Thank you to NetGalley, Jason Rekulak and Macmillan audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This audio wasn’t my favourite but I dealt with it because the story had me immersed right away. I loved the twists and the flawed characters in such an interesting setting. I definitely would recommend!

This was very different vibes than Hidden Pictures. I enjoyed it, and really liked the setting. The build up was good, but then I felt like the end was a let down. I actually thought I had missed a chapter because it kind of just ended? There was a lot more that could have been explained. It felt like the author kind of gave up at the end and took the easy way out of actually explaining the “catch” and not just skipping right to the “after”.

3.5 stars.

This was a fun read and a well narrated audiobook. It had some topics that did not work for me, but I think it will be widely enjoyable.

Loved this book! I listened to the audio version and it was well paced and easy to follow. The storyline was well thought out and I found myself reaching for this book consistently. It provided just enough mystery and intrigue without being predictable or too far fetched. Definitely a top read for the year.

Unfortunately this audiobook was archived before I was able to listen to this book. I had assumed that since it was in my NetGalley app that I would have access to it until I was able to listen to it. I guess I was wrong.

Thanks for the chance although I didn’t get to it.
Giving it 3 stars which I’m assuming I would have given it. I’ll change it if I get the chance to read it at a later date and think it deserves more.

The Last One at the Wedding is the latest from Jason Rekulak, author of the well-received 2022-release, Hidden Pictures. I really enjoyed the overall vibes of Hidden Pictures and was excited to see what Rekulak would deliver with this next release. I never even read the full synopsis, TBH, the author's name alone was enough to sell it to me.

In this story we follow Frank Szatowski, a veteran UPS-driver from rural Pennsylvania. Frank is a widower who lives alone. Sadly, he's been estranged from his daughter, Maggie, for the past three years. Maggie left her hometown for college and never returned. She's always been very driven and now has a successful career in tech and lives in Boston.

Frank is shocked when he receives a call from Maggie out of the blue, not just because of the fact that she's calling, but because of her news. She's getting married and she wants Frank to be there. Determined to make things right with his only child, Frank readily agrees. He's excited to meet his future son-in-law, Aidan Gardner, and get to know his family. Who is this man who seems to have swept his daughter off her feet?

The weekend-long event is set to take place at a lakeside estate in New Hampshire, owned by the Gardners. As it turns out, Aidan's father is a titan in the tech industry and the family is ridiculously wealthy. Even though that level of wealth tends to make Frank uncomfortable, he's willing to do whatever it takes to reconnect with Maggie. Thus, he makes the long road trip, along with his sister, Tammy, and her foster child, Abigail, with nothing but the best intentions.

Arriving in New Hampshire, Frank has a couple of interactions with some locals that leave him unsettled. They seem downright hostile towards the Gardners, and rumors swirling around Aidan seem to be at the heart of it. The property is a virtual fortress, complete with intimidating security personnel. Frank tries to relax and just be there for Maggie, but it's not going well. She seems too busy for him. In fact, his presence seems perfunctory. Frank tries not to let it all affect him, but he is highly suspicious of the Gardner family, and seems to get more suspicious with every forced interaction. What exactly is going on here, and is Maggie in over her head?

It was so easy to get engrossed in this story. I loved Frank from the start and hearing everything from his perspective. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by John Pirhalla truly brought Frank to life.

It's unclear in the beginning what has gone on in the past between Frank and Maggie; you know of their estrangement, but not how it ended up at that point. I liked the way the author chose to play out that part of the narrative. There's also so much mystery surrounding the Gardner family and the depth of Maggie's involvement in the family affairs. It felt dangerous, even without openly knowing why.

The mystery with the locals was really where my brain started to stand at full attention. There's a missing local girl, who was allegedly dating Aidan, though he denies it. Frank has communications with them that lead him to believe they're telling the truth, but everyone in the Gardner family denies involvement of any kind. Scared for his daughter's safety, Frank can't let it go and continues to dig.

There are some crazy reveals. I loved getting caught up in the suspense. There are some characters that are a lot of fun to hate as well. Rekulak created some strong villains here!

I had such a great time going on this journey with Frank. This is a completely different feel to Hidden Pictures, but I actually enjoyed this one even more. I loved the character work, the setting and the non-stop level of intrigue. While subtle at times, and a bit of a slower burn, I think this is a very well developed story that a lot of Readers will enjoy. I definitely recommend the audiobook as well. It was very well done.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I've had a great relationship with Rekulak so far, and I cannot wait for more!!

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his estranged daughter Maggie calls him and invites him to her upcoming New Hampshire wedding. As Frank struggles to reconnect with Maggie and make sense of this new direction her life has taken, he also begins to worry something is not quite right with the groom and his very affluent family.

This struck me as a unique thriller for a few reasons. First, the story is told from a single POV, and a middle-aged father at that, which isn’t common in thrillers these days. I think that helped to flush out the characters, and create a strong emotional father/daughter element to the story, yet another rarity in thrillers these days. And lastly, at times, this felt like a genre mashup - thriller meets cozy mystery - a fusion I would love to see more of. This kept the book feeling fresh and original, while also having some of the domestic suspense elements we all love.

