Wow, I loved this book! A middle class dad fighting the .001% on behalf of his daughter + murder + drama - how can you go wrong?! I've been in such a rut with thrillers lately, and this one really gave me hope there are still great thrillers out there. Loved all of the twists and surprises. And I adored the family component that really blossomed at the end. My only complaint is that the last sentence was a little jarring of an end. It needed like one more sentence or something. But overall still a fabulous read! Highly recommend! 4.5 stars!!!

3/5 stars.
I listened to the audiobook version.

I have put off writing my review because I was a little disappointed in this one. I have no complaints on the quality of writing. Jason Rekulak knows how to tell a story! It’s just that Rekulak’s “Hidden Pictures” was so shocking in the plot twist that I had high expectations for this one.

From the start, you know that Maggie is a shit person through and through. If Rekulak’s reason for the story was to depict the selfless, devout love of a father to the point of ignorance and delusion, then he nailed it. This book had me feeling for Frank: sadness, pity and frustration! Frank is trying to win a losing battle as he discovers the mysteries of his daughter’s mysterious engagement and shady past.

While listening, I felt like there were multiple climaxes. Like the story was going to wrap up and then a whole new section came. The timeline seemed to drag on. Maybe my opinion is relying too much on the expectations I put on the book prior to reading.

All that said, I'm still excited to read more from Rekulak.

I listen to this book rather quickly, and while it wasn’t awful, I found it to be pretty predictable. A thriller/mysteries/suspense book has to leave me wanting more, on my toes and guessing until the very end.

This one just didn’t do that for me. Overall, I enjoyed the plot and the storyline, but unfortunately, the characters and the plot were pretty predictable.

I was patiently waiting for Jason Rekulak’s new thriller. I was expecting it to be paranormal just like Hidden Pictures. It was not and I could not be happier. I usually do not ready any paranormal books but I was intrigued and ended up loving it. And now I am loving The Last One At The Wedding even more. Another masterpiece by Jason Rekulak. I can’t wait for his next book!

Every now and then you come across a narrator that fits the character so well you get so immersed thinking it’s the actual character talking to you.

I have no way of determining whether or not I would have enjoyed reading this on its own, especially seeing such mixed reviews, but I do know I LOVED listening to it being narrated as an audiobook. I was captivated for the start. Something about the way he told the story felt so right and kept my attention. I really felt like I was listening to the father tell his story.

The story itself was pretty good. I felt it was a little predictable and somewhat slow at times, but since it was told from his POV, it fit so well. I would absolutely recommend the audiobook.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Okay okay this was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the story and couldn't wait to read more, however the ending was a little lackluster. I wanted more!

Frank is invited to his estranged daughter’s wedding. He thought he would never hear from her again. And for three years, that was true. Until she invited him to her special day.

Frank arrives at a private estate. His daughter never told him who she was marrying….a tech billionaire. Frank wants to have a relationship with his daughter again and wants to find out more about the family she is marrying into. The more he pushes, the more trouble arises though.

At its core, this is a book about a family mystery. I thought it was beautifully written with genuine characters.

I did receive an ARC of the audio version and loved it!

Hidden Pictures was one of my favorite books last year, so I was excited to get approved for an ARC. Unfortunately this did not move me like that one did. I found this to be rather long and slow and had a hard time keeping focused. The character development was very good, maybe a little too much. The father was funny at times so that helped. I just kept waiting to be blown away with some crazy twist but it never really came. While I did kind of get the point of at least some of this story it wasn't really thrilling. This wasn't terrible but certainly not my favorite as far as thrillers go.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jason Rekulak for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The last one at the wedding by Jason Rekulak

Frank can’t believe his daughter has reached out to him after 3 years and she is getting married. Something feels off when he meets her husband-to-be and even more things don’t add up on the run up to the wedding. Why was his face all smashed up? What’s hidden in the toilet tank and what really happened to his ex-girlfriend….

It wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I lurved every dang second of it. The story was so far out of left field I didn’t see any of it coming. Not one lick! I tell ya this author has a talent for running your whole world in circles and hitting you with the most insane ending you will never see coming. The characters were well written and the plot was out of control! The audiobook had me just a buzzing! Best thriller I've read in ages.

5 stars

I’ve been on an audiobook kick lately so I’ll start by giving credit where it’s due. The narrator matched the energy of the character he was given and I think there’s both good and bad in that. It was probably one of the more bland audios I’ve ever listened to but that being said, our main character is just that. He’s a very typical, middle class, working guy with very average thoughts and opinions. The audio delivered what it was given.

