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The Wedding People

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The Wedding People

By: Alison Espach
Narrated by: Helen Laser
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About this listen

 The smash-hit international bestseller
A Read With Jenna book club pick
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction
'Best read of the year' THE TIMES

'Books as fun as this one are few and far between' GUARDIAN

'Sharp, funny and a joy to read' OBSERVER

Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island 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.

When the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by a divorced and depressed stranger, she is furious. Lila 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.

Hilarious and moving, The Wedding People is an irresistible novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families, and the unexpected paths that lead to happiness.

'My book of the summer. As soon as I'd finished it, I wanted to read it all over again' RED

'Laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly moving' INDEPENDENT

'So funny and romantic . . . A perfect novel' CATHERINE NEWMAN

'Glorious . . . made me wish I had written it' JOJO MOYES

'Utterly charming . . . I loved it' PANDORA SYKES

'One of the few weddings I've attended that I didn't want to end' SAMUEL BURR©2024 Alison Espach (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited Editors Select Family Life Friendship Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Funny Witty Feel-Good Heartfelt

Editorial Review

I’ll toast to that!
Feeling salty about beachfront displays of affection? As am I, along with Phoebe Stone, the spiraling protagonist of Alison Espach’s latest novel, who, newly single and depressed, has hot summer plans to self-sabotage in style at an elegant Newport resort. However, upon her arrival, she unexpectedly befriends a cohort of, you guessed it, wedding people, who would rather count Phoebe as an extra head for the caterers than have her potentially ruin the ceremony by being left unattended while erratically heartbroken. It doesn’t take long for Phoebe and the bride to bond over their underlying anxieties, and narrator Helen Laser’s spot-on delivery of all the witty insights embedded in this novel certainly makes it easy to fall for the vibrant cast of characters. So, if you too are in need of a summer pick-me-up, take a page out of Phoebe’s book and vicariously masquerade as a posh, pearl-clad sophisticate while opening up to this cynical yet ultimately heartfelt listen. — Haley H., Audible Editor

All stars
Most relevant  
Just loved the whole book. The writing style. The allusions to Mrs Dalloway. The characters, portrayed with empathy and with. and the whole setting and reason for the characters meeting and interacting was engaging. the excesses of the wedding week were delicious. Loved it from beginning to end. I cannot do it justice.

The richness of the female characters. The insight with which they were portrayed.

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The quirky setting and idiocentric characters made this exploration of life totally original and engaging. Loved it!

Loved the premise

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It took a while, but it eventually got me hooked on to the storyline. The ending was different to what I had expected.

Slow build up

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Loved the story and the narrator was perfect! Highly recommend if you want a more upbeat Jane Eyre on Wuthering Heights set in modern days at a wedding held at a mansion in Newport R. I.

Such an insightful and entertaining story

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Started quite dark and was pulled right in. A beautiful story of surprise connections, loss, love, friendship and light. Fast witty dialogue and clever use of the epic destination wedding concept to bring the characters together and move the plot along. Looking forward to more of her books!

A really enjoyable read

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I got completely wrapped up in Phoebe and her world. The wedding people themselves were quirky and also drew me in. I was surprised by just how much I came to care about everyone by the end of the story.

indefinably enchanting

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So entertaining but also searingly honest and at times deeply painful, smart, funny, wise. Wonderful characters.

Funny, raw, insightful

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Loved the characters, even the cringe ones! The character arc of the protagonist is set in a background of quirky humanity. Really enjoyed it.

Life’s messes done in an original way. Excellent.

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Something new and different but comforting all the same. Easy to listen to, Paced nicely. Unsure why the husband reemerge after in the end but hey…

Loving the surprise start

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Very entertaining! It felt light, humorous yet deep and challenging all in one. I was pleasantly surprised how I was challenged to consider the depth of my own relationships.

Character development

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