Just enough to keep you intrigued but not enough twists and turns to recommend it. I’ve read his books and loved them but this one just missed the mark for me.

After reading and enjoying Hidden Pictures, I was curious to see what he would do next. I'll be honest, when I first read the blurb about this book I wasn't that excited. It just didn't sound that interesting to me. But I was able to receive an audio ARC of it so I thought I would give it a listen for spooky season.

First of all, this book isn't a horror book like Hidden Pictures. It's a mystery/thriller. A father (Frank) receives a call from his estranged daughter and is invited to her wedding. Upon arriving, he begins to discover that the very wealthy family she is marrying into is full of dangerous secrets. Fearing that she is making a huge mistake, he tries to get her to back out of the wedding before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this one but that may be because I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. He brought the characters to life and made you understand what Frank was feeling. Speaking of Frank, I found him to be a very likeable character. He's just an average guy who has worked hard to provide for his family and wants nothing more than for his daughter to be happy.

I don't read too many domestic thrillers but I did find myself slowly becoming more and more engaged in the story. I really wanted to see where this was all going, and by the time I hit the 75% mark I was flying through to the end. Overall, I thought this one was a lot of fun. I think that if you're a fan of thrillers I would give this a shot. Just don't go in expecting any type of supernatural/horror like Hidden Pictures.

I wouldn't say this is a "hold your breath, sitting at the edge of your seat thriller" but it was very interesting, and I was intrigued the entire time. I thought it was well paced and there was enough mystery to keep me guessing. Frank's perspective was really refreshing; I liked that he was a no-nonsense guy who knows right from wrong. There were moments where I thought he was kinda dumb, but this is a mystery thriller so of course he has to be a little dumb.

I am giving this 3.5 stars because it was a good read, but it wasn't something that blew me away. I would definitely recommend this to people though.

It was a really great audiobook! The narrator did a really good job, and I liked his accent. It definitely added a lot to the experience!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy. I was extremely looking forward to this book. I had loved Jason‘s last book. I will say the book was good, but it wasn’t as good as his last one. However, I am still looking forward to anything else that he publishes

This book is in my top 5 best thrillers this year! The plot is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat.

We follow Frank Szatowski who is a UPS driver and lost his wife a few years ago. He has a daughter named Maggie that he is estranged from for the past three years. So Frank is very surprised when Maggie calls him out of the blue to invited him to her wedding in a few months. All he can think about is how he wants to spend time with Maggie and catch up from the time that they were not speaking.

Frank is unaware that Maggie is marrying Aiden Gardner, the son of Errol Gardner the Tech Billionaire. That is until he arrives in New Hampshire and pulls to the guard gate and sees this massive estate. He knows that he is way out of his league. But his main focus is to spend time with Maggie on her special week end. Frank tries to get to know his new in-laws, but everyone seems tight lipped. Frank had a run in with some locals and they did not seem to keen on the Gardners. They told Frank about a missing local woman, and they seem to think that the Gardner family is covering something up. Now Frank is determined to find out what kind of family Maggie is marrying into.

I had a great time reading this book. So much suspense and twisty turns that I made quick work of it. There were so many “WHAT!!” moments that I did not see coming. I was questioning where this book is headed, whether in a good or bad way, because it was so unpredictable and turned you in many different directions. I feel that this is a must read this year! I love Hidden Pictures and now The Last One at the Wedding is right up there as well.

“There are no limits to how far parents will go to deceive themselves.” As we follow Frank, Maggie’s father, to her wedding with glimpses back into their past relationship, I became hopeful for reconciliation. But as tragedy after tragedy keep piling up, it’s very apparent that several of the characters are not as they appear to be.

Rekulak ("Hidden Pictures") has another winner on his hands. Readers who enjoy suspense, domestic thrillers and surprising twists will want to rush out to get this one.

Frank and his daughter, Margaret (Maggie), have been estranged for three years, much to his chagrin. So when Maggie calls him and tells him she's getting married and wants him to attend the wedding, he jumps at the chance. Only after meeting her fiance, Aiden, and his family do his misgivings begin to surface. Maggie and Aiden don't appear to be close. They don't seem like they're about to get married. Why?

