The Wedding People by Alison Espach @AlisonEspach #HelenLaser @MacmillanAudio #ReadWithJenna

the setup…
Phoebe Stone is a forty year old divorced adjunct college professor from St. Louis, Missouri. Her husband, who worked for the same college, left her right before the pandemic for a colleague who’s also her friend. Her career at a dead end and with no clear vision for a satisfying future, Phoebe shows up at the grand Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, a place she’d once dream of staying at with her husband. Dressed in a green satin dress and gold heels, without baggage, she plans to make this her swan song. But, she’s the only one staying there that’s not part of the wedding party scheduled for that week. A chance encounter with the bride changes everything.

the heart of the story…
Before you think this might be a depressing venture, let me assure you it’s anything but. Sure, Phoebe feels like there’s no visible future for herself but she’s smart, thoughtful and has repressed an incredible wit. With nothing to lose, she decides to be her authentic self and it’s life changing. Lila, the bride, latches onto her after Phoebe shares her plan and she’s determined to prevent her from messing up her wedding. They form an odd relationship as Lila is wealthy and spoiled, at least on the surface. Phoebe becomes one of the wedding people and, surprisingly, it brings some clarity to her life.

the narration…
Laser was a perfect choice for this story. I loved how she voiced the characters but especially Phoebe. She embraced her in a way that gave her vibrancy. The storytelling was wonderful.

the bottom line…
There was such a balance of thoughtfulness, humor and quiet reflection in this story. Through her connections and interactions with the “wedding people”, Phoebe found a way to embrace herself and see a light that wasn’t there when she showed up at that hotel. Even Lila through her selfish behavior provided insight and grounding. This was quite an unexpected reading journey that I devoured. Loved everything about it.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 30, 2024
• Narrator: Helen Laser
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 37 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)