Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I went into The Wedding People blind, but I had heard only great things about it. I quickly fell in love with our main character Phoebe and saw part of myself in her.

Alison writes of heavy topics like grief and suicide in a funny and heartfelt way. I enjoyed all of the characters and how their lives were meshed together in this story.

This was my first read by Alison, but I’d love to read more from her in the future.

The Wedding People and I go back a long way despite the fact it hasn't yet released to the general public. Months ago this one arrived at my home from the publisher, and, little book cover judger that I am, I was not at all drawn to it. That's me - a reader who begins a relationship with a book based on the cover MAKING me want to open it. This cover was a miss. So, the book was resigned to the netherworld of my tbr and just stared at me. But, also me, guilt set it. Unsure how I was tagged to be an early reader, but when I saw The Wedding People offered by Netgalley as an audio, I pulled the trigger.

And, as will happen with a book you didn't expect to like.....I was immediately drawn in.

The Newport city of uber money at a resort most of us cannot imagine.....a week (excuse me, 6 days of a wedding), a main character planning su-cide (TRIGGER WARNING), wealth, sadness, isolation, bridezilla.....Alison Espach gives the reader so much to digest and I was there for all of it.

Well done. New, to me, author I will now explore. Lesson learned - the judged cover might have kept me from a great journey. Don't be Sue.

This book was not at all what I expected, but in a good way!

Phoebe escapes to enchanting Newport, RI after a series of unfortunate events lead her to become clinically depressed. Her career as a professor is stalled because she never managed to publish her dissertation, she has been diagnosed with infertility, her husband left her for another woman, and her cat, her only companion left in the world, dies. While we think Phoebe is just booking a break from reality, we quickly learn that she is suicidal and plans to end her life in a luxury seaside hotel room. While checking in to the resort, she realizes that all the other guests are here for a glamorous destination wedding.

In the elevator, Phoebe has a chance encounter with the bride (Lila) and is presumed to be one of “the wedding people.” With nothing to lose, she confesses that she is not a wedding guest and reveals her plan to commit suicide to Lila. Though briefly shocked, Lila refuses to accept this outcome, as it would "ruin her wedding." Thus, Lila embraces Phoebe as one of the wedding party, eventually making her the maid of honor.

As the wedding week progresses, we follow Phoebe's story of self-discovery and found family. While the topics were heavy (grief, infidelity, mental health issues, etc), I really enjoyed the dark humor and dirty jokes scattered throughout the novel, as well as the unexpected romance element. If you're looking for something a little deeper and more rewarding than your typical summer beach read, I can't recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook in exchange for my opinion.

This book is absolutely brilliant.
It's beautifully written, and the character work is incredible. It's deep, and so full of heart, but also funny, sweet and very hopeful.
Every character felt so real and complex, I was almost instantly attached to them and felt like I knew them in real life.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was absolutely fantastic and the experience really immersive.

I highly recommend this book, and especially in the audiobook version. Thank you Macmillan audio.

THE WEDDING PEOPLE has the charm of a Nancy Meyers movie, wit that’s drier than a Chardonnay, and heart that sucks you in over its final pages.

Alison Espach’s novel has quite the explosive premise: Two women arrive at a Newport five-star hotel: One is ready to start a new chapter of her life (through marriage) and the other is ready to close out a dark chapter of her own. So when Phoebe, a flailing academic with a failed marriage checks into the Cornwall Inn with her green dress and gold heels, she’s mistaken as a wedding guest at Lila’s six-day wedding event. Phoebe gets roped into a wedding where everything must be perfect. As both women take stock of their lives with the help of doubtful guests, scorned lovers, and Stepford staff, this wacky, wise journey of womanhood illustrates the ways that we find ourselves drifting away amidst life’s milestones.

This creme brulee of a novel is light and thin on the surface but rich, gooey, and a little messy upon consumption. The story packs a ton more weight that the plot points suggest (I’m going spoiler free here!) While this novel doesn’t take on the Wedding Industrial Complex head-on, it does offer a humorous read of the process of marriage and the rituals that plague brides-to-be on the days leading up to it. There’s fun unexpected romance in here and an ending deeply satisfying to even the biggest cynics. Phoebe is a character you want to root for the whole way through: Her aloofness and irritation at her situation becomes her biggest strength as the harder, warmer parts of the story come together. I savored this novel over a long period, but this is a tale that you can really dive into this summer. THE WEDDING PEOPLE is a wise, warm, witty delight.

