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Songs for Other People's Weddings
From award-winning, international bestselling author David Levithan, in collaboration with beloved musician Jens Lekman, a charming, heartwarming novel about an unlucky-in-love wedding singer.
J is a wedding singer, but it didn't start that way. He wrote a love song for one of his albums that accidentally became an international hit for to-be-wed couples around the world. These days, J talks to couples about all the small, strange things that brought them together—and then he writes and performs an original song at their weddings. But whatever he tries, he can’t find the perfect words for his own love with V. Now V is off to New York, helping launch a social media platform that has struck gold. Her work becomes all-consuming, and J feels himself being shuffled out of
her life. J seeks refuge and wisdom in the happy couples he writes for, who all look so unshakably connected. And so, whether through fate or sheer determination, J sets his sights on New York, to see if he can’t get V and himself singing in harmony once again, even while the tune of their song may be changed for good.
Inspired by Lekman’s own career in wedding songs and studded with his inventive and touching lyrics, Other People's Weddings is a tender, comic novel told in weddings that sings a love song of empathy, change, and, of course, music.
J is a wedding singer, but it didn't start that way. He wrote a love song for one of his albums that accidentally became an international hit for to-be-wed couples around the world. These days, J talks to couples about all the small, strange things that brought them together—and then he writes and performs an original song at their weddings. But whatever he tries, he can’t find the perfect words for his own love with V. Now V is off to New York, helping launch a social media platform that has struck gold. Her work becomes all-consuming, and J feels himself being shuffled out of
her life. J seeks refuge and wisdom in the happy couples he writes for, who all look so unshakably connected. And so, whether through fate or sheer determination, J sets his sights on New York, to see if he can’t get V and himself singing in harmony once again, even while the tune of their song may be changed for good.
Inspired by Lekman’s own career in wedding songs and studded with his inventive and touching lyrics, Other People's Weddings is a tender, comic novel told in weddings that sings a love song of empathy, change, and, of course, music.
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First published August 5, 2025
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About the author
David Levithan
119 books19.4k followersDavid Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
May 24, 2025
As someone who loves David Levithan, and someone who enjoyed this book, I feel like the opinions on this one are definitely going to be polarizing. Here's the main things you need to know going into this book:
1. It's definitely NOT a romance, I would describe it as a dramedy.
2. J, the main character, is not the most likeable protagonist, and I think that's intentional.
3. I would personally describe this book as more somber in tone than a lot of Levithan's other work. Want more detail? Keep on reading...
J is a wedding singer-for-hire, and while he isn't intentionally self-absorbed, he has a tendency to prioritize his feelings and life as an individual over his girlfriend's. This is not uncommon for men... even if they're compassionate and caring people, that's the way a lot of them operate by default. I don't have time to get into the psychology of this. This is the main aspect of J that makes him unlikeable and it's very evident. Levithan makes this even more complex and nuanced with the care and intention that he gives his friends and clients-- J is thoughtful and observant, it seems, with everyone else except himself and V, his girlfriend. Again, this is something that I think is a lot more common and left undiscussed than people care to admit.
The main plot woven throughout the different weddings that J works is that V's job has taken her overseas, and he's left adrift-- it doesn't matter that he does the same thing when she would stay home while he goes and tours for work. V is rethinking her place not just in their relationship, but in her entire life, as doors open up for her, and J cannot comprehend this. Part of what drew me into this book was the strain and frustration between them and their relationship, something that I think many people that have been in long-term relationships can deeply relate to, whether or not their own relationships have a happy ending or not. I saw a lot of myself in V, and that push-pull between V and J amongst their warring emotions between both themselves and each other, while drawn out, is incredibly realistic.
Levithan, as always, has a way with words. Funny quips, astute observations, and much to say about love and the forms that it takes. Things that work and things that don't, the variables, how one size does not fit all. There are several key quotes that I will be putting up later upon publication (as of writing this, it's May-- the book will be out in three months time) If you enjoy Levithan's prose, you will absolutely find things to enjoy about this book. Whether or not you enjoy stories about flawed characters that are still trying to find their way in their late 30s is up to the individual reader. You likely will be frustrated reading this book at times, but again, I believe that to be intentional. Love changes shape, and (to quote Chuck Tingle) Love Is Real. It can also be extremely confusing and messy. It can be open-ended. Just something to keep in mind.
