I think I'm in my weird characters era.

I've never added a book to my tbr faster than when I first heard about The Wedding People -- I'm pretty sure from Annie B. Jones (though I cannot find it for the life of me on the podcast website). A woman enters a historic seaside hotel wearing a gorgeous emerald dress and carrying no luggage. Everyone assumes she is there for the wedding, as everyone is there for the wedding, but she is not. She has rented the penthouse suite, with no plans save for one, a plan that the bride of the aforementioned wedding decidedly interrupts when she comes barging into her room and her life.

The characters we meet in these pages are a serious gaggle of weirdos, and yet, they all feel incredibly real and like people we all very much know. This is a story about second chances, maybe even third ones. About finding tenderness and forgiveness and understanding in the most unexpected of places. And, of course, as the best summer books are, about gorgeous seaside weddings. There is absolutely nothing I didn't like about this book. I underlined passage after passage (none of which I can share since it hasn't been published yet), and I found myself grabbing my kindle during any spare moment to get back to these characters. There is plenty of heavy content (let me know if you need warnings), and yet it still felt light and handled with such care.

While there are plenty of contenders for 2024's Book of the Summer, I want to throw this one into the ring, It certainly has my vote.

Thank you @netgalley @henryholtbooks @alison.espach for the advance copy of this book! 🎀

Publishing date is July 29th 📖

Oh this book pulled all the heartstrings. It was so not what I was expecting. It was so beautifully written. My heart just fell in love with Phoebe. Since we got to attend my sister in laws wedding this past weekend, with my daughter as the flower girl, I thought it was fitting. 🌸🌼🪻

In her green dress and gold heels, no suitcase in hand, Phoebe arrives in Newport, Rhode Island at the Cornwall Inn. The check in desk thinks she is in attendance for the wedding…the whole hotel was to be checked out just for the party. She actually isn’t her for the wedding at all. But decides to go with it. She’s dreamed of attending this hotel with her husband for years, but he asked for a divorce. So she is determined to have one last big splurge on herself. The particular bride and Pheobe realize their plans for this big weekend are very, very different and they start to confide in each other. It is such a wonderfully written book, and just a beautiful book. I had to close it a few times and just put myself in these two woman’s shoes and what I would do in this situation they find themselves in. 💍👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏼‍♂️

This book was WONDERFUL! WOW! I truly didn't know what to expect going into this but I loved every minute of this one.

On the surface, this is a book about Phoebe, who has hit her rock bottom after divorcing her husband, so she heads to her dream hotel with no luggage, no return ticket, and a plan to kill herself - by overdosing on her cat's medicine. When she gets to the hotel, she realizes she is the only one who is NOT there for a huge lavish wedding - and as she goes upstairs to her room, she runs into the bride, shares her plan to kill herself, and the bride is NOT having her ruin her wedding WEEK.

But from there - so much happens! There are so many layers to this story - the characters are BEAUTIFULLY written. They are so real and raw and flawed and I loved every single one of them - especially Phoebe. I was so invested in Phoebe especially but also every side character - even the "unlikeable" ones I found myself loving and rooting for - or laughing at and loving. This is a book about communication, depression, loss, love, life, family, friendship, and ultimately finding yourself...again - the YOU that you truly are and can be.

The writing was truly outstanding and I cannot wait to see what Alison Espach does next!

This is a book that I will not soon forget and will most likely be on my best of list for 2024! Loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The stage is set for the beautiful and expensive wedding. Family and friends have flown all over the country to the beautiful inn on the water. Phoebe is the only patron of the inn who is not involved with the wedding. She has shown up in her best green dress, shoes and nothing else but that hasn't stopped everyone for mistaking her for a wedding guest. Phoebe dreamed of coming to the inn with her husband, her now ex-husband who left her. Since she hit rock bottom, Phoebe has her own plan and the bride's perfect wedding plans aren't going to stand in her way...or will they.

