Thank you for the advanced copy of The Wedding People. While I have to admit, it did take me a bit to get into the story, but by the end I absolutely loved the book. The dark humor probably comes across better through an audio book listen, but the overall message of the book was fantastic, and it’s a great summer read.

Every once in a while, I read a book that so perfectly captures what it means to be human -- the vulnerability, the messiness, the mistakes and contradictions, the joys and heartbreaks, the moments you get it all so right and so spectacularly wrong -- that it takes my breath away. The Wedding People was one of those books for me.

Phoebe thought she'd be visiting the Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island with her husband, but, well, things didn't work out that way. Instead she arrives by herself, in a fancy green dress with no luggage. She plans to spend one night at the Cornwall -- and has no plans for her life after that. When she checks in, she realizes she's the only guest at the hotel who isn't there for a week-long wedding celebration. Phoebe is determined to stay away from the wedding people...but a chance encounter with the bride changes everything.

Alison Espach accomplishes quite the balancing act with The Wedding People. The book deals overtly with suicidal ideation and depression; many characters struggle with dark thoughts and bleak feelings, and the narrative doesn't shy away from any of that. But at the same time, it's one of the most life-affirming novels I've ever read. I don't think I would call it "heartwarming," which implies a purity that I don't think it has. It's irreverent and wry, unflinchingly honest and so incredibly genuine. The character development is phenomenal, and so is the dialogue; there are lots of conversations in this book, and they felt so authentic.

I love how Espach explores the idea that a random encounter with a stranger can prompt genuine connection, how we can sometimes be more vulnerable with strangers than with our loved ones, because who cares what a stranger thinks of us, right? Espach answers that question in The Wedding People, when the strangers Phoebe encounters become so much more than that, when the truths that are shared become the building blocks for real relationships.

The Wedding People is so smart and hopeful, and is a book I'll be recommending and gifting to all the readers I know. Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. for the complimentary reading opportunity.

Phoebe Stone enters a luxury hotel wearing an immaculate green dress and gold heels. She has no luggage or anything because she only intends to be there one night (if you catch my drift). Her arrival coincides with a six-day wedding, where she meets the (kind of annoying, very selfish) bride, Lila. The two soon form an unlikely friendship that’ll change both women’s lives forever. The main character is depressed, but the story is not depressing. It’s well-written and heartfelt, and Phoebe’s dry humor and sarcasm soothed me. It would have been a perfect five-star read for me, except I found that Phoebe’s conversations with various guests often ran a little long and featured too many unnecessary details/tangents. But still a must-read!

I have to admit that at first, I wasn't sure how I was feeling about this book BUT those feelings turned around. I totally enjoyed it. I loved watching Phoebe grow and as much as Lila was annoying, I loved her realizations too. The conversations are very witty, especially between Phoebe and anyone she talks to. She is so funny! She goes from suicidal to becoming who she always wanted and needed to be. I really want to go to Newport, Rhode Island too! The descriptiveness of the area just reeled me in. The ending left me very happy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt for a copy for review.

I didn’t really think a book that begins with a woman contemplating suicide could be so sharp, witty, fun, and heartwarming but The Wedding People is just that. I loved it. I’ll read anything Alison writes.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this from the Netgalley shelf, but I'm so glad I did.

Phoebe's husband cheated on her with a mutual friend, then left her for said friend and divorced her, sending her into a spiralling depression which she could get out of. She decided to travel to her "dream hotel" check into the most luxurious suite, order a delicious meal and then end her own life.

Instead, she gets caught up with various members of a wedding party staying the same hotel and begins to reevaluate everything.

It's a bit sad in places but there is a lot of humour too. I loved Phoebe and the connections she developed with all of the wedding party, and how they helped shape her approach to her future. Most of the characters were really likeable, although others took a while fro me to warm to and others were just awful. Alison has perfectly captured the chaos that often comes with extended family - siblings, parents, family friends etc - there is a very realistic mix of the types of characters you always meet at weddings.

The "wedding" is actually a huge do set over the course of six days and Phoebe gets drawn into all sorts of events throughout the book. There are a few flashback scenes to set out her relationship with her ex-husband Matt but the majority of the story spans the length of the wedding.

Witty, sharp and a brilliant observation of family, relationships and love. This will make a brilliant film!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, The Wedding People is out now.

