Four Weekends and a Funeral ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Obsessed! Absolutely obsessed

Alison shows up to her ex boyfriend’s funeral, but ends up getting roped into pretending they never broke up. Meanwhile her exs grumpy, fine as hell best friend Adam gets talked into prepping Sam’s (the ex) apartment for sale with Alison.

I think you can see where this is going. Sunshine/grumpy trope, set in Minnesota, all the vibes! Definitely a worthwhile read. Thank you @netgalley and @elliepalmerwrites for allowing me to pre-read this gem!

Thank you NetGalley and G.T. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC of Four Weekends and a Funeral! I loooooved this one!! So fun that there were Minnesota references and the banter had me laughing out loud and also swooning for Alison and Adam. The complicated feelings of grief and talk about guilt around health were done SO well, giving great depth without weighing down the story. I can’t believe this is a debut for author Ellie Palmer! Read this one!

It’s been a long time since I devoured a book in one day! This was a wonderful story, with good depth and important life lessons. I like when romance reads aren’t too light and airy, and this book did a great job making me giggle while also making me want to cry. I love Alison and Adam, and I also felt sad mourning Sam alongside them.

4.5 stars. I will absolutely read the next book Ellie Palmer releases.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnun & Netgalley for my ARC of this fun rom-com. Fake dating, a dead man. Forced proximity, grumpy vs Sunshine, and enemies to lovers. Allison's ex-boyfriend Sam dies & when she attends the funeral she finds out Sam never told his family (except sister) that they broke up. Sister begs Allison not to say anything & she agrees. Then ends up cleaning out her "boyfriends apartment" with his best friend. It'll only take four weekends.
I loved the characters. The writing was fun and witty with sass and sarcasm. The characters are well developed and show growth throughout the read. The supporting characters are delightful and present the opportunity for a second book in this universe.

Four Weekends and a Funeral is a cute, "grumpy + sunshine" romance with a twist: the "sunshine" character, Alison, is pretending to be something she's not. After Alison learns that she has the BRCA 1 gene mutation and elects to have a double masectomy, she is determined to make major changes in her life to be more adventurous. The problem is, it's not really her personality to be adventurous. When her dare-devil ex-boyfriend Sam dies, Alison is caught up in a white lie where she pretends they were still an adventure-loving couple when he died.

The story focuses on Alison and her ex's best friend, Adam, who together agree to help Sam's grieving parents by cleaning out his apartment. Predictably, they fall for each other, which is extremely complicated given that the family and Adam all think Alison just lost her significant other.

The story has many clever references to movies and books; I always enjoy trying to recognize and identify movie allusions and book quotes in novels. Alison's two best girlfriends are sweet and supportive. The sensitive subject of how cancer - and survivor's guilt - can impact intimate, platonic, and family realtionships is handled with respect, in my opinion; this is not surprising, as the author, like the main character, has the BRCA 1 gene mutation.

I did feel like the book was too long, and it was the beginning of the story that dragged for me. There was one unresolved issue that seemed to be forgotten about by the end of the story. However, the ending was so satisfying and so sweet and perfect, I am glad I powered through to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Highly recommend! I instantly wanted to read it based on the title alone and it was such a great read!

I really enjoyed this book! There were multiple storylines about family, friendship, finding one's self and of course a cute romance. The main character and her friends were the kind of people you'd want to know and spend time with. Thanks #NetGalley

...sigh.
The first half of this was so good and enjoyable (banter, fun writing, great character dynamics), and then the third act conflict hit and ruined everything. this book just really loses momentum once the two characters get together, and then it's like treading water until we hit the dreaded third act conflict, which really strained credulity. the problem in this case is that the characters' conflicts are so defined and obvious, like something straight out of a novel outline (Alison's conflict will be that she's Forcing Herself to Be Adventurous, and Adam's will be that he's Not Bold Enough to Progress in His Life). and you can tell that these conflicts lack complexity because they become increasingly repetitive throughout the story, with characters just saying the same things in slightly different ways. the last third of this was such a disappointment for me--it's like the book built me up in the beginning just to sorely let me down in the end
a good romance needs to not just be able to build tension effectively, but also to resolve tension effectively. this novel did the first well and the second poorly, the result being a super promising and enjoyable story feeling, by its end, lackluster and disappointing.

I LOVED this book. I will be checking more out by this author. I will say, I was hesitant about the concept. I thought for sure I would feel weird about the situation, but IT WORKED. I loved both main characters and even every single side character. The two main characters had amazing character development. I loved that it went deeper with their own stories and how they conquered those things. This had the perfect amount of humor and even holiday charm, without it being a total holiday book.

Is it too early to say this book is one of my favorite reads of the year? If you're a fan of heartwarming romances with a touch of humor, this book is a perfect choice. Ellie Palmer’s "Four Weekends and a Funeral" is a delightful book that beautifully captures the essence of unexpected romance. Thank you to the publisher for another amazing eARC!

This book simply a delight! I loved how they approached cancer - it's something that touches so many families and it was nice to see how it weaved into the story without being detracting or extremely heavy.

This book started out really strong for me. The first chapter hooked me and I saw the parallels throughout the book of While You Were Sleeping a little bit (the family could have been more central/developed to the story to really emphasize the third act conflict/movie parallels, but they were not). I thought the mastectomy/cancer was interesting to the character, I always like to learn, but sometimes the information took over from the story. It felt somewhat clunky at times and not a natural part of the book. I really enjoyed the main character and her development but Adam wasn't as interesting to me as I hope for a male lead.

