This review was SO hard for me to write. I wrote and deleted it like five times because conveying a feeling a book gives you can be hard!! I’ve never read a book that made me feel so… human.

It was the best and worst of human kind, all wrapped up in a must read for the summer. I cried, laughed, blushed, cringed, smiled and sobbed. The writing was beautiful, if not haunting at times. The characters, deeply flawed, still I saw myself in all of them.

Phoebe has hit rock bottom and escapes to a hotel on the ocean. Until she realized she unknowingly crashed a wedding that has booked the hotel for the week. The journey for Phoebe and Lila, the bride, and so many others brought tears to my eyes. I felt myself rooting for the characters the whole time. And I don’t think I’ve properly felt closure in the ending of a book like I did with The Wedding People. 🥹

Now that I’ve raved!!! The first 25% was hard to get through. Just a fair warning, check your trigger warnings or message me & I can fill you in. There was times when it can get pretty heavy but I promise, it gets so much lighter and softer as you go. Life’s hard right? But there’s a place for you always.

Thank you @henryholtbooks for the advanced EARC! 🫶🏼🥹💕

It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamt of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe―which makes it that much more surprising when the women can’t stop confiding in each other.

Phoebe and Lila end up forming the most unlikely of friendships and Phoebe suddenly finds herself in the middle of this wedding party. They are a messy bunch, each bringing their own set of issues. I found them all relatable and enjoyed the storyline of all the side characters along with the main ones. This book dealt with what starts as a very serious issue, but somehow manages to handle it in a way that was at times, laugh out loud funny as well. I didn't think that would be possible, but this author pulls it off in spectacular fashion. I was totally entertained the entire way through and was rooting for a happy ending for everyone. This was also a @readwithjenna book club pick, and I have had pretty good luck with her choices. Overall, a great Summer read for me with the perfect seaside setting, a wedding and a great story with substance and humor. I look forward to reading anything Alison writes in the future too!

Thank you to @henryholt&co, @netgalley and the author @alisonespach for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful read from start to finish! The main character was delightful and so was the rest of the cast. Wonderful story and message and I loved it!

This is a contemporary novel about grief, depression, weddings and the difficulties of being human.

There’s a lot about living with depression Espach gets right. How it dulls everything around you, enhances the tedium, makes you sick of everything and everyone, including yourself. The bleakness and misery become normal. You either become desperate to feel something, anything, else or accept this your forever and decide you can’t abide that.

There’s a dry sarcastic wit that rings very true for people in dark places. (Check on your funny friends.) Espach also has an excellent ear for dialogue. There is so much I like about her writing. She really nails some of the realities of the messiness of being a person.

The ending was marvelously messy. A lot of what needed to happen happened but not everything. This was more literary so everything wasn’t wrapped up in a pretty bow. Life isn’t so ​tidy. It ended with hope and promise and, many times, that’s enough. 4.5/5 stars (rounded up on the relevant apps/sites)

This book has me laughing so hard, not only is the whole cover misleading the synopsis doesn’t do this book any justice. But the way this book had me laughing out loud, when I explained to people what I was reading they were like “what?! That’s crazy.”

So Pheobe is going through it, she has recently divorced, she is thinking that she has been doing everything right in the world, Being a normal woman, at least she thinks that she has been, and she decides to take a little trip to this hotel she wanted to visit with her husband. But the reasons why she wants to go to this hotel, is a lot more sinister then I thought. While she is there, there’s a huge wedding happening, and the whole hotel, is occupied by this wedding, and Phoebe doesn’t realize the mess that she just walked into, and it was HILARIOUS!…

She meets the most intrusive, but also funny, self-centered, bride Lila. And Lila is doing everything in her power, to make sure that Phoebe does not ruin her wedding week, and it’s hilarious how this whole thing plays out, I cannot stress it more, the way these two women interact had me so glued to this book, I could not stop reading. In this whole week, while she is being immersed into this wedding, she has learning a lot about herself, and where she had gone wrong in her life, and also in her marriage, It’s a beautiful thing to read a character finally getting to know more about herself, in any age. There were times that I felt very sad for Phoebe, because she appears to be a woman who deserves all the happiness in the world. And she takes advantage of the opportunities in front of her I would do the same, lol.

I will say this, this book is very different, It’s hard to put it in the category, but you have to have a sense of humor to be able to understand everything that’s going on in this book.

For me it was just amazing.

I needed a book like this to spice up my summer reading. Summer means weddings. Summer means boat rides. Summer means surfing. It doesn't necessarily mean death though. Phoebe might think that it's a good time to kill herself but she could not do that when there was a wedding going on in the hotel she checked in, right?

