Welcome to the first edition of Avery’s Book Corner. If the title didn’t give you enough context, my name is Avery, and I read a lot (sometimes too much, depending on who you ask). Anytime I finish a book, I will give you my cold and honest opinion, no sugar coating on what I think. I’ll let you know all of the pros and cons of the books and if it lives up to the hype that people give it. If you want a cold, hard opinion, this is the perfect place for you. (Spoiler warning, TW: Suicide)
The first ever story I am reviewing is ‘The Wedding People’, written by Alison Espatch. This was one of the first romance books I have ever read (and completed). And it was honestly one of the best books I have ever read.
Will I read any other romance books in the near future? Probably not, many romance books give me the heebie jeebies, but hey, this one was fantastic. Never once did I have to set this book down and take a deep breath because of how unbelievably stupid the main character and their love interest were, unlike some romance books I have tried to read in the past.
The characters were so beautifully written and had so much depth, it was like a breath of fresh air after smelling smoke for months. The main character, Phoebe, had such an amazing and real backstory that it felt like she was speaking directly to me. She became vulnerable in some moments, and then would help the much younger and overdramatic Lila even when she was struggling so much internally.
Romance books are extremely difficult for me to read. Mainly because I hate the way the characters are written. Usually, in any basic romance book, you find that the women are written to be dumb and lesser than the men. As an independent woman, I find it very demeaning when these characters are written like this. The men are always domineering, and the women always cower below them.
Phoebe, however, is anything but cowardice. She stands up for herself and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She is what young girls should look up to, not the stereotypical romance woman. The main love interest, Gary, is a kind and gentle man who treats the women in his life with the respect and love anyone should have.
The author is able to give Phoebe realistic emotions, and I thought she depicted depression and suicidal thoughts extremely well. Reading the things that Phoebe has been through and listening to her downplay her sadness made me feel seen.
Romance is such a hard genre for me to find enjoyable, and I think if this book didn’t have the added depth with talking about depression and suicide, I don‘t think I would have enjoyed it. As much as I love Phoebe and Gary, the only reason I picked it up was because of the depth it was said to have.
Recently, mental health has become a topic of conversation more than ever. And as a person who finds books an amazing way to learn and feel comfortable with whatever you are going through, I can appreciate when authors try to incorporate mental health into the characters. Not only does it bring more depth to the characters, but it can also help people feel better about what they are going through.
The book starts with Phoebe Stone, a woman in her mid-to-late twenties, going to an expensive hotel named the Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island. Unfortunately, she is going there to end her life.
After divorcing her husband, her job never being able to take off, and her cat passing away, she books a plane ticket to Rhode Island and takes off, not looking back. As soon as she enters the Cornwall Inn, she is greeted by a bunch of guests staying for an upcoming wedding. Soon she comes to find out that she is the only guest who is not there for the wedding.
Going up to her room, she finds herself in the elevator alone with the bride-to-be, Lila. Lila starts hounding Phoebe with questions about why she is here if not for the wedding. Finally, Phoebe snaps and tells Lila the real reason she is here, and Lila goes berserk.
I’m not gonna spoil the entire book because what is the point of reading this angelic book if I’m just gonna spew out all of the amazing plot points that this book offers? My final words for this book are READ IT. I love everything about this book; the plot develops so beautifully, the characters feel real, and best of all, it’s not some cornball romance. I love this book, and I don’t think I will ever find something like this again.
