Definition of a split-rating between 4 or 5 stars for me; I agonized about which way to round for a long time but settled on rounding down because rounding up felt wrong, even though rounding down left a bad taste in my mouth.

This is an excellent novel. The writing was very well done, and the plot was fine, but the main focus of this novel was clearly the characters which were outstanding and compellingly written. Very much a character-driven novel, which is a good thing. This novel revolves around two protagonists (one POV) dancing around each other because they want to be together romantically but are incompatible (for reasons). It’s a great premise which felt a lot more real and genuine compared to a lot of other novels I have read. Even if you don’t relate to their particular issues, the themes of the novel are universal, and I think most people would connect with on some level. All of the events in this novel feel very grounded and organic, and although I love a silly/contrived/tropy romance novel it was great to experience something that felt so real. There is also a wonderful cast of side characters that add depth and layers to the novel.

The issues I had with this novel are so wound up with major spoilers that I don’t know I can say much here. Ill leave it to say that I was a bit let down by the ending and the resolution to the ongoing conflicts of the story. The way the ending was handled WAS well done and worked for the story and I would still absolutely recommend this novel, but it missed the mark (a bit) for me in one or two key places.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

I liked this, it’s very slow and not that much really happens, but the writing style and tone make it work. I liked Theo, thought she has Shane the L word vibes, but honestly her and Stella seem a little toxic as a couple. I liked Cole more.
It’s an interesting book, odd pacing purely because of how time passes and their story is portrayed. Probably the most realistic and real-life feeling book I’ve read in a while, especially the romance.

Its well written and easy to get into, though definately has a somber tone.
For me the background characters were almost as important as Theo and Stella, and I found them all so loveable.

They meet young and spend years trying to fight each other and their chemistry, instead of just being vulnerable and taking the leap to try and give their relationship a chance. They’re both so convinced that they are too different and incompatible — that it just wouldn’t work.
I do love the inclusion of their mistakes, the pain and just how well this book captures the feeling of missed opportunities, friendship, loss and love. And real relationships.

I’m not sure this book was entirely for me, but it was an interesting read and I’ll definitely check out other novels by this author in future.

Thank you to the publisher BOLD STROKES BOOKS for this ARC

This story is quite similar to the film of the same title, in how Theo and Stella orbit each other, with the timing never quite right for them to commit to a stable relationship beyond the brief encounters they've had since meeting. Their tumultuous relationship is based on impulsive moments, yet they don't seem willing to take the next step. However, circumstances appear to force them into it despite themselves. Their attitudes towards each other are neither very positive nor clear. Jealousy intertwines with their inability to clearly confront their feelings, leading them to make some unfortunate decisions that affect not only them but also their group of friends. The whole journey is a bit convoluted, at times frustrating, but the outcome is predictable.

A drama filled second chance romance

Theo and Stella have always had a messy friendship, and now back after ditching her friends to follow a romance, Stella is feeling awkward about being reunited with Theo. Tensions are high between them and become complicated when Stella just can’t understand how Theo can continue seeing other people if she is so into Stella.

Electric, drama filled romance. Not your typical second chance romance either, but definitely along those lines. Theo and Stella having history but never having really been in love was a driver for all the tension buzzing between them throughout the whole story. Both Stella and Theo were passionate in their own ways. Theo to her beliefs and need for freedom, and Stella to her wanting exclusivity with those she loved or choosing to love her. At times it was really clear just how much of an emotional impact Theo’s behaviour had on Stella with how she reacted. I completely understood her frustrations but because we also had a whole cast of friends to offer up opinions and provide more clarity about circumstances, I just wanted Stella and Theo to talk!

I did love how we joined them and all their friends through celebrations and life changing moments that also all played their part in moving the story along. I got really frustrated with Stella a lot but that is what got me hooked. I just kept telling myself the next chapter would be the one when she realised Theo did have those feelings for her but when Stella had left years ago a fear she could do it again, drove Theo to revisit old practices. She was just protecting herself.

Loved every second of this! Especially when they finally had that moment of realisation and their real story could start!

Really, this book should be in the erotica section because there are many HOT sex scenes in this book - and I am not complaining about that. The characters? I love their close friendship circle, navigating how many of them are going through a transformative time of life - and some of them aren't there (yet). Did I love the lead characters? They definitely were very real, but wow, I found some of Theo's behaviour a little hard to overcome. Is she good for Stella? Not sure. Will their relationship last? I'm not confident. But it was still a mostly fun read.

This isn’t a typical romance and while there is a good story, it wasn’t a great fit for me. The book begins with Stella returning to the US and her old friend group after following her relationship to London for three years. There are some hurt feelings as she settles back into with her gang as she sort of ghosted them while she was away. One of the friends is Cole and we get told that the two have loved each other since they met in college years before. But Stella wants the forever love and Cole doesn’t believe in monogamy.

I love the busy body friends and there is some good pining and longing. There is honesty, feelings and messiness. The book feels realistic leaning towards women’s fiction. But I didn’t love Stella and with everything told from her POV, struggled at times engaging with the story. The story does get spicy but I missed why they both had feelings all those years ago. Maybe I needed a few flashback scenes with more description than how hot they looked. I am still going to round up because the story is good. I just didn’t fall in love with it. (3.5 Stars)

2 Weddings and a Funeral by Claudia Parr is a whip-smart, emotionally layered romance that captures the chaos of almost-love and the heartbreak of unresolved feelings. Stella and Theo are magnetic opposites—Stella, the recently returned romantic skeptic, and Theo, the fiercely principled activist with a commitment to everything but monogamy. Their chemistry crackles with every charged interaction, and Parr deftly explores the gray space between friendship and something more. As Stella navigates old wounds and awkward reunions, Theo continues to challenge her in every possible way—sometimes maddeningly, sometimes tenderly.

What makes this novel stand out is its unflinching portrayal of complicated, flawed people trying to figure out love on their own terms. Parr doesn’t offer easy answers or perfect characters—instead, she gives us a slow-burning emotional tug-of-war that feels raw and real. The tension between Stella and Theo is intoxicating, but so is the sense of community within their tight-knit friend group, which is put at risk as emotions spiral. With its sharp dialogue, heartache, and hope, 2 Weddings and a Funeral is a romantic dramedy that lingers long after the last page—equal parts messy, meaningful, and deeply satisfying.

Stella returns to Portland for a wedding and reconnects with old friends, she meets up with Theo who she had an on again and off again relationship.

A strong, beautiful sapphic retelling of Four Weddings and a Funeral? I MEAN. I love it so much! It’s so poignant and beautifully written and so toxic I wanted more. Really, I need more. Claudia Parr is a wonderful writer. The relationships are so real, the friendships and the romantics. I just love this book so much!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

As you already know Stella and Theo have always been in love with each other. They get along for a short while and then they keep pushing for a fight then one or the other, can turn their backs and walk away. This has been going on for years and their group of friends have just about had it.
Now Stella is back Stateside after spending three years in London trying to make her relationship with Andy work. While she tries different things, like making a special dinner, wearing sexy clothes to get Andy excited, nothing worked. Why did she want it to work when she’s still in love with Theo.
So home she goes just in time for the wedding of her friends and to apologize for her three years when she didn’t bother with any of them. In the meantime Theo is still chasing the ladies, telling everyone she has no intentions to settle down. When Theo sees Stella with another girl, she seems to be jealous.
Now she's home for the wedding and unfortunately one of their own suffers a loss, and as bad as they all hate it, they group go to the funeral. Ms Parr has given us a book full of ‘pulling and pushing’ between the two mains. If you don’t mind a book that has Theo and Stella running hot and cold throughout you would probably really like this read. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.

Two Weddings and a Funeral has some messy main characters and I found myself enjoying evry minute of it. Overall, It was very relatab;e. I recommend

Thank You NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC

*All thoughts written here are mine*
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Two Weddings and A Funeral is definitely am interesting and realistic book and I couldn't put it down. The book had a storyline that I don't think I've come across yet in a book so it as definitely refreshing to read.

The story follows Theo ans Stella, two close friends who have known each other for 13 years although they didn't really speak the last three years because Stella was so focused on her relationship with her then partner that she neglected her friends.

But that relationship has ended and Stella finds herself running back to her friends.

The relationship between Theo and Stella is definitely an interesting one, there's an intense tension between them and you can feel it through the book but they refused to act on it because both want different things.

The characters are very messy and they don't have filters. They will say words to hurt each other and I guess that's what makes it realistic.

I wasn't able to put it down and finished the book in one sitting so I guess that counts for something

Something I loved about this book wasn't the fact that it was a romance book but that they also talked about growing up and starting new phases of your life.

All in all I had a good time with this one and I'd be on the lookout for the author's next release.

Two Weddings and a Funeral is one of these books that felt closer to reality than fiction.

Theo and Stella have their flaws. Theo is a jerk and Stella is a very crappy friend. Despite the obvious off-chart chemistry, they were also pretty hurtful to each other and felt incompatible at times. Even if I enjoyed the push and pull between Theo and Stella, I’ll be honest and say that I rooted for Stella to end up with Cole but alas the heart wants what it wants.

For lack of better words, Theo and Stella were messy, but messy is human, and messy feels real. Although messy, they were true to themselves and what made them different, which is always nice to read. The uncertainty left at the end also adds to the extra real aspect of the story.

Did I enjoy that particular ending? I’m not sure I did but that's just because I tend to prefer the good old Happy Ever After ending when I read. Did I devour the story? Yes, I did. Was I expecting that level of spice? Absolutely not, and I’m not complaining about it. Do I feel like a little something is missing? Yes, I do, but unfortunately, I cannot grasp what it is.