Phoebe was having a crisis after her husband's infidelity. She thought way to make things right was committing suicide. When she found herself in the middle of wedding people and the bride threw a fit when she heard her purpose to be there, Phoebe got a new chance to think about life. her decisions, what she missed, and what she could recover.

While it was such a light read, it was also so deep. It had a woman finding herself after infidelity and miscarriage. It had a woman learning about how not to be like her mother. It had a young woman processing her mother's passing. Women in different ages and from different walks of life supported each other in "subtle" ways without making each other feel like burden to others. Totally loved this book!

I LOVED The Wedding People!! What a wonderful book. The writing was superb, the story so engaging, the characters real and genuine, filled with witty dialogue and a salty coastal setting. Phoebe travels to what she believes is her "happy place," the Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island, and stumbles upon a lobby filled with wedding people. I loved the sections, broken down by days leading up to the wedding, each section filled with activities to keep the characters, and readers, fully engrossed in prewedding festivities. The coast vibe is ideal, and Newport becomes a character in its own right. This heartbreaking and heartwarming book is my favorite of the year. The perfect summer read! Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the eARC of this brilliant book! 5/5 ⭐️

This is a surprisingly moving book about how people can unexpectedly affect each other's lives. Phoebe starts off as a suicidal, hopeless, and desperate character. The more she becomes involved with the wedding people the more she thrives and finds herself.

The characters in the story are all so fully rounded. They have shades to their character and are neither all good nor all bad. Thus, they feel very realistic and relatable.

This is also a story about change. As the characters in the story learn, change can be good and necessary, and it can take us places we never imagined we would ever go but that is exactly where we need to be in our lives.

This one grew on me a surprising amount from beginning to end- Phoebe is a character that grows and changes a lot from where she is when we meet her in the first pages of the books and where we leave her a week later. There are tender moments, heartbreaking ones, and deeply humorous ones, and characters that really work their way into your heart.

I really enjoyed this one! It starts slow and definitely heavier, but at around the 30% mark, I really started to enjoy it. Flawed but lovable characters & a fun summer story overall.

The first chapter of this book was DARK and I considered DNFing but once the main character and the bride met, I was hooked. The banter is top notch and boy is this story messsssssyyyyyyyyyyyy. It felt realistic though. Phoebe’s inability to let go of her ex husband was so true to life. So was her just covering her dead cat and running away. I’m not really a fan of the cheating trope even if it is just “emotional cheating” and especially when it’s with your best friend’s fiancé but I feel like it worked here because the bride and groom clearly were not going to end up together. It’s a true testament to the author that I really liked the bride even though she was so incredibly frivolous and self centered. This felt like a depressing Wedding Crashers which is very much my vibe.

This is my feedback for the wedding people by Allison espach. Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review! My review is linked below! I have it 3.5

This was my first book by this author, and she did a fantastic job drawing me in. The synopsis intrigued me, and once I started, I couldn't stop. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job bringing each character to life. The book is filled with a diverse cast of characters.

Phoebe arrives in Newport, Rhode Island, intending to end her life. She's at a low point—her husband has divorced her, her cat has died, and her career is stagnant. She checks into a beautiful hotel for what she plans to be her final night. Coincidentally, a wedding week is beginning at the hotel, and everyone assumes she's part of the wedding party. Phoebe wants nothing to do with anyone, but she soon meets the spoiled bride-to-be, Lila, who refuses to let her go.

The interactions and conversations between Phoebe and Lila are captivating. Lila pulls Phoebe into her world, and their lives become increasingly intertwined as the week progresses. The story flows beautifully, and I loved watching their relationship develop.

Both the audiobook and the book itself were incredibly entertaining!

I just finished THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach, and it was such a quick read—I couldn't put it down. The story opens with Phoebe arriving alone at a romantic hotel, overwhelmed by personal setbacks and ready to give up. Unexpectedly, she crosses paths with a lively wedding party, sparking funny and insightful conversations with the guests. These interactions lead to mutual growth and honesty among the characters, creating a compelling and engaging narrative. Espach beautifully blends humor and raw honesty, making the book both entertaining and thought-provoking.

I alternated between reading the book and listening to the audiobook narrated by Helen Laser, who brought the characters to life wonderfully. I highly recommend experiencing this story in either format!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was wholly unprepared for this book. This isn't your average light-hearted romance -- it has so much depth and heart that I wasn't expecting.

It centers around a week-long wedding with a bride who thinks the hotel is booked out exclusively for wedding guests. And it is....well, with the exception of Phoebe, who shows up with her own plans. Phoebe is a wildcard in the carefully laid plans of the wedding, but sometimes unexpected connections can become the most meaningful.

"The Wedding People" is so many things: it's humorous and heartfelt, will make you laugh out loud and will make you cry. Espach writes with wit and hilariously accurate insight into love, relationships, and wedding charm and chaos. Please, please do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

(on another note, who do we have to lobby to make this into a movie??)

