I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and it did not influence my opinion in any way.

This is the second book I have read by this author, and although I absolutely loved Hidden Pictures, I have to admit that The Last One at the Wedding was fantastic. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator was also fantastic.

While Hidden Pictures was more of a paranormal/scary book, his new book was different in that sense. However, it still had suspense elements that made me a little afraid of the outcome. With unexpected twists and very complicated characters, this book is well-written and fast-paced and keeps you engaged from the beginning to the end.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley, for the Advanced Free Listening Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I've never been a big fan of books where there's a prominent character who's thoroughly unlikeable. It's even worse here, where we're seeing things through a male chauvinist character's annoying point of view. Why did no one warn me how triggering dad Frank, our first person POV character, would be?

I spent the first few chapters of The Last One at the Wedding thinking he's everything that's wrong with middle class men who ooze indignant entitlement, who wish we could go back to the "great" 1950s where their manly word is never questioned, where their scornful suspicions of everyone not exactly like them are treated like they hold water, and where appearances are so valuable no one's feelings should even be considered. I despised his old school character.

I actively and passionately hated The Last One at the Wedding. I can't even tell you if it was well-written or not, because I was too distracted by mister mansplainy manly man just being his scornful and snide self. It wasn't fun to hate him when he made comments like they're hiring women now too, because of that 'me too' stuff, or when he mistrusted every single person's intentions because only he knows better.

Does he happen to be right about a few things? Yeah, sure, but a story that relies on an Archie Bunker-styled character to solve a couple mysteries is absolutely a no go for me.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is an upcoming mystery/thriller novel.

Rekulak’s upcoming release is a suspenseful story with an intricate plot that will keep you reading. However, it does not feature any paranormal or bone-chilling aspects in the way that the author’s previous release, Hidden Pictures did.

The Last One at the Wedding follows Frank, a hardworking UPS delivery driver (this was a repetitive thing in the story so I mention it), who receives a call from his estranged daughter inviting him to her wedding to the heir of a billionaire. Frank is thrilled about being invited back into his daughter’s life and tries to be as involved in the wedding as possible. Only when he arrives at the secluded wedding venue does he realize that all might not be as it seems. While Aidan, his daughter’s fiance, seems like a stand-up guy, the characters surrounding him, his family and their billion dollar empire are anything but clear in their intentions.

Frank, being the protective father he is, tries to get to the bottom of all the mystery surrounding Aidan’s family and their history. But he is met with challenge after challenge, including a missing girl, an ill mother and the sense of entitlement that comes with being wealthy.

Rekulak creates a complex and engaging plot in The Last One at the Wedding. The characters in this story are incredibly unlikable and in a thriller, this works really well! I found the story interesting and especially appreciated the commentary on what the rich think they can do because well, money talks.

The Last One at the Wedding releases on October 8th. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC (advanced listening copy) of this book!

3.5 stars. The Last One at the Wedding is a fast paced thriller about a father (and proud UPS driver) going up against his billionaire in-laws-to-be. Fans of Linwood Barclay will like this one, I think--Frank Szatowski is very similar to Barclay's everyman protagonists suddenly thrown into situations they had never imagined. I enjoyed this book and was thrown for a loop by some of the twists, but I also began to get annoyed with Frank by the end--he is slow to see certain truths that are obvious to the reader. The audiobook narrator did a great job and seemed perfect for Frank's character. Overall very entertaining and a good popcorn thriller--would recommend!

I’ve heard the hype about Hidden Pictures, so I figured I’d give this a shot. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

We follow Frank while he navigates the utter quagmire that is Maggie’s engagement. I knew this was a mystery/thriller, but I didn’t expect the content. Rich people getting away with murder (quite literally) and really, really weird relationships. And I was going to lose my mind at the end if he didn’t stop what was in motion. The plot kept me hooked, especially after the halfway point or so.

