this was really sweet overall with some emotional themes, and i liked it for what it was!! however. unfortunately, it didn't quite hit for me mainly cause of the miscommunication and fallouts. still a fun ride though.

This book was a great read around relationships and the concepts people perceive through social media and "standards"

Ray and Kip are celebrating their early moon. They are complete opposites but compliment each other.

Kip is a doctor who is divorced and coming to his own with accepting himself. Ray is the great millennial writer who is a hopeless romantic.

During their stay, Ray is writing a piece so he is interviewing multiple couples and learning about himself with his views on relationships. The stay doesn't turn out to be what he expected because he puts so much hope into the "perfect relationship" - but what does that even mean for him?

I enjoyed the backstory telling between Ray's life and his relationship with Kip.

There are some LOL moments, but also great reflection about society. I also appreciated the pop culture references.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

As a long-time fan of DiDomizio’s writing, it’s always a joy to see how he continues evolving as a writer. This book was so easy to read and I found myself continually eager to return to it, even on my second time through. As always, he’s in a class all his own in his ability to expertly weave humor with deeper insights about relationships. I loved the unique concept of the earlymoon, and especially appreciated his exploration of the tell-all online writing culture of the 2010s – a topic I’ve never seen any other author tackle. So many hilarious lines in here, and as always, the prose is flawless. Highly recommend!

Super cute rom com! I read this one in just one day! I highly recommend Nearlywed for a fun beach read that will keep you entertained!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard one for me to review. I think I went into it with certain expectations. I read DiDomizio’s The Gay Best Friend not that long ago, and while I had plenty of criticism for it once I finished, the way it was written had me so entranced that I read it in one sitting. I was expecting a similar effect with Nearlywed, but that was not the case. There was something about the writing here that was a lot slower for me. Not boring, necessarily, just slow. It took me several weeks to get all the way through it. I can’t pinpoint what changed about the writing style, but the story just didn’t manage to draw me in the way The Gay Best Friend did. That being said, I think Nearlywed is overall a better book. The narratives built for the MC and his fiancé are better developed and feel very real. Something DiDomizio does well in both the novels I’ve read by him is pick out very real nuances of being gay in modern American culture and the way queerness interacts with popular culture and popular perception. This ability to pinpoint these aspects create very natural, organic conflicts for the characters to navigate. In Nearlywed, the characters’ different approaches to their gay identities and what it means to be ‘out’ and open about that identity reflects a lot of internal exploration I’ve done and conversations I’ve had with queer friends. In conjunction with that, DiDomizio picks out generational differences that become more and more obvious as each generation discovers and acts on their queerness. On top of all of that, he investigates the challenges that can come with being a ‘late bloomer’ or someone who comes out late in life in comparison to someone who became comfortable with their queerness early on. It’s complex and interesting and hits home in a lot of ways. Which may also be why I found it to be a slow read. There are a lot of scenes that gave me a lot to process and chew on, making it difficult to digest in one sitting. This was a very different experience to what I expected to get, which was more or less a melodrama-fueled romance with some humor and a few timely observances on modern queerness. Overall, I think Nearlywed is a more successful book with a more satisfying pay off than The Gay Best Friend because of the complexities it leans into and investigates.

Nearlywed felt like a fresh take on the romance genre. Here the story focuses on the conflicts a couple struggle with that come to a head when they go on an “earlymoon” in the lead up to their planned wedding.

Kip and Ray have distinctly different personalities and occupations, and even come from different generations. This leads to many of their common arguments, which doesn’t sound like the best topic for a romance novel, but somehow it works and is additionally charming, funny, and a delight to read. I loved the setting at the seaside inn famous for hosting couples before they say “I do” and didn’t even mind it so much when coincidence made for some convenient reckoning with one’s past.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read that I appreciated for its unique reimagining of the romance novel. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was SO good and truly one of the more unique takes on a romance. It manages to skirt around any obvious trope while still feeling like it hits the hoped for notes. it's not quite a second chance romance, but has some of that flavor. And as someone who doesn't always love that brand of romance, this was by and far the best version I'd ever read of it. Also I loved our main character. By the end I was on board with his love interest, but I was ready to ride at dawn for him when there was some conflict, especially earlier in the book. I'm definitely going to tear through the rest of DiDomizio's catalog after this!

