Oh boy where to start with this one....

I'll start by saying I didn't really like Hidden Pictures but I read it a long time ago and don't really remember WHY I didn't like it so I thought I'd give Rekulak another chance.

This one started out pretty strong and I was actually kind of excited! Estranged daughter getting married? Secrets about the family she's marrying into? Ohhh what are we going to uncover?!

Unfortunately the strong start totally fizzled and the ending completely fell flat.

There was one (honestly kind of gross) BIG TWIST about 65% of the way through and I kept listening thinking, Ok we have got to be getting to the thing that makes all the rest of the things make sense right?

And I got to the ending and none of that happened. Like the ending was a literal...wait what? What doest that mean? Like not even a breath gasping WHAT DOES THAT MEAN...like a wait what did I miss what does that mean? I'm stumped.

I guess overall just disappointing. It kind of felt like he started at the end and worked his way backward. Like why was the sister and foster daughter there? That was weird. The hair cutter felt forced. The tapes seemed convenient. The gross dad? And the mom? What was that all about? None of it gelled and it just kind of unravelled at the end.

This might be the end of giving Rekulak a chance.

The Last One at the Wedding, by Jason Rekulak, narrated by John Pirhalla, has one of the most likable protagonists I've every read. Frank Szatowski is the very definition of Salt of the Earth. He's a UPS driver, and very proud of his unblemished 26 years of service. He works hard, is careful with his money, and enjoys the simple things. He definitely has a few blind spots, especially concerning his daughter, but I was rooting for him from the very first page. Highly recommend!!!

I was so excited to get access to an audio ARC of Jason Rekulak’s newest novel! I was hooked and listened to the entire thing in just over a day.

This is told solely through Frank’s POV as he prepares for his only child’s wedding. Frank hasn’t heard from his daughter in years and wants this occasion to be perfect and hopefully bring them back together, but he has a bad feeling about the quick engagement, the family she’s marrying into, and other little things that just seem…off.

This is a great book if you love being inside the mind of the main character. Frank loves his daughter very much, but this causes quite a bit of tunnel vision as he constantly chases a version of her from childhood, making him miss all the love and support of the other people around him. Frank’s character feels real, flawed, and relatable. This is more of a slow burn than an action packed book. The narration fit the book well.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Pub Date Oct 08 2024

After reading and enjoying Hidden Pictures, I was very excited when I saw Jason Rekulak had a new book coming out. And then when I saw the opportunity to request the audio, I jumped at the chance!

I’m very picky with narrators, and I can easily say I enjoyed John Pirhalla’s performance. It still throws me off a bit when males do female voices but I was able to get past that!

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After a falling out between Frank Szatowski and his daughter Maggie, he is shocked when she calls him up and invites him to her wedding. Determined to make things right between them, he drives to New Hampshire with the intention of patching things up. But as he gets to know his future in laws, he becomes more and more suspicious of his daughter marrying into this strange and secretive wealthy family.
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Franks character was really great. Typical father, only wanting the best for his daughter while also being blind to seeing her faults. While wanting to intervene in Maggie’s love life, he also doesn’t want to make the mistake of pushing her away again. But there’s only so much he can turn a blind eye to.

The story itself was full of mystery and plot twists, family drama on both sides, and great characters, making for an entertaining reading experience.

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comes out October 8th!

After loving "Hidden Pictures", I was worried that "The Last One at the Wedding" wouldn't be able to compare- I'm happy to say that I was wrong! It was less scary and more on the suspenseful than maybe a traditional "thriller", but I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the extra character development that is sometimes lacking in mysteries or thrillers and especially loved Frank's character. John Pirhalla was the PERFECT narrator for his character and did a fantastic job with the stereotypical dad vibe. The only reason that I didn't rate this five stars was because of the ending- it was one of those endings where I was like, "That's it?!". But other than that, it was a quick paced, fun audiobook and I'd definitely recommend.

This was my first book by Jason Rekulak and I really enjoyed it! I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was fine, I think he portrayed the main character, Frank, well. I found the actual character to be kind of annoying and closed-minded at first, but it all made sense in the end. There were some twists to the plot that weren't totally unexpected looking back, but I didn't really see coming at the time.

I always look for the reason for the title of the book while I'm reading and I'm not sure this one really makes sense to me as the actual last one at the wedding didn't play as big a role as I had hoped.

Overall, this is a good thriller and this won't be my last by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Go Frank!

This book is full to the brim with deception and lying and some really awful people. There's a huge ick factor to the book as well.

But, it's well crafted and it'll drag you in. Well, it dragged me in. Give it a try. You may enjoy the ride.

Frank, hapless as he can seem, is the guy you want to cheer on. I was rooting for him.

The Last One at the Wedding - a mystery during a wedding at a summer camp, I immediately jumped on this story.

Frank Szatowski is contacted by his estranged daughter, Maggie, and she lets him know she is getting married! When he is invited to her wedding, he jumps at the chance to reconnect. But as he arrives at the wedding, more and more things seem out of place and he begins to wonder if all is as it seems with Maggie's future husband Aidan and his family.

This was a suspenseful story that I enjoyed the whole time. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a superb job. The details were all laid out perfectly and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

This was my first book by the author and I wasn’t sure what to expect!

This is a slow burn type of book. I honestly wouldn’t even consider it a thriller. Maybe a mystery or a family drama? I never felt on the “edge of my seat” like the publisher’s blurb stated but I was interested the whole time.

The character of Frank was a little infuriating at times and I honestly didn’t understand why he kept digging when there wasn’t much to go on. Obviously that’s the plot of the story but it didn’t feel like it made sense to me. I did feel like the author did an excellent job with Frank’s character development.

