BOOK: The Wedding People
AUTHOR: Alison Espach
PUB DATE: 7/30/2024 by Henry Holt
PAGES: 384
RATING: 4
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for gifting me an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!

FAVORITE QUOTE: “She is so good at predicting what will happen in books, so bad at predicting what will happen in life. That is why she has always preferred books – because to be alive is much harder.”

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This arc really surprised me in the best way. Although I was skeptical when the story started off a little slow and sad, it quickly turned into one that I couldn’t stop reading! There was a lot of character building which really helped make this book both endearing & delightful! I think each person at the wedding really added their own flare and special moments to the bride’s story and the MMC’s journey. I recommend this one, and now I want to visit the dreamy coasts of Newport, or Neuschwanstein Castle when I visit Germany!

Happy Reading!

With her life in shambles, Phoebe travels to a fancy hotel where a chance encounter changes the entire trajectory of her life. 🏨

While I’m not sure this was the “uproariously, absurdly funny” book the synopsis promised, I did enjoy it. The book had a dark plot point right out of the gate that I wasn’t expecting (check trigger warnings) and you have to suspend disbelief to buy into the quick turnaround, which bothered me. (Being vague to avoid spoilers.) It took me about 25% to become fully invested, but once I was, I was eager to pick the book up whenever I could. Other than the point I mentioned already, everything else felt very flawed and real which I appreciated. The overall tone reminded me of The Family Stone - somewhat sad and depressing, while also managing to be really enjoyable when all was said and done.

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 7/30/2024.

I loved this book. It is unlike anything I have ever read and I want to read more books like this one. This book perfectly balanced fun, sorrow, silliness, and serious topics. The characters were both lovable and frustrating. The writing flowed very well throughout the whole book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a story that feels real and at the same time, feels like a story you can escape into.

Alison Espach has become an auto-read author for me. I really enjoyed Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, and yet somehow I loved this one even more.

The actual writing was one of my favorite parts of this book. It was poignant, thoughtful, funny, and sharp. There were so many times while reading when there would be a moving and deep passage one moment, and then a few sentences later I was laughing out loud. Since this book touches on some pretty dark subjects, I think this is both important and impressive.

I truly feel like Espach captures realistic, honest moments of the human experience with her characters. They all felt so real to me, and had many facets to who they were. Even though some characters were harder to like than others, I was rooting for almost everyone. I really appreciated how raw some of their stories got, and how certain people interacted in those moments; a big message throughout the book is human connection.

One of the things I loved most is how funny some characters and dialogue are. I don’t think I’ve read any other author that has certain dialogue that is weird/different enough to not be common, yet universal enough to be relatable, honest and laugh out loud funny (no spoilers here, but message me if you’d like to know the specific quotes I’m thinking of).

In addition to all of that, the rest of the book was great. The fancy Rhode Island hotel setting was interesting and summery, and I liked seeing all the luxurious activities. All of the observations about “the wedding people” were so spot on and funny, and true!

I’m not sure if this book would be for everyone, but it was 10000% for me.

Loved the characters and loved the protagonist and the ending she got. I do wish there was an epilogue and I feel like I've never said that before.

I went into this blind and was pleasantly surprised! I recommend going in blind as well. The mix of characters' personalities made for an entertaining story, which, one or two chapters in you'll probably think I'm crazy for saying that! This is fresh and, while heavy, has lots of moments of light and laughter.

📚: The Wedding People by Alison Espach
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

The gist: A beautiful, historic hotel in Rhode Island. A couple hosting their wedding week. And Phoebe Stone, a St. Louis-based professor who arrives with a last minute booking, no wedding invitation, and no luggage. Recently divorced, she dreamt of visiting the Cornwall with her husband, but has far different plans without him. But when the wedding people sweep her up as their own, her plans (and life) change.

The good: This had my heart wrenching by the end. Incredibly human and emotional, this read pulled at all feelings by the end. The characters were so well written, and by the end I found myself rooting for all of them and their growth.

The eh: This was a bit of a slower burn than I thought, and slogged through the first couple chapters before the story really found its footing. Some of the humor missed its landing, juxtaposing awkwardly up against some of the more serious topics presented — it brought a bit of an off-tone as a whole to the narration.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding People is out next week on 7/30!

My biggest problem with this book? It ended. I could read a million more pages about Phoebe and how this cast of characters remains—or doesn't—in her life after the author finished her story. Compelling characters, sharp dialogue and a unique plot all kept me engaged from the first page. The jarring honesty of the characters actually compelled me to be more open in my own life and the overall spirit of the book will likely stay with me. I definitely recommend reading this and understand why it is getting such high reviews. It was refreshing to see a new premise pop up and I am thankful I got the chance to read it early.

Perhaps I liked this book so much because I had not idea what to expect. This book about Phoebe, the only guest at a fancy hotel who is not there for a big, lavish 6-day wedding event is unexpectedly dark and light at the same time. And although I didn't always like Phoebe or the wedding people, I found myself rooting for all of them.

I absolutely loved this book - while it was incredibly dark and dealt with some very heavy topics, it also had me laughing out loud at some points. Phoebe as a character was fascinating; I feel like I often read about younger characters dealing with heartbreak and such, so reading about an older woman going through a divorce and failed IVF treatments was a different perspective, and I grew to really care about Phoebe. I found her juxtaposition and the unlikely bond between her and Lila to be the true star of this book; both of them were sharing things with each other that they hadn't shared with anyone else.

