I really wanted to love this book. The premise is so clever. The first line is chef's kiss. There was so much potential between Alison and Adam but ultimately, the characters, especially Adam, felt a little flat and the chemistry felt like a sparkler instead of a fireworks.

I'm sad I didn't end up loving this romance like I had hoped for. While the premise of the story sounded right up my ally with a twist on the fake dating trope, the characters felt too unattached for me to fully care what happened to them. This read probably more as a contemporary fiction story with a romance subplot, but I can definitely foresee myself reading from this author again.

I loved this story and I loved the writing style. It was so easy to read and it was light and wonderful while still having substance. The only part that didn't read as easily was the chapter explaining her job and office situation. Other than that, I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral! I was very much looking forward to this one.

I thought this was a unique plot with some laugh out loud moments, relatable characters and a sweet love story.

I was missing a bit of tension between Ali and Adam and struggled a bit getting pulled in to their story. I think this book is a great super light read that touches on topics you don’t normally see in romance novels like death and cancer but with a humorous spin. Enjoyed it!

This is an **incredible** book -- I loved absolutely everything about it (!). I'm so glad that I dipped back into the NetGalley/ARC system to read this one after being invited by the publisher.

This seems to be Ellie Palmer's first novel, and she's skyrocketed to the top of my must-buy-immediately list of authors. The writing was SO snappy and laugh-out-loud funny. I highlighted so many witty lines and bits of dialogue while reading, and I frequently drew glares from my trying-to-sleep partner while I was cackling in bed:

"When I asked you if you were busy and you sent me a picture of a girl eating on a toilet in a bathroom stall, I didn't realize that was a firm plan."
or

"What kind of school allows children to perform improv in front of people? Kids shouldn't have this much confidence."

I inhaled this book.

While Adam is a swoony main character, the real stars of this book are Alison and her friends Chelsea and Mara. Trivia teams with punny names also steal multiple scenes (Ruth Bader Winsburg is just genius).

I've already insisted multiple friends buy/read this book STAT, and I hope you will, too.

The concept of this book is so wild but I loved it! This is definitely giving forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, and... well, does fake dating count? Alison and Adam were so cute when they were together. I wish we got more of their relationship when they didn't have things holding them back. The last calendar notification, when everything falls into place, gave me butterflies and I was so happy that everything worked out for them... and probably would have, given the circumstances.

This is another ARC I've read recently where the FMC reflects on their BRCA 1 journey and I am so glad to see more stories, especially in the romance genre, talking about this. These women are incredibly strong and I am sure there are people that will appreciate the representation.

I highly recommend this book!

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**

The premise of this book was cute, and the writing made it an adorable read. I loved the chemistry between Alison and Adam. Alison was such a strong character, and that made it very easy to root for her.

I look forward to reading future books by Ellie Palmer. It was a cute debut! :)

What a wonderful book!! Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, and a fake relationship status (?) tropes. I’m also a sucker for a MMC described as Harrison Ford-like. This has some heavy topics but the author does a great job handling the serious themes with great banter and funny moments.

I received an ARC from netgalley and the publisher.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Alison, recently undergoing a preventative double masectomy, attends the funeral of her boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend....and then boyfriend again.

While attending the funeral, her ex's family did not get the memo that Alison and Sam broke up six weeks ago, and Alison soon undergoes a web of lies to help her ex's grieving family.

Cue in Sam's best friend, Adam, "the North Shore Grump," as the two embark on cleaning Sam's apartment together, you guessed it, for four weekends.

I really enjoyed the Alison and Adam dynamic, but half way into the book, I found myself glossing over any of the story that did not involve them.

I did also appreciate the openness surrounding the after effects of Alison's double masectomy, and how that affected her.

I am a self-admitted book worm, and I have been the majority of my life. Here lately, I gravitate towards suspenseful books. That being said, I still love to read a good romance novel. Because of this, I was very excited to read this book.

I tend to be hesitant to read books from a new author, because it sometimes takes me a while to get used to their particular writing style. This was not the case with this book, as I got hooked immediately. I not only liked that it was told in first person, but I also liked that each of the chapters had a title. It was fun seeing the connection in the chapter to the title.

Although I had a vague knowledge of BRCA when I started reading this, this book helped me understand what life can be like for someone with that gene mutation.

I recommend this book. Although it isn’t as “spicy” as I have come to expect from romance lately, it was still a good read!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I was a big fan of this book. I felt a real connection between the characters and I also felt their chemistry. Would definitely read another book by this author.

