Ellie Palmer’s debut novel, Four Weekends and a Funeral, presents an intriguing premise: a woman pretending to be her ex-boyfriend’s grieving girlfriend, and is tasked with helping his family pack up her ex's condo alongside his long-time friend. The concept is promising, and the book certainly has its moments of humor and charm. It's a great read for fans of forced-proximity, grumpy-sunshine,

However, while the writing is sharp and the characters show promise, the overall plot felt somewhat flat. The story unfolds predictably, lacking the emotional depth and unexpected twists that would elevate it from a good read to a truly memorable one. While the author skillfully navigates the complexities of grief and relationships, the pacing of the novel often felt sluggish, hindering the development of a compelling narrative arc.

I appreciate Palmer for tackling the grief, anxiety, and consequences of a BRCA1 mutation and diagnosis; however, the incorporation of the BRCA1 gene storyline felt somewhat shoehorned in. While it's commendable to address such a serious topic, it didn't seamlessly integrate with the overall lighthearted tone of the novel. This imbalance disrupted the flow and detracted from the book's comedic, spicier elements -- including fun banter and . While the writing was good, I feel as though it took away from the lighthearted romance of the novel. Allison and Adam are already confronting the grief of Sam's passing; adding this additional element felt unnecessary and heavy. While the core relationships and comedic elements were strong, the BRCA1 subplot felt underdeveloped and could have been explored more deeply or omitted entirely.

Ultimately, Four Weekends and a Funeral is a solid debut with potential, but it falls short of delivering a truly satisfying reading experience. I would give Four Weekends and a Funeral 2.5/5 stars.

Allison’s ex-boyfriend Sam had just passed away and his parents didn’t know they had broke up. So consequently they asked Allison and Sam’s best friend Adam to clean out his apartment so they could sell it. Adam was a grumpy individual and no matter how much Allison tried to get to know him better it was useless she thought. Allison had a mastectomy earlier because she had the BRCA1 genetic mutation and her mother had breast cancer. She was hesitant about meeting new guys because of this. I did love how they worked together and helped each other through the death of a mutual friend.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute, easy read. I thought it would be more of a romance book, but it was more of a woman’s fiction to me. I enjoyed the friendships and had me chuckling. Overall 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Allison attends the funeral of her *ex* boyfriend Sam. However when Sam's sister desperately asks Allison to continue to be Sam's girlfriend for the sake of her parents.. things get complicated! When Allison and Sam's best friend, Adam volunteer to get Sam's condo ready to sell, the feelings almost become unbearable.

Thoughts:
-I didn't love the MMC
-It seemed to be all over the place, with so many characters who weren't needed?
-Not the much chemistry between the main characters

You'll love this if you love:
-Miscommunication trope
-Grumpy x Sunshine trope

I want to thank the author, Ellie Palmer for shedding light on the complexities of BRCA, and how cancer can affect a family.

Thank you NetGalley & Ellie Palmer for an E-Arc of this book! Publishes 8/6.

What a fun premise to begin with! With slight resemblance to "While You Were Sleeping," this book was really entertaining.

Alison was a brave, interesting, & compassionate character. I loved her outlook in her life and it was interesting to see her go through all the medical procedures like a champ!

The arrangement of meeting every weekend with Adam was fun. But as much as I wanted to like the romance, imagine afraid it felt flat for me. I don't think there was necessarily anything wrong with it but for me, there was no spark between the MCs. Adam came across too boring & the 3rd act breakup was unnecessary with any real conflict.

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. The characters were some of the most relatable out of any book I've yet to read. The chemistry and romance played out in a very realistic way. The story starts out with an awkward twist of events for Alison and that grabbed my attention. The plot is original and unique. I love how the author included some very difficult, but real topics. I always say that I don't read much romance, but when I do I want it to have substance. This one definitely fits the bill.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise on this one sounded interesting, a little right guy wrong time, some found family, fake dating, and new girl vibes. All things I positively love.

