Expected Publication July 30 2024

First off, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I will be thinking about this book for a while.

Not gonna lie. This book took me a hot minute to get interested in, but once I was hooked I was in it for the long haul. The Wedding People was so near to perfect, but fell just shy of that sweet spot for me. The ending felt rushed (would have also liked a time jump style epilogue also but beggars can’t be choosers).

Character driven stories aren’t usually something I find myself reaching for, but this one did it for me. No character is perfect in The Wedding People, and I feel that’s what makes this story more human. (Side note: y’all will LOVE Gary!!)

I do also feel that more “things” should have either been not included or were given purpose (i.e. THAT car scene, IYKYK).

CW for suicidal ideation, infertility, miscarriage

P.S. This ~kinda~ gave The Midnight Library vibes if that’s something that would interest you also!

Phoebe has booked a hotel room and finds herself in the middle of a wedding party. Lila and soon to be husband Gary have rented out the whole hotel complex for their friends and family to celebrate a week prior to their big day. When Lila is finally met with Phoebe, she does everything in her power to make sure that her dream wedding goes as planned. I love the parts where Lila and Phoebe are together, how they are honest with each other, and this helps both of them. I found the beginning to be fairly slow when speaking of Phoebe’s reasons to booking this hotel room.

I liked this book. Phoebe has been left by her husband, Matt after yet another failed IVF procedure. He left her for their friend Mia, another professor at the University where they work. Then she discovers her cat Harry dead in her basement and this was the last straw. She decides to take off to stay at The Cornwell Inn in Newport for one night wearing a special green dress, her gold shoes and carrying nothing but her handbag complete with Harry's painkillers so she can kill herself. When she get to the hotel she is told that the hotel is completely booked for a wedding party but there is one suite that will be hers for the night. As she stands in the lobby, watching the wedding party arrive, she hears greetings and sees the bride, Lila arrive. Phoebe is given a welcome wedding bag and goes into the elevator to get to her room. As she is trying to close the door, Lila puts her hand in to try and reopen the door, drawing blood, and so the relationship between the women begin. Lila starts to question Phoebe and realizes that she is not there for the wedding. Phoebe then blurts out the she is there to kill herself and will not be in the way of the six day wedding celebration. Well that just does not work for Lila and somehow the two women start a unique friendship. In the meantime, Phoebe still plans to kill herself and wants to order a special last supper, but room service is suspended for the wedding. So she puts on a fluffy robe and goes down to the hot tub in her black lace underwear. Soon she is joined by an in interesting man and they have a fairly long conversation with Phoebe telling him that she wants to "f**k" him. He tells her he's sorry but he's taken. And so starts what is a maze of a story with lost loves, family dramas and the question of will the marriage actually happen. There were points in the book where I just wanted them to get on with it, but the basic story is quite good and it wraps up making you wonder what will happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this ARC.

Phoebe goes on a journey to to end things but winds up at a hotel as the only occupant not involved in an over the top wedding. Genuine connections ensue as she and others let their guard down and learn about each other as they walk through a process of personal growth. I did struggle to connect to many of the characters and didn't love much of the (for lack of a better term) overwrought introspection. But I loved the premise and the character growth and development. The novel seemed a mix of literary deep thought and a modern romance but I did find it enjoyable overall.

The Wedding People is a book that might masquerade as a fun beach read, but it is so much more. It asks and answers important questions about life, while being entertaining, funny, and heartbreaking. The Wedding People starts with Phoebe, putting on a dress she never wears and taking a trip she would normally never take. When she arrives at her hotel, she realizes that she is the only guest who is not part of the wedding that will take place there that week. Phoebe's story unfolds as she becomes in enmeshed with the wedding people and their lives.

There are so many things in this book that I enjoyed. Despite dealing with some very heavy topics, I found myself laughing far more than I typically do when reading. As a former English major, I really loved and appreciated all of the literary references included throughout the book. The characters were so interesting and well-written; they felt real and familiar. This novel will make you think deeply about your life, your choices, and how everyone should go after what they deserve.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Henry Holt for allowing me to read this ARC. This is my honest review of the novel. Keep an eye out for it in July 2024!

