I'm so grateful to NetGalley for the ARC of Alison Espach's new novel, The Wedding People. This is a brutally honest, hilarious, heartwarming look at the end of one marriage and the start of another.

Phoebe arrives at a hotel in Newport determined to end her life.... until she meets Lila, whose week-long wedding extravaganza is just beginning. Lila refuses to let Phoebe ruin her perfect celebration and the two forge an unexpected and life-changing friendship. As Phoebe becomes more involved in the wedding plans, she realizes that she has a lot more to live for.

I already miss the quirky, flawed, lovable characters from The Wedding People... I'm hoping for a sequel!

A delightful story about a woman ready to end it all when she is thrust into a random group of people - Wedding People - who present the end as a chance to begin.

I casually read the first few pages, not super interested, but found myself starting to devour it around the 1/4 way in. The characters are so fun - so many realistic personalities with quirks, strengths and flaws. I found myself falling more and more in love with the main character as she started to appreciate herself in the same way.

As a reader of this book, one cannot help but cheer for Phoebe as she embraces her life, realizes that it is truly worth living and brings color back into her actions and emotions rather than living only through pages of book she reads and teaches to her students. In both her marriage and career, she seemed to only plod along with no expectations of achieving anything above of her everyday actions. Like her clothing choices, her life was dull and void of color. Yes, she went to Newport on a mission that could have ended terribly; however, she began to realize how much joy can be experienced especially when she realized what she wanted and started to speak her truth. Her caustic wit and how she interacted with Lila, Gary and Juice was definitely a reason to smile and laugh out loud. I would love to read a sequel especially as she settles into Newport with Frank and continues to meet her people.

I am not sure what I was expecting really based on my book cover snap judgments, but this was not it in the very best way. The book was simply lovely. Each character was written well and I, alongside Phoebe, felt the shift and chemistry with them immediately. The vibes of our protagonist were spot on, even in her most tumultuous moments. This is what it means to write complicated women and weave stories that go well beyond the surface chatter. This is a feat in itself given the book's setting at a luxury hotel with people attending a week long wedding. Would have loved to have been at this pitch meeting.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of “The Wedding People” in exchange for an honest review. I always know I loved a book when I read straight through to the acknowledgments—hoping to catch one more glimpse of the author’s mind before saying goodbye to beloved characters. I loved the narrative structure of this. The pacing was perfection and I just really found myself caring deeply for even the most minor of characters. This book warmed me from the inside out and I will read it again.

Once I saw the beautiful cover and the fact that this book was blurbed by Jenny Jackson (author of the wonderful Pineapple Street and the editor of some of my favorite books), I requested it immediately. I was thrilled when I got an e-ARC!

At first, the book is mainly about Phoebe and Lila, two of the loneliest girls in the world, as Phoebe puts it. Things start out bleak, to say the least. Honestly, I wasn’t in the best mental state myself when I started this book, so the first few chapters were a little rough to get through. They were hard to get through BECAUSE they were so beautifully written and really made me empathize with Phoebe. I was so sucked in that I kept reading, and I’m so glad I did. This book is so funny. It made me smile. Yes, it made me cry. It was a book that was real about depression, and also about the ways your life can be beautiful through the depression.

Despite her flaws, Lila was such a delight. I love that she was a bit of a paradox; she is so self-centered, but she also washes Phoebe’s hair without being asked. She is someone who tries. The banter between the characters was spot on. I wasn’t ready to leave this group of people—the Wedding People—when the book ended.

For fans of: “Sorrow and Bliss” by Meg Mason; “Ghosts” by Dolly Alderton; “All Grown Up” by Jami Attenberg.

Let me start by saying, this will be one of the year’s best novels. I was totally engaged in the story of Phoebe, a deeply depressed and lonely woman, who becomes a “wedding person” by accident. Despite coming to the very upscale hotel to commit suicide, she is swept into the preparations for a lavish wedding. Phoebe becomes a friend and confidante of the guests and the bridal party.

This is written beautifully, using language that drew me into the festivities. Phoebe is a very likable heroine, and the bride is appropriately depicted as immature and confused. I have the feeling that this novel will quickly be dramatized in some form.

