family could have been more central/developed to the story to really emphasize the third act conflict/movie parallels, but they were not). I thought the mastectomy/cancer was interesting to the character, I always like to learn, but sometimes the information took over from the story. It felt somewhat clunky at times and not a natural part of the book. I really enjoyed the main character and her development but Adam wasn't as interesting to me as I hope for a male lead.

This stayed on my NetGalley shelf for FAR too long, and so I can say with certainty that if it’s on your shelf right now, you should pick it up. Also if it’s not on your shelf right now, you should go get it because it is already out!!!!

This was ALARMINGLY cute? Like, giggling and kicking my feet cute. But also, reading with an entire tissue up each nostril because what’s not cute is me when I’m sobbing and I also did that.

There is such a delicate and finely blended combination of genuine, gut-wrenching grief, sweet, tender adoration, and dry, messy humor. The layers of guilt mixed with (very) cautious optimism, and the hesitant but wonderful banter were top-notch.

Also, I kept going “I’ve been there!” Because one thing about a Minnesota girlie is she is gonna exclaim about being a Minnesota girlie.

One massive aspect of this book is Alison finding out who she is and who she wants to be after a life-changing medical procedure, and how those in her life (friends, family, and past partners) have handled it as well. It’s a painfully realistic, deeply complex web of emotions and decisions, and it is just as prominent in the storyline because it’s just as important for her to process and move through it as it is for her to move forward.

Alison and Adam are both so messy and cautious, but also SO earnest and eager to love and be loved. Watching them heal each other while also learning how to heal themselves was so refreshing and also felt a little bit like being kicked in the shin. But like in a good way. Because we love books that hurt us (I know it’s not just me).

Four Weekends and a Funeral is a fantastic romance that will keep you engage from beginning to end.

The FMC Alison Mullally attends her ex-boyfriend's funeral and realizes that nobody knows that she is his ex. He never told his family or his friends and ends up agreeing to play the part and also help back up his apartment. However, there is one problem, she must pack up with Sam's surly best friend, Adam Berg.

When Allison arrives at Sam's apartment she quickly realizes Sam does not want her there, which makes for an extremely uncomfortable situation. However, Allison decides that she's going to do what she can to make him like her. Soon they are forming a tenuous relationship and she realizes that they have amazing chemistry. Now she needs to figure out what to do about her lie and will it keep her from true love with Adam?

The first thing of note is that Alison is a BRCA ! carrier that is post double mastectomy, as this plays a major part in the book. She is dealing with a lot regarding her surgery and it's wonderful to see the growth she goes through in regards to her traumatic experience, is wonderful to read.

Also, the love story between Alison and Adam is a lot of fun. The sexual tension, the lie between them, trying to deny their feelings, etc., it was fantastic to read about. You can tell how much they care about it and want to be together and the sexual tension between them was so much fun.

All in all this was an really great read and if you're looking for a heartwarming, cute romance I highly recommend Four Weekends and a Funeral.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.


When Allison goes to her ex boyfriend's funeral, a misunderstanding leads everyone think that she and her ex were still together. Out of a sense of duty and guilt, she agrees to help his best friend pack up his apartment. Soon, sparks start flying between her and stoic Adam, but will they ever act on what they feel?

This book was fine. I'm not a big fan of insta love and this had that. It's not a bad book. In fact, it's a great beach read!

This book is geared toward every Xennial woman. I felt myself capturing each pop culture reference.

It had the lightheartedness of a Nora Ephron movie but so much depth to the story that made it more than just about how and where the main characters fall in love.

There weren't any moments when I felt second hand embarrassment for the character and there was just enough angst throught the book. The witty banter between all characters kept the story flowing at a perfect pace

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I thought that the premise was unique, like something I hadn't seen before. I thought the execution of the plot could have been awkward but it just wasn't. It was done really well. I enjoyed the way the relationship developed between the two characters. The emotions and relationship was complicated and seemed to develop naturally. Overall, this was an entertaining story that took me less than two days to read because it was so good.

Adam had all of the grumpy Nick Miller vibes which I absolutely love.
Allison's health struggles also brought some introspection to the book.
The banter!! *chef's kiss*
Enemies-to-Lovers which is more like annoyance to lovers and I enjoyed every bit of it.
You get all of the giddy feelings of the start of a relationship and I loved all of it.

The premise of this book was incredibly intriguing! Alison, recently dumped by Sam, attends his funeral where his sister asks her to pretend their relationship was more serious than it was, to give the impression that Sam was settling down. From there, chaos unfolds as Alison and Adam, one of Sam's friends, are left to clean out his apartment and prepare it for sale.

I appreciated the insights into the BRCA1 gene and found Alison and Adam's personal growth to be a highlight. The romance between them was charming and heartfelt. Alison's struggle with guilt and her attempts to be someone she's not were compelling, though sometimes frustrating to witness—clearly, that was part of the narrative’s intention. Overall, this book offered a sweet and engaging read, perfect for fans of heartfelt stories and holiday enthusiasts.

I love a fake dating troupe...but on a dead guy?
It reminds me of a 90s movie i think. Sandra Bullock maybe?

I wanted so bad to like this, but for some reason, I just didn't connect. I had to force myself to finish.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't a well written, well thought out plot and characters. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the Arc. All opinions are m own.

Alison attends her ex-boyfriend, Sam’s funeral and discovers that he had not told anyone that they had broken up. His sister is the only one that knows and she asks her to pretend for the sake of the family. They were happy that he had found someone so she agrees to pretend . She gets roped into helping pack up his apartment with his best friend, Alex aka the grump. Over the next 4 weekends the pair navigate awkward conversations, silences and tension as well as some pretty amazing chemistry. A friendship between the two begins and they find themselves looking forward to the weekends spent together more and more.