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Official blurb:
J is a somewhat-renowned wedding singer that goes the extra mile: he composes an original song for each and every couple he performs for. Despite deep insights into many (seemingly successful) unions, he is adrift in his own relationship with V when she relocates overseas for work. Levithan has skillfully written about love in all of its joy and sorrow in Songs for Other People's Weddings, a dramedy with flawed, human characters that affirm that we're all still trying to figure out life. Anyone who's experienced love (as well as heartbreak) will see themselves and their loved ones in this novel.
October 17, 2025
I really enjoy Jens Lekman's music and his new album, a sort of tie-in with this novel, is great too.
I didn't love the book. At the centre of it is a relationship between J and V. I just didn't buy into the relationship and was happy they finally broke up.
I didn't love the book. At the centre of it is a relationship between J and V. I just didn't buy into the relationship and was happy they finally broke up.
May 24, 2025
2.25 stars
It breaks my heart to give a David Levithan book such a low rating, since I’ve loved his books for close to a decade. Maybe that’s why my expectations were so high, and unfortunately they were not met.
I hated J. I didn’t care about V and J’s relationship, and was very much rooting for them to break up and stay broken up. I found J to be whiny and insufferable, and I wished V would just end things and put him out of his misery. I hated being inside his head and having to hear his constant needy thoughts. I also found this book extremely repetitive, both with the constant fighting and circling back and rehashing of J and V’s relationship and the weddings themselves.
Overall I would not recommend this. There are some good moments and profound ideas hidden among all the things I didn’t like, but it is not worth sifting through to get to them.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
It breaks my heart to give a David Levithan book such a low rating, since I’ve loved his books for close to a decade. Maybe that’s why my expectations were so high, and unfortunately they were not met.
I hated J. I didn’t care about V and J’s relationship, and was very much rooting for them to break up and stay broken up. I found J to be whiny and insufferable, and I wished V would just end things and put him out of his misery. I hated being inside his head and having to hear his constant needy thoughts. I also found this book extremely repetitive, both with the constant fighting and circling back and rehashing of J and V’s relationship and the weddings themselves.
Overall I would not recommend this. There are some good moments and profound ideas hidden among all the things I didn’t like, but it is not worth sifting through to get to them.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
December 28, 2025
A collaborative Victory here! Combining Levithan's storytelling and Lekman's songs, listening to the audio version while reading the book. . . .was a great read. Messy romances, poignant observations, true love, true not-love, sadness and happiness all twirled together.
Brillant. Read as a single person, who went through it all once upon a time, I felt pretty ok to be on this side of things, but could certainly remember the good ol messy days with fondness and absolutely no envy.
*A sincere thank you to David Levithan, Jens Lekman, Abrams Press, RBmedia and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #SongsforOtherPeoplesWeddings #NetGalley 25|52:46g
Brillant. Read as a single person, who went through it all once upon a time, I felt pretty ok to be on this side of things, but could certainly remember the good ol messy days with fondness and absolutely no envy.
*A sincere thank you to David Levithan, Jens Lekman, Abrams Press, RBmedia and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #SongsforOtherPeoplesWeddings #NetGalley 25|52:46g
August 18, 2025
barnes and noble needs to start picking better monthly book club books, this was hot garbage. the audiobook has real musical performances which is neat (the songs sucked really bad, but I'll give an extra star for creativity) but I never cared for the main character, there was nothing at all that made me want to care for him. My birthday month has been tainted by a bad book club pick.
August 12, 2025
"All the weddings in the world can't teach you about love. Only love can teach you about love."
An "accidental wedding singer" gets at the heart of love in this anti-romance. David Levithan blurs the line between real musician, Jens Lekman, and a character named "J" in his latest book. Levithan has incorporated music into his stories in the past, including Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which became a movie. So this latest partnership with a musician seems like a natural fit. I'm curious what the collaboration looked like behind the scenes.
