Love this book! This isn’t my usual genre I’m more of a mystery thriller person but this kept my interest throughout! There were moments where I was laughing and on the verge of tears. Such an amazing book of finding yourself. Definitely recommend to every reader no matter your preferred genre. I enjoyed this book so much I’m hopeful for a sequel. The characters are so well explained and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voices!

This wasn’t my favorite book - but it could also just be I wasn’t in the mood for some of the darker subject matter at the time of reading. As a mood reader, that can be tough and definitely my own issue. Aside from that, I did enjoy this story.

3.75 stars

Phoebe Stone checks herself into a beautiful hotel to kill herself. She is told once she arrives that a mistake has been made and she is the only one not in the wedding party that is staying at the hotel. When the bride, Lila, meets Phoebe in the elevator and finds out her plans, she refuses to let anything destroy or taint her wedding week. I loved both Phoebe and Lila’s characters. So real and refreshing. Both women were experiencing loss and dealing with it in different ways. This is a beautifully written story with moments of laughter and tears. Heavy topics such as mental health, failed IVF, divorce, and the loss of a parent were present, but the book overall was uplifting and lighthearted. I listened to the audiobook and thought this was one of the best narrators I have heard. I was pulled right in, and the way Helen Laser spoke and read the story was outstanding. This one is a must read!

In Wedding People, Phoebe has hit rock bottom and heads to a fancy hotel to commit suicide. Except there is a wedding party that has taken over the entire hotel - except for Phoebe. After Phoebe is thrown into the wedding festivities, everything starts to change. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was hilarious, clever, compelling, raw and honest. Phoebe was snarky and biting and it cracked me up. The realness of life in your middle age was absolutely perfect and so spot on. I loved the second chance at life and how human connection can make a world of a difference. It was just beautifully written with the perfect dialogue and most in-depth, multi-dimensional lovable characters. Heartwarming, funny and just so relatable. Be prepared to guffaw out loud and wipe tears from your eyes. All the stars.

The developing—and wildly mismatched—relationship between Lila (the young bride) and Phoebe (the middle-aged wedding crasher) is interesting. Lila doesn't waste too much time before she starts to show some compassion and affection for Phoebe. Phoebe is gifted at listening to others, which is shown in retellings of interactions with her students (she's a college professor) and with the wedding people she meets. I didn't find either woman particularly likeable for the majority of the book. Phoebe is wimpy—allowing people to run roughshod over her. Lila is self-centered and shallow. Each redeems herself to a degree before the conclusion.

I bookmarked a handful of truly funny or thoughtful passages. I wish there had been more of both, to counter the significant negative aspects of the story. Content warnings include infertility, infidelity, and suicidal thoughts.

Helen Laser narrates masterfully, as always.

My above-median rating (3.33⭐)—which is a perfectly respectable rating coming from me—pales in comparison to many early reviewers. I tend to be more measured in my ratings than most—I don't give many extremely low or extremely high ratings. That is to say, if you are drawn to the publisher's description, you should feel confident that this book is worth trying, whether you're considering my rating or the vast number of higher ratings.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. It was far far more depressing than I expected! The audiobook reader was quite good, but some of the edits in were really obvious and they were distracting.

I would recommend to my most mentally stable friends only!

Taking a new lease on life Phoebe gives up on the crap and starts to speak her mind. Boy does that change her life. You never know where your inspiration will come from to carry on.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an amazing audiobook.

When Phoebe arrives at the Cornwall Inn, she's surprised to find herself as the only person there not in attendance for a wedding. Soon she finds herself caught up in the lives and drama of these people she did not expect. The Wedding People blends dark humor (LOVE) and oddball hijinks (a bit much for me at times, but it did not detract) with real heart and it pulls this blend off in a way that does not feel like a gimmick. It's a wise, charming, unique novel perfect for when you want something propulsive with substance. Helen Laser's audiobook narration is absolutely perfect for this book as well.

This was an absolutely fantastic find. I loved everything about the story, from the characters (who were marvelously quirky and real) to the plot (which twisted all over the place) to the narration (which added a depth to the experience by perfectly capturing the snarky pathos of the story). Espach has an uncanny knack for the vagaries of human emotion, shifting her characters through the full spectrum in single conversations that are moving and hilarious and dark and thought-provoking without ever feeling forced or overdone. The dark humor is spot-on perfect, balancing on a knife edge that keeps the reader vacillating through light and dark moments with the precision of a maestro. I loved everything about this one, and am definitely keeping my eye out for more from the author!

