4 1/2 stars.

This is the first book I've ready by Alison Espach and I enjoyed every moment of it. The Wedding People is one of those rare books where you like everyone in it. There are no real villians, just people who are trying to do their best to find their happily ever after.

The Wedding People is a beautiful story about lost and found family and learning to accept yourself - faults and all. Phoebe has hit rock bottom in her life and while planning to spend her final day at a hotel she always wanted to visit, Phoebe never imagines her plans will get derailed by Lila, a pushy bride who refuses to have her dream Newport wedding to Gary ruined.

None of The Wedding People are perfect - they deal with a myriad of problems, including infertility, death, divorce, infidelity, children and other issues, large and small. There is a realness to the characters who talk openly about their struggles and how they are currently trying towork through their problems, or have overcome them in the past. As Lila reminisces at one point in the novel, "...is there one thing you feel capable of doing right now instead of crying? And there always was."

The Wedding People is heartwarming, funny and filled with characters to cheer for. At its core this is a book about connection, and the lengths people will go to, to find it. I found myself eager to find time to read and spend time with these characters and to find out what would happen at the end of the wedding week. I'm not at all surprised to learn this book has been optioned for a movie. I'm already looking forward to it!

This book is scheduled to be published July 30, 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company and Alison Espach for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, Phoebe, a divorced adjunct professor, travels to an exclusive hotel in Newport to kill herself. She is the only hotel guest who is not part of an elaborate six-day wedding celebration. When the bride, Lila, meets her, she tells Phoebe that she cannot ruin the wedding and offers to pay for her to stay at the hotel in exchange for staying alive. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and what they learned about themselves. Despite the premise, this is not a heavy book and has some humor.

This was fun lighthearted in the beginning as we follow our main gal , who seems to be a vacation and a wedding she’s attending
Well I little twist comes to play and from then on I was gripped could not but it down !! Gripped page turner to see what’s next . Likable characters and intense moments check your triggers this story has some dark elements we see unfold , bizzare friendships are Made and another twist of plans come to play !! Sooo good loved this can’t wait for the physical book in my hands
It’s that good!!

It has been a while since I've said, I would read a book a second time (I mean let's be honest with an ever growing TBR pile), but I do plan read The Wedding People again. It surprised me with its humor, sadness, and self discovery. Knowing full well it is a fictional story, Phoebe just seems so real and honest, a character you root for. Alison Espach covers some taboo topics including suicide, cheating, and divorce, but in a refreshing and honest approach, which I greatly appreciate. A book I will recommend to friends.
Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt Publishing, and Alison Espach for the ARC of this lovely book.

Phoebe is over it. Her husband leaves her for another women, a coworker and friend. Her job at the university is going no where and to top it all off Harry, her beloved cat, the last thing she loved is dead.
She hops on the soonest flight to Rhode Island to a hotel she has been obsessed with. Only to discover that the hotel is hosting an entire wedding party. No matter, she is there to die and tells the bride matter-of-factly. The Bride, Lila, is not going to let phoebe ruin her wedding because this week is entirely about her.
The connections formed between phoebe and the wedding people solidifies her will to live and to live with out reservation. She discovers different type of love and comes to terns her demons.

I adored The Wedding People.

It’s the story of Phoebe, a woman who shows up at The Cornwall Inn in a green dress and heels with no bags. She’s assumed to be another member of the wedding party, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Meanwhile Lila, the bride has accounted for every detail of her wedding day…except Phoebe. What follows is a novel about self discovery and moving into the next phase of their lives over the course of one very long wedding week.

I very much enjoyed reading this one. The story is well plotted, though I did feel like I knew where it was going around the halfway point in the book. That didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story though. I also liked the characters a lot! I loved Phoebe’s perspective and enjoyed her scenes with Juice and Gary the most. Overall, was happy with where this one ended up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: 7/30/24

This book was as delightful as it was unexpected and heartbreaking. I enjoyed the pacing and getting to know the people at the wedding!

This book is so much more than I expected. I think I expected something light and funny (and it is funny), but it is also really, really deep. It swirl around choices we make (and why), how we give up on ourselves, how we deal (or fail to) with life's curveballs. And honestly, how often ridiculous we are as humans. I loved this...all of this, and I really love this writer. A while ago I read Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, and I felt the same way...there are lots of layers here: shallow and deep, light and dark, and most of all it made me think and reevaluate myself and those around me. Honestly, this is so, so good. I'm heading to Amazon right now to see if this author has other titles. I feel I need to read them. Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It’s nuanced, sad, heartfelt, funny, and deeply human. I could see myself rereading this many times, and getting something new from it each time. Thank you for the ARC!!

The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a dark story but soooo beautiful to read!
Their is something about a book with a main character who has lost herself so deeply and tragically as Phoebe. The fact that she finds herself again not because of a man or friendship, but because she truly learns to love herself is where Espach really gave me all of the feels. I am not saying that this book doesn't include themes such as romance, friendship, motherhood (in multiple forms) and I also quite enjoyed those aspects. But I got to the end of this story expecting a certain ending but got another and this was so inspiring!
Phoebe has completely hit rock bottom but I cant help but love as she slowly realizes how smart, beautiful, and funny she truly is flaws and all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the E ARC in exchange for my review.

