Title: The Last One At The Wedding
Author: Jason Rekulak
Page Count: 352
Time Length: 11H 14M
Dates Read: 10/9-10/11
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summary: This is and Arc given by Netgally in exchange for a honest review. Frank daughter calls and said she is getting married. After 3 years of not talking he is invited to come meet her fiance and be at her wedding. He will learn more then he thought he would.

Review: This story was an emotional ride. I did see all the twists coming but didn't make it's impact any less. It was a slower read but the audiobook really carries you through. I would reread.

What a ride! A man estranged from his daughter gets a call inviting him to her wedding and what ensues is a doozy. Things seem weird between father and daughter and when we find out why… whoa. The story was a bit of a slow burn but when the WTF moment happens it doesn’t stopping going. Overall it was a good read and would definitely recommend. Narrator did a great job, very good listen.

This novel begins with Frank, a loyal UPS driver, receiving a call from his estranged daughter. Maggie gives him the good news - she is engaged to a great guy and plans on marrying him in a few weeks. Frank is delighted that their estrangement is over and looks forward to meeting his new son-in-law the following weekend. If you are looking for spoilers, you won't find them here. I will tell you that I really enjoyed this book' and it kept me guessing throughout the pages.

Mr. Frank has been a package truck driver for many years, reaching an esteemed level of notoriety for his safe driving record. He has always worked hard to provide for his only daughter, Maggie, who he raised on his own, with a bit of assistance from his sister, after his wife passed away.

Maggie went through some troubled years in her late teens and early adulthood, but as a parent, we always want to help our children and believe they still have a glimmer of good in them.

After several years of estrangement, Frank is thrilled to receive a call from Maggie out of the blue inviting him to attend her wedding. Of course, he wouldn’t miss it for the world. He loads up his sister and her unusual foster child and heads off to a secluded location for the elaborate wedding weekend hosted by his future son-in-law’s notorious family. (It’s like she is marrying the son of Elon Musk)

Frank immediately notices red flags and tries to warn Maggie, but he could be too late.

Frank is sharp and protective and is a former military hero, so he is not afraid to set things straight and stand up for justice. But his relationships his hairdresser and his big-hearted sister, also reveal that he has a softer side.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and it is a suspense thriller/family drama with a modern twist.

Debating between 3.5/4 🤷🏼‍♀️

happy pub week to THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING by Jason Rekulak – author of HIDDEN PICTURES, which was one of my top books of 2022

I picked up this book hoping for a spooky experience similar to Hidden Pictures (let me tell you, that one was genuinely terrifying). Unfortunately, Rekulak’s latest novel didn’t quite hit the same level of chills; however, it was still an engaging, well-crafted story. Def worth the read, but don’t go into it hoping for a super creepy experience!

The Last One at the Wedding follows the tense reunion of a father and daughter, estranged for years, as they come together to prepare for her upcoming wedding to the son of a wealthy tech mogul. Amid the celebrations, tensions rise and hidden truths begin to surface. As the father confronts the darker sides of his daughter's new family, he must grapple with the questions that will shape their future: How far will he go to protect the child he loves? And how can he do so without overstepping and losing Maggie for good?

My thoughts:
- Domestic suspense novels often center around female protagonists, so it was refreshing to experience the story from a different perspective – a cautious, caring dad. Frank is such a relatable character—he’s the quintessential dad, and that's exactly why we love him! Also I loved his relationship with his sister and her foster daughter, Abigail
- Loved the setting & premise – there’s something undeniably addictive about reading about the glamorous lives of the elite
- It explores themes like social class, right vs wrong, family relationships, and the idea that ‘every parent is an unreliable narrator’ when it comes to their children.
- Highly recommend the audiobook for this! Easy to follow plot, easy to binge
- Without spoiling anything, I’m not entirely sold on the ending, especially a choice made by one of the characters. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t usually read plot-driven novels… the plot itself makes sense, but when I step back and consider the MC’s character arc, I find myself wondering, ‘Does it align with what we know about this character?


