The Pre-Nup

Written by Beth Kendrick

Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella

All you need is love? For the residents of swanky Mayfair Estates, a pre-nup is just another item on the wedding to-do checklist—but three friends get more than they bargained for when they promise to love, cherish . . . and sign on the dotted line.

Ellie married her handsome, wealthy Prince Charming when she was young, naive, and willing to sign a one-sided pre-nup in the name of true love. But seven years and one toddler later, her happily-ever-after has come screeching to a halt. If she can’t save her marriage, she’s determined to save her divorce, and she’s not about to let a lot of legalese stand in her way.

When Jen married Eric, he knew she wasn’t head over heels. Still, he insisted that they were perfect together and even bankrolled her blossoming business. But when Jen’s career finally takes off, she realizes that she may lose her husband. If Eric leaves, Jen will lose everything—including the marriage she values more than she thought.

Up-and-coming attorney Mara is sure her fiancé has forgiven her for a foolish one-night fling—until he adds a “cheating clause” to the pre-nup she had demanded. If he really trusts her, why the clause? And if she’s really trustworthy, why is she objecting?

As romance collides with real life, three very different women turn to each other for moral support and insights about how to safeguard their most valuable assets: their hearts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ideal Audiobooks
• Release date: May 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781942907374

Beth Kendrick

Beth Kendrick won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award for My Favorite Mistake. She has a Ph.D. in psychology and an unshakable devotion to the Chicago Cubs. After surviving too many Minnesota winters, she moved to Arizona, where she is working on her second novel (coming soon from Downtown Press). For more information you can visit the author's website at www.bethkendrick.com.

Reviews for The Pre-Nup

[curvymommy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ellie, Jen and Mara are three friends who are all having problems with their relationships. Ellie was living the perfect suburban life until her husband started cheating on her. Jen is a workaholic who has put her career before her husband for the last 5 years and is now feeling the effects of it. And Mara is an attorney engaged to be married, but not without a signed and sealed pre-nup agreeement.This was a fun and easy-to-read chick lit novel. The three women are strong characters who stand up for themselves and each other. You are rooting for each one of them throughout. And unlike some chick lit novels I've read recently, you don't feel like slapping the main character silly because she's acting so stupid. There were a few situations that were a bit unbelieveable (did Ellie really think her mother-in-law would take her side in the divorce?), but they didn't detract from the rest of this well-written story. The ending seemed a bit rushed and tidy, and I'm not really sure what to make of Ellie's ending - could there be another book there?This was the first Beth Kendrick novel I've read, and I'll be looking for her others. Overall, this was a fun, quick read. Recommended!

[jdy_26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick read. And, although it was a subject matter that is depressing, Kendrick did a good job of weaving strong friendships together throughout this book. I enjoyed reading it, and felt it was better (if not the best) book I've read by this author. Definitely a chick lit, quick-read winner.

[roseysweetpea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Beth Kendrick's writing style. All the books I've read by her have been impossible to put down. I love how she weaves friendships and relationships. She also does an excellent job of having a common problem but with circumstances so different that it's multiple stories in one. Great read.

[staffoa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick and fun read, though a bit depressing. I'd have to label this as Chick Lit. 3 friends just happen to be at pivotal points in their relationships, all for different reasons, and together they attempt to get each other though it all. Classic storyline with a predictable ending.

[amf0001 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This very slight, barely readable book about 3 friends and their marital woes is totally generic. Even after spending over 200 pages with the characters, they all feel like ciphers, with not a true moment between them. The men are even paler shadows that the women and make no sense at all. Ellie and Michael have the perfect marriage but then she discovers he is having an affair with the red thonged 'vixen-md'. He then acts in a manner so duplicitous and despicable we need a scene or two with him to make sense of it, but no, we're just given to expect that he will act in this awful way, well, because he can? because men do? Mara and Josh struggling over a pre nup are not much better, though when Mara asks Josh why he loves her, we're not surprised that he can't get beyond 'good in bed' we can't see it either. Jenn and Eric are nearly 5 years into their marriage and now her ex returns on the scene.Really slight, light book. The sentences all flow correctly but nothing is really written. A waste of an afternoon.

