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kdepuy's review against another edition
4.0
A super cute, fun book. It's told from three different POVs, which made it a quick and easy read. It won't take a ton of brain power to get through this one, and the characters are all really likable. Great beach or pool read.
jmj697mn's review against another edition
4.0
Super quick, fluffy fun. Loved every page; took me just a couple of hours to fly through.
dmwmtgal's review against another edition
4.0
http://imaromancereader.blogspot.com/2008/03/nearlyweds-by-beth-kendrick.html
jscarpa14's review against another edition
4.0
This book was EXACTLY what I needed to read. Beth Kendrick is officially my hero!
Stella, Erin and Casey all get married on Labor Day weekend by the same reverend who later dies before signing or filing their marriage certificates so after all the fuss of a big wedding in front of family and friends they find they aren't really married. Which isn't actually a bad thing because their dream marriages aren't exactly what they'd thought they'd be.
Stella "married" a man twice her age who refers to her as his trophy wife. She was a nanny when they met and all she's really ever dreamed of was being a mom and having kids of her own. What her new "spouse" doesn't tell her is that he's had a vasectomy that he doesn't want reversed and he doesn't want anymore children considering his own children are her age or older. Not to mention they had her, though he doesn't actually acknowledge this. Or maybe I should rephrase that, he told her while she was drunk so she wouldn't remember because he knew that children was something she wouldn't compromise on and despite what her wants were from life and what not having children would do to her, he wanted her anyway.
Erin "married" her college sweetheart David who prior to her marriage she lived with in Boston, but not owns a house with right down the road from his mother. His mother who takes controlling mother in law from hell to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. She actually attempts to kill Erin at one point in the book, knowing Erin is allergic to peanuts and then pretending to have forgotten when Erin goes into anaphylactic shock. She manipulates every situation until she's living right in their house because despite how horrible she treats Erin, David can't stand up to her.
Casey "married" that guy from high school that every girl crushed on. The one who never would have looked twice at the animal rights nerd she used to be. The one who used to date all of those girls who bullied and mistreated her making her high school tenure a living hell. Except Nick doesn't know how to commit to anything and almost bails on their wedding. He dropped out of law school, he wouldn't sign their lease. He went to a football game with his buddies instead of spending their first "married" Thanksgiving together.
Needless to say none of these women are really sure anymore if they actually want to be married. The book follows them and their relationships as they decide what they really want.
While this novel has some lovely romantic parts it's not really a romance, it's about these women learning what they can and can't compromise about, what they do and don't deserve and what they really want out of life. Each character had their doormat moments, but everyone has their doormat moments, it's how long those doormat moments last and what they're really willing to accept from the person they're with that makes or breaks a book for me. What I really loved that they don't do is apologize to their partner for their partner mistreating them. They don't grovel to their partners when they aren't the one in the wrong. They don't allow the person they're with to treat them like a secondary species. Some of the relationships in the book end up working and some don't, but the ones that do end up working work because the guys realized the problem and fixed it, because they realized what they wanted and the steps they needed to take to get there and made them and they realized what they really wanted was the women they meant to marry in the first place. I'm not saying the girls didn't compromise at little and offer a little give and understanding because they did, but they didn't just cave and live unhappily ever after either. And the relationships that did work were because some compromises are too harsh to make and if someone actually loves you they'd never ask you to make them. And I strongly believe the characters realize this.
The only thing I didn't like about this novel was that I wasn't ready for it to end. I would have really liked to have seen what happens now, or at least been offered an epilogue of five years later. Marriage does mean compromise but I loved that Kendrick doesn't behave as though that compromise should all be on the woman's side. I love that she also showed a variety of characters with different dreams. Erin for example doesn't want children for a long time, if at all. Casey doesn't really show an opinion one way or the other. I loved their friendship and I loved watching them heal. This book is just AMAZING! Highly recommend.