I’ll be recommending The Wedding People to my friends who love a well written romance novel. The main character, Phoebe, grabbed my attention and never let it go. Despite this being a fictional story, she seemed like a real person. I found myself wishing for her to find happiness. I hope many others will pick up this smart novel and be drawn in like I was.

I enjoyed the uniqueness of this book, but with that, I have a hard time reviewing this one, as I ebbed and flowed on my enjoyment of the book. I was hooked from the first few pages, but then struggled to stay interested through some of the monotony of the depressing parts of the lead character over the subsequent chapters. (Trigger warnings: there is much talk about suicide and cheating/divorce) However, it was a necessary component to see the growth of this character as time went on.

The second half of the book I found to be pretty entertaining (because some of the things that happened were a bit far-fetched), but this aspect also made it pretty fun, and had some laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed the fact that I truly couldn't figure out how this book would end, and found myself racing to the end to find out if the "wedding people" would actually get married or not.

This was a departure from the typical thriller or romance novels I read, so for that alone, I liked it and would recommend it to others needing a step away from their usual genres.

“The Wedding People” by Alison Espach
Depressed – Diverted – New Day
Happenstances can change your whole world from dire to delightful. I loved this story. How we self talk can totally change our world. This story can give you lots to ponder, or just entertain you. Happy Reading ! !

Is this my favorite book ever? I think it might just be. The Wedding People is truly unputdownable and is an absolute must read. A novel about being at the lowest of lows and life just won't relent but then a little unexpected sliver of light that becomes everything. Stunning. Wonderful. Every description for perfection, this novel earns them all.

I aspire to write something as phenomenal as this book someday. Seriously!!

————————————-
Phoebe Stone plans to kill herself at a luxurious Rhode Island hotel, however, her plans are interrupted by an ostentatious million dollar wedding happening at the hotel and the bride behind it. The two forge an unlikely acquaintanceship and what ensues is an exploration of what it means to live. I was riveted from the start and felt deeply invested in these characters and their lives.

This was a masterpiece in storytelling!! The narrative structure and present 3rd person POV makes you feel like you’re at that beautiful Rhode Island hotel, witnessing people who are falling apart desperately acting like they have it together.

I particularly enjoyed how the good and bad of each character was explored. So often novels try to dive into that “no one is wholly good or wholly bad” theme and it often comes off very cliched, but here, we’re not told this. Rather, the characters are so well written and developed that it comes off so naturally.

Ugh I just *chefs kiss*

A passage that especially moved me:
“That is why she has always preferred books-because to be alive is much harder. To be alive, she must leave this hotel, despite the uncertainty of everything. Walk down the long hallway of that mansion come winter, not knowing what will become of her, which is a thing that does scare her.”

ONE OF MY FAV BOOKS THIS YEAR

I really enjoyed this book, I’m excited to see what else this author comes out with in the future! Thank you to netgalley for this eARC!

To describe the plot of this story might scare you off. It might make you think “There is no way this will work. There is no way I will like this!” But it does work. And you will *love* it. Just trust me.

It has the vibe of a less zany, madcap Amy Poeppel novel. The characters are relatable and real and understandable and lovable. The whole thing is so heartwarming (again, you would not believe this is possible if I told you the plot, so please just trust me) and at times really laugh out loud funny, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone I love.

If you only read one book this summer, I’m going to say maybe, just maybe, it should be this one. In fact, my one wish is just that this was going to be released sooner because I think it is a great summer read, so it’s a shame it’s not coming out till the end of July.

This book was different than i thought it would be and its not going to be for everyone. I did enjoy the unusual friendship which was unexpected, moving and thought provoking. I had a hard time connecting with the FMC at times and i also thought the story unraveled slowly. I didnt care about the brides various wedding guests and their family back stories but we spent so much time on that. This also had tons and ton of trigger warnings. i think i wanted a light summer read and phew baby this wasnt it. It was well written and i do think Alison Espach is supremely talented.

Life is looking bleak for Phoebe Stone. Her mother died when she was born, she was raised by her depressed father, never progressed further than being an adjunct instructor, IVF has failed, her husband left her for one of his associates, and now her beloved cat has died. She decides to put on an elegant emerald dress that she bought but has never worn, book a room at a high end resort in Newport that she had wanted to go to with her husband, and take her life. At check in, she learns that the entire resort, except for her room, has been taken over by Lila for her million dollar destination wedding.

Initially she is mistaken for one of “the wedding people”. When Lila learns Phoebe’s intentions which will ruin the wedding, she befriends the lonely woman. And thus the reader is off to a rollicking six day visit with “The Wedding People.”

It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I did I found it a witty, satisfying contemporary read. I loved the colorfully, well developed characters and the astute, sometimes painful, often cleverly funny observations of life, family and relationships. Readers will find themselves cheering on Phoebe as she learns a lot about herself and comes into her own.

Incidentally, Tri Star has already acquired the rights to this novel.

It’s not an exaggeration to say this book changed my life. When I initially read the summary for this book, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. As someone who has dealt with infertility and miscarriage (and is now doing fertility treatment), I’ve never been able to put into words some of my experiences. Phoebe’s experience, particularly the feelings of regretting not being excited for the brief time she was pregnant and her relationship with Harry, feels deeply similar to my experience. It isn’t often that you feel fully immersed in a story and find yourself crying heavily because you feel seen. Thank you for this story. And the hope that comes along with it.