The end felt a little rushed and I actually didn’t understand the meaning of the last line so please enlighten me if you haven’t read it.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed this one and would recommend it, I would just go into it knowing it isn’t fast paced.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I absolutely loved the way this story unfolds. Rekulak knows how to grab hold and kept me firmly in his grasp until the very last page… even though it was a great way to end, I still wanted more! I loved getting to see Maggie through her dad’s eyes and then later as she’s reflected through in the way others see her. It’s a fascinating thing to know that parents often see their children differently from how the rest of the world sees them. This was my first book by Rekulak but now I want to read his others. I love the way he writes! Definitely a must read!

This was a great listen! The narrator was fantastic, and did a great job with all of the characters! I will say that this one does have a slow build up, but it was definitely worth it!

4.5/5

I listened to this one and the narration was great! I need to see if I can find more books with this narrator because I really enjoyed his voice!

The book itself was also great! This book reminded me of Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Frank gave me Bill Hodges vibes.

This one is a great listen! The only thing I didn't like was the bugs.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Rekulak has this ability in his writing to not only craft a fantastic story but also to create characters that are fully developed. His latest, The Last One at the Wedding, is an in-depth look at a father trying to have a better relationship with his daughter, a person he doesn't honestly know. The audio version of this book had a terrific male narrator who didn't make the silly kid's voice I usually hate. This is a thriller with heart. Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for access to this book.

This thriller was entertaining, with a gripping plot that had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to solve the mystery of the perpetrator. My heart went out to Frank, who seemed to be going through it without much support. It was as if his emotions were insignificant to everyone. Although I wished for a bit more closure at the end, the book kept me engaged with its rollercoaster of unexpected events that kept me entertained! The narrator for the audio did a fantastic job. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved the book Hidden Pictures and devoured it, and i was looking forward to reading this book for sooo long. That being said, i was rather disappointed once i was able to read this book. It is not what i thought it would be, i expected and action-packed thriller similar to Hidden Pictures to be honest, or something along the lines of paranormal.

Honestly, the only character that i liked was Frank and even at time he was a tad bit annoying since he literally stressed and questioned everything. The book does have a vast variety of characters that all have their own drama going on. If you like rich people tropes, people not who they seem tropes then this is the book for you.

It was a very engaging audiobook, however i felt it was extremely slow in the beginning. Honestly nothing happened until about the 55-60% mark in the book. I feel like there should have been more buildup by that point. Overall, this is not a bad book but i would rate it a solid 3.5 stars as there is some parts that i thought we could go without, but at the same time they are cringy and pertinent to the storyline.

I absolutely couldn’t stand Maggie’s character throughout this book she comes off as a selfish brat to me. Entitled and demanding. The twist at the end was brilliant, definitely didn’t see that one coming. The sacrifices we make as parents and sometimes how blind we can be.

that being said i look forward to more books from this author in the future, maybe more paranormal books from him?????????????

John Pirhalla does an amazing job in narrating this book as a single voice. He was very engaging and inviting to the listener. John has a finesse for being able to effectively voice multiple characters and both genders. I highly recommend this book on audiobook.

I really enjoyed this book! John Pirhalla did a really good job with narration. The book was easy to follow, had a good twist, and made me laugh out loud a few times. I also thought it was super sweet. This book gave me all the feels. 5/5!

This was not really a thriller, more of a mystery with some quirky characters and of course some dead bodies. I anticipated this being A bit more scary, and although it wasn’t really scary, it definitely was intriguing. The story held my attention at all times and I did enjoy the narration of this a lot. I felt that the narrator of the audiobook did a great job at differentiating the characters and told the story well. I would suggest just going into the story blind without reading the synopsis and just let the story take you on the ride. This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be going back to read some more .

After the super twisty Hidden Pictures, I had very high hopes for Jason Rekulak's latest, The Last One at the Wedding. The promise of another twisty thriller along with the stunning cover had me requesting this as soon as it was released for early readers. Luckily the audiobook request came through and I was able to fly through this over the course of a weekend. Frank Szatowski gets the surprise of his life when he gets invited to his daughter Maggies wedding. He's surprised because she hasn't spoken to him in three years, and even more shocked when he realizes she is marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire Errol Gardner. Frank is ready to make things right with his only child when he sets off for the wedding weekend of her dreams in a picturesque New Hampshire camping town along with his sister Tammy and her foster daughter Abigail. Of course things don't go as planned and the twists and turns of the wedding weekend will keep you turning the pages. I loved the story, but I did find Frank to be slightly annoying and I didn't always feel I could root for him.

LOVED the audiobook of The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak! The narrator embodies the main character, Frank, so well, I can easily picture him experiencing the events of the novel. From his longing to reconnect with his daughter, and his over protectiveness of her. From a father wanting to protect his little girl, get to know her fiance and his family, while turning a blind eye and making excuses for the 'hiccups' in that wedding weekend. This story takes you on a wild ride!

Don't expect this to be anything like Hidden Pictures.

This was a great listen, narrated by John Pirhalla. Although nothing like the author's previous hit, the twisting and turning story kept me guessing and intrigued after a bit of a slow start.

Frank, a hard working UPS driver and widower, has been estranged from his daughter, Maggie for three years. When he is invited to her wedding, Frank wants to do everything right, including building a relationship with his new soon to be son-in-law, and repairing his relationship with Maggie.

The life Maggie has built without him is nothing like Frank expected. His future SIL is the son of a tech billionaire, and the wedding is being hosted in a private remote location. Tons of secrets, questions, and suspicious players start to pile up during the days leading up to the wedding.

The narration for this audio played a big role in my opinion of the story. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this as much as a physical read. Although the story is interesting, and there is a big mix of loveable & unlikable characters to keep you guessing, the ending left a bit to be desired.

4 stars



Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC!