‘The Wedding People’ by Alison Espach

This was an enjoyable read, though I felt it skimmed the surface of some of the heavier themes it raised, suicide and depression in particular. At times, it seemed to soften these issues a bit too much, which could come across as trivialising to some readers.

The premise initially drew me in, and while it wasn’t quite the page-turner I expected, I was still curious enough to see how it all unfolded. I did feel the sudden reappearance of the ex-husband towards the end was a bit forced (he vanished almost as quickly as he arrived) and didn’t seem necessary for Phoebe to come to the realisation that she no longer wanted him.

That said, I was satisfied with the ending, predictable as it was. Oddly enough, I even found myself wishing it had been more literal and on the nose about where Phoebe ended up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5