Bookseller Reviews
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I loved every page
This charming book contains many stories in it’s pages; marriage, infidelity, infertility, loneliness, grief, and disappointment. But don’t be put off by t... READ MORE
Love love love
This book captured me in an enchanting but real way and I loved every minute of it. I wanted to get back to it when I wasn’t reading it and am still thinki... READ MORE
A Warm, Witty and Thought-Provoking Contemporary Read
The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a wonderfully engaging contemporary novel that blends humour, emotion, and sharp observation in a way that makes it ... READ MORE
Perfection
I cannot explain just how much I loved this book! Beautifully written, with wonderful characters and a story you'll find impossible to pull yourself away f... READ MORE
I Couldn’t Read Anything Else
Alison Espach’s “Wedding People” is absolutely beautiful! I have been yearning to get lost and swept up into a book and this did exactly that and more. Esp... READ MORE
Delightful gem of a story
The Wedding People is both tender and witty, beautifully mixing the darkest parts of life with downright bizarre situations.
Espach balances what could... READ MORE
Sad, Hopeful, Funny.
A genuinely great read.
Alison Espach masterfully balances sadness with laugh out loud moments often veering into the wildly inappropriate, which I absolut... READ MORE
funny, occasionally dark, and thoroughly enjoyable
Trigger warning for the book and this review: attempted suicide, discussions of suicide
Phoebe arrives at a very fancy hotel in her best dress with no s... READ MORE
So realistic and genuine
I can definitely see why this has had so much hype! Whenever I wasn’t reading this, I wanted to pick it up and see what the characters were getting up to, ... READ MORE
Synopsis
It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people - but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn't here for the big event.
Phoebe has dreamed of coming here for years. She hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband but now she is divorced and depressed, and not sure how to go on. She's not been sure how to do anything, lately, except climb into bed and drink gin and tonics and listen to the sound of the refrigerator making ice.
When the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by this sad stranger, she is furious. She has spent months accounting for every detail and every possible disaster - except for, well, Phoebe . . . Soon, both women find their best-laid plans derailed and an unlikely confidante in one another.
Uproariously funny and devastatingly tender, The Wedding People is an irresistible novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families, and the unexpected paths that lead to happiness.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
- ISBN: 9781399622738
- Number of pages: 384
- Dimensions: 236 x 164 x 34 mm
- Weight: 595g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allGoing to a resort for one reason and everything changes
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Narrated by Helen Laser
Wealthy Lila is marrying older doctor, Gary, and her wedding week extravaganza is taking pl... READ MORE
A Five-Star Must-Read: A Book That Captures the Heart and Soul
Sometimes, a book comes along that sweeps you up, keeps you hooked, and leaves an imprint on your heart long after you've turned the final page. This was o... READ MORE
Amazing
I finished it and am sad there isn't any more but also happy to imagine whatever I want for the end.
Entertaining read
This was such an entertaining read. This is the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the author... READ MORE
The Wedding People
Funny and sad, all that you want in a book. Excellent read.
Couldn’t put down
Really enjoyed this one, started off interestingly and couldn’t put it down!
Loved it
Phoebe Stone books herself into a luxurious beach hotel, The Cornwall Inn for the night, she find a herself the sole guest who is not there for the wedding... READ MORE
Written beautifully
I wouldn’t have picked this book usually as it gave the feel of romance and drama, but book club picked it and here I am.
I felt a connection with Phoebe... READ MORE
Entertaining read
This was such an entertaining read. This is the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the author... READ MORE
Excellent!
Loved reading this. Some laugh out moments and great characters. An enjoyable read.
Great book with an unusual premise
This is an unusual book; at the beginning Phoebe arrives at a very expensive hotel in Rhode Island, wearing a beautiful, previously unworn dress and her we... READ MORE
A pleasant surprise
I saw this in my local Waterstones and am very glad I took the time to read it. A bit of a slow burner but then you get really involved with the character... READ MORE
Unexpectedly good!
This very enjoyable drama definitely did not end up being what i expected at the beginning, and I enjoyed it much more than ecpected as well. Definitely wo... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Definitely do...
I picked this up after seeing it on so many people's best books of 2025. It so deserves to be there.
A witty approach to a challenging topic, I was imm... READ MORE
I adored this book!
I could not stop reading this book. I was excited to pick it up everyday. It’s so beautifully written while also being funny and witty. I can’t wait to rea... READ MORE
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Wedding People by Alison Espach is an unexpectedly moving story of a woman who ends up at the hotel she always wanted to stay at with her husband, but ... READ MORE
Gorgeous
Everything about this book delighted me. Espach continually flips the script. You think you're reading one book and then it morphs into something else. It'... READ MORE
A Beautiful Story About Unexpected Connections
I first noticed The Wedding People on display in Waterstones. It isn’t usually my kind of read, but the cover caught my eye and I picked it up out of curio... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
A unique character driven novel
The Wedding People is proof that you don't always need an action packed plot to keep reading.Full of dark humour and a host of great characters, this story... READ MORE
A beautiful summer story full of beautifully realistic people
'A story can be beautiful not because of the way it ends. But because of the way it's written'.
This book was sort of what I needed.
Such beautiful summe... READ MORE
What an adventure it was
I loved this book.
From the start, the tone is set : funny and actually quite sarcastic. Espach brings us into her world and does a perfect job.
Phoebe is... READ MORE
5 star rated book if you're a book lover
What makes this book so special isn't just the unique premise—though that alone is compelling—but the way it weaves together self-discovery, romance, and e... READ MORE
Crept up on me
This one totally crept up on me. For the first fifty pages, I wasn't feeling it at all, but somewhere along the way I started to connect with the character... READ MORE
love!
Incredibly interesting and compelling.This book, while being told from one pov, tells the story of a collection of characters and how their lives all inter... READ MORE
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