The audiobook for Songs for Other People's Weddings features songs from Jens Lekman's first solo album in 8 years, which shares its name with the book. Lekman performed at 10 weddings, singing original songs for the betrothed, just like J in this book. Video footage of these weddings appears in a music video for Lekman's album.
So, the songs are real, but it's up to the reader to guess at the rest of Levithan's writing, especially J's relationship to girlfriend, V. Most of the book follows their inability to define their relationship despite their love for each other. The red flags are there from the beginning, so as a reader, I never quite got to the point of rooting for them. Instead, I appreciated the nuanced descriptions of a slow-motion heartbreak.
Levithan's writing is terrifically tender and holds both humor and despair. Lekman's music has a twee softness that contrasts with casually blunt storytelling. It's hard to imagine reading this story without hearing the songs, so I highly recommend listening to the audiobook and/or the album, once it's released in September. One of my favorites in the audiobook was "For Skye."
I received an advance copy of the audiobook from RBmedia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An "accidental wedding singer" gets at the heart of love in this anti-romance. David Levithan blurs the line between real musician, Jens Lekman, and a character named "J" in his latest book. Levithan has incorporated music into his stories in the past, including Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which became a movie. So this latest partnership with a musician seems like a natural fit. I'm curious what the collaboration looked like behind the scenes.
The audiobook for Songs for Other People's Weddings features songs from Jens Lekman's first solo album in 8 years, which shares its name with the book. Lekman performed at 10 weddings, singing original songs for the betrothed, just like J in this book. Video footage of these weddings appears in a music video for Lekman's album.
So, the songs are real, but it's up to the reader to guess at the rest of Levithan's writing, especially J's relationship to girlfriend, V. Most of the book follows their inability to define their relationship despite their love for each other. The red flags are there from the beginning, so as a reader, I never quite got to the point of rooting for them. Instead, I appreciated the nuanced descriptions of a slow-motion heartbreak.
Levithan's writing is terrifically tender and holds both humor and despair. Lekman's music has a twee softness that contrasts with casually blunt storytelling. It's hard to imagine reading this story without hearing the songs, so I highly recommend listening to the audiobook and/or the album, once it's released in September. One of my favorites in the audiobook was "For Skye."
I received an advance copy of the audiobook from RBmedia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2025
Both thought provoking and reflective, this novel offers moments of wit while staying deeply introspective at its core. It follows J, a songwriter who crafts original songs inspired by interviews with couples. Through his work, we see a parade of unique requests, fascinating stories, and the emotional highs and lows that come with weddings.
The author does a phenomenal job of pulling you into J’s inner world, especially his relationship with V. You can’t help but wonder if you should hold on to hope or brace for an ending that isn’t quite picture perfect.
I recommend this book, but it’s best read when you’re in a contemplative mood. It’s less about plot twists and more about emotion, reflection, and the messy beauty of love.
The author does a phenomenal job of pulling you into J’s inner world, especially his relationship with V. You can’t help but wonder if you should hold on to hope or brace for an ending that isn’t quite picture perfect.
I recommend this book, but it’s best read when you’re in a contemplative mood. It’s less about plot twists and more about emotion, reflection, and the messy beauty of love.
September 9, 2025
I can’t even describe how bad this was 😭
July 27, 2025
I'm mad at David Levithan for writing this book. There have definitely been books of his that I simply haven't connected much with, but this is the first of his that I actively disliked, even hated.
First of all, this book is too damn long. I swore I was almost at the end and looked at my Kindle to see I wasn't even halfway done. It's exhausting. The central idea of following a wedding singer who writes a song for each couple he sings for is cute, but you soon realize it's a tiring, one-trick conceit by the third or fourth wedding. It's no longer interesting, but rather kind of annoying to have J, the protagonist, go through the same motions each chapter: meet the couple, get their story, agonize over what he's gonna write, go through some type of sturm and drang to get to the wedding, sing the lyrics, pine for his lover (V), and then repeat. And this goes on for hundreds of pages.
Which brings me to the book's biggest issue: these protagonists SUCK. SO. HARD. J is a whiny little selfish bitch, and V is a petulant asshole. They are horrible individually and even worse as a couple, so I spent the whole book getting angrier and angrier that Levithan seemed to want me to root for them to end up together, despite V seeming to not like anything about J (and storm out of every argument she started, ad nauseum) and J not being able to listen to her or stop himself from making every interaction about him and his feelings and desires. I hated them.
