Goodness, I really enjoyed this one! Phoebe was such an easy character to love and cheer for as you went about this wedding weekend with her. I was worried at times that it would be a bit predictable but the author took some turns and I was really happy with the overall ending of this book. I am looking forward to recommending this one when it comes out.

Thanks Netgalley and Henry Holt for the ARC!

What do we do when we’ve lost our way and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? The Wedding People answers this question in a lovely, touching, heartwarming way while also being humorous and witty. This is one of my favorite reads in a long while and I believe it will be a grand success!
Dealing with life (infidelity, infertility, unfulfilling job, divorce) has left Phobe depressed and ending it all seems the best option. She flies to Newport, RI to a luxiorious inn to spend her last night in a beautiful place. That’s when she meets Lila, bride to be and sheer force of nature. Phoebe is sucked into Lila’s life and bridal party before she knows it! It’s not what Phoebe expected but “if the last few years have taught her anything, it’s that you can’t ever know who you are going to end up becoming.”
We then get to follow Phoebe as she becomes herself! The characters are wonderfully drawn and so real as they engage in the wedding events amidst the messiness of life. I had all the feels as my heart ached for Phoebe and then cheered her on. I wanted to shake some sense into Lila, but also tuck her into bed and tell her she would be alright! Both Phoebe and Lila make brave choices to live their lives and I enjoyed every minute of it.
The Wedding People is an endearing
read and a testament to the notion that life really can be what we choose to make of it. Look for it July 30, 2024. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the chance to read this arc and this is my honest review.

Phoebe is a lost soul, traveling far from her home to end her life in a luxurious resort, the place she wanted to vacation at before her husband left her. She meets lively wedding guests and through these connections is given a second chance at having the life she deserves. The characters were very real and I loved the way they interacted with each other. Funny moments, thoughtful and wise, this book hit all the right spots for me. I highly recommend and hope it is given the success it deserves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a gem. There are a lot of wedding books out there in general fiction but this one manages to stand out amongst the crowd. I loved this redemptive character driven story. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Wedding People by Alison Espach.

Okay Espach, you're on my radar girl, this is a two out of two. Apparently I gave Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance five stars, and I rarely hand those out.

This gets four, only because it got a touch slow in the middle, but that doesn't mean that I didn't savor every single page. What a gift this author has. I will tell you to approach with caution as there are triggering topics, however, Espach really knows how to use humor and the perfect amount of care to make it a perfect part of the story.

My favorite part (sorry, I'm not going to offer a synapsis, you just need to read it) was easily the dialogue. So many hilarious and beautifully subtle moments, the exact kind of interactions that I just live for, zero stakes, dive headfirst kind. Fantastic.

I’m so conflicted……part of me loved this book after I got past the first couple chapters. The other part of me thinks omg what is wrong with all these people.
All in all it turned out to be a good book with a nicely packaged ending.
Fair warning if you have triggers that it does deal with suicide and mental health quite a bit in the beginning.

I loved this author’s first title and her sophomore work was no different. It has heavy made-into-a-rom-com potential, but a smart one.

I am a big fan of Alison Espach and this newest novel is both a departure and a marvel. But fair warning - it is not a romp, it is not mad cap, and it is not laugh out loud. What it is is a witty and mature meditation on aging, work, marriage, and the people who come in and out of our lives and why. Phoebe ends up as a faux "guest" at a large wedding at a resort in Rhode Island. She forms connections with many of the key players of the wedding, particularly the bride and groom. Let this story unspool and allow yourself to be carried along with its wise, melancholic and wry tone. Trigger warning - suicidal ideation. Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into reading this book, but I was soon pulled in by the writing! It is so hard to pull off semi stream of consciousness narration (although it was interspersed with action and dialogue) without it starting to all sound the same or becoming over thought or over done. But this author does it perfectly! I wasn't sure if this was a mystery so was waiting for a twist, but it ended up just being a very human, relatable story with funny, sad, and very genuine parts.

The characters all felt like real humans and the very specific ridiculousness of a big wedding was so well captured.

I can't wait to read more books by Alison Espach!

I honestly do not know why Alison Espach has NOT written more books, and the only conclusion I can come to is that perfection takes time. And Espach is PERFECTION.

I requested this book on Netgalley because my favorite book of all time is The Adults, by Alison Espach. I have read it about once a year, every year since I picked it up randomly at my bookstore in 2010. Alison Espach is the literal definition of a hidden gem!! This book was too!! When I saw it on the listings, I knew I had to read it.