I totally loved this book, which I thought of as excellent literary fiction. It's the story of a woman, a nineteenth century English literature specialist who has lived a life fulfilling expectations of other people, namely of her dead mother - never making mistakes in her life, being quiet and obedient as a child so as not to inconvenience her father and as an adult. to be always calm and careful and to be perfect in her marriage.

Then one day, when all this becomes too much for her, her marriage failing after her husband Matt leaves her for Mia, another professor at their school, Phoebe walks out of her job and heads for the resort hotel in Newport she has always dreamed of visiting. Her intention of doing away with herself there is foiled by a bride Lila who had rented the entire hotel for her elaborate six day wedding, and who has to grudgingly accept that Phoebe is an unplanned visitor, an uninvited guest at her wedding.

The bride Lila begins to intrigue Phoebe, who slowly is drawn into her world and that of the wedding people at the hotel, enough to have Phoebe slowly change perspectives about people and her life. This story is told with humor, insight into personalities, and persuades Phoebe to "become part of the world again." The great thing is that the bride and her groom also change and find their true selves during this wedding week.

The writing is superb, with references to Walt Whitman, Jane Eyre, and other 19th century literature that Phoebe refers to in her musings about her aims and her life. The characters are well drawn, unusual and distinct, and realistic at the same time.

I highly recommend this novel!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this amazing ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Wedding People is the uniquely original tale of Phoebe Stone, adjunct professor of nineteenth century literature—think Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice—adoring wife, wannabe mother—or so she thought. She arrives to the Cornwall one day with plans that are quickly interrupted by... the wedding people.

Now that is how you write a blurb/summary/synopsis/whatever-you-want-to-call-it for a book! I was totally taken aback by this book, and so quickly I might add. Just instantly hooked. Quickest I finished one of these books in a while. May need a trigger warning for certain readers, but other than that, it was truly something to witness. All these characters are filled with such life and it's told in the third person!

I really resonated with Phoebe and her struggles and her decisions. It was like the author was reaching out a hand to me and saying, "See...it isn't just you." Even the aftermath, in the ways she was thinking was incredible to me. She has become one of my favorite book characters in a while.

I'm pleased there will be a screen adaptation of this book because I could totally picture it as I was reading the book. Can't say enough good things about this book. Truly special. Now...not everyone may have the same experience reading this book. I was thoroughly entertained and that's all that matters in the end.

THANK YOU for this ARC! I ADORED this book. Without a doubt, this is going to be one of my top 10 reads of 2024. I loved how quirky and funny it was, while also having moments of seriousness (especially and mainly towards the beginning). Plus, the setting??? I want to go to the magical, stunning Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island! Oh, to be a fly on the wall during this wedding week.

I can't wait to see this novel get all of the attention it deserves!

4.5 stars

Phoebe Stone is lost. Figuratively. She is lost in the shambles of her life, her broken marriage, the career she sticks with because she’s too afraid to reach for anything higher. So she books a flight to Rhode Island to spend a night at The Cornwall Inn and end her life. But things, as they do, go awry and her plans are disrupted due to the appearance of Lila and her week-long wedding. Along with Lila comes the groom, the entire bridal party, and the wedding guests, also known as “the wedding people”. These people and their interactions end up changing the trajectory of Phoebe’s life (and maybe mine too).

I always say I love a character study when it’s done well. This was done well. But I'll be perfectly honest and say that when I started The Wedding People a little over a week ago, I wasn't convinced that I was going to like it. I wasn't yet connecting with Phoebe and I was having a hard time with her newfound friendship with Lila because I found Lila to be the epitome of a bridezilla. However, once I gave myself a little time with it, I realized that Lila being a bridezilla was the point and my mindset altered. After that, I almost couldn't put it down.

“She didn’t understand how she could love herself. She didn’t understand what people even meant when they said they loved themselves. She honestly didn’t believe them. How could you love yourself?”

I've said it once and I'll say again that contemporary fiction is really hit or miss with me. Alison Espach managed to completely change my outlook on her version of contemporary fiction because The Wedding People is a work of art. After my initial issue connecting with her, Phoebe became one of my all-time favorites because she’s exactly who she is. She may have had trouble expressing herself and letting herself be known to others but that is more relatable than I can say (clearly). I loved every moment of her character growth and the massive amounts of development we went through together less than 400 pages.

