I went into The Wedding People completely blind and only picked it up because it had been recommended to me, and honestly I think that was the best way to read it. I had no idea what to expect, and I was constantly surprised by where the story went. It kept me interested the entire time, and I genuinely never knew what was going to happen next.
One of my favorite parts of the book was Phoebe. I really liked her narration and thought she was such an interesting character to follow. I appreciated how the book portrayed her mental health struggles and how honest it felt. Watching her work through everything she was dealing with and slowly start to find herself again was probably the strongest part of the story for me. I found myself really rooting for her by the end.
I also loved the Rhode Island setting. It made me want to visit, and I thought it added a lot to the atmosphere of the book. The wedding setting was fun, but I also liked how the story balanced the lighter moments with deeper topics like grief, loneliness, and starting over.
I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters too. Some of the family dynamics felt incredibly realistic, especially characters like Lila's mom and Gary's sister and daughter. Their interactions reminded me of real families and made the story feel much more grounded and authentic.
What I liked most about this book was that, despite some of the more dramatic moments, it felt very human. The emotions felt real, and I could understand why the characters made the choices they did, even when I didn't always agree with them.
That being said, there were definitely some parts of the plot that felt unrealistic to me. The biggest example was Phoebe and Gary's relationship. When they first met in the hot tub, I felt like their connection developed really quickly. I understood what the author was trying to do, but some of those relationship developments felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the story, which was otherwise so grounded and realistic.
My biggest complaint is probably the ending. I liked where Phoebe ended up and was happy to see her overcome so much of what she had been struggling with, but I wanted more. After spending an entire book with these characters, I would have loved a little extra closure and a better idea of where everyone ended up.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and can definitely see why so many people love it. It was engaging, emotional, and unpredictable, and I really liked Phoebe's journey. While some of the romantic plotlines didn't fully work for me, the character development, mental health representation, and realistic family dynamics made it a worthwhile read.