[scoutlee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ellie is married to Michael and they appear to be "Ken and Barbie" of Mayfair Estates. Michael works for his parents' real estate company and Ellie is a SAHM for their daughter Hannah. Ellie also volunteers on numerous committees with her mother-in-law Patrice. Ellie thinks she has a solid marriage until she accidentally reads a text message to her husband from his mistress. She's outraged by his betrayal and impulsively declares their marriage is over. Michael begs her to forgive him and informs her the affair is over. They agree to give their marriage a second chance and start marriage counseling. The only problem is, Michael has another agenda in mind.Jen is married to Eric, her best friend. Which to some may sound "happily ever after", however Jen isn't in love with him. Together they have build a business which Jen uses as an excuse to not spend time with her husband. Eric, meanwhile has a job that demands he travels and spends several weeks at a time away from home. Eric truly loves Jen and believes he loves her enough for the both of them, but is it really enough to make their marriage work?Mara is engaged to Josh and is currently planning her wedding. She thinks it is wise they sign a pre-nup before saying "I do" and Josh reluctantly agrees. Mara should have been careful for what she wished for because Josh added his own clause in their pre-nup regarding fidelity. Mara had a one-night stand early in their relationship and thought they had moved beyond it. Seems like, Josh hasn't. Exhausted from arguing with Josh about this new clause, she comes up with an idea that will make them even. Again, before careful what you wish for.The Pre-Nup is a story about what really defines a marriage. Is it really about love? Sacrifice? Comprise? Or is there an element of comfort that no one wants to admit to. What these three friends realize is that marriage is more than signing the pre-nup. It's about what happens after the ink dries and the honeymoon ends.

[bearette24 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun chick lit about 3 ladies whose relationships are in various states of decay. The women go to creative lengths to salvage their situations, including help from a stripper (it's not what you think).

[lrobe190 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Three women, good friends from college, find themselves in relationships which are affected, in one way or the other, by pre-nuptial agreements. Ellie is married to Mike, has a beautiful three-year old daughter and is a darling of Mayfair Estates society where she organizes fundraisers and benefits. Hers is the perfect marriage until she stumbles across the fact that Mike is having an affair. Jen, founder of her own business which markets a non-soda beverage which she invented, is married to Eric, once her best friend, but not necessarily the one passionate love-of-her life. Mara, high-powered attorney, is engaged to marry Josh, but why does she have this feeling of reluctance?The Pre-Nup takes a look at relationships that are complicated not only by the emotions involved, but the legalities created by pre-nuptial agreements. Ellie, Jen and Mara are likable heroines and their friendship is fuel for plenty of humor. It's fun to watch how the three women work their way through their legal "difficulties. Pre-Nup is a fun, fast-paced read that held my attention from start to finish.

[bookgirljen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ellie, Jen and Mara are three friends who are all having problems with their relationships. Ellie was living the perfect suburban life until her husband started cheating on her. Jen is a workaholic who has put her career before her husband for the last 5 years and is now feeling the effects of it. And Mara is an attorney engaged to be married, but not without a signed and sealed pre-nup agreeement.This was a fun and easy-to-read chick lit novel. The three women are strong characters who stand up for themselves and each other. You are rooting for each one of them throughout. And unlike some chick lit novels I've read recently, you don't feel like slapping the main character silly because she's acting so stupid. There were a few situations that were a bit unbelieveable (did Ellie really think her mother-in-law would take her side in the divorce?), but they didn't detract from the rest of this well-written story. The ending seemed a bit rushed and tidy, and I'm not really sure what to make of Ellie's ending - could there be another book there?This was the first Beth Kendrick novel I've read, and I'll be looking for her others. Overall, this was a fun, quick read. Recommended!

[xhollishx · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is about 3 friends who are all dealing with their problems.I have to say that I couldn't get past about 100 pages. I normally love books like this, but I felt the characters were bratty and annoying. I tried to like them, but it didn't work for me. I like books that aren't so predictable and this wasn't one of them. I got very bored with it and just stopped reading. I see alot of other people liked it, so maybe it was just me! =)

[julyso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Pre-Nup is the story of three friends and their experiences with love...and with pre-nups! We have Ellie, who has the perfect marriage until it all falls apart when she discovers her husband having an affair. We then have Jen who married her best friend who was madly in love with her. The problem is, she was madly in love with somebody else. Mara is about to be married and she is fighting with her fiance about the pre-nup...or is about the pre-nup?This is a great read! It is funny, smart, and loads of fun. I adored the three ladies and was rooting for each of them through their adventures with love. The story goes really fast and I had a hard time putting the book down. This book was an awesome read:)

