Wasp's Nest - by Kat Stoddard (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Could not put it down, and a great pick for anyone looking for a book to bring to the beach this summer." --Jordy's Book Club

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.

Review Quotes

LGBTQ Reads: Most Anticipated Fiction 2026

"While it may take a nod from The Philadelphia Story, Wasp's Nest stands on its own as a hugely engaging comedy of manners. The prose is crystalline and the dialogue is screen worthy, but what's most impressive is Kat Stoddard's gift for digging deep into her characters' souls and dissecting their desires. The result is a keen examination of love in all its modern and messy complexities and a tremendously entertaining debut."
--Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding

"From the moment I opened Wasp's Nest it was impossible to put down, and I missed the characters as soon as I closed it. Alternating among three perspectives of an endearingly atypical love triangle, Stoddard has created an exquisitely layered masterpiece--not unlike an actual wasp's nest. The novel pulses with anticipation and personality from start to end, with sharp, vivid prose, witty dialogue, and cutting insights on class, relationships, and the ways in which we hide from ourselves. The tension between these fully rendered and utterly human characters left me tearing through this gorgeous and tender portrait of young love. Rooney-esque and compulsively readable. I can't wait for whatever Stoddard does next."
--Emily J. Smith, author of Nothing Serious

"In Wasp's Nest, a struggling artist brings a fake boyfriend to his rich ex-wife's second wedding, kicking off seven days of crackling dialogue, bad decisions, and feelings too big to ignore. Kat Stoddard writes with surgical precision, laying bare what love costs when desire, history, and pride collide. Brutally honest and beautifully done--I didn't want it to end."
--Kate Broad, author of Greenwich

"Old grievances and new attachments surface over the week before Tess Lowell's second wedding. Set amid the rituals of wealth, the novel follows a small constellation of characters as they circle one another in a shifting landscape. What begins as a return to familiarity becomes something less stable when Tess's ex-husband arrives, accompanied by a young man whose presence unsettles the balance of the house.
In this novel, Kat Stoddard masterfully explores the ways people construct and revise their own narratives, and in the complexities of human connection. In what happens when all the apparatus of intimacy gives way; what remains, and what cannot be easily resolved."
--Sarah Blakely-Cartwright, author of Alice Sadie Celine and Heavy Cream

"You'll want to RSVP yes [...] to this modern take on The Philadelphia Story [..] Regret this one at your own peril."
--Town & Country

"A thoughtful story about longing, reinvention, and the strange shapes love can take. It's witty, intimate, and surprisingly compassionate."
--San Francisco Book Review

"A love triangle and a wedding? This book screams summer vibes."
- Us Weekly

"The drama among the three main characters in this novel, inspired by The Philadelphia Story, is delightfully messy."
- Word Smarts

"A compulsive, witty debut."
- Baltimore Fishbowl

"Could not put it down, and a great pick for anyone looking for a book to bring to the beach this summer."
- Jordy's Book Club

About the Author