The only complaint I have about this book is the romance aspect; I felt it was unnecessary and that Phoebe's infatuation with Gary kind of made the way she talked about Lila unlikable (it was teetering on 'I hate this woman because she has the man I want,' which is a crazy trope to include in a book in 2024 in my opinion).

The Wedding People, by Alison Espach, is a great story about an amazing character. Phoebe!  While Phoebe is a hot mess, she is a delight to follow.  She is so real and so fun.  Everyone needs a Phoebe! There are lots of other great characters and the novel is well written. So many emotions are possible while reading this one. Espach is a writer on my radar now. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This was so fun and perfect for summer. Can't wait to get it in the store to start selling it! The only thing that was super weird, to me, was the scene with the man and the car. You know which one, if you've read. Tiny little part but so weird!

I crazy loved this book. I knew that my friends said they loved it. I was prepared to be the odd man out. I was not. I was so invested that I had to take my earbuds into WalMart to grocery shop and I live in fear of doing this. (it's a me thing)

Yes. The trigger warnings mention suicide. Yes this is true. But it's handled well and isn't dark at all. This is more a story of friendship and people and learning about where you can show up best. It's about figuring your own stuff out and handling it your way. I loved it so much and would read it again tomorrow.

4.25 stars.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes July 30, 2024.

The Wedding People follows Phoebe, who decides to book a one-way ticket to a Rhode Island hotel she dreamed of visiting with her former husband. But, she has every intention of ending her life while at this hotel because everything has been set on fire: her husband left her for her best friend, she finds zero fulfillment out of her adjunct position as a professor, and her cat of ten years just died. So she puts on her fanciest dress, doesn't pack anything else with her, and hops on a plane.

The only problem? When she arrives, there is a million-dollar wedding happening that same week. The bride, it seems, thought she booked every room in the hotel for guests . . . minus Phoebe's.

The Wedding People has quite a few triggers right out of the gate, but it does lean more light-hearted in how it navigates these heavy topics. And so we end up following Phoebe through a week where she learns how to not only reconnect with herself, but to connect with the strangers around her and find the joys amid the struggles that make up a life. This book feels ridiculous at times, and we're surrounded by rich people, annoying people . . . basically, wedding people.

I thought this was a fun summer read (despite the premise), set in a sunny New England city. If you miss going to weddings, want something that's touching but will also make you smile, or you want to read a book set at the beach while at the beach, The Wedding People might be your book!

The Wedding People is a lot different than the last Espach novel I read, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, which I loved. The Wedding People read like more of a rom-com, not really my thing, although I did enjoy reading it.
Phoebe, an adjunct English professor in the midwest, suddenly finds herself divorced, betrayed, and all alone. She decides she is going to end her life but she's going to go out in grand fashion. With a good chunk of her savings, Phoebe flies out to Newport, RI, where she rents an $ 800-a-night suite, wearing a beautiful party dress and packing nothing else, other than her cat's pain medication, which is how she plans on killing herself. When she arrives at the hotel, all the other guests are part of a wedding party, there for a weeklong celebration before the wedding. When the bride to be finds out about Phoebe's plan, she fears her wedding will be ruined and in trying to convince Phoebe not to ruin the week for her, the two strangely become confidantes. The author manages to bring levity and humor to some heavy topics. There were a few laugh out loud moments and I appreciated the occasional English lit references. I also enjoyed the setting, it's always fun to read a book set in a location you're familiar with. A huge thanks to Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley for this ARC.

Sometimes you don't know what you need until it finds you.

Phoebe is on her way to a beautiful hotel for a very short stay. She's wanted to stay here for a long time but never got the opportunity. Now she's decided she will end her life there. Her husband left her, her cat died, she can't seem to get past the isolation of the pandemic, so she decides to at least end her life somewhere quaint and beautiful.

Unbeknownst to Phoebe, there's a wedding party at this particular establishment and the bride is not going to let anyone die on her wedding week!

Yes, sometimes you really don't know what you need, especially when what you needed was a bunch of Wedding People to give you a reason to wake up in the morning and keep going. Hope is all around us and in this cast of characters, there's never a dull moment.

I am at a bit of a loss for words right now. Alison Espach is one of my favorite authors and I had to know she'd have something meaningful to say about our losses during COVID and the fragility of life. Her prose just lights me up. Every book I have of hers is highlighted halfway through. I love everything she has to say and this time was no different.

This story was so tender, so melancholy, but also so full of hope and wit. I laughed, I cried, I felt things I haven't in a long time. I'm so grateful I read this when I did. I've had a hard time lately and it's caused me to do a lot of thinking.

I already miss the Wedding People. Some things only come around once in a lifetime. Will they meet again? Who knows, but we will always have this time!

I really enjoyed this sharp witted book. I loved the characters and the development over the course of the novel, it was funny and sad, but oh so lovely. I think it would make an incredible movie or mini series.

As an aside, I try not judge a book by its cover, but this cover is fantastic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co. for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way of capturing my attention instantly. I had to keep reading just one more chapter. It was a hard one to put down. Highly recommend.

This book surprised me in the absolute best way. I laughed out loud CONSTANTLY. Gosh the writing is BRILLIANT. Sign me up for everything this author writes!!

wasn’t sure what to think of this novel that started off kind of depressing. Phoebe Stone has hit rock bottom and runs into a wedding group staying at the same hotel she is at. Thankfully, Phoebe’s story takes a positive turn when she is befriended by the future bride. This book is hilarious, thought provoking and full of witty banter. There is some explicit language that I didn’t care for but overall I enjoyed this emotional story about love, relationships and overcoming adversity.