Trigger Warning : There are mentions of suicide, loss, grief, infidelity, infertility, miscarriage.

This was a beautifully written story about second chances and human connection. Phoebe’s character had such a character growth and I loved seeing her grow from the beginning to the end. Lila’s character annoyed me a decent amount of the time but I did love seeing her and Phoebe’s connection grow.

Although it was beautifully written, I found it quite predictable and often was waiting for it to get to the point. I listened to this book fast, but it wasn’t because I couldn’t put it down but rather exicted for the next.

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

Phoebe has nothing left in her life, except a dream to go to Newport, Rhode Island. What she didn’t know when she booked a room at an elaborate oceanfront hotel was that she’s the only person there NOT attending a wedding. Her plans are changed when an encounter with the bride begins a strange and complicated friendship, and Phoebe finds herself right in the middle of all the other wedding people.

This book was unexpected! I had read Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by this author, so when I saw the ARC available on NetGalley it looked good, and I had liked her other book. But I did not want to stop listening to this one! I was already texting friends to tell them they had to add it to their TBR, because it was incredible. The humor and characterization and the drama between all the characters just came to life. The narrator, Helen Laser, did an excellent job distinguishing all the unique personalities. I highly recommend this one, and it is easily one of my top books of the year so far!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

It is difficult to put into words how much I loved this book, without also giving anything away. I went into it mostly blind, other than the synopsis, which I think was important to full react and really feel the story as it happened.

I absolutely loved Phoebe, the FMC. That's all I'll say, to avoid spoilers.

This was a quirky story about moving on, making life changes, family, and love. It was messy, it was funny, and it was very real. I loved every single character (even Marla started to grow on me by the end, the setting, and the story itself. This is one of my top reads of 2024.

Thank you to the publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The characters are wonderfully drawn and so real as they engage in the wedding events amidst the messiness of life. I had all the feels as my heart ached for Phoebe and then cheered her on. I wanted to shake some sense into Lila, but also tuck her into bed and tell her she would be alright! Both Phoebe and Lila make brave choices to live their lives and I enjoyed every minute of it. The Wedding People is a endearing read and a testament to the notion that life really can be what we choose to make of it. Look for it July 30, 2024. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the chance to read this arc and this is my honest review.

The Wedding People
by Alison Espach
4/5 ⭐

Phoebe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn with a specific purpose in mind. She has long dreamt of this vacation, but now she is taking it alone after her husband left her. Upon arriving at the bustling Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island, she is mistaken for a wedding guest, but in reality, she is there to end her life.

When Phoebe meets the bride in the elevator and confesses her plan, Lila refuses to let Phoebe ruin her wedding. Lila quickly forces Phoebe to join the festivities and interact with her and the other guests. This unlikely friendship evolves quickly, and Phoebe finds herself embraced by the wedding party and taking another chance on life.

The Wedding People is a beautifully written story about human connection and second chances. Phoebe is a well-written character that is unforgettable. Her growth in the book is incredible! She transforms from an absent and depressed woman to an awake and honest soul who energizes the people around her. I cheered her on from beginning to end. I felt that the first half of the book was better-paced than the second half. At times, I found myself saying, "Get to the point already." The ending was predictable and left too many loose ends. Overall, I found this book very entertaining and thought-provoking.

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
Publication Date: July 30, 2024

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐧-𝐩𝐮𝐭-𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞!

𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲, 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲-𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝; 𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐛𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞—𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝-𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤-𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧: 𝟐𝟖-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝—𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐚. 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫.

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒜𝓁𝒾𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝐸𝓈𝓅𝒶𝒸𝒽, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Phoebe arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn, intending to have a solo getaway to deal with her personal struggles. Instead, she’s mistaken for one of “the wedding people” attending a lavish event. As she navigates this mix-up, Phoebe forms an unexpected bond with the bride, Lila.