The Wedding People by Alison Espach is due out July 30, 2024. Net Galley gifted me an ARC in return for a review. Published by Henry Holt and Company.

Wow, within the first few pages you are left with a declaration by Phoebe,(the main character), which shocks you. Definitely didn’t see this coming out of Phoebe’s mouth. Recently divorced after 12 years of marriage, Phoebe has left the her home state and traveled to Cornwall Hotel to stay at this beautiful Victorian Inn, the photo of which has kept her sane after she left her husband.

Phoebe arrives at her dream high end hotel on the coast of Rhode Island to find she is the only person who is not part of a wedding. The bride happens to befriend Phoebe and inserts her into wedding week activities with her slightly dysfunctional family and future in laws.

Funny and tender hearted story where there are all kinds of twists and turns turns as Phoebe and others gain inner strength and self love.

This is fantastic! Loved, loved, loved all of the Eng Lit references. Loved the Newport, RI setting. Will definitely re-read this at Narragansett this summer with my toes in the sand. The serious topics of mental health, suicide, death of spouse, divorce after infidelity, and death of parent are written with nuances that reflect real life. Through the grief and pain there is hope and healing. The characters were all unique and important to the story (Phoebe is truly special). As frustrating as Lila & Gary became, the author writes their choices believably, so I was sold on their reasoning and felt anticipation for the storyline more than frustration with their choices. There were so many engaging scenes, I think the ending absolutely worked, and I was surprised at how ok I was w/o an epilogue. I laughed, cried, and was continually impressed by the creativity woven throughout the story. I could not put this down and am looking forward to marking up my own copy.

Thank you, #Netgalley and #HenryHolt publishing for the arc e-book. Pub date July 2024.

Book Title: The Wedding Party
Author: Alison Espach
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Pages: 384

Phoebe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn on a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island.
Everyone in the lobby is there for a wedding and they assume she is as well.
However, Phoebe is there for a completely different reason; she is actually planning to end her life.
I went into this with mixed anticipation was hoping for a happy ending yet didn’t yet know Phoebe’s story and thought perhaps this may have a sad ending.
Bride Lila meets Phoebe and now is worried and certainly doesn’t want death ruin her wedding.

Lila and Phoebe both have a decision to make and need to figure out what they really want.

There was far more of a story or stories to this than I expect. This just be the summer reading hit!

Want to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 30, 2024.

A suicidal English professor books her final hurrah at a luxury hotel on the coast, only to be thwarted by a headstrong bride and the rest of her ~wedding people~.

A little sweet, a little sentimental; I loved the intertextual references to some of the classics (Pride & Prejudice and the Age of Innocence being my favorite of the references). I felt deeply for the narrator, and the rest of the assorted group grew on me as the story progressed. The set-up to the ending was definitely very predictable, but I felt like the HEA was a nice balance to the heaviness of the opening chapters. I think this will be a great summer read when it officially comes out, but it was also exactly what I needed from a book right now (in the dead of winter).

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. for the opportunity to read and review!

I was pleasantly surprised by The Wedding People. I feel like this book came into my life at the right time as I am feeling unsatisfied with certain aspects of my life. (Not quite on Phoebe’s level!) I appreciate the bravery and candor of the characters, particularly Phoebe and Lila. This story was fresh and bold. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it’s inspired me to be more courageous in my own life and to take stock of what do I really want?

Thank you for allowing me to read and share my thoughts!

How cute! I loved how adorable this one. It was a journey for the main character and she gained so much strength. You’ll learn lessons and enjoy life in this one.

I absolutely loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I connected with a lot of the characters. It totally made me want to travel to Rhode Island!

I really loved this book. I haven't heard of this author before but I kept seeing this cover on Booksta for a bit. I think its a nice mix of literary fiction, with a bit of chick lit mixed in. It's deff a moody vibe kind of read. My only bone to pick is that the ending is a little vague but thats a personal preference.