4.25 stars
The premise of this book was so unique. I really liked the way it tackled grief and showed it not as something that can be resolved and tied up with a bow at the end. Alison and Adam were SO SWEET together, and I loved seeing their relationship progress. I also haven’t read a book with mastectomy rep, so that was really cool. Alison and Adam’s characters both felt very real and relatable. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I would’ve loved to see more of Alison and Adam’s steady relationship. The friendships in this book were amazing too; you just have to love Mara and Chelsea. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alison arrives at her ex-boyfriend's funeral, and while she’s there she finds out that nobody knows they broke up. Not even his family… but she doesn’t want to drop a bomb to his family during the funeral so she pretends that they were still together the day he died. And to help his grieving family she decided that she could help them and pack up Sam’s apartment. With Sam’s best friend Adam…

I read this book based on the cover and title only, like always. Didn’t know anything about it. But I was still kinda disappointed. I didn’t really like the story. It just felt wrong. And I felt like the whole book was about her boobs. Yes, we should talk about it and normalize talking about it more. But I didn’t want her to talk about it the whole book. And I would’ve liked more grief from her, I know her and Sam weren't that close but still. They were together and he died shortly after they broke up.

But let’s talk about some positives instead. I did like the writing. Very simple and easy to read. The book wasn’t that long either. I did connect with the story and the characters a little bit in the beginning but then I kinda got tired and just wanted to read something else…

I really wanted to like this more than I did because I saw so many good reviews of this book on goodreads. But Idk it just didn’t reach my expectations.

This book didn’t make me feel so many emotions honestly. Of course I felt bad for her at times bcs of the whole cancer situation. But I was more mad at her. It just felt wrong. This whole book. Like dating her dead ex’s best friend… idk I just didn’t enjoy it.

I would recommend this for anyone who doesn’t think it’s wrong to date your dead ex’s best friend right after his funeral…

Anyways big thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for sending me this ark through netgalley.

A completely original take on the rom com genre. I loved all of the side characters, which normally, I don’t always. I loved the life lesson that’s explored throughout this book which is the level of accepting and moving forward in life after losing a loved one.

I got a solicitation to read an advance copy of this book because I've liked Falon Ballard's books, but you had me at "this takes place in Minnesota"!!!! This was great, very reminiscent of the Christina Lauren book that's partially in St. Paul (The Unhoneymooners) - somewhat ridiculous setup, excellent lead characters, perfect sense of place. Loved the train stuff and the references to public transportation, loved the Duluth parts. The author must be from the western suburbs-ish originally because I did not know Ridgedale had a Nordstrom and really who goes out to Excelsior from St. Paul, which was great to puzzle. I do want more specific info on where Adam's houses are. Anyways, A+++, highly enjoyed.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great book. I love a good "forced proximity" trope and this one did not disappoint! The characters were so likeable and you were really rooting for them all. It was funny, charming and a delightful read.

In this delightful rom-com, Allison Mullally finds herself in a bizarre situation: pretending to be in a relationship with her adventurous ex-boyfriend, Sam, who has unexpectedly passed away. Tasked with continuing the charade by Sam's family, Allison reluctantly agrees, forming an unexpected bond with Adam, Sam's grumpy best friend, during shared responsibilities. As their connection deepens, Allison must confront her feelings and decide if she's ready to take a chance on love. The novel shines with witty banter, palpable chemistry, and well-developed supporting characters like Mara and Chelsea, adding depth to the story. Blending humor, heart, and romance, this book is a must-read for rom-com enthusiasts.

there are so many things i LOVE about this book. it’s empathetic, full of emotional maturity, and so representative of healing. This is the first book I’ve read in a long time that appropriately discusses serious topics in such a respectful and human manner.

Seriously one of the best books I’ve had the privilege to read in a while, thank you to Ellie Palmer and her team for the ARC! Absolutely recommend everyone pick this one up.

This debut novel by Ellie Palmer is an amazing RomCom. Allison and Adam are fun to read even though they meet at a funeral. Thrown together to Clear out the apartment of Allison's ex boyfriend and Adam's Best friend who recently past away. Adam makes a great grump as he adds tot he dialogue throughout. The banter, the storyline, and the side characters are all wonderfully pulled together as the book develops. The story travels through grief of a friend, but also grief through a health journey and grief through lost dreams. This book has so much depth but so much fun at the same time. Also love the Midwest shout outs (Love me some spotted cow) in the little details to the local area the book is set in. Palmer does an amazing job and this is one. Message from the future: I would not miss this when it comes out this fall.
I want follow up books for Allison's friends and even Russell!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Ellie Palmer if this is your debut book, I will definitely be looking forward to every book you decide to write. Four Weekends and a Funeral is a totally unexpected book that I loved from beginning to end.

From the moment Alison arrives at her ex's funeral and decides that a white lie couldn't hurt, it had me gripped, but by the time Adam appears on the scene I was totally in.

This book is a gem, you laugh, yes, but it also makes you reflect and think (especially empathize) on issues you may never have noticed before. The conversation about survivor grief was very well developed.

I love the enemies to lovers and forced proximity books, I loved that they were forced to share the apartment to store the ex's things.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, thank you Ellie.