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.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I could not stop listening. The characters were so personable, they sucked me into their lives from page one...and I am still invested days after the book ended. It touches on difficult topics - suicide, depression, parent death, trauma from childhood, infidelity, but in a tasteful not overly dark way. It felt real, emotional and just wonderfully well done. I really loved the two main characters - both women who are incredibly different but also mesh really well together. That opposites "attract" in a platonic type of way. I liked that the book did not feel like it was finished, but also was not an abrupt end. I just really enjoyed every aspect of this book - a 2024 must read.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced audio copy.

The Wedding People was an absolutely brilliant book. I am happy to notate that I got a copy of the audiobook and oh my, did it not dissappoint. As someone who loves weddings, but hated the planning of them, this book was chefs kiss. The writing was spectacular, the characters and their individual characteristics were so well expressed, I felt like I really knew them. The conversations were deep, funny, and hopeful. I listened to this book in one seating, mostly because I was so engaged I wanted to know what was happening next.

This is a book I will absolutely recommend to my friends and followers, and possibly one I will gift to new friends that are brides to be.

Wow, I really liked the book, but I liked the audiobook even better. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook. My 3 star rating is an average of my opinion of the writing and narration (4 stars) and my feelings about the story (2 stars). I couldn't get past the flippant attitude of the bride towards a potential suicide. It set me on a downward spiral that the funny circumstances never quite redeemed. The narrator was quite talented and I wasn't bored while listening to the story, but I had a hard time actually liking any of the characters and I didn't appreciate the humor the way other reviewers have. All in all, it wasn't a bad selection, but I probably won't recommend it to friends.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I went in blind and was expecting more of cliche and this was such a thoughtful and heartwarming story. Trigger warning for suicide ideation: at the begging it starts because our protagonists shows up to a hotel to end her life. She is the only guest that is not part of the wedding and immediately meets the bride, and later the groom separately, and this chance encounter changes their trajectory. Somehow it was still lighthearted and hopeful even with those harder topics. The characters were lovable and relatable even when they were annoying. My main fear was a love triangle, I tend to have a pet peeve of emotional cheating. But I believe she handles that with care so it did not bother me. My favorite part was the friendships that develop, even at times when it seems lopsided it always goes deeper and we get a glimpse that nothing and no-one is that one dimensional and that there are more complex things at play. When it started leaning toward the romance, I was afraid it will overshadow and replace the budding friendship storyline as so many of these book do, but I was pleasantly surprised that she always returned to that the original friendship relationship was not dropped and forgotten by the author.

The audiobook narrator was excellent. She really captured the humor and the despair of all the characters and made it a truly enjoyable listen.
The only issue I had with the audiobook was a technical one that perhaps was such because it is not a finished copy. However, I had a hard time with the audio sometimes having some ADR clips added that seemed a different tone or pitch. Sometimes this would take me out of the story.

I went into this blind and was pleasantly surprised! I recommend going in blind as well. The mix of characters' personalities made for an entertaining story, which, one or two chapters in you'll probably think I'm crazy for saying that! This is fresh and, while heavy, has lots of moments of light and laughter.

This story is absolutely amazing. Alison did a heck of a job on this one. It was deep and filled with tons of emotions.
The entire thing felt so real and like I was living in it. I became so attached to each and every character. The narrations was aboslutely fabulous.

Thank you so much NetGalley for a copy of this audio.

For months I’ve been eagerly awaiting my chance to read The Wedding People and let me just tell you…it did not disappoint! The story unfolded beautifully. Espach has such a gift for creating compelling characters!

After much hardship and feeling very much at the end of her rope, tired Phoebe checks into a gorgeous Newport inn to end it all. Bold (and very stressed) Lila will do whatever it takes to make sure her wedding week goes off without a hitch – and that includes making sure Phoebe doesn’t end her life and ruin the whole event. I loved how real their interactions felt, and the rest of the characters were eccentric and intriguing.

Phoebe’s journey was full of heart, heartache, and humor. I was invested from the very first moment, and I eagerly listened to “just 5 more minutes” at every opportunity. I’m not sure that the romantic aspect was my absolute favorite thing, but it didn’t take anything away from the story for me.

If you love character-driven stories full of big personalities, healthy doses of humor, and people navigating challenging life circumstances, check The Wedding People out! I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alison Espach for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!