Thank you NetGally for this ARC!!

I just want to start by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK. I cannot say enough nice things about this story and the author.

The story follows Phoebe as she's going through a divorce post her husband's affair. Phoebe is about to end her life when she becomes one of the "wedding people" staying at a hotel and connecting with the bride. As the wedding continues, Phoebe learns what it means to truly live and how to continue on in her life when the unimmaginable has happened.

This book has truly changed the way I view the little things and what you mean to others. Phoebe may be going through what she feels like is the end of her world, but so is everyone else. Everyone has something that they are holding on to or getting over, but it's about how you deal with those things and reconnect with the world around you that makes life worth living. Phoebe is all of us.

Phoebe learns that she has more to live for in life and has truly made an impact on others around her, even in just one weekend. It really makes you think about all the people who you have impacted and impacted you, no matter how small.

Pheobe has been an adjunct college professor for years. She is stuck in a loop, unable to turn her book into a dissertation, unable to start a family, and unable to assert herself in her marriage. Facing a new loss, Phoebe decides to spend a night at a luxury hotel in Rhode Island. Due to a booking fluke, Phoebe is the only person at the hotel not part of an over-the-top wedding and quickly finds herself confiding in the bride. As the days pass and she becomes more involved in the wedding party, she finds herself forming connections to a number of the guests and coming into her own in a way she no longer thought was possible.

This is a hard book to summarize without giving away any spoilers, so regardless of how interesting/not-interesting that summary sounds to you, my advice is read this book asap! This book is the perfect blend of being weighty and involved with complex topics, while reading in a way that is funny and light and true-to-life. Heart-warming but never mawkish, funny but never relying on caricature, and thought-provoking without skipping a beat, this is the must-read book of the summer.

I would recommend this to pretty much anyone, but especially for fans of Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here or Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Wow. This was beautiful. It is deep and hearty and tortured, but hopeful. It really made me pay attention. I felt like I really knew these characters at a visceral level. I will think about this book for a long time; I know I will. I would love to know what happens next for these characters, but I think maybe it’s important that we also don’t. Note: There are a lot of trigger warnings to be aware of if you are sensitive to certain topics. Thank you @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for this ARC. It is happenstance that I finished this book today, the day of its release!

Happy Pub Day Review

“I think it’s amazing how much work we’ll do just to feel something. I don’t think there is anything more human than that.”

Well I am adding this to my favorites pile of the year for sure.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this as I went in completely blind and 100 percent because I loved the cover. I highly, highly suggest you do the same because the story completely captivated me, tugged on my heart strings, and made me laugh out loud.

The premise is an interesting one. The characters are endearing, quirky, weird, and some of my favorites now. The writing really makes you feel like you are with the characters with witty and meaningful dialogue.

I will think about this one for a long time and really can’t WAIT for you to meet Phoebe and Lila.

Add this one to another amazing immersive reading experience with another amazing narrator, Helen Laser. She really brought the story to life and I honestly couldn't stop listening.

Thank you so much @henryholtbooks for the early reading copy and @macmillian.audio for the early listening copy

“Life is strange. Always thinking that this one thing is going to make you happy. Because then you get it. And then you’re maybe not as happy as you imagined you would be. Because every day is just every day. Like the happiness becomes so big you have no choice but to live inside it. Unit you can no longer see or feel it. And so you start to fixate on something else.”

5 stars

I loved this book so much that I was texting @elizabookworm while reading, saying OMG — the hot tub scene — because I needed to emote. I was cracking up and at the same time, should I really be laughing at this!?! Yes, yes, I should.

I saw Alison Espach at Barnes and Noble Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn last night (in conversation with Jenny Jackson( to celebrate THE WEDDING PEOPLE. Espach funny, which should not be surprising given the book. What I absolutely love about this book are the characters, Phoebe, Lila, Neck Pillow, High Bun, Juice and Marla were my absolute faves who jumped off the page.

The story: Phoebe, an adjunct professor at a Missouri college, gets up one morning and can’t put her teacher clothes on. She leaves her breakfast crumbs on the counter, puts on an emerald evening dress and heads to a fancy hotel in Newport. When she walks in, she sees a crowd of people, the wedding people. She wasn’t expecting them. The bride certainly wasn’t expecting Phoebe who intends to end her life with cat tranquilizers at the hotel.

The Wedding People is deep, funny, lyrical and about our innate yearning to connect with other humans even when we think we do not want to do so. It is a brave book, as well.

I loved Espach’s last novel NOTES ON YOUR SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE. If you haven’t read it, do not miss it. It is so different from The Wedding People, but brilliant.

Thank you @henryholt for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.

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