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.

What a great book!!! The way the two female main characters complement each other is unreal. A divorcee professor takes a trip to a hotel she always wanted to go to with her ex, but this time for very different reasons. There she runs into a bride who thought she bought out the whole hotel for just her wedding guests. The story just takes off from there! If you like some dark humor, complicated relationships, and messy weddings - READ THIS!

This book was so wonderful and I look forward to reading more novels from Alison Espach in the future. Also hope this gets picked up as a movie!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio copy of the book.

I loved this book so much! Phoebe is a character that will stick with me for a long time. This character driven novel was well written with great character arcs and amazing relationship development. I loved the setting and how the story unfolded.

In the Wedding People by Alison Espach, we watch the main character, Phoebe, hit rock bottom. Content warnings should include death of parent, infidelity/divorce and suicide ideation. All that being said, and as much as I dreaded the way the book opened - I am always rooting for the main character, and she is in trouble from the word go. I really enjoyed this read and watching Phoebe really find herself. Here is how the rest of review would read if Phoebe wrote it:

We were good, we were gold
Kinda dream that can't be sold
We were right 'til we weren't
Built a home and watched it burn
… Mm, I didn't wanna leave you
I didn't wanna lie
Started to cry, but then remembered I
… I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours
Say things you don't understand
I can take myself dancing
And I can hold my own hand
Yeah, I can love me better than you can

Thank you Miley Cyrus for putting better than I could.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this fabulous book by Alison Espach, with the audiobook narrated perfectly by Helen Laser. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Phoebe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, for a one-night only stay. She's immediately mistaken as one of the wedding people, because Lila has taken over the entire inn for a 6-day, million dollar wedding. As much as Phoebe tries to stay out of the way, she soon becomes a confidant to Lila, and the two become close.

This is the perfect summer novel. It's beautifully written to touch all your emotions, but with that dark humor I love to balance it out.. I loved getting to know these characters, especially Phoebe, and loved going along on their journey to find themselves. It's hilarious, touching, hopeful, and will have you rooting for both these women while you are vicariously experiencing all this wedding and family drama. There's a wonderful cast of supporting characters too, those you'll love and those that will have you rolling your eyes.. I already miss all the wedding people - don't miss this wonderful book! Helen Laser's narration only added to the perfection.

I wasn’t expecting such a dark start for a second chance romance but I loved how it played out. It starts off a little depressing, but I enjoyed going on Phoebe’s self growth journey to find happiness and a new beginning. As Phoebe gets to know the wedding guests, she is able to provide them with her observations to help their relationships. In return, she gets to experience what a family is. I found all the characters to be entertaining and well written, which made it a fun story. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was great.

*Provided an ALC (advance listening copy) audiobook from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

“For a suicidal person you’re kinda funny.”-Lila

It’s so much easier to tell your truth when you don’t plan on being alive the next day. Phoebe has always been a quiet people pleaser, hoping to blend in and survive. She overthought every conversation. She was self conscious and lacked self worth. When she hits her rock bottom she decides to take a final trip to a uber expensive resort where she will take her life. Once you feel like you’ve lost all control in your life, having control over your death just feels…right. She ends up being the only non-guest at a six day wedding celebration and crosses paths with the bride, Lila.

Lila is stuck playing the part of perfect bride-to-be hostess. Lila and Phoebe are an unlikely friend duo, but Lila can actually be herself around Phoebe. She finds Phoebe’s blunt honesty refreshing.

Every character was well written, realistic, and complex. I was impressed with the emotional depth throughout the entire book. I laughed out loud and I cried tears. No one was fully bad or good. Just real. I loved Phoebe’s new outlook on life once she decided to die. She was finally able to say and do all the things she would typically keep bottled inside.

Great audio narration/acting. There were times where the sound briefly sounded different, like those parts were edited at a different volume/sound quality, but it wasn’t enough to overly distract me.

And let’s not forget that amazing cover! This is in the running for my favorite book of the year.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Pub Date Jul 30 2024

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the characters, and found them relatable. I liked the authors spin on some tough topics, by adding some side humor and jokes along the way. I didn't want the book to end! If this was a movie I would go see it.

Admittedly, I didn’t think this was going to be for me at first. It was very dry, very depressing, and just not at all what I was expecting at the start. Espach totally changed my mind, and I fell in love with the story and the characters as time went on. The character development and growth for some was a joy to listen to, and the narrator did a great job bringing life to this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I wasn't sure about this book at the beginning. With FMC struggling so much, it was more emotionally draining than I thought. However, the beginning was necessary to really elaborate on the FMC's need to connect to people. I found the characters in the story likable and I ended up not wanting to put the book down towards the end. Truly a sweet love story.

As someone getting married in Newport, RI this year, I knew I had to read this novel when I saw the blurb. While my wedding will be nothing like the one featured in The Wedding People, it was fun to read scenes set in Newport’s most iconic places. Espach did a fantastic job developing her characters and their relationships throughout the story. I truly was sad when this book ended - not because it necessarily had a sad ending, but because I could have easily spent many more chapters with this cast.

Five bright, shiny stars for this magnificent book! What an absolute delight to listen to on audiobook. The narrator, Helen Laser, brought the story to life with her stunning performance and I was actually sad when it ended. I will miss these characters! Alison Espach has written my favorite book of 2024 and I will definitely be rereading in it print form.

Thank you to Alison Espach, MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Cornwall Inn is the luxurious setting of Lila’s $1 Million wedding. What could possibly happen? Enter Pheobe, the only person who is not a member of the wedding party who has donned a beautiful green dress and gold shoes for the occasion. A chance meeting between Lily and Pheobe changes the course of both of their lives. Through conversations with Lily, Phoebe was able to reexamine her initial decision to take her life.

If you enjoy the idea of found family and second chances, The Wedding People is one for you.
I found myself thinking of the characters long after the book was over.

I listened to the Audiobook, provided by MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. This audiobook was narrated by Helen Laser who provided cast of characters that kept me engaged throughout. Many thanks for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.