This was a slow burn and I recommend going into this not comparing it to Hidden Pictures because it's completely different. The writing was good and you really do get swept away in the story. There wasn't a "big twist" in this just some smaller twists. I'd consider this more suspenseful rather than thriller.

The main character Frank was pretty unlikable in the beginning. Took me a while to warm up to him. I didn't understand why he was so mean to the young foster girl. His dislike towards her was never really explained.

Other than that I did enjoy this and would recommend reading it when it comes out in October.

This is a solid book with good audio narration. The main character (Frank) is likeable, which is good because most of the secondary characters are unlikeable. The unlikeable characters, though, don't detract from the story, and they make the reader think about what they might do in a similar situation. I don't think the version I had included trigger warnings, but it should, for suicide, lice, and spiders.

I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook! The story fell a little flat for me as aspects felt unrealistic and frustrating at times. I appreciated Frank’s morality and sense of honor, and this story is a poignant look at how far parents will go to protect or defend their children. I think I was just expecting a little more in the mystery category and I do think this is more of a literary suspense.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Jason Rekulak, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by John Pirhalla. John did a fantastic job with this. His voice conveyed a lot of emotion, which really enhanced the experience of this audiobook.

This was my first time reading a book by Jason Rekulak, but it definitely won't be my last. I was aware of his reputation as a horror writer when I requested this audiobook from NetGalley. Luckily for me, the only horror I felt reading this was in the reveals. This has multiple reveals, and each reveal works to pull the reader in more. This works as a thriller as well as a study of the relationship between a father and his adult daughter.

Frank Szatowski is a single father to an adult daughter who has successfully launched with a good job. Frank and his daughter, Maggie, are estranged and haven't spoken in about 3 years when the novel opens. This is an interesting dynamic given how common parent and adult child estrangements have become in our current society.

Anyway, Maggie calls Frank out of the blue, acts like nothing much has happened, and invites him to her upcoming nuptials.
Frank had no idea his daughter was seeing anyone, much less engaged. None the less he's desperately waited for her to reach out and immediately agrees to come.
Frank is a UPS driver, a former soldier who was deployed to the Middle East, a smidge over middle-aged, and a widower. Frank's late wife, Colleen, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm when Maggie was just 10. Frank is fairly close to his sister, Tammy, and she supported him in raising Maggie.

Maggie had also cut off Tammy when she became estranged with Frank, so they are both eager to reconnect. Tammy is a sweet person who has largely spent a lifetime helping others: she cares for the elderly in their homes and takes in foster kids in her home. The weekend of the wedding, Tammy has a last-minute foster placement, Abigail Grimm (with 2 mm's🥰), who attends the wedding with Tammy & Frank. As they arrive at the wedding venue, which is a private estate owned by Maggie's fiancé, Aidan Gardner's wealthy, well-connected family. Just to get onto the property required Frank & Tammy to sign a multi page NDA stating that all events of the wedding weekend were to remain private. Frank is not happy with their arrangement, but his focus is on repairing his relationship with Maggie. Only Maggie seems to be avoiding him, his future son in law Aidan seems to be ignoring the pre-wedding festivities, and Frank has yet to meet Aidan's mother. There's also a missing woman, and the townsfolk blame Aidan's family for her plight. This is twisty, and the reveals are juicy. I definitely recommend this for fans of domestic thrillers.

Thank you to Jason Rekulak, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange with my honest review!

Unfortunately, I really didn’t like this book. Almost from the jump Frank, our narrator, was not likable at all. His inner monologue was super frustrating and I felt like I was mansplained at the whole time. Frank was insufferable. The other characters also felt mustache twirling level of bad.

The story was just not satisfying or thrilling to me.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I enjoyed the authors previous book so was super excited for this one. It twisted and never seen the twists coming. The ending felt super rushed and maybe I missed something so may need to listen again and may adjust review if so.

3.5/5☆

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved Hidden Pictures, so I was excited to be able to read the author’s newest book. While this is very different from Hidden Pictures, no scary drawings or any horror elements, it was still very well written and intriguing.

I don’t know what it is about me lately, but I’ve been reading a lot of books surrounding weddings. While this was a very good thriller with some domestic suspense and locked room elements, I did find the MC to be very annoying on occasion. I get unlikeable characters, but this one was mainly just ignorant in ways that bothered me. It was like trying to make the narrator unreliable but really just leaving out key information. This is a pet peeve of mine.

But there was enough good about this that propelled me to finish in less than 24 hours. It definitely kept my attention. And it will make you appreciate UPS drivers and maybe reconsider ordering certain items for delivery.

