Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - No estás en la lista

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

No estás en la lista by Alison Espach

843 reviews

pam_'s review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

It took me awhile to get into this one. I knew very little about the plot going in, so I was surprised that it dove into such heavy subject matter almost immediately. I’m glad I stuck with it though, because this was a beautiful, heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the humour, the message and the dialogue. The ending was slightly underwhelming, which is why I don’t feel like I can give this 5 stars.

Here’s a quote that stood out to me:
“Pamela, it’s all about moving on. Saying goodbye to whoever you thought you were, whoever you thought you would be” (p.237, Thursday).

Content Warnings

chrstnlvly's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A darkly humorous and unexpectedly moving novel that shows how a single chance encounter—whether at the best or worst possible moment—can open the door to healing.

And maybe that's it: You do things in the moment for the person you hope you might be two years from now.

I wasn’t prepared for how emotional this book made me feel right from the start. At first, I couldn’t pinpoint why, but then it clicked: I related deeply to Phoebe’s inner world and the way she processed life. As someone who was diagnosed with depression earlier this year, her thoughts and feelings hit very close to home.

Despite the heavier themes, there’s a sharp undercurrent of humor—at times not “funny haha,” but “smirking funny.” My favorite example?

When Lila asked Phoebe about her mother, and Phoebe replied that she had passed away. Lila’s response: “Oh. Well, you’re lucky then.”

I laughed, probably more than I should have.

This is definitely a slower-paced read, more focused on character exploration than plot twists, so it’s perfect if you enjoy sinking into people’s inner lives. There are several references to the Covid pandemic—not in a way that dominates the story, but as natural touchpoints of the characters’ pasts. Personally, I didn’t mind; it felt honest. That period shaped all of us in some way, and the book reflects that reality. But if you prefer to avoid pandemic mentions entirely, just know they’re here in passing.

Overall, The Wedding People is thoughtful, layered, and beautifully written. For me, it wasn’t quite a five-star read, but it’s one I’ll remember for how it managed to be both tender and bitingly funny at the same time.

Content Warnings

astoriareader's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

SYNOPSIS

-Cornwall Inn, Newport, Rhode Island. Lila’s six-day wedding party is in full swing. She has planned every detail and spared no expense. Nothing can ruin it until Phoebe Stone shows up.

-Phoebe is not one of “the wedding people.” She is a stranger who somehow landed the best room in the inn, which was supposed to be reserved for Lila’s guests only.

-She is at rock bottom and wants to get as far away from her old life as possible. Years ago, she spotted this charming inn and planned to visit with her husband. They never made it, and now she is here with no luggage, just the clothes on her back, and no interest in anything wedding-related.

-When she checks in, the staff assumes she is there for the wedding. She does not correct them.

-On her way to her room, Phoebe ends up in the elevator with the bride. Lila sizes her up instantly, starts talking, and by the time they reach Phoebe’s floor, she knows exactly why Phoebe is there, and it is not for cake and champagne.

-What was supposed to be a one-night stay turns into a week as the two form an unexpected friendship, pulling Phoebe into the heart of a wedding she never planned to attend.

⸻

MY THOUGHTS

-Believe the hype. This book deserves every bit of its buzz. A 2024 BOTY finalist for BOTM, Goodreads Choice Award fiction winner, and named one of the year’s best by just about everyone.

-When this book first came on the scene, I assumed it was a rom-com because of the cover and title. It is not, which is a good reminder not to judge a book by its cover.

-Beautifully written. It’s sharp, heartfelt, and funny, with the perfect balance between dark humor and tough subjects.

-Phoebe is such a real, layered main character. I loved her, and I didn’t want her story to end. It was really cool seeing her mindset shift & change over the course of the week.

-The rest of the cast is every bit as memorable. They read like real people, each with their own quirks, mistakes, and charm.

-The story weaves depression into the plot so deeply it feels like it has its own role.

-Suicide comes up in the story, and it’s handled really well. It’s raw and real, but it also makes you feel like it’s okay to have the conversation. It’s not making light of it, but it opens the door for people to share without feeling judged.