If you’ve read this book, LET’S CHAT!

This had all the twists and turns that you’d expect in a thriller but sadly, there wasn’t enough tension built up to really have me on the edge of my seat. The story was good, well-written, but it slowed down in the middle and the solution was somewhat predictable. Even the ending, which should have bad me gasping in shock, was exactly as I thought it would be. I did enjoy the writing overall so I will read others by this author but this one wasn’t the thriller I was expecting it to be.

This story made a fantastic audiobook. I really particularly liked the voice of the narrator and felt it was easy to listen to his voice on any speed setting.

Rekulak did it again with the suspense and unraveling the mystery. I picked up the clues along the way so when the grand reveal happened I shouted, "I KNEW IT!" which is so satisfying because it made sense. I loved the setting the of the story and the characters. It was eerie, creepy, suspenseful- but not horrorific.

The premise of the story follows Frank who hasn't talked with his daughter for three years. His daughter, Maggie, is getting married and invites him to the wedding. However, as Frank discovers who she is hitching herself to and the surrounding gossip about that family, he becomes more uncertain about her future and his fate.

Absolutely well done! I loved the line about making the perfect mac and cheese too.

This review will be posted on goodreads and later on Instragram this week with an updated link here to my review @readingkelsey.

For those of you who had patiently waited for the next book by the author who brought us Hidden Pictures, wait no more! His second book comes out today!!!

First of all, guys this is another book that is amazing on audio!!! The narrator (John Pirhalla) was so good in bringing all the characters to life!! I find myself listening to the book more vs reading it!!

Next, my bestie @poetry.and.plot.twists gave me a heads up that this book is totally different from Hidden Pictures and I’m so glad she told me that because it adjusted my expectations going in into the book!!

Guys, this is not a horror book. This is Jason Rekulak’s take on a thriller and omg I binged it like crazy 😂

I actually feel like this is more of a slow burn book but that didn’t bother me at all!! I was so invested in the story I just kept reading!

I was going to knock a star down because I just disliked 90% of the characters so much but then I realized that if an author was able to make me feel things then the book was written effectively so I kept my rating at 5⭐️

The crazy rich people drama with a wedding drama in an isolated lodge setting gives me Perfect Couple vibes - so if you enjoyed that show/book, you definitely have to pick this up!!!

Very briefly, this book is about our male lead had been estranged to his daughter for almost 3 years. He was so surprised when she called her asking for him to attend his wedding. That’s pretty much the plot!!

Overall, this book was very bingeable for me and I highly recommend it for all the thriller fans out there!!

Thank you @flatiron_books for gifting me a copy! Thank you @netgalley for the free audiobook!!

💭 If you could choose, would you prefer horror or thrillers?
☕️ Horror for me but it has to be done right 😅

This is definitely a departure from HIDDEN PICTURES. The setting was wonderful and added an extra layer of suspense to be in a closed off place. Frank was a man of principles and I really appreciated how tenacious he was at wanting to repair the relationship with Maggie. At first, I truly despised how Frank treated Abigal but Rekulak clearly had a vision for their arc. I enjoyed the ending which wasn’t too tightly wrapped up.

I thought Frank was a great MMC, in this story. He struggles with wanting to support his daughter, but also do the right thing. Overall I enjoyed this story, but there were moments when I felt the book dragging on. I might have enjoyed this book better if there was a second POV, but it was still a fun mystery/thriller.

It was definitely a twisty book with lots going on. I enjoyed the audio version and the narrator. I felt like he was easy to listen to. This mystery was easy to follow along, there weren’t to many characters that you were getting confused which I liked. I felt like it all tied together really nice in the end without any big loose ends. I think this is a perfect mystery book for someone who is just starting to get into that genre or needs a quick read.