Truthfully, with how much I loved her debut, I went into this with high expectations, and this book exceeded them greatly. Her prose is perfect. The way she captures being a human and the wisdom that her books share is perfect. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this, and I can't wait to purchase the hard copy and for it to become a best seller.

I loved this book so much. I went into it with all of the wrong expectations. I thought it would be a funny rom-com, but it was so much more. Phoebe is the person I want to be, and I felt her pain and growth so much. Lila is every bride that you want to punch in the face, but love anyways. And together? They are so funny you almost pee yourself. (Or was that just me? Might've just been me.) Add in a few of my favorite places in Newport, RI, and it was also a bit nostalgic for me.

I could not put this book down, I enjoyed it so much and am now sad it's done.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, now I have to talk this book up to all of my friends until next summer before they can read it.

Loved this hilarious book about a wedding gone awry with all its crazy repercussions. Phoebe goes to the famed Newport Hotel to kill herself (not a spoiler) but meets an attractive man in the hot tub and then runs into the woman who's getting married in a week and has booked the hotel for all of the festivities. And so begins the snarky humor, the heartbreaks of attendees, and all of the fun watching the interactions of the "wedding people" as they each prepare for the exciting event. It's a great look at how ordinary (and extraordinary) people react to and anticipate celebrations that are for all the right (or wrong) reasons!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

It's funny how the best books seem to just fall into your lap right when you need them. I requested a copy of this simply because I liked the cover and needed an airplane book; didn't even read the synopsis. I was thrown off at first to find out the main characters wanted to kill herself and man, did the story unfold from there! I loved the rawness of the characters, tiny hidden wisdoms, and the overall plot. Putting the chapters as days of the week made for a fast read all while the story pulls you in and envelops you.

I really tried to like this book. It sounded, from the description, that it would be a story I’d like. I almost DNF the book. I had to push myself to finish it. I found it a little bit dark at times especially with the issue of suicide. It also did not feel at all believable.

The beginning was a gut punch. The story continued with kindness and care for the characters. I love how each one found a way to be honest with themselves and each other that was hopeful and real. I loved it.

4.5 stars. The Wedding People is a character-driven story with excellent dialogue. I really enjoyed this book and related to the characters in many ways.

The beginning was a little hard to get into; however, I loved the character's big flaws and all. For me this is about finding your authentic self and living a meaningful life that's true to you.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the ARC of The Wedding People.

Wow! I loved this book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in years. The Wedding People follows the main character Phoebe to a resort hotel in Rhode Island where she is at first mistaken for a wedding guest. Over the course of a six day wedding, Phoebe becomes entwined with members of the wedding party in a beautiful and meaningful way.

This book hit all the right notes for me. The characters were far from perfect and I loved each and every one of them for how wonderfully human they were.

There was one scene towards the middle to end of the book that was just weird and seemed to be written purely for shock value. It was unnecessary. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me as it was just a minor part. The rest of the book was perfect.

This is a book I’ll want to purchase a physical copy of to add to my permanent library.

The story flowed really well .very easy quick read
, Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for this advanced cop

It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamt of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe―which makes it that much more surprising when the women can’t stop confiding in each other.

I really enjoyed this book, The story flowed very well and felt it was very well writte

Phoebe has come to the Cornwall Inn, a place she has dreamt about sharing with Matt, her husband. Matt and Phoebe are academics, she is an adjunct professor, he a full professor. Phoebe have endured their last round of IVF unsuccessfully. Matt has left Phoebe for a grad student. Phoebe is at the Cornwall Inn to taste oysters, drink really good champagne and an obscenely last meal. Phoebe has come to the Cornwall to die. Lila has orchestrated the perfect destination wedding. A week long affair that Will not go wrong. Sharing the elevator from the lobby Lila asks Phoebe who she’s related to that’s attending the wedding. Phoebe responds that not only is she not invited , she’s here to kill herself, she assures Lila she will do so quietly to which Lila melts down to the point of hysteria. Lila confides her lack of a maid of honor and will Phoebe please fill the spot. Phoebe sees the participants through an academic lens. Distilling each with a subjective eye in the beginning, each day softening the edges a little more. Phoebe uses the week to explore a part of her she thought she lost to trying to have a family, keeping up her classes, and keeping her husband. The magic component of this story is these people, some caricature of familiar wedding parties, the couple constantly pricing everything, the cold feet. Here it is the resolution of Phoebe, happy to be on this earth, I found magical.