Nearlywed is a contemporary romance about a gay couple on their early pre-wedding honeymoon. Millenial internet writer Ray has always been a hopeless romantic. And now that he is 2 months away from being married to his fiancé Gen X doctor Kip, he is so ready for the early moon he has always dreamed of having. But at the idyllic resort, their five-year relationship is tested as they meet other couples there and realize that their differences may not be as surmountable as they both thought.

I absolutely loved Nearlywed. I thought it was brilliantly refreshing and insightful. It features an established couple with a 10-year age gap (they met at 25 & 35) who on paper could not be more different—from millennial Ray’s very public online presence writing about his life experiences to Gen X professional Kip’s recent coming out and divorce with the propensity to keep everything private—but whose chemistry and perceived roles have made them work. I enjoyed the dynamic between them, full of banger, inside jokes, and their totally obvious love for each other. The author managed to portray both of them as totally different people whose relationship hits a bump in the road because of assumptions and missed communication and how they worked through them.

The book was a lot of fun to read, charming, and hilarious. Of course, drama ensues with the addition of an ex-husband and an old friend that forces both men to confront their own issues. The various other couples in the resort added some quirky characters as well as contracting the different types of relationships that can work. The Friends, Ally McBeal and Taylor Swift references were just icing on cake that made me love the book more.

Nearlywed is a fun, funny, and insightful contemporary gay romance. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed the premise of a relationship between a share-everything millenial and a quiet, private Gen Xer. However the pacing felt a bit off/slow sometimes -- and there as too much internal monologue from Ray. I think other reviewers were spot on with mentioning that a lot of it felt like a relationship therapy consultation rather than a novel at times. There were some great elements too though - I think the 'big fight' that Ray and Kip had about 2/3rds of the way through was really well done & kind of the crux of the novel -- it really showed each of their rationales and love for each other but how they were coming from very different viewpoints.

The side plot of Ray's sister's lobstering perils was interesting, but maybe could have been made more of / woven in better...

Overall, I skimmed a lot of the narration/Ray's thought process/internal relationship musings, but there were some nice scenes that made for good touchstones along the way.

Ray Bruno and Kip Hayes seem like an imperfect match—where Ray is an chronic oversharer, Kip keeps his life close to the vest. As they go on an “earlymoon” ahead of their wedding, some of those differences come to a head and suddenly the romantic week they had planned might be the cause of their breakup. Not what I thought the book would be about.

DiDomizio’s writing is clear and concise. Each word and sentence carries meaning. I love how the author truly tackled queer love and the dynamic can be so different, on so many different levels.

I love how the basis is with how we all look for perfection in a partner and marriage, when the truth is that not one of us will see eye to eye on everything and there will always be bumps in the road.

The generational different between our main characters, Kip and Ray, are used at times for comedic relief and even I laughed at some of the instances. But even with the gap, they simply belonged together even with their differences.

A very realistic view on relationships, in a humorous way. Highly recommend.


Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Nicolas DiDomizio for the eARC!

4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Nicolas DiDomizio for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
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This book was so enjoyable for many reasons. I loved that the book was based solely around everyone’s idea / want of a perfect marriage where there are no issues or complications. I love that the book tackled queer love and how the process of being open and the levels of openness can be different for different people. I think the book did an amazing job at making believable and realistic characters who have their own pros and cons, they just felt like real people.
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At times the book did seem a little preachy about the discussions it was trying to get across but also that’s how people sound when they’re working through things.
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Overall it’s a super enjoyable and super quick read about marriage, relationships, queerness and the understanding that your partner is a human being and you won’t always see eye to eye on everything in life but that doesn’t mean you aren’t compatible.

Wow! Really enjoyed this novel and its heartwarming story of Ray and Kip! I felt the author did a great job with the plot and character development, I felt connected to both characters and their story. I felt the writing was concise and easy to read. I cried in the end! So good!

there are so many things that work really well in this book, but i want to start by reiterating something from my review of The Gay Best Friend: Nicolas knows how to PLOT! i'm such a nerd for plot structure and this is perfectly paced, with the right about of rising action and obstacles that keep building until the climax. incredible!

my favorite part of this book was the emotional journey Ray and Kip went on. they are two very different people but have the same heart. the generational difference played well, and it was cool how it was used for laughs and used to show how differently people can experience queerness. there were a lot of tough conversations had and they were written beautifully.

and all the side characters were hilarious and memorable.

something really cool about this is how it validates differently kinds of relationships. there's a lot of unique dynamics portrayed or talked about and they're all discussed with reason and respect.

available may 21 :)

I usually try to read ARC’s within a month of the book’s release, but I was looking forward to this one too much to wait! It’s a very different vibe from The Gay Best Friend, and reminded me more of the kind of sad/emotional type of romances that I enjoyed from Taylor Jenkins Reid such as After I Do. I was all over the place throughout this book on whether I was rooting for Ray & Kip or not as I learned more and more info along the way. To keep this spoiler-free I won’t say more about the relationships in this book, but I really felt like I was growing along with Ray and learning with him. His sister was one of my favorite characters, and I was always happy to see her pop up in a scene. This isn’t a spicy read, but if you’re looking for a deeper emotional experience in a realistic romance, this is for you!!

