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Two Weddings and a Funeral
Stella James is back in town after ditching her friends for her (now) ex, whose career took her to London, and she’s bound to make a big entrance at her best friend’s wedding. What Stella fears more than an awkward reunion, though? Theo and their messy more than friendship but never quite love.
Theo Kingsley is an activist and a human rights lawyer in the making, oh, and she thinks monogamy is so last century. Stella couldn’t be any less socially conscious if she tried, unlike the women Theo dates. It’s not as if Stella really believes forever exists, but she’ll never understand how Theo can seem so into her and be dating other people at the same time.
When things between them quickly get complicated again, their push and pull threatens to ruin the friendship in all the worst ways and break their whole friend group apart.
Theo Kingsley is an activist and a human rights lawyer in the making, oh, and she thinks monogamy is so last century. Stella couldn’t be any less socially conscious if she tried, unlike the women Theo dates. It’s not as if Stella really believes forever exists, but she’ll never understand how Theo can seem so into her and be dating other people at the same time.
When things between them quickly get complicated again, their push and pull threatens to ruin the friendship in all the worst ways and break their whole friend group apart.
264 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2025
5 people are currently reading
497 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Parr
1 book5 followersClaudia Parr wishes her life was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who is also the only man she’d trust with her own love story. She is a dog mom, an amateur chef, a Sims 4 interior designer, and—unfortunately—a huge Sylvia Plath fan.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 6, 2025
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.
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.
May 6, 2025
I'm gonna say it right away- this is the MOST REALISTIC book i have read in a while, so if you're expecting the usual fairytale without any struggle or problem this isn't the book for you.
In Two weddings and a funeral you can find:
- Opposite Attraction
- Contemporary Romance
- Femme x Masc
- Friends to Lovers
- Found Family
- So much tension
- Conflict and growth
- Kinda Slow Burn
- Single Pov
- Almost Kiss
- More than a decade of longing
- Spice
- An angry love declaration
with a polyamorous MC.
If you like what you see, go give it a try!
Rating:
3.5 stars
tw: homophobia- grief - loss of a parent - mention of cheating
In Two weddings and a funeral you can find:
- Opposite Attraction
- Contemporary Romance
- Femme x Masc
- Friends to Lovers
- Found Family
- So much tension
- Conflict and growth
- Kinda Slow Burn
- Single Pov
- Almost Kiss
- More than a decade of longing
- Spice
- An angry love declaration
with a polyamorous MC.
If you like what you see, go give it a try!
Rating:
3.5 stars
tw: homophobia- grief - loss of a parent - mention of cheating
April 21, 2025
This was an enjoyable read but oh so messy. Stella is coming back to Portland after escaping to London with another failed relationship. Nothing ever works since she has been in live with Theo for 13 years, but that is never to be since Theo does not want to be monogamous. To see how she struggles with that and try to move on is quite interesting but so frustrating, why can’t they just get their heads straight after so many years!
The friend group in the book is about is so great, I wish I had friends like that. Overall this is a book I can recommend for a fun read.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave a review voluntarily.
The friend group in the book is about is so great, I wish I had friends like that. Overall this is a book I can recommend for a fun read.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave a review voluntarily.
May 17, 2025
To be honest I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Was it realistic? Yes. Were the two main characters toxic? Yes. It wasn’t bad writing but I don’t think it was the right book for me. I found myself liking Cole and Stella together and to be honest, all I got from Stella and Theo is they like to have sex with each other. Sexual chemistry is nice but they all but avoided talking until the last second and all of a sudden it’s rainbows and sunshine? I think having an epilogue and seeing where they are a year down the road or so would’ve helped. Like I said, it’s not badly written, I just don’t think it was for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!
May 10, 2025
This story has been likened to an early 2000s rom-com, and to me, it felt like a very queer, very sexy season of 'Friends' - minus the canned laughter, because I genuinely laughed out loud a few times. Told from Stella’s perspective, we follow her as she navigates love, identity, and a return to her hometown.
And Stella feels relatable - moving through her 30s, feeling off-course while everyone else seems to have it figured out. She’s flawed, self-aware, and afraid that love always fades or that she’s simply not enough 🤷🏻♀️
Back in Portland after a breakup for a friend’s wedding, Stella’s anxiety spikes as she prepares to see Theo, an old friend and long-time crush. Their dynamic follows a "friends to lovers" arc, but it's far from fluffy. They've been dancing around their feelings for thirteen years, and when they clash, it's passionate - arguing, making up, and making out 🔥 Their chemistry is electric, but Stella needs to decide if she’s ready to confront her own doubts, especially around non-monogamy💭 Does she want this? Can she make it work?
Then there’s Cole - kinda a side character but oh my, she's sexy, magnetic, and depicted as the kind of crush that is forever material. Stella and Cole's connection is instant and intense, but Stella can’t seem to let Cole in... And maybe that’s because the heart rarely follows logic 🤷🏻♀️
What I loved most is how queer this book is. The friend group is queer, tight-knit, and beautifully messy. As the title suggests, these characters are facing major life shifts, and there were moments that made me cry because the author goes for the painful truth at times!