A number of reviews indicate the first half of the book is great and the second half starts to fall apart. I in the other hand found this very difficult to get into, and wasn't sure where it was ultimately going until probably halfway through. While Allison and Adam had some meltworthy moments, the chemistry throughout the story felt a little forced, their friend groups were hard to navigate in the way they all interacted with each other and you don't really get to see the growth from each of the MCs with how rushed the third act resolution felt.

All in all this book was fine, didn't love it, didn't hate it, it just was. Either way though, I would definitely want to read another story by this author!



Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Allison proves to be quite the unusual 30 year old heroine in this cute new rom-com release! Allison's mother is a breast cancer survivor, and as a precaution, Allison was tested for the BRCA 1 gene and chose to undergo a double-mastectomy. Her ex-boyfriend, Sam, was her exact opposite: a dare-devil and thrill seeking Instagramer. Sadly, Sam dies and no one at the funeral, except Sam's sister knows that Sam broke up with Allison six weeks prior to his demise.

Allison feels bad for Sam's grieving family, and somehow agrees to help Sam's friend, Adam clean out Sam's apartment to get it ready for sale. Adam and Allison feel chemistry, but neither wishes to admit to the other, as they both think it would be disrespectful of Sam's memory to act on their attraction.

A funeral makes for a very complex "meet-cute" story, but you'll find yourself routing for Allison and Adam! This complex romance and most unusual storyline will grab you! "Four Weekends and a Funeral" publishes on August 6, 2024. Pick up a copy!

Special Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Reader Copy of this title!

Sometimes the right book enters your life at the right moment, and for me, that was this book. Last fall, on the same day I found out I was pregnant, I learned that I had the PALB2 mutation, a gene that increases my risk for breast cancer that is similar to the BRCA1 gene that Alison carries. In this book, Palmer was able to put into words a lot of what I have been feeling recently: grief, fear, anxiety. I appreciate how Palmer was able to shine a light on breast cancer and gene mutation awareness in a unique way that didn’t compete with or overshadow the romance aspect of the book, but instead contributed well to the storyline. The plot itself was very creative and surprisingly fun, especially given the heavier topics addressed. I thought Alison and Adam had great chemistry, and I enjoyed the grumpy-meets-sunshine, forced proximity, and enemies-to-lovers tropes. Their banter was quite entertaining. Alison’s friends, Mara and Chelsea, also brought a lot of humor and wit to the story. Although they were not the main characters, they still brought a lot to the story. Overall, a great book that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful debut! There were lots of laughs, GREAT chemistry between the main characters, lovable side characters, and meaningful self discovery and being yourself themes. I definitely found myself tearing up a few times!

Adam was such an endearing grump! He was tough around the edges but so thoughtful and sweet once he and Alison started developing a connection. I also really loved the storyline about handling the feelings that come with having the BRCA 1 gene. I was not surprised to find out the author has this gene as well because it felt like it was written by someone who knew firsthand how this felt. I did not know a ton about it, so it was interesting learning more and seeing how it may affect someone’s life.

There was a great balance of handling life’s heartbreaks and challenges, grief, survivor’s guilt, the importance of family and friends, and learning to love both yourself and others. Amazing debut from Ellie, and I look forward to reading what she writes next!!

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This was a super cute debut novel that was an overall feel good romcom that tackled some very emotional and difficult topics. I really appreciate the BRCA1 viewpoint and I learned a lot about this subject. This book might be a really difficult read for those that have more of a personal experience with it so please read trigger warnings! Somethings I really loved were the trivia and pop culture references. The names of the chapter titles made me laugh and were so creative! I’m always a fan of mental health rep and I adored the message that you can’t be happy if you constantly try to be someone else that you are not! I really loved both of the MCs. Alison and Adam both were interesting, but I just wanted a little more chemistry between them. Some parts were a little too slow burn, and you know I always roll my eyes at the 3rd act break up! (But it wasn’t an awful one) It’s a BOTM add on pick this month and I think you will really enjoy it if you picked it in your box!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Enemies to lovers
❎Fake dating
🖤Ex’s best friend
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻Forced proximity
☀️Grumpy Sunshine
🗣️Witty banter
👯‍♀️Friendship
💝BRCA1 Rep
😢Emotional

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: cancer, grief, death.

