Wasp's Nest

by Kat Stoddard

A modern retelling of The Philadelphia Story, Wasp’s Nest is a witty, gripping love triangle unfolding over the course of seven chaotic days at a Cape Cod wedding

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.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Queer, Contemporary, LGBT, Audiobook, Retellings

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2026

About the author

Kat Stoddard lives with her daughter in Baltimore. Wasp’s Nest is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Jaime Fok · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SO ready for a juicy, toxic, biting story. And unfortunately I did feel underwhelmed reading this one :(

For one, I feel like the writing style was very much telling, not showing. And sometimes this can actually work very well - especially for a book in this genre. But in this case, I just felt like I didn't get deep enough into the characters minds to feel entertained by their toxic personalities. Somehow, this story also felt quite slow-paced, which I normally wouldn't expect with a book that spans over just the course of 7 days. I expected chaos, and the majority of this book felt like we were meandering through... up until the end.

I think ultimately, many plot points just felt very half-baked. The lead up to the chaos at the end didn't feel fully formed, so the outcome of it all didn't feel deserved. The buildup moments didn't feel exciting in that juicy way. We had characters professing their love after knowing someone for 2 days. Just felt like characters going through the actions vs authentically experiencing these moments. Then with the ultimate resolution, it just felt like a bit of a nothing situation for me.

There is definitely some potential here! Some of the dialogue I think and little subtle moments were done well. I was just waiting for that moment for everything to click for me, and it unfortunately just didn't happen.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I love dysfunctional families, but the writing never got the depth and emotion that I was hoping for.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to work on this book!!! yay!!! <33

[Andria Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comparing this to The Philadelphia Story was a big miss to me. I expected a lot more wit and fun, and much less regret, bad behavior, and angst.

[dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

oh this was so wonderful and such a fun ride. the characters were so so messy and reading this truly felt like watching a show where my eyes are glued to the screen.

i loved the way this progressed. in the beginning i wasn’t sure what would happen and towards the second half the plot just continued to thicken & left me on the edge of my seat. but nonetheless, i loved it. i loved the three of them and the dynamic they all had with one another and as a group. i was so glad for that ending & it made me very happy, especially for peter and tess.

totally recommend if you love flawed characters, messy relationships & drama worth sitting for

[Molly Lavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite book of the year!!!!!!

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this updated, fun, and queer take on The Philadelphia Story, one of my favorite classic films. While the movie can coast on the charms of its three mega movie stars, Wasp's Nest takes the time to fully depict its main characters and investigate their motivations. You've still got the main character Tess, affluent and lost, who is set to marry the rising politician Warren at the end of the week. The week-long wedding festivities are soon crashed by her ex-husband Peter, an artist and recovering alcoholic, and his new "boyfriend" Mitch, who is still a writer in this version.

We get an actual reason for the breakdown of Tess and Peter's marriage (rather than a poorly aged physical attack), and some actual chemistry between Tess and the interloper Mitch. There's plenty of drama, personal reckonings, secrets revealed, and of course, a poorly thought-out midnight swim. Highly recommend throwing this into your beach or pool bag for a fun vacation escape and then passing it on to all your friends for some spirited debates on how to interpret the ending.

Many many thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kristina Bulovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

Give me a story about dysfunctional families and/or marriages and I'm happy! The unexpected humor kept drawing me in... it's like when you're talking to someone you've known forever and don't mean to be funny, it's even better.

The only character I truly always enjoyed was Sebastian, though the others had their moments. It felt a little forced at times and a little flat at others. Some of the triangle dynamics I just couldn't understand the purpose of, but I've never read The Philadelphia Story so that might be why.

This story jumps right in and makes no apologies, which I appreciate. Love the cover and LOVE the title!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasps nest is centered around three main characters. Tess who is preparing for her upcoming wedding, Peter her ex husband who ends up invited to the wedding and Mitch who comes as Peters plus one. Lingering emotions and uncertain feelings lead to a bit of a love triangle and things get a little messy. Will there be a wedding after all?