Despite having many characters, the author draws them with such clarity that there is no confusion. There is a huge likability quotient which makes the reader wish for the inevitable happy ending.

Thank you Netgalley for this delightful, brilliant and well written novel. Honestly, I was so involved, I wish I could have kept reading. Bravo for this mature and compelling novel.

This book was delightful, and it surprised me in the best way! It made me laugh out loud one moment, and contemplate the meaning of life the next— and that is NOT something I have found in another book!

The characters in this book were so complex, unique, and multi-dimensional. Alison Espach drew me in from the very start with her impressive personification of depression, loss, isolation, desperation and hopelessness in all that was the main character Phoebe. She made me feel so much pain and sympathy yet managed to tie in such joy and growth throughout the book!

“The Wedding People” — quite literally, the people attending the wedding in the book, brought the main character back to life.
This book and it’s loveable, hilarious characters, their drama, whirlwind emotions, and most importantly, their hilariously dark humor, had me invested and entertained from the first chapter to the last.

When Phoebe shows up at the grand, expensive Cornwall Inn, she quickly realizes she’s the only resident not a guest of a wedding at the inn. She meets the bride who has planned for every possible disaster; except Phoebe.

This is one of those special reads that does not come about often. It’s meaningful and covers some deep topics, realistic and true to life, but also absolutely hilarious. The characters are all perfectly done and fully dimensional. I adored Phoebe’s story and how she as changed from the people she met and her interactions.

“… 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.”

The Wedding People comes out 7/30/24.

Wedding People is a breath of fresh air. Phoebe goes to a fancy hotel with plans to end her life - she’s tired and can no longer feel passion for her adjunct English professor work, her husband Matt had an affair and has divorced her, and her cat Harry has passed away. She is ready to end it all.

But instead, Phoebe gets tangled up in the week-long wedding that’s being held at the hotel. All the wedding people - bride, groom, bridesmaids, the guests - are such vibrant characters. I loved seeing Phoebe get roped into getting to know these people on a deeper level, and I loved seeing Phoebe become known to others as well. It was a deep look into the hardships of being human in a world that can be depressing, turbulent, confusing, beautiful, awful, hilarious, and (even though Phoebe doesn’t like this word!) fun.

I loved seeing Phoebe and all the other characters, Lila and Gary especially, get to know themselves better and reach deeper into themselves about what they truly want in life. The dialogue is so natural between them all and the quick wit doesn’t go unnoticed - It’s a brilliant idea that leaves you with food for thought. I’d highly recommend this book!! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion. This comes out 7/30/24 and I know a lot of people will love it.

This is one of the most refreshing, quirky storylines I have read in a long time. It certainly is not the typical wedding novel. Full of humor and pathos, it explores with sensitivity and clear insight love, loss, betrayal, and a host of issues around pretending to be what one is not.

The death of her beloved cat is the tipping point for Phoebe. She appears to be failing in all aspects of her life: her husband divorced her after having an affair with a mutual friend; her career is stagnating, and her muse has departed; her desire for motherhood has tanked after several IVF treatments and a miscarriage. In a desperate move to end it all, Phoebe walks out of her life in St Louis and checks in to an expensive Newport, RI hotel with the intent to end her life. And then her plan goes totally off the rails… She finds that the hotel is booked for a million-dollar, week-long wedding celebration and she is the lone guest that is not part of the “wedding people.”

What transpires is a wild and wacky journey with an entitled bride who is determined to have the perfect wedding that her deceased father wanted for her – despite a diverse collection of friends and family and a suicidal stranger in their midst.

I thoroughly enjoyed observing Phoebe’s transformation as she realizes how much of her life has been driven by ignoring her authentic self and accommodating others. The juxtaposition of Phoebe and Lila, the bride, moved the story along and kept me engaged as each discovers how different their life circumstances are, and yet they both support each other in open and honest communication.

Overall, this was a very satisfying read that also left me wanting more.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

*Spoilers*

I found this story very interesting- this story holds so many aspects of life that we see everyday: ie. relationships, mental health and loss. The reality of the topics covered brought a human element that was easily relatable.