[24girl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Life should have been happily ever after for friends Ellie, Jen & Mara but sadly that wasn’t the case.Ellie had the picture perfect marriage to Michael complete with wealth, a 3-year old daughter and beloved in-laws. Late one night, Ellie picks up Michael’s phone and sees an email that shakes her to the core. Her perfect marriage is a sham. Michael has been cheating on her and with a hot doctor no less. When the cards are on the table Michael tries to weasel out of his obligations by hiding his true net worth from the lawyers and claiming poverty. Ellie has to find a way to reveal the truth and secure her daughter’s future. Jen’s marriage is just the opposite. Her husband Eric entered into their marriage knowing that Jen loved him but wasn’t in love with him. As a wedding gift Eric bank rolled Jen’s start up business with a stipulation in the pre-nup that if they divorce before their five year anniversary, Eric owns half the company and Jen has to pay back his investment. Now with the business on the brink of national success, Eric has realized that he was wrong into thinking he could make the marriage work and Jen is left wondering what’s more important; success or her marriage? Mara and Josh both agree that they’re not going to divorce but they realize that protecting themselves with a pre-nup makes sense. But when Josh adds a “cheating clause” Mara is offended and ends the best relationship she’s ever had. Will she get over the hurt? And if she knows she’s not going to cheat, why did the clause bother her so much? I absolutely loved The Pre-Nup. The characters were fully developed and well written. I couldn’t help but become a part of their lives and wish that the book didn’t end. Not only is the book about the marriages and relationships but it’s about the lasting bonds of friendship. These girls truly do stick together through thick and thin and all the fun in between while keeping the door open to welcome a new friend. This is the first book by Beth Kendrick that I’ve read but I’m sure that I’ll go back and read her others. I recommend this book to all lovers of contemporary romance and chick-lit.

[cats57_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Pre-Nup by Beth KendrickI’m going to start this by saying that I generally stay away from a lot of so called “chick-lit” because at my age they tend to talk down to me. I usually come away from those other books feeling very old. But there was something about this book that piqued my curiosity from the very first time I saw the cover and read the excerpt. I was not let down. This book did not talk down to me or my generation; as a matter of fact these three women Ellie, Jen and Mara seem ageless. We know they are young, yet Ms Kendrick never smacks you in the face with it. It was a lovely surprise. (94)This book is filled with laughs, tears and a wonderful plot that proves revenge is of course is a dish best served cold. We find out that while some men are scum and deserve everything they get in life, not all men are and that we have to let go of our own insecurities and learn to trust the opposite sex. We can‘t always paint men with the same brush. Be aware that you will laugh your socks off when meeting a heart of gold stripper named Bentlie/Alex, so try not to be drinking anything that will stain!Have fun reading this, because that’s what this book is all about; fun and the lighter side of reading.

[charlotteg_37 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three women have been best friends since college. Mara, Ellie, & Jen. All three are at varying stages in their relationships. And at the center of each relationship problem is a little document called The Pre-Nup.Beth Kendrick writes a fun little book about three friends. Three friends who stick together when the chips are down. Three friends who take care of each other when they are at their lowest point. The Pre-Nup is not only a book about relationships, but more a book about friendships. And no matter what happens, your truest friends will always be there for you.

[nitestar_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Let me start by saying that I love, love, love all of Beth Kendricks previous books, so I was beyond excited to crack open this book. I made sure to "keep" the book for my trip to Burlington, Vermont which I took last week and as I was making my way by train, I knew that this book would be the perfect partner for my travels.Pre-nup takes a very clever look at the role the pre-nups takes in Ellie, Jen and Mara's lives. Yes, they are best friends and all have come to a crossroads of a sort - involving what else??? men, marriage and pre-nups.Although this sounds like a very serious plotline, Kendrick created a whole storyline for these three friends in which the pre-nup is a central issue, but never THE central issue. Ellie is already married with a tight pre-nup and a cheating husband who is going to make sure she ends up destitute. Jen is also married to a man that she never loved (or does she?) and when he ends their marriage - he just wants to get out - pre-nup be damned. Of course, there is also Mara who is in love and about to get married and who insists of having a pre-nup - to which her fiance says NO!!! (this is a great twist on the more standard boy wants pre-nup and girl does not).Although this book is about men and love, Kendrick focuses her writing on the wonderful and deep friendship these women have for each other. I loved every minute of their time together and of their commitment to each other. The men take a definite second place in this warm and touching novel and despite the highly serious tones, somehow Kendrick still manages to make her characters happy and brave. There is very little "poor little me" in this novel (and believe me when you read Ellie's story you will feel very sorry for her AND HATE HER HUSBAND). The women are strong and stand up for themselves.I think my favorite character was Mara - who is an enigma even to herself.This book made me really hate some of the guys and really love the women! A true chick lit empowerment book!!!!I loved it, loved it, loved it and by the time I looked up from my train ride, we were already there!!!