💍Book Review💍
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Summary- Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- this was one of my most anticipated reads this month and 🥲. I so wanted to love this one but it ended up being just sort of fine. I loved Hidden Pictures so much, it was so wildly unique. This one just was not 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s a story that you feel like you’ve read before I felt super disconnected from the characters in this one for some reason. I couldn’t sympathize with Frank and the twists were just.. a choice. Perfectly fine mystery that is just a little too slow for my liking.
*
QOTD- any fun weekend plans ?! We’re headed to the city tomorrow to see Little Shop of Horrors for our anniversary weekend 🥰
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oh wow. Just finished “The Last One At the Wedding”. I read “Hidden Pictures” by Jason Rekulak last year and now he’s an automatic must read author for me.
Frank’s daughter is getting married but something seems off. It’s a quickie wedding and the groom's family is super rich. Frank is suspicious but he brings his sister and her foster child, Abigail, to the wedding. I can’t give too much away, but I LOVED some of these characters and HATED some of them!! I can’t say too much or o will give it away.
I listened to this book on tape and the narrator was so great! He reminded me of Casey Kasem. Make sure to put it on your must-read list this year. Oh and Abigail stole the show for me!
Many thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#NetGalley #macmillianaudio #BooksOnTape #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Frank has done the best he could with the hand he was dealt. He’s raised his daughter after his wife passed away when she was a young girl with the help of his sister, managed to almost reach retirement with the postal service with a million miles recorded and no accidents! Sure, he’s lived a modest life, and he regrets how he handled some things as Maggie was aging into adulthood. But when the call comes that his daughter is getting married into a very prestigious family out of town, he has no hesitation that he’s going and repairing their dwindling relationship. He, his sister, and a rambunctious little foster child set out for the trip with great expectations for the full wedding weekend, but as the hours pass, things don’t quite seem as joyous and genuine as they’ve been presented. Throw in big money, shady deals, and murderous coverups, and this weekend may just be turning into a nightmare! What’s really going on with this family and its hidden agendas? Can he really even trust his own daughter? And just how far are some willing to go to ensure their royal and rich lifestyle isnt threatened? If you’re a fan of stories with family drama, filthy secrets and dirty lies, and especially unsung, underrated heroes, this is the story for you! I received an arc copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook caught my attention from the very beginning. I had no idea what to expect from a father’s point of view but the narrator did such an amazing job of telling the story through his voice. It made listening to it so much better.
The story was amazing and made me really think about what was going to happen. There were so many twists that when I thought I had everything figured out something else happened. It caught my attention from beginning to end. I would highly recommend reading The Last One at the Wedding. 5 stars all around.

This was such a wonderful read, especially for this time of year. The book immediately hooked me from the beginning and I didn’t want to stop listening. I will definitely be getting a physical copy to reread!

I listened to this as an audiobook and, although I was initially put off by the narrator's tone and voice, I found it ultimately added to the endearment of Frank's character. Hearing his POV of his past and present helped the reader/listener to appreciate his good-heartedness and genuine naivete' when it came to accepting his daughter's failings.

With a title like "The Last One at the Wedding", I was expecting this to be more of a thriller, but instead there was a measure of whodunit but more importantly, the why behind it. This novel was a good depiction of parenting and the lack of control that parents can have over their adult children, both good and bad. The ending was a little anticlimactic (they were on the run and then there was suddenly resolution) but the story was a good one.

This audiobook was amazing! I was so involved that I stayed up hours past when I usually go to bed because I couldn't stop listening. I loved the narrator - the voices were spot on, especially Frank. This story was very different from Hidden Pictures except in the way that you grow to care about the characters and have all your fingers and toes crossed that they will be safe. I found it realistic how Frank took a lot of facts and examples before he realized that Maggie was making really bad choices but yet he still loved her - a parents love doesn't end even if our child makes huge mistakes. The end of Frank watching for Maggie in the window was heartbreaking. But... he did grow and change some of his thinking and welcomed Abigail into his life along with a girlfriend. It felt as though even though Frank is grieving for his relationship with Maggie, he has a chance to be a wonderful father to someone who needs it and appreciates him for who he is.