It blows my mind to know there are people out there like these fictional ones. I’m confident most of these things have happened in real life and that’s a terrifying conclusion. Almost none of these characters are lovable. Obviously as we read more about them, we see redeeming qualities. Frank is a grumpy for a good bit of the book, and I even found myself wishing he’d chill out a bit. By the end, I was fine with his personality, mostly because he’d warmed to characters throughout the book. Maggie is disgusting and I’m glad she gets her punishment, but the scariest thing is the reality that the rich bad guys can usually worm their way out of everything.

The narrator was probably the most spot on it could be. With Frank entering this adventure grumpy but hopeful, the narrator does such a good job of conveying his emotions. It made the whole thing very believable. Even his rendition of female voices was respectable.

All in all, I did enjoy listening to this. It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it was intriguing and perhaps a bit too realistic. I’d give this a 4⭐️ rating.

Frank Szatowski is astonished when his daughter, Maggie, calls him out of the blue. They hadn’t talked in three years, and he was convinced that he would never hear from her again. Frank is even more shocked to hear that he is invited to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is determined to make things right with Maggie once and for all.

When Frank arrives at the wedding, he feels completely out of place. The Gardner family that Maggie is marrying into clearly has a lot of money. Additionally, Aidan, Maggie’s fiancée, is elusive and withdrawn. Everything isn’t as it seems with the Gardner family and Frank is determined to find out what the deal is before it’s too late.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and John Pirhalla did an excellent job bringing the book to life. I was hooked from the start. I enjoyed all the unexpected twists and turns throughout the book. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give it 4/5 stars.

A great thriller with many twists and turns. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was great. I highly suggest this book to all thriller readers.

This is my first book by Jason Rekulak and it did not disappoint. I listened to the audio version and thoroughly enjoyed the reading. This book kept you entertained and waiting for the next event to happen. I did not see the twists coming, which kept me wanting to listen more and more.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review The Last One at the Wedding.

This book started slow and ended horribly - to summarize I was pretty disappointed! I felt invested in the middle which is the only reason why I didn’t DNF. The “twists” were fairly predictable and I found myself wishing that things were more sinister and less fraudulent focused?? This story had all the potential to be edge-of-your-seat scary but in the end it was just a rich family with many dirty secrets…

The audio was very well done, the narrator kept the story alive and portrayed the character of Frank very well!

This book had a lot of promise but the twist kind of just fell flat This book kind of dragged for the last quarter of the book and I ended my read with more questions than answers.

I listened to the audiobook and did not enjoy the narrator at all.

Jason Rekulak writes another stunning thriller, The Last One at the Wedding. I listened to it on audio and I especially felt attached to Frank and everything he had been through. I found myself listening to it every chance I got to see how it would end. I’ll put this in with my other fave book by him Hidden Pictures. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published October 2024. You’ll want to grab this one!

This is a fun book to read. I honestly had no idea where it was going for the first 3/4 of the book. The main character Frank is the salt of the earth, hard working, soccer dad that I can really relate to. An extravagant night out is Red Lobster, fashion supplied by Costco/Walmart and it is painful at times to see the story unfold through his naïve eyes.

His only daughter Maggie/Margaret has leveled up- she went off to college and now lives in Boston working for one of the largest tech start ups. Their relationship is estranged and we have no idea why, but Frank gets a call on the first page and draws the reader right in.

I didn't set the book down from there.

This book really boils down to the story telling and narration. I keep thinking about it and even though all the characters in the book infuriated me, that's what has me hooked. It was really really well written.

I'm giving it 4 stars only because I wanted a little more at the end.... I liked it. I accept the end. But selfishly want a little more.

I really really enjoyed this one! The cast of characters feels so real and relatable. The narration of the audio book is fantastic and truly makes Frank feel like a dad on a mission to save his daughter.

This is the epitome of twisty domestic thriller - wedding drama, relationship drama, corporate greed, and a whole lot of murder!

