I just finished my first book of 2026. I couldn’t put it down! I give it 5 stars and I feel sorry for the book that comes next (up next is First Time Caller by B.K. Borison. Good luck following this one!)
“I just mean, a story can be beautiful not because of the way it ends. But because of the way it’s written.”
The Wedding People reminded me a lot of The Floating Opera by John Barth. In the The Floating Opera, Todd Andrews wakes up to the best idea he has ever had. Today he is going to kill himself. Now the story is told 10 something years later so you know from the very beginning that he doesn’t go through with it. But the story is all about why he changes his mind.
The Wedding People is about a woman named Phoebe who has a very normal life. Then her husband leaves her for her best friend. She decides to go to the fancy New England hotel they always talked about going to and kill herself. But she doesn’t. And the real story is the why.
I never new what was going to happen next. Each turn, decision, event was a surprise. And even when I thought I knew how it would all turn out in the end, I was surprised again. And delightfully so! I just really loved each character’s story and how they fit into each other’s beautiful stories.
What I loved most was Phoebe and her character. We all know a Phoebe. We have all been a Phoebe. And and some point we all need a Phoebe in our life. Every character felt relatable yet distinct—like puzzle pieces that look nothing alike, but still fit together beautifully. Like any wedding, families and friends merge, and drama and personal issues take center stage.
We are all a little but like Lila (the bride) and we can see ourselves in Marla. We all know a Jim and remember how we used to be just like Juice. We have all felt like Gary and Patricia.
They are all trying to figure out who they are. A quote from page 361 says it perfectly:
“… becoming who you want to be is just like anything else. It takes practice. It requires belief that one day, you’ll wake up and be a natural at it.”
And isn’t that what we’re all trying to do? Not gain approval from others, but accept ourselves for who we are. To live out loud. To stop pretending.
“I don’t want to be saved from myself. Nobody does. All we want is permission to stand there naked and be our damned selves.”
Phoebe’s journey is messy and deeply familiar—much like my own. Lila’s is too. Bearing witness to the courage it takes to be honest with yourself is a gift.
10/10 recommend The Wedding People! It’s a beautiful journey of love, courage, honesty, family, and how to stop pretending.
Get your copy of The Wedding People on Amazon. ps- This post has affiliate links to Amazon and I earn a small commission if you make a purchase with my links. Thank you in advance and I hope you love the book as much as I did!
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