This is one heck of a novel. The story is compelling. It grabs the reader from the very beginning, and has so many unexpected twists, right up until the end. Truly one of the best books of the year. I listened to an advanced readers copy audio book thanks to Macmillan (Flatiron books) and Netgalley. The audio book narration was perfect. John Pirhalla was just perfect in the role of Frank. You felt like you were listening to him. The book audio was perfectly paced, and it did not hurt that Pirhalla had such an incredible story to work with. I don't usually gush over books, but The last one at the wedding should be at the top of everyone's Fall reading. Frank Szatowski is estranged from his daughter Maggie and surprised to be invited out of the blue to her wedding to a high tech billionaire's son at an elite estate in New Hampshire. But why is Frank estranged from Maggie? All is not what it appears to be. Why is her fiance so withdrawn? And why is another family claiming the fiance is responsibile for the disappearance of their daughter? Rekulak does a fantastic job weaving his plot, giving you small pieces at a time, then spinning a new twist. Who is the "last one" at the wedding? Just grab a copy - of the audio - or the book itself - and dive in for a ride that you will not want to end.

Frank Szatowski is surprised when his estranged daughter, Maggie, invites him to her wedding with Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling out of place at the luxurious estate in New Hampshire, Frank tries to reconnect with Maggie and learn more about her new family. But as he delves deeper, he discovers secrets and hostility that threaten his relationship with his daughter. Frank must tread carefully to uncover the truth without pushing Maggie away.

This book was a departure from the usual Hidden Pictures we all love, delving into a whole new genre. It reads like a slow-burning mystery, set in a secluded and slightly eerie location. The story introduces a variety of characters, some of whom are difficult to warm up to. While there is a lot happening, the main character is particularly challenging to connect with. I must admit, I found the main character irritating until I reached about 75% of the book. As the story progressed, he revealed different faces of his personality that made him more likable. On the other hand, as I read about the father's daughter, I couldn't help but sense that he possessed some knowledge beyond our comprehension until the very end of the book. It becomes evident why the father is so adamant about adhering to what is morally correct and abiding by the law. He must have had a sense that he was being manipulated.

Overall, the story is well-crafted, with a plot that slowly unfolds, keeping readers engaged and eager for more. In the end, the message was crystal clear: always strive to do what is right and avoid acting solely for personal gain. The conclusion was unexpected, especially after getting to know each character intimately. The book was difficult to set aside, perfect binge read. I found myself constantly anticipating more twists and turns, making it a great read for a rainy day.

Thank you, Macmilan Audio and Flatiron Books for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so excited to get an audiobook ARC of The Last One at the Wedding! I loved Hidden Pictures, and I was excited to see what this book had in store. The narrator was great. For some reason I typically don't like to listen to male narrators, but not this time. I was hooked from the beginning. I had to know what was going on with this family, and what was going to be revealed at the wedding. The plot twists were good, and I did not have them figured out. Some things that were going on in the story though I was waiting to be incorporated into the ending/twists, but they weren't so you wonder why certain elements of the book were even there. I did feel the ending was lacking. At the end I was almost waiting for another twist, or at least something for that was going to wrap up. It seemed to just end. It almost needed some sort of epilogue, maybe even from another characters point of view since we only had Frank's throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and couldn't wait to have time to listen to it each day!

I had no doubts that I would love this book. I read Hidden Pictures and was enthralled. Unfortunatly, this book did not live up to my expectations. I didn't care or connect with the characters, and it was slow and anticlimactic.

Oh boy where to start with this one....

I'll start by saying I didn't really like Hidden Pictures but I read it a long time ago and don't really remember WHY I didn't like it so I thought I'd give Rekulak another chance.

This one started out pretty strong and I was actually kind of excited! Estranged daughter getting married? Secrets about the family she's marrying into? Ohhh what are we going to uncover?!

Unfortunately the strong start totally fizzled and the ending completely fell flat.

There was one (honestly kind of gross) BIG TWIST about 65% of the way through and I kept listening thinking, Ok we have got to be getting to the thing that makes all the rest of the things make sense right?

