This isn’t just a book about romance, this is a book about grief and how different people can deal with it. But most of all, it’s a book about how people can still somehow find a way to live their own life after a death of someone they love, by allowing someone to take care of you.

Personally, this book touched a look of serious deep stuff and it was heartbreaking to read some of Cassies thoughts as she tries to navigate through life with her brother, who was like a rock in her life. But finds comfort with someone who is the definition of book boyfriend. Look up book boyfriend and you’ll find the name Vince there. He is everything!!!!

I devoured this book in a few days which is a good feat for me and I just think this book was well written!!

⋅⊰∙∘☽ Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations ☾∘∙⊱⋅

4★

I liked this book a lot; it addresses the theme of losing a relative, a complicated topic to tackle and understand. I think the author did an excellent job with this; the protagonist, Cass, is a powerful character but also occasionally ironic, and I loved the male lead, Vince Mancini.
Death is a complicated theme for me and a bit of a "trigger warning", but I stayed strong throughout this beautiful read about not only grief, but also love, and growth.
Don't let this stop you though; the love story within is truly tender and moving.

As for the editing, I realize there are just a few minor errors, for example in chapter 5 "to work me with a lot of days" instead of "to work with me a lot of days".
Nonetheless, I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for more people to read it. Thank you, Sophie Andrews, you did such a great job!!

➯ My review on GoodReads (posted on 19/05/24): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6444827995

⟡ Thanks to Victory Editing and Sophie Andrews for providing the ARC (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

First off I’d like to thank NetGalley & Sophie Andrews for an e-ARC copy of this book!

I went into reading this under the impression that it was going to revolve mostly around romance with a smattering of grief. Boy was I wrong but I am SO glad I was.

This story is absolutely beautiful. Cass is a strong, talented woman who was dealt a rough hand, losing her brother suddenly. Reading her battle through grief and seeing her develop made me cry, laugh, and feel SO PROUD of this character.

I typically am also not a fan of third act break ups but this one was perfect. It was needed to show Cass’s personal development, and it a strong believer that we can’t love another person fully if we don’t love ourselves first. Her personal journey as she truly comes to tend with her grief is stunning and beautifully written.

The snippets of Lucy and Lara resonate with me so strongly. I was about 2 years old when I lost my mother, and as I read it found myself wondering how I reacted. Did I ask my dad the hard questions too?

Vince. What a man. First I swear every Italian family has a family funeral home business (I think each side of my Italian family has one😂). I love that something as simple as him as a funeral director brought them together. He is so patient and understanding but also never pushes Cass to feel or act a certain way after losing her brother.

Now what really got me was the authors note at the end. Full disclosure I’m a monster who almost never rats them, but this one caught my eye. Finishing this story knowing that the author I holds similar experiences to the characters written breaks my heart, but also makes me gain so much respect. I can’t imagine how hard it may have been to really meet grief head on and write a story that possesses similarities to an extremely difficult time.

Stories like these are so important and need to be told more often. I’m in awe of how beautiful this book is, and honestly I wish I could read it for the first time again.

First thank you to Netgalley, Sophie, and the publisher for sending me this eARC for review! I really really loved this book. It explores grief in the most real way I’ve ever seen before. It’s raw and relatable while simultaneously being uplifting and encouraging. I’ve dealt with my fair share of grief and the way Cass went through it felt a lot like my personal journey which is why it’s so relatable for me. She’s floating out in a sea of grief after her brother unexpectedly passed away with nobody to anchor her. Her parents are zoned out and not willing to come back to life for their daughter and she doesn’t have anyone she’s close with in her hometown.

Enter Vince, someone who she grew up with, someone her brother was close with, someone who sees the inner turmoil Cass is dealing with and tries to help calm it because she has nobody else. The romance was done in a tactful and respectful way since this is a book centered around dealing with grief. The romance also didn’t overshadow the healing that was done in the book and I really really loved that. It enhanced the story line, and really amplified how Cass was feeling about her life and herself.

Highly recommend reading this when it comes out.

Such a beautiful story about grief and how if affects every single person so differently. Sophie Andrews didn’t try to sugarcoat or red tint grief and showed it in all its chaotic and messy energy, which I really appreciated. I found myself laughing and sobbing in equal measure, and I LOVED the relationship and chemistry that built between Cass & Vince! Also, Vince’s golden retriever energy was 🥹

Definitely a top contender for book of the year for me!

