⭐️: 5
🌶️: 1

🎀 banter
🚂 grumpy x sunshine
🎀 forced proximity
🚂 unusual fake dating scenario
🎀 BRCA1 mutation representation

I’m actually mad at myself for not reading this sooner. It was everything I look for in a contemporary romance, and it was perfect.

The entire plot of this book revolved around the death of Alison’s ex-boyfriend, and yet, the topics of death and grief were discussed so lightly and gently, that it was easy to read. I truly appreciated how differently the grief was presented in this book.

Now for Alison and Adam - their grumpy, enemies to lovers chemistry was dynamite. I loved their dynamic and how they built each other up. And that ending, that ending was perfection 😭😭😭

🌶️ = closed door

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Ellie Palmer for the ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral.

4 stars.

"Four Weekends and a Funeral" by Ellie Palmer is a wonderful debut romance that is part forced proximity romance, part rediscovery, part grumpy/sunshine, and equal parts heartbreaking and a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed the premise of this book, for starters. I found myself enthralled with and entertained by the main characters, Alison and Adam. Sam was Alison's most recent ex-boyfriend, and Adam was Sam's best friend. When Sam dies suddenly, Alison finds herself lying to his family at the request of Sam's sister. Alison agrees to pretend to be Sam's *current* girlfriend during the funeral to save the family from any unnecessary heartbreak. This lie spirals slightly out of control, and she finds herself volunteering to pack up Sam's condo so his family can put it on the market. Adam agrees to help Alison pack up Sam's life. On paper, Adam and Alison could not be any more different. Alison never stops talking, and Adam is completely content grunting one-word answers to her. The more they open up to one another on the weekends they are together in Sam's condo, the more attraction they feel. The longer they are in each other's presence, the more they fall head over heels even though they are both figuring out how to cope with the loss of Sam. They have both essentially lied to each other about their relationship with Sam when he died, so when it all finally comes out, will they put their feelings aside and capitalize on their mutual attraction? I found myself laughing out loud at some of the interactions between Adam and Alison! The entire scene at the school play had me rolling at their reactions to it and to each other. I also liked the frank discussions about BRCA and Alison's double mastectomy. I haven't read many romance books that deal with this subject matter before, so it was nice to learn something new and feel like I had a bit more information about something that impacts so many women. I also appreciate the heck out of the conversation about not wanting to waste your "second chance" after a major medical incident It's almost survivor's guilt-adjacent for Alison. Ooooof, this really hit close to home! Alison has to figure out what truly makes her happy instead of doing what Sam thought she *should* do with the rest of her life: become a great adventurer who loves to be outside and do walking things and camping and nature stuff, which she is very much not into. This book is closed-door, PG-13 at most, but I don't think it needs a bunch of spice to make it good. It's good on its own, apart from a few miscommunications and a little bit of jumping all over the place! A wonderful debut for Ellie Palmer, such a sweet, effective story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Palmer, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Now I am always up for a fake dating story but the fact that Sam had died, and she was to pretend to be dating him at his funeral so his parents wouldn't be upset is a whole nother level of fake dating. It is a great set up to having her spend all the weekend with Sam's best friend Adam getting the condo set for sale. It is one of the perfect rom coms set ups that was done really well. And although this is a rom com set up the rest of the story is very sweet and very moving story, of a woman finding herself and love. I found the entire story line of Alison very moving. She is a woman that feels she has cheated death, and she needs to make her life worth living. In this era of living your best life I think Alison really felt like she needed to be more than she was.
I found her struggles with body image, relationship with her mom and belief that she had to be more than she was to be happy a really amazing story. I love that her and Adam have a little slow burn, hot attraction and the will they or won't they action. I really loved all the phone banter. I felt the book did an amazing job of slowly getting to know someone even though each has their own problems they are trying to deal with while dealing with the grief of losing their friend Sam.
I loved Allison's friends and Adams family. I really loved the trivia competitions and that whole story line so the ending of the books was just a chef's kiss. I loved the whole ending, and it truly made this a 5 star read for me. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I found it's message and story really well done. I would recommend to anyone that loves a good rom com, a grumpy hero, a coming of age in a way type story with Allison learning what living her best life really is. Very good story, very well written.

