A nice quick read, funny chicklit with interesting characters and a quirky plot, perfect light read with a touch of seriousness about it occasionally

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book was a perfect quick read! I'd consider it a must read for any fans of chick-lit! I really liked Nina's character as well as Barclay, even though he had some rough spots! I thought it was cool how the author tries to portray death in a lighter manner. At parts I found this book kind of gloomy but overall I enjoyed the humour and the romance within the novel~!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review. :)

Happy Publication Day!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

If you are looking for a book that will make you feel good, want to cheer on the main character, love her supporting cast of characters, and hope that love will win out in the end - this is a book for you.

When I saw it on Netgalley, the description ended with "perfect for fans of ..."Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "The Good Place" - and it's true.

Nina is a 30- year old who runs her own business - as an undertaker. She takes pride in her ability to meet the needs of mourners - or of individuals who want to plan for the future - by creating funerals that properly represent the person. However, just because she's good at her job, doesn't mean that everyone in her neighbourhood is comfortable with an undertaker in their backyard.

And so begins the adventures of Nina Sherwood.

This is definitely a romcom - a little romance, big on friendships, overcoming a betrayal and then all is well with the world. Plus a few funerals are thrown in for good measure.

It started off a little slow - honestly - this could have been more of a 3.5 star read if the beginning had been tightened up a bit - get to the backstory a little sooner - but the last 1/3 of the book was cute and I really wanted to keep reading to see how it all ends.

Not a super lovey type of romantic read - more about friendships and believing in oneself, but a nice little love story (or two... or three) thrown in for good measure.

Enjoyable read.

The book progresses with Nina finally starting to get some funeral traction though there seems to be a lot of “magically everything starts to get better” fairy tale too. The rich and privileged inhabitants of Primrose Hill started to annoy me more and more as the story continued. One thing that delighted me is how Nina handles a man from her past who shows up. Too often, romance heroines go all wobbly when a past love appears but here there’s no weakening on her part. Her new romance throws in what rom-com-ness the book has but sadly also relies on a lot of “wish fulfillment due to money.”

I ended up liking the book though the pace did drag a little at times and I had trouble getting over the business problem contrivances that bedevil Nina along the way. By the end, she’s on top of things but at first, I wasn’t that impressed with her lack of acumen. Everything gets wrapped up in tidy bows maybe just a bit too easily. Still Nina evolves as a businesswoman and shows her personal strength which I appreciated. C+

This book had great writing. It was easy to read and the flow was kept fairly steady. However, I just couldn't get into this book. It was, in my opinion, a bit slow which is why it didn't really capture my interest. This book just didn't reach its potential for me. I wanted to see more funerals and the stories surrounding them. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until about halfway through. What did manage to grab my interest was the story surrounding the death of Nina's husband. Which again, unfortunately, didn't happen until just over halfway through the book. I wish we would have heard more about it though. I did like Barclay. I thought he was an interesting character. Also, I did find some humor in some moments of the book. In particular, some of Nina's observations made me chuckle. Although I didn't enjoy the book, many people did enjoy it so you shouldn't base your opinion about whether to read the book based on my review.

"I received an advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review."

Such a great book! I loved this one. The characters were great!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I hate it when this happens, but I just wasn't super fond of this one. It was a cute and sweet quick read, but the plot was generally slow and didn't really capture much of my interest.

This is the story of Nina, an undertaker who has recently started her own business after being let go from her previous position.

From the title, I was expecting more details about funerals and the stories behind them and that isn't what we get. It was almost halfway through the book before Nina had anyone even seek out her new business. Once we did see some funerals that our MC organized, I can't say there was anything spectacular about them. They actually felt rather odd and dull, even though Nina's undertaker business wants to "make funerals more personal" I just didn't get that vibe from them.

The plot was just OK, and I also think it was TOO fictional if that makes any sense. Things were too easy and convenient, and VERY over-the-top unrealistic. I much preferred the story in the middle of the book that talked about Nina's husband who had died. I thought this was much better written and I would have loved to have heard and seen more about it.

I personally did not like the character of Barclay. I thought his character was the most over-the-top and out there. I also found that he seemed to be so very immature, and it just did not fit a Romantic leading male? He had an EXTREMELY privileged life and he just does so many stupid and ridiculous things that I still can't get over.

