The Wedding People

THE WEDDING PEOPLE is a smart, fun and compelling story weaving together the lives of so many interesting characters who never should have met. Phoebe Stone is at a complete mess when she arrives at the Cornwall Inn. It does not take long for her to realize that she is the only guest at the Inn who is not there for a very elaborate and carefully choreographed wedding. Lila, the bride, who has micromanaged every detail realizes this and quickly seeks Phoebe out and an unlikely relationship unfolds.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wedding People. I was immediately drawn to the setting of this book, a beautiful resort on the Rhode Island coast, but this novel offers so much more. Alison Espach did a beautiful job creating a story around some difficult topics without it feeling too heavy. The writing is equal parts can’t put the book down and laugh out loud funny. The characters all feel so genuine and the plot is well-paced. I especially loved how the author ended the story as I was unsure how things could be wrapped up with a realistic feel but it was done perfectly. Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co. and Alison Espach for allowing me a preview e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Alison Espach is a genius and can do no wrong in my book - I always eagerly anticipate any new release from her and this was an intriguing departure from her previous book, which I also loved. Even though this also dealt with heavy subject matter, the tone was almost light or I guess darkly comedic, you might say. I thought that juxtaposition made for a unique and engaging reading experience. I also loved seeing the way the main character grew and changed throughout the novel, and I thought the supporting characters were compelling as well. It really was a perfect mix of light and dark. I loved the setting as well. I can’t wait to buy a copy of this for my shelves!

Wow! This book was so unexpectedly brilliant. The first quarter of the book is so tragically beautiful when describing Phoebe’s state of mind and why she wants to commit suicide. The resolve that Phoebe shows is only rivaled by Lila’s boisterous personality. I loved the connections Phoebe makes with people and the banter between the characters. It’s a nice reminder of the fact that one interaction can change someone’s life for the better. The dialogue was fresh and comical even in the face of difficult subjects. The sex woman part was genuinely SO hilarious. I also loved the message of Phoebe gaining confidence and learning to live again throughout the book. I will say her husband coming back made me actually mad. Then I was rooting for Phoebe all over again! I loved the ending. Expected but still unexpected in a way. Especially since you only get a tease of what is next in her life.
One big critique is that the phrase “the wedding people” is used too often. Maybe try to change some of it to the wedding party, the wedding attendees or something to diversify it.

Phoebe’s life has fallen apart. COVID, failing to write her book, infertility, her husband’s affair, the death of her cat… She has failed at everything. Too smart, too anxious, too normal, too much, not enough… She’s spent years constantly waiting for someone to tell her what she is, what she can be, what she can do. Until she ends up at the Cornwall, the week of Lila Rossi-Winthrop’s wedding, and her plans to end it all are trumped by the presumptuous bride-to-be.

The Wedding People is a bright novel about the pressures we put on ourselves, as women especially, to be and do what is expected - for fear of rejection, disappointment, judgment. It’s also about how we should really just do what makes us feel alive, happy.

I really liked the idea of this book but didn’t end up loving it. The beginning felt like woah how did we get here.

Wow, wow, wow. 5 STARS! I'm still processing. I finished this book last night and needed some time to wrap my head around all that was this FANTASTIC story. First of all, I absolutely adored Phoebe. A very lovable, honest, relatable character. I mean, Espach did a phenomenal job with all of the characters, honestly. There was SO much character development in this story that I can honestly say I miss them now that it's over. I miss the wedding people! Ha! Also, the down right, laugh out loud moments in this book were spot on, I had to read a whole section to my husband because I was laugh SO HARD and needed to share the pure joy with someone else. I will be shocked if this doesn't win some awards in 2024 when it's released. Thank you SO MUCH to Net Galley for this ARC. And most of all, thank you to Alison Espach for this beautifully woven story.

The simplest way to sum up this novel is just "Perfectly Imperfect'. Phoebe is a mess if we're completely honest but that makes her so endearing. I absolutely adored where this story went. I am a sucker for a novel set at a wedding and especially a dysfunctional novel at that. This book blew all my expectations away. I really loved it from start to finish.

Throughout this book, there are unexpected moments. Phoebe was about to take her own life at the hotel filled with wedding guest. Her husband left her. She had to leave her job. The wedding guest mistakenly thinks that she is also a guest. Afterward, there is a change of heart for Phoebe.

Thanks to the publishers at Henry Holt & Company and also NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

Way different from my initial thoughts that this book would be about. Not in a bad way but in a way that I had to stop and wait until I was in a good head space. When I came back, I did enjoy the story and the way it was put together.

When I requested this book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Before diving in (on a weekend I was traveling for a wedding, no less), I checked out the NetGalley reviews and found out I was in for a much wilder read than originally anticipated.

But oh, my. The Wedding People soared past all expectations. It was fun and terribly sad and packed full of hope. It was critical and silly and I found myself annoyed with characters from the very first page. But my god, did Alison Espach write a brilliant tale outlining the little things that make waking up in the morning all worth it, even when you're not looking forward to the day. The Wedding People was ultimately so sweet and tender -- I simply couldn't put it down.