🚂𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🚂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒 𝑜𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓉, 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈. 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝑜𝓇 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝓈𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝑜𝓇 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒶 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓂𝓎, 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓉. 𝐼𝓉'𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑜𝓂. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒'𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝑜 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒.”

🙏Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Ellie Palmer for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL – Ellie Palmer
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 978-0593714300
August 6, 2024
Romantic Comedy

Minneapolis- St. Paul, Minnesota – Present Day

When Alison Mullally arrives at her ex-boyfriend’s funeral, she is immediately labeled the “current girlfriend” despite her protestations. Her ex’s sister takes Alison aside and asks that she go along with the belief that she was still dating Sam at the time of his death. For his parents’ sake. Then Alison is wrangled into helping Sam’s best friend, Adam Berg, into cleaning out Sam’s condo to ready it to be sold. She could say no, but she agrees. Adam is particularly churlish with Alison, which means she isn’t looking forward to the four weekends she will be spending with him. The thaw is soon on the way as they get to know one another—and an attraction develops between them. However, both Alison and Adam have built walls around their hearts and fight the attraction.

Alison has the BRCA 1 carrier gene and chose to get a double mastectomy a year ago. This keeps men mostly away from her after they learn the news, and even Sam had been leery about sleeping with her. In FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL, Adam soon learns what Alison went through and he takes it well. But the fact that she was his best friend’s girlfriend keeps him from wanting to get involved with her, though that soon changes. Let’s just say Alison feels unlovable but Adam’s empathy about her reconstructed breasts makes her feel happy again. Spending time together, it was inevitable that they would realize they were falling in love, but Sam is still between them. Meanwhile, they continue with the façade about Alison being Sam’s girlfriend with his parents. They are grieving and our couple doesn’t want to compound the grief.

FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL is both emotional and funny as Alison grapples with her diagnosis and a new romance. Adam lives in Duluth, and she questions why he hasn’t returned to Minneapolis since his family lives there. He doesn’t really have a good answer other than he kept putting it off. Is Alison hoping he does move back so they can have a future together? They bicker about things that make no sense and yet they are soon back with each other. Alison is a sympathetic character and Adam seems so right for her. Can they admit their love for each other? How will Adam feel making love to Alison for the first time and seeing her naked?

An interesting tale right from the moment you meet Alison and Adam, don’t miss FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL. You will laugh and you will cry.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Four Weekends and a Funeral has such an odd premise but the chemistry and character development make it worth it.

We follow Alison as she goes to her recent ex’s funeral only to discover he never told his family they broke up. She gets roped into clearing out his apartment with his best friend, Adam.

So I never thought I’d read a book where someone was fake dating a dead guy. Despite this and some other questionable tropes I really like this book. Alison felt very relatable, especially in her journey with health scares and mental health.

I also love a group that plays trivia, since that’s something me and my friends enjoy too!

4.5 stars

This book has a unique premise. At times it was hard to get behind it fully, but as I got to know the two main characters, it became more doable.

I think figuring out who you actually are, instead of who you think you should be, is something most people struggle with. Coming to terms with that, and figuring it all out is a lifelong process.

I think for Allison & Adam, this was a cute exploration of those feelings of inadequacy, in the face of losing a friend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the first half of this one, it’s a really unique plot, one I haven’t ever read so I was really thinking I’d love it after starting it. However, it really fell flat for me in the second half. I honestly could just be in a book slump though. Also this book was almost like a contemporary romance/self help mashup and I didn’t know how to feel about it. I didn’t feel like I really got to know the MMC, and everything between the main characters felt a bit shallow. I did really like the friendships and the self discovery for the FMC.

