Four Weekends and a Funeral" is a debut romance novel that weaves humor, romance, and moving moments into a compelling story. The story revolves around Alison, a post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier, who finds herself entangled in a little white lie that leads to unexpected romance.

The plot kicks off with Alison attending her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral, only to discover that no one knows he dumped her. In a gesture of goodwill, she agrees to play the grieving girlfriend and embarks on a journey to pack up Sam's belongings with his grumpy best friend, Adam Berg. It is a take on the grumpy x sunshine trope and such a fun plot!

One of the notable strengths of the book is its realistic portrayal of characters and situations. Despite being categorized as a romcom, the novel delves into serious topics such as Alison's BRCA 1 gene and the complexities of grief.

The pacing of the story is generally well-maintained, however there was a dip in momentum around the halfway mark. The occasional laugh-out-loud moments add a lighthearted touch, balancing the more serious themes explored in the book.

The main male character, Adam, stands out as a well-developed character. His complexity adds depth to the narrative and keeps the reader invested. In contrast, the MFC- Alison, is unique in the context of lighthearted romcoms, but her development feels somewhat delayed. Alison’s constant repetition of the same life philosophies became wearisome. I really enjoyed all the supporting characters, each with a unique personality.

Overall, "Four Weekends and a Funeral" is an entertaining read that offers a fresh take on a romcom. The chemistry and tension between the characters creates a captivating dynamic, lending to the heartwarming read. I recommend this book to readers who appreciate a blend of humor, romance, and exploration of real-life issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an ARC of this book!

Wow! This was an obvious five star read and I could tell after just a few chapters. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy. I am sharing my thoughts and review voluntarily.

The story told is so incredibly heartfelt and the characters immediately grabbed me. I loved how Alison and Adam grew individually through their grief. This was an honest portrayal of friendship, grief and growing up. I immediately mourned after the last chapter and wished I could have savored it, but I just couldn’t put it down. I am now eager to read everything Ellie Palmer writes.

This rom-com by a 🌟debut author🌟 was such a pleasant surprise for me. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine story between Alison and Adam. Alison is an introverted 30-year old post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier, who wants to be a thrill seeker because she feels she’s been given a second chance at life. When her ex-boyfriend dies and she attends his funeral, she agrees to play the grieving girlfriend for his family’s benefit and pack up his apartment with his grumpy best friend, Adam. Sparks fly, and they each work through their life road blocks before finding a happy ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group-Putnam for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publish date: 8/6/2024

Such a lovely debut. I loved the easy shift of their relationship in and out, as relationships sometimes do. It felt natural. Never forced. And I appreciated the exploration and personal perspective on a topic, the BRCA1 mutation, that’s so rarely mentioned in romance novels. It was so beautifully expressed and shared. And as much as I loved Alison and Adam—and I did!—the side characters are truly as much a part of the story as they are. If any of these other characters get a book, I’m in!

Palmer’s romantic comedy is full of all of the things that make a romantic comedy a pleasure to read. While somewhat predictable in nature, there are enough elements of surprise to keep the book moving along. Palmer also tackled survivor guilt in a manner that is realistic but not overly heavy to the underpinning of the book. I usually avoid books with cancer or mastectomies but this one handled it in such a way that it was not the center of the story but an element of the character. I am glad that I spent a few days living in Minneapolis with Ali and her friends. Thank you to Net Galley for the early read.

Four Weekend and a Funeral had a very interesting and funny concept for a romance. I really enjoyed how both characters had fully fleshed out personalities, histories, and traumas in connection with the main character’s (dead) ex-boyfriend. However, in the beginning of the book the main characters did not seem as sad or upset as I would assume one would be after losing someone close to you in a tragic way.

The story is really a journey of self discovery, for both the main characters, disguised as a basic romance. I really enjoyed the conflict in the book revolving around the main character trying to change herself and her life instead of embracing who she was and how that reflected on her relationship with the other main character. I loved their relationship because it wasn’t just insta love. Throughout the book, you got to see how they slowly develop into friends and into their relationship. The banter and conversation between the characters was also really good. The side characters in this book were very fun and I would have liked to see the author develop more of her female friendships. Overall, this book was a very pleasant and refreshing romance read.

Here are a few things I enjoyed about this one:

-all the fun holiday vibes
-the nod to While You Were Sleeping
-all the Minnesota references (as a Minnesotan I adored these & related to them so much!!)
-a BRCA-1 rep (this is not something I can relate to, but I appreciated the character's process with this & how it impacted her life)
-her friend group - they were so fun!
-the grumpy MMC & how he warms for her
-the romance was sweet & I enjoyed watching it unfold

This was a fun one by a Minnesota author & I will happily read whatever she writes next!

I just loved this book. It’s funny, clever, real, touching and well written. The dialogue and repartee among the three best girlfriends are intelligibly terrific. The authenticity of the families is portrayed without abashment. The love story component is done without being sappy or trite, just realistic and thoughtful. This is a feel good book. Yes, it touches on cancer but doesn’t scream about it. I am so grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam to have been granted this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley, #PenguinGroupPutnam, #ElliePalmer., #Goodreads.

This was such a fun read! I loved the premise of this story and couldn't wait to see what happened as the main character tried to work through her struggles and figure out who she wanted to be all while falling in love. I would definitely recommend this to family and friends, and all fans of rom coms.