3.5 stars

I really struggled to get into the narrator of this. This is my first audiobook, so perhaps I just need to find the right book as an introduction to them, but I personally was not a fan of this one. I got about 8% of the way through before I had to stop. I will give the book a shot when it comes out!

The Last One at the Wedding is a gripping thriller from Jason Rekulak, with audio narrated by John Pirhalla. The story follows Frank Szatowski, a father desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Maggie, after a surprise invitation to her wedding. What seems like a joyful reunion quickly spirals into a tense and unsettling experience when Frank realizes that Maggie is marrying into an elite, secretive family, led by a tech billionaire. The story balances a father’s emotional turmoil with an escalating sense of danger, creating a thriller that will keep readers hooked. Pirhalla’s narration adds to the tension and suspense of the story.

Having never read anything by this author, I wasn't sure what to expect, so I went in blind. I was lucky enough to receive an advance listener copy from NetGalley. The narration was pretty good, now on to the book.

It's a slow-starting psychological thriller about a father who receives a call from his estranged daughter inviting him to her wedding. Upon arrival, he immediately doesn't trust the family she's marrying into, and he has good reason.

I can't think of one character I liked in this book, making it a little rough. However, the characters were developed well, if that's what the author intended. I also feel this book was too long. Many parts could have been left out, and perhaps that would have made the book better. It was a good story; the character-building was done well, and the writing was decent.

Since I've read it, I have read other reviews, and they say this is entirely different from Hidden Pictures, so I will still give that one a shot. This one just didn't hit me right.

3.5

The last one at the wedding

Frank is a UPS driver living an average life. He gets a shock when his daughter. Alls with news of her upcoming marriage. They have lost touch, but his wife- Maggie- wants him to be there, and this opens up a chance to reconnect.

Frank raised Maggie by himself after his wife died from a brain aneurysm. There is a 3 year gap that they went without speaking to each other, that is not made instantly clear.

Frank quickly finds himself in a new world when he travels to Maggie and discovers she is marrying tech billionaire Aiden. He has hesitations about the situation, the quick wedding, and as he picks up on conversations and cues from the other wedding guests.

To make matters more complicated, Frank’s sister brings along her emergency placed foster child. Frank has no tolerance for the drama this brings and while I didn’t like Frank’s obvious distaste for the innocent child, it made funny dialogue and banter between him and his sister.

Frank investigates the secrets about the family his daughter is marrying into, which starts when he receives a photo of Aiden with a different girl and a message asking where she is now. This leads to more conversations with the locals and unearthing hidden secrets that could impact his daughter’s life forever.

I loved the audiobook narrator- I’ve listened to several books by this narrator. I like how he keeps scenes tense. I feel like from start to finish this book had an urgency to it to keep me on edge from start to finish.

“Every parent is an unreliable narrator”

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This title will be out on 10/8!

Hidden Pictures this is not
Frank is too young to be yelling at clouds the way he is and the daughter is a narcissist
Abigail was the only decent part about this book

Jason Rekulak has done it again with a book (this time a domestic thriller) that has kept me glued to the pages and delivers on jaw-dropping moments. What I love most however, is that nothing is played just for shock value and the characters are so lively and realized - I felt the MC’s frustration, desperation and determination throughout the story. I couldn’t help but empathize with him and found myself entirely invested in this novel. This is nothing like Hidden Pictures, but is just as clever and spellbinding. A perfect read going into spooky season!

Jason Rekulak's The Last One at the Wedding is a compelling and refreshingly original read that combines humor with poignancy. The novel centers around a unique and engaging premise—following a character navigating the intricacies of life and relationships while grappling with the pressures and expectations surrounding a significant wedding event.

Rekulak’s storytelling shines through with well-crafted characters who are both relatable and endearing. The protagonist’s journey is both heartfelt and amusing, drawing readers into a world where personal growth and self-discovery unfold amidst the backdrop of a wedding that becomes a pivotal moment in their life.

The writing is sharp and insightful, with Rekulak's keen observations and witty dialogue providing depth to the narrative. The pacing is steady, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in the character's experiences and emotions.

While the book is largely enjoyable, a few elements could have been further explored to add additional layers to the story. Nonetheless, The Last One at the Wedding is a delightful read that offers a blend of humor and heart, making it a memorable addition to the genre.