My Take: 4 out of 5. This is a book that is hard to fit into a category. Lets leave it at literary fiction, and in that its a great exploration of character. All these characters are so flawed yet quite endearing and the growth they do together is lovely. It's a bit weird, a bit emotional and a quick read. Along with my obsession with the Gilded Age, this book is reiterating my need to go check out Newport, as I've never been! TW: there is quite a bit of mental illness that could be triggering, so proceed with caution.

To be honest, it took me a while to really get into this story. Protagonist Phoebe is recently divorced and depressed, and I was pulled down by her in the early chapters; she was such a wet blanket of a character. But, I got sucked into her story and as she begins to interact with the bride, Lila, I found that their unusual relationship was compelling enough to continue reading. As at all weddings, there is an interesting cast of characters and the activities of the wedding week were pretty entertaining. In the end, this turned out to be a heartwarming story and I would recommend it to other readers. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

After an earth-shattering divorce and a slow-growing hatred of her job, Phoebe Stone makes an impromptu decision to fly to Rhode Island and stay at the Cornwall Inn so she can have a perfect last day before attempting suicide. However, her plans go awry after being mistaken as one of the wedding guests and the hotel and meeting the bride, Lila, who ropes her into the wedding as a means of begging her not to ruin her big day. Phoebe quickly gets wrapped up in the festivities, especially after meeting the groom Gary and his family.

I loved the writing; you really feel like you’re in Phoebe’s head as she falls into a depression after a seemingly-out-of-nowhere divorce. This book also touches on the pandemic, which usually bothers me, but it’s a necessary part of this story since it reinforces the isolation that she goes through that culminates in her decision to attempt suicide. Phoebe’s narration is also very witty amidst the awkward situations that come up during the wedding.

All of the characters felt so real too. Phoebe’s an English professor who is very good with people and just trying to find what makes her happy after she realizes that what she was told would complete her life won’t. Lila is a spoiled, neurotic bride who is used to getting anything she wants, but through Phoebe’s eyes, you also see how her need to control everything masks her insecurity. Gary is a widower and fundamentally a good man who understands everything Phoebe means without her having to say it.

This book is more introspective than a straight-up filled with hijinks, but I did find it to be funny at times because of how realistic it was. There are so many awkward, stilted moments that felt real and organic.

At its core, The Wedding People is about the realization that small interactions with people can change your life and that we need other people in order to feel like we’re actually living. Even when Phoebe (rightfully) can’t stand Lila, she also helps her realize that she does, in fact, does not want to die. With every passing moment and interaction come more reasons that Phoebe wants to live for. I was tearing up as she grew to realize this; I just really do enjoy books that remind you what it is to live and to love.

Potential readers should know going in that The Wedding People is not a rom-com or romance. It deals with some dark subject matter, including suicide, infidelity and infertility. But it also has a lot of heart and humor in it. It was a bit predictable, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

I really enjoyed the setting and the idea of serendipitously meeting people who just might end up changing your life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Phoebe Stone arrives at a beachfront hotel in Newport, Rhode Island with plans to end her life (not a spoiler), but her plans are quickly hijacked when she becomes entangled with a group of wedding guests staying at the hotel. Initially I was skeptical of some rom-com elements to the story, including a bridezilla character and an insta-love interest for Phoebe. But Alison Espach manages to take that backdrop and deliver a book full of depth and heart. Several characters (including the bridezilla character that I wanted to hate) have compelling development arcs, which was especially impressive given the book only takes place over a week. The Wedding People is a unique story about people that are real and whole…people you will want to root for. Out July 30, 2024, this will make a fantastic summer read.

This novel is hysterical and deeply satisfying at the same time. I am always amazed by Espach's writing and can't wait to pick up more from her.

Imagine planning a stay at a beautiful oceanside inn to end your life and instead you find life there? Phoebe does exactly that! Well-written characters and an engaging plot. I adored the novel.