This book was so heartbreakingly beautiful and so so emotional. *4.5 stars* I was very much not prepared to be sobbing in the first 10 percent of the book. It speaks heavily on subjects of loss, grief, and the various emotions and actions of people who have experience loss. This book was SO GOOD, and handled these topics in such a gentle and relatable way. While I have not quite experienced loss to the caliber (thank god) of the characters in this book I found myself feeling the emotions that our FMC was having, and relating to them in the ways that I understood from my own losses and those of the people I love.

If you are in an emotional space to read something like this, it is definitely worth the read. The way this story is written can be relatable for so many readers who have gone through loss in their life, and especially for readers who have loved ones who have experienced great loss.
* single POV/FMC
*minor spice, open door

This review will also be posted on instagram on 5/9/24, link provided below.

I still think about our MCs Cassandra and Vince way too often.
The story was great, yet predictable like most romance books are, but that didn't make it a bad book!
I think the author has a way with characters that makes you devour the book. They compliment each other nice and click - with each other and me as a reader. It was so easy to built a connection to them and their life. It also wasn't anything "special" but a normal story out of a normal life that was written so well, you just were consumed by it.

"We never get enough time with each other, no matter if someone lives till 60,15, or 99."
- Andrew Garfield

I absolutely adored this book! It dealt with real problems related to grief and encompassed what many of us 'silent mourners' feel when death happens in our lives. Cassandra was such a relatable main character—she was ordinary, which made me like her so much. The author put me in the characters' shoes through her excellent writing, and Cass's journey through her grief paralleled what readers feel within themselves.

In terms of romance, Vince was a fantastic character who complemented Cassandra in such a heartwarming way. They were total opposites, and that is what made them click. I also enjoyed how the romance was a side part of the story and didn't overpower Cassandra's journey through her grief.

So, readers, you'll definitely need to bring some tissues because this book will make you cry (I certainly did).

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC!

I was unable to connect with the protagonist and the story was not really for me. I appreciate the message it told and the details, however I do think it could have been better. There is not that much that kept me interested besides her self growth and relationship with Vince which was handled rather messily.

This was such a beautiful book, I felt every inch of Sophie’s grief, my own grief from past loss and healing from it as well. I really loved the romance sprinkled in to help guide Cass through such a loss, Vince was perfection:) A great story to help understand that grief looks different on everyone and has no time limit, we all just move forward the best we can!

Spoiler Free Review

This was such the cutest book!

I love a brothers best friend trope and this DELIVERED! The characters had great chemistry and adorable banter. This will be a book that I'll buy the physical copy just to have on my shelf!

I plan to do a reread and I RARLEY do that, so yes, this book was THAT good!

100% will recommend this book to my followers.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE STARS!

There is a foreword from the author at the beginning of the book which everyone should read. The story starts with the loss of the FMC's brother, so that is something you need to be prepared for.

Emotion-heavy does not even begin to describe this book. Admittedly, I lost my sister 8 years ago on May 10th, 2016, and I just said "see you later" unexpectedly to a very good friend of mine last week, so it's safe to say I'm emotionally wrecked right now. That being said, I think it wouldn't matter the time of year or even if you've lost a loved one - the pain that the author wrote about is palpable, and heart-wrenching. It was beautifully written, and I relate in many ways to the author including finding out about a heart disease I have simply because we lost my sister due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

The romance in the story was perfect. Vince is an amazing book boyfriend, and the love between them felt natural, not forced, and not like it was born simply out of Cass' need to be supported. While my parents did not fall apart like the ones in this story did, our relationship did change, especially when my Dad got sick and passed away a little over 2 years after my sister did. I'm still not sure that if she was alive he wouldn't also be. But that's neither here nor there.

I'm a big proponent of no one gets to tell anyone else how to grieve, but reading about how each person handled their grief in this story was hard. I handle my grief in solitude, much to the dismay of my mother; I'm able to do that, I think, because I know I have an amazing support system, including my husband, even though he never met my sister - or my dad.

It wouldn't be hard for me to go on and on about this book, but I definitely think it's worth a read...just be prepared for the emotional turmoil that you may experience.

Although this book is a gut punch and an emotional roller-coaster a lot of the time since reading about grief isn't easy, it is also beautiful, tragic, but so utterly beautiful.

The novel follows Cass, a 27-year-old self-proclaimed fuckup who lives in her parent's basement and works a dead-end job. But after her brother suddenly dies, her life is turned upside down. With her mom shutting down and dad checking out, it's on her to try to keep her family together.

Luckily, Vince, her brother's high-school best friend whose family owns a funeral home, is there to help. What starts out as Vince helping Cass through the funeral arrangements turns into a friendship and maybe, eventually, something more. Can Cass learn to live again and love despite the dark hole her brother's death threw her in?

Cass hooked me in with her sarcasm, humor, and incredible strength during a terrible tragedy. While Vince drew me in with his gentle nature and the steady friendship he offered to Cass.

If you don't mind a good cry, strong emotions, and a tiiiiiiiiny bit of spice, you should definitely give this book a try. It had me sobbing and then laughing and then swooning and then sobbing again.

Yes, it is heavy, but the raw honesty of the FMC and the moments of levity, be it humor or romance, gave a reprieve that helped me through the book (I read it in less than 24 hours!).

It's an incredible journey through grief to love and acceptance - the road might not be pretty or easy (much like grief isn't that either), but it's real. And there's a HEA to look forward to!

What a beautiful story about love, death and everything in between! Cass’s story felt so raw with how she and everyone else heals/deals with her brothers death. This will be one of my favorite books I read this year hands down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"There is an end to what sometimes feels like endless human agony, and that is what makes all of this...whole being alive thing kind of beautiful."