Honestly I loved how complex these characters are and how their relationships pushed back against the norm. There was quite a bit of tension between the characters which felt authentic given the situation.


Some parts are a bit emotional while others are humorous and entertaining. The story was actually quite fun overall but the ending pissed me off! I wanted a definitive happily ever after and I didn't get one. I'm still not sure where any of the characters stand with each other.

Maybe there will be a second book? If there is I will definitely be reading it.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book written just for me. Dysfunctional family and friendships. Fake dating for jealousy reasons. Bisexual bad behavior. A wedding. The writing is beautiful without being flowery. The tension and yearning puts a knot in your gut in the absolute best way.

[Sam Donley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was MESSYYY.

[Annika Salmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a messy group!!!!

can you be in love with two people at the same time?

[Benji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Faith T did her thing with this one. So fun! Finished it in less than a week

[Ellie Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! The characters were very nuanced, and each layer of their entwined relationships that was slowly revealed had me completely hooked.

The descriptions of the stunning Cape Cod scenery took me back to the days of visiting my grandparents in Orleans every summer as a child (and witnessing all the WASP-y displays of wealth infiltrating the Cape). It would’ve been interesting to see the Lowell’s lifestyle juxtaposed against some of the less lavish realities that full-time residents of the Cape deal with, like the opioid epidemic (but perhaps would be too much to delve into on top of all the complex character journeys).

Absolutely loved this depiction of a true love triangle – I’m of the belief that it doesn’t count unless there’s romantic attraction on all three sides! It was a wonderful queer summer read, and a very impressive debut novel.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect spicy (without spice scene tg) filled family drama perfect for the summer. This inventive retelling of The Philadelphia Story was so much fun !! It didn’t change my life but I had a good time

[Lauren Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

messssssyy!!!! the ultimate love triangle that made me feel like i was witnessing prime time juicy gossip. real and complex characters and relationships set to a hot & humid summer backdrop

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love messy relationships and dysfunctional families. And add in a love triangle or 2 to boot and I thought I would love Wasp's Nest. While it had its moments, I think this is the sort of book that would play out better on the screen than on the page with the layered relationships in this upper crust sort of world. Fortunately, I was able to listen to the audiobook narrated by Major Curda, Mia Wurgaft and Eric Yang and they seemed to bring Tess, Peter and Mitch to life in all their glorious messiness. They definitely weren't perfect people by any means, and not always likable, but it was fun watching them navigate their feelings.

Exes. Family. New loves. Old Loves. Marriages that shouldn't happen. Relationships that should've never gotten as far as they went. It's all there and it's some crazy soap opera fun that you won't want to look away from. I don't think I would've enjoyed this book as much in print, but the narrators performances gave this beachy read life.

[Julie Maleski (juliereads_alot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio #MacAudio2026 for the gifted audiobook...this is my honest review.

🎧 The Wasp's Nest🎧
Author: Kat Stoddard
Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Audiobook Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrators: Eric Yang, Major Curda, Mia Wurgaft
Length: 9 hours, 48 minutes

MY RATING: 3.25/5⭐
(Rounded Down To 3⭐)

The Wasp's Nest, from Kat Stoddard, is a modern retelling of The Philadelphia Story. I thought the synopsis sounded really interesting and grabbed this audiobook from Macmillan Audio when it became available.

The story is billed as a witty, gripping love triangle that unfolds over the course of seven chaotic days at a Cape Cod wedding. The synopsis also said the story was fast-paced, humorous, and heartfelt as it explored the shape of our affections.

Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I didn't think it was fast-paced at all - it actually seemed pretty damn slow. I'm not sure I laughed even once while I listened, so the humor wasn't there for me. I didn't connect much with the characters and didn't really vibe with the overall storyline. I honestly wanted to DNF it, but kept listening because I was sure the gripping storyline of the book HAD to be coming soon and I didn't want to miss it. Sadly, it never arrived.

While this was an overall miss for me, the multicast narration was definitely a win. The narrators were fantastic! They really did a great job capturing the emotion and depth to these characters in this audiobook, and their narration is largely what kept me engaged in the storylines of the characters.

Others have enjoyed this one, so it might be for you if you enjoy general fiction that includes messy love triangles, entitled wealthy characters, and Cape Cod settings. If you like retellings or multicast narration audiobooks, I think you'll really like this one too.

#TheWaspsNest #KatStoddard #MacAudio2026 #MacmillanAudio #partner #audiobook #retelling #fiction #LGBTQ+ #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rife with relationship drama and first world problems. I thought some of the relationships were kinda nice. Peter was about the only redeemable character. Generally I was kind of bored. The narrator did a great job though. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

so tightly plotted, and I loved watching this trio of characters weave a vast web of fuckups.

[Lilly Howes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!!! devoured it in like two days and would totally recommend for an un-put-downable read but the character depth was lacking for me considering the insane events that happen - i think the book could've just been longer to dig into the people more

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun enough little, multi POV slow burn. We follow Peter who unexpectedly receives a wedding invitation to go to his ex-wife’s wedding on Cape Cod with her affluent family. But he can’t show up alone so he brings a hot acquaintance writer named Mitch to come guised as his boyfriend. Mitch gets inspiration for a novel he wants to write, while Peter can prove he’s moved on. What could possibly go wrong? Well literally everything.

I kind of wish I’d waited to read this on the beach. It was a good time but as dramatic as it sounded like it should have been it was fair less. It was a quite sort of unraveling and while I think that was the point, I was in the mood for more.

[Jenna Velardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay first of all I cannot wait until this book comes out so I can talk with anyone I see about it!!!! Thank you for this ALC🎧🎧

Wow okay now let’s dive in. I saw “Cape Cod” and “love triangle” and said hell yeah and just went for it.

How many love triangles are in this book you ask??? An infinite number!!!!!!! This must be the hottest group of people on the planet because everyone is hot for everyone.

Tess- damn girl get your shit together. You make big life decisions without blinking an eye and get yourself into a ton of shit. You deserve love tho seriously.

Peter- everyone loved him, I loved him. Had his life shit but was so (almost crazy) calm about everything. I cannot relate to being so calm and unbothered. I would have fought everyone in this book if I were him.

Mitch- cut it out

Warren and Georgia- figure it out

I did feel like I needed a bit more info on why Tess left Peter in the first place like it seemed like her friend was just like leave him and she listened without even thinking twice?? (Goes back to impulsiveness but maybe there was more to it???)

This book was so good it kept me on the edge of my SEAT. If they make a movie Hudson Williams better be Peter.

[Molly Galler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This writing - wow. I was hooked immediately and would keep following these characters forever. The book is a series of intimate conversations and I could easily see this as a stage play. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys family dramas.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel alternates between three characters, Tess, Peter, and Mitch. Tess is about to get married for the second time, to politician Warren. Peter was Tess’s first husband, and when he receives a late invitation to the wedding, he decides to show up, and since he wants to bring a date to make Tess jealous, he asks Mitch who he has just met to go. The rest of the book, minus flashbacks, is set during the lead up to the wedding on her family’s Cape Cod estate.

This book is billed as a modern version of the movie The Philadelphia Story - I thought I had seen it a long time ago but I don’t really remember it, though I doubt a 1940 movie had bisexual characters in it. The movie is known for being a classic farcical romantic comedy, but I didn’t really get a sense of farce or of rom com from this book. Sadly, though I love a Cape Cod setting, nor did I get the slightest whiff of Cape Cod; the book could have been set anywhere. And this was well beyond a love triangle to the point that I’m not sure I could even draw you a diagram - a series of overlapping triangles or some kind of deranged love pentagon or something.

I did enjoy the multicast narration on the audiobook though, from Major Curda, Mia Wurgaft, and Eric Yang doing a good job at bringing the characters to life.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC and Celadon for a physical copy (out now); all opinions are my own.