I did, however, feel this story left many loose ends and could have followed through better. There were several parts that made it 90% but didn’t finish. For example, Jim and Lila’s storyline, Matt randomly coming back into the picture and then abruptly leaving, and the confusing finalization of Gary and Phoebe. The foreshadowing was almost too obvious that it did not allow the reader to come to their own conclusions.

Reading this on my own wedding weekend was entertaining and fun!

I loved Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance and could not wait to read this book! I was quickly immersed in this book about a woman who goes to her “happy place” in Newport to commit suicide. Sounds super dark but there is humor, connection and so much to love about this book. I loved main character Phoebe and how she finds herself through a bunch of strangers at an elaborate and expensive wedding week. I took my time to savor this one as I wasn’t quite ready to leave the world Espach created. This is one that will stick with me for a while.

Thank you to @netgalley @henryholtbooks and @alison.espach for the advanced copy of this wonderful novel!
I have not read anything like this before and totally enjoyed every page. Expecting a typical wedding story I was entrance from the first page to the last. You will love the characters and the setting along with the journey they all go on during a wedding extravaganza

THE WEDDING PEOPLE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5. Phoebe’s life is in shambles. When she decides to go to a hotel 1,000 miles away from her home to be alone, to find out she is the only guest not there for a wedding that is happening in the grounds. Somehow she becomes involved in the wedding and the people attending. A story of loss, love, heartache, bringing life back together, art, passion, self-realization. I really enjoyed this one and hope it’s a hit.

A really enjoyable read, looking forward to more books by Espach. Every character had surprising depth to them, and I finished the book wishing for more, but still satisfied. I will admit, I was hesitant about this book when I realized it was set after covid, but I felt that it was handled perfectly - I couldn’t get enough of Phoebe’s story!

1.5 stars rounded up. The oversized characters were quickly unbelievable and not at all relatable. The plot was incredibly predictable and could have been written in the space of 10 pages but instead we got a couple hundred pages of dialogue that tried too hard and just generally meandered.

Thank you to Net Galley and Henry Holt and Co. for the early copy.

The Wedding People is a beautiful tribute to the power of connection and conversation, and how certain people can transform your outlook and your life. This is a novel that breaks your heart and puts it back together again - I absolutely loved it.

Phoebe wants to end her life and she decides to book a fancy hotel room, see the ocean for the first time, enjoy a nice meal, and give herself a good sendoff. Her plans are interrupted when she discovers she is the only hotel guest not affiliated with a wedding party and unexpectedly bonds with the high-strung, spoiled bride.

Phoebe is incredibly endearing and I was invested in her wellbeing from the first page. There is amazing dialogue, humor, and reflection. This is one of those books that makes it hard to pick up another one once you finish since it is so good and satisfying to read.

Thank you very much to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This was such a cute feel good story about happiness, love, friendship, and family. I love the character development between Phoebe and Lila. The overall story felt new and fresh to me, and it was a joy to read.

Book Review
The Wedding People
By Alison Espach
Pub Date: July 29, 2024
Thank you to @netgalley @henryholtbooks and @alison.espach for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Phoebe took a plane from Missouri to Rhode Island and crossed the Cornwall Inn off her bucket list. She had always wanted to go, but Matt, her husband, had said it was too expensive. They were both professors and didn’t take vacations like this ever. Once at the hotel she realized everyone checking in seemed to all know each other and they were there to attend or be part of a wedding.
The bride had thought everyone at the hotel was there for her. So, who was this strange woman? After meeting Phoebe, the bride finds herself drawn to her. It seems Phoebe is the only one she can talk with honestly. During the weeklong stay at the Inn, Phoebe discovers a renewed energy to live differently and to try new things like surfing.
My thoughts: This book has a little bit of everything. It is sad, funny, hopeful, there’s some twists and turns and what ifs. I like Phoebe, she feels like a real person with real struggles. She did her best to get up and go to work as a professor even when her depression seemed to want to swallow her whole. The way she doesn’t let everyone at the Inn bother her and the way she puts herself out there to help wherever she can, is so unlike her. Something changes in her while in Rhode Island and for once she may be happy.