I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book started with a huge tragedy and then it gentled out into a lovely story. Quite unexpected but much loved.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you for netgalley and the publisher for accepting my request for this book.
Unfortunatley i didn't finish this book because after reading the first three chapters i felt like this one wasn't going to be what i wanted at the moment, especially because i thought it would have been more rom-com cheesy. so my rating is the average for this book expressed here on netgalley because I also feel like I didn't really give it a chance.

When my brother suddenly passes away, shattering my family, I’m left to pick up the pieces.

Then Vince Mancini knocks on my door. My brother’s best friend from high school—and the boy I loved—is a funeral director, and he promises to answer whenever I call.

With his steadfast nature and warm smile, he becomes the anchor in the storm, willing to hold me up as everything falls at my feet. He sees through all my bluster, and it’s easy to remember why I’d hung on his every word when I was younger.

Now, he thinks he can fix me, even though there’s a lump of clay where my heart used to be.

Which makes the fluttering in my chest all the more disconcerting. And this hurt? It’s too much too soon.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

I thought this book was amazing and it really had me hooked. The author's unique approach allowed the writing to be very captivating. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a new read.

"Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations" was such a pleasant surprise for me. It was a tale of grief and how a sudden loss can shatter a family and change the course of lives forever.

Through the grief, Cassie (FMC) deals with turmoil, a terrible job, a potential new love with an old crush, and so much uncertainty. I found myself fully invested in her journey.

I am eager to read more from Sophie Andrews.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC. I can't wait to tell my friends about this one.

Although this is billed as a romance novel, the author's own grief is laced in this story. I enjoyed many parts of this story and found the author's description of grief very real. I wish the love interest, Vince, had played a larger role and been a more developed character.

Unfortunately, the book wasn't for me. It had way less romance than I thought and I was led to believe in the blurb.
Cass and Vince’s story wasn't well-developed and while I enjoyed most of Sophie's books, this didn't hit the mark.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I truly can't say enough good things about Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations by Sophie Andrews. I know the plot, and maybe even the title, are going to turn some people away from reading but I honestly hope this book finds a huge following. Of course parts of it are sad (I mean, it's centered around our FMC, Cass in the wake of her brother's death and yes, I cried several times before even hitting the 40% mark) but it's such a beautiful, albeit sometimes painfully realistic, depiction of life after death.

"Everyone's gone and it's all back to normal. Except normal is relative. Normal is broken."

Love at a Funeral... is written as a romance but at its core is a story of death, grief, and what it's like to navigate life after it's been irrevocably changed. As an avid romance reader and someone who has worked in the death industry since 2011, I haven't really seen many other books like this and initially I was in it just to see how Sophie handled such difficult subject matter. Even knowing that the story was loosely based on her own experiences, I had my doubts that it would be done well. I was only about 5% in when my doubts were completely extinguished though because this book was masterfully written, combining compassion, empathy, and heartbreaking insight with a dark sense of humor and a wittiness that l've honestly only ever encountered in other people who've worked in the death industry. I've personally experienced more than a few traumatic deaths in my life... both as someone who, like Cass and her family, received such unexpected and horrific news, and as a funeral director like Vince, the professional that people look to in the aftermath for guidance, and I'm so impressed with how Sophie was able to perfectly paint both perspectives. It's not going to be for everyone, but I honestly think it should be.

As for the romance... it was absolutely beautiful and I adored everything about Vince. Granted, a hot sweet Funeral Director is probably my morbid little hearts ultimate fantasy but it actually took me by surprise how quickly he snuck his way onto my list of all time favorite book boyfriends. He didn't sugarcoat things for Cass but was still exactly who she needed at that time: a calm, no bull, steady presence who was always there to remind her she was okay. His love for her was so unassuming and gentle and even when Cass was reminiscing about her teen years it was so blatantly obvious how much Vince had always loved and cared for her. He was truly playing the long game in wooing Cass, quietly becoming the most solid person in her life without her even realizing it was happening, and after everything she went through in the wake of Ray's death, it was such a relief as the reader to see Cass find that kind of love. Plus, I legitimately laughed out loud at some of their banter (i.e., all of the Underworld jokes and every time Cass called him an "undertaker" and he corrected her with "funeral director" because nothing has ever been quite so accurate).

Honestly, I think I could talk about this book forever (you probably are already thinking I have), but it's one of those stories that will stay with you for a really long time. And while I know that death isn't always the most comfortable subject matter for people, especially us romance readers who are looking for that escape, I encourage everyone to give this story a try anyway because death is a reality, the "ultimate unifier" as Sophie so perfectly described it, and this book is just plain remarkable.

A great read, and well written. It does contain a lot of grief and emotions. I loved the main character and connected to her well.

A thought provoking, great read.

This was an emotional ride.