Maybe Levithan needs to stick to young adult and middle grade fiction, where his observations about love and human nature and connection can feel more profound and lead his characters on more meaningful paths to growth. Because when we're dealing with 30-somethings who don't know who they are, what they want, or where they're going, it's obnoxious, cloying, and aggravating.
First of all, this book is too damn long. I swore I was almost at the end and looked at my Kindle to see I wasn't even halfway done. It's exhausting. The central idea of following a wedding singer who writes a song for each couple he sings for is cute, but you soon realize it's a tiring, one-trick conceit by the third or fourth wedding. It's no longer interesting, but rather kind of annoying to have J, the protagonist, go through the same motions each chapter: meet the couple, get their story, agonize over what he's gonna write, go through some type of sturm and drang to get to the wedding, sing the lyrics, pine for his lover (V), and then repeat. And this goes on for hundreds of pages.
Which brings me to the book's biggest issue: these protagonists SUCK. SO. HARD. J is a whiny little selfish bitch, and V is a petulant asshole. They are horrible individually and even worse as a couple, so I spent the whole book getting angrier and angrier that Levithan seemed to want me to root for them to end up together, despite V seeming to not like anything about J (and storm out of every argument she started, ad nauseum) and J not being able to listen to her or stop himself from making every interaction about him and his feelings and desires. I hated them.
Maybe Levithan needs to stick to young adult and middle grade fiction, where his observations about love and human nature and connection can feel more profound and lead his characters on more meaningful paths to growth. Because when we're dealing with 30-somethings who don't know who they are, what they want, or where they're going, it's obnoxious, cloying, and aggravating.
August 3, 2025
Songs for Other People’s Weddings was my first novel by David Levithan, and it was such a unique, thoughtful read. The story follows J, a wedding singer who writes an original song for each couple’s special day. Told through a series of weddings, the book showcases a wide variety of relationships and love stories diverse in every sense and I really enjoyed seeing each one unfold.
At its heart, though, this story centers on J and his partner V, and the evolution of their relationship. This isn’t a romance in the traditional sense it’s more a reflection on love itself, the stages a relationship goes through, and what it means to stay, to grow, or to change.
There were moments that felt deeply philosophical and others that were more playful or lighthearted. I especially loved the insights on love it made me reflect and feel in equal measure.
I listened to the ALC while reading along, and I highly recommend that experience. The audiobook brings the songs to life with full performances, which adds so much emotional weight to the story. Reading the lyrics is one thing, but hearing them sung in the context of each wedding made it feel complete.
This was a beautifully crafted look at love in all its forms. Honest, lyrical, and at times bittersweet definitely a story that will stay with me thanks to RB media for the ALC and Abrams Press for the ARC.
At its heart, though, this story centers on J and his partner V, and the evolution of their relationship. This isn’t a romance in the traditional sense it’s more a reflection on love itself, the stages a relationship goes through, and what it means to stay, to grow, or to change.
There were moments that felt deeply philosophical and others that were more playful or lighthearted. I especially loved the insights on love it made me reflect and feel in equal measure.
I listened to the ALC while reading along, and I highly recommend that experience. The audiobook brings the songs to life with full performances, which adds so much emotional weight to the story. Reading the lyrics is one thing, but hearing them sung in the context of each wedding made it feel complete.
This was a beautifully crafted look at love in all its forms. Honest, lyrical, and at times bittersweet definitely a story that will stay with me thanks to RB media for the ALC and Abrams Press for the ARC.
September 3, 2025
This was so boring and the music sucked. Fully aware this is a personal opinion.
August 7, 2025
such a sweet book, beautifully put together with the companion songs! perfect summer book all about love.
December 21, 2025
1.75 stars
Honestly I skimmed most of this past the fourth wedding. MMC was so grating and his relationship with V had no chemistry. And frankly it served no purpose. The focus of this book should’ve been the weddings, with each chapter focusing on their unique relationships. I’m glad this didn’t end up with V settling.