I knew I needed to wait for the right moment to read this book and I am so glad I did. This story emotionally destroyed me (in the best and most cathartic way possible) - having lost a dear friend a few years ago the discussions of grief and sudden loss spoke to me on such a deep level. The way Andrews wrote about it, I was not surprised to find out it was somewhat based on her own journey with grief, providing such beautiful writing and heartbreaking character development. This book is raw and emotional, something that was tough to get through emotionally but so worth the end result. Starting off gut wrenching and ending on hopeful progress, it was a wonderful journey, so unique and special in the genre. Highly recommend if you want the not so average journey to the happily ever after!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Releases 5/31/24

“I would wait for you forever, but I’m glad you’re not making me”

Let me just say.. this is anything but what I expected but in the most amazing and fulfilling way. This is not a a story of love but rather a story of grief and loss that leads you to finding someone who truly understands. I love that this wasn’t a typical romance story but rather a romance sub plot!

Blurb 📖

Cass is faced with an expected loss that causes a hurricane of emotions through her family. Forced to be the strong one Cass must do what she can to mend the bond between her mother and father while also trying to balance her own grief. Could her brother’s childhood best friend be the answer to her pain?! Or is she not quite ready to fall head over heels for the undertaker

Thoughts 💭

This book blew me away. It left me utterly speechless, smiling, laughing and most importantly sobbing. As someone who’s lost a family member this book hits so close to home. Cass’s grieving journey was so similar to my own and this is the first time I’ve really felt like someone could relate to my grief. Sophie does an incredible job of bringing to life the pain and anxiety losing a love one brings. It’s unexpected, it’s excruciating and there’s nothing in the world like it.

Vince is so perfect for Cass. I like how we got to see how much her grief is affecting them starting a relationship and how much growth someone can have after losing a loved one and having to start your life without them all over again. Thank you so much Sophie and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading such a beautiful book.

I highly recommend you all go preorder this right now. It’s so beautifully written and it really brings forth all the emotions 🤍🤍

Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations
by Sophie Andrews

Death is an awkward matchmaker… Brillant written. When I book can me cry it is real. This one will stay with me. I felt laughter, pain, and hope for two people.

I wasn't expecting this book to be as emotional as it is.
You follow a journey of loss and grief and at times, I was crying into my kindle.
Cass now has to find her own way and Vince helps her along the way.
Not too much spice or romance.

This was one of my absolute favorite reads this month. Yes I realize the month isn’t over, doesn’t matter. I’m confident it’s going to be a top read of the year.

This book is such a beautiful, messy story of loss, grief, struggling to survive that loss, growing up. I know it’s classified as romance but it’s so much more than that in my opinion. I feel like the romance is a side of the story but Cassandra’s personal journey through the loss and grief was at the forefront of the book. If you took out the spicy scenes and classified it as women’s literary fiction or something along those lines it would still be accurate. This was such a unique take on loss and grief because I feel like no one ever writes about siblings. We have plenty of stories on parents and children and spouses, but not siblings.

I love stories like this. Flawed and messy, just like real life. Hurting people you love because you’re falling apart yourself is something I feel most can relate to. Becoming someone you don’t recognize and trying to pull yourself out of whatever hole you’ve put yourself in feels like a relatable story, especially as someone who was only just recently employed full time I understand Cassandra in an almost visceral way.

I cannot recommend this book enough! All the stars. All the tissues.

This book was extremely emotional and empathetic. Sophie Andrews did a great job at demonstrating what it’s like to lose someone so close to you through Cassandra, a young woman trying to navigate the recent loss of her older brother. The grief, pain, sadness, trials and hardships were conveyed excellently.

Although, I feel like the synopsis was definitely misleading. I thought I was getting into a contemporary romance but instead this book was more focused on the aftermath of the death. The heartache Cassandra and her family had to face.

Now, do get me wrong the writing quality was 4-stars but the story itself was boring to me. I enjoy heavy and raw stories but this one was for me. At the very beginning, it had my attention but it fizzled away through the chapters. The romance was more of a subplot at this point, but it shows the audience what it’s like to develop a relationship with someone who has so many unresolved issues. The ending felt a bit rushed and I feel like Vince was too forgiving.

Thank you so much Sophie Andrews and Netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love at a funeral and other awkward conversations
By Sophie Andrews

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When Cass’ brother suddenly passes away, shattering her family, she’s left to pick up the pieces. Then Vince Mancini knocks on her door. Her brother’s best friend from high school—and the boy she loved—is a funeral director, and he promises to answer whenever she calls. With his steadfast nature and warm smile, he becomes the anchor in the storm, willing to hold her up as everything falls at her feet. He sees through all of her bluster, and it’s easy to remember why she’d hung on his every word when she was younger. Now, he thinks he can fix Cass, even though there’s a lump of clay where her heart used to be. Which makes the fluttering in her chest all the more disconcerting.

After being thrown into the deep end with a heartbreaking first chapter, this story took me on a slow burn journey through love, loss and everything in between.