This was the first time that I have ever read a book with the fake dating trope was used on a dead guy!! I loved this originality of the story and the creativity it took to pull it all together!! It was really sweet and fun. Great pacing, great characters and fresh story. Loved it!!

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book so much! It was hilarious and heart warming and so fun to read! Definitely one to read at Christmas time!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book. Not only was the romance super cute, but the topic of grief was handled so well and made for a deeper story.
I knew I was going to enjoy this book when it started with a funeral scene. Sounds morbid, but it was kind of refreshing to read a romance book that starts with something so sad and emotional. This book also starts with deception, as Alison pretends she was still dating her ex at the time of his death at the request of his sister. So it's not a very uplifting story at the start. And that theme of underlying grief and sadness lingered throughout the book, and it worked so well.
Alison is a great FMC. I loved her inner monologues and interactions with her friends. I loved that her personality was so distinct. We got to learn of her struggles and experience with grief, and not only grief for her ex boyfriend's death, but grief for her own body after having a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA gene. And the looming fear of knowing she will have to grieve the loss of her ovaries one day, too, is a big character arc for her. It added a layer to the story that really helped me understand why Alison is how she is.
Adam is also the best MMC ever. He starts so grumpy and standoffish towards Alison, but as the story progresses, we get to see his character grow to love Alison. It made me internally say "awww" at every interaction between them.
Every single character in this book was great and added something. I enjoyed Alison's group of friends the most, though.
If you enjoy a deeper romance book, grumpy x sunshine, and forced proximity, I recommend giving this book a try!

CW: cancer, death of a loved one, detailed funeral scene, grief

I cannot believe this was a debut! What a heartwarming one! I loved Alison and found her very relatable. Loved the while you were sleeping and billy crystal nods. This would be a great read leading up to xmas as it has a lot of Christmas vibes and feels like a hallmark movie! Can't wait to see what this author has next!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I'm not sure why I was so surprised to adore this so much! While it does have a Rom-Com feel (I mean, fake dating your ex who not only dumped you but is dead while falling for his best friend!) there is also a deeper layer with dealing with grief, medical issues, and finding a way to be your true self. I love how Alison got through Adam's grumpy outer side and discovered his sweet inner core. The way these two revealed to each other hidden depths and formed a genuine friendship was fun to watch. Their banter, sweetness, and chemistry...so well done. I am still smiling! I enjoyed the romance, but also appreciated the friendship support of Mara and Chelsea. The characters felt genuine even when some of the situations were a comedy of errors. And the way the book came full circle was perfection!

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I normally HATE when authors say *the MC looks like [insert celebrity name here],” but when you say he looks like a young Harrison Ford you have my full, undivided attention.
Onwards to more critical matters, this book had many features that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the friendship among the female cast of characters. There were so many cute moments, like “I throw a red M&M at her face, but when she catches it in her mouth, we’re both too impressed to remember what we were arguing about in the first place.” I think these relationships were my favorite part of the book.

This whole book was quite well done. In particularly enjoyed the cold open, “When I learn I’m still dating Sam Lewis, I’m at his funeral.” Bam, what a hook. This book was quite well written, with many quippy one liners and hilarious bits that left me rolling. There were also many sweet and tender moments. Overall, the writing was spot on.

I also liked the rep, the BRCA1 carrier was very interesting to learn about. I understand the author is also a BRCA1 carrier, so major respect for the author for sharing that part of her life.

My chief complaint is that one must suspend a certain level of belief for this to work. Like… Sam’s parents wanted his random girlfriend of a few months to help go through his things? Like… That just didn’t work for me. Clearly Alison and Sam hardly knew each other. I mean, she never stayed over… “I was never ready for that step.” I felt like that was such a strange thing to include. And part of me felt like it was some weird way to make it okay for Adam and Alison to move more quickly in their relationship. This was hammered home by the “I think you’ll always be a little bit Sam’s girlfriend.” Dude, you’re not his brother. It didn’t really seem like either of them liked Sam, or even mourned him very hard. And then, in the end, Sam secretly “approved” of the relationship and had intentions to set them up. I didn’t need that. It’s okay for living adults to consent to relationships after they lose someone without their approval. It was just an easy way to move the plot along to the happy ending without putting in the work. And don’t worry anyways, because they’re all in therapy now!

I think having Alison and Sam not serious in their relationship was such a missed opportunity to discuss more complicated feelings associated with happiness after loss. I think it would have been a way to really hammer home how some of these carriers my grapple with their own mortality in moments like these. It appears that the author was going for more of a light-hearted book though, so I understand the choice.

Furthermore, I would take the trip to Patagonia. Even if I hated hiking. I personally do enjoy hiking and trail running. So, when the author said “going trail running won’t make you better or more deserving” I took that personally.

“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔, 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

💬What a truly wonderful, cozy, and emotionally engaging love story! I laughed out loud (several times), cried, and even felt giddy (no joke). This is exactly what I seek in contemporary romance novels. Though it started off slowly for me, picking up around the 30% mark, I absolutely couldn’t put it down after that.

Four Weekends and A Funeral is a closed-door, cute romcom. Allison attends her ex’s funeral, pretending they’re still together, and ends up packing his condo with his grumpy best friend, Adam.

As they navigate their personal struggles, this grumpy/sunshine story touches on deeper themes, including Allison's BRCA gene diagnosis.