Book Review:
Title: The Wedding People
Author: Alison Espach
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I don't know, book friends. I don't think I loved or even liked this one as much as I wanted to. I saw high reviews on this book, but it took forever for me to get through it. It's wasn't bad at all, I just got bored at times. The point of the book was great, but maybe it's just me. Having dealt with someone I love who struggles with mental health illnesses and suicidal ideation, reading a book surrounding these topics might have just shut me down. So don't take my review at face value. It might just be one of those books that just doesn't match the reader. That is all.

Published: July 30th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and @henryholtbooks, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co. and the author for the ARC of this book.

I wasn't sure about this book when I first started, based the assumption this would have a lot of elements of romance, which is admittedly not my
favorite type of fiction. Although there were some elements of romance, for sure, they were more of a subplot. One of my favorite things about this book was the characterization. Phoebe is an amazing character who helps the reader experience a broad range of emotions, and almost makes you laugh out loud. As Phoebe comes to the inn with the intention of taking her life, she is saved in one of the most unlikely ways: a wedding.

Unfortunately, for Phoebe she booked her room at the inn on a week that a giant wedding would be taking place. No rest for the wicked, right?
The characterization of the bride Lila was also very well done. She was super frustrating, yet somewhat lovable. As anyone that hasn't been in a wedding before you find out a lot about your friends during wedding stress. One of the things I found the most interesting and surprising was how well I could relate to the characters in the story, and to the plot line. I am in two weddings this year, and it has been particularly relatable: However, my brides are great and not bridezillas, although, like Lila have been finding who they can trust to go to for help and support and who they can't.
Like Phoebe I found out it's not always the closest person to the bride who makes a world of difference. And also like Phoebe, I found that friendships can thrive in the most unlikely of places.

This is a novel of friendship and how completely different women can see if one another's futures in the unlikeliest of ways. What I'm gonna take away from this book is that it made me want to make sure my girl besties feel supported in planning their weddings and know that they have someone that they can lean on. Also, I plan on picking up more books by this author in the future.

For my level ratings:
Level of excitement: 5
Ease of reading: 5
Overall rating: 5
I recommend this book to anyone experiencing wedding stress, any bride, needing a laugh or anyone interested in the rom com contemporary fiction.

this book is everything. Loved the tale of our narrator and the relationship she develops with others.

The Wedding People is a serious, funny, seriously funny story with enough drama and comedy to keep you hanging on every word. The plot deals with love, death, life, connecting with strangers, happiness and depression and change. It truly is an uplifting tale which will have the reader rooting for all the wedding people as they traverse through their problems and try to discover the importance in their lives.

Phoebe Stone is a teacher, and she has decided to go to the famous Cornwall Inn wearing a beautiful dress to finish off her unbearably sad life. You see, she is divorced from the love of her life, also a teacher who cheated on her and ended up falling in love with someone else. As much as they tried, because of Phoebe, they had been unable to get pregnant something they both wanted desperately. She has not been able to finish writing her dissertation to get her PhD...for years, with everyone continually asking how it's going. And finally, she comes home to her beloved cat Harry dead. And that is the final straw.

Now, as she stands in the lobby to check into the Inn, she realizes the others are checking in for a wedding that coming weekend. She overhears the conversations of some of the wedding people as to what the weekend will bring (with rolled eyes I might add). She discovers she is the only person at the Inn who is not one of the wedding people. Although dressed as such, no one knows.

When the bride to be Iris discovers she is at the Inn, she takes it upon herself, as Iris is quite the overbearing bridezilla, to go to Phoebe's room to ask her to leave. When Phoebe explains she will not but will be out of her hair before the wedding, well, Iris basically blows a gasket!

As they sit and talk, something begins to happen. They begin to tell each other their deepest darkest fears and secrets. They start to bond over their similarly different ways of coping. And Phoebe begins to realize Iris and the wedding people may not be in a very good way, just as she too is feeling lost and lonely.

Iris invites Phoebe to one of the many, many wedding activities and Phoebe is introduced to the wedding people, the good, the bad, the drunk and the mother of the bride who is clearly Iris's antagonist. You see, this wedding was supposed to happen before her father passed away. But he didn't make it.

The more chaos the wedding people cause, the closer Phoebe and Iris become. But why? They are totally different people...or are they? And the closer Iris gets to her wedding, the closer Phoebe and Iris become to realizing certain things about themselves and each other. Are they now friends?

The Wedding People will break your heart, make you laugh, as you watch individuals learn about each other and grow, as they make life-changing choices and you will ponder the question, how on earth can two total strangers change each other's lives as well as the wedding peoples for the better in just three days.

Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo. #TheWeddingPeople #AlisonEspach for the advanced copy.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I’m struggling to understand the rave reviews. I give credit to the author for solid character work and dark humor. However, I found that this book contained fairly dark subject matters that were glossed over in an insensitive way. Nor did I connect with any of the characters - I found them extremely unrelatable.

The Wedding People was an excellent read! It was funny even though dealing with a tough topic- suicide. It was absorbing.

I really enjoyed this book! Phoebe did not expect to walk out of the hotel when when first arrived. Her plan was to end her life. But, in walks Lila, the bridegizlla of the hour! Well written, flawed characters, and both deep and lighthearted. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite book of the year! Funny, in a subtle way. Heartfelt. Honest. A call to check the why behind what we do.

The first third was difficult to get into, but I kept going and was rewarded. The last 2/3 was incredible and I was sad to leave this world and these characters.

This was a case of the right book at the right time. There was so much I loved about this book. I thought the concept was very original and engaging, I fell in love with Pheobe and Lila and their unusual friendship and I really connected with the idea of taking your life into your own hands. The author did a great job of balancing heavy themes with moments of levity and humor. I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and evaluate your life. Check the trigger warning first though.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I found this book to be really interesting. The prose was a lot of "telling" rather than "showing", however I think that made sense with the themes of the book. I enjoyed the aspects of friendship and how mental health and depression were portrayed in a way that was so /real/. The thing that is holding me back from truly enjoying this novel is some of the characters. Lila could be really annoying at times, so I'm glad the book stayed in Phoebe's POV.

Thank you, Netgalley! (I'm rating this a 3.5 stars)

This story was really interesting. I didn't really know where it was going or how it was going to play out, and it didn't go as expected. The relationship between the bride and the "mystery guest" was fascinating. The character development was very good.

4.5 stars. the kind of book that is extremely enjoyable to read, AND that I still think about months later. I loved the characters, even when they were being obtuse or annoying. just a really great read that seems to be resonating with a lot of people.

3.5/5 -- I enjoyed this one! Lots of laughs and quirky characters. I started it in the summer and took a break until the fakk, so maybe that’s why I didn’t rate it higher! I’ll def read this author’s other books and love when MCs are middle aged women!

I have recommended this book to so many people since finishing it. It’s sweet and heartwarming (usually I run away from this sort of book!!!) but also deep and dark and existential. But also frothy and romantic???!! I fell in love with the characters. The ending is hopeful but realistic—life is HARD but you CAN change and you do deserve to have good things and make it mean something. I don’t know. I just adored this book so so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Wedding People by Alison Espach. This novel offers a witty and sometimes bittersweet look into the world of weddings, relationships, and the messy dynamics that come with them. Espach’s writing is sharp and observant, filled with moments of humor and emotional insight. The characters are relatable, though at times their development felt a bit uneven. The plot meanders in places, and while it’s an enjoyable read, it occasionally loses its momentum. Overall, The Wedding People is a charming, thought-provoking story about love, expectations, and the complicated nature of human connections, making it a pleasant, if not unforgettable, read.

This book was not what I expected from the title. When I see the word "wedding," I expect love and happiness, and this book is far from that. This went to some very dark places (trigger warning for suicide). The many different shifts the main character went through in such a short time and some of the things that happened I found completely unbelievable. Everything was just a bit over-the-top for me.

Alison Espach's The Wedding People starts with the encounter of a suicidal woman with a wedding party: what follows is a lovely story of two women coming together and forming a very strong bond. The characters are wonderfully complex, and my favorite aspect of this books was the dialogue of the characters. At some point, one of the characters asks another "Have you ever talked to another person?" which is a question I often ask myself when reading a less-well written book. In this case, the characters have certainly spoken to other people and act as real people. Even the ending, which is a bit predictable and cheesy, was satisfying.

The Wedding People is a suprisingly funny 'chick lit' read, in spite of some of the most serious subject matter (suicidal ideation, divorce, etc.). While the ending is somewhat predictable, the unique narrator and spot-on observations about 'wedding people' makes this an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE WEDDING PEOPLE was so different than I expected, but in the very best way. Allison Espach broaches heavy topics like loneliness, grief, and depression but handles them with a light yet sensitive touch. There is so much to adore about this story, especially if you can’t get enough of the found family trope.

This was a perfect summer read that struck the perfect balance between humor and heart. The characters were memorable and I enjoyed the direction that Espach took each character. I’ll be eager to read what Espach writes next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved loved loved everything about this novel. The dialogue is so beautifully written and witty. I cried, I laughed, and I got a warm fuzzy feeling after reading this one.