Wow wow wow, I absolutely loved this book! It’s so real and relatable—the mix of dark humor and raw emotion was perfectly balanced 🖤. While it definitely tackles some heavier themes, I found myself constantly smiling and laughing throughout. The characters are so well-developed, and their interactions felt incredibly real. I was completely engrossed and didn’t want it to end. It’s a perfect read if you’re looking for something both entertaining and thought-provoking! 💒🥂✨

While I am glad the plot turned around for Phoebe in the end I just did not love this book. I do not know why though. Maybe because some of it has been done so many times before. Bride and groom do not get married and end up with other people. Lila was so annoying too. There were so moments that were funny though and I did enjoy the overall feel of the story. It just was not my favorite.

Phoebe Stone goes to the Cornwall in with one intention…to die that night. She has come prepared with some pills to take and this resort is her last splurge. Phoebe is sick of her husband, who she is separated from, for his cheating and how he never seemed excited about her ideas. She was not expecting the whole place to be rented out for a wedding and the Bride to make it her mission to make sure that Phoebe does not take her own life and instead joins in on the wedding festivities.

I was really not expecting to like this book as much as I did. When I go to the part about Phoebe going to the Cornwall Inn with plans to end her life, I was really not looking forward to listening to that, but I was pleasantly surprised at the friendship that formed between Phoebe and the bride, Lila. Lila was your typical “over the top” bride. All the weeks events were over the top and she was just a little extra which made it perfect for her to be the one to connect with Phoebe who I would say is more of a plain Jane. Overall, this story surprised me and I did enjoy it.

Thanks to @macmillan.audio for this advanced listening copy. #MacAudio2024

Wow, this definitely falls under the “I ended up liking this way more than I expected to” category.

I am thankful to have gotten the audioARC for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.

First the narrator which is what I am reviewing primarily…
Helen Laser was great! She read it exactly how I expect narrators to do. Other than typical things of being clear and consistent etc… she read it with enough passion to have you engaged in the story but she doesn’t cross that line of being overly dramatic where the readers take on the book colors the consumers opinion. Her reading is neutral enough where ai could create the world in my own head. The only thing that ai had to do that impacts the narration is speed it up to 1.25x rate as it was a bit too slow for me. This rate was a swifter than I like but the NetGalley platform only has set rates unfortunately and it was better than the 1x speed.

As far as the book itself it was surprising! I wouldn’t say it was a constant laugh out loud experience but it was smartly cheeky with agreeable real life humor.
I don’t think the description given does justice to the experience of the book. To the extent that I am sure some will be very disappointed in it and rate it lower in response.

However, “heartwarming” is definitely an accurate representation of the story as a whole. It is very well written and makes the consumer think about blogs, people impact on it and how other people can impact ones self view and life experience.

It definitely has a few topics which may be triggering to some readers like mentions of suicidal ideation and infertility and more. But they are handled very well and with care.

Lastly, the thing I liked the most about the book is that you wanted to root for all the characters. Even those that are harder to personally like.

So get this on your TBR as it comes out soon on July 30th 2024!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to receive both an ebook ARC and an audiobook ALC of this book. The audiobook is narrated by Helen Laser, which I was excited about because I have enjoyed other titles she has narrated.

I thought this book was a fast and enjoyable read, perfect for the summer. I started and finished this book in under a day. I thought the story was kind of exciting and I enjoyed the characters, although I wouldn't say they are all too likeable. With that being said, I thought the ending was lackluster, and had the book had a different ending, I would have probably rated it 5 stars. I also think that Helen Laser's fabulous narration is what kept me wanting to find out what happens in this story.
Even if the ending was slightly lackluster (and abrupt), I would still read more books written by Alison Espach in the future.

—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


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Alison Espach's latest novel has the dark-comedy quirkiness of an indie film. There is a terrific cast of unique characters, excellent character development of the heroine, and a plot that fills the reader with hope for life.

The beginning of the novel could very easily tip into overly-depressing territory, but the contrast also makes the story arc and ending that much more satisfying.