The sudden death of her brother leaves Cassie with lots of grief, a depressed mother, an alcoholic father, a not-so-much grieving sister-in-law, a funeral to take care off and the titular awkward conversations. Luckily, a friend of her brother's, and a former crush of hers, manages to come back into her life. Vincent is a funeral director and he's not only helping with the arrangements, but he's also helping Cassie get back onto her feet.

Did I expect a RomCom? Sure. Was that what I got? In part. Cassie is such an honest and real feeling character that I hoped she'd claw her way out of the hole grief created before she hits rock bottom. Was I rooting for Cassie and Vincent to get together? Of course.

It's been a long time since I read a book that brought me to tears one page and laughter the next.

As much as I loved this book, Vince's character fell flat for me. While crucial to Cass's healing, I think he could have been fleshed out a little more instead of him just being used as an emotional punching bag. Again, loved the book but the romance didn't sell me. I would reccomend to anyone trying to find a connection in their journeys, silent mourners that needs something to tell them that their feelings are normal, and that it sucks but it'll be okay.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. While I did enjoy parts of this book it was a little hard to get through. I only say that because the story was very much about grief. There was romance just not as much as I originally thought. I feel like the synopsis might be a little misleading. I definitely thought it was going to be more of a sad-ish romcom. Cassandra wasn’t a very positive person and reading about a person like that can be hard. I think this is a book you really have to be in the mood for.

I felt all of the emotions while reading this- the characters were well-developed and the story was engaging. It is not a lighthearted romance- but it is a worthy read.

"Even surrounded by family, I'm completely alone in my grief. Even if i's had experience with funerals and death, I wouldn't know how to act."

Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations - Sophie Andews
Pub date: May 31, 2024
★★★★★

Disclaimer: i received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra George is those kind of sister who always looks up to their brother, until one day Raymond George collapsed and died due to heart attack. It's all so sudden, and no one is even expect and ready for it. When everyone still in shocked, friend of her brother and the long forgotten high school crush of Cassandra showed up at her parent's door as a funeral director.

Before the sad part, i totally enjoyed the romance. It doesn't feel forced and growing in a perfect shooting pace. I love Vince for being almost like a subtitute brother figure in Cass' hard times, and i love how they had their own ups and downs between letting go of someone dear out of your life and welcoming someone new into you life at the same time.

I never had a brother myself but everytime i read story about losing your sibling to death always got me bailing. This one in particular portrayed how the lost of your loved one in a very accurate way. It showed a variety of way people have to grieve over someone, some of them getting drunk to sleep, some of them just outworking themselves. Also when it comes to Cass, she had to overcome the unfortunate event with her own burden of figuring out her path. I feel what Cass is feeling when my father passed away more than a decade ago. I was a child with no one to told how is the right way to grieve and losing my father means i lost one of my footing in this world, and i had no idea how to ease my mother when i know she's the most heart-broken of all people. The sudden void he left is unbearable for a quite some time. I couldn't relate more to this book until i read the author's note that this story—not all of it—is based on her actual loss of her brother, i'm so sorry for your lost. But, the fact that you can still write this beautiful and impactful book on top of it, i'd like to thank you for the experience.

This is a witty and wholesome story about grief and how a thing as gruesome as death could be a fitting matchmaker. Straight 5 star!

I'll be honest. This book took me a while to get through. Not because it was a less than stellar read, but because the subject matter is deep and took longer for my brain to process and get into the right head-space for.

This isn't a light romance, This book is filled with sadness and grief but also teaches the importance of self care and looking after yourself in times of grief, which I thought was done perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book

This one didn't work for me. I know I am in the minority, but the grief didn't feel real? I know everyone deals with things differently, but the way this was written it was like I was told they were grieving and doing x and y, but didn't really believe it. I don't know. It is obviously just me since all the other reviews, even the low star ones, say how realistic the grieving was in the book. I lost my sister fairly recently and suddenly so the death of a sibling should have resonated somewhat, but it didn't work. Oh well, glad others found good in it for them.

‘we don’t pick our brothers or sisters and yet they’re our first friends. we can hate and love each other in the same breath, be adversaries and accomplices. sibling bonds are certainly complicated.’

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - 5 stars.
This book was WONDERFULLY written and I have found my new favourite contemporary romance author in Sophie Andrews. Cass and Vince were wonderful characters and I was immediately attached to them and their story. I think the journey Cass experienced was honest, horrible and also beautiful. After loosing my grandmother recently, it was somewhat comforting to read that everyone does experience grief differently. I think this is a powerful and touching read - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could never imagine the passing of a sibling and after reading that this was based on the authors personal experiences, it made the book even more touching. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this excellent book.

A good romance that I appreciated and I liked the style of writing
Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book.
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really liked this book, a love story within a grief story but it very accurately describes all the processes and grief and how every aspect of your life changes in that journey. I thought it was sad and funny and enjoyed the happy ending.

4.25 / 5