Nearlyweds [Paperback]

Beth Kendrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2006

Everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest . . . but what would you do if you found out that you were never really married in the first place?

In this irresistible romantic comedy from award-winning author Beth Kendrick, three wildly different women form an unlikely friendship as they try to decide whether they'd do it all again.

They've had the white dresses and the fancy receptions. But now that the honeymoon's over, Stella, Casey, and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they've married and the lives they've chosen. So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds are rushing down to the courthouse to legalize their vows. Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal question: Should they stay or should they go?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Some say the first year of marriage is the hardest. Three recent brides--Casey, Erin, and Stella--are finding that the honeymoon phase passes pretty quickly. Casey thinks she may have married an immature jerk who wasn't ready to commit. Erin realizes that she's married not only to her husband but also to her conniving mother-in-law. And Stella finds out her dreams of having a child are not going to come true when her husband tells her he's had a vasectomy. When the three brides discover that, thanks to a filing glitch, their marriages are not official, they realize it may be a blessing in disguise. This is a funny, sweet book about the power of female support systems and the ups-and-downs of marriage. Kendrick mixes in a few twists and turns to keep readers guessing about which of three marriages will make it. Then, by the last few pages, there are enough happy endings to go around. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A laugh-out-loud page-turner." -- Cara Lockwood, author of I Did (But I Wouldn't Now)

"Very funny." -- Carole Matthews, author of With or Without You

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (November 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743499603
• ISBN-13: 978-0743499606
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write fun, lively women's fiction as Beth Kendrick and a series for teens under the name Beth Killian.

To find out more about me and the books, please visit my websites:
www.bethkendrick.com
www.bethkillian.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's A Keeper!, February 20, 2007

By 

spitspat (SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nearlyweds (Paperback)

This is the story of 3 couples who find out their marriages aren't legal and have to decide whether or not to make them so.

Stella married an older man and now has a stepdaughter her own age. Her groom forgot to tell her about his vasectomy until after the wedding. Children are very important to Stella and now she has to decide what is more important: her husband or having children of her own.

Erin has the mother in law from hell. She should have known her mil would be a problem when she tried to kill her before the wedding. And Erin's husband can't seem to grow a backbone to stand up to mommy dearest.

Casey's husband almost cancelled the wedding the 15 minutes before it was to happen. He can't seem to make up his mind what he wants. Casey has issues with her childhood. She comes from a trashy family and always seems to think that that is how people still see her. She is also the one who did the proposing in this relationship because Nick was taking too long. Even bought her own ring.

This was a great book and I loved hwo it is told in first person from each of the brides. I couldn't put this book down and read it in one day.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of Beth Kendrick's books, December 30, 2006

By 

Bearette24 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nearlyweds (Paperback)

This was my favorite Beth Kendrick book. I liked all three of the characters - Stella, the fairy-tale princess with fairy-tale princess looks; Erin, the "type A plus" pediatrician who'd rather be working at a teaching hospital in Boston; and Casey, the girl who used to live in a trailer and now owns a store.

These three different personalities are drawn together because they have something in common: the pastor who "married" them died before he could sign their marriage certificates. Thus, they are not really married (hence the title).

This discovery throws them into a tailspin. Should they get married for real? Or toss aside their already troubled "marriages"? Stella's husband has a vasectomy, but neglected to tell her before their wedding night. Erin's husband is cowed by his crazy mother, who will resonate with many readers. Casey's husband, a stud in high school, is unmotivated to show his love for her or do much else.

I finished this book in a day. I just had to know what would happen to these characters.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Light hearted fun read, March 26, 2008

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nearlyweds (Paperback)

NEARLYWEDS by Beth Kendrick
March 26, 2008

Rating 4/5 stars

This was a fun, easy-going tale of three women who discover their marriages were never legal. Each of the women is notified that the minister who performed their ceremonies has died, and unfortunately he never signed the documents to make their marriages legitimate.

The fact is, each of the three women are actually having second thoughts on their newly married statuses, and this problem with the legality of the marriages may be a good thing. NEARLYWEDS has all three women, Stella, Casey and Erin, look at their relationships with their new husbands and now they have to decide whether to tie the knot again. All three are very different women from different walks of life, and when the three come together it makes for an interesting combination.

Told in a light tone, NEARLYWEDS is a funny look at the mistakes these women make as they try to figure out where they want to be once the dust has settled. It is anyone's guess which of these women will stay married, or move on without their husbands.

I was surprised at how well written this book was, and how much I enjoyed it. It's not a literary masterpiece but it's the type of book that one enjoys to escape. What are the odds that all three women meet? Not very likely, but one ignores facts like that to focus on the story of the three women and their very different situations. NEARLYWEDS was very enjoyable, and worth the time spent.