I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel is much deeper than I expected, and I appreciated that. The reader meets Phoebe who goes to the fanciest hotel she is aware of with the intention of ending her life. When Phoebe arrives at the hotel, there is a wedding party arriving, and as she gets to know the people in the wedding party, Phoebe realizes what she wants out of life.

I found this novel honest, funny, and moving. It was thought-provoking, and meaningful without being over the top and preachy. I connected with each of the characters, and understood their thoughts and feelings. I look forward to reading more from Alison Espach.

This book caught me off guard at first, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. But then I was hooked! Without giving too much of the premise away, this book was a unique romance, coming of age story that stayed with me for a few days after I finished.

At the center of this novel, the question of how to find hope when all seems lost is explored in a deeply touching, yet delightfully humorous, manner. The story begins with a woman contemplating suicide, but quickly transforms into a story rich with wit and warmth. The interactions between Phoebe and the various wedding guests are engaging, but it's the unexpected friendship between Lily and Phoebe that truly stands out. This is a book that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page – particularly if you’re a woman navigating a particular stage of life. With its blend of humor, heart, and fresh perspectives on life and love, I highly recommend it.(Content warning for suicide, infertility, divorce, and infidelity.) For fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Meredith, Alone.

In a word....FABULOUS!
This novel will definitely appear on my best of 2024 list!

How can a novel that begins with the protagonist in such a depressed state that she intends to commit suicide - turn out to be.... uplifting? Well I don't know how the author managed it, but she did.

This novel walks a fine line between literary fiction, women's fiction, and love story. The plot was riddled with wise insights about life, about relationships, about change, and about being true to yourself.

The Rhode Island setting, in an elegant hotel which is situated so that it has ocean views, marked a stark contrast to the bleakness, and despondency of the main character, Phoebe. A university literature professor from Missouri, she is very intelligent and knowledgeable, especially about all things from the 19th century. However, she has lost her passion for teaching and her personal life has hit an all time low. Her loneliness is palpable. Her husband left her for her best friend, she is childless even after myriad rounds of IVF, and, the straw that broke the camel's back... her cat Harry has just died. She goes to the hotel for one last decadent night before killing herself.

Then... she meets the bride. Lila is somewhat of a 'bride-zilla'. She has spent a million dollars on this week-long wedding at this posh hotel. She wants everything to go just as she has planned. However, she didn't plan on Phoebe.

In a roundabout way, her decision to end her life causes Phoebe to come to the realization that she is free. Free to say what she thinks, do what she wants, when she wants to do it. This freedom is intoxicating and begins, slowly, to heal her depression. Her burgeoning friendship with the dreadful Lila also makes her see life through a different lens. Phoebe realizes that to be truly brave, you have to break free from the habits, the 'ruts', that you let rule your existence.

"Phoebe is starting to understand that on some nights, Lila is probably the loneliest girl in the world, just like Phoebe. And maybe they're all lonely. Maybe this is just what it means to be a person."

Written with skill, great insight into human nature, and also some moments of quiet hilarity, this novel is a 'must read'.

Highly, highly, recommended!

Oh my gosh - I loved this one so much and read it in a day! When I first started reading I thought it might me depressing - but it was so funny and real. Phoebe checks herself into the Cornwall Inn thinking her life is over and she is going to end it. But she then finds that everyone at the hotel is there for a million dollar wedding - except her. The bride takes her into the fold and in a weird twist of events she not only becomes the maid of honor but falls for a man she meets in the hot tub. This book says a lot about relationships and family and bridezillas and more. I think you will love it too.

Honestly, the way the cover describes the story. It’s absolutely brilliant.

Phoebe is drowning in loss: failed IVF, divorced, her career is stalling . She books a room at a hotel with plans to end her life. Except everyone else in the hotel is there for a large, obnoxiously over the top, wealthy wedding. And no one is happy.
Lila is grieving the death of her dad. She’s micromanaging her wedding, waiting for something to go wrong, drowning in her grief and the expectations of others. When Phoebe, the rogue guest shows up, she opens up to this stranger in a way she can’t with her mother, friends or fiancé.