“And maybe they are all lonely. Maybe this is just what it means to be a person. To constantly reckon with being a single being in one body. Maybe everyone sits up at nights and creates arguments in their head for why they are the loneliest person in the world.”

Phoebe is not the only character that had an impact on me. Espach has the masterful gift of creating characters that stick with you. Every person in this book, major or minor, had a role. It did not matter what the role was - it was important to see all of these characters contrasted against each other. Gary, Lila, Jim, Marla, Juice, the list goes on but they were all crucial to their own development. I’m not sure I’ve ever before read a book that takes this dynamic of each person being important and having it work so well.

“‘I didn’t want to be saved from myself. Nobody does! All we want is permission to stand there naked and be our damned selves.’ This sounds true to Phoebe. This sounds like exactly what she wants, what she has secretly always wanted. To read books when she wanted to read books. To be sad when she was sad. To be scared when she was scared. To be angry when she was angry. To be boring when she felt boring.”

Not only are the characters captivating, the writing was on a planet of its own (if you couldn’t tell by the amount of quotes in this review - and this is only a handful of them). Writing style is an important factor of any great novel and Espach’s lyrical and humorous yet matter-of-fact style is the glue of this story. She made me laugh and cry and sometimes both of those things took place within the span of one sentence. Every topic, heavy or otherwise, was handled with such grace and delicacy but still managed to give me an eye-opening reaction every time. Contemporary fiction authors, look this way for inspiration because Alison Espach has it in spades.

“I think we talk about happiness all wrong. As if it’s this fixed state we’re going to reach. Like we’ll just be able to live there, forever. But that’s not my experience with happiness. For me, it comes and goes. It shows up and then disappears like a bubble.”

I could blabber about The Wedding People for hours if you let me. But I will instead say this: whatever you do, whoever you are, whatever situation you’re going through, read this book. There is so much more to it than meets the eye. I can foresee this being one of the most-loved books on my shelf and I can’t wait to share it with everyone I know.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A woman who plans to kill herself changes her mind when she accidentally gets swept into a destination wedding and all the people involved in it. As the woman finds herself interacting with the bridge, groom, and others over and over again, she realizes that maybe life is worth living after all. Author Alison Espach brings humor and heft to a serious topic in her latest book The Wedding People.

On a weekday morning when she should be teaching a class in St. Louis, Phoebe Stone has made a decision to leave everything behind. Her dreams to be a mother have failed along with the latest IVF treatment, her marriage has fallen apart after her husband confessed to an affair, and it’s clear to Phoebe that she’s probably going to be an adjunct for the rest of her life. There’s clearly nothing left to live for.

Phoebe can’t take it anymore. On a whim, she puts on the fanciest dress and shoes she has and boards a flight to Newport, Rhode Island. During the pandemic, Phoebe and her husband, Matt, had scoped out the Cornwall Inn online. They talked about staying at the place, paying its ridiculous prices, and indulging in all sorts of luxury. Now Phoebe figures she deserves a little bit of that luxury before she kills herself.

As soon as she walks into the Cornwall, though, everyone from the receptionist at the front desk to random people assume she’s here to attend the wedding of Lila and Gary. All the other guests, it seems, are at the Cornwall to watch the couple say “I do.” Phoebe politely explains she’s here alone and would prefer to stay that way.

Unfortunately, her plans go awry right away when, in a frank moment with Lila, Phoebe states her intentions to end her life. Lila makes it clear that Phoebe absolutely can’t do that; not this week, at least. Lila has gone above and beyond to plan the perfect wedding week: six days of extravagant activities followed by a magazine-worthy, Instagrammable ceremony. After everything she’s gone through to put the event together, there’s no way Phoebe can ruin it. To her deep surprise, Phoebe agrees to postpone her plan.

The postponement eventually becomes a complete change as Lila starts introducing Phoebe first as an attendee and then a member of the wedding party. With her outsider’s view, Phoebe spends the week observing all of the people who have shown up for Lila and Gary’s nuptials. These include Gary’s sister, Marla, who clearly doesn’t approve of Lila, and Melanie, Gary’s tween daughter from his first marriage.

Between insisting she wants to be called “Juice” now and throwing dagger looks at Lila, the girl finds herself warming up to Phoebe in a way that surprises Phoebe even as it makes her feel better about herself. Through the entire week, Phoebe begins to gain a new perspective and realizes she didn’t want to die after all. She just needed to find a new way to live.

