Except for Phoebe’s depression at the start of the story (which kudos to writer was very depressing) this book was hilarious and wonderful. The characters! The conversations! Put this on your summer 2024 TBR.

i was truly so charmed by this novel about a downtrodden woman who gets looped into an outlandish wedding full of strangers that inevitably alters the path of her life. plus, i loved the commentary on how out-of-pocket weddings have gotten these days. such a unique story that really came together nicely. out in july—you won’t want to miss this one!

When Pheobe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn in beautiful Newport Rhode Island, she has decided that this is her last day on Earth, so she has worn her best dress and is ready to indulge in her luxurious suite. Fate has other plans! Lila has planned her magnificent million dollar wedding, and a suicide is not in the plans…..no one messing with the bride on her wedding weekend.

I wasn’t sure when I began that I would love this story, but I quickly became enraptured with Phoebe. This story hits on so many topics that we conjure when hitting middle age. Marriages gone wrong, loss of a spouse, adultery, but more importantly, where did our life make a wrong turn, and how did I become this person. We spend years pleasing others until we wake up and realize that it got us no where and the only way back to happiness is finding out what pleases us. That is what I really loved about Phoebe, her honesty, and the exploration of how she got to the point of ending her life, only to find out that she can build the life she wants, right now.
That honesty not only opens Phoebe up to new possibilities, but sets Lila and Gary, her groom, straight on what is really important when starting a life together.
I would definitely recommend this book to all us middle agers out there that think we can’t start our lives over!!

Overall: ★★★.5 (rounded up)

You'll Love This If You're Into:
* Intricate explorations of human connections
* Insightful narratives about life's unexpected turns
* Sharp and witty dialogue that is both funny and brutally honest
* Stories that blend wisdom with unexpected tenderness

Ratings:
* Characters: ★★★☆☆
* Plot Progression: ★★☆☆☆
* Writing Style: ★★★☆☆
* Memorability: ★★★★☆
* Tear Jerk Moments: 💧💧💧
* Overall: ★★★.5
Thoughts: liked it

Thoughts:
Initially, this book did not grip me whatsoever. I know, not a glowing review, but then, somewhere in the middle, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I read for long sprints in the middle. In the end, it lulled and did not satisfy me personally (or perhaps was too tied up neatly), but I will never forget the story. While the book initially did not engage me, it gradually unfolds into an entertaining and introspective story.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach takes readers on a journey through the intricacies of life, where unanticipated twists and turns are shaped by encounters with others. The dialogue in the book stands out with its sharp wit, humor, and unexpected tenderness. The conversations are not only funny and brutally honest but also filled with great wisdom. The characters, especially Phoebe, are a mix of real, funny, and sad yet witty, making them relatable and lovable…eventually. Additionally, I loved getting to see little snippets into the lives of the secondary characters around Phoebe as she orbited in and out of their lives.

Despite the initial struggle with I had with some characters and general storytelling, the story becomes more enjoyable and captivating.

Overall, The Wedding People offers a thought-provoking exploration of life's uncertainties, sprinkled with humor, wisdom, and unexpected tenderness, making it a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alison Espach for providing this ARC in exchange for my review.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

"... becoming who you want to be is just like anything else. It takes practice. It requires belief that one day, you'll wake up and be a natural at it."

Sometimes, unexpectedly, you will come across A Book. That book will be unassuming, it will not be to everyone's tastes, but it will Speak to you. You will see yourself reflected back at you in an wonderful, and sometimes painful, new light.

THE WEDDING PEOPLE was my mirror.

It was lovely, heartbreaking, witty, and gorgeous. Phoebe's struggles were somehow my struggles-- and so her victories were also mine to share. Lila and Gary, the bride and groom of the titular wedding, were beautifully complex and woven into Phoebe's own self-discovery journey with their three lives becoming intrinsic to one another. THE WEDDING PEOPLE discusses difficult topics including death, suicide, depression, divorce, spousal cheating, and dissatisfaction with life. However, Espach skillfully accepts and embraces these challenges in her novel, reminding both her characters (and readers) that life is exactly what you're willing to work to make it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book comes out in July 2024 and I know it will quickly become a favorite beach read!

The characters were all so well written and I felt a connection with all of them. I really enjoyed the banter between Phoebe and Lila and reading along as they discovered themselves and what they want in life.

I really loved this book! It's a tale of love, relationships and self-discovery that is both heartwarming and relatable.

Absolutely adored this one. Phoebe was such a funny character and I loved the dialogue that she had with each supporting person in the book. This book made me feel warm, laugh and cry. I think it’s one of my favorites from 2023 that I’ve read.

By mistake, Phoebe arrives at the Cornwall Inn for her solo holiday, only to discover that the entire resort has been privately booked for a big wedding. Someone made a mistake, but Phoebe stays. She's obviously not there for the wedding. She has her own complicated reason for booking a solo trip, one that is eventually resolved by the new relationships and experiences she has through the wedding festivities. A great premise, very well executed into a great story.

4.5 ⭐️
I am so grateful that I received this ARC, as I really enjoyed this book. I thought that I was going to dislike Phoebe, but found myself attached to her and how she developed throughout the novel. The way her emotions and view on life evolved steadily was very impactful, and I especially loved how her presence helped others make their peace with their personalities/lives in a similar manner. As someone who isn't necessarily the most empathetic, I was extremely impressed with how the author was able to transcribe Phoebe's feelings so well to the point where I really felt myself experiencing them with her. I certainly will be recommending this book in the future!