The story is sometimes absurd, sometimes funny, completely dysfunctional, but Phoebe comes to realize that sometimes choices can lead us to new paths and a new life.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to loved this one but I ended up dnfing around the 40% mark. It started off a bit slow and to be honest somebody spoiled the book for me, that the main character goes to commit suicide, and I feel that’s a huge part of the plot so I don’t know, I felt I already knew what was coming. So disappointing

Phoebe Stone comes to The Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island with a specific plan. When she runs into strong-willed bride Lila, who has rented the whole hotel, minus the one room occupied by Phoebe, there are words! And oh, what words. One of my favorite things about this novel was the witty repartee. Remember the old movies from the 1940s with the sharp and funny dialogue? That's what this book has in spades, laugh out loud funny moments. And as others have mentioned, the audiobook narration is fantastic.

The whole time I was reading this, I thought it would make a wonderful play at the theater. There is only one setting, the hotel. There is a colorful cast of characters, each distinct and sharply defined. As already mentioned, there is fantastic conversations between the characters. And the story line ultimately uplifts.

Do give the book a chance, as I admit, it took me two or three chapters to fully come on board. But once I did, I flew through it. The Wedding People is utterly charming and entertaining, and also a "smart" book. I applaud Allison Espach's command of the English language.

I would rate this book a strong 4.5 read, and will round up to 5 stars because it deserves it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Espach, and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started this book I wasn't sure if it was right for me. The topic sounded depressing but I continued to read it. This was a deep character study of all the people in the story. Each individual seems to experience a transformation as they examine their own lives and what truly matters to them. This book has many amusing as well as sad moments as they all evolve not always knowing what their future holds. Well written and thought provoking. Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for an advanced readers e-book. All opinions expressed are my own.
#TheWeddingPeople #AlisonEspach #NetGalley

I absolutely adored this one! It was a truly exceptional book that is both hilarious and heartwarming. The characters are so relatable and their interactions had me laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next.

Phoebe's journey of self-discovery amidst the chaos of a wedding weekend is both inspiring and entertaining. The author's ability to blend humor, wit, and genuine emotion is truly remarkable. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the ending was perfect.
If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer - read this book!

This started out as a darkly humorous novel that reminded me of A Man Called Ove or Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman and it did not disappoint as the ensemble cast made me laugh out loud with their witty banter, relatable anxieties and overall shenanigans- I will say the car scene made me howl with laughter. I would not mind seeing any of these characters again to catch up with their lives - I could see at least two more companion novels to see if the couples last- or I’ll just make it up in my mind… I was especially anxious during Chapter 20 - the author really knows how to create a wonderfully drama to read!

𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀, 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓅 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹…

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚
by Alison Espach
384 pages

This is the wise and darkly funny, then laugh out loud funny, novel of the summer.
posted on Instagram @nicmedia
9 years ago, I read a similar novel about a curmudgeonly old man who was steeped in grief and that was the tenderly moving story of the summer.
Though different, Phoebe Stone, like Ove, has had enough. She wants one final fling- a decadent stay and then…she arrives at her destination and meets the wedding people led by the bride, Lila, who will let nothing and no one come between her and her dream event.
Please check your content warnings, but don’t be put off if you want to read something sharply intelligent and moving to put your head and heart in the right place this summer. Oh, and you may have seen it is in a little celeb book club 😉
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Alison Espach, @henryholtbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to review in exchange for my honest review. #newbooks #arcreading #bookreviews #theweddingpeople

To say that Alison Espach's The Wedding People is one of the hit novels of Summer 2024 is not an understatement. This book is a wonderful reflection about how people view their lives, not only from where they are standing in the present but the choices they have made to get themselves there. It is also a delightful look at friendship and supporting others, even when you barely know a person or have just met that person. Sometimes the help you are looking for comes from unexpected places.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for the opportunity to read this novel.

What a fantastic read! I loved how character driven this story was. All of the characters were flawed in the most perfect way, you couldn't help but relate to so many of them. Phoebe is a stunning character, her character growth was my favorite part. She really discovered who she was over the span of this week and it was so fun to watch her give up the preconceived notions of her life to truly step into who she was becoming. The rest of the wedding people added just enough to keep the story moving and it was interesting to view all of them from Phoebe's POV. The ending tied things together in the perfect way in my opinion. I got just enough to be satisfied, but there was still elements that were left up to my own interpretations. This will definitely be making my favorites of the year list and I anticipate myself recommending this one to just about everyone I know!

oh this one is sooooooooo good. somewhere between "chick lit" and litfic it's just so warm and funny and insightful. the little joys of people and life

I loved this book!! This is a story about people finding and being their true selves. The journey of this group of people who are thrown together at a fancy hotel for a wedding was remarkable. The author captured so many inner thoughts that we have all had and put them on paper and in a great diaglogue. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen the next day! This over the top wedding had all the feels.

