Wow. That was such a bummer because I was excited about this one. I enjoyed Hidden Places. But this was MAJOR ick. It started out okay, a bit slow and boring but then it got just extra weird and gross. The whole situation going on. Ew. Legit said an audible "ew" at one point. This was SO anticlimactic. Is this considered a thriller because it was far from thrilling. And the end was an extra snooze. Overall, I was sadly disappointed by this one and probably should have just dnfed but I had hopes it was going to surprise me. But no it was as predictable as it seemed. The audio format was nice tho. There is that. But gosh, his daughter. Don't get me started.

ARC 🎧📖 Review: The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5 stars)

Pub Date: 10/8/24

This was my most anticipated read of the year and I was slightly disappointed. 😳 It wasn’t bad by any means just way slower than I expected. However, I did enjoy how the ending wrapped up the story! Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this audiobook approval!!

👰🏼‍♀️🤵🏽‍♂️💍

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

#bookstagram #audiobooks #reader #booknerd #listentomorebooks #audiobooklove #booklover #bookadict #newrelease #booksbooksbooks #bookish

Another great novel by Jason Rekulak! I will warn - if you're looking for Hidden Pictures 2.0 this isn't it. However, it is still a great thriller/mystery that had me hooked from the first page.

The only reason for the 4 star rating is the ending left me wanting more of a conclusion. I kept waiting for one more big twist, but it didn't come. Still great, but left me feeling like I needed a tad more thrill.

After Hidden Pictures, I know we were all so excited for this new release! This book truly delves into the love of a father and the depth he will go for his daughter!

This was a great audio that will definitely keep you interested. Lots of twists and things may not always be what they seem!

This kept me up ALL night long! The story was SO gripping and had me on the edge of my seat. The twists were absolutely wild too! The characters were all a bit unlikeable so I thought they all had blood on their hands but I had no clue it was going to turn out the way it did. The narrator did an excellent job with all the parts, and I felt like he conveyed the perfect amount of desperation and, at times, toxicity.

Jason Rekulak's The Last One at the Wedding is a twisty, unpredictable thriller that begins with Maggie inviting her estranged father to her upcoming wedding. Frank is delighted to have the opportunity to mend fences, but then he meets his future son-in-law and his notoriously shady family....

Get ready to meet a cast of characters so sinister and unforgettable that you'll be hoping for a sequel as soon as you reach the last page. I think that I would have enjoyed this more if I had read it rather than listened to the audio.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful audiobook! It was full of twists and revelations and really showed how much people are willing to do for someone they love. I enjoyed the pace of the story: it wasn’t fast but it wasn’t too slow. Secrets and tidbits were revealed at just the right times to keep me invested! Osprey Camp was such a great setting for a large part of this story and I could really visualize the lake and the woods. Not only did this book completely keep my attention, but I loved how the audiobook narrator told the story!

This was an entertaining book and it had my full attention. I thought the story was very intriguing and I almost figured out where it was going but the twists were slightly unexpected. The first half was slow with setting up Frank’s POV and the estranged relationship with his daughter Maggie, as she’s about to get married in a lavish affair.

Many of the characters were shady and perfected the art of evasive maneuvers. It was frustrating but the mystery of it was rather fun, albeit slower to build and without much fanfare.

Like many others, I adored Abigail, the ten year old girl Frank’s sister, Tammy, was fostering. A last minute guest to the wedding. She was super cute, had many witty and funny comments throughout. Her arc is my favorite subplot!

The atmosphere was almost like The Stepford Wives meets Ready or Not, typical rich people dalliances, etc. The grounds where the wedding was taking place sounded like a really great location.

I really enjoyed the narration by John Pirhalla and how he portrayed Frank’s personality. To me, he was likable but maybe a little gullible, he really would do anything for his child (and Abigail), and that’s admirable in itself.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review.

What a roller coaster of emotions! This book really brought everything. I wasn’t expecting to get so emotional reading this book! I battle with frank a few times but in the end that man won me over.

There was a lot of moments in this book where you think - no way- but sadly you know this is actually very much the reality of our world.

Great story. Will be checking out others by this author.

