Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations

This book is one that is going to stick with me for a while. It’s such a beautifully written story that follows the journey of grief after the FMC’s brother dies, mixed with a little bit of romance. Sophie Andrews does a magnificent job of making the reader feel what the main character is feeling and even when I had to put the book down, I was still thinking about it. It was a very realistic portrayal of the ups and downs of grief and the romance was able to add to the story and didn’t take away from Cass’s journey. This is not a book I’d normally pick up, but I’m so happy I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Keep your tissues handy, readers, you're in for an emotional ride. Is there romance involved? Yes, but don't think of this as your typical romance, This is a book about grief, and it is so wonderfully written, you'll almost forget this is fiction. It belongs on the self-help shelves, too, as a guide to grieving. You just want to give Cass a big hug and tell her that one day she'll be ok. Except that she's not a hugger :) Her emotional growth throughout the story was so beautiful to read. Is this also wickedly funny at times? Sure is.

Unfortunately for me, I also lost my big brother very unexpectedly, not in these exact circumstances, but close enough. And the baseball and Springsteen references hit home. Sophie Andrews' author's note at the end of the book made my cry the most. It's true, this is not a club to which you want to belong. Thank you, Sophie, for bringing this book into my life. (I hope you include the bonus Vince scene in the final version!) Would give this more than 5 stars.

I needed this story. I needed it to mirror my emotions and experiences, to help me feel seen. Death isn’t something you can talk about with everyone. Especially the loss of a sibling - your only sibling. Their Raymond, my Rammona. My best friend called her Ray. No one understands. You grew up together. You lose a piece of yourself.

Until I read this novel, I didn’t know how much I needed to experience someone else’s grief. To be able to separate it from my own. To recognize everything I have felt and all I am feeling is absolutely normal.

I could situate myself inside the pages of this book - inside those early scenes. No one talks about these moments. The need to adopt a new vocabulary, past tense. The realization that nothing new will happen again. These are the only photos we’ll ever have. That was the last text she’d ever send. “Thank you.”

Grief…it throws itself at you, and you carry it. I’m still not sure if it ever lets go. I adored the main characters: Vince & Cass. Their love for each other. His capacity for forgiveness and her penchant for being self aware. It was dripping from every scene, yet she still failed to fully see herself.

I adored this story. And I very much appreciate Sophie Andrews for translating her feelings and experiences into an evocative work of fiction, for people like us to experience the collective truth of loss and grief with the added comfort of a happy ending.

I don’t think I’ve ever loved a book that has made me cry so much! Sophie Andrews’ Love at a funeral and other awkward conversations was a devastatingly beautiful story of grief. I usually steer away from sad stories, but I don’t regret requesting this novel, and I think it will stay with me for a long time. The story is wonderfully written, heart wrenching in places but leaves you uplifted at the end. Cass and Vince’s story was perfectly intertwined to keep from overwhelming the reader with sadness. I definitely recommend reading! Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Andrews for the ARC!