This stayed on my NetGalley shelf for FAR too long, and so I can say with certainty that if it’s on your shelf right now, you should pick it up. Also if it’s not on your shelf right now, you should go get it because it is already out!!!!

This was ALARMINGLY cute? Like, giggling and kicking my feet cute. But also, reading with an entire tissue up each nostril because what’s not cute is me when I’m sobbing and I also did that.

There is such a delicate and finely blended combination of genuine, gut-wrenching grief, sweet, tender adoration, and dry, messy humor. The layers of guilt mixed with (very) cautious optimism, and the hesitant but wonderful banter were top-notch.

Also, I kept going “I’ve been there!” Because one thing about a Minnesota girlie is she is gonna exclaim about being a Minnesota girlie.

One massive aspect of this book is Alison finding out who she is and who she wants to be after a life-changing medical procedure, and how those in her life (friends, family, and past partners) have handled it as well. It’s a painfully realistic, deeply complex web of emotions and decisions, and it is just as prominent in the storyline because it’s just as important for her to process and move through it as it is for her to move forward.

Alison and Adam are both so messy and cautious, but also SO earnest and eager to love and be loved. Watching them heal each other while also learning how to heal themselves was so refreshing and also felt a little bit like being kicked in the shin. But like in a good way. Because we love books that hurt us (I know it’s not just me).

Four Weekends and a Funeral is a fantastic romance that will keep you engage from beginning to end.

The FMC Alison Mullally attends her ex-boyfriend's funeral and realizes that nobody knows that she is his ex. He never told his family or his friends and ends up agreeing to play the part and also help back up his apartment. However, there is one problem, she must pack up with Sam's surly best friend, Adam Berg.

When Allison arrives at Sam's apartment she quickly realizes Sam does not want her there, which makes for an extremely uncomfortable situation. However, Allison decides that she's going to do what she can to make him like her. Soon they are forming a tenuous relationship and she realizes that they have amazing chemistry. Now she needs to figure out what to do about her lie and will it keep her from true love with Adam?

The first thing of note is that Alison is a BRCA ! carrier that is post double mastectomy, as this plays a major part in the book. She is dealing with a lot regarding her surgery and it's wonderful to see the growth she goes through in regards to her traumatic experience, is wonderful to read.

Also, the love story between Alison and Adam is a lot of fun. The sexual tension, the lie between them, trying to deny their feelings, etc., it was fantastic to read about. You can tell how much they care about it and want to be together and the sexual tension between them was so much fun.

All in all this was an really great read and if you're looking for a heartwarming, cute romance I highly recommend Four Weekends and a Funeral.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.


When Allison goes to her ex boyfriend's funeral, a misunderstanding leads everyone think that she and her ex were still together. Out of a sense of duty and guilt, she agrees to help his best friend pack up his apartment. Soon, sparks start flying between her and stoic Adam, but will they ever act on what they feel?

This book was fine. I'm not a big fan of insta love and this had that. It's not a bad book. In fact, it's a great beach read!

This book is geared toward every Xennial woman. I felt myself capturing each pop culture reference.

It had the lightheartedness of a Nora Ephron movie but so much depth to the story that made it more than just about how and where the main characters fall in love.

There weren't any moments when I felt second hand embarrassment for the character and there was just enough angst throught the book. The witty banter between all characters kept the story flowing at a perfect pace

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I thought that the premise was unique, like something I hadn't seen before. I thought the execution of the plot could have been awkward but it just wasn't. It was done really well. I enjoyed the way the relationship developed between the two characters. The emotions and relationship was complicated and seemed to develop naturally. Overall, this was an entertaining story that took me less than two days to read because it was so good.

Adam had all of the grumpy Nick Miller vibes which I absolutely love.
Allison's health struggles also brought some introspection to the book.
The banter!! *chef's kiss*
Enemies-to-Lovers which is more like annoyance to lovers and I enjoyed every bit of it.
You get all of the giddy feelings of the start of a relationship and I loved all of it.

The premise of this book was incredibly intriguing! Alison, recently dumped by Sam, attends his funeral where his sister asks her to pretend their relationship was more serious than it was, to give the impression that Sam was settling down. From there, chaos unfolds as Alison and Adam, one of Sam's friends, are left to clean out his apartment and prepare it for sale.

I appreciated the insights into the BRCA1 gene and found Alison and Adam's personal growth to be a highlight. The romance between them was charming and heartfelt. Alison's struggle with guilt and her attempts to be someone she's not were compelling, though sometimes frustrating to witness—clearly, that was part of the narrative’s intention. Overall, this book offered a sweet and engaging read, perfect for fans of heartfelt stories and holiday enthusiasts.

I love a fake dating troupe...but on a dead guy?
It reminds me of a 90s movie i think. Sandra Bullock maybe?

I wanted so bad to like this, but for some reason, I just didn't connect. I had to force myself to finish.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't a well written, well thought out plot and characters. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the Arc. All opinions are m own.

Alison attends her ex-boyfriend, Sam’s funeral and discovers that he had not told anyone that they had broken up. His sister is the only one that knows and she asks her to pretend for the sake of the family. They were happy that he had found someone so she agrees to pretend . She gets roped into helping pack up his apartment with his best friend, Alex aka the grump. Over the next 4 weekends the pair navigate awkward conversations, silences and tension as well as some pretty amazing chemistry. A friendship between the two begins and they find themselves looking forward to the weekends spent together more and more.

This was the first time that I have ever read a book with the fake dating trope was used on a dead guy!! I loved this originality of the story and the creativity it took to pull it all together!! It was really sweet and fun. Great pacing, great characters and fresh story. Loved it!!

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.