We also have a side story of higher education and the view from a professor. Phoebe is an adjunct professor of literature who feels she is going nowhere in her career. Her insights into students, the classics novels and her fellow professors was at times cynical but funny. The author certainly has a skill for getting to know characters quickly and finding something in common with them all.

I feel I must mention that the author addresses depression and some of the journey different people go through to recover/cope.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

The description sounded lighthearted and fun; this book was anything but. I kept listening waiting for it to get funny but it went from depressing and sad to a book about nothing really. It felt like a long, drawn out episode of Seinfeld, which I am not a fan of. I felt for Phoebe and Lilah, as they were both in rough situations but I found the story to be slow and heavy.

Just being honest: the first 20 to 30% of the novel is a dark, depressing slog. Any heavy, painful topic you can think of, the author likely weaves it into the plot. I nearly gave up. But other readers kept talking about how funny it was and how much they enjoyed reading it, so I just kept going.
Then I listened to an interview with the author and she provided some context for why she addresses such sad things when she writes. So then I felt empathy for her life experience and admired how she took the pain and sorrow in her past and made art.
The Wedding People is sad. But it's also beautiful because it's a story about fictional humans coping with the stuff that often knocks real people flat. I loved the sharp, witty dialog and the way the characters asked the hard questions and said what needed to be said. And I really enjoyed laughing at the utterly ridiculous things the bride said and did, because can't we all be a bit ridiculous sometimes?
Ultimately this is a lovely, well-written story about what it means to love well and wrestle with the hard stuff of life, and then figure out how to get back up again, even when we're scared.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I loved this book so much! To me it was a pretty perfect novel -- it gracefully dealt with heavy issues in a compassionate and appropriate way, with the loveliest writing.

Phoebe has recently been through a divorce, with her ex-husband leaving her for another woman. They had tried for years to have a baby, with no success, and Phoebe decides to book a night at an expensive inn and commit suicide. As soon as she arrives at the inn. she realizes that every single other person staying there is attending a wedding, and very quickly becomes enmeshed in their lives.

I loved Phoebe so much -- she was such an endearing character and I wanted to give her a hug and have dinner with her. She's witty, funny, so intelligent and such a kind, good person. I loved Lila too, with all her character flaws, and Gary and Juice. All the side characters were so well flushed out and added so much to the entire book.

The sense of place was incredible -- I could vividly picture all the parts of the inn, all the situations the characters found themselves in.

I loved Alison Espach's previous book, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance and am impressed how different the two books are. I will be eager to read whatever she writes next, and have already checked out her debut novel as well.

I would recommend this to anyone -- it's such a good book with so much depth, engaging characters, and such sweetness and humor. So good!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

5 Stars
The Wedding People
Alison Espach

Upon finishing The Wedding People and and letting the story wash over me, these are the words floating in my mind: Perseverance, The Importance of Connections, Failing, Masks, Grief, Loneliness, Friendship, and Always Love. This talented author uses her words to comfort, confront, expand and entertain the readers of this frank, charming and stimulating novel. She lets us into the mind of Phoebe quickly, for obvious reason, but teases us slowly, into the minds of The Wedding People. It's a fun, fascinating, sad and unpredictable road we follow as we enter Wedding Week. The character development was so realistic; it made me feel like I was a guest at each event. When some of the characters revealed their true selves through actions and honesty, emotions were high and truthful. I highly recommend this novel to all, bur especially to those who are on a journey of self-discovery.
Thank you to #Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for my advanced eCopy of The Wedding People. My comments are my own.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a delightful read! Phoebe Stone travels to Newport, Rhode Island after her life has hit rock bottom. Her husband had an affair and divorced her after several IVF cycles and a miscarriage. Her career is no longer fulfilling and her cat has died. She reserves a beautiful room in an expensive hotel and finds out that she is the only guest that isn't a part of a one-million dollar wedding. She meets the bride, Lila, in the elevator and tells her that she is there to kill herself. The bride doesn't want her wedding ruined by a death. Phoebe and Lila begin to interact and be more honest with each other than they are with their friends and family. Will the wedding people change Phoebe's outlook on life?

Thanks to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of the book. This is a Read with Jenna Book.