And I got to the ending and none of that happened. Like the ending was a literal...wait what? What doest that mean? Like not even a breath gasping WHAT DOES THAT MEAN...like a wait what did I miss what does that mean? I'm stumped.

I guess overall just disappointing. It kind of felt like he started at the end and worked his way backward. Like why was the sister and foster daughter there? That was weird. The hair cutter felt forced. The tapes seemed convenient. The gross dad? And the mom? What was that all about? None of it gelled and it just kind of unravelled at the end.

This might be the end of giving Rekulak a chance.

The Last One at the Wedding, by Jason Rekulak, narrated by John Pirhalla, has one of the most likable protagonists I've every read. Frank Szatowski is the very definition of Salt of the Earth. He's a UPS driver, and very proud of his unblemished 26 years of service. He works hard, is careful with his money, and enjoys the simple things. He definitely has a few blind spots, especially concerning his daughter, but I was rooting for him from the very first page. Highly recommend!!!

I was so excited to get access to an audio ARC of Jason Rekulak’s newest novel! I was hooked and listened to the entire thing in just over a day.

This is told solely through Frank’s POV as he prepares for his only child’s wedding. Frank hasn’t heard from his daughter in years and wants this occasion to be perfect and hopefully bring them back together, but he has a bad feeling about the quick engagement, the family she’s marrying into, and other little things that just seem…off.

This is a great book if you love being inside the mind of the main character. Frank loves his daughter very much, but this causes quite a bit of tunnel vision as he constantly chases a version of her from childhood, making him miss all the love and support of the other people around him. Frank’s character feels real, flawed, and relatable. This is more of a slow burn than an action packed book. The narration fit the book well.

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

Pub Date Oct 08 2024

After reading and enjoying Hidden Pictures, I was very excited when I saw Jason Rekulak had a new book coming out. And then when I saw the opportunity to request the audio, I jumped at the chance!

I’m very picky with narrators, and I can easily say I enjoyed John Pirhalla’s performance. It still throws me off a bit when males do female voices but I was able to get past that!

—-
After a falling out between Frank Szatowski and his daughter Maggie, he is shocked when she calls him up and invites him to her wedding. Determined to make things right between them, he drives to New Hampshire with the intention of patching things up. But as he gets to know his future in laws, he becomes more and more suspicious of his daughter marrying into this strange and secretive wealthy family.
—-

Franks character was really great. Typical father, only wanting the best for his daughter while also being blind to seeing her faults. While wanting to intervene in Maggie’s love life, he also doesn’t want to make the mistake of pushing her away again. But there’s only so much he can turn a blind eye to.

The story itself was full of mystery and plot twists, family drama on both sides, and great characters, making for an entertaining reading experience.

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comes out October 8th!

After loving "Hidden Pictures", I was worried that "The Last One at the Wedding" wouldn't be able to compare- I'm happy to say that I was wrong! It was less scary and more on the suspenseful than maybe a traditional "thriller", but I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the extra character development that is sometimes lacking in mysteries or thrillers and especially loved Frank's character. John Pirhalla was the PERFECT narrator for his character and did a fantastic job with the stereotypical dad vibe. The only reason that I didn't rate this five stars was because of the ending- it was one of those endings where I was like, "That's it?!". But other than that, it was a quick paced, fun audiobook and I'd definitely recommend.

This was my first book by Jason Rekulak and I really enjoyed it! I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was fine, I think he portrayed the main character, Frank, well. I found the actual character to be kind of annoying and closed-minded at first, but it all made sense in the end. There were some twists to the plot that weren't totally unexpected looking back, but I didn't really see coming at the time.

I always look for the reason for the title of the book while I'm reading and I'm not sure this one really makes sense to me as the actual last one at the wedding didn't play as big a role as I had hoped.

Overall, this is a good thriller and this won't be my last by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Go Frank!

This book is full to the brim with deception and lying and some really awful people. There's a huge ick factor to the book as well.

But, it's well crafted and it'll drag you in. Well, it dragged me in. Give it a try. You may enjoy the ride.

Frank, hapless as he can seem, is the guy you want to cheer on. I was rooting for him.

The Last One at the Wedding - a mystery during a wedding at a summer camp, I immediately jumped on this story.

Frank Szatowski is contacted by his estranged daughter, Maggie, and she lets him know she is getting married! When he is invited to her wedding, he jumps at the chance to reconnect. But as he arrives at the wedding, more and more things seem out of place and he begins to wonder if all is as it seems with Maggie's future husband Aidan and his family.

This was a suspenseful story that I enjoyed the whole time. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a superb job. The details were all laid out perfectly and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

This was my first book by the author and I wasn’t sure what to expect!

This is a slow burn type of book. I honestly wouldn’t even consider it a thriller. Maybe a mystery or a family drama? I never felt on the “edge of my seat” like the publisher’s blurb stated but I was interested the whole time.

The character of Frank was a little infuriating at times and I honestly didn’t understand why he kept digging when there wasn’t much to go on. Obviously that’s the plot of the story but it didn’t feel like it made sense to me. I did feel like the author did an excellent job with Frank’s character development.

The end felt a little rushed and I actually didn’t understand the meaning of the last line so please enlighten me if you haven’t read it.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed this one and would recommend it, I would just go into it knowing it isn’t fast paced.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I absolutely loved the way this story unfolds. Rekulak knows how to grab hold and kept me firmly in his grasp until the very last page… even though it was a great way to end, I still wanted more! I loved getting to see Maggie through her dad’s eyes and then later as she’s reflected through in the way others see her. It’s a fascinating thing to know that parents often see their children differently from how the rest of the world sees them. This was my first book by Rekulak but now I want to read his others. I love the way he writes! Definitely a must read!

This was a great listen! The narrator was fantastic, and did a great job with all of the characters! I will say that this one does have a slow build up, but it was definitely worth it!

4.5/5

I listened to this one and the narration was great! I need to see if I can find more books with this narrator because I really enjoyed his voice!

The book itself was also great! This book reminded me of Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Frank gave me Bill Hodges vibes.

This one is a great listen! The only thing I didn't like was the bugs.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Rekulak has this ability in his writing to not only craft a fantastic story but also to create characters that are fully developed. His latest, The Last One at the Wedding, is an in-depth look at a father trying to have a better relationship with his daughter, a person he doesn't honestly know. The audio version of this book had a terrific male narrator who didn't make the silly kid's voice I usually hate. This is a thriller with heart. Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for access to this book.

This thriller was entertaining, with a gripping plot that had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to solve the mystery of the perpetrator. My heart went out to Frank, who seemed to be going through it without much support. It was as if his emotions were insignificant to everyone. Although I wished for a bit more closure at the end, the book kept me engaged with its rollercoaster of unexpected events that kept me entertained! The narrator for the audio did a fantastic job. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved the book Hidden Pictures and devoured it, and i was looking forward to reading this book for sooo long. That being said, i was rather disappointed once i was able to read this book. It is not what i thought it would be, i expected and action-packed thriller similar to Hidden Pictures to be honest, or something along the lines of paranormal.

Honestly, the only character that i liked was Frank and even at time he was a tad bit annoying since he literally stressed and questioned everything. The book does have a vast variety of characters that all have their own drama going on. If you like rich people tropes, people not who they seem tropes then this is the book for you.

It was a very engaging audiobook, however i felt it was extremely slow in the beginning. Honestly nothing happened until about the 55-60% mark in the book. I feel like there should have been more buildup by that point. Overall, this is not a bad book but i would rate it a solid 3.5 stars as there is some parts that i thought we could go without, but at the same time they are cringy and pertinent to the storyline.

I absolutely couldn’t stand Maggie’s character throughout this book she comes off as a selfish brat to me. Entitled and demanding. The twist at the end was brilliant, definitely didn’t see that one coming. The sacrifices we make as parents and sometimes how blind we can be.

that being said i look forward to more books from this author in the future, maybe more paranormal books from him?????????????

John Pirhalla does an amazing job in narrating this book as a single voice. He was very engaging and inviting to the listener. John has a finesse for being able to effectively voice multiple characters and both genders. I highly recommend this book on audiobook.

I really enjoyed this book! John Pirhalla did a really good job with narration. The book was easy to follow, had a good twist, and made me laugh out loud a few times. I also thought it was super sweet. This book gave me all the feels. 5/5!