This isn’t a typical HEA wrapped in a bow, but it felt more real and lifelike to me. It’s a sapphic romance that’s emotional, spicy, grounded, and never formulaic 💯 If you’re into messy, magnetic friendships turning into something more - with all the angst, growth, and chaos that entails - this one’s for you ❤️📚
And Stella feels relatable - moving through her 30s, feeling off-course while everyone else seems to have it figured out. She’s flawed, self-aware, and afraid that love always fades or that she’s simply not enough 🤷🏻♀️
Back in Portland after a breakup for a friend’s wedding, Stella’s anxiety spikes as she prepares to see Theo, an old friend and long-time crush. Their dynamic follows a "friends to lovers" arc, but it's far from fluffy. They've been dancing around their feelings for thirteen years, and when they clash, it's passionate - arguing, making up, and making out 🔥 Their chemistry is electric, but Stella needs to decide if she’s ready to confront her own doubts, especially around non-monogamy💭 Does she want this? Can she make it work?
Then there’s Cole - kinda a side character but oh my, she's sexy, magnetic, and depicted as the kind of crush that is forever material. Stella and Cole's connection is instant and intense, but Stella can’t seem to let Cole in... And maybe that’s because the heart rarely follows logic 🤷🏻♀️
What I loved most is how queer this book is. The friend group is queer, tight-knit, and beautifully messy. As the title suggests, these characters are facing major life shifts, and there were moments that made me cry because the author goes for the painful truth at times!
This isn’t a typical HEA wrapped in a bow, but it felt more real and lifelike to me. It’s a sapphic romance that’s emotional, spicy, grounded, and never formulaic 💯 If you’re into messy, magnetic friendships turning into something more - with all the angst, growth, and chaos that entails - this one’s for you ❤️📚
May 10, 2025
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.
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.
May 11, 2025
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 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
May 8, 2025
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.
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.
April 27, 2025
3.5 rounded up—This book isn’t my typical choice, but I found it to be an easy read. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but it seemed to be dragging on towards the end, and I felt myself skimming the last few chapters to finish the book. Thank you, NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc., for providing me with an ARC to review!
June 1, 2025
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 and the outcome is too predictable.
Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to send me a copy via NetGalley for an honest review
Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to send me a copy via NetGalley for an honest review
June 10, 2025
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!
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!
June 23, 2025
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.
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.
April 29, 2025
Looking for a book that will make you wish you stayed in contact with those college besties? Look no further. The friend group here is the real shining star, allowing a reprieve from wanting to knock Stella and Theo’s heads together for 200ish pages.
Will you fall madly in love with Liddy? Yes
Will you want to throw Theo to the wolves? Yes
Will you stay up late and skip half a days work to see if these 2 finally figure it out? If you’re like me, then also yes.
The perfect mix of witty banter, laugh out loud moments, spice and introspection, better add this one right to the top of the TBR
Will you fall madly in love with Liddy? Yes
Will you want to throw Theo to the wolves? Yes
Will you stay up late and skip half a days work to see if these 2 finally figure it out? If you’re like me, then also yes.
The perfect mix of witty banter, laugh out loud moments, spice and introspection, better add this one right to the top of the TBR
August 19, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 bc theo + stella needed MORE spice pls)
pure chaos. like i was confused half the time bc stella’s life is just one big messy girl era but once i got into it i could not look away. it took her and theo THIRTEEN YEARS (girl…?????) to finallyyyy get together and while the build up was juicy, i was begging for more actual theo x stella scenes. and more spice!!! the spice we got was 🔥 I JS NEEDED MOREEE like i felt like WE WERE ROBBEDDD!! theo supremacy forever. but now let’s talk about liddy. my beloved. my queen. my fun chaos bestie who lights up every page she’s on. she is THE character. she is the friend i want waiting at my door with gossip + wine. LIKE BE REAAAAAAL she is the ride or die i desperately need in my life. honestly claudia parr should just give liddy her own spin off novel bc i’d read 300 pages of her being iconic. (please tell me she gets her own one?????)
overall: confusing at first, messy all the way through, spicy but not enough theo, and 100% worth it for liddy alone.
👉 read this for the mess, stay for liddy. also the smut is worth it!!!!!
pure chaos. like i was confused half the time bc stella’s life is just one big messy girl era but once i got into it i could not look away. it took her and theo THIRTEEN YEARS (girl…?????) to finallyyyy get together and while the build up was juicy, i was begging for more actual theo x stella scenes. and more spice!!! the spice we got was 🔥 I JS NEEDED MOREEE like i felt like WE WERE ROBBEDDD!! theo supremacy forever. but now let’s talk about liddy. my beloved. my queen. my fun chaos bestie who lights up every page she’s on. she is THE character. she is the friend i want waiting at my door with gossip + wine. LIKE BE REAAAAAAL she is the ride or die i desperately need in my life. honestly claudia parr should just give liddy her own spin off novel bc i’d read 300 pages of her being iconic. (please tell me she gets her own one?????)
overall: confusing at first, messy all the way through, spicy but not enough theo, and 100% worth it for liddy alone.