Author Alison Espach makes Phoebe a relatable, sympathetic character. While the subject of suicide might be a trigger for some, Espach approaches the topic with respect and care. The result is that even if readers may not agree with what Phoebe wants to do, they’ll have a better understanding of why she wants to do it because Phoebe’s sadness and heart-disappointment feel completely real.

Espach also takes care with the other characters—the wedding people, as it were. Lila’s naivete is balanced by startling moments of clarity that come right when Phoebe needs them. Gary’s struggle to be a good dad and a good fiancé all at the same time ring true. The other supporting characters, too, fill their roles well, even those who appear only for a handful of scenes.

The one major drawback to the book is the frequent discussions about sex, which can distract at times from the main narrative. Some mentions seem to make sense within the context of the scene; others feel as if they’ve been forced into the moment for the sake of titillation. In all reality, many of these instances could have been edited out and the book would have been just as strong.

Random discussions of intimacy aside, the book does what it sets out to do: it comforts and entertains by turns. While some writers, editors, and publishers have started to shy away from the label “women’s fiction,” this book is a shining example of what that genre gets right.

An especially good book with strong characters and easy banter. The main character checks into a resort where a week of wedding festivities is taking place she becomes immersed I the wedding party and leads about herself along the way. Sexy with literary references throughout make this a fun but thoughtful romp through some sound pearls of wisdom. Enjoy!

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

What happens when one woman’s desperation collides with another’s celebration?

Phoebe’s life has been unraveling, and the college English professor has finally hit rock bottom. Her doctoral dissertation is nowhere near ready for presentation, the isolation of COVID still weighs upon her, her sixth and final attempt at conception via in vitro failed, her husband Matt had an affair with her best friend Mia and has left her, and now even her cat has died. She decides that it is time to stop trying and just end things, but wants to do so with a measure of elegance. She books a room at the high end Cornwall Inn in Newport, RI, arrives in a fancy dress and heels, and plans to kill herself after a fabulous dinner. She is stunned to find out that, with the exception of her room, the hotel is completely booked out by the guests for the wedding (a week long extravaganza) of Lila and Gary. Lila and Phoebe find themselves together in the elevator, and Phoebe lets Lila know that no, she is not here as a guest at the wedding, she is here to kill herself. Lila has no intention of a dead body interrupting the perfection of this very expensive, highly orchestrated celebration of what should be the happiest event of her life. And so begins an unusual relationship between these two women, one who desperately wanted a child she was unable to conceive, the other with a mother to whose expectations Lila tries to rise but often can not. The two find that they can confide things to one another that they haven’t been able to share with others, and impact one another’s lives in unexpected ways.
This is a novel with so much sadness and pain woven throughout, although there is humor as well. It is well written, and the characters are certainly well-developed, but I found it hard to connect with either Phoebe or Lila. Based on other reviews that I have read, I know that many readers have absolutely loved this story, so my reaction is not necessarily typical of what others might feel. I would definitely recommend that others give it a try, there were definitely moments that made me laugh and think….I just couldn’t get over my impatience with the two women whose stories are told. (To give it perspective, when I read “Eat, Pray, Love”, a book which so many absolutely adored, I just kept wanting to give the author a quick shake or take my cue from Cher in the movie “Moonstruck” with a slap and a “Snap out of it!!”. ). Fans of authors like Elinor Lipman, Julia Glass and Elizabeth Strout should especially consider adding this to their TBR pile…others have certainly found the characters more endearing than I did, and so they might too. My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me early access to The Wedding People.

Smart, funny, and wise! I loved this novel. Alison Espach writes beautifully and with great humor. I loved how even some of the most despicable characters became layered and nuanced and not only understandable by the end of the novel but loveable too.

It is rare to find a book that is both fun and serious at the same time. I laughed and felt moved. I am so glad that Jenna picked it for her book club so that it can find more readers.