FOUR WEEKENDDS AND A FUNERAL by Ellie Palmer grabbed me with a bight color, wonderful title, and fascinating premise of a woman attending her ex-boyfriend's funeral only to learn that no one knew they had broken up and must play along with their version of a dead man's reality. Just a short way in, I realized I couldn't read it through to the end. It's workable enough if you are committed, offering a view into breast cancer and hard realities that is seldom covered in the lighter side of fiction. The predictability and the plodding narration and cliched responses and relationships dragged me along until I realized it wasn't going to get any better for me and abandoned the enterprise. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This book had such an interesting premise. I have never read a book where the main female character has had a double mastectomy after learning she is positive for BRCA1 gene. It was an interesting perspective and I think it should be talked about more. Now onto the story. The initial plot was unique, if a little weird and predictable. But I did enjoy it! The romance was sweet. It is fade to black however so if spice is what you are looking for this may not be the book for you. I liked the friendships between Ali and her friends. And she has a very real and relatable relationship with her mother.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Synopsis:
When thirty-year-old post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier and reluctant thrill-seeker Alison Mullally arrives at her ex-boyfriend Sam’s funeral to find that no one knows he dumped her, she agrees to play the grieving girlfriend for the sake of the family and pack up Sam’s apartment with his prickly best friend, Adam Berg. After all, it’ll only take four weekends . . . what could happen?

But Adam doesn’t want Alison anywhere near him. Forced to spend long hours with the grump, and his monosyllabic demeanor, Alison decides she must put her people-pleasing abilities to the test. And after awkward family affairs and packing up dilemmas, the two form a tenuous friendship . . . if “friendship” means incredible chemistry and tension between them.

What I loved:
1. The BRCA representation. My mother survived breast cancer so that was so relatable to me. The way the author talks about losing your breasts which is tied to a woman’s femininity was so beautiful.
2. The female relationship between Alison, Mara, and Chelsea. Their friendship is so raw, honest and supportive. The banter at trivia made me laugh out loud! I would love to read future books exploring these side characters.
3. All the Old Movie references “You Billy Crystaled me. His face registers zero comprehension. It’s from a movie. With Meg Ryan.” As a movie lover and millennial this made me laugh and swoon.

What I did not love:
1. There were parts that lagged on and were a bit boring. I had to set the book down and read something else for a day or two. It is definitely a slow burn for me.
2. All the negative feelings and talk that Alison had. At times she just seemed whiny and annoying.

Overall, I liked it and it was entertaining. It’s a nice rom-com. I really enjoyed the ending and the epilogue. It tied up all the loose ends well. I look forward to reading another book by this author, I can’t believe this is her debut. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the gifted copy

#bookedwiththeemilys #elliepalmerwrites #netgalley #gifted #arcreadsandreviews

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was fun, heartwarming and kept me reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

Okay, you all NEED to pick up this book. This was the author’s DEBUT. And it astounded me. Definitely one of the best romances I read this year. (She’s right up there with Abby Jimenez for me.) This book was SO sweet, adorable, and funny. (Ellie Palmer is hilarious!) It also had me crying, but not for the reason you might expect.

The FMC has the BRCA1 mutation and had chosen to get a double mastectomy to help prevent getting breast cancer later in life. The author also has BRCA, so I assume some of her personal life is shared with her character Alison. I honestly had never thought too much about what it would be like to lose your breasts, something that makes up so much of your femininity, so this book was definitely eye-opening in that way, too.

But I’m sure you all want to know: what was the romance like? What was the spice like? The romance: ultimate swoonworthy. I loved the MMC Adam, aka the Northshore Grump. (And yes there’s the Grumpy x Sunshine trope here pulled off flawlessly!) Their relationship was 👩🏻‍🍳💋 (chef’s kiss), and speaking of kiss, that’s mostly what you’ll get in this fairly closed-door romance. (A little bit of second base numbness, too.) Even with just that peek of their physical relationship, though, you know that the chemistry is off the charts.

My other favorite things about this book were all the Minnesota references- the author is from MN, too! Also, this has one of the best first lines of a book! (Swipe to see it.) So what are you waiting for? Go pick this book up today!