Stella, Erin and Casey all get married on Labor Day weekend by the same reverend who later dies before signing or filing their marriage certificates so after all the fuss of a big wedding in front of family and friends they find they aren't really married. Which isn't actually a bad thing because their dream marriages aren't exactly what they'd thought they'd be.
Stella "married" a man twice her age who refers to her as his trophy wife. She was a nanny when they met and all she's really ever dreamed of was being a mom and having kids of her own. What her new "spouse" doesn't tell her is that he's had a vasectomy that he doesn't want reversed and he doesn't want anymore children considering his own children are her age or older. Not to mention they had her, though he doesn't actually acknowledge this. Or maybe I should rephrase that, he told her while she was drunk so she wouldn't remember because he knew that children was something she wouldn't compromise on and despite what her wants were from life and what not having children would do to her, he wanted her anyway.
Erin "married" her college sweetheart David who prior to her marriage she lived with in Boston, but not owns a house with right down the road from his mother. His mother who takes controlling mother in law from hell to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. She actually attempts to kill Erin at one point in the book, knowing Erin is allergic to peanuts and then pretending to have forgotten when Erin goes into anaphylactic shock. She manipulates every situation until she's living right in their house because despite how horrible she treats Erin, David can't stand up to her.
Casey "married" that guy from high school that every girl crushed on. The one who never would have looked twice at the animal rights nerd she used to be. The one who used to date all of those girls who bullied and mistreated her making her high school tenure a living hell. Except Nick doesn't know how to commit to anything and almost bails on their wedding. He dropped out of law school, he wouldn't sign their lease. He went to a football game with his buddies instead of spending their first "married" Thanksgiving together.
Needless to say none of these women are really sure anymore if they actually want to be married. The book follows them and their relationships as they decide what they really want.
While this novel has some lovely romantic parts it's not really a romance, it's about these women learning what they can and can't compromise about, what they do and don't deserve and what they really want out of life. Each character had their doormat moments, but everyone has their doormat moments, it's how long those doormat moments last and what they're really willing to accept from the person they're with that makes or breaks a book for me. What I really loved that they don't do is apologize to their partner for their partner mistreating them. They don't grovel to their partners when they aren't the one in the wrong. They don't allow the person they're with to treat them like a secondary species. Some of the relationships in the book end up working and some don't, but the ones that do end up working work because the guys realized the problem and fixed it, because they realized what they wanted and the steps they needed to take to get there and made them and they realized what they really wanted was the women they meant to marry in the first place. I'm not saying the girls didn't compromise at little and offer a little give and understanding because they did, but they didn't just cave and live unhappily ever after either. And the relationships that did work were because some compromises are too harsh to make and if someone actually loves you they'd never ask you to make them. And I strongly believe the characters realize this.
The only thing I didn't like about this novel was that I wasn't ready for it to end. I would have really liked to have seen what happens now, or at least been offered an epilogue of five years later. Marriage does mean compromise but I loved that Kendrick doesn't behave as though that compromise should all be on the woman's side. I love that she also showed a variety of characters with different dreams. Erin for example doesn't want children for a long time, if at all. Casey doesn't really show an opinion one way or the other. I loved their friendship and I loved watching them heal. This book is just AMAZING! Highly recommend.
cindymeltz's review against another edition
3.0
The concept was interesting... three couples who wed the same weekend find out they aren't actually legally married... but the author didn't do anything interesting with it.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
5.0
After reading a bunch of dark, heavy books lately, I wanted something light and "fluffy" to read and this chick lit book was perfect for that! It was actually REALLY good, too!
Erin, Casey and Stella become unlikely friends. They live in the same town but didn't really know each other. They all happened to get married the same weekend and used the same pastor. A few months after their wedding day, they get the surprising news: the pastor died before signing the marriage licenses and the three ladies are NOT actually married.
Erin is a doctor and has the mother-in-law from HELL who moves in and tries to wreck her marriage. Casey's husband almost left her at the altar. And Stella finds out on her wedding night that her new husband had a vasectomy ten years ago. Now all three ladies are wondering whether to walk away and start anew. They aren't legally married anyways...
