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!

“I thought I needed to be strong for everyone else. But by putting others’ grief ahead of my own, I unintentionally made it worse for myself. I self-destructed. And, sadly, I think it may be true for a lot of people who experience the death of a sibling. The putting others ahead of yourself, not the self-destructing part. What you experience with your sibling during your time together can span from black eyes to fits of laughter to screaming matches to “Hey, give me five bucks for a beer.” The connection between siblings is established from birth, and even though it can often be tenuous, it’s undeniable. We may not be burying our parents, children, or spouse, but our loss is just as great. Different, but significant. It’s a pain that deserves moments to say, “I’m not okay.”

Thank you to the Author and NetGalley.com for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Oh my gosh. When I say cried and cried and cried and the most therapeutic way possible throughout this book is an understatement. As an older sister, with 1 blood related brother who is currently living his best life — I could still relate so heavily to the messages shared through the story.

What do you do when your whole world is collapsing while simultaneously getting heavier on your shoulders? Cass walks us through that with the help of her brother’s childhood bestfriend who is also the local funeral home owner protégé. She comes to so many different realizations along her journey but not before hitting several rock bottoms due to self-destructive behavior.

I could not recommend this book enough. Will be buying a copy for my shelf as soon as it is published and adding all of the authors other books to my TBR 🫶🏼✨ To the top of my 2024 highest rated list it goes.


*** note to author, I did find a grammatical error at the 7% mark — He’s boy I used to love when I was a girl who had nothing but dreams in her head and hearts in her eyes. —-

What a beautiful and heart wrenching book. This was such a stunning read about love, loss, and growth. This book had such a raw honesty about it and it was genuinely beautifully written. The main characters Cass and Vince were gorgeous and I personally loved that the romance plot line was secondary to the sibling grief storyline.

I honestly can’t think of anything I would change about this book! Five stars from me 🌟

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book literally made me laugh, made me cry, and made me want to recommend it around. It sounds morbid but it's really a form of coming of age in a way that no one wants -- to figure out who you are after the death of a close family member.

Cass idolized her big brother but was definitely aware of all the faults of the golden child of the family. But when her brother dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Cass becomes the one who is trying to keep her family together as everything seems to be falling apart. Both parents handle the loss in different ways but both are too lost in grief to think of her. She finds that there's a lot of help for losing a spouse or child but none for losing a sibling. As she navigates this new world and crushing grief, trying to pull her family back together, she also reunites with her brother's best friend, and her high school crush. There's a lot of talk about the layers of grief, complicated grief, recovery, found family, family trauma.

#arc
#netgalley
#loveatafuneralandotherawkwardconversations

"There is an end to what sometimes feels like endless human agony, and that is what makes all of this...whole being alive thing kind of beautiful."

This book was raw and honest. It candidly explores the ebb and flow of grief, grappling with loss and life moving on. The way the loss of a sibling is portrayed brought tears to my eyes many times. I haven't lost a sibling, but the way that Cass dealt (or didn't deal) with her grief is all too familiar to me.

The love between Vince and Cass is so heart warming. He was there for her during the worst days of her life. He sees her for everything she is, broken pieces and all. Cass struggles to see herself for who she truly is until she hits rock bottom and has to fight her way out. Cass's journey through loss, anger, self doubt, and love was beautiful.

TW: Death. Loss of a sibling. Heavy alcohol abuse. Infidelity