I recently finished Four Weekends and a Funeral, and I cannot stop thinking about the story and the characters, Allison and Adam. This debut novel by Ellie Palmer is outstanding! I appreciate Ellie's vulnerability and sharing her personal experience as a post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier through Allison's story. The whole premise was so unique and handled with so much care. I also didn't know this book was based in the Twin Cities and Duluth (both places I have lived). I love my home state, so I'm grateful to have another book take place here. This book will be one of my favorite books of 2024. I can already tell!

Please read this book if you like:
-Books set in Minnesota
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Forced proximity
-Trivia nights
-Overcoming health scares/breast cancer awareness
-Deep conversation & emotions
-Rom-coms with many laugh-out-loud moments!

One of my all time favorite 90s rom coms is While You Were Sleeping. You just don't get much better than Sandra Bullock, hot Bill Pullman and Peter Gallagher (aka Sandy Cohen) in a coma.

If you love that movie like I do (or actually even if you don't lol) you should absolutely read Ellie Palmer's FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL. It's got a similar feeling and Adam Berg absolutely has Jack Callahan vibes.

Alison Mullally is a BCRA1 carrier and had a double mastectomy — something she is still working through. When she goes to her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral, she discovers that no one except his sister knew they broke up. And his sister wants her to pretend they were still a couple for their parents, who wanted to see Sam settles. People pleasing Alison agrees to help his grieving family. She also offers to help pack up Sam's apartment with Sam's grumpy best friend Adam.

Adam wants nothing to do with Alison, and they are forced to spend several weekends together to work in Sam's apartment. Alison does her best to make Adam her friend, and slowly he thaws to her. But Alison can't ignore their chemistry and her growing feelings for Adam. But can they make a relationship work when Adam finds out the truth? And can Alison finally learn to be happy with who she is?

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!! I cannot even describe my love for Adam and Alison. There's carpentry! And trains! And super intense trivia! It's so funny and sad (but not like sob sad. Just you know, dealing with grief and also guilt) and heartwarming. And the chemistry!

Everyone needs to go read it NOW! And it's out today!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for my ARC.

When Alison attends her ex boyfriend’s funeral , his family is unaware that they have broken up. They ask her to work with his best friend to clean out his apartment and get it ready to sell. Not wanting to upset the ex’s parents she agrees to do this. Alison and the best friend end up liking each other but both are hiding things about their friendship with the deceased. Also she has had a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer and is dealing with that. This book was just ok to me.

A fantastically funny contemporary mf rom com with great banter. I'm so glad I was able to read this via Netgalley. I look forward to future books from this author.

A terrific debut that skillfully juggles many different elements. Main character Alison gets more than she bargained for when she attends her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral; he has failed to notify his family and friends about their breakup, and she doesn't have the heart to correct their assumption that she is his grieving girlfriend, thus agreeing to help pack up Sam's apartment alongside his best friend Adam. The premise sounds incredibly contrived and busy upon first glance, yet Palmer somehow makes it work with the unique situation bringing so many interesting complications to their weekly interactions and growing connection. As Alison finds Adam strangely appealing despite his standoffish exterior and starts peeling back his layers, the sexual tension between the two increases with an assist from their oodles of chemistry. Although the story contains heavy topics through Sam's death and its ripple effect through the characters as well as Alison's BRCA mutation diagnosis and preventative double mastectomy that made her want to live life to the fullest and embrace a more adventurous lifestyle in spite of her natural homebody leanings, these enhance the unfolding events rather taking over to create a somber atmosphere. Sam ends up factoring into the final act in an incredible manner that is pulled off perfectly, with many seeds planted leading up to the reveal. I also appreciated all of the humor incorporated throughout, which made me laugh out loud often, and several of the secondary and tertiary characters are a lot of fun. Palmer has written an absolute gem and I hope that many other readers are fortunate enough to discover it.

My. HEART. Here are five things I loved about this five star read:

1) This is basically an ode to rom coms. So many references and inside jokes!

2) You know I appreciate my romance with a side of real life, and this delivers. Alison’s struggle with her BRCA 1 diagnosis and her survivors’ guilt was informative, heart-wrenching, and aspirational all at once,

3) The banter was delightful. The two MCs have unbelievable chemistry and I loved watching their relationship develop. It felt very realistic.

4) Every character was well done, but I particularly loved how much thought was put into the side characters. They added a great depth to the story and weren’t just there to be window dressing like a lot of others tend to be. I especially loved the trivia side plot!