Honestly I skimmed most of this past the fourth wedding. MMC was so grating and his relationship with V had no chemistry. And frankly it served no purpose. The focus of this book should’ve been the weddings, with each chapter focusing on their unique relationships. I’m glad this didn’t end up with V settling.
September 3, 2025
Not bad, just misguided. I actually enjoyed listening to the music and the characters were never boring, but this entire book felt 100% written by a man specifically VI’s side of the relationship conflict. Her passivity and confusing signals is straight out of a 2000’s movie produced by men to go talk to other men about how weird ‘the opposite sex’ is. Like I get our main character was questioning his place in the world but I can only take this book seriously if the character was written intentionally as a reckless, clueless boyfriend. Because she literally just asked for space!
December 9, 2025
[3.5 stars]
September 23, 2025
For context, I’m a longtime Jens Lekman fan and a huge reader. When I heard he and David Levithan (previously unknown to me) were doing a book tour, I planned my trip, headed down to Cambridge, got my book, and met the wonderfully kind pair (both of whom signed my book, and Jens my “Night Falls Over Kortedala” CD.)
As a Jens fan, I really enjoyed the innovative musical tie-ins with the book and being able to listen along to what he had composed for the book. It’s fun to listen to his new album and pick up details from the book or vice versa.
What knocked a couple stars off my opinion of this book was Levithan’s writing style. It’s pretty clearly the style of a YA author, although the book is framed for adults, which makes some of the scenes and dialogue a little awkward. It took me a few weeks of picking up and putting down the book to embrace it and just let the reading flow.
Conceptually, I can see why people might not like this if they’re not familiar with Lekman or his new album, especially as it also became a Barnes & Noble book club pick.
I enjoyed this book as an addition/enrichment to my prior enjoyment of Lekman’s musical career, but perhaps not something I would have picked up without the connection.
As a Jens fan, I really enjoyed the innovative musical tie-ins with the book and being able to listen along to what he had composed for the book. It’s fun to listen to his new album and pick up details from the book or vice versa.
What knocked a couple stars off my opinion of this book was Levithan’s writing style. It’s pretty clearly the style of a YA author, although the book is framed for adults, which makes some of the scenes and dialogue a little awkward. It took me a few weeks of picking up and putting down the book to embrace it and just let the reading flow.
Conceptually, I can see why people might not like this if they’re not familiar with Lekman or his new album, especially as it also became a Barnes & Noble book club pick.
I enjoyed this book as an addition/enrichment to my prior enjoyment of Lekman’s musical career, but perhaps not something I would have picked up without the connection.
September 1, 2025
the premise of this book was compelling & original & i liked seeing a relationship progress via this vignette of sorts of other ppls weddings. it had so much potential to be touching and thoughtful, and i think if the author spent more time developing the love and peak of j & v’s relationship before we started the descent i could have felt more for them both!! i do on a meta-level understand each of their needs and wants and how life and the metamorphosis of adulting has made them branch out and grow apart & not together, and those themes were so good!! but i just never saw how they were compatible to begin with :(
beautiful prose as always though i do like his writing style loads
beautiful prose as always though i do like his writing style loads
September 15, 2025
The audiobok was heinous!! I am sorry but I cringed the whole time!!
I am waiting for the library copy to come in so I can at least give the book a fair shake because right now... I didn't like it at all and I think it is the narration that did that.
I just couldn't care about any of it.
2.5 stars for now.... Update will come soon
I am waiting for the library copy to come in so I can at least give the book a fair shake because right now... I didn't like it at all and I think it is the narration that did that.
I just couldn't care about any of it.
2.5 stars for now.... Update will come soon
August 5, 2025
English:
I requested this ARC without knowing too much about it. The title caught my eye, and I was also intrigued by the audiobook format—it includes music, which adds a beautiful and emotional layer to the story, especially considering how important music is to the narrative itself.
The main character, J, is inspired by Jens Lekman, a singer-songwriter who became known for performing at weddings after writing a song that casually suggested people could hire him for that. J does the same—he meets couples and writes personalized songs for their weddings, songs that capture the love and emotion between them.