Grab this audiobook and prepare to listen through the night!

I’ve seen a mix of reviews for this one, but I’m here to say I absolutely loved it! 💖 This story is a departure from "Hidden Pictures", so keep that in mind and dive in with an open mind. While it leans more towards a domestic thriller, the pacing was spot-on, keeping me hooked from start to finish!

John Pirhalla’s narration is a standout—he really adds depth to the characters, making them feel real, even when they’re not exactly likable (looking at you, cast of characters!). Frank, our main character and a relatable father, is the exception, and I found myself rooting for him throughout.

The setup takes a little time to build, but once you hit the halfway mark, the twists start coming fast and furiously. I was gasping and saying “What?!” out loud more times than I can count!

Overall, I’d give this a solid 4 stars. If you’re in the mood for a gripping story with plenty of surprises, definitely check this one out! 📖✨

I absolutely loved Hidden Pictures so I was thrilled to start this. This book was great from start to finish. It drew me in immediately and although there wasn’t a huge twist or anything overly shocking, I was captivated the entire time.

I loved Frank’s character arc in the story. At times I wondered what the point was of him being such an asshole, but then I realized Frank’s just a real one.

I’ve already recommended this to so many people so I’m very excited for the public to get to experience this on October 7!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed The Last One at the Wedding.
I think perhaps if you’re going into this expecting the same vibes as Hidden Pictures, you may be disappointed. However, with an open mind, this was a fantastic book.
To compare without spoilers, if you’re a fan of Riley Sager and enjoy all his books and understand that he writes two very different styles of thrillers then you’ll get it.
Back to The Last One at the Wedding. I really liked our MC Frank. Initially I was thrown off by Tammy and Abbigal, but I grew to really enjoy them as well. I loved the growth in Abbigail and Frank’s relationship as well. It felt like my growth with her was happening at the same time as Frank’s.
All in all, I thought this was a fantastic sophomore novel.

🎧 📖 note: John Pirhalla did a wonderful job with not only Frank’s narration but also all of the cast.

I was liking this and it was going fast but by the end I felt disappointed. Where are these huge twists everyone is talking about? What did I miss? And why did it end like that?

I did like the narration. 2.5 stars

The Last One At the Wedding was not what I expected. And I mean that in the best way. It proves that Rekulak can switch it up and still be incredible. But what I did not expect was to get emotional over a thriller with tinges of humor. Because oh, was it funny. The dialogue from our main character, Frank, made me chuckle so many times I lost count. Rekulak has a way with dialogue.

Frank really was all in for his daughter Maggie. I was astounded at all of the ways he extended himself to make sure she was happy. And that’s what got me. At first I was like, is this real? And then I had to laugh to myself. Ha. Yes, that’s what normal dads do. I had to unpack some of my baggage for this book, and it was a little sweet. So while I laughed, my throat also got a little heavy. You know, like right before you cry. Before your eyes feel with tears. Before they even fall. Just that heavy, choked up feeling.

I really loved this book, and I feel like I would recommended it as much as I recommend Hidden Pictures. It had great pacing, really good twists, unlikable characters, and even some societal awareness. It was fantastic.

Okay, so this book is nothing like the authors debut novel "Hidden Pictures" and I didn't go into it expecting that, so I wasn't disappointed on that front. However, I was super into this story the entire way through but the ending left me unsatisfied. This was, by no means, a bad book and had the ending been different, it may have gotten 4 or 5 stars, but because it let me down in the end, it gets a three star review.

I will say that the audio narration was great and it was a super easy listen. Just because I didn't love the way it all turned out, I'm still glad I read/listened to it and if you're looking for something a little different, give it a whirl!

I woke up at 5-something this morning to finish this book before work. That’s how you know it’s a good one!!

I usually only listen to books on my walks, this one I was listening to all the time. My first Jason Rekulak book did not disappoint! Hidden Pictures is next for fall spooky season.

The narrator was perfect. I hated him at first, boring guy but he played Maggie’s dad perfectly!

#NetGalley

This book is completely different from Jason Rekulak's previous novel, Hidden Pictures, but as long as you go into it knowing that - this was great!