-One of the other big themes is marriage struggles. Phoebe’s marriage keeps popping up in the story, and you really feel how much it shaped her. I think a lot of people will relate, especially if they’ve been in a relationship that just slowly fell apart.

-Transformative story. You can feel the shift happening as the story unfolds.

-The book is both painful and healing. It takes you apart and then rebuilds you.

-Deals with depression, infertility, marriage struggles, and suicide ideation in a way that feels honest but not overwhelming.

-I liked that people were drawn to Phoebe and shared with her so naturally. She didn’t see it as a talent, but it was. A quiet reminder of how much we can mean to others without realizing it.

-I loved the “High Bun” and “Neck Pillow” nicknames. It made me happy.

-There’s a line that stuck with me: “When you are happy, everywhere is a happy place. When you are sad, everywhere is a sad place.”

-I went from laughing to tearing up to wanting to throw the book at Phoebe’s husband.

-The story flowed so well, and the ending was both intense and understated, which made it stick.

⸻

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five stars. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. So good. Funny, heartbreaking, full of hope, and characters you will not forget. Just read it. One of my favorite reads this year.

Content Warnings

emmaodgers's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

lveebee's review against another edition

3.75

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

chemistryreads's review against another edition

3.0

sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I picked this book up because it was the only one that felt interesting enough to read from a Goodreads challenge. It was fine, but honestly felt like it was trying too hard to be some sort of genius literary fiction rather than just a good story. It reminded me of Something Borrowed, but make the characters wise and highbrow instead of ordinary. Not to mention, the entire novel starts off as idealizing suicide! Where the fuck were the warnings for that?! It goes on for half the novel! Then we toss in major infertility?! I wouldn’t say this was funny at all - it was largely the third person view of a woman who is suicidal and then things that would never actually happen, happen and she is suddenly bffs with a bride. I wouldn’t call this achingly tender either, but more tragic indeed several people dealing with grief and in a sense, recovery from the pandemic. Phoebe being an adjunct who hasn’t even finished her degree (for years!!!) and then whining about being an adjunct (which, yes, adjuncts aren’t treated well, but you do need a PhD to be a full time professor) and then constantly showing off her random and pointless knowledge… then we throw in Lyla and her mother working at an art gallery and the groom being a doctor - it’s all just an attempt to have this book be considered a literary masterpiece instead of “woman’s fiction” (which generally shouldn’t be it’s own category) or “romance.” It’s an okay story, but it just felt forced and sad. 3⭐️, 1🌶, ⚠️

Content Warnings

katemae's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

I thought this book was lovely! It took me some time to get through it but it really did pick up and I got very invested. I think the trigger points of suicide and Dead Dads was also tough but ultimately helped me connect even more to the story. I thought it was charming and hopeful and I really enjoyed it!

Content Warnings

leigh987's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

jla's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved this book. It was surprisingly funny and very human. The characters were imperfect but loveable.

The narrator really brought the characters to life. There are so many hilarious quotes:
Herbal essences.

I've personally participated in the sexual intercourse of at least 4 pandas across the world.

I'll take 2 weeds please.

Content Warnings

bookishsamurai's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I went into this book blind and it surprised me in such a good way! As someone who has had depression, someone who constantly overthinks, someone who used to need everything they did to come out perfect, Phoebe was VERY relatable. Even if she's at a different age and life situation than I'm in. The plot in this book seemed secondary to how Phoebe interprets the events and that was so interesting to read, especially since it wasn't entirely done in first person pov. This book is poignant, it's heartfelt, and just the right amount of cheesy.

There's female friendships (performative and otherwise), there's loss of a loved one, there's grief of different kinds, and the sense of grudging acceptance to keep going until we find the beauty in the life we're living, or have the courage to change it.

Overall I would warn people who are about to start reading this book: this is not a typical contemporary romance. I wouldn't even classify it as a romance necessarily. This book deals with a lot of sensitive topics, so please read the trigger warnings before you start. And finally, if you are reading it, go through your journey just like Phoebe and focus on the hope of it all.

Content Warnings

More...