There were a few parts that made me laugh, as Nina's character is quite witty. She has a lot of little asides that were humorous, such as her advice on not wearing lip gloss when spreading ashes. I also liked how her unusual profession played a unique roll in the book. It isn't something normally seen in this genre.

Overall, this was a sweet and unrealistic story that makes for a nice light read. It isn't a complex or moving story, but if you are looking for a read to kill some time, or need something super light then look no further. Looking through other reviews I see that there were quite a lot of people who enjoyed this one, but I just don't think it was for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the Advanced copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

A fun writing style that is very approachable, with characters that feel familiar (if occasionally a bit over the top) the story has a lovely sense of self, while not being too overly self-important. Nina is a funeral director and has decided she wants to open her own shop. She’s facing many battles with this, however, as the neighborhood business owners don’t feel she’s got the ‘right fit’ for the little community they are trying to build, and with her first funeral being a huge public disaster (and a hoax) she’s running on empty.

Barclay is a bit over the top -and often is much too much for the room, but he and Nina hit it off in ways highly unexpected. If you think of a prankster who is charming but wholly immature – you get a taste of him. Of course, death is handled with some great moments of delicacy, and the whole “racket” of funeral preparations and providers are put under some scrutiny as we follow Nina and her choices, dilemmas and challenges.

Overall, this was an unexpected read with plenty of funny moments, some over the top antics, and a bit of whinging from Nina that balanced out by the end (fortunately) and was all saved with the prose style and flair displayed by Ross. It did feel much like other titles that are “about death but not really”, and left me with a smile, even as I wondered just how to categorize the read. What I will say is that it was a quick read and I look forward to more from this author – particularly her sly inserts of humor that danced with a darker theme but remained aware of the moments and didn’t descend into slapstick.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-au2/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

My thanks to HarperCollins/Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of Karen Ross’ ‘Five Wakes and a Wedding’ in exchange for an honest review. I have preordered my own copy as I enjoyed it so much.

I have never encountered a romantic comedy featuring an undertaker as its protagonist before and so was quite drawn to this novel. That the cover art is reminiscent of wedding-themed titles yet also contains two crows (or ravens) caught my eye and further intrigued me.

Thirty-year old Nina Sherwood had been working for five years as an undertaker for an independent funeral director. When the business is sold to a chain that prioritises profit over customer service, she clashes with management and is fired.

With help from her family she opens her own funeral parlour in Primrose Hill called ‘Happy Endings’. However, the neighbours are not keen on a funeral parlour in their posh community and seek to drive her out of business.

This was a refreshing take on the popular trope in chick-lit of a singleton starting up a new business and facing initial hostility. Usually though the businesses are teashops, chocolatiers, and the like, not a funeral parlour.

Karen Ross approaches the subject of death very sensitively and also addresses the recent changes in attitudes towards end-of-life care, death, and funerals. It’s a subject that has been of interest to me for years so I welcomed this novel not only as entertaining but for highlighting these important subjects.

This struck me as a very well balanced novel as although a serious subject there is plenty of humour and romance. Yet it’s not too fluffy, which was a big plus for me.

I feel that this novel will be one that will appeal to reading groups given the scope in its storyline for discussion. Karen Ross has usefully included a series of questions for book clubs.

Karen Ross has called this novel ‘rom com noir’ and I applaud this designation. It’s a bit of a balancing act to combine a traditionally gothic subject with romantic comedy but I feel that she has done it.

Highly recommended.

Nina Sherwood believes everyone deserves a happy ending, but the retailers of Primrose Hill’s high street, seem determined to deny her her’s. Within weeks of Nina’s funeral parlour, ‘Happy Endings’ opening, she is denied membership of the Primrose Hill Traders Association, harassed by a council inspector, and presented with a £22,000 bill for roof repair from her crabby new neighbour, and when Nina finally receives a booking for a funeral, it turns out to be a cruel hoax. Will her business die a slow death, or will Nina get her happy ending after all?

The topic of death could be considered the antithesis of the romance genre but Ross makes it work, and it’s a point of difference that I found appealing. What I really enjoyed about this story was Nina’s championing of individualised, modern funerals, which Ross portrays in a respectful and matter of fact manner. I have to admit I don’t like to think about my death, however inevitable, but I was quite intrigued by the funeral ideas explored in this novel, especially those showcased at the ‘Death Expo’. I also liked that Ross framed organ donation in such a positive way, I happen to agree that it should be an opt out process.