The book was fun, lighthearted, relatable, funny and gave me the warm-fuzzies. I will definitely read more by this author.
Erin, Casey and Stella become unlikely friends. They live in the same town but didn't really know each other. They all happened to get married the same weekend and used the same pastor. A few months after their wedding day, they get the surprising news: the pastor died before signing the marriage licenses and the three ladies are NOT actually married.
Erin is a doctor and has the mother-in-law from HELL who moves in and tries to wreck her marriage. Casey's husband almost left her at the altar. And Stella finds out on her wedding night that her new husband had a vasectomy ten years ago. Now all three ladies are wondering whether to walk away and start anew. They aren't legally married anyways...
The book was fun, lighthearted, relatable, funny and gave me the warm-fuzzies. I will definitely read more by this author.
musiquedevie's review against another edition
5.0
This book was EXACTLY what I've been looking for! A light, fun, goodhearted chick lit romp that's easy to read, fun to follow and enjoy. This is my second Beth Kendrick book and I can't wait to read more!
The story takes place in Alden, MA and follows the three storylines of Stella, Casey & Erin. The characters are great, easy to root for and get to know. Renee is the ultimate queen bee diva enemy and Cash is a great surprise hero. ;) I wouldn't mind a sequel of this book in a "Where Are They Now?" kind of thing. There's some drama (the main point of the story) but Beth makes it light and enjoyable to dig into. I could've easily read this in one setting and in fact, read most of it this weekend!
This book definitely gets a big thumbs up for me for being exactly the type of book I needed - nothing heavy, long-winded or too much of anything. I haven't had much luck in good books this year but in the two of Ms. Kendrick's I've read in 2015, I definitely haven't been disappointed!
The story takes place in Alden, MA and follows the three storylines of Stella, Casey & Erin. The characters are great, easy to root for and get to know. Renee is the ultimate queen bee diva enemy and Cash is a great surprise hero. ;) I wouldn't mind a sequel of this book in a "Where Are They Now?" kind of thing. There's some drama (the main point of the story) but Beth makes it light and enjoyable to dig into. I could've easily read this in one setting and in fact, read most of it this weekend!
This book definitely gets a big thumbs up for me for being exactly the type of book I needed - nothing heavy, long-winded or too much of anything. I haven't had much luck in good books this year but in the two of Ms. Kendrick's I've read in 2015, I definitely haven't been disappointed!
mcipher's review against another edition
4.0
Super fun, fast read - very much classic chick lit with all the misunderstandings and cute, funny relationships. Love that she threw in a dog and the holidays to add a little something extra, too.
sonjalyn's review against another edition
3.0
Great quick light book. Entertaining.....as long as you don't expect too much.
c0reyann's review against another edition
4.0
This novel has three should-be brides; Stella, Casey and Erin whom were all "married" on Labor Day weekend. A few weeks after their nupitals, just when the "what did I do?" questions start flying a letter arrives telling each of them that they are in fact, not married. Now all three have a loophole and they don't have to be married after all if they don't want to be and get to skip the messy divorce. Stella has to decide if she wants to remain married to a man whom got her blotto to the point of passing out to slip in the fact he had a vasectomy so he didn't feel guilty when the ex-au pair finds out she will not be a mother - to his children anyways. Casey has to find out if its worth shoving Nick towards the alter again - once was hard enough. Erin has to decide if she is willing to love, honor and cherish her mother-in-law for as long as they both shall live, because evidently her faux-husband lost his spine when they said I do. Hilarity ensues when Cash, an adopted stray, is introduced into the story and follows through acting out the girls' fantasies on their foes.
I loved this book to the point that I didn't put it down after I started reading it. Being married before I really could understand where the girls were coming from - there are just some things you do not see from the unmarried side of the tracks. I plan on checking out more of this author's books!
I loved this book to the point that I didn't put it down after I started reading it. Being married before I really could understand where the girls were coming from - there are just some things you do not see from the unmarried side of the tracks. I plan on checking out more of this author's books!