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emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book seemed both realistic and unbelievably unreal at the same time. I enjoyed how the characters mainly had realistic dialogue that didn’t seem forced or totally contrived. I found the characters to not be super likable and the plot to be pretty predictable. However there were moments and quotes from the book that caused me to reflect on my life and that I found super relatable, it was almost like little jewels of introspection, healing, and self reflection were sprinkled throughout the book. Overall I would recommend this book for a pretty different take on a love story and just book about stages of life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Gaslighting
Minor: Vomit, Stalking, Sexual harassment
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-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
For me, it's hard to rate this book. It's a well-written story with authentically drawn, complicated characters, humor, sadness, thoughtfulness, and honesty. The characters' story together is compelling, and their vulnerability is endearing. I found it insightful that the main character's proximity to suicide made her appreciate being alive and, maybe because she had no pretense left herself, more accessible for honesty than some of the characters found each other, but also, the author explores the way that sometimes it's just easier to be honest with a stranger. I found the book to be f-bomb heavy and flippant, particularly about sexuality, and in some respects, just terribly tragic and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Miscarriage
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Infertility, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, Dementia
Minor: Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Vomit
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I found it utterly delightful. The characters were all fleshed out and it was so refreshing to read a book that doesn’t shy away from talking about suicide and the kind of deep depression that leads to it. At the same time it was funny, and even ended on a hopeful note.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Dementia, Fire/Fire injury
dark
funny
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
I didn’t expect to enjoy The Wedding People as much as I did, but wow—this book got under my skin in the best way. It’s funny, emotionally sharp, and surprisingly deep, especially in how it talks about grief, loneliness, and the weird, quiet moments that make up our lives.
This was my first book by Alison Espach, and I’m seriously impressed by how she writes about stuff nobody ever really talks about—those odd little thoughts we all have but don’t say out loud. I kept making note of some many lines just because they hit so hard. One early quote that really stuck with me was:
“There is no such thing as a happy place. Because when you are happy, everywhere is a happy place. And when you are sad, everywhere is a sad place.” (pg 17–18)
So simple, but so true.
Let’s talk about Pheobe.
At first? Couldn’t stand her. She’s so cynical—like, she turns every single good moment into something bleak. I actually found it frustrating, even though the book acknowledges this about her:
“It’s tempting for Pheobe to think like this now—to believe that everybody is as alone as she is.” (pg 5)
And that helped me give her a little grace. You start to realize she’s not just negative for no reason—she’s deeply sad, grieving, and trying (badly) to protect herself from more pain. She even asks herself:
“And where did this sadness come from? Did her father pass it on like a blood disease?”
There were times I wanted to shake her, but other times I just felt for her.
The writing is something special.
Espach is genuinely funny—but not in a forced way. Just the way she voices universal human experiences that aren't talked about in books. Like when the mystery hot tub man was talking about a rite of passage event, or how Pheobe and Lila literally had a store down to see if they'd fit each other's clothes. You can't come up with this stuff. It's funny! She blends the humor in this book very well.
One of my favorite moments was when Phoebe realizes she has to act now or risk losing the feeling completely:
“Because she knows if she doesn’t do it tonight… she will have to wake up tomorrow and go home. She will have to clean up the crumbs on the counter. She will have to bury Harry.” (pg 59)
That whole section was raw and painfully real. And then there’s this line:
“You can’t explain this kind of darkness to someone who has never felt it.” (pg 61)This one too: "Pheobe learning, trying to explain her feeling to her husband that you can't explain this kind of darkness to someone who has never felt it........... She couldn't;t understand why someone like Tom wanted to die.......Pheobe could only think practically about such things then, just like the bride now." (pg 61)
Chills.
Themes + Vibes
This book dives deep into emotional stuff—like isolation, regret, connection, and self-worth—but it never feels heavy for the sake of being heavy. It’s just honest. They are just so many things that really got me about this book. So many relatable things that the author portrayed.
“Pheobe was the only person waiting in the dark to condemn herself for every single thing when the day was over…” (pg 161)
Okay, this storyline? Messy. And uncomfortable. And complicated. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Espach definitely writes it in a way that feels human and real, not just drama for drama’s sake, but still—I was bothered. Even if that was the point. There were moments where I was like, “Nope, I don’t like where this is going,” but I also couldn’t stop reading. So take that how you will.
Final Thoughts
Despite some messiness, I really loved this book. It felt honest and vulnerable and weird in all the right ways. Espach has this uncanny ability to put into words things that I’ve felt but never knew how to explain. There’s so much here about what it means to be a person—flawed, lonely, hopeful, scared—and I connected with it deeply.
My only real complaint is the last part of the book. The ending felt a little rushed and kind of inconclusive. I think it was meant to feel open-ended and realistic, but I just wanted a bit more resolution. No one really got a proper send-off, and that left me slightly unsatisfied.
Also, another qualm that I had with this book was that I felt like certain details were given a decent amount of attention that proved to be irrelevant to the plot. Like the characters of Pauline, did not need to be there. Similar to the overarching mentions of COVID. I kid you not, if you had taken those two things out, this book would've been exactly the same.
Still, I had a great time reading this. I laughed, I cringed, I highlighted way too many lines. If you’re into books that make you feel seen in your messiness—and that also make you laugh while doing it—this one’s worth checking out.
Spice Rating:🫑.5/5 (there's no on-page sex in here, but it is talked about often, hence the bell pepper and not the chilly pepper)
Note: I feel like the audiobook really enhances my reading experience of this book. I think the narrator did a fantastic job deciphering the voices, even when they weren't speaking conventionally. Like, for example, if a character's voice is muffled or whatever, they conveyed that too, which is pretty impressive in my opinion. However, I will say, I'm not sure if the audio wasn't accessible for some parts from the original narrator because there were times when I was reading the book, and could clearly tell that certain lines were ad-libbed. Just something to note if you're planning on listening to this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy