In #LastOneAtTheWedding by Jason Rekulak, our main character, Frank, is a widower with a daughter from whom he has been estranged for the past 3 years. When his daughter, Maggie, calls to say she is engaged- Frank is thrilled to be getting another chance with his child. He drives up to Boston to have dinner with Maggie and her fiancé, Aidan Garden. The dinner doesn’t go as Frank hopes and he is concerned about Aidan and thinks something is off. But he doesn’t want to rock the boat and just wants to be in his daughter’s life. Frank and his sister drive up to the wedding in New Hampshire at the Gardner family’s summer camp. The Gardner’s are beyond wealthy and Frank is uncomfortable with the wealth and cryptic letter he received implying Aidan is responsible for the disappearance of a girl. Things go from bad to worse during the long wedding weekend and Frank is convinced he needs to get Maggie and get out of there. Obviously, that’s not what happens. I loved Frank and his sister. Thanks to #netgalley and #macmilanaudio for my advance audio copy.

I pleasantly enjoyed this audiobook. The storyline was a solid 4.5 stars for me. It kept my attention throughout. I did like the way it ended but it just felt cut short. Missing something. The narrator did a great job. Absolutely phenomenal with all the characters. I think this may be a book I recommend the audiobook over the physical book just for the experience. If you’re looking for a mystery thriller, this is a perfect read for those cool, spooky, fall evenings. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy. publication date is 10/08/24

i went into this book completely blind, after reading hidden pictures i knew i needed to get my hands on another one of his books. unfortunately i shouldn’t have done this because i was expecting a paranormal thriller and the last one at the wedding is not that. with that being said i did enjoy the book and really enjoyed the narrator, John Pirhalla. he did a great job with the book. i did enjoy the family mystery and family story. i liked that Maggie was a bit unhinged and wished we couldn’t have gotten a little more of that.

recommend? yes.

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to Jason’s newest on audio and really enjoyed the audio.
Frank is ecstatic when his daughter Maggie finally makes contact after 3 years to invite him to her upcoming wedding. She explains they’ll be getting married after 9 months and slowly Franks becomes more and more suspicious of her daughters soon to be family. Starting with a mysterious anonymous letter indicating her fiancé is involved with a missing persons case. Is anyone who they seem?
I loved how this played out and enjoyed the plot. But really struggled with the characters. They all seemed so out of touch and I was just waiting for anyone to have sense. The ending however did redeem some of those characters. A fun read!

Frank hasn’t spoken to his daughter in three years so he’s ecstatic when she calls him. Having a highly respected and well paid job at a wealthy company, he knows she’s doing well but wasn’t expecting to hear she’s getting married.

As Frank travels to the site of the wedding, he’s surprised when he is rarely able to find time to spend with his daughter let alone his soon-to-be son in law, his father, or his mother. He understands they’re busy and are hosting a large number of guests but their families are about to merge - he’d like to get to know them. But the more he learns, the more he’s convinced he needs to get his daughter out of the situation! Will he be successful or will his daughter refuse?

This was a great read with lots of twists I didn’t see coming! I recommend checking this out when it releases!

Frank is called by his estranged daughter to attend her wedding. Of course, he is more than excited to repair their relationship. He was stunned to find out that his daughter is marrying a tech billionaire’s son. Frank feels something is off but is determined to focus on his daughter.

The narrator definitely did an excellent job bringing Frank to life. I had a hard time figuring out who was the “bad guy”. All of the mysteries are tied up with the ending. I just felt that this wasn’t the on the edge of my seat thriller I was expecting.

Thank you to Jason Rekulak, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really solid story and I liked the writing. I think it was maybe just a bit lackluster, but it really kept my attention. Thanks to NetGalley for an ALC.

This book was okay. It definitely had a lot of appeal for me (I love rich white family drama) but I never really felt hooked. In fact, the story just sort of poked along with a few bouts of excitement. I kept waiting for some big crazy twist and just never really felt like the story got there. And the ending was just meh overall.

Oh well - not every book can be a winner.

I was so glad to receive this ARC! Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook! I thought that this book was so incredibly interesting. The concept of a groveling parent trying to make up with his estranged daughter was a great premise to set the tone of the book. I found myself whisked away into their world and couldn't wait to listen to this audiobook. There were twists and turns, and some parts had me gasping! Would recommend!

Wow! This is my first Jason Rekulak book and I was very impressed - definitely want to read more!

The dynamic of a father wanting to do all he can to restore a strained relationship with his daughter can be relatable to so many - even if sometimes his all is not enough. But wow is Maggie one messed up chick. Frank wants to be there for his Maggie on her wedding day, but he just can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. He simply couldn’t guess, that something could very well be his own daughter.

I received an advanced listening copy and I was gripped the entire time! The narrator was Excellent! Definitely recommend it who enjoys a good suspenseful read/listen!

