nice day for a white wedding

Tess is getting married. She has taken the week off, spending it at her family’s place on Cape Cod, while she gets ready for the big day. She doesn’t need to do much, as it’s all under control. She can just relax for the week and prepare for her life as a politician’s wife. Warren is running for state senator, and he has to work the week of the wedding, but Tess understands what she’s getting into, as it’s her second marriage.

Peter is a painter and teacher. He has been sober for years, after his wife left him. She had discovered him when he was a student and helped champion his early career. But when his addiction caused her too much pain, she took her sister Georgia’s advice and left. Peter didn’t even know Tess was getting married again until her brother told him. Sebastian even invited Peter not only to the wedding but to the house on the Cape for the week.

One problem. Sebastian invited Peter and a guest to the Cape Cod house for a week and didn’t mention it to the bride. So Tess is surprised when her first husband and his new boyfriend Mitch showed up on her front porch. They had no plans, no hotel reservations, and with the wedding, there would be no hotel reservations anywhere close for the upcoming wedding weekend. So Tess invites them to stay in the guest house. There are renovations going on there, which is why it’s available, but they can work around that. So Peter and Mitch agree to stay.

Mitch hadn’t known Peter very long, but he can tell by their chemistry that there is something special between them. And he wants to be a writer, and he thinks that this week could offer some interesting writing ideas and some free time to work on a novel. He can’t really afford to take a week off from his restaurant job, so he decides to quit his job and see where the week takes him. He can always beg his boss to take him back later if he needs to. But Mitch is really hoping the week turns into something special for him.

As the days slip by, Tess gets to know Mitch and likes him. Mitch likes her too, and Peter is clearly conflicted. It seems he may not be over Tess. And maybe Tess isn’t completely over him either. But when Mitch has a medical emergency one night, and Tess and Peter have to rush him to the hospital, everything starts to change. But it’s not until Tess faces the truth of her situation that she figures out what will truly make her happy.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started listening to Wasp’s Nest. And as the story went on, I kept getting surprised by what was happening. The story was a little slow, but it’s one of those feelings-based stories, so it was meant to be slow. I truly fell in love with these characters and was rooting hard for Tess to make the choice I wanted her to make.

I listened to the audio book of Wasp’s Nest, narrated by Eric Yang, Major Curda, and Mia Wurgaft. I thought they all told their parts of the stories beautifully, and listening to them put this story together brought a lot of depth to this story. One thing I found a little strange is that Peter’s story was told in third person while Mitch’s and Tess’s were in first person. It meant that I felt some distance to Peter that I didn’t feel with Tess and Mitch, so they were easier to be hopeful for. But I really did enjoy this book, from the waspy wedding to the celebration of art and artists to the family dynamics. This was quite a ride.

An early copy of the audio book for Wasp’s Nest was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.