Espach crafts characters with care- even when Lila was at her worst, you felt for her and the battle she also fought within herself. Espach wavered between moments of levity (Lila and the family were very funny) and fierce heartache (I felt right there in Phoebe's despair). Spoiler alert: I wish that romance weren't a part of the deal. I know that we were following's Phoebe's journey and part of that was her jumping out in all aspects of her life. However, I felt like part of the story wanted to be a romance novel (the couples switch!) That doesn't change the fact that I think if you enjoy personal growth and character connections.

a modern comedy of manners about a wedding and a woman who is not meant to be there.
This was smart and funny, deeply emotional, and one I highly recommend.

This book is getting a lot of buzz! The plot is great - it touches on mental health, friendship, and unexpected events in life.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

While I hesitated at the beginning due to a dark premise, this turned out to be profound, compassionate, and deeply life-affirming. When Phoebe checks into a swanky inn, she finds out that every other guest is there for a weeklong wedding. Phoebe is hitting bottom but finds herself pulled into the wedding drama blossoming around her. Though dark in parts, this story is bursting with insight, sharp humor, and a pervasive humanity. I'm so looking forward to Espach's next work.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book before publication! The review will be live on my blog on 7/17/24. I will also feature the review on Instagram that same day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable, and retail sites.

Review:
I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I started this book, but I ended up really enjoying it! With unforgettable characters, this charming and heartfelt story takes readers on a journey to Newport, Rhode Island, where a chance encounter at a luxurious inn leads to unexpected friendships and life-changing revelations.

Phoebe Stone, our lovable and relatable protagonist, is the star of this novel. From the moment she steps foot in the Cornwall Inn, it's clear that she's not your typical guest. First of all, she is recently divorced, her cat just died, she up and left her teaching job the first week of classes, and she doesn't care because, after tonight, none of that will matter because she will be dead and this hotel is exactly where she must end her time on earth. What Phoebe doesn't know is that she wasn't supposed to even be able to book a room at this hotel because every room had been booked for a week-long wedding.

Despite being mistaken for one of the wedding attendees, Phoebe's presence soon becomes a defining factor in the lives of those she meets, changing her own outlook in the process. Lila, the meticulous bride who has planned every detail of her wedding weekend, finds herself opening up to Phoebe in ways she never anticipated. Initially, Phoebe's presence is a minor inconvenience, but their unlikely friendship becomes a source of both laughter and heartfelt moments as the story unfolds.

Espach's writing style is engaging and immersive, drawing readers into the lives of her characters with every page turn. The dialogue is sharp and witty, flawlessly capturing the essence of each character's personality. None of the characters in the novel are wasted, and I enjoyed all of them, from Gary (the loveable groom-to-be), Jim (Gary's friend and ex-brother-in-law), Marla (Gary's sister), Lila's best friends Nat and Suz and even Pauline, the hotel manager. They all felt real, and I honestly felt like I'd just spent a week with all of them.

The writing is great, and the author's sense of place is immersive. I felt as though I was at the hotel. While I enjoyed the setting and the characters, what I loved most about this novel was that it teetered on the edge of becoming a familiar rom-com but, in the end, rose above familiar and expected tropes, focusing more on the unexpected connections we make in life. Phoebe's journey from a depressed, lonely professor to an outspoken confidante for Lila was fun to experience. The two women came into each other's lives exactly when they needed each other the most. Phoebe, who initially planned to end her life, found a new purpose in helping Lila. Lila, on the other hand, learned to let go of her need for control and found comfort in Phoebe's company. I loved watching them both blossom and discover strengths neither knew they had.

While I started the book expecting a familiar rom-com, in the end, I got so much more. I loved that everything wasn't tied up in a pretty bow, but still managed to end on a hopeful note. The book's ability to balance humor and heart, its relatable characters, and its exploration of unexpected connections in life all contributed to making this a delightful and heartwarming read that I would definitely recommend.

The setting: an unexpected wedding guest, Phoebe Stone, arrives at the Cornwall Inn, which has been book for an over the top wedding weekend plus. Phoebe, a newly divorced adjunct college professor, plans to commit suicide amidst the grandeur. She meets the bride, Lila, a spoiled young woman who has every over the top detail planned for her celebration. Add in her friends--love that Phoebe called them High Bun and Neck Pillow, the groom, relatives, and hotel staff, and things take an unexpected turn. Lila's mother, Patricia is a piece of work and some hilarity ensues when she's involved.