Ironically, while J sings about love, he struggles with it in his own life. He’s been in a relationship with V for two years, but when she moves to New York for work, things become distant—literally and emotionally. V doesn’t seem interested in maintaining the relationship, nor does she want J to move to New York. She avoids conversations about where they stand, and J spends most of the book trying to figure it out.
I honestly felt a bit sorry for him. V never really communicates her feelings, and while I understand wanting to chase your own dreams, stringing someone along isn’t fair. J deserves clarity, but never really gets it.
This book didn’t necessarily wow me, but I did enjoy the experience of listening to the audiobook. The songs are beautiful and heartfelt, and I appreciated the contrast between the love J captures in his music and the confusion in his personal life. It’s not a romcom, it’s not a memoir—it’s simply a human story. A reflection on love, longing, and the question we all ask ourselves at some point: why?
Español:
Solicité este ARC sin aventurarme a averiguar mucho más, me llamó la atención el título y además que el formato en que lo obtuve, el cual fue audiolibro, venía con música incluída, lo cual aporta muchisimo más a la historia porque la música tiene mucho que ver con la historia.
En cuanto a los personajes, al menos el protagonista, está inspirado en el Jens Lekman, un cantautor que compone canciones para boda, además de otras que no tienen nada que ver a bodas, pero gracias a una canción que compuso en la que basicamente decía que podían llamarlo para cantar en las bodas, la gente lo empezó a llamar para eso.
J, nuestro protagonista, hace exactamente lo mismo, el se junta con las personas que lo contratan como para poder componer una canción personalizada para cada pareja en especifica. En esas canciones el habla de amor, habla de esos sentimientos que el puede percibir de las personas que están por casarse y mostrar con su música como esas parejas se aman, en cambio el en su vida amorosa se encuentra en una relación que a mi opinión es un tanto tóxica.
J está en pareja con V hace dos años, vivían juntos hasta que V se va a trabajar a Nueva York, comienzan una relación a distancia un tanto rara, ¿por qué rara? Por el simple hecho de que por parte de V, no vemos que le siga interesando tener una relación o al menos la da por sentada, y otra cosa, ella no quiere que J vaya a Nueva York con ella.
Honestamente, creo que V no quiere tener compromisos y yo entiendo que ella quiera tener su vida, sus oportunidades, pero no aclararle bien las cosas a una persona desde un principio, no me parece que sea algo bueno. Durante todo el libro tenemos a J preguntandose si sigue con V o no, y cada vez que quiere hablarlo con V, ella nunca quiere aclarar las cosas, como que le sigue la corriente de que siguen juntos aunque ya no se sienta como que siguen juntos.
No es un libro que me haya impactado mucho, es una linda experiencia escucharlo en audiolibro porque las canciones son lindas, me gusta la forma en la que las canciones hablan de esos tipos de amor que J ve en las parejas para las que canta pero que no puede hacer lo mismo por su relación, incluso me hace sentir un poco de pena por J.
No es una biografía, tampoco es una romcom, es simplemente un libro donde se cuenta la vida de una persona, la cual tiene que cantar sobre amor cuando el no tiene la suerte de experimentarlo como le gustaría. Es simplemente una historia humana, con reflexiones propias de una persona que busca las respuesta a la pregunta que todos nos llegamos a hacer: ¿por qué?
September 9, 2025
Another one for Book Club. When Barnes and Noble picks a book and doesn't have any discussion questions, or even have a podcast or video talk with the author, that's not a good sign. I am switching it up!
September 4, 2025
Did it bother anyone else that most of the lyrics don’t rhyme??
I think I ended up liking this more than I thought I would? Lots of the observations rang true. However the characters kinda sucked. Not a very optimistic bunch! The songs were pretty cool in terms of literary devices. Idk over just very ambivalent towards it.
I think I ended up liking this more than I thought I would? Lots of the observations rang true. However the characters kinda sucked. Not a very optimistic bunch! The songs were pretty cool in terms of literary devices. Idk over just very ambivalent towards it.