👉 read this for the mess, stay for liddy. also the smut is worth it!!!!!
November 30, 2025
I felt like I was reading a season of the L Word, and honestly I’m not mad at it! This book was such a realistic depiction of life. While I absolutely love a well earned HEA after the typical third-act breakup, this read felt like so much more than that. It was the ups and downs of friendship and love, the close found family with minimal privacy, and the reality that not everyone’s relationships must follow some written guidelines.
We can make our own relationship rules, and I think that is really beautiful to see depicted in a romance novel!
Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥
We can make our own relationship rules, and I think that is really beautiful to see depicted in a romance novel!
Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥
December 30, 2025
trying to get commitment out of your thirteen-year situationship with a non-monogamous butch lesbian. stella girl you’re stronger than you know. i lived for the mess though.
the way theo and stella couldn’t have a single serious conversation without it feeling like pulling teeth. the full-blown argument about stella not being woke enough? just pure unadulterated fun. a little more time focused on just the two of them, and this could’ve been a five star read.
also cole needs a book. claudia parr, contact me. let’s talk business.
the way theo and stella couldn’t have a single serious conversation without it feeling like pulling teeth. the full-blown argument about stella not being woke enough? just pure unadulterated fun. a little more time focused on just the two of them, and this could’ve been a five star read.
also cole needs a book. claudia parr, contact me. let’s talk business.
November 2, 2025
I haven’t read a book in a while where I kept thinking “oh god I’ve done that”—and this one nailed that feeling. The characters are sooooo relatable, and those “tentative mistakes” they keep making? I could see myself in so many of them. Stella coming back after running away, Theo standing firm in their beliefs and messing up love in ways that feel achingly human… watching them dance around each other made me wince, nod, laugh, and hope all at once.
The dialogue hits exactly right. It’s frustrating because it’s honest—those half‑answers, the misreads, the “we can’t because we’re different” speeches—they ring true. Theo’s refusal to be boxed, Stella’s yearning for something stable, their group of friends watching, waiting, judging, loving—they all feel like real people you’d know, texts you’d send at midnight, silences you'd share at brunch.
This isn’t a clean story. It’s messy. It’s slow. It’s full of “will they/won’t they,” and sometimes it made me yell at the page. But that mess? That’s the point. Because sometimes love is messy, and sometimes we hold on too long or walk away too early. And sometimes we’re terrified of being wrong again. Claudia Parr captures that beautifully.
If you’re into sapphic romance that’s not polished but piercingly real—where you can see parts of yourself in the flaws, the fumbling, the longing—then this book will stay with you.
⭐ 5 | 🔥 3.5
The dialogue hits exactly right. It’s frustrating because it’s honest—those half‑answers, the misreads, the “we can’t because we’re different” speeches—they ring true. Theo’s refusal to be boxed, Stella’s yearning for something stable, their group of friends watching, waiting, judging, loving—they all feel like real people you’d know, texts you’d send at midnight, silences you'd share at brunch.
This isn’t a clean story. It’s messy. It’s slow. It’s full of “will they/won’t they,” and sometimes it made me yell at the page. But that mess? That’s the point. Because sometimes love is messy, and sometimes we hold on too long or walk away too early. And sometimes we’re terrified of being wrong again. Claudia Parr captures that beautifully.
If you’re into sapphic romance that’s not polished but piercingly real—where you can see parts of yourself in the flaws, the fumbling, the longing—then this book will stay with you.
⭐ 5 | 🔥 3.5
June 1, 2025
I enjoyed 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. It makes it difficult to read but well worth it in the end.
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
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. It makes it difficult to read but well worth it in the end.
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
May 19, 2025
(3.5 Stars) 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. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
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. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
May 12, 2025
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.
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.
April 24, 2025
I’d never heard of Claudia Parr before, but something about Two Weddings and a Funeral caught my eye—so I figured, why not? I requested it on a whim, and I’m so glad I did.
This story surprised me in all the best ways. It’s smart, emotional, and funny in that quietly relatable kind of way. The characters felt authentic, the drama wasn’t over the top, and the way the relationships unfolded had me genuinely invested. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you—heartfelt but never heavy, thoughtful but still easy to read. A great surprise from a new-to-me author, and now I’m definitely curious to check out more of her work.
This story surprised me in all the best ways. It’s smart, emotional, and funny in that quietly relatable kind of way. The characters felt authentic, the drama wasn’t over the top, and the way the relationships unfolded had me genuinely invested. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you—heartfelt but never heavy, thoughtful but still easy to read. A great surprise from a new-to-me author, and now I’m definitely curious to check out more of her work.
July 17, 2025
Interesting but easy to follow plot. Well written spicy scenes. Would definitely read another book by this author.
July 20, 2025
A cute one.
November 5, 2025
2.5/5
ostatnio nie mam szczęścia do romansów chociaż ten i tak był o niebo lepszy od poprzedniego...
ostatnio nie mam szczęścia do romansów chociaż ten i tak był o niebo lepszy od poprzedniego...
December 6, 2025
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.
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.
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