Overall, I had a really great time reading Two Weddings and a Funeral and look forward to more from Claudia Parr.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

stella was back....
but she was afraid of her friends after all she had been a way for a few years and hadnt contacted them at all.... but now she was back and she wanted those friends back in her life but she wasnt sure how they would be....

and then there was theo.... theo the person she had loved for 13 years but couldnt be with them as they wouldnt give up sleeping with others and thats what stella wanted monogamous relationship

friends are friends forever and those friendships reached out and forgave stella and brought her back into their circle but it wasnt long before stella and theo were at loggerheads and their friendship circle started to crack....

an interesting read that kept me reading right till the end.... friends are friends forever and thats well worth remembering no matter what

Stella returns to Portland for the wedding of her best friend after breaking up with her fiance in London. She's worried that she's burned her bridges with her friends because she's ghosted them for the past 3 years. But they welcome her back, including Theo, a butch friend with whom Stella's had an on-again-off-again almost sexual relationship since they were in college 13 years ago. She's convinced nothing good will come of things with Theo given their different approaches to life, including Theo's commitment to non-monogamy.

This is a well written debut that is more than a romance, though of course it is. But it's also about growing up into adulthood after the reckless abandon of college and life in their 20s. Stella's friends are settling down into marriage and parenthood, two things she doesn't want, especially after she tried so hard to make her last relationship work and couldn't. And Theo still seems the same--not interested in a commitment or in monogamy.

The friendship group here is really part of the love story. The fact that this group has been together since college, despite their changing lives and differences, really defines the term "chosen family." It's a beautiful depiction.

I appreciated the butch-femme pairings of Stella and Cole, who she dated; Stella and Theo; and Liddy and Coop. The relationship of Zara and Sophie added some diversity to the group. Stella's relationship with Cole underlined the fact that no matter how good of a person she paired off with, she couldn't get Theo out of her mind and her life.

I'm going with 4 (4.5 really) because I felt that book could have been stronger with a two-person POV. I wanted more about Theo--what she was thinking and what was behind her issues. We get some of that in the very end, but it would have been better to have gained an understanding along the way.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.

Claudia Parr’s Two Weddings and a Funeral is a charming, heartfelt, and delightfully spicy sapphic romance that explores the often-complicated terrain of falling for someone who’s been more than “just a friend” all along. With its blend of humor, longing, and emotional honesty, this novel offers a relatable story that many readers will see themselves in.

Parr crafts her characters with care, allowing their chemistry and connection to build organically. The emotional tension—fueled by years of unspoken feelings—makes the romantic payoff deeply satisfying. Beyond the romance, the book thoughtfully navigates the fear, vulnerability, and courage it takes to cross the line from friendship to something more.

Written with warmth and wit, Two Weddings and a Funeral strikes a perfect balance between lighthearted fun and emotional depth. It’s a celebration of love in all its messy, beautiful forms, and a testament to how the truth of our feelings often refuses to stay hidden.

What a fantastic book! It is exceptionally well-written, the storyline was entertaining and engaging throughout, and the tension between Stella and Theo was exquisite. I honestly couldn't put the book down.

I adore friends-to-lovers stories, and this one is perfect. Stella and Theo's connection is undeniable, and the relationship develops at the perfect pace. The intimate scenes are incredibly captivating.

I also enjoyed all the supporting characters; each one brought a unique personality to the book, and I have love for them all.

This book blends the perfect mix of humour, spice, and love; you will never want it to end. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

After enjoying Claudia's short stories on her website, I was thrilled to learn she was writing a book, and I am even more delighted to have read it, and can't wait to see what she will bring us next.

Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

4.5/5
Stella has not connected with her friends for a long time, and is now returning since her best friends are getting married. Her current ex was one of the reasons why she did not reach out, but the other reason is Theo, someone who is so different from Stella that they would never match anyway. Someone who yet still holds her heart. Will this reunion finally be something for the friends to reconnect with and forge a stronger connection? Or will it be only just a wedding that will lead to another good bye?

This book is not something that will hook you from the beginning, you need time. Time for the reader to slowly sink low into the depths of what the author wanted to convey. Stella and Theo are not the ideal couple that we usually see in our romance novels. While many couples in romance novels are a match because they fit each other so well, this couple is not such a case. But what makes them unique is that although flawed, and perhaps unable to meet in the middle, they still try. And one of the reasons they could try in the first place is the friends who show them so much love and understanding. It is realistically beautiful in a way because we are all flawed in one way or another. I hope that Stella and Theo will get a time that might not be forever, but a time that they both have tried their best and do not regret.

I liked this book a lot! I connected to the story and the characters, although I found the pacing a little too slow for me at some points.

The chemistry is incredible but god, these characters were so toxic. It made it so hard to love them. The side characters’ relationships were so healthy that it seemed unrealistic that they would entertain the MC and LI for that long, especially when they’re in their 30s and causing fights at parties??? The chemistry between the characters made up for it a bit but wow, that was so toxic