Well written. Fun characters. The endings a little bit disappointing. But I guess I understand why it ended the way it did.

This author doesn’t shy away from heavy subjects, rather, she embraces them with care and tenderness and the right touch of humor in this wise, warm, and wonderful story about love and loss and the unexpected. Phoebe is depressed. Things are not going her way. She didn’t get tenure, she discovered she couldn’t biologically carry a baby, and now, is divorced from her husband who had an affair with one of their friends, a fellow academic. Phoebe decides that she’s going to commit suicide and she’s chosen a destination, an elegant inn in Newport, RI, a place she’s always wanted to go. Why not splurge. But when she gets there, an extravagant wedding is set to take place, and the entire wedding party is arriving. Everywhere she looks, wedding people. Enter the bride of all brides Lila whose recently deceased father left her a lot of money to celebrate her big day. Her peppy, all about me, I’m in love, getting married vibe contrasts with Phoebe’s sullen, I’ve been dumped, I want to hide persona. Yet there is something similar about the two, that they don’t know about each other, a kindred spirit, and as Lila is drawn to Phoebe, finds out about her plans, she’s not having it. Not at her wedding. Tension ensues. You won’t want to stop reading as these characters become more endearing. Phoebe, you brave, beautiful soul. To unexpected friendships, love found, warmth, humor amidst the sadness.

Enjoyed the characters and the messages in this story. Easy read. Very entertaining. Almost predictable. Recommend for a summer read.

Well, this book makes you want to attend a wedding, a week long, extravagant wedding. I absolutely am in love with these characters, especially Phoebe, who really knows how to crash a wedding, and walk away with a new life beginning that makes you happy just to be alive yourself and glad that you let her become your new friend for ever. This novel is funny, smart, and has well written dialogue that moves at a great pace. Frankly, as a reader, I feel like I was there. After all, isn’t that what we so hope for in every novel. I highly recommend this book. Do yourself a favor and read The Wedding People.

If Espach intended to write a story about superficial, self-absorbed women then she succeeded. As far as characterization she did a great job. However, who wants to read a story about women like that? The plot is silly and peppered with “me,me,me” and “whine, whine, whine” with too many f bombs. It’s okay for a light read but not for me. But reading tastes vary so this is only my opinion.

I absolutely loved “The Wedding People!” One of the most enjoyable, relatable, introspective, and funny books I’ve read in a long time. This is one of those rare book I will re-read! The story centers around Phoebe Stone, an adjunct literature professor, who is recently divorced after a long battle with infertility. She comes to a crisis point after her cat passes away, and decides she wants to die. She books a one way plane ticket a one night in a hotel she’s always dreamed of staying in, so she can end her life in “her happy place.” There she immediately runs into a large wedding party, and a bride who needs a confident… This book was absolutely captivating; it’s funny, emotional, and pulls you right into the story. In many parts I laughed out loud. The author did a wonder job capturing the complex nature of friendship, marriage, and family dynamics, the family we imagine for ourselves, who we are vs who we want to be, and how our hopes and dreams shape our identity. I listened to the Audiobook, narrated by Helen Laser, and provided by MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. The narrator did an excellent job; there minor are some issues with sound quality/ consistency, but it doesn’t detract from the book. Many thanks for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The novel is powerful and so moving, but the first 1/3 or so is very dark deep. Definitely worth reading! But maybe not a beach read.

I loved each of the well-drawn characters, and the number of lines that are real gems is impressive. A unique plot that never sags. An easy, satisfying read that makes this one of my favorite books of the year. If you're on the fence about it, I say just dive in. You'll be glad you did.