What can I say?! I like to mix up my reads/genres. I was up for this change-- a lighter tome--but there are some serious issues addressed ranging from infidelity to IVF to depression, to death of a spouse/father/pet.

Description: "...hair annihilated by a straightener, dyed so black and monotone that it makes her look like a grown-up version of Wednesday Addams."

No spoiler but I could have done without the Sex Woman and pandas section--saw no value added in that part.

There is humor and some wonderful insights, but it just didn't do it for me Why? Definite predictability--just waiting to see how it played out. A plus: no nails on the blackboard prose. However, at times I was definitely bored. I'd rate this fluff+ with a glimmer of like.

BUT, in the distinct minority [yet again], I could have walked away from this book at any time!

Not going to lie- this is one of those books I picked up because of the gorgeous cover. I’m glad I did because it was great! I initially thought it would be a summery read, but I was wrong. This book centers around a very depressed woman whose husband left her after confessing an affair to her closest friend. Phoebe leaves everything behind to stay one night in a classic hotel in Newport where she plans to kill herself. As soon as she gets to the hotel she realizes every guest is a part of a wedding. I thought this was a great book, very poignant on reflections of marriage and depression, but surprisingly very funny and witty at the same time.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I actually loved all the characters and their different personalities. Loved the humor randomly put in through the book to go along with the dark subjects of suicide, cheating, and divorce. It probably could have been a little bit shorter, but overall loved it! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Phoebe Stone finds herself at a crossroads.  Divorced, unsuccessful in her attempts to have a baby, and feeling stuck at her job, she feels hopeless.  So she decides to have one last hurrah at the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island—a luxury hotel she saw in a travel magazine years ago that she has always dreamed of visiting. 

When Phoebe arrives, she is mistaken by other guests as being there for a wedding.  In fact, she is the only guest at the Inn not there for the wedding.  But in a surprising turn of events to both of them, the bride-to-be ends up confiding in Phoebe, and then insisting Phoebe join the week of wedding festivities.  As Phoebe finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the lives of the bride, her fiance, and their families, she wonders if there may be a new chapter for her after all, just as she is, despite her best efforts, helping "the wedding people" see there may be another path for them as well.  

From an unconventional premise, the author creates a heartwarming and thought-provoking story. With complicated (in the best way) characters and an engaging narrative, this is a perfect book for summer… or any other season.

Highly recommended.

There is so much I could say about The Wedding People. This book was recommended to my by Modern Mrs Darcy, and it did not disappoint.

A woman at a crisis point in her life travels to a swanky hotel and books the best room with the intention of ending her life. When she arrived the hotel is overrun with wedding people, all there for one 6 day wedding-palooza.

Despite her original intentions, Phoebe becomes connected, improbably, to the Wedding People, and in the span of a few short days learns what it means to live again.

I rate this book five stars. It made me tear up and also made me laugh. I recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt and surprisingly touching Summer read.

Going into this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was relatable and funny characters, a realistic look at mental health, and a slight romance on top. What a fun story!

I am a HUGE fan of Alison Espach. I read The Adults when it came out more than a decade ago (really liked it) and was blown away by Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance a couple years ago. Needless to say, I was excited about The Wedding People, and it did not disappoint. This is an insightful, touching, quirky, and funny story of exploring who you are and coming to terms with who you might become. The characters are beautifully drawn, and though they were often irritating, it was hard not to like them all for the sheer humanity. The situations Espach creates are ingenious and perfect as a way to move both the plot and character development forward. And the dialogue. So good. Smart and perceptive and often laugh out loud funny. So yeah, I loved this book. It is likely to be the August pick for our store book club and I'll be handselling it with great enthusiasm.

Hello to the book of the summer!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy. THE WEDDING PEOPLE what a raw, touching, funny, relatable story of two women who come together during pivotal moments in their life. This is my first by this author and it certainly won't be the last! I was hooked from the very beginning. I highly recommend!

TW: suicidal ideation, depression

4 stars

Look. I'm loudly precious about _Mrs. Dalloway_, so when I dive into a novel and there are immediately implicit and explicit references, I'm always worried I'll be disappointed. While the connections are heavy handed (and at times a little oversimplified), this is an intriguing effort overall, including for those likeminded, diehard Dalloway fans.

