Book Review: Wasp's Nest by Kat Stoddard

 

Pages: 272

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: June 23, 2026

Publisher: Celadon

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Tess wants nothing more than for her upcoming society wedding to overshadow the failure of her first marriage. Her fiancé Warren, a steady soon-to-be state senator, is nothing like her first husband. Tess’s relationship with working-class artist Peter was a passionate crash-and-burn, and a chapter of her life that she's ready to forget.

Peter hasn’t seen Tess in five years, so he’s shocked to receive an invitation to her wedding. But he’s moved on too, and it wouldn’t hurt to prove it by showing up with a handsome younger man as his plus-one. Mitch, an aspiring writer, is intrigued by Peter and jumps at the chance to pry into the lives of his Waspy ex-in-laws. What he’s not bargained for is developing serious feelings for both Peter and Peter’s ex―Tess, the bride. But Peter and Tess have complex desires of their own, and Mitch is dangerously close to uncovering them.

Wasp's Nest is a fast-paced, humorous, and heartfelt exploration of the shape of our affections that proves real love triangles connect on all sides.

 

 

 

Tess Lowell is planning her second wedding on her family's gorgeous Cape Cod estate. Her society wedding will be quite an affair, especially since her future husband has senate plans. Except things aren't going quite as planned. Her mischievous brother, Sebastian, has invited her ex-husband, Peter, to the wedding. Tess divorced Peter years ago when he was dealing with his addiction issues and Peter hasn't heard from her since. Peter isn't as acceptable to her high-achieving family as he is merely an artist, but he wants to attend the wedding to get some closure. He decides to bring Mitch, an aspiring writer, whom he met at a dinner party; this should throw them all off! Mitch agrees to attend as he needs inspiration for his next writing project. What ensues over the next seven days on Cape Cod is anything but a simple family wedding. Kat Stoddard's debut, Wasp's Nest, is inspired by The Philadelphia Story and is a juicy, if somewhat, superficial beach read.
 
Much like The Philadelphia Story, Tess comes from a well-off family and her parents have high hopes for her second marriage. However, the sparks are still there between Tess and Peter and things get complicated when Mitch is thrown into the mix. This triangle (it's messy!), plus a wealthy Cape Cod wedding, is sure to keep readers flipping the pages as this is a juicy beach read. But that's where the sparkle ended for me. 
 
I am a huge fan of The Philadelphia Story, so I had high hopes for Wasp's Nest, but the characters weren't nearly as endearing as the original story, not to mention the lack of humor like the original tale. Wasp's Nest felt a little more serious at times. While I did appreciate the allusions to the original story, the new touches definitely modernize the story, as there is bisexuality, current politics, and more. Unfortunately, the Wasp's Nest characters were unlikable, and I didn't find myself caring what happened to them, which ultimately made the story never really take off.
 
I love the idea of a modern The Philadelphia Story, but unfortunately, Wasp's Nest didn't hit its mark or capture the magic of the original story, and it ended up being just an ok read. Have you read the debut novel, Wasp's Nest? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.