I found myself anxiously awaiting to return to the book every time I had to put it down. I really loved the main character, Frank, and found myself wanting to investigate the 'mystery' right alongside him.

I really enjoyed the audio version of this as well, the narrator did a fabulous job.

4.5/5
Thank you @booksparks @flatiron_books @macmillan.audio #partner #macaudio2024 #frc2024 for the copies of this book!

After reading Hidden Pictures and loving it I did a cartwheel or two seeing that this book was a part of the fall line up! From the start of this one I was immediately hooked and buckled up for the wild ride. And boy was it one! Was it completely believable? Nope. Did I love it. Yep! I was very suspicious of some of those main characters and turns out my gut was right BUT the journey getting there I would have never guessed! I loved the characters because they felt very complex. I don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say love is blind in many levels in this book and the realism of looking past peoples faults rang true here. This book was very suspenseful and had some moments that made me sweat! There were so many jaw dropping moments I just absolutely loved in this one. My only complaint is the very last sentence. It left me confused. 🤔 If you’ve read this one, and understood the relevance of that last sentence DM me! I need to know! 🤣 I suppose I can ask him next Monday when I meet him 👀 Anyway, if you want to be invited to a turbulent wedding make sure to RSVP yes to this one!

This was an interesting read. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job bringing the main character to life. I did think the novel was very slow in the beginning but the last third of the book was worth it. Abigail added a ton for me and was totally the best part of the story. I didn’t think the big twist was really at that twisty. I had figured that out pretty early on. The main character was very relatable and it was easy to follow the story. Frank is excited to hear from his daughter Maggie. It’s been years since they had a disagreement that led to him being cut out of her life, but she is engaged and wants him to come to the wedding. From the moment Frank meets Maggie’s fiancé Aiden something seems off, but Maggie insists everything is magical. And the insanely fancy wedding events at Aiden’s family’s private lake resort do seem magical except when Frank looks closely not everything seems quite so perfect. Overall I enjoyed this thriller and would recommend it.

I did like this more than the last book I read by this author. The main character is kind of annoying. He can’t possibly be old enough to be as clueless as her is. Unfortunately, there are not very many characters to like here.

Beyond the characters, I was hoping for something more ominous and thrilling. This was ridiculous and sad most of the time. The ending went on far too long. Editing may have increased the stars.

This thriller was such a joy to listen to. I loved the narrator and how his different use of voices helped me picture each character in my head. Frank is a relatable down to earth character who finds himself in over his head when his daughter calls to invite him to her surprise wedding (after not talking for a few years). When Frank arrives, he quickly realizes that things are not what the seem as he starts to discover This narration reminds the reader how hard a parent will fight to protect their child, as well as the letdown when you realize your child is not what you think. Give this one a try! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, the audio house, narrator, and author for the opportunity to read a complementary copy of this book in return for a review, based upon my honest opinion

I really enjoyed this author’s last book Hidden Pictures so I was very excited to receive a complementary copy of this audiobook. This book was nothing like his last book, but it was just as enjoyable. The characters were well written, super unlikable, but perfectly enjoyable. The narrator did a wonderful job. I really enjoyed the way he brought the character of Frank to life.

Frank and his daughter Maggie are an estranged, she hasn’t been home since leaving for university years before. Maggie calls out of the blue telling Frank that she’s getting married and she wants him to walk her down the aisle. Frank is excited and heads out to meet his new son-in-law to be at their apartment, which turns out to be a high-rise penthouse and the son-in-law to be turns out to be Aidan Gardner son of millionnaire Errol Gardner.

Frank and his sister Tammy head to the weekend long wedding celebrations along with Tammy’s current foster child Abigail, who is awkward and and just so sweet. Frank is not sure this child should be coming with them but what else can he do but agree. As Frank tries to learn more and more about his new in-laws to be, he starts to realize that something’s out of place, something is not right. Frank only what’s the best for his daughter and decides he wants to get to the bottom of what’s going on, but the closer he gets to finding out what secrets are being kept the closer he gets to possibly being in danger.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book and look forward to more books by this author.