Nina is an engaging protagonist, but I concur, she has terrible taste in men. Unfortunately I wasn’t really a fan of the romance between Nina and Barclay, whom I thought was too much of a cliche as a handsome, wealthy, lawyer with a reputation as a thrillseeker and playboy. I didn’t find him much more appealing than Nina’s very awful ex-husband, especially at first, and I think he only redeemed himself by the skin of his teeth. Nina and Endo, an artist and her housemate, seemed a more likely match.

I did like Nina’s friendship with her other housemate, Gloria (who also has awful taste in men), and her brief friendship with celebrity, Kelli. I also thought several of the other characters were interesting, even the unpleasant ones, and I was amused by the identity of wedding party.

Five Wakes and a Wedding is an easy, lighthearted romance novel, despite the spectre of death.

This book was an absolute gem, a delight to read!
After getting fired from a corporate funeral directors for not following the rules about getting as much money out of the bereaved as possible, Nina starts her own business as a funeral director offering a bespoke service
Death and undertakers you would think was a strange story line for a light hearted novel but Karen handled it so well. You will laugh, cry and connect with all the characters both lead and peripheral. It is a fantastic story of love, loss, loyalty, and a determination to succeed in a difficult market
All I can say with no spoilers is buy this book- it’s a good one!
I read it in one go and it was extremely well written , very light hearted despite the subject matter. This book would make a good movie, even the title was apt
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon books and Karen Ross for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Great book with an interesting story and leading lady, slow to start but stay with it as it's very funny and thought provoking

This book was pretty good. It didn't blow my mind but I really enjoyed the read and look forward to Karen Ross' work in the future.

I need to read light, funny and entertaining book in this period of my life and this book was perfect.
I loved the humour, the quirky cast of characters and the brilliant plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book was definitely something to remember.
I love the idea of the undertaker as a heroine and at the end a business woman in a man’s world.
Nothing is so easy as you might think and mistake after mistake, she won’t give up on her business no matter how many obstacles she encounters. I really enjoyed her thoughts and insecurities and everything in between.
The love story is great as well because he doesn’t treat her like a crazy person and takes her in beautiful places on dates.
The writing is good and the book has an interesting and original story.


#netgalley

This is a cute, romantic comedy. It is easy to read. It is predictable in all the right ways. I would definitely recommend to a friend!

I wasn’t caught by the book at first. The more I read, the more I got into the life happenings of Nina, undertaker with a new business. Her friends, Gloria and Edo, are true blue. They keep her
moving forward in her pursuit of business. There are several surprises that add to the flavor of the book.
I loved it overall.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
It took a while for me to get into this book, and up to halfway I'd given it 3 stars in my head. After that, it became much more interesting and all the characters came together to make the storyline more enjoyable.
The concepts revealed in this book are very realistic and sadly, true. Life is taken for granted and we probably should plan how we'd like to say goodbye to those we care about.
I really liked Nina, the main character. I thought her personality suited her profession quite well.

An amusing, light read. An undertakers is certainly a different setting to a cafe or bakery!

Nina was a likeable character but the story didn’t quite gel in parts and felt at times it needed a jump to get going.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the arc and the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review.

How many books do we get to read on undertakers? For me: Not a single one. So without a doubt, this was a fresh breeze in a genre I love so much. But don't be misled by the blurb, it is not as intriguing as it sounds. It is your usual relaxing story even if it is all about funerals. Oh! don't make that face like the residents of Primrose Hill. Death is one of the realities of life and we need to face it whether we like it or not. But how you want to make your grand exit is entirely up to you.
Yes! I know love and death are polar opposites. One is a nourisher while the other is destruction. So a love story featuring funerals (five in fact) is strange indeed. What is stranger is that we are going to love the funerals much more than the wedding at the end. Nina's passion for business clearly dominates the story of her love life. If I have to pick a favourite among the funerals, it is going to be the second one. It was spectacular as well as surprising.
If you haven't thought about your funerals yet, this book is a good place to start. Do you want everyone to weep over your death or be glad about the moments they were able to share with you? So don't miss this precious gem, you are bound to get a lot of ideas.