I'm a huge Alison Espach fan and am excited to see her wonderful, perceptive writing reaching a wider audience. This book is a real crowd-pleaser as well as being well-written and inspiring. The concept of accidentally being the only guest at a hotel not there for a wedding is hilarious and its message about the impact of human connection is great.

Lives up to the hype! A wonderful love letter to strangers and finding life in small exchanges -- this book has stayed with me!

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read it. I love stories where two strangers find a connection, and to revolve it around something as chaotic as a destination wedding.... the description is drama filled but also funny? Light and heavy? Yes please! Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

It is so interesting to me how I did not really relate to so many of Phoebe’s actual experiences but I did so relate to her feelings of utter despair and then her sort of calm decision to take matters back into her own hands at the beginning of the book (not currently). Thematically, the book reminded me of The Midnight Library, another book I really loved, but obviously this one is totally grounded in the real world (well, okay, in the ultra rich wedding world in Newport, Rhode Island, but same same, right?).

The best part of the book for me is that there is no character who is completely irredeemable. Once you get to know everyone more, you see how they got there, and while you might not agree with choices they made, you get why they did it, and you empathize. Those are my favorite kinds of books, and that has made me want to read the other books this author has written, so that is very exciting :)

The Wedding People exceeded my expectations and I loved every minute of it! One of my favorite reads of 2024.

This book is such proof that expectations hugely impact your reading experience!! I had picked this up in the summer looking for a light beach read having gotten sucked in by the cute cover, and I had a hard time getting interested and only made it about 10% in. After seeing this become so acclaimed, I decided I wanted to try again, knowing better what I was getting into, and this time I ended up having a hard time putting it down! Almost every character is complex and interesting, and I was so compelled by the story unfolding over the course of one extravagant wedding week. I was so happy with the realistic but resolving end to the story, and I felt like this book was as much about the journey as the destination.

This book was a great break for me from my usual thrillers. A romantic comedy with a dash of important real life situations.

Loved the Wedding People with wickedly funny people and quirky circumstances! What a delightful fun read! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Hold & Company Publishing for the ARC opportunity.

This book was wonderful. Started out sad, but turned into such a wonderful life lesson heart warming novel.

I started this book and struggled to get into it. Then I read so many great reviews of it that I thought maybe it was just me, and so I tried it again. It must just be me, but this book just didn't resonate with me.
Phoebe is struggling with how her life has turned out and has checked into a hotel for one last day. Turns out everyone is there for the wedding of Lila "the bride". Of course, their paths cross and their ensuing relationship is a big piece of the story.
I just didn't care that much about these characters, and wasn't that interested in what happened next, but I feel like I'm an outlier on this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding People is available now.

Wow this book is all the feels: sad, funny, tragic, love, frustration, ridiculousness, inspirational and aspirational. I don't want to give anything away. The main character finds herself among many strangers and learns (or is reminded) everyone we meet is going through something, in technicolor. Fun and important. I read it over 2 days.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for my advance reader copies!

Still reeling in the wake of her divorce, Phoebe takes a trip to The Cromwell- a coastal hotel in the Northeast that’s always been one of her bucket list destinations. Unlike the typical hotel guest, Phoebe doesn’t have strolls along the shoreline in mind, rather, she has come to the hotel for a much more morbid reason. When she arrives at The Cromwell, it is to find that the venue has been bought out for a wedding. Resolute, Phoebe is determined to accomplish what she came for, but perhaps the bride has other plans for her.

At the eleventh hour and in the midst of quite a reading rut came THE WEDDING PEOPLE. Poignant and heartfelt, this was definitely the right book at the right time for me. TWP is about endings and starting over when you don’t have faith in yourself or believe a different outcome is possible.

Everything about this book clicked for me, and I adore Espach’s writing style. This is a top contender for my favorite book of 2024 and one I will certainly revisit in the future.

While I did feel a bit gaslit by the description of this book (I didn't expect it to start out so dark!!), I loved reading it, and the character development was really well done. I was thoroughly entertained by it and invested in the characters. It was slow at times but I continued to be motivated to see what would happen.

I went into this book completely blind, which is actually a preference of mine. I am SO glad I did. It actually makes me want to avoid talking too much about the plot, so I will only skim. The book stars Pheobe, who has hit absolutely rock bottom and finds herself utterly alone on a grand vacation in the decadent and gorgeous Newport, Rhode Island, the only guest at a hotel NOT there for a decadent wedding. The story begins when Pheobe's life collides with Lila, The Bride.

These two women could not be more different, or more complimentary. It's so easy for a character like Lila to fall into the trope of the snobby spoiled rich girl or for Pheobe to become the Debbie Downer, but these two women were such fully fleshed out characters with so much charm and heart it was impossible not to root for them.

Also, it takes quite a bit for me to actually laugh out loud while reading, which I found myself doing several times throughout this story. As soon as I finished it I mailed a copy to my mom and sent Amazon links to all my book club friends to encourage them to pick it up. I've heard that the rights were acquired to make this a movie, and I cannot wait! It just truly is a gem of a story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Alison Espach, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I absolutely loved this one! It hit all the emotions. It was heartfelt, funny, entertaining - all the things I look for in a novel.

I went into this book expecting a light hearted romance. What I got was so much better. Yes, it had the romance storyline but....it also has art, Rhode Island, family dynamics, and a historic hotel that I dying to visit if only it existed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

I love dark humor and the author really delivered, I found myself cracking up and really appreciating each and every one of the characters. All of the personalities are so refreshing and realistic.

I was skeptical about this book when it started, but as I got more and more into it, I found it to be very enjoyable.

I loved the characters and the concept was great over all.

📖 BOOK REVIEW

📱 THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach
5 stars

Genre: contemporary fiction
Did I cry: from the feels, from happiness and from laughter
Published in 2024

💭: i think you all probably know that this book took over my whole personality this summer. I don’t really know how to review it. It’s going to be my favorite book of 2024 and for sure in my top 3, if not 2, if not number ONE, best books of all time.

There’s a certain type of magic you feel from a book pretty early on when you just know you’re reading a book that’s going to hold a very special place in your heart. It makes the reading experience so bittersweet. I’m so grateful that this book exists. It’s so much more than a funny story with some dark humor. There’s a striking reality to every aspect of this book. The characters, the experiences they’ve had, their emotions, their dialogue, their humor, their mental health, their decisions — they’re all portraying a very real human experience that allows for deep connection and relatability. This foundation makes the book, in my humble opinion, absolutely flawless.

I don’t know what else to say other than that somebody on the beach asked me if i was okay because i had tears going down my face from laughing. It is the funniest book I’ve ever read. I have such a soft spot for delicate topics handled with humor because it takes so much skill to perfect that balance.

I have forced this book onto everybody i know and I will continue to do so forever and ever and ever. Thank you Alison for blessing my life with this book.

⚠️ there are pretty big trigger warnings for this book, be mindful going in!

I wasn't sure if i was going to like this book and i was very skeptical it isn't my normal read.

I have to say this was one of the best novels i have read in 2024. This will stick with me as it was well written and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

This had warm and fuzzy feeling, sad, happy and just a real pallet cleanser.

This will be the best read for 2024.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.