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A review by thereadingraccoon
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Wedding People is a contemporary novel about a suicidal woman who ends up entangled in a wedding event at an upscale Rhode Island hotel.
Phoebe Stone is alone, divorced, and has a dead cat in her basement when she walks off her job as an English professor and checks into the posh Cornwall Inn with no belongings except for her cat’s pain medication, which she intends to use to kill herself. But the rest of the guests are there as part of a million-dollar, six-day wedding celebration for a local couple, Gary and Lila. When Phoebe impulsively confesses her plans in the elevator, the bride isn’t having it. Over the following days, Phoebe will look back on her childhood, the loss of both her parents, infertility, and the heartbreaking end of her marriage as she suddenly finds herself entwined in the lives of “the wedding people.” As the bride and groom and the various guests confess their own feelings and experiences, Phoebe will find herself living and connecting with people for the first time in years after the isolation of Covid and the depression following her divorce.
This is a fantastic novel with both sad and deeply touching moments and snarky humor. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of the various family members and the bride’s lack of boundaries and her singular focus on having the perfect wedding. I recommend it alone just for the scene where the rented vintage wedding vehicle has to be replaced after it’s assaulted. I loved how Phoebe got a second chance at living through these strangers and the message of how no one is quite what they seem.
The Wedding People is an unforgettable novel, and I look forward to reading more from Alison Espach.
Narrator notes: The Wedding People is narrated by Helen Laser, who is the perfect voice for Phoebe, Lila, and the various wedding guests.
My audio copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.
Phoebe Stone is alone, divorced, and has a dead cat in her basement when she walks off her job as an English professor and checks into the posh Cornwall Inn with no belongings except for her cat’s pain medication, which she intends to use to kill herself. But the rest of the guests are there as part of a million-dollar, six-day wedding celebration for a local couple, Gary and Lila. When Phoebe impulsively confesses her plans in the elevator, the bride isn’t having it. Over the following days, Phoebe will look back on her childhood, the loss of both her parents, infertility, and the heartbreaking end of her marriage as she suddenly finds herself entwined in the lives of “the wedding people.” As the bride and groom and the various guests confess their own feelings and experiences, Phoebe will find herself living and connecting with people for the first time in years after the isolation of Covid and the depression following her divorce.
This is a fantastic novel with both sad and deeply touching moments and snarky humor. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of the various family members and the bride’s lack of boundaries and her singular focus on having the perfect wedding. I recommend it alone just for the scene where the rented vintage wedding vehicle has to be replaced after it’s assaulted. I loved how Phoebe got a second chance at living through these strangers and the message of how no one is quite what they seem.
The Wedding People is an unforgettable novel, and I look forward to reading more from Alison Espach.
Narrator notes: The Wedding People is narrated by Helen Laser, who is the perfect voice for Phoebe, Lila, and the various wedding guests.
My audio copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.