This was an enjoyable listen and I flew through it. That said, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief at times. The main character looks at his daughter with rose colored glasses, she’s about to marry a guy he’s never met and they’ve been estranged for 3 years. Why? We don’t find out for some time. Meanwhile, dead bodies are piling up, and no one seems terribly concerned. There were some sweet moments here, the theme was a bit fresh with the father/daughter situation (no spoilers) but some people will find the ending unsatisfying and some of the scenario is too wild. In all I was entertained

Hidden Pictures was a 5 star read for me but I enjoyed this book even more. The characters were all memorable and the relationship between father and daughter was complex and thought provoking. If you like books written by Riley Sager then you will love this. One of my tops reads of the year. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an arc audiobook copy of this title.

🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆 ⁣
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Last One At The Wedding
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Jason Rekulak
⁣𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 10/08/24

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⇥ I don't know how else to say it, but I literally ate up the first 80% like a starving woman. Frank is a hilarious and relatable main character and such a typical dad.
⇥ AUDIOBOOK WAS FANTASTIC. Choose audio if you have the chance. John Pirhalla did an excellent job with the female and child voices; some narrators really struggle with that and annoy the crap out of me. But not here!
⇥ That cover is freaking amazing.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⇥ Ooooof, that ending was a huge letdown. I had to go back and see if I missed something—it definitely knocked off a whole star for me.
⇥ Definitely the slowest of slow burns. But it's still so entertaining if that makes sense.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
★★★★☆
I feel like Jason set the perfect trap with an intriguing plot but struggled with the execution. Don't get me wrong, this was entertaining as hell and I really did love Frank, Tammy, and Abigail. But something was definitely missing to make this already great story really stand out. Maybe if you go in with lower expectations? Despite my desire for a stronger ending, I laughed and was entertained throughout.

If you’re new to Jason Rekulak, his previous book, Hidden Pictures, is absolutely amazing—definitely pick that one up ASAP!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 @netgalley 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @macaudio 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Frank Szatowski hears from his estranged daughter of three years to hear she is getting married! He’s overcome with joy at hearing from his daughter and that she’s getting married. When Frank first meets the in-laws, it’s very odd and he feels something is not quite right. As the story unfolds, his instincts are correct. I enjoyed this book very much and found myself sneaking a listen at any moment I could. The narrator was so good and engaging. He kept the story interesting. My only complaint was that I felt a few things were left open ended but that will only make me ponder the book more. Overall, another great one from Rekulak. Thank you for the advanced audio copy!

Name of Book: The Last One at the Wedding
Author: Jason Rekulak
Narrator: John Pirhalla
Format: 🎧
Publisher: Macmillan Audio and FlatIron Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: October 8, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages 368

Frank Szatowski is a fifty year old UPS driver, widow with one adult daughter Maggie.
He is surprised - actually a bit shocked when after three years of not hearing anything from Maggie (who now is Margaret), contacts him. She announces she is getting married and wants him to attend as father of the bride. He tells her yes but would love to see her and meet his future son-in-law. She hesitates and says Aidan is an artist and also teaches at U Mass so is very busy but asks if he can come for dinner at their Boston apartment in the Beacon Towers. . He drives the 3 hours to her apartment and is shocked when he sees that she lives in a penthouse- she never mention that Aidan is the son of a tech billionaire Errol Gardner the founder of ‘Capaciti’ the manufacturer of EV batteries, . Frank, of course is totally impressed although Aidan is very nervous about meeting him.

As the wedding weekend approaches, Frank has invited his older sister Tammy to attend with him. When he picks up Tammy he also finds out that her ten year-old foster child Abigail will be attending as well. Frank isn’t happy - states it is a bad idea- but the three of them head off to the New Hampshire wedding. They arrive at the Gardner's private estate to find a beautiful secluded, luxurious estate.
As the weekend proceeds, Frank gets to know the family and senses something is way off.
Mrs. Gardner hasn’t been seen as they say she is ill and Aidan is mysteriously missing from the many pre-wedding activities.
To add a bit more mystery, Frank gets a photo in the mail of Aidan and a beautiful girl with a note asking- Where is Dawn Taggart?

Things get very interesting and Frank is correct – ‘things are indeed way off’!

[Book: Hidden Pictures] is still one of my favorite reads, I was anxious to read this however was sure it wouldn’t be another story like it but was sure it would be good!
I was wrong – it was GREAT!!

I honestly could not put it down.