I wasn’t a fan of the long chapters and the big gaps in timelines however the things I enjoyed most about this book were:

* To learn that this book was loosely based on the authors own story was heart wrenching. No one should have to grief a sibling and for that I’m truly sorry but thank you for sharing your story through Cass, Vince and all the other wonderful characters.
* Cass’ witty and sarcastic humour was hilarious and relatable!
* Vince and his golden retriever energy
* Vince calling Cass “sweetheart” or telling her “You’re okay Cass”
* Loved the mixed media with the social media posts and the text messages

Tropes: brothers best friend, slow burn, he falls first, he falls hard, reverse grumpy/sunshine

Triggers warnings: death of a sibling, grief, divorce, affair

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and Sophie Andrew’s for this ARC in return for an honest review

I will also be posting my review on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon on publication day.

I read it through a net galley arc, and thanks god for it, one of the best books of 2024 for sure.
It is so emotional and so real, it gives hope without letting go of how raw and intense the grief process are. The narrator is great, its intense, truthful.
For a while i was scared that the romance would get in the way of the character development and almost hoped that the book would center only around Cassandra and her family, but, amazingly, the guy is great. He is too great, even, if there is anything to complain about. But that is also a good sign of how close the reader gets into their lives, i wished for him to be more active and stand up for himself so badly as i wished for him to never go away cause we could not take it.
And Cass development is something to be part of, and proud of.
The book is medium pace because you WILL need crying pauses. And a little moment to process the feelings. and that's great.
Waiting anxiously for it to be released, and hopefully translated to Portuguese.
It does makes me want to read the authors other works, which is also a great sign,
notes for the author/publisher: The title and the cover are amazing, but do give the vibe of a way more lighthearted book, the surprise was great for me but could not be for all the readers

If you're in the right space to read about death, this one's for you. This was raw, real and so relatable. I wish I could read this again for the first time!

→“We’re shadows of the people we used to be. We’re trying not to disappear, and it’s impossible to truly confront what happened. Like if we don’t admit it, it didn’t happen."

This book follows Cass as she struggles with the unexpected death of her older brother. Not only do we see how Cass grieves, but we view how her parents, family, and friends grieve. It focuses on the changes that come with the loss of a loved one.

Because of her brother's death, Cass reconnects with Vince, the boy whom she's had a crush on since forever. Vince is always by her side and lifts her up when she's down. He's a comfort to her. When I first read the blurb of the book, I thought that the romance aspect would be more present. Nevertheless, it was still a great read.

One of Cass' coping methods in the book is to write Instagram posts where she shares memories of her brother. After the first few, I was uninterested in them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Death is awkward and you never know what to say or do when it happens. There is no handbook …. Well until now in some respect.
I love the fact that Sophie Andrews has written this and that it feels so raw.
You can feel what Cass is going through, it’s not all fluffy and rainbows- that everything will be alright. There’s pain. Awkwardness. Rock bottoms, mistakes from majority of the characters and best of all
There’s no right or wrong way of mourning.
Everyone does it differently.

This book is a cozy read great for people wanting a romance book and for someone who is going through the motions of dealing with the departed.

There are super cute moments in Cass’s version of an underworld.
Brother’s best friend romance

Thank you both Sophie and NetGalley for the chance to read this

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because of the title, but I was not disappointed. I can really see the patrons at my library absolutely eating this one up! Can't wait for it to be published!

I didn't know ends to expect from this book, and now that I've finished it I still don't know. Funny how that works, right?

I appreciated the the author could make me cry and then laugh just a few pages later. It didn't always feel like I was doing the right one at the right time but hey, we're all on our own journey. :)

Cass is so relatable, real, and broken even before her brother suddenly died. I felt for her so much, especially after his death and her parents both falling apart, separately, to leave her to fix it all.

Vince, ah, sweet Vince. He's too good to be true, seriously. He says the right thing, and does the right thing, he's not human. I love him, but he's not real, he can't be. No man is that good.

I'd recommend this book if you're in the right head space to read about death and maybe laugh a little too.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

So I loved the beginning of the book- Cassandra loses her brother in a freak accident and she’s not prepared for the grief - ontop of that her childhood crush and dead brothers best friend, Vince runs the funeral home that she has to plan with. I can appreciate that this is based off a true story with the author - the story itself is great. The book and the writing - I just couldn’t get into a groove. I felt like it was a stalemate from 40-70% and it made me not want to finish the book. The ending was rushed after everything was the same for 40% of the book.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book captured me from the very beginning. This book follows Cass has she journeys through life after the sudden death of her older brother. Its a great story about how different people handle grief differently. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I was quite surprised on how I could relate to Cass, even though my grief dealt more with the loss of a parent. I, also, enjoyed the romance between Cass and Vince. While giving away no spoilers, it was a wonderful storyline in lieu of the sadness of the rest of the book.