As for the content itself, when compared to the author’s previous work, it pales in comparison. Extremely. Knowing what we can receive, this feels rushed and the nuance is just not there. I can almost guarantee what you think is going to happen is exactly what happens. The bad people are bad. Shocking. I just don’t understand what this was trying to accomplish. There was nothing thrilling or mysterious about it. Let’s hope the next one finds its footing a bit better.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed the story thought not as much as his last book. The audiobook did help me get more interested in the story. Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

I would definitely purchase this title, but I would not reccommend it based on his other works which are much stronger. The twist at the end was not a great pay off for the lack luster storyline throughout the book. It just wasn't it for me.

Look, this book is a good time, for real, no complaints. I'm not making a joke. That said, I'm going to forget every single thing about this book within five days.

It’s official. Jason Rekulak has made the list! My favorite thriller authors list, that is. I was a big fan of his last one, HIDDEN PICTURES and he blew me away with his latest, THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING. The audio version of this novel was phenomenal, my friends. The narrator, John Pirhalla absolutely nailed it. He made it so easy to listen to. The story flowed so well, and I didn’t lose focus once. (This is BIG for me as I’m easily distracted.) At first, I was giving all of the credit to John, but then I paused and reminded myself that Jason was the one who actually wrote the story! Ha! He deserves the majority of the credit for his impressive writing skills. Frank Szatowski, the main character is a stand-up guy that you just want on your side. You know the type—a “do the right thing” kind of character. He’s a good dad that’s just suspicious of the man who his daughter is about to marry. Something feels off and he’s just following his gut, trying to get to the bottom of things. The twists and turns were marvelous, truly surprising, and very entertaining. I especially loved the father/daughter relationship present in the novel—you know how much I love my family dramas! If you like your thrillers slow-burning and family-focused, then I think you’ll dig Rekulak’s latest. There’s a lot of mixed reviews out there for this one, but I absolutely loved it. The narration is what really sealed the deal for me. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook of THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING. 5/5 stars!

An estranged father-daughter domestic thriller that has them reconciling for the upcoming wedding. I didn't love the daughter in this story, she was selfish and a liar and I felt really bad for her dad. Not quite as creepy or jaw-dropping as the author's debut, Hidden Pictures, but still a solid thriller but full of a lot of unlikeable characters and some decent twists. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book on audio! I don’t often read thrillers with adult male main characters as the sole narrator, so this one will stand out in my mind for a while.

Oh what a nice story this is going to be, after not speaking to Maggie for three years, Frank gets a call from his daughter. She is getting married and wants her dad to be at her wedding. Well, as you can imagine, things don't go as planned, especially when a body washes up on the shore. The author has a way of grabbing your attention and pulling you in. The suspense builds as the chapters continue and the audiobook narration is well done.

When Frank receives a call from his estranged daughter Maggie he is delighted. not only has she finally reached out but she calls to invite him to her wedding! Understandably Frank is delighted and cannot wait to make things right with Maggie. He has had some misgivings about how he handled their conflict in the past and wants to clear the air. It turns out that Maggie is marrying the son of a very famous and wealthy tech CEO, The wedding is taking place at his secluded New Hampshire estate. Upon Franks arrival he is immediately put on notice as some of the locals have some unkind things to say about the Gardner family. Frank wants to make sure that Maggie isn’t making a mistake but he also doesn’t want to overstep and lose having a relationship with his daughter again. As Frank gets to know the family and do a little research he is left making choices that could not only impact their tenuous relationship but their lives.

This was an unexpected, twisty thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Frank’s situation was very relatable and I was hooked right from the beginning and it never slowed down. This is definitely a thriller not a horror title like his previous work but it delivered a solid story with some creepy elements and visuals that made my skin crawl. This was a great read and I cannot wait to see what is next by this talented author.

The audiobook was narrated very well and added to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the way this was written, how the story was told to bring the reader in like they were almost being told something from the past but still felt like it was happening now. The ending was satisfying and I didn’t see all the twists coming that’s for sure.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

Welp, this has firmly put Rekulak on my auto read list. I loved Hidden Pictures and while The Last One at the Wedding is nothing like that, it shows his versatility as I thought this was equally as good, but very different and in a good way. Frank and Maggie are an estranged father and daughter, until she calls him for the first time in 3 years to let him know she’s getting married and she wants him to come. He is right to be skeptical, because when he arrives to the destination, the fiancé’s family’s luxurious, secluded private estate, he realizes Maggie neglected the minor detail of who the family is, as they are kind of a big deal. And y’all, the secrets just keep coming from there. Frank knows there is more going on than Maggie is letting on, and trust that he will get to the bottom of it for sure. But at what price?

The twists, my goodness the twists! I was shocked at a couple of them for sure, as in had to rewind the audio (which was amazing FYI) to make sure I heard correctly. And I sure do love when that happens! I definitely listened to this in one sitting, I could not get enough. These people were wild, would do anything to keep their pasts in the past, and I loved that Frank was like nope, I will find it all out. This was a crazy, intense, and entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot wait to see what Rekulak writes next!