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, LGBT, Retellings, Contemporary, Adult

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

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

Reviews

[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

[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

[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!

[Molly Lavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite book of the year!!!!!!

[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.

[Phoebe C · Rating 5 out of 5]

so fun!!!!!!! so messy!!!!!!!!! perfect book for any fans of weird dynamics

[Bourbon_bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern retelling of The Philadelphia Story, Wasp's Nest follows a cast of characters leading up to an extravagant Cape Cod wedding. The story is broken down between three POVs. There is Tess, the bride-to-be. Peter, Tess's ex-husband, and Mitch, a man Peter just met and has chosen to bring as his plus one to Tess's upcoming nuptials. Tess is determined to make the next marriage be everything Peter and her's wasn't. Peter is surprised by the invite but his curiousity is peaked and he can't pass on the chance to show Tess he has bettered himself and moved on too. Mitch, an aspiring writer, jumps at a chance to watch how everything is going to play out with Peter and his ex's waspy family. Maybe he can get a story out of it. What can go wrong?

This was a 5 star read and had me hooked in the first 75% and lost me a bit in the last 25%. I understand the latter progression of the story but I just wasn't a huge fan of how it all played out.

Everyone is maladjusted and emotionally stunted but it's like a car crash, you can't help but look at.

I ate this book up and found it to be deeply human and honest in several parts. I recommend if you like stories about messy emotions, complicated desire, and the need to reconcile the past version of yourself.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a hot mess in the best way. Everyone is still in love with someone they shouldn’t be, no one is being honest about it, and it just spirals from there.

I went into this thinking Tess was kind of cold, but the more I read, the more she felt guarded and honestly a little trapped in everything around her. Mitch, on the other hand, just kept getting more chaotic and immature…like he had no real understanding of the consequences of what he was doing, especially by the end.

The dynamics between Tess and Peter were probably my favorite part because it’s so obvious they’re not over each other, even when they try to act like they are. And then adding Mitch into that mix just made everything more messy and reactive. Shocker that Warren and Georgia may still love each too…

My only real issue was the third-person writing style. It felt a little too distant at times, especially for a story that’s so emotionally charged. I kept wanting to feel more connected to the characters instead of just observing them. It was like being told the story but that I couldn’t make my own opinions about it…

Overall, I really enjoyed it and would give it 4 stars…I just wish the writing style pulled me in a little more….

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.75.

Wasp’s Nest was such an unexpected read.
Told through a triple POV, the story follows three main characters who are all flawed, messy, and a little dysfunctional—but at their core, they all want the same thing: to be truly loved, wanted, and seen.
When Tess’s ex-husband shows up to her wedding with his new boyfriend, it stirs up questions that can’t be ignored. Is Tess really over Peter—and is he over her? And is Mitch truly in love with Peter, or just the idea of him?
As boundaries blur, mistakes are made, and emotions rise to the surface, each character is forced to confront what they really want—and whether they’re brave enough to go after it.
I was hooked from page one and found the story incredibly engaging. The dry humor added a subtle charm, and I appreciated how raw and imperfect these characters were.
A great pick if you enjoy character-driven stories about complicated people who don’t quite fit the mold.

[Jade S. (JustJade.Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 45%- incredibly slow-moving despite there being 3 POVs. part of synopsis claims this is "fast-paced, humorous and heartfelt..." I would highly beg to differ. This is also written in a way that it feels like I am reading a movie script. It's all "telling" alongside zero emotion or connection to any of the three main characters.

I was intrigued by this being a retelling of an old 1940s movie, as I'd never heard of it before (The Philadelphia Story). Unfortunately, this was missing the mark big time for me, and I couldn't go on any further. Maybe it picks up after this, but by almost half, and nothing at all has happened but literal stage directions and unnecessary backstory... yeah. 2 stars because I liked Mitch the most.

Thank you to the Macmillan early listener program for the free copy of this ALC.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the pubisher for the Kindle ARC. Wasp's Nest vaguely reminded me of another book I read last year - The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Wasp's Nest takes itself a little more seriously but is humorous and dramatic in its own way. Tess and Warren are scheduled to be married at her family's oceanfront home in Cape Cod. Five years prior, Tess was divorced from Peter, after an informal and impulsive decision to marry. Tess's brother thinks it would be a great idea to invite Peter to the wedding, with the guise of helping Tess and Peter gain closure from their brief marriage. This story has a lot of the atmosphere that I would imagine the wealthy live in every day - the casual money, the way that everything is perfect, even if just for show. I'm interested to read more of Kat Stoddard's work.

[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.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Wasp’s Nest. Told from the points of view of Tess, Peter, and Mitch, it’s so satisfying to hear everyone’s side of the story in this complicated drama.

It’s wedding week for Tess, and she’s nestled in her parent’s Cape Cod home preparing to marry political candidate Warren. Guests are arriving, everything is going according to plan. Tess feels ready to finally get married to someone who makes sense and fits in with her life and wealthy family. Enter Peter, Tess’s artist ex-husband, and his boyfriend Mitch. Everything is thrown into chaos and Tess and Peter have to confront their past in order to move forward.

Wasp’s Nest swept me in immediately. The setting was perfect, the characters were messy and flawed but I cared so deeply about them. I can’t believe this is Kat Stoddard’s debut. This book truly feels timeless.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Celadon Books for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undertaking a retelling of The Philadelphia Story is a tall task, since that movie is such perfection. As contemporary fiction, though, I think this succeeds, mainly because it doesn't try to recapture the screwball comedy of Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, but does its own thing. It borrows much of the plot and several of the characters (I'm not sure there's really a Ruth Hussey equivalent here and no Georgia in the movie), so the outline is recognizable, but it's not bound to a script. As a result, the flavor is a bit more dramatic (and much less cavalier about domestic violence and alcoholism) but stays light enough to be a beach read. Overall, quite well done for what it is.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc! (I ended up listening to an alc for Booklist instead.)

[Jacqueline]

3.5 rounded up for Goodreads

This book- for a book club - is hard to rate because it's definitely something I would have never picked up on my own. It's a retelling of The 1930's film "The Philadelphia Story" and just as this film was more scandalous in that day, I can see the scandalous nature of this book brought to modern day.

The characters are gray and messy, the end is open ended. There's a messy love triangle and more. It definitely leaves you thinking. For a debut novel, the writing is very well done: the plot didn't lag, the triple POV kept you reading for more, and I was interested the whole time.

Trigger warnings for:
Alcoholism
Explicit content
Smoking
Marital affairs

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this book! I couldn’t stop reading! The characters are so entertaining and relatable in so many ways. The entire book is a build up which gave an exciting vibe because you just know something’s gonna happen. The love triangle is wild!! I laughed and shrieked and wanted to cry. I miss the characters so much since I finished the book. They were so well developed that I feel like they’re real people I got to know. This is an absolute must read, many times over! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tracy Sauvageau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this a 3.5 stars out of 5.0. Thank you to #celadon and #macmillanaudio for this #gifted book and #giftedaudiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. I truly appreciated being sent both versions! I love having the audiobook version so I can listen when I cannot hold a book! With this specific book though, I wasn't a fan of the narrators. I really feel this book would have been benefitted from a different cast. The story started a bit slow, but picked up midway. Then it was a wild ride! Will there be a sequel? I am now wondering what will happen to each of the characters!

[Charlie Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. This was SO FUN and crazy and wild. Super not my usual genre/subjects, but I started reading and couldn’t stop. Some genuine laugh-out-loud moments throughout and a plot that stayed ahead of me the ENTIRE time. Adored all the characters but especially Mitch who I love to death. I wanted a more satisfying resolution!!! To be quite honest I was rooting for the throuple of the century. Whatever. They are in my mind. Still so much fun.

[Heather Monterosso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasp’s Nest pulled me in right away with its tension and small‑town secrets, and overall I really enjoyed the ride. But I’ll be honest — parts of it felt a bit rushed, like a few pieces of the puzzle never fully clicked into place.

Even so, the story kept me turning pages, and the atmosphere Kay Stoddard created was strong enough to carry the momentum. If you like fast‑moving mysteries with a sting of suspense, this one is still worth picking up.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

[Kylee (themoodylibrary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is chaotic, messy, and layered. you get a front row seat as we follow wife-to-be: tess, her ex-husband: peter, and peter’s “boyfriend:” mitch on the days leading up to tess’ wedding. an atmospheric story about new beginnings, past mistakes, and never settling. there was never a moment where i knew what was going to happen next (non-derogatory). a truly wild ride. read this if you want to feel like you’re eavesdropping on wealthy people.

thank you to celadon books for the ARC!

[Kathleen Reidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely, atmospheric novel that does a wonderful job with its setting and its characters. The early story is set up nicely and then once the characters are pulled together, the tension builds. I liked that the complexities in the relationships and the characters went deeper than I expected. A satisfying read!

[Anderson McKean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I absolutely devoured WASP’S NEST, a wholly engrossing, messy family drama from Kat Stoddard. Set over the course of a week-long wedding at Cape Cod, this remarkable debut is an insightful, layered exploration of love, loss, disappointment and desire. Sharp, witty and impossible to put down!

[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.

[Tamara Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for an early review copy.

This was…an experience. I found the main character whiney and unlikable. The writing style imitated 3rd person, but definitely wanted to tell you the story more than show it. I finally gave up about half way through.

[Olivia Hawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not my cup of tea. I didn’t understand what the point of the book was? Halfway through I was still trying to figure out the plot or what was even going on. Skipped to the end and I’m glad I didn’t waste my time.

[Astra Toyip · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book of 2026 (and i feel comfortable making that claim right now)! such an engaging read and i truly did not know how it was going to end 🐝

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

super fun read, love a messy bisexual (or two!!)

[noraf42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

[Christine Mykityshyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic beach read - I brought it on vacation and could not put it down!