Deservedly a “Read with Jenna”pick, the B&N Book Club selection, and offered by the Book of the Month Club, Alison Espach’s “The Wedding People” is a delightful story of people at their best and worst, set in a resort hotel near the Golden Age mansions of Rhode Island. Having her absolute worst day (her cat Harry has just died — something that also led Nora Seed of “The Midnight Library” to suicide), Phoebe has put on her best never-worn dress and gold heels and checked into the Grand Cornwall Inn that she dreamed about but never visited while she was still married to her cheating husband, only to find out that the entire venue has been booked for the wedding week of Lila and Gary. No matter, she plans to take her cat’s leftover painkiller pills and kill herself. Except that she meets the bride in the lobby, decides to mention her reason for being there, and Lila immediately sucks Phoebe into the orbit of the wedding festivities, forbidding Phoebe to ruin her week.

This is a book about connections that’s both heartbreaking and joyful as we follow Phoebe’s transformation into someone who is finally figuring out who she is and how she magically interacts with the rest of the wedding people. Lila is the perfect wannabe Bridezilla, overwrought but still very sweet and vulnerable. Helen Laser’s narration is equally joyous, and she masters a series of different voices and accents for the cast of characters. I loved the story (sometimes a bit predictable) and I eventually came to love each and every one of the wedding people. 5 stars!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy!

At first I thought “this book is so depressing”. The author did a great job getting us to feel what phoebe was feeling. Then, it slowly turned around bringing us back to being ok despite all that has happened. I loved how it was wasn’t a happily ever after but a it ended just right!

This book surprised me. I thought it would be more quirky and funny but it was definitely more of a deeply emotional read. What do we do when we've lost our way and can't seem to get back on track? The character development is fabulous and this entire book is brilliantly written! It leaves you thinking long after you've finished it. I am so thankful I got the chance to listen to this ARC copy from NetGalley. The narrator was absolutely perfect for this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a fun one but also is on a very tough subject matter, suicide. Phoebe hits rock bottom, She always wanted to travel to Newport, Rhode Island, so she decides to go and she rents a room in an expensive hotel, but when she gets there she realizes she just crashed a wedding weekend.

Described as “absurdly funny and devastatingly tender”, I was pleasantly surprised by this touching novel about friendship and love. It is a character driven novel that deals with a number of “trigger warning” topics sensitively.

I was immediately sympathetic toward 40 year old Phoebe, the FMC, who feels lost and depressed after a pandemic divorce. She escapes to the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, where she meets a beautiful bride, Lila. Lila has been planning her dream wedding for 2 years and she and her guests have taken over the hotel. Phoebe soon becomes absorbed by the “wedding people”. It’s sad and surprisingly funny, with morbid, dark humor as Phoebe and Lila discover the surprising honesty of strangers. The story is heartwarming and ultimately hopeful.

I listened to the audio version, and thought the narrator, Helen Laser was fantastic. She managed to voice a wide range of characters effectively. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. Pub Date 7/30/24

4.5 stars rounded up
I was able to listen to this audiobook in advance thanks to NetGalley.

I didn't read the synopsis before starting this book and expected it to be a romance but I am much happier with this story than I would have been with a romance, haha. I was surprised by the dark beginning and found it a little too relatable at points, but really enjoyed it anyway, and I love the direction the book went.
The humor was phenomenal and the life lessons were deep.
I found the narrator to be easy to listen to and found it easy to differentiate between different characters. Though there were points when there were edits added in that sounded way different and it threw me off every time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a darker sense of humor but still likes some light and hope in their reads.
I would advise anyone who is not in a good mental place to be wary of the beginning of the book.

Absolute perfection. This book spoke directly to my soul, sounds dramatic, but truly, this book felt like it was written TO me. Yes, I'm in a very happy marriage, but at 32, I completely understand the feelings that Phoebe experienced. One of my favorite things about books is that you never know when there will be a quote, or description that perfectly captures a feeling you haven't been able to describe before, and you're like YES. THIS is what I feel/felt. This will easily be a top 5 read of 2024 for me, and will be a book that I come back to over and over and over again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. You made my year better by approving me for this one <3

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers audio book! i really enjoyed this one! I love the characters. They were likeable and relatable. Phoebe is the only character staying at the Cornwall Inn that is not part of the wedding. It is fun to watch her character change as she becomes friends with different members of the wedding party. I thought the narration was great and would recommend this audio book, Release date is 7/30.