After reading Hidden Pictures and loving it, I knew I needed to get my hands on The Last One at the Wedding. Let's start with the positives. The narrator of the audiobook was wonderful and I enjoyed the way he really brought the characters to life. Our main character was really fleshed out by the author and I appreciated that because I felt so sorry for him as the story progressed.
Onto the not so great.. I was expecting this to be more of a thriller but it was a family drama instead with a little mystery. There was a point during the story that I found myself shocked. The shocking part, the narrator, and our main character is why this book is getting 3 stars. I appreciated Frank and how he never wanted to give up hope for a relationship that had clearly disintegrated.
If you are a fan of books by Sally Hepworth you will probably enjoy this. Don't go into this book expecting anything like Hidden Pictures or a fast-paced, nail-biting thriller.. you will be disappointed.

My review of Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures also applies to The Last One At The Wedding.

What was that review? "There were parts I liked and parts I didn't and I hated how the ending wrapped up."

Speaking of this ending... ummm that's it!? That's the ending? What was that? Needless to say, it wasn't fulfilling, or altogether fleshed out enough to make it completely understandable!

What about the plot? There was a twist that I just didn't get as there were no discernible clues to point me to that conclusion. Frank was a smarter person than I with how he leapt to figuring that one out!

Speaking of Frank... I liked him a ridiculous amount! He's exactly the kind of character I love and adore, holding a special place in my mind and heart. I will always love you Frank, even if your presence was often overlooked by other characters!

What about the audiobook? John Pirhalla quickly became one of my favourite narrators with this one! His voice fit Frank SO perfectly, sounding naive, fatherly and quirky as needed! His voice acting skills were truly a highlight of what I loved about this book!

One last thing: I don't think the title matches the plot.

Ya, that's about it for this review, which I feel like I wrote in a backwards order. I loved Frank, (he will go down in history as one of my favourite male characters of all time), and I loved the audiobook... I just really didn't like the book itself!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audio copy to read and review.

Nicely done! This book was so different from Hidden Pictures. I liked them both, but I think this one will stick with me longer. There were plenty of characters you'll love to hate and a few that may win you over. And just like real life, there are one or two that I'm still a little mad at. 😂 John Pirhalla was the perfect choice for narrator of the audiobook. He really brought Frank to life in a way that created a vivid picture of the characters and scenes playing out. His performance definitely enhanced the reading/listening experience.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

This was a very good book!! I liked the narrator and the way they spoke! I loved the drama, the thrills, twists and turns, and the suspense that starts immediately!. It was fast paced and I liked the ending but it was still a bit rushed in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Audiobook Arc Review-- 4 ⭐
Publication Date-- October 8, 2024

After reading seeing all the hype and praise for Hidden Pictures I expected this book to be a lot better than I found it to be. First of all--the narrator for the audiobook was fantastic--he had a great voice and nice range--I found him very easy to listen to. Second--the story was intriguing--it drew me in right from the start. Usually audiobooks are hard for me to pay attention to and I find myself going back and re-listening to things over and over again. I didn't feel the need to do that with this one, it kept me entertained throughout.

My biggest issue with the book was how early on the "big" twist was revealed. It left the rest of the book falling really flat for me and almost unneeded. The ending was very anticlimactic. I was left with so many more questions than I had answers to. I just felt like the author gave up and said "let's end it here". It didn't wrap anything up for me and I feel things could have been ended a chapter or two earlier with readers left to guess what happened instead of what we were given.

Overall this is a solid thriller from Rekulak and I would recommend reading it. It definitely has potential, I just would have liked more from the ending and last 1/3 of the book or so. \

✨Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and the author for an audiobook ARC in exchange for my review. ✨

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is an thriller that combines family drama with gripping suspense. The story follows Frank Szatowski, a father estranged from his daughter, Maggie, who surprises him with an invitation to her lavish wedding at a secluded estate. What starts as a hopeful reunion quickly turns unsettling as Frank realizes that something is off with his daughter's new family, the wealthy and mysterious Gardners. Rekulak masterfully builds tension, immersing readers in Frank’s growing paranoia and fear, while navigating the complexities of fatherhood. This novel keeps you guessing, making it an entertaining read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you Jason Rekulak, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

4.5 ☆
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This book was W I L D! How do you write a review without giving spoilers? Just read this book if you enjoy murder mysteries.
The audiobook was good, and I enjoyed that it was told from a father's POV. The narrator did a good job telling the story.
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Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.