🎧 I read this one predominantly with my ears. While the audio is good overall, and while the narrator did a solid job at voicing Frank, there was something that didn’t quite work for me, however I cannot put my finger on it. I wonder if the mood and tone of the story didn’t necessarily match the tone of the narrator which threw me off. Unclear. But given that there is only one narrator, it did impact my experience and I found myself then turning to the book to eyeball read instead.

An important point to note about this book is that it is quite different than Rekulak’s last novel, Hidden Pictures. Having loved the elements of horror and downright creepy vibes of that one, I think a lot of us went into TLOATW expecting something in the same vein. And this can ultimately do a major disservice to the story itself. Please go in, if you can, knowing this book is wholly unique, and I feel confident you will come away enjoying it that much more.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️focus on the father/daughter relationship
▪️strong character development
▪️wedding backdrop
▪️slow burn
▪️single POV

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

Meh. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't good. I absolutely hated Jason Rekulak's Hidden Pictures, but I figured I'd give him another shot with this book. This will be the last book of his that I try out.

A slow burn domestic suspense. With great main character development and an interesting/entertaining story. The plot was well executed and delivered. Personally, it was quite enjoyable. A great audiobook experience.

Frank and his daughter, Maggie, have been estranged for three years, so Frank is shocked when Maggie invites him to be a part of her wedding. Frank is ecstatic to have a second chance with his daughter.

When he gets to the groom’s family estate, however, Frank doesn’t like the overall vibe the Maggie’s fiancé and his family is giving off and so decides to do a little sleuthing to make sure Maggie isn’t getting herself into a bad situation. Frank’s sleuthing had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what he would find.

I loved all of the unpredictable twists and turns, and I also loved the combination of suspenseful mystery and domestic thriller. Frank trying so hard to look out for his daughter just packed such an emotional punch for me, and I thought John Pirhalla was the perfect narrator for Frank’s story.

I definitely enjoyed this title more than Hidden Pictures. Definitely a psychological thriller vs the paranormal thriller of Hidden Pictures.

TLOATW is told from the father of bride's POV. After being estranged from his daughter for some time, Frank Swazowski receives a wedding invitation. Delighted to have a second chance with his daughter, Frank travels to Boston to meet his future SIL. Frank is suspicious from the beginning. Aiden is stand offish and his daughter isn't herself. Things only get weirder when Frank meets his future in laws. What is really happening here?

It's not what you think. It's something entirely different and you will be surprised!

The audio of this book was excellent. The narrator did a great job blending the character voices in to the story. The chapter breaks flowed well. I did speed up the narration to 1.75x and that pace felt perfect for me. Wasn't too fast in the suspenseful parts. Overall an excellent audio.


Thank you @netgalley and @Macmillan.Audio for a copy of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

In The Last One at the Wedding, Frank hears from his estranged daughter to be invited to her upcoming wedding. Frank, excited and seeing an opportunity to repair his relationship with his daughter, agrees to go even though something feels off. Throughout the events leading up to the wedding, he realizes there are many secrets revolving his daughter and the family she is marrying into. Frank wants to do the right thing by figuring out what’s going on and who is to blame but, like most fathers, he also wants to protect his daughter and repair their broken relationship. As more secrets come to light, he is faced with choosing which is more important.

This book was engaging, mostly due to the excellent audio narration and the relatable character of Frank, but otherwise fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t find it very thrilling or exciting and the ending was just weird to me. I was hoping for more twists and turns, a little more shock factor, and perhaps less daddy long legs. Overall, it was a decent story, but not the “edge of your seat” book I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Good read. I really liked Frank. I liked his parenting style. I found him really relatable. He was just a dad trying to do his best to raise his daughter with morals. Sometimes are children don't appreciate those lessons and unfortunately Frank fell victim to that.

Frank was given a second chance to connect with his daughter after being estranged for several years. She calls him up to tell him she was getting married and invited him to her wedding weekend. Frank is so excited to reconnect with his daughter. Unfortunately, the parent in him started seeing a number of red flags. I love that even though he was trying to reconnect with his daughter and knew pointing out red flags might cause them to stop speaking again, he knew it was still his job as a parent to point them out.

I won't spoil the book with more, but it was a great read. It was a lesson in parenting, how we view our children vs the way the world sees them, and what you do about it when you start to see them for who they really are. It also had a good plot twist, and I love a good plot twist!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! The opinions of this book are my own.

Rating - 3.5 stars

A bingeable thriller with a unique POV!

Thanks NetGalley Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

The narrator John Pirhalla ensures the audiobook is never paused often! It took sometime to get used to his style, but once I caught on, I think he did an amazing job portraying all the characters in the book. The voice adaptations & the right pacing made the overall listening a great experience.