4.5 ~ This book is really hard to review for me. In the end, it was really good, great actually - however the beginning and premise rubbed me so wrong that it took me a bit to get past that and I came close to putting it down.
Phoebe arrives at a Newport, RI mansion inn dressed to impress to end her life just as Lila's wedding guests have descended upon the inn for her 6 day wedding event. Phoebe has dreamt of visiting this inn with her now ex-husband and takes it upon herself to choreograph this ending of her life. Lila is not at all happy she is there, everyone was supposed to be with her wedding party and how in the heck did Phoebe get the best suite? Phoebe spills the beans on why she is here (I really am not spoiling anything, this is all in the first pages of the book) and Lila is even more annoyed that this too will spoil her wedding. This premise is what almost caused me to stop reading. I was disturbed about the somewhat flippant discussion of suicide and that once Phoebe told Lila, she did nothing to stop her immediately.
However, continue I did and my gosh, this book is wonderful. Phoebe starts to mix in with the wedding people as she and Lila develop a comical yet very sweet friendship and Espach's writing shines. The absolute tongue in cheek mockery of today's wedding industry made me laugh repeatedly with gathering after gathering and complete understanding of the money pit in which it has become. The tender relationship that develops between Phoebe and Juice, the groom's daughter, was a lovely welcome surprise and shows Espach's versatile understanding of characters.
Please don't miss the afterword either, it was moving.
Favorite quote - “Nobody can take care of you the way you need to take care of yourself. It’s your job to take care of yourself like that.”
Upon reflection, I still think the abrupt start of the book was just a bit too shiny, if that makes sense? I do understand it a bit better now but I almost missed out on a gem due to that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for an advanced copy in exchange of my honest opinion. The Wedding People is now available.

There’s a reason that this book is all over booksta right now and is the @readwithjenna August pick. It really is that good.
The author did a phenomenal job addressing dark topics with wit and humor because Phoebe was F U N N Y! She was one of the most endearing characters that I’ve read in a long time.

Favorite quotes:

“There is no such thing as a happy place. Because when you are happy, everywhere is a happy place. And when you are sad, everywhere is a sad place.”

“you can’t explain this kind of darkness to someone who has never felt it.”

“Little do they know the truly heroic thing is somehow… taking a shower and getting yourself to the grocery store.”

“But life is strange, always thinking this one thing is going to make you happy, because then you get it, and then maybe you’re not as happy as you imagined you would be because every day is still every day. Like the happiness becomes so big, you have no choice but to live inside of it, until you can no longer see or feel it. And so you start to fixate on something else”

Everything in this book made me think and it made me feel. It made me turn inward a lot and I think that’s why people are loving this book so much. This is easily one of the best books of the year!

The coconut spray…. Iykyk

A huge thank you to @henryholtbooks for my copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of The Wedding People by Alison Espach in exchange for an honest review. I especially appreciated getting both the audiobook and the print copy so I could go back and forth.

I almost gave up on The Wedding People. The characters were annoying and flawed - and that is precisely what made me love them and want to know what happened to them. The narrative takes place over the course of six days at a historic hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, where Phoebe Stone, an adjunct professor of 19th century literature, comes on what she thinks will be a quick solo trip and finds herself deposited in the middle of a week-long wedding celebration - the only non-wedding guest in the entire hotel. As Phoebe, the bride, the groom, and the guests all interact, they become a community caught up in one another's drama. The author does a terrific job at painting the characters in many layers, exploring their motivations, dreams, fears, and in the end, asks one of the most universal questions: what is true happiness, and how do we find it?

Four stars for this surprising and enchanting novel.

The Wedding People was the perfect summer read. This book felt like a cross between Emily Giffin and Elin Hilderbrand, a story of female friendships and a beachy backdrop. English professor, Phoebe Stone checks into the Cornwall Hotel to escape a failed marriage and a myriad of other problems. She quickly realizes that she is the only guest at the hotel who is not a wedding guest of the very privileged Lila Winthrop. Phoebe is mistaken for a wedding guest and she quickly forms friendships with several key Wedding People including the bride and the groom. The author does a great job with character development in this book. If you enjoy literary fiction or female fiction you will want to add this book to your summer reading list. Thank you to the publisher and #netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

First thank you to Henry Holt books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.75 stars

Synopsis: phoebe checks into the luxurious hotel and is mistaken for a guest of a wedding being held there. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with the bride that changes both of their lives.

What I liked: this book really catches you in the feels. It starts out on a very dark note(check trigger warnings) which leads to phoebe's great arc. I really loved the growth of phoebe and Lila the bride and how they used each other to work through their grief and issues. There is so much wit and dry humor which I loved. I also loved how it wasn’t all wrapped up in a bow and more realistic. Overall there was so much depth to this story and it gives you so much to think about after reading.