Narrator John Pirhalla is awesome at performing all the characters. I love a good audiobook but have found many men are not all that great in performing women- they usually make the women sound very elderly. Mr. Pirhalla’s performance of fifty-something Tammy, Twenty-five year old Maggie as well as ten-year old Abigail were all convincingly done - I mention these three because of the age differences.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this GREAT audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 8, 2024.

JASON DID IT AGAIN!

The plot is great! The wedding sounds BEAUTIFUL. Literally picture perfect! But wait until you hear what happens! My jaw hit the floor! I listen to this audiobook TWICE! That’s how much i loved it. Frank is my favorite character. You will see why once you read it!

Thank you for the ARC Audio! It was a pleasure!!

This is the definition of a slow burn thriller. One where you won’t like or trust ANYONE.

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.
He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate―very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

Like I said, this is SLOW. But it’s got a great dark atmospheric feel, and twists a plenty, it’s chilling and at times gory but a really good read for spooky season. I actually Dnf my physical copy but the audio was fantastic and you could really feeeel the sketchiness that are these characters. My only problem was the ending seem to wrap up really quickly and I felt super icky at times with some of the characters decisions.
Overall a good easy listen

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this ALC (my first)! I have heard amazing things about Hidden Pictures, which I have not read yet, and I am happy to say this author will move up on my TBR priority due to how much I enjoyed this book. Cannot wait for more!

Disclaimer: I listen to audiobooks on 2x speed; therefore, I can only comment about my feelings regarding the narrator from this perspective. I found the narrator’s voice to be unique, adding to the mysterious vibes of the book. It was a good fit.

At no point did I guess what was going on! I was glad the author did spoon feed some tidbits towards the middle, when we are hit with the first major plot twist. Thinking back, there was ample foreshadowing. The twists were enough to make me say WOW without thinking it unbelievable. One of my favorite quotes was something to the effect of parents being an unreliable narrator of their children. This was a great central plot point throughout the story.

Also, anytime a books title is mentioned in the story is so fun! In this “chicken or the egg” situation, I wonder if the author knew they wanted this line in the title worked in from the beginning or decided to make this the title after writing that certain section of the book.

So this was a physiological thriller no supernatural it is following a couple families that all have secrets that gradually unfold. It was good but I felt missing something. I loved the narrator I think I’ve listened to books by him before, he keeps you hooked in. I felt a little hanging at the end but maybe that’s open for a sequel. More of a mystery than thriller I think.

The atmosphere was suspenseful but definitely not an edge of your seat thriller. Frank was a caring father that wanted the best for his daughter yet he was so blind at times. The Gardners are the perfect example of rich delusional people. They believe that money and threats solves everything. I disliked EVERY character. The characters were super annoying, their actions and choices were irritating. The overall plot was good and kept me listening to the audiobook. The narrator did an amazing job. The ending fell flat for me, it felt so abrupt. I was expecting a lot more from the ending. John Pirhalla did a phenomenal narrating this book!

Frank receives a call that he has been waiting for for a very long time. He has not seen his only daughter since their fall out years ago, but all of that is about to change as she tells her father of some very big news: she is getting married. But she isn’t marrying just anyone. She is marrying the son of one of the richest men in the country. The wedding festivities take place at a sprawling camp owned by the wealthy family that has been turned into a wonderful getaway. Frank, along with his sister and her foster child, move into the camp for the week, and it soon becomes apparent that things are not what they should be.

Thank you Jason Rekulak and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is twisted and slightly disturbing, but in a very realistic way. There were never any freaky occurrences or jump scares (except for the daddy long legs - eek!) and I really liked that about this book. I was 100% engaged for the entirety of the book. Some people may criticize this book’s lack of creepiness, but I liked that I could root for certain characters and root for the downfall of other characters. Some books gain popularity in all of the characters being disturbed and unlikeable, but this one actually has quality characters. Don’t get me wrong though; this book had its fair share of twists and turns that will leave you shocked.

Another element of this reading experience that made it more enjoyable was that I got to enjoy the audiobook version of the book. I really liked the narrator and his use of vocal differences for the different characters. I could always follow who was speaking even though there was only one narrator.

I highly recommend you add this audiobook to your fall TBR. It is an engaging story and gives the perfect slightly creepy fall vibes!