This book was amazing. Funny and thoughtful and relevant. It made me laugh out loud multiple times and I teared up too (both at the story and the acknowledgments). Loved Adam and Alison, both together and separately. We’ve got a Billy Crystal a la WHMS AND a Mark Darcy reference! No notes!

I absolutely loved this book! The character growth for both Alison and Adam was perfect. Alison being a BRCA 1 carrier really hit home for me! I am fortunately negative for the gene and haven’t had to go through all the things Alison did but it is still scary nonetheless! I think Ellie did a fantastic job describing Alison’s feelings about her mother only wanting to talk or care about her having the gene! I went through a similar situation with people only acted like my mother was her diagnosis. I loved the way she wrote about grief and how it kind of gets you out of nowhere!

Congratulations to Ellie Palmer on this amazing debut and on being a BOTM add-on! So well deserved!!
This well-done tender romance is a bit of a rom-com with some serious undertones. A fake dating trope, however, Allison is fake dating her ex who has died! Allison and Sam broke up, but were rebuilding their friendship. When he passed suddenly, and she attends his funeral, Allison discovers he hasn’t told anyone about their break-up! Not wanting to break his mother’s heart all over again, Allison goes along with the assumption that she’s still Sam’s girlfriend. It’s only one day, right? Not exactly. When she gets roped into helping Sam’s best friend clean out his condo, her relationship with Adam, the North Shore Grump gets complicated very quickly.
Fun, romantic, fake dating, “enemies” to lovers, slow burn, grumpy/sunshine are all part of the fun romance side. Grief, survivor’s guilt, mental health and being a BRCA1 carrier are part of the very raw and more serious issues. Woven into the story and explored openly, but not in too heavy of a way that it took away from the light romantic feel of the book. Add in quirky friends that are everything make for the net that catches Allison when she needs one.
The banter is great in this one – love the wit! Adam - the subtle things he does that will melt your heart. And the ending…well swoon.

Alison Mullally is unaware that she’s still dating her ex-boyfriend, Sam Lewis, until she’s attending his funeral. Alison and Sam broke up months before his untimely death, but he never told his parents, and his sister asks Alison to go along with it since they were so happy he might be ready to “settle down”. Alison agrees, only wanting to help. Things get more complicated from there, as Sam’s parents as Sam’s best friend Adam and Alison to help pack up his condo and prepare it for sale. With Alison and Adam both moving through different types of grief, there’s a lot of room for miscommunication and mixed feelings.

While I was initially not sold on a romance stemming from a funeral, I was wrong! I loved this book. It was well-written and the characters were developed beautifully. Their emotions are ones you would expect and I loved how realistic and true the story felt. Not only is Alison grieving the loss of a friend, she’s also grieving the loss of part of her body and womanhood after it’s determined that she’s a BRCA gene carrier. Adam has to deal with his own complicated feelings after losing the one friend he felt truly pushed him out of his comfort zone and cared about him. There’s a lot going on in this book, but it’s all handled so well. I can’t believe this is a debut novel and I am excited to read whatever is next.

4.5 stars rounded up. Fade to black romance.

This book surprised me in the best way possible! I was intrigued when I heard this was a “fake dating story” but she is fake dating her ex who passed away, but I was also a little skeptical. It worked so well! This idea of breaking up with a guy, wanting to stay friends, abut then he passes and when you go to his funeral you realize he didn’t tell anyone you broke up was hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times. This book was also heavier than I had expected.

This book also perfectly highlights what it’s like to be a people pleaser to the degree that you agree to back up your ex’s condo and pretend you were dating when he passed because you don’t want to upset his parents.

The beginning of this book was really the highlight. I loved Alison and Adam’s tension and chemistry. The second half was still great, but it just didn’t have the same magic that the first half did. I also wasn’t super fond of the third act conflict, but I understood it and it didn’t ruin the book for me.