Phoebe's life and marriage have fallen apart, and Lila's life and marriage are just about to begin. Yet, at a crossroads, these lives intersect. What results is laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, and relatable. I loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This novel is, quite simply, fantastic. I have been hearing nothing but rave reviews for this book and it is by far the most popular book club pick for August 2024. It is absolutely worth the hype.

Your heart will break and soar for Phoebe and the entire cast of characters. This story is propulsive and life-affirming. The Wedding People is a beautiful debut that I will be raving about for a long time. The audiobook is perfect and I highly recommend it.

Engaging, entertaining, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where women's fiction is popular.

Alison Espach's The Wedding People surprised me with its depth and symbolism. Set against the backdrop of weddings, marriages, and relationships, this novel explores the profound question of "what is life" through various stages—marriage, divorce, and the intricacies of human connections.

What stood out most to me was Espach's ability to weave deep issues seamlessly into an adorable narrative. She doesn't shy away from portraying the challenges and complexities of relationships, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The way she highlights how COVID tested and reshaped relationships resonated deeply with me, reflecting the realities many faced during those uncertain times.

The characters are vibrant and relatable, each navigating their own path through love, loss, and self-discovery. I LOVE how Pheobe was able to connect with all the characters and they were able to learn from eachother so effectively-- I personally loved the connection between Juice and Phoebe the best! Espach's writing effortlessly captures the nuances of emotions and the evolution of relationships, making the story feel authentic and heartfelt.

However, while I appreciated the timely exploration of COVID's impact on relationships, I found the consistent ties to the pandemic slightly repetitive at times. While it added a layer of realism to the story, I felt it distracted a bit from the timeless message about life and love.

Overall, The Wedding People is a charming novel that balances adorable moments with profound insights into the human experience. Espach's exploration of "what is life" stages—marriage, divorce, and relationship challenges—makes this book a worthy read for anyone looking to delve into both the joys and complexities of modern relationships.

Book was wonderful but audiobook was even better. Narration was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Audiobook narrated by Helen Laser
Publishing Date: July 30, 2024

Wow, this cover attracted me instantly and made me want to pick it up. I love the ocean and it seems like a lighthearted fun.
Then I read the synopsis, and it sounded more like a serious drama (the main protagonist is suicidal) and I put it off.
A few months later, I watched someone recommending this book on booktube and it made me interested in it again.
And was I glad to give it a chance - I thought the book is very fun in a very absurd way.

First of all, to enjoy this book, you must suspend your disbelief - because this situation is frankly ridiculous. I think the author knows that, and still created this weird situation and made it very funny and somehow hopeful. It made me laugh more than once.
In this book, Phoebe is a middle-aged woman who has gone through life's many challenges. Her family planning is not going well, her career is going nowhere, her marriage is falling apart. She decides to end it all at a posh sea-side hotel in Rhode Island. When she arrives, the entire hotel was reserved by a wedding party led a bridzilla, Lila. Phoebe is now surrounded by Lila's family and friends, her fiance, and his family.
I am not sure how to categorize this book - maybe a contemporary fiction, or humor. with a touch of romance There is a strong found family elements to it which is so loveable, and I enjoyed references to classic books. I didn't expect it to be so raunchy though - it is sexually explicit at times, so be aware if you are a prissy type like me.
Overall I found the book surprisingly entertaining and had great times. It's a good summer read - light-hearted and hopeful.

I have received an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange with my honest review. My opinions herein are my own. Thank you, I enjoyed this!

Read if you like:
🤷🏻‍♀️ Character Driven Novels
😭 Being Down Sad
💍 Weddings
✨ Fate

When Phoebe arrives at a beautiful and overpriced hotel in Rhode Island slowly her plans for her trip go away as a wedding is being held and all staff attention has been set for the wedding guests that Phoebe is now an unintentional interloper at, as the only non-wedding guest at the hotel.

When Phoebe runs into the bride and finds out that her plan for “only guests” has been ruined, she doesn’t realize how ruined until Phoebe admits without much thought her true plans for her stay at the hotel, and somehow Phoebe and the bride find themselves confessing they secrets to each other, and one thing turns into another and Phoebe ends up staying the whole week for the wedding as a now guest of the bride while she reflects on her life and why she originally came to the hotel.

The book is dark, funny, sad, happy, and hopeful all in one with a feeling of being a stream of consciousness while also feeling like listening in to a very private conversation that you shouldn’t be hearing because it’s just too personal, raw and real to be overheard.

I truly loved this book and all of its complexities and have already started recommending it before I could even finish it.

Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio, Henry Holt & co for my ears, physical ARC and gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

A wedding in Rhode Island is an inviting setting for this contemporary title. Phoebe Stone leaves St. Louis with her best green dress on and settles into a room at the Cornwall. Lila Winthrop is the Bride. She is swanning about the place --living her best life as queen over the $1 million wedding week. Phoebe's big reveal is like a scratched record. Here are three things I loved about this new release:

👰The conversations between Phoebe and Lila are witty and refreshing. They may become friends despite their age and life experience differences.
🌊The Rhode Island setting is intriguing and their wedding week events are entertaining to tag along on. My favorite was the surfing lessons.
🥂The conversations and interactions helped me to take a new look at my marriage and relationships with my kids.

Unfortunately I did not find this to be as amazing as so many others.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio (Helen Laser is perfection as the narrator) and NetGalley for an audio copy and to Henry Holt and Co. and Edelweiss+ for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Phoebe takes her dream trip to a fancy hotel in Newport to cope with her divorce. She is quickly mistaken as part of the wedding party that’s taken over the hotel. After an unexpected meeting between Phoebe and Lila, the bride, where they vastly overshare, the two keep confiding in each other the whole wedding week.
This story centers around a very deep issue and an accompanying message that is very important. I enjoyed the storyline and the experience of listening to the book, but something fell a bit flat. The emotional moments didn’t have the impact I was expecting. The characters were not very likable in my opinion. I also did not enjoy the narrator which may have been part of why I wasn’t able to connect fully to the story. I would recommend this book as I do think it tells an important message and it may be more relatable to others.

Can one conversation, one chance encounter in an elevator, change someone’s life? Have you stopped to wonder what happened to a stranger you met in a waiting room or shared a table with at a coffee shop? Did that moment touch them? In her latest novel, Alison Espach explores the power of human connection through the eyes of a woman who feels she has no connections left.

Pheobe Stone travels to Newport, RI, intending to kill herself from an occean point of view. Instead, she finds herself inserted into an over-the-top wedding week, the confidant to the bride, Lila, and befriending the sister and daughter of the groom. Through her interactions with ‘the wedding people, ’ Phoebe somehow finds herself beginning to enjoy life again. There is so much heartbreak and yet so many optimistic moments along the way.

Dark yet uplifting,𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 is the perfect blend of humor, life’s unpredictability, and what happens when we truly let ourselves be honest. Espach’s writing is engaging, thoughtful, and full of the messiness of life. She takes the seriousness of suicide and several other complex themes and infuses a heartening character study and, quite frankly, a deep insight into the things that truly make life good. (Note: Check content warnings as needed.)

Helen Laser’s narration perfectly captures Pheobe’s emotions, from sorrow to joy, as she reinvents how she presents herself to the world. Through her impressive range, she makes each character sound unique and deepens the reader’s connection to each one. There is a rich tone to her voice that elevates this impressive narrative even higher. I frequently replayed the audio to hear the many insightful quotes. This novel tugs at your brain and your heart.

Through wit, unique bonds, and wonderfully written prose, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 will capture your heart and leave you missing the wedding people long after they have all left Newport. I am so excited for this book to make it out into the world and cannot recommend it enough.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach was a wonderful break in my summer reading and unexpected from what I thought the impression of this novel would be. I appreciated that the story was relatable and the characters felt they were alive and real people- Pheobe, Lila, and even Gary . They were dynamic and Helen Laser did a wonderful job in her narration of the characters and the audiobook. The characters were a bit impulsive at times, a little uncontrollable and unhinged at times, but as humans we are, too! I thought that the heartwarming piece was the way that Phoebe was included in the wedding party, which was unexpected. Pheobe's journey of self-discovery and processing her life was so real. I really appreciated the process of unpacking life and the events that grow us in it. I appreciated the dark humor as well. It was a unique and distinctive novel.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Media and Netgalley for the ARC. I am so grateful.

I really liked The Wedding People by Alison Espach this is my first book by her and I will be reading her others! Phoebe goes to a Rhode Island hotel with the intention of ending her life only to find herself checked in as the only non guest of wedding happening at the end of the week. On accident she ends up telling the bride her plans, the bride who doesn't want her wedding week ruined makes her mission to at least postpone Phoebes decision. This was a well written story and I loved the journey that Phoebes character goes on over the course of the week. All the side characters were extremely enjoyable and probably could've all had books of their own. The narration was well done and fit the story well. I'm giving this one 4 stars and will for sure recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review.