Post pandemic, When tragedy bestows Phoebe, she finally decides to do something for herself. She takes a much desired trip to the ritzy Cornwall resort in Newport Rhode Island. But why she is going may not be what it seems. Upon arrival she quickly realizes she is the only guest in the hotel that is not part of “The Wedding.” How did this happen?! The bride asks. 28 year old Lyla who always gets what she wants is appalled and when she discovers Phoebes plans she makes it her mission to not let her ruin the wedding.
•
I LOVED this book! The audio was perfection. Leach writes with so much heart. This book has a little something for everyone, heartbreak, tragedy, humor, laugh out loud commentary, witty banter and romance. I’m so excited to see that it was announced a Read With Jenna pick too. This book gave me so many feels and I have never loved a set of characters more. Especially phoebe who completely stole the show. A must read!

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and co. For an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The juxtaposition of the two somewhat opposing life events had me intrigued from the start. The characters who seemed shallow & superficial were given layers, and the characters who are clearly layered from the outset thoughtfully progressed in sometimes unexpected ways. While Phoebe took some turns that made me want to throw my book at her, her story seemed consistent for her character, and her ending was fantastic. The narration by Helen Laser was wonderful.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the ARC audiobook

“The Wedding People” was such an unexpected fun read. I couldn’t stop listening and loved the different story line. The Rhode Island setting near the ocean was a perfect New England summer read. I loved the friendships and growth themes through this entertaining story

Even though I read the summary prior to jumping into The Wedding People, I did not fully realize what kind of story I entered into (this was a good thing). Set in Newport, Rhode Island, Phoebe Stone books a room not to take a vacation, but to commit suicide (trigger warning). When she finds she is the only guest there who is not participating in the wedding scheduled to take place that week, she is not deterred…until she meets the bride, Lila, who (in spoiled rich-girl fashion) insists Phoebe will not ruin her wedding. What unfolds next is absurd, emotional, and even heartwarming. It took me a while to warm to Phoebe and ingest the events that led up to her serious decision, but once I did I eagerly learned more about all the flawed characters. Some of the book felt over-the-top (Lila spends a million dollars on this wedding and invites Phoebe) while other parts felt so utterly real (Phoebe confronting her aging body) that it made more impactful. Extra points for showing a variety of relationships in more real way (loved seeing a father/daughter relationship that was hopeful) as well as Phoebe’s older age and growth. I appreciated a wedding venue set on Rhode Island instead of the usual tropical getaway. This story was heavier than I anticipated, but that made it stick with me in a way that lighter reads don’t. Sad when the book was over…I could have kept going with these characters. Narration by Helen Laser was a great fit for Phoebe. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved the main character and found her very relatable. The relationships between the characters made it fun and entertaining. The writing was very witty, and I appreciated the honesty of the narrative. This was a very people-centric novel, and I liked getting to know all the characters.

This book has gotten so much hype and I'm here to tell you it is absolutely worth it. This was heartbreaking at times, sexy, witty and I loved it!

This was so much more and so much better than I expected! I really came to care about this crew of flawed characters, and I enjoyed how the story ended. The narration was also very good. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really great! It starts a bit dark, but humorous. It's really funny and witty and well written. Phoebe books herself a suite at the beautiful Cornwall Inn which was supposed to be reserved exclusively for a wedding that week. She becomes part of the festivities and all of the nonsense that typically accompanies a lavish wedding.
This was just really great. It left me wanting to come back to the book without being overly predictable. I really liked all of the characters which is hard to do. Even when they were flawed they also had redeemable qualities.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook!

I was given an advanced copy of the written version of this book , a few pages in this seemed like it was going to be a very depressing book, a woman planning her own suicide. It’s not a trigger for me but there was no indication of this in the description. I thought I’d give it another go once I received the audio version. The narrator did an excellent job of telling the story. A high maintenance bride is not going to let anything ruin this very expensive wedding. With a lot of quirky characters and some funny moments this turned out to be very entertaining. The underlying theme being life gets better when you’re at your breaking point. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily

I read this book as an ARC back in November of last year. I absolutely fell in love. This story grabs your heart without even trying. It’s like you just can’t help it. Phoebe is a character I think about to this day, and now with a voice to her after listening to the audio book, I don’t think that’s about to change.

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc Audiobook! I loved every second of it and didn’t want it to end. Every once and awhile you get a novel that you can’t put down and is so refreshing and “The Wedding People” was it for me! I found it deeply moving at parts and so funny at others I genuinely laughed out loud. The character growth of everyone was phenomenal, the reader really felt part of that journey almost like an invisible guest at the wedding along with them! I would recommend this book to anyone who’s asking what to read next! I loved the narrator, and will look for more books she has narrated to add to my TBR. If I really want to be nit picky my only complaint is there are times when listening the recording sounds added in differently. Maybe when they were recording they used different equipment to add edits, I don’t know those details but on my AirPods it was obvious her voice and sound would change mid sentence a few times throughout the book randomly. Again it changed nothing about the story just a “what was that” that took me out of the moment.