Just Finished:

Synopsis: Everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest...but what would you do if you found out 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 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?

My Thoughts: This is the story of three different brides, told in the first person by each woman’s perspective. You’d think it would be hard to follow, but each character is so different that the story actually flowed very well.

First, there is Stella and Mark. Stella is a 24-year-old woman who marries a much older (30 years older!) man. Stella’s goal in life is to be a mother. Then she finds out on her wedding night that Mark had a vasectomy and has not interest in having more kids than the ones he already has.

Casey and Nick are in their late 20’s. Casey grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and Nick was her school’s star athlete. Casey has had to do everything in the relationship, from proposing, to buying her own ring, to making sure the groom shows up on her wedding day.

Erin and David are also in their late 20’s. Erin is a doctor and David is a pharmacologist. David is a Mamma’s Boy to the Nth degree who always seems to choose his mother Renee’s over that of his wife’s. Then there’s Renee’s habit of purposefully forgetting Erin’s deathly allergy to peanuts ~~ meaning that as far as Renee is concerned, suddenly everything tastes better with peanuts in it.

I really enjoyed the friendship that bloomed between the 3 women. They were all so different, but their friendship became very strong. I also enjoyed watching each woman rethink their relationships and being strong enough to demand the changes that they needed and deserved from their partners.

Verdict: This was Very Good. It was a great story to curl up with on a chilly weekend afternoon and I’d definitely recommend it!

Labels: Beth Kendrick, Chick Lit, Very Good