This book was raw and honest. It candidly explores the ebb and flow of grief, grappling with loss and life moving on. The way the loss of a sibling is portrayed brought tears to my eyes many times. I haven't lost a sibling, but the way that Cass dealt (or didn't deal) with her grief is all too familiar to me.

The love between Vince and Cass is so heart warming. He was there for her during the worst days of her life. He sees her for everything she is, broken pieces and all. Cass struggles to see herself for who she truly is until she hits rock bottom and has to fight her way out. Cass's journey through loss, anger, self doubt, and love was beautiful.

TW: Death. Loss of a sibling. Heavy alcohol abuse. Infidelity

I really connected with this book in regards to grief and how to handle it. I wanted nothing more than to hug Cassie because I could feel for her so much. I felt the story was well written but would've liked to have more of the romance element between Cass and Vince.

The main focus of this book was grief and how everyone handles such a heavy topic. We see several different reactions throughout the book, how they deal with the news and how they deal with the afterwards. This book broke my heart time after time...

The story follows Cass as she deals with the loss of the brother. Her inner thoughts were so real and so raw that I just wanted to give her the biggest hug possible... I'm just glad Vince was able do it for me. Their relationship and how it developed was super cute and above all realistic, considering all the inner demons that Cass was fighting.

Although this is a story of grief and self-healing, I wished the romance element was more present in the book. I really enjoyed Cass and Vince's relationship and wanted to see more of them together as a couple, hence my rating.

4.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Sophie Andrews for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Cass’s older brother Ray dies suddenly and unexpectedly on Valentine’s Day, her world is turned upside down. She’s left to deal with the mess left behind, aka taking care of everything and everyone around her, and putting her own grief on the back burner. Then, as if she needed another curveball, Vince Mancini walks through her front door. Vince is the funeral director she’ll be working with… and also her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. Now Cass is dealing with a whirlwind of emotions, including her own grief, anger, loss of direction, and all her feelings for Vince, both old and new.

I originally gravitated towards this book because of my love for The Dead Romantics, Morbidly Yours, and my fondness for books that walk the line between love and grief. Before I began my read, I learned of Sophie’s connection to Cass and her story, (which can be found in the author’s note) and I wanted to approach it delicately.

This story, in its essence, is not really a romance— however, it is absolutely a story about all different kinds of love. It’s tender, raw, and poignant. It also shows an accurate portrayal of the incredibly complex world of grief— of how it is slow, messy, isolating, and at the edges tinged with hope. Cass’s journey is not neat, it is not pretty, but it is her journey, and I think Sophie did an incredible job showcasing that. There were definitely a lot of heart wrenching moments that had me tearing up, but there were also plenty of moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

I really, really loved Vince. He is kind, gentle, patient and warm, and he never looks at Cass like she’s broken and he needs to fix her. And I think that’s my favorite thing about him. He’s also a total dreamboat. While a lot of the book is centered around Cass and her healing, the moments we get with her and Vince are so tender and sweet, I couldn’t get enough. Oh, and the spice— phenomenal.

My only critique is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, which is why I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Love At A Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations, and I’d highly recommend checking it out.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book as it had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the storyline. It was very well written and the description of the main characters was amazing. I cannot wait to read other books written by this author.

When the title has the word funeral in it, you have an idea of what to expect. You know someone is going to die.
The author really captures the grief, overwhelming feeling, but also the emptiness that comes with the pain of losing a loved one. The story follows Cassie, who has found herself living back at home in her parents basement. She feels lost and alone, but she has her older brother she talks to daily. Well, had talked to daily. This story grips your heart, makes you feel so many emotions, especially if you have a sibling.
While making arrangements for the funeral, etc, a childhood friend of her brother comes back into her life. He's the funeral director, Vince. As he helps guide Cassie through the process of the funeral, they also become friends and obviously fall for one another because this is a romance. Duh.
I ate this sappy romance up. From beginning to end I had to keep myself from sobbing uncontrollably. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this story, and thank you to the author for sharing this story with readers. This review will be posted to Goodreads.

4.5 out of 5!! I loved this book! It was cute and honest as the FMC worked her way through grief. Losing a sibling would be one of the worst pains to face and this book takes us through that journey beautifully.

The ending was perfection and felt full circle. I would highly recommend this read to others!

I loved the author’s note at the end. It is stories like this that make you love the story even more. When you know what went in to the making of the book it offers another layer to the story.

7/10

Decent.

Similar to other 3-star reviews here, I was unable to connect with the protagonist and the story was not really for me. I appreciate the message it told and the details, however I do think it could have been better. There is not that much that kept me interested besides her self growth and relationship with Vince which was handled rather messily.

I really loved this story and how raw and relatable it was. It does a beautiful job showing the stages of grief and how every one deals with it differently.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I lost my grandfather in September of 2020, and the grief, anger, confusion, and loss is still very much with me. Four years later, and I’m still trying to figure out who I am, what my purpose is, and how I can live when a piece of my heart left my body when my grandfather passed. This book truly encapsulates the complexities of grief and being a human being. Not only that, but it’s helped me in my journey and my healing. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sophie Andrews, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read this amazing novel.

This was a very sad book but has an uplifting message. The death of a loved one is hard, especially if it's a sibling. Who are you after loss, what are your interests now, what do you do with your life? Those are what Cass was experiencing.

Vince is the funeral director/older brother (deceased) best friend was there for Cass during every emotion she experienced while she processed her brother's death. He was the sun to her storm, he was patient and everything you would ever want in a partner during a rough time in your life.

One big thing about this book is to not go in thinking it's a romance, it truly isn't. There's romance sprinkled in throughout the story, but the main point of the novel is how Cass processes her brother's death.