3.5 stars rounded up. This was fine. It kept my attention, but it wasn’t the most thrilling book I’ve ever read nor did it have any crazy surprises. There were a few things with the MC that I didn’t feel added up, but overall a quick listen on audio with a great narrator.

This book is more about a fractured father-daughter relationship than a wedding, and my what a relationship it has been, is, and will be. I really enjoyed this suspense thriller, especially the way the narrator brought the characters to life in the audio version. Many of the characters aren't good people, but I was kept guessing at which ones these were. I recommend this for those who really enjoy a good thriller.

Okay, I thoroughly enjoyed Hidden Pictures. The Last One at the Wedding is nothing like Rekulak's previous book, so do not go into this book expecting something similar. I enjoyed the book. I never once thought about DNFing the book because it kept me entertained and kept my attention. I just felt like there was something missing. I kept waiting for big twist or reveal, but nothing like that ever came. Our MC felt fully realized and like he could be a real middle-aged (stuck in his ways) man, but the other characters just did feel as fleshed out. They just felt like they were there, which I think might be part of my disappointment with this story. All in all, it just felt like a mediocre thriller. I will definitely pick up more of Jason Rekulak's books because I loved Hidden Pictures so much. I know this book will definitely be hits with so many readers though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

First off thank you Netgally, & McMillen Audiobooks for allowing me to review this audiobook.

This book had me speechless. It was so good! Frank is your typical dad, you can’t help but love him and feel every emotion that he feels. He just wants what’s best for his daughter as most fathers would.

The narration of Frank was so good! I honestly felt like Maggie’s dad was telling us the story. It was an easy book to follow & the perfect book for fall/spooky season! You won’t be disappointed!

Really enjoyed this slow burn mystery. Good writing, spot on narration of the protagonist, and strong use of foreshadowing (though I worked out main twist early). If anything, a little more propulsion would have helped the narrative drive for me. A tad drawn out.

This book was a lot different than I was expecting, I would classify this more as a domestic suspense. I mention this because I think I would have enjoyed the story having had those expectations going in. I was expecting more jaw dropping twists, and these were smaller twists throughout.
With that being said, I enjoyed the story. It was a slower burn, with a lot of drama, which I enjoy.
I did enjoy the smaller twists and the build up in the plot.
The narrator did an amazing job! This one is definitely worth the listen!
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the opportunity!

I enjoyed this book. I listen to an audio version of the book and think had I been reading the book the beginning may have been a little slow. However, even with the slower start I really enjoyed the book. I think part of this slower start was introducing us to the characters and what was to come. After getting a little further into the book the pace picked up more and I was more engaged in the story. I think it was nicely written and I liked the characters. There were twist in the book that kept me engaged and unsure how it was going to end. I think those twist also moved you from linking a character to not liking them at times, which for me is an important part of those twist in a thriller book!

4 wedding bell stars

Narrated perfectly by John Pirhalla, this story was full of surprises! Our main character is Frank Szatowski, a UPS driver with a perfect record. He’s estranged from his daughter and is shocked when she calls him out of the blue and invites him to her wedding.

The wedding is going to be at an upscale camp, Osprey Cove, in New Hampshire, and she’s marrying into an ultra-wealthy family. Of course, Frank would like to reconnect with Maggie and wants to be part of the wedding.

This one has funny moments, like when Frank shows up to pick up his sister only to discover that a foster child will accompany them. Frank knows it’s a bad idea to bring her along, and at first, he has no patience for her.

Frank soon discovers that there is more to the Gardner family, and he becomes uneasy about his daughter marrying into this family. His daughter’s fiancée, Aidan, is hard to get to know, and he still hasn’t met Aidan’s mother. She’s struggling with migraines.

The camp provides a perfect setting for this one, with remote cabins, water, and locked doors.

I really enjoyed listening to this one and the narrator really brought Frank to life.

I enjoyed this author’s earlier book – “Hidden Pictures” – and I found this one to be quite different. I’m curious to see what he writes next!

This was a very easy listen. I liked how the story flowed, the characters weren’t overly dramatized. It was very enjoyable. He is a good author.

Frank Szatowski is excited when his estranged daughter, Maggie, invites him to her wedding after years apart. However, when he arrives, Frank feels out of place in the luxurious world of Maggie’s fiancé and uncovers mysteries surrounding her new family that put their relationship to the test.

I loved Hidden Pictures, so I was excited for Jason’s latest book. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me, and I wish I had DNF’ed it earlier. I kept reading, hoping it would improve, but it remained boring and predictable. The characters were all extremely unlikeable and underdeveloped. The entire book is told from Frank’s perspective, with Maggie (Frank’s daughter) being a narcissist and Tammy (Frank’s sister) overly easygoing. The ending was predictable and slightly odd. John Pirhalla did a great job narrating Frank's character. Honestly, his performance was the only thing that kept me engaged otherwise, I would have DNF’ed this.