August 29, 2025
I cannot explain why I loved this bittersweet, melancholy novel. I'd be hesitant to recommend it because I'm not sure it's for everyone. The characters felt real, more so than most books. The audio narration with someone singing the songs at the end of each chapter was a sweet addition. Thanks RBmedia and NetGalley for the ARC
September 22, 2025
I didn't particularly enjoy Songs for Other People's Weddings at first. Then I was slowly seduced by the quiet charms of this meandering narrative and by the end I was in love. Admittedly, I picked it just for the novelty of hearing the wedding songs performed as part of the story. Which is as fabulous as it sounds. But in the end, I stayed for the company of these very human characters muddling their way through life and love. The episodic nature of the various weddings provides structure while our main characters lose and find their way. This is a story about love although it is not a love story. You have to surrender to the slow charms of this book, it will not be forced into whatever box you want to put it in, but it is worth it. It conquered by heart, slowly but surely, and I was utterly enchanted. Thank you to David Levithan for your words, Jefferson Mays for your voice, Jens Lekman for your songs, all the people who believed in this project and made it happen, and NetGalley for the audioARC.
September 23, 2025
I read this entirely because of the song contributions from Swedish singer/songwriter Jens Lekman, and while to me, those were easily the best part, I can’t say in the end I didn’t enjoy the novel. I can’t say I was surprised to learn that the majority of David Levithan’s writing is YA novels. I say this because there were some issues for me with dialogue, especially in the first half, that just felt very YA and this is assuredly not a YA book. I think this is being marketed almost like a Romace novel of sorts, but I would disagree with that heavily. We are dropped into J (very obviously a stand-in for Jens Lekman, even referencing one of his actual songs being the reason J sings at strangers weddings) and V’s relationship in a time where it’s hard to see how they ever made it to begin with. I thought seeing all the different weddings and situations they brought was fun, and I loved the idea of each chapter having a corresponding song (apparently half the chapters were written around the songs and then the other half the songs were written around the chapters). The overarching storyline didn’t hit for me really until the second half, and I would say to me, overall, the second half of the book is better. I’d say if you’re a Lekman fan then it’s a fun read, but otherwise I wouldn’t say you need to read it. (9/23/25 update: The album has been out for almost two weeks and it’s better than the book, but it does make the book more interesting.)
August 20, 2025
I both loved and disliked this book. I didn’t care for the main characters as much but love the quirky side characters and immensely enjoyed the music interwoven in the audiobook.
October 12, 2025
This was honestly so boring and felt as if it drug on forever.
August 24, 2025
This book never got off the ground --- it kept trying to wind up to some big event or reveal that never came. The love story was repetitious and exasperating to the point you no longer routed for these two. The ending felt like the authors just ran out of ink .. and what was the point of not naming the 2 main characters ?
September 30, 2025
Just ok. Not really sure what this book was trying to be. Maybe a comedy? The jokes were bad. Maybe a romance? The main character is insufferable and there is zero chemistry between him and the woman he keeps pining after (I was rooting for her to be free of him the entire time). Maybe a musical? I hate musicals, so touch crowd there.
It was entertaining enough but just not that good. 2.5 stars
It was entertaining enough but just not that good. 2.5 stars
November 8, 2025
Songs for Other People's Weddings was the second of two books I bought one day by giving them only and exactly the first line to hook me.
When I was ready to read it, I was 5 pages in before even realizing I was still sitting in front of my bookshelf.
I read the first chapter, despite it being like 30 pages long, in no time at all.
And then I glanced at the reviews and got nervous.
Why so much displeasure over a book I was burning through at warp speed because I adored it so much? Was there something I was missing?
And then I realized the problem.
It's right there in the title, but all the low-star reviews appeared to have missed it.
Songs for Other People's Weddings.
So many people are coming into this book thinking it's a romance. That it's about likeable characters figuring things out under tough circumstances.
It is NOT that.
It is not that at all.
Nor is it a book ABOUT romance. Or likeable characters.
Songs for Other People's Weddings is a book about love.
It is an observation on love. A commentary on love. A witnessing of love in all its forms.
Specifically romantic love.
Experienced by representations of actual, complicated, realistic human-shaped people.
And I am cracked open by everything these writers had to say about it.