I loved this novel. It tackled some really tough issues but did so in a gentle and realistic way. I loved the two main characters, their character development and their love story. I was so excited about the ending

This book was so fun right from the beginning! It helps that it takes place in MN and, as a Minnesotan, I loved all the references!
The book started off with great pacing and the MCs are fun despite starting out at a funeral. I enjoyed the slow burn up until about the 70% mark as the pacing fell off. At that point it felt like the characters were hitting the FMC on the head with the same lines which put me off the FMC a bit.
Overall, it’s definitely a fun romance and the banter between the MCs and the FMC’s friends was delightful.
The handling of grief is well done as well. I’m giving it a 4.5 stars and thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Four Weekends and a Funeral!

One thing I loved about this book is that it jumped straight to the point. You don’t read too many books about funerals. This writing gave a new take on the “fake relationship” trope. I absolutely will be recommending this book and rating it a 3.5/5. I hope to read more books from this author in the near future.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a free ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral. This book releases on August 6, 2024.

Four Weekends and a Funeral, a delightful romantic comedy, is the debut novel by Ellie Palmer. It is a slow burn, closed door romance with enemies to friends to lovers trope.

In this book, Alison arrives at her ex-boyfriend's funeral only to discover everyone thought they were still a couple when he died. The one person who knows the truth asks her to play along and, in the process, she finds herself agreeing to clear out her ex's apartment with his best friend who is a major grump and seems to hate her. Alison and Adam spend the next few weekends sorting out the apartment of someone who was special to them both in different ways and end up learning a lot about each other and what they want out of life.

I had mixed feelings about the main character, Alison, but she grew on me as the book progressed. I adored Adam from the very beginning and found myself chuckling because his communication style reminds me of someone special in my life. And Alison's friends were so loyal and supportive. Even Russel was someone who was weirdly likable in spite of being incredibly annoying. And that sweet twist at the end was just perfect!

This is a warm and fuzzy kind of book, perfect for reading when you need to believe that the world can be a better place.

This is a perfectly written ROMCOM. The characters were lovely and the main characters’ banter were funny and their chemistry’s so good. This is the first book of Ellie Palmer I read and I will definitely be reading more books from her in the future.

I enjoyed this romance. I am a senior, but I loved these younger characters and their choices and thought processes. When at first we practice to deceive....

I was pulled in from the beginning and absolutely loved this book. As a Minnesota girl, the Minneapolis setting captured my heart, and the MC’s medical history and struggles promptly broke it again. A story of friendships, acceptance, hurt, and healing, Ellie Palmer does a fantastic job weaving the story together with lots of humor and romance to keep you invested. A great read and definitely one to recommend!

This book broke my soul a little bit. While I've never had cancer, I've had people in my life who have and going through this book while Mara was navigating the death of her (ex) boyfriend, life, and the potential of a new relationship. That's not to say this book was all doom and gloom and sad. It was genuinely funny.

The book opened with her at the funeral of her ex boyfriend Sam, who was a huge adventure seeker. Problem is, everyone at the funeral still assumed she had been dating Sam at the time of his death. This book takes you on the journey of learning all about Mara, about Sam, and about Sam's best friend Adam. It shows you how to navigate through the death of a friend and how that person lived and how it affects how they currently live their every day lives.

I loved this book and it made me feel so many things. Mara really struggled with her survivors guilt because she got a double mastectomy in order to prevent cancer and she feels as though she cheated. Adam felt guilt because he made all these promises to Sam that he didn't keep. It was so nice to see the relationship develop between Adam and Mara and how they handled so many things.

What an sweet story. I am usually not a romance reader, but I really enjoyed this book. Well written, and paced, and both characters are charming and likable.

Another win for a debut author!

Four Weekends and a Funeral was a delightful read. Having never seen the movie that the title plays off of, I don't know if it's similar at all, BUT, the beginning did have some While You Were Sleeping vibes and as a semi-feral stan of that movie, I was hooked. I liked the characters, the romance was cute, the dialogue felt natural and never awkward (and there was some good banter!), and I actually even laughed a few times. There are some levels deeper than just the romance, which really helped ground the story as well.

This is a great start for Ellie Palmer, and I will definitely tune in to see what she writes next!

"Four Weekends and a Funeral" by Ellie Palmer is a compelling and emotionally charged story that explores themes of survivors guilt, grief, and unexpected romance. The story revolves around Alison who presently finds herself at her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral. The catch? No one knew they had broken up, compelling Alison to keep up appearances and pose as the current girlfriend of the deceased.

Palmer's story takes an intriguing turn when Alison agrees to help Sam's best friend, Adam, clear out the deceased's apartment over four weekends. As they navigate the emotionally charged task of sorting through Sam's belongings, the forced proximity becomes the catalyst for a slow-burning and unexpected romance between Alison and Adam.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is not just the budding romance between Alison and Adam, but Mara and Chelsea. Both with personalities nearly opposite to one another, they compliment the story through their support and friendship to Alison.

This is a closed door romance, but I found that the tension wasn't lessened because of it. Adam was so sweet, constantly caring about Alison and making sure she was safe and happy. He gave a very grumpy, no one gets me but you, vibe to the romance.

Overall this was a sweet romance, with great writing. I would love to read another one of Palmer's books soon!