When Frank Szatowski’s estranged daughter Maggie suddenly invites him to her wedding after three years of silence, he jumps at the chance to make amends. But the lavish event, set at a secluded estate and tied to a powerful tech dynasty, feels off from the start. Locals are hostile, the groom is evasive, and Maggie herself seems distant. As Frank tries to reconnect while digging deeper into this family’s secrets, paranoia and tension mount in a tale of family drama, suspense, and hidden truths.
I really wanted to love The Last One at the Wedding, but it just didn’t land for me the way I hoped. Listening on audio helped some, but Frank’s perspective was tough to sit with. His paranoia reaches eye-rolling levels, and while it’s eventually “justified,” it made his chapters feel repetitive and exhausting. On top of that, he came across as extremely unlikable and not in the deliberate way some authors craft fascinating flawed characters, but more like an accidental caricature. Typical cringe behavior from a ‘dad’.
Outside of Frank though, the whole cast often felt “off,” like their dialogue and actions were forced to serve the plot rather than flowing naturally and there are zero likeable characters. That made it harder to buy into the twists, which felt like characters were bent to fit a reveal rather than the story earning it. By the time we got to the drawn-out wrap-up, I was more relieved than intrigued. And really that ending? Talk about out of left field and again not in a good way.
Overall, this was a 3-star read for me and I enjoyed Hidden Pictures more. There were some suspenseful moments, I did want to know what the heck was going on, and Rekulak’s writing style is easy to move through, but the execution left me wanting more.
Bonus this is available on KINDLE UNLIMTED
Hidden PIctures Review
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★
The Last One at the Wedding is out now. Huge thanks to MacMillan Audio for my copy in return for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books