Jason Rekulak, author of the wildly famous Hidden Pictures has returned to our eagerly awaiting hands with a brand new novel about a wedding that is threatened by the skeletons in one family's closet.

Frank Szatowski, a humble UPS driver with a spotless record, can't believe it when his estranged daughter, Maggie, calls to invite him to her wedding. After 3 years no-contact, Frank is ready to do whatever it takes to reconnect with his daughter - even attend her wedding at the campgrounds owned by her ultra-rich in-laws. Frank feels something may be off about the match, but is determined to support his daughter no matter what. With the nuptials only three days away, all Frank needs to do is rent a tux, write a speech, and make sure that nothing is going to ruin Maggie's big day -including his new family.

I am going to warn you right now: If you read and loved Rekulak's other book, please reset your expectations for this one. It is a completely different kind of novel; there is no supernatural influence and no horror. It is about as straight a thriller as you can get. That's definitely not a critique - lots of authors jump between genres and do a great job! I just want people to know what they're getting into from the beginning.

This book was a fun read. Frank's voice is unique, and special commendation is due to narrator John Pirhalla for an absolutely showstopping performance. His voice truly brought Frank to life and dramatized the events leading up to the wedding in a way few narrators can pull off. I'll definitely be seeking out more of his work in the future - you've got a new fan, John!

Outside of the narration, I found the book to be pretty good. A lot of time is spent at the beginning setting up the tension between Maggie and Frank, and there is plenty of comedy relief from Frank's sister, Tammy, and her new foster child. I was genuinely surprised at all the times I actually laughed out loud at this book and felt that the goofy moments really made the serious ones pop even more. The setting is described in great detail, but not so much that you feel smothered by description. I really did feel like I was spending my time at a bougie summer camp over these past few days, complete with a spider-infested cabin to wrap it all together.

The biggest credit that this book deserves is Rekulak's development of Abigail's relationship with Frank. Abigail unexpectedly arrives in Frank's life on the day he leaves for Maggie's wedding and despite his promise to "be cool" with his sister's new foster child, the stress of the situation is only exacerbated by her presence. I was ready to punt that little asshole through a window. So, no one was more surprised than I was to find that I really cared about her at the end, and I wanted her to have good things happen in her life. Abigail legitimately went from my least favorite character to my favorite, second only to Frank himself.

This book does a lot of things right for me: The setting! The characters! The mystery being gilded over by a fancy wedding celebration! But the actual putting together of the plot left me feeling a little deflated. At times, it felt like things were just happening with no rippled consequences into the world we were living in. Answers are gained too easily at some points, and at others the answers just don't really seem to make sense. This may be partially me being a snob. Sometimes I feel like I have read so many thrillers, that I need something really spectacular to wow me (leaving unfair middle ratings to other books that are just ok). But in this case, I really do think that some of the (very serious) crimes needed to be explored in a bit more detail - especially when it comes to the real-world consequences of those crimes.

Overall, this is a book that I would recommend to thriller lovers, whether this is your first or 500th book in the genre. Jason Rekulak is really making a name for himself, and I am excited to see what he's going to treat us with next.

I was excited to listen to this book because I had been hearing about it a lot.

The story of Frank and his sudden invite to his estranged daughters marriage to the son of a Tech giant was intriguing. The mystery of a missing girl who had been connected to the rich family was looming over the impending wedding. I really wanted to like this one and while it did keep my interest I did not like most of the characters. Tammy the sister was contradictory, Frank was annoyingly an over thinker. Abby was irritating and Maggie was just horrible.

The audio I needed to listen to at 2x speed as normal speed was irritatingly slow. Over all this story kept my attention but I am not sure I would run to grab another book by this author.