5) I thought premise sounded kind of bonkers, but it’s a testament to Palmer’s storytelling that it never veers into the ridiculous. It was, quite simply, perfect.

Thank you to Putnam Books and Netgalley for this ARC. Four Weekends and a Funeral is out today!

I am absolutely obsessed with this book. From one of the best first lines of a book I’ve ever read, to the incredible amount of depth this book possesses, I remain completely and utterly charmed. I laughed out loud at so many parts of this book while simultaneously feeling so much for Alison and her struggle with survivors guilt coupled with trying to figure out what she wants for herself versus what she thinks others want.

This book is so clever. Fake dating your dead ex boyfriend and falling in love with their best friend??? The drama of it all! But Alison is such a likable and sympathetic character you can’t help but fall in love with her along with Adam.

While I do absolutely adore the romance in this book, my favorite part is the way Alison interrogates her BRCA mutation and her elective mastectomy and the complex way it has affected the way she lives her life and relationships.

Oh yeah, did I mention this book has chapter titles???

If you love romance books you have to check this one out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy PUB date to this work of art!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish!

The sunshine-grumpy main characters, the process of grief, the enemies?-to-lovers, (were they really enemies?), the BRCA1 discussion and openness - I just had nothing but great vibes throughout the entire book. I have so much "womanly" cancer in my life and have heard stories all my life about what I could potentially have at some point - this book gave me hope. It allowed me to feel like if I wanted to, I could take control of the situation for myself. I feel like this book will also help open up people's eyes to the internal struggle so many women face when they go through these health scares.

Ellie Palmer really impressed me with this one and I can't wait to read more from her in the future!

Ali's mom is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Ali finds out she has the BRCA gene. She decides to get a mastectomy and then feels like she needs to live like she's gotten a second chance at life, but she loses herself along the way. Ali meets Adam at her ex-boyfriend's funeral (where no one seems to know they had broken up). The shift from strangers to friends to lovers is well done, and the tension is *chef's kiss*.

I loved this bookso much! I related a lot to Ali being a homebody people pleaser.

I don't usually talk about sentence level writing of romcoms but Ellie Palmer does such a brilliant job. Her writing is so witty and funny. The Minnesota locations and millenial nostalgia are on point.

I absolutely adored Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer. The plot was so unique and fun. I couldn’t stop laughing out loud! Ellie tackles some challenging topics of Brca and loss while still keeping the story light.

This is Ellie’s debut novel and I have been recommending this book to everyone! I can’t wait to pick up anything she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is hands down one of my favorites of the year so far. It was funny, sexy, sweet and heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down.

After the death of her ex-boyfriend Sam, Alison realizes that no one knew that he dumped her. When Sam’s sister asks her to pretend that they were still together, she obviously goes along with it and helps pack up his apartment. Enter Adam, Sam’s prickly best friend who doesn’t want anything to do with Alison.. until he did.

Oh this book tore at my heartstrings. The grief aspect of this book was handled with such care. I loved Alison and Adam’s romance. They were both made for each other. Adam was a doll. I absolutely adored him! There wasn’t any spice in this one which honestly, I didn’t even miss because it was amazing without it. There’s mentions of cancer in this book so be aware of that going in.

Thank you so much to Putnam Books and Netgalley for the e-arc! This masterpiece is out today and you don’t wanna miss it!

4.5 ☆
I loved this book so much! It was really fun, sweet, cute, sexy and cozy! Just the read I needed.
I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and grumpyxsunshine romance so I couldn't help but love this book!

In this rom-com, Allison finds herself in one of the most awkward situations: pretending to be in a relationship with a dead guy! Sam, her adventurous ex-boyfriend, dumped her six weeks ago.

Now, she's attending Sam's funeral 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 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. However, Allison must confront her own insecurities and decide if she's brave enough to risk her heart.

I loved everything about this book! The two protagonists are so cute and funny together. I loved their relationship and Adam is so hot... I'm a little obsessed!
I also really appreciated the fact that despite being a rom-com, deep themes were covered, such as mourning and the loss of a best friend and also the representation of the BRCA1 gene mutation (a predisposition for breast cancer that is inherited). None of this felt forced or out of place.

Four Weekends and a Funeral is out everywhere today! Don't miss it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with this ARC!