Phoebe has been having a tough time for a long time. She's filled with outstanding projects and not fully realized dreams, and when she undergoes a major life change/disappointment, all of these big dramas become one insurmountable obstacle, and she decides to stop referencing just Virginia Woolf and Clarissa Dalloway and start getting Michael Cunningham's characters involved as reference points, too. Readers who are sensitive to suicidal ideation and descriptions of related plans and experiences should strongly consider whether this is the right read for them. While the tone is frequently upbeat, the subject matter is often heavy, and these motifs encompass more than just a scene of this novel. They are rampant. To live or not? This is a question that will be asked often.

While Phoebe has some tragic plans for her evening away, everything changes when she's immediately brought into the fold of a wedding party. This group is (mostly) humorously dysfunctional, but Phoebe finds herself reconsidering her options and plans as a result of their presence and antics.

So much of this novel is about disappointment and loneliness, but the overarching sentiment is hopeful. Since we are living in some truly depressing times, it seems necessary that folks consider their own mindsets carefully before cracking the first page.

Phoebe is no Clarissa, and while Espach isn't Woolf either, this writer does offer thoughtful characters, plotting, and themes and motifs that are sure to make readers reflect. I will absolutely be back for more from this author.

4.5

Do you ever have get the feeling when you pick up a new book that it is going to be one of those stories that sticks with you? The Wedding People was one of those books for me, and upon reaching the end, I found myself not wanting to leave these characters and revisited moments in the story for further reflection. Espach’s writing is sharp, insightful, and deeply human in this story of how moments with strangers can become a catalyst to change our lives, to start anew, to provide the hope and connection we might desperately be searching for, and to give us the permission to feel everything and be ourselves.

Through these characters, Espach dives into the conversation of how it’s hard to be a person at times- how waking up, completing the same tasks, and just existing can feel daunting when we’re also juggling all feelings of being alive. How loneliness, even when in the company of others, can be overwhelming and consuming, and that we’re all at some point seeking connection and the chance to be heard, validated, and seen. I thought the wedding setting worked so well for this story because it was a melding of different personalities and pasts where the characters could let their guards down - it can be easier to open up and share your insecurities, deepest feelings and desires with strangers than it is with friends and family closest to you.

The Wedding People speaks to the power of small gestures and interactions with strangers. Sometimes we forget how these seemingly small, inconsequential actions can create ripples that impact our lives and those around us. I loved how Espach shared personal experiences in the acknowledgments and mentions the interactions had with people in airports, coffee shops, and on planes where they took a moment to acknowledge her existence, made her laugh, and shared a smile. In a world where we are constantly on the go, these moments where we are able to be seen by others are so important.

This story was heavy at times, but it was also incredibly hopeful filled with many moments of heart and humor that were affirming, vulnerable, and honest. I truly loved this story, and this collection of strangers turned friends were such wonderful company to spend time with, get to know, and bear witness to their lives and stories. Just remember: that a smile or words shared in passing with a stranger or the small acts of kindness and grace you extend, even when you think people don’t notice, are moments that can have a tremendous impact and can change the trajectory of someone’s day and life.

I went into this book expecting one thing and got something completely different, and wow— what a fun, wild ride this book was. It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time. It’s raw, heartfelt, hilarious, and introspective.

While I want to provide a summary, I feel like half the fun of this one is going into it completely blind. It was far darker than I anticipated, but still laugh out loud funny at times, and so full of hope. I really appreciated the levity of the dark humor in this one. There is some self discovery, some romance, and a lot of reflections on life— disappointment, loneliness, marriage, friendship + more. Every character felt real, relatable and also someone you want to root for. It was paced perfectly, had incredible character development and lessons along the way.

I laughed, I cried. I didn’t want it to end.

This book is SOO good! I love how quirky and smart and quick witted it is. It pulls you right in! I wanted a nice shiny bow at at the end so I'm hoping its a set up for a second book. I want the girls to be with their brothers, and Juice to have a step-mom! The characterization is so well done. The setting is perfect. The hope for Phoebes future is good for the soul. I loved this book and can't wait to tell everyone to read it!