Because after living in this world for a few decades, and having my own stories of love and loss and love again, every word of this story breathes true in the best, worst, most ambivalent, and most dispassionate ways. Such keen observations on the nature of romance and love and the immediate vs the long-haul of it all. The rises and falls and plateaus. The change. The everything being wrong when nothing is wrong. The need to discover oneself outside of the comfortable box you've existed in. And the crystal clear resonance when it is exactly everything as it should be. All of this beautifully written and compulsively readable. It may feel a bit naval-gazey to some, but that's kind of my thing so I was IN it from that very first sentence to the last.
This was also a book about music. About songwriting. About musicianship. About how it affects our lives. And about how it affects our loves.
As a career musician, so much so as to even have a degree in it, and as a fellow songwriter, I loved the way the music flowed through the book. (I also loved the Bach Passions joke/wink on page 208 that maybe 5 people who read this will appreciate. I'm one of the 5. And I appreciated it lol! Actually, all of The Seventh Wedding was amazing and it was probably my favorite chapter, aside from the last.) The lyrics throughout the story were so unassuming, catching you off guard, while saying so much, and they deftly complemented the narrative.
What I did not love was the actual music itself lol. While I appreciate Jens's writing, I couldn't get into the actual music/his voice, so though the Playlist is accessible, and it's a wonderful touch, I stopped listening after a few songs and just let the flow of the lyrics within the chapters naturally ride with the tone of it.
Overall though, this book, for me, was pure perfection. I hadn't read David Levithan's work previously (though nearly picked up his books countless times at this point), and am glad that this was my introduction. I can see how both writers had their hand in the narrative and how the book would not be half of what it was without either of them. An excellent pairing for sure.
And truly a wonderful book. Likely one of my top reads for the year.
5 stars
When I was ready to read it, I was 5 pages in before even realizing I was still sitting in front of my bookshelf.
I read the first chapter, despite it being like 30 pages long, in no time at all.
And then I glanced at the reviews and got nervous.
Why so much displeasure over a book I was burning through at warp speed because I adored it so much? Was there something I was missing?
And then I realized the problem.
It's right there in the title, but all the low-star reviews appeared to have missed it.
Songs for Other People's Weddings.
So many people are coming into this book thinking it's a romance. That it's about likeable characters figuring things out under tough circumstances.
It is NOT that.
It is not that at all.
Nor is it a book ABOUT romance. Or likeable characters.
Songs for Other People's Weddings is a book about love.
It is an observation on love. A commentary on love. A witnessing of love in all its forms.
Specifically romantic love.
Experienced by representations of actual, complicated, realistic human-shaped people.
And I am cracked open by everything these writers had to say about it.
Because after living in this world for a few decades, and having my own stories of love and loss and love again, every word of this story breathes true in the best, worst, most ambivalent, and most dispassionate ways. Such keen observations on the nature of romance and love and the immediate vs the long-haul of it all. The rises and falls and plateaus. The change. The everything being wrong when nothing is wrong. The need to discover oneself outside of the comfortable box you've existed in. And the crystal clear resonance when it is exactly everything as it should be. All of this beautifully written and compulsively readable. It may feel a bit naval-gazey to some, but that's kind of my thing so I was IN it from that very first sentence to the last.
This was also a book about music. About songwriting. About musicianship. About how it affects our lives. And about how it affects our loves.
As a career musician, so much so as to even have a degree in it, and as a fellow songwriter, I loved the way the music flowed through the book. (I also loved the Bach Passions joke/wink on page 208 that maybe 5 people who read this will appreciate. I'm one of the 5. And I appreciated it lol! Actually, all of The Seventh Wedding was amazing and it was probably my favorite chapter, aside from the last.) The lyrics throughout the story were so unassuming, catching you off guard, while saying so much, and they deftly complemented the narrative.
What I did not love was the actual music itself lol. While I appreciate Jens's writing, I couldn't get into the actual music/his voice, so though the Playlist is accessible, and it's a wonderful touch, I stopped listening after a few songs and just let the flow of the lyrics within the chapters naturally ride with the tone of it.
Overall though, this book, for me, was pure perfection. I hadn't read David Levithan's work previously (though nearly picked up his books countless times at this point), and am glad that this was my introduction. I can see how both writers had their hand in the narrative and how the book would not be half of what it was without either of them. An excellent pairing for sure.
And truly a wonderful book. Likely one of my top reads for the year.
5 stars
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