Overall, Rekulak delivers a story that resonates with its genuine portrayal of life's challenges and triumphs, earning a well-deserved four-star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

“The Last One at the Wedding” just wasn’t my type of novel. I am not going to criticize the author for Jason Rekulak put together a strong effort. I was hoping for a strong classical mystery story and what I listened to the past few days was a contemporary drama with a smattering of something mysterious. The main characters were not people one wants to get behind. The daughter of the protagonist is just simply immoral with no redeeming values. By the way, the protagonist was an argumentative annoying jerk of a human being. So I detest giving low scores but I just have to do so in this case. However, as always, I am grateful to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

Secrets, secrets and more secrets. An intense, well written family drama. An unexpected wedding invitation. An estranged daughter. A picturesque retreat in New Hampshire. The story of Frank and Maggie (father / daughter). A large cast of very interesting characters. After three years of no communications from his daughter, Frank gets an invitation to his daughter's wedding. Excited for a long weekend retreat, Frank along with his sister and her foster child make the trip. But before he can leave, Frank gets a mysterious package. Things are not as they appear. Frank's curiousity gets the best of him as he begins to investigate the contents of the mysterious package.  A slow burn at the beginning but the pace picks up pretty quickly. How far will a father go to protect his family?

4 stars

After really enjoying _Hidden Pictures_, I couldn't wait to hit "play" on the audio version of Rekulak's next effort: _The Last One at the Wedding_. This is one wild ride.

Frank, the m.c., is a fascinating character filled with contradictions. At times, he's keenly aware of his surroundings. At others, he's extraordinarily oblivious to the truths that lay plainly in front of him. He's both fully unaware of his daughter's faults and painfully aware of them. What does not change about Frank? His devotion to being a good father, by his definition, and his sense of loyalty. These convictions get him in trouble more than once, but they make for an intriguing character study, especially considering readers can see all of the shortcomings in Frank's logic way before he can.

While the central plotline brings most of the thrills, as the structure of this review suggests, it's really the character development that works best for me in this novel. Frank grapples with being stuck in the past and in traditional beliefs and memories, but he also struggles to do what is right going forward. The conflict between these areas makes for a thrilling tale indeed.

Though it is very different from the previous novel, Rekulak delivers again here, and so does the narrator of the audiobook. I'll be recommending this one.

Great read! Definitely has surprises up until the end! I wish that some of the characters had been developed a little further. Looking forward to more books by this author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher a author for this advanced audiobook!

Equally as infuriating as it is riveting, this book was nothing at all like I was expecting.

I grappled with my feelings about the wealthy family here. This book was nothing if not realistic in the way the wealthy are beyond reproach even when they do bad things. Yuck…

Frank hadn’t spoken to his daughter Maggie in three years when she calls him to invite him to her wedding. Happy to just be mending his tenuous relationship with her, he is happy to meet her fiancé, whom he knows nothing about.

Upon learning about the family she is marrying into and meeting her groom to be, Frank is already concerned… but it isn’t he arrives (with a couple extra guests), that his fear for Maggie really ramps up.

The Gardners are an extremely wealthy family with their fortune in tech. The more time Frank spends with the Gardners, the more unsettled he feels, constantly unwrapping more and more of the mystery of what these people are capable of. How far will he go to protect and keep Maggie in his life?

I really found the dynamic between Frank and Maggie to be unique. Coming to terms with the way they treat one another was an adjustment, but such a great aspect to the story.

I literally could NOT STOP reading/listening to this book. Even though I was getting more and more mad at the things people were doing, I was so completely sucked into this story.

They say that nobody can push your buttons like your parents or your children. Tell that to Frank, a nice, straight-as-an-arrow everyman who likes his job as a UPS driver and tries to live his life following his principles. His estranged daughter Maggie invites him to her wedding to the son of an impossibly wealthy magnate. Frank doesn’t think it’s right for the groom’s family to pay for the wedding, so he chips in (with what is probably pocket money to someone so rich). During the long weekend at the destination wedding, he will have to face many, many things that don’t seem right. But, is something bad really going on? Or is his middle class worldview too limited to understand these ultra-rich people? In a great, suspenseful and well-crafted plot, the author shows that his debut novel was no fluke. I was equally exasperated as I was worried about Frank. John Pirhalla gives him such a relatable voice that I didn’t feel like he was playing a role… he was Frank. He really made me feel for him. Rekulak came up with a character so real that it seems like he based him on my own Dad. The little details, like buying his daughter a fire extinguisher just because it’s a good deal and you can never be too safe, were the kind of things that my Dad did for me. Maybe that is why I loved Frank, and his all-consuming love for his daughter struck a chord. The twists were well crafted. The novel seemed maybe a little too long, but I was satisfied overall.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Macmillan Audio.