Synopsis -

Frank Szatowksi has been estranged from his daughter Maggie for 3 years. So he is surprised when he gets personally invited by her to her upcoming wedding at an idyllic farm house in New Hampshire. Frank is all set to start anew with Maggie and arrives with great anticipation. But what he finds at the wedding is beyond comprehension & he can never seem to fit in to the family Maggie is marrying into. Neither can he be assertive and take it too far with her. But what will he find if he did?

Review -

#HiddenPictures was one of my favourites last year and if you head into this one with the same level of expectations, you might feel a tad bit disappointed. This is also tagged as horror category but there is nothing remotely scary about the plot.

On the other hand, the premise and the distinct POV really sets this apart in the genre. The entire narrative of Frank delves deep into a father who was challenged to single handedly bring up an adolescent girl, the struggles, the regrets and everything that entails for a single parent.

We also get to witness the most bizarre, extravagant wedding in a picturesque setting with some quirky, suspicious characters, a wealthy dysfunctional family that raises our eyebrows with their level of weirdness, toxicity and odd behaviour that seems to be all normal.

With bodies cropping up, the doubts in Frank’s mind begin to escalate & that's when it all boils down to “the last one” left at the wedding. The ending was quite perplexing and also made me feel disgusted to some extent.

Overall, it is impossible to stop and put down the book once you get into it. Depending on one’s history with reading thrillers, the level of enjoyment can vary.

Bring on a big old messy family drama with a side of suspenseful mystery!

What appealed to you most in the story?

I really liked how the drama kept me guessing and quite entertained. Plus, The constant underlying suspense kept me craving more.

I also like how refreshing Frank’s unique and quite different character was. Frank He was humorous at times, grumpy at others, and constantly at war with himself as a parent. Which leads me to the heart of this book-navigating complex parent-child relationships, wanting to always see the best in our children, and the lengths we go to, to protect them.

What to expect:

Family drama

Father-daughter relationship

Isolated setting at very ritzy lodge

How was the audiobook?

The audio is definitely the way to go for the story since it’s tightens the emotions and fully brings each character to life in their own unique way.

How was the pace?

Slow burn

Do you recommend this book?

Overall, this was a compelling thriller with a masterfully layered mystery, that included complex and intriguing characters, and immersive storytelling.

I wanted to like this book, but it was painful to finish. The concept was good, but the execution was lacking. I hated the way the story jumped forward by months several times. Also, there was excruciating detail about some events and locations and nary a word about others.

I had access to an advanced copy for my honest review, and I can't recommend this book.

Hidden Pictures was only of my favorite thrillers (a 5 star read for me) last year so when I saw Jason Rekulak was releasing another, I was super excited to see that I was approved for an ARC of this!

The Last One at the Wedding is perfect for those looking for a quick and spooky read! It's short chapters and divided parts make for a great story! The narrator did an amazing part dividing up the parts.

This bool was different than Rekulak's previous work, but I feel like for me it was because of my huge expectations from Hidden Pictures. The story starts off a bit slow but I absolutely loved the aspect that something was off, we just couldn't figure it out. The first part of the book was strong and I was dedicated to giving it 4 stars. Alas, as I kept reading I just kept getting more and more upset at some of the characters and they were honestly just annoying me! As the story continued and the plot twist was revealed while it was something unexpected, it was just OK. I felt like I had more questions about the story at the end of it. I do love the final sentence of the book as I still feel like we are missing something or something is still amiss!

After taking the first part of the book into account, this was a 3 star read for me! There were also some triggers in here so please be aware before picking this up!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the chance to listen to the ARC of this book.

Hidden Pictures was one of my favorite books of 2022. I have been patiently waiting for the next release by Jason Rekulak since then. The Last One at the Wedding was worth the wait. I listened to the audio book and the narrator was perfect. The vibe of the story was different from Hidden Pictures but it was a great suspenseful thriller. Definitely adding Rekulak to my “must read” authors.
Thank you Jason Rekulak, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC edition of this book.

I have to thank NetGalley for letting me get an early release of the audiobook for this. This book was fantastic! It kept me reading and gripped to my seat wondering what was going to happen. Mystery, thriller, drama all in one with a great plot twist! I will definitely be reading more of Jason Rekulak’s book since I loved this one so much.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is a domestic thriller where the plot keeps turning direction, keeping the reader guessing what will happen next. Several times while listening to the audio version I thought, well I didn't see that coming at all. Frank Szatowski has not spoken to his daughter Maggie for three years and when he gets a call out of the blue that she is getting married and she wants him there he jumps at the chance to walk her down the aisle. But not all is as it seems with this up coming marriage. Frank becomes suspicious and as he learns more about her fiance Aidan Gardner and his wealthy family he becomes alarmed and worried for his daughters safety. And this is where the real fun begins. This is a fun and twisty plot that surprised me over and over again. The narrator John Pirhalla was excellent. Highly recommended. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for a chance to listen to an ARC audio version of this book. All opinions are my own.