Great post, AnotherCat. It would be less interesting if you didn't tell us what you really thought.
I didn't get the sense of overly annoying name dropping. However I have read through various comments on Goodreads and noticed similar thoughts to yours. So, you are not alone in your perspective.
I really enjoyed the book and need to go back through the quotes that I highlighted. I felt that the book was very relatable in situations to what people you know have been through and that it gave me insight into what they may have been feeling.
One example that I remember is the irrational thinking that your loved one will come back. I've had dreams about loved ones after they died where they "came back" and just went away to get better from their illness. Or, she discusses how she thought she could go on a trip to Boston for work and there wouldn't be anything as a trigger for her grief but just a date can have a profound effect on our mental/emotional state. I could relate to that too from my own experiences.