I had previously read a book by Sophie Cousens and was excited when I saw a new one was coming out! I love how the story is not cut and dry, you have no idea which way Audrey's journey will go - will she end up with her fiance, Josh or with her what-if from years ago, Fred? I loved how this was told with memories from then (Fred) and now (Josh). Honestly, until the end chapters were upon me, I had no idea how I felt about each of her options. I do knlw thad I couldn't put this one down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one so much. I will be reviewing a physical copy of this book on my social media platforms but thank you agin to Putnam for the digital arc

I've read all of Sophie Cousens' books, and I was delighted to receive a copy of Before I Do. I'm also a big fan of books told over multiple timelines where bits of perspective are shared. Plus, I'd read a book just about Granny Parker!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I appreciated the plot of this book, I really like the idea of weighing all your options before you make the single most important decision of your life and really go through all of your "what-if" moments. That being said, OUCH, it was pretty brutal to have all of these thoughts and a "mid-wedding" crisis on the day before and of your wedding! Audrey romanticized a chance encounter with Fred several years prior to her wedding to Josh, even though it was a very brief meeting, they felt like kindred spirits and she always wondered "what-if" right up until Fred showed up as her almost sister-inlaw's date! From there, a string of events happen that will leave you in disbelief. It was very far fetched and just a disaster at that point. I also couldn't get past the toggling back and forth from her life before, to her wedding disaster currently, then back to before, etc. It was too much and I kept losing interest.
When it's all said and done, I was team Josh all the way; while she tried to redeem herself to Josh, she was a lost cause to me.

I recently discovered Sophie Cousens and was as enchanted by this story as all of her others. Delightfully written with characters whose edges don't stop at the endpapers. Sophie writes romance in a way that reads like a rom-com movie unfolding. I can't wait to read more!

Whatever Sophie Cousens writes I will read!!! Before I Do did not disappoint! I completely loved this book!! It was an amazing escape!! Must read!

I wasn't sure which way this story would end up, but it was told in a unique way. Not my favorite by this author. A woman sees a man from her past at her rehearsal dinner. The story unfolds from there between the past and the present.

A sweet romance about second chances & missed connections - and delightfully British! The characters were so fun & fresh and I loved getting to know them. This book is smart & witty and a great palette cleanser between heavier reads!

Don't mistake Before I Do for a typical rom-com with a flighty main character finding true love and happy ever after a series of comedic mishaps. Before I Do does have a cast of characters and several mishaps that will make you laugh. The female main character, Audrey might appear flighty, but there is so much more to her making this story deeper than just a rom-com. Audrey and Josh's disastrous wedding day actually begins the night before when Josh's sister shows up to the rehearsal dinner and her date is someone very special from Audrey's past. His appearance has Audrey questioning if Josh is really her soulmate. Jumping back in time to various times in her life, a story unfolds explaining so much about Audrey cumulating into the momentous decision she finally makes. This was my first Sophie Cousens book, and I look forward to reading more!

This book was a stressful, flailing ,chaos of catastrophe and questions - similar to the frustration of events in the movie Leap Year, which I loved.

There is a lot of back and forth time jumping as pieces to the story fall into place. I enjoyed the plot progression and cast of characters. I found it to be a fun, light and easy read.

This is my second book from this author.

Loved it!! I don’t typically like the love triangle trope but this one was done so well that I enjoyed it. I loved the characters and the setting and the writing and the ending was just what I was hoping it would be. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

This one missed the mark for me. Not many of the characters were likeable, but especially not the protagonist. I didn’t feel the connection between Audrey and Josh at all. Fred’s whole character seemed to be pointless. Ultimately, I was let down. I absolutely loved This Time Next Year, so I will continue to read the author’s other books.

Sophie Cousens just has a habit of writing really good romances. I think that this was a fun take on the question of divine intervention versus just coincidence and I love how sometimes doing what is right in your heart doesnt make the most sense conventionally. Overall this was emotional, fun, and just full of love.

The scenario at the start of the book--Bride Audrey stumbling dazed and barefoot out of a church, an ambulance arriving, sad looks her way--points to a few classic wedding tropes: the Runaway Bride, the Groom with Cold Feet