I loved this book. This was immersive from the start. I loved the journey and character development that Phoebe went through. I didn’t see this type of story coming! It handled heavy/serious topics in such a sensitive and yet humorous way. One of my top reads this year.

A fantastic book where the protagonist discovers the joy of being alive slowly and confidently. Superb, and can't wait to see it on the screen!

Full review to come.

The Wedding People is delightful in so many ways. The characters are well-developed (I loved Phoebe, Gary, Juice, Pauline, Patricia!). The novel follows Phoebe, recently separated from her husband, as she books a hotel room and contemplates suicide only to be saved by Lila, a bride whose wedding guests occupy the rest of the hotel. As the wedding approaches, Phoebe learns a lot about herself, her failed marriage, and her newfound friends. This novel has it all---humor, romance, drama. I was sad when. It ended!

How to review this book?! Easily one of the best of the year. What sounds at first like a dark, depressing book turned out to be a heartwarming hug of a novel. Phoebe travels to the Cornwall Inn for one purpose....to end her life. Things do not go as planned as she arrives only to find out she is the only guest in the Inn who is not there for a wedding. On her way to her room, Phoebe accidentally gets sucked into the bride's life and wedding drama. Before she knows it, she is not only a guest of the wedding but the maid of honor.

I loved this look at people and connection. The idea that, even when we are at our lowest of lows, there is always someone out there to listen and believe that we have purpose is found within these pages. I loved Phoebe's outlook on the bride and her wedding party. I laughed so many times right along with the main character. I cried for the hurts she has experienced. I championed the wins she found during this crazy, beautiful week at the Cornwall. I simply couldn't get enough.

This is a book for everyone. That being said, please take care of yourself and preview the content warnings as these characters go through some real trials in life. If you find yourself able to go through Phoebe's experience, I promise you will come out with a smile and a life-affirming outlook on life. I am so glad to have read this book and will be sure to return to it in the future.

After initially giving up on it I went back to it after it won the Good Reads best fiction award. I have to admit it I gave up too soon and it ended up being a satisfying read. Life comes at you fast and we all have to find ways to deal with it.

This was everything I look for in a book - Relatable, flawed characters. Humor. Real=life circumstances. Hope. I couldn't ask for anything more in Alison Espach's The Wedding People.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾

I would like to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s funny, sad, heartwarming, and honest. I loved the banter between the characters. Alison Espach has become one of my favorite authors. I loved her previous book, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, too.

[B]ecoming who you want to be is just like anything else. It takes practice. It requires belief that one day, you’ll wake up and be a natural at it.”
— Alison Espach, The Wedding People

I loved reading The Wedding People. I loved the dedication.

Phoebe’s story starts out rather dark, as she is depressed and has experienced enormous change and pain in her life. As soon as she intersects with the wedding people, the reader can almost envision the release as Phoebe is distracted from her dark introspection.

The story includes both dark humor and great tenderness. The author beautifully expresses the pain of divorce and pregnancy loss. (Potential triggers include these topics as well as infertility, suicide, and depression.)

As a literature professor, Phoebe has many allusions and interesting facts to sprinkle amidst her conversations with others. I love reading her interactions with the wedding people. The dialogue is amusing and a joy to read.

The setting of the story, and the wedding, is so easy to picture–Newport, Rhode Island, in a grand hotel.

This novel is a great mix of grief and levity. Phoebe observes the wedding people in a way that notices some of their self-absorption and shallowness but also sees the depth of their humanity and their vulnerabilities. I love that Phoebe befriends the bride despite her imperfections and their differences.

This story shows the beauty of human connection to people whose paths cross ours sometimes for just a moment (or a week at a hotel)

The Wedding People by Alison Espach was a profoundly moving experience that masterfully blends humour, heartache, and hope. The novel follows Phoebe Stone, a literature professor in her forties, who arrives at the opulent Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, wearing a green dress and gold heels—but without any luggage. This trip once envisioned as a romantic getaway with her now ex-husband, becomes a solo venture marked by her deep despair and a drastic plan.

Upon arrival, Phoebe is mistaken for a guest attending a lavish wedding taking place at the inn. This case of mistaken identity leads to an unexpected and transformative friendship with the bride, Lila. Their candid conversations and shared vulnerabilities provide both women with new perspectives on their lives and choices.

Espach’s writing is both witty and tender, capturing the complexities of human emotions with remarkable authenticity. The novel deftly explores themes of loneliness, the search for meaning, and the serendipitous relationships that can alter our life’s trajectory. Phoebe’s journey from the depths of despair to a renewed sense of purpose is portrayed with sensitivity and insight, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge Alison Espach fan and am excited to see her wonderful, perceptive writing reaching a wider audience. This book is a real crowd-pleaser as well as being well-written and inspiring. The concept of accidentally being the only guest at a hotel not there for a wedding is hilarious and its message about the impact of human connection is great.

Lives up to the hype! A wonderful love letter to strangers and finding life in small exchanges -- this book has stayed with me!

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read it. I love stories where two strangers find a connection, and to revolve it around something as chaotic as a destination wedding.... the description is drama filled but also funny? Light and heavy? Yes please! Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

It is so interesting to me how I did not really relate to so many of Phoebe’s actual experiences but I did so relate to her feelings of utter despair and then her sort of calm decision to take matters back into her own hands at the beginning of the book (not currently). Thematically, the book reminded me of The Midnight Library, another book I really loved, but obviously this one is totally grounded in the real world (well, okay, in the ultra rich wedding world in Newport, Rhode Island, but same same, right?).

The best part of the book for me is that there is no character who is completely irredeemable. Once you get to know everyone more, you see how they got there, and while you might not agree with choices they made, you get why they did it, and you empathize. Those are my favorite kinds of books, and that has made me want to read the other books this author has written, so that is very exciting :)

The Wedding People exceeded my expectations and I loved every minute of it! One of my favorite reads of 2024.

This book is such proof that expectations hugely impact your reading experience!! I had picked this up in the summer looking for a light beach read having gotten sucked in by the cute cover, and I had a hard time getting interested and only made it about 10% in. After seeing this become so acclaimed, I decided I wanted to try again, knowing better what I was getting into, and this time I ended up having a hard time putting it down! Almost every character is complex and interesting, and I was so compelled by the story unfolding over the course of one extravagant wedding week. I was so happy with the realistic but resolving end to the story, and I felt like this book was as much about the journey as the destination.

This book was a great break for me from my usual thrillers. A romantic comedy with a dash of important real life situations.

Loved the Wedding People with wickedly funny people and quirky circumstances! What a delightful fun read! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Hold & Company Publishing for the ARC opportunity.

This book was wonderful. Started out sad, but turned into such a wonderful life lesson heart warming novel.

I started this book and struggled to get into it. Then I read so many great reviews of it that I thought maybe it was just me, and so I tried it again. It must just be me, but this book just didn't resonate with me.
Phoebe is struggling with how her life has turned out and has checked into a hotel for one last day. Turns out everyone is there for the wedding of Lila "the bride". Of course, their paths cross and their ensuing relationship is a big piece of the story.
I just didn't care that much about these characters, and wasn't that interested in what happened next, but I feel like I'm an outlier on this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding People is available now.

Wow this book is all the feels: sad, funny, tragic, love, frustration, ridiculousness, inspirational and aspirational. I don't want to give anything away. The main character finds herself among many strangers and learns (or is reminded) everyone we meet is going through something, in technicolor. Fun and important. I read it over 2 days.