I loved not only the theme of connecting with random humans in important ways at the most needed times, but also the ridiculousness of the extent to which some people buy into wedding culture.

Helen Laser's audiobook narration is expertly done with adept characterizations for each voice, as well as perfect comedic timing. My only issue with the audiobook was technical—there were spots of obvious quality disparities, so the listener could tell that some sentences were recorded at different times.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced audiobook.

This was such an interesting book--the premise starts with Phoebe traveling to a fancy hotel to end her life!--and spoke so much to the need for human connection. I liked the messiness of the storylines and the characters. Everyone was flawed in such compelling ways.
A great read.

A truly wonderful book!

Phoebe is a recently divorced English professor. She has come to the expensive Cornwall Inn for one night, she is planning to kill herself because life has become too bleak. Upon check in, she discovers the inn is filled with guests for a wedding, and Phoebe seems to be the only non-wedding person. She has a chance meeting with the bride, Lila, and when Phoebe reveals her plans, Lila forbids Phoebe to go through with it because it will ruin her wedding. Slowly, and almost imperceptibly, Phoebe meets other members of the family and bridal party and becomes involved with the event because she is the confidante no one knew they needed.

I loved the quirky, fast-paced dialogue, with the sadder and more depressing segments balanced with humor and tender moments. These characters felt like real people, everyone was dealing with their own baggage and dealing with it in the best way they knew how to do.

I thought the flow in this novel was perfect. There was no bogging down, no plodding. So refreshing as everything lately just seems to drag on and on. I was actually not ready for this to be over, but I do feel as if it is the perfect length to tell the right tale. Shockingly, although there were a number of mentions of Covid and the pandemic, they didn't really feel tacked on and unnecessary, they just made these people and their situations seem more real. This really surprised me because it's not something I like to read about.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job with the snappy dialogue and characterizations. If you're looking for a character driven novel either on the page or through an audiobook, this is a superb choice.

This is definitely an adult novel with language and topics to match, so if you're sensitive to those things or have triggers, there are plenty of them to go around so plan accordingly.

Loved my time with this one!

"𝒮𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈, 𝓈𝑜 𝒷𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝓎 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒻𝑒𝓇𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 - 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇." - 𝒜𝓁𝒾𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝐸𝓈𝓅𝒶𝒸𝒽, "𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝑒𝒹𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒫𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒" 𖠋♡𖠋

I had to take the night and let this one marinate in thought. I'm still not quite sure where to start - it covered so many bases, in such a broad and significant spectrum.

When her life takes a drastic turn, Phoebe Stone spontaneously decides to get away from it all and take the trip she has dreamed of taking with her now ex-husband. The Cornwall Inn in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island, is brimming with guests when she arrives- dressed to the nines and when she’s mistaken for one of them, Phoebe’s swept up in all the pomp and circumstance.

As the story evolves, we see Phoebe transform from a depressed and constricted individual to a disarmingly honest personality that touches people. This was an enjoyable character study covering themes such as suicide, infertility, abandonment, life goals, sexuality, and relationships.

The setting and the wedding week atmosphere adds a touch of lightness, humor and chaos.

I love dark humor and the author really delivered, I found myself cracking up and really appreciating each and every one of the characters. All of the personalities are so refreshing and realistic.

╰⪼ Smart, laugh out loud funny, emotional - this book has range! Highly recommend!

“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.”

「 ✦ A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help us start anew. ✦ 」


╰┈➤ 𐙚 𝓘𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒞𝒶𝓃 𝐸𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉... 𓍯𓂃𓏧♡꒱

°˖➴🥂Whitty
°˖➴🥂Dark Humored
°˖➴🥂Feel Good
°˖➴🥂Wedding Week Vibes
°˖➴🥂Exceptionally Well Written

╰┈➤ 𐙚 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽/𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𓍯𓂃𓏧♡ ꒱

°˖➴💍Infidelity
°˖➴💍Infertility
°˖➴💍Unfulfilling job
°˖➴💍Divorce
°˖➴💍Suicide
°˖➴💍Depression
°˖➴💍Death/Grief.


Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Alison Espach for the last min complementary audio copy in exchange for an honest review. 💐
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