When Phoebe's husband leaves her and her beloved Cat dies- she has decided she has had enough. She leaves everything behind to check in at a hotel in Rhode Island (one she saw in a magazine during the pandemic) and decides she is going to kill herself. When she arrives, she learns the entire hotel is rented out to a wedding party and she quickly meets the bride who insists it will ruin her week if Phoebe dies.

It was such a fun and quirky read- I fell in love with Phoebe's character, she is so intelligent, funny, honest and really made the whole book. I highly recommend this novel!!

I am not sure why I requested The Wedding people but so glad I did. I can’t not read and was feeding the habit with
some thrillers and easy breezy choices for end of the year fare. It was amazing to meet Phoebe and Lilia who populated what
might have been a predictable plot with such humanity and the ability to search for direction and reflect in a mostly complicated and unpredictable world.. The use of humor was just right and while sadly the book ended the cadence was just right..not
too much or too little information. I hope the independent booksellers hand sell this title it’s a gem. Four and a half bright stars
even if I wasn’t on board for Phoebe/Gary

i have never read such dark humor and utterly enjoyed it! this was a fantastic story about being so completely alone you say fuck it and spill your guts to strangers. lila and phoebe are open with one another in a way that you’d expect lifelong friends to be. phoebe decides not to kill herself when she overhears the mother of the bride giving a truly heinous speech. she throws up her cat’s pills that she ingested and decides she wants to know more about the wedding people. i can’t wait to purchase this when it comes out in 2024, thank you netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

I absolutely LOVED this book and quickly finished reading it! Ms. Espach writes wonderfully original, real, complex, and thorough characters. I'm already picturing an adaptation of the manuscript. I will definitely look for other works by this author.

I received this book from NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

What a strange novel! Our main character, Phoebe, travels to a five-star New England resort to kill herself. In the elevator, she meets The Bride, a woman who is getting married at the same resort. Their two stories entwine and both women discover some difficult truths about themselves. The writing style is reminiscent of someone else I can't quite put a finger on...occasionally overwrought and over-detailed.

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I loved this book so much. The dialogue absolutely sparkles, and the characters are so lovable. I kept finding myself laughing out loud the moment after I felt like I might cry. I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

Phoebe’s life is falling apart. Her husband left her for an other professor at the university they both teach at, she’s stuck on her dissertation, and to top it all off her beloved cat Frank dies. So she checks into the Cornwall Hotel in Rhode Island, a gorgeous resort that she’s dreamed of staying at for years, and plans to kill herself. But as it turns out, the entire hotel was booked for a wedding. And as Phoebe gets swept into the wedding week and comes to know the wedding people, she sees her life anew through her new unsuspecting friends.

Thank you @netgalley, @alison.espach, and @henryholtbooks for the ARC! This was a really genius and moving book that had so many profound things to say about life, expectations, relationships, and grief. It was somehow heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time and I loved that so much. Phoebe’s character was so richly developed and so layered. I loved her realness and how raw and honestly her emotions were depicted, but that the reader also got to see her come into her new self as the book progressed. All of the characters worked so deliciously together, even those that were more ostentatious and outlandish, because Espach did a wonderful job of humanizing each character and creating characters that were multifaceted. I loved the unsuspecting friendship that developed between Lila and Phoebe, and how they were both able to help each other find their voices. I also really enjoyed Gary and Phoebe’s relationship and how they were able to have so many candid conversations. And I loved that the book showed that even in the hard, messy times of life, there can still be love, growth, and hope. Great dialog, themes, and characters make this a must-read book in 2024! The Wedding People comes out July 30!

This book was quirky, clever, and super addicting. Depressed and feeling hopeless, Phoebe visits a fancy hotel in Rhode Island with plans to end it all, but once she gets there, she quickly gets swept up in a wedding that is also taking place at the hotel that week. Over the course of the week Phoebe forms some surprising connections with the wedding people that teach her lessons about love, loss, grief, friendship, and help her to find herself again. This book is slower paced and very character driven, but certainly not boring- I totally devoured it and read it in just a couple days. The premise was unique and clever, and I found the characters totally captivating. I loved watching both Phoebe and Lila transform throughout the story, and the unusual bond that they formed. The writing was beautiful and a bit unique- it had me fully immersed in the story from the first chapter. It also has a fantastic setting- a swanky hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, that really helped set the vibe. Overall, I adored this book and would highly recommend- probably in my top 5 books I read this year!


Thank you to NetGalley and Henry, Holt, and. Company for an advanced reader copy for review.

The Wedding People is part literary, part contemporary/women's lit, achieving the perfect balance that makes it the kind of book you can easily devour on vacation, while also being smart and thoughtful. It lacks both pretense and cliché, allowing the story to unfold organically. While some of the characters and scenes were less compelling than others, and occasionally the pacing drags a tiny bit, the book as a whole is really solid and would appeal to a wide variety of readers. Even with the wedding setting, it's not overly saccharine, so lovers of more literary fare will still enjoy this. I would especially recommend to anyone who enjoys rom-coms and is looking for something a bit more elevated.