"Nearlywed" is a relatable and heartwarming story about communication struggles in relationships. Ray and Kip, the main characters, navigate their love while grappling with unspoken fears and family expectations. Despite their deep affection for each other, they struggle to communicate openly. Ray fears he's not enough for Kip, while Kip grapples with his sexuality and familial obligations. Their flawed communication style leads to misunderstandings and tension, yet their love shines through. The story strikes a balance between humor and heartfelt moments, leaving readers rooting for Ray and Kip to overcome their communication barriers and find happiness together.

This book was not at all what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. Ray and Kip are engaged to be married and take a pre-wedding honeymoon. It's about learning to communicate in relationships and being open with your partner.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Nearly Wed" by Nicholas DiDomizio is a sidesplitting MM-romcom that sweeps readers into the whirlwind lives of Ray Bruno and Dr. Kip Hayes, two individuals whose personalities clash like a sequined jumpsuit at a funeral. Ray, a journalist dripping with sass and a penchant for oversharing, and Kip, a stoic doctor with a poker face to rival a statue's, stumble through the minefield of love, acceptance, and self-discovery during their "earlymoon".

The book's comedic brilliance shines in its portrayal of relatable insecurities, particularly through Ray's character. As an oversharing millennial who spins personal drama into viral sensations faster than you can say "viral sensation," Ray grapples with the constant need for validation and the challenge of balancing his public persona with his messy personal life. Meanwhile, Kip's journey of self-discovery, complete with a closet full of past insecurities and enough emotional baggage to rival any closet case (pun intended), adds layers of humor and relatability to his character.

Ray and Kip's love story, complete with their quirky habit of naming female artists who've graced the mainstage at Lilith Fair (Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, Jewel would be proud), is a riotous romp that'll have you swooning and snorting with laughter in equal measure. Because, let's face it, their love for each other and their shared goal of keeping the other smiling is as heartwarming as a puppy cuddling a kitten in a rainbow-filled meadow.

The supporting cast of characters is seamlessly woven into the narrative, enriching the story's tapestry with their unique quirks and complications. Though some may be crazier than a bag of cats, they all contribute to the dynamic of Ray and Kip's relationship, adding depth to the plot and a sprinkle of mischief, just for kicks.

In summary, "Nearly Wed" is a riotously funny and insightfully written novel that'll have you rolling on the floor with laughter one minute and wiping away tears of joy the next. DiDomizio's skillful blend of romance, razor-sharp wit, and a healthy dose of sass makes this book a must-read for anyone in search of a good laugh and a heartfelt reminder that love is messy, imperfect, and utterly fabulous. Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Nicholas DiDomizio for this eARC.

📖 26 / 100 in 2024
✍️ Romance
⭐️ 3.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads)

Nearlywed by Nicholas Didomizio

for readers who enjoy ....

beach vacations, second marriages, golf, LGBTQ+ romance, generational patterns, opposites attract, lobster, NYT wedding announcements, Dirty Dancing, miscommunication, Buzzfeed quizzes, complicated coming out, olive trees

(Thank you to @netgalley for the digital ARC copy!)

While on their New England earlymoon - which Ray, son of a lobsterman and a lifelong romantic, has been waiting for his whole life - he and his fiance Kip must reconcile both their differences and love for one another to turn a seafood meet-cute into their very own storybook ending.

Part coming of age and part coming out love story, Nearlywed is a fun contemporary romance that somehow made me tolerate a miscommunication trope - no small feat! I liked the layering of family relationships and old friendships into the main events of this novel and also the journalistic element of Ray’s article.

Challenging the expectations we have of ourselves and our partners was a strong theme here - watching Ray and Kip fall more in love with themselves as well as with each other was a highlight.

Love love love this book so much!

Need to collect my thoughts and write a proper review, but oh my! This is such a gorgeous book.

All the stars.