[Ashton Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Peter is invited to his ex-wife’s lavish Cape Cod wedding, old feelings, unresolved tension, and an unexpected love triangle threaten to upend the bride’s best laid plans for her next chapter. Wasp’s Nest reimagines The Philadelphia Story for a modern audience, blending delicious family drama, romance, and biting social and class commentary into a summer read you won’t want to put down!

This book was a wild ride — salacious and thrilling in a way that I always crave when I’m considering my summer reads. While the premise itself should be enough to draw you in, I found the real power of this novel to be in the quieter observations about class and belonging; the allowance of each of these (wildly) complex characters to explore the full range of both their regrets and desires; and the ability of the queer characters in this narrative to just exist. So often (and for good reason), LGBTQ+ lit focuses on the trauma of the queer experience, but it is so refreshing to read stories about queer people who the author allows to just be. Their queerness is not a plot point to be manipulated but rather one of many facets of their personhood to be explored.

Even though this is Kat’s debut novel, she has clearly already mastered the art of realistic, organic dialogue, which was (IMHO) what grounded this novel and what gave Kat the opportunity to play with familiar tropes (second chance romance, forced proximity, love triangle) in unfamiliar ways.

If you’re looking for messy (but messy with depth and emotional payoff), Wasp’s Nest is for you!

[Laura O'Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Wealthy family wedding drama with a Cape Cod setting? I'm in. Smart, descriptive writing and an unusual "love" triangle propel this story of a bisexual man invited to his ex-wife's upcoming wedding who decides to bring as his plus-one a man he has just met who he is attracted to. Even he is not sure why he asked this younger man to accompany him--surely it's not to make the bride jealous? The action moves a little slowly, lots of introspective dialogue, but the drama ramps up as wedding week progresses. The story is told from the viewpoints of different characters, which added interest. A couple of side characters definitely needed fleshing out, and the bride is not a likable character, but overall I found it to be a compelling read.

[Via (romanticallyvia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars?? Trying not to rate this book on behalf of how horrible I feel my favorite character Peter was treated and how I would’ve NOT handled any of these situations with nearly as much grace as he did lmao.

It was messyyyyyy and I love mess. I felt like none of the characters were that likable - including Mitch who was written with the intention to be the likable quirky charming guy?? Idk maybe I misread it.

All in all though, I feel like this was a worthwhile read if you’re into messy relationships and rich people problems!! I was thoroughly entertained the whole time, but it didn’t end the way I wanted it to lol

[Melissa Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story of a wedding week is told from 3 points of view - Peter - the ex-husband of the bride, Mitch-his date, and Tess - the bride to be had an interesting premise. When Peter receives an invite to the wedding of his ex from his early 20’s, he feels like he wants to go for closure but brings a man he just met as his date. Some chaos ensues. The premise drew me in and I felt like it would be very frothy but it just didn’t do it for me. It had some good ingredients but something just didn’t fit for me. I liked the short timeline but a lot of the drama just didn’t feel high stakes enough for me and I wasn’t sure what I was rooting for the whole time - I wanted both a messier story but also more of a love story as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Patience · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasp’s Nest was a retelling of one of my favorite classic movies A Philadelphia Story, which starred Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. Stoddard quickly captures the same humor of the stressful wedding weekend as in the classic film but offers a greater depth to the character development and relationships.

When Peter receives a surprising invitation to his ex-wife’s wedding he decides to attend and brings along a waiter he recently met to play the role of devote boyfriend. Mitch, the waiter and aspiring writer, seizes on the opportunity as inspiration for a novel. When Peter and Mitch arrive they discover it was not Tess who sent the invitation, and she is in fact not thrilled at their presence.

The story is told from Tess, Peter and Mitches perspectives. It gently weaves the present wedding weekend with details of Tess and Peter’s previous marriage. It explores class, substance use, and the complicated nature of relationships. The writing was thoughtful and tender.

I listened to the audiobook and would recommend it. The narrators brought the story to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Celadon Book for the advanced copy of the audio book