“The more wedding you need, the less happy you must be” Phoebe believed this…until she didn’t.
I don’t know where this book has been all my life, but thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Publishers for showing me the way to an excellent book. Both humorous and tender, this book is totally enjoyable. I read it in a day. We need more books like this one. I will be excitingly waiting for Alisan Espach’s next read.

I really enjoyed this book! We meet Phoebe as a very depressed woman who has not been fully participating in her life and has quit living for longer than she thinks. We see her progression to better understand her past, how she responded to events I her life and her commitment to be authentic and learn about others, what makes them tick and to live and communicate like she has nothing to lose. She is committed to living her best life, being true to herself and speaking the hard truths that need to be said.

I enjoyed hearing her humorous insights into other people’s lives… and also learned some about art and Victorian literature!

As this is a book about transformation, we also witnessed the transformation of several other key characters. I recommend this book as a great read! I don’t think these are spoilers, but do share trigger warnings for: depression, infertility, infidelity, miscarriage and losing a parent. The book deals with very real topics in productive ways. I know a book is great when I am sad to come to the end of the story and wonder what all the characters are up to, and I am!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding People opens with our main character, Pheobe, who arrives at a luxurious hotel in Newport, RI, and is immediately mistaken by everyone else as one of the “wedding people”, who is there to celebrate the wedding of Lila and Gary. However, Phoebe is actually there to live out her dream vacation, one she initially had dreamt of taking with her husband, but she ultimately ends up getting swept into the many happenings of this elaborate, over the top wedding.

This book was so absolutely heartwarming and enjoyable; I read it in a sitting and finishing it felt so bittersweet. There are many complex questions raised in this book and some tough topics brought up but, the author handles them so well and seamlessly incorporates them as facts of life throughout the story. It was easy to get swept up in the story and I genuinely liked all of the characters, even the seemingly unlikeable ones, because the author gave us a holistic view of all the complexities that made them act any certain way. This book also had funny moments throughout and was coupled with lots of witty back and forth dialogue, along with some really candid conversations that felt like a breath of fresh air.

I was touched by the story and ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would, based on the description. The author gives you a lot to root for here and I think regardless of where you are at in life, anyone could find something to relate to in this story; it is very hopeful, despite some truly low moments, and I think very beautiful. I would absolutely recommend this book and I look forward to reading the authors previous works soon, as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. This is the second book I've read by Allison Espach and enjoyed it just as ..edu or more. While the title .might seem to indicate a light,frothy read or a rom-com, The Wedding People is anything but. Phones is at the end of her rope with her career and her husband who has been cheating with their colleague. She travels to a seaside resort with the intention of killing herself but is spared that fate by meeting Lila, the bride-to-be. Alternately touching, tender, funny and insightful The Wedding Peop!e is one of my favorite books of the year.

Alison Espach’s novel, The Wedding People, reminds us that life is a series of unanticipated twists and turns influenced by our encounters with people we meet along the way. Phoebe Stone is at a crossroads when she makes an impromptu decision to book a room at a prestigious Newport hotel. She arrives to find herself the only guest at the sold out hotel not part of a large and extravagant wedding. Over the course of the weeklong activities, Phoebe connects with many of the wedding people, including the bride and groom. Those connections result in life altering decisions for Phoebe and her new acquaintances.

The best part of this book is the dialogue which is sharp and witty. The conversations are funny, brutally honest, and long overdue. The Wedding People is filled with great wisdom and unexpected tenderness.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Henry Holt division of Macmillan Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars! So, I almost stopped reading this book in the beginning but I’m glad I didn’t. This book kept me interested and invested the whole time and I enjoyed reading it. I was getting teary eyed on one page and smiling the next. The main character, Phoebe, was funny, real, sad yet witty, even through the sadness of her life & the secondary characters were, for the most part, lovable and I was rooting for all of them to have a happy ending. I wouldn’t say this was a romance, but the ending makes you think the romance is coming for 2 couples after the book ends. I would’ve liked an epilogue to hint at those relationships a bit more but all in all it was a fabulous read that I’d definitely recommend.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alison Espach for providing this ARC in exchange for my review.

I’m going to give this 3.5 stars. It took me a while to get invested in this book, because I couldn’t stand half of the characters. To be perfectly honest, once I was able to enjoy this book, I still couldn’t stand half of the characters, but it was so entertaining I couldn’t put it down.

As someone from Tiverton, Rhode Island, I was quite literally overjoyed at my hometown receiving multiple mentions in a book. This story being set in Rhode Island was one of the main reasons I requested this book.

However, I ended up finding the book much more enjoyable and introspective than I thought. I haven’t read very many books where the main characters life gets changed so drastically in so many ways outside of their control.

I had little to no expectations going into this book, as this was my first read by this author, but it was so gripping once we got to the third day of the wedding week.

An absolute gem of a read!

Phoebe is unequivocally broken. Her marriage is over, she's deeply depressed and emotionally depleted. So she decides to make a plan. She books a flight, boards a plane and checks into her dream destination, an iconic seaside hotel in Newport, RI, with the intention of never checking out.

At check in, she learns the hotel is hosting an opulent weeklong wedding extravaganza and she is the only non-wedding guest. Shortly thereafter, the wedding people start rolling in. They are stunningly beautiful, filthy rich and seemingly one dimensional.

...but things aren't always as they seem.

Outrageously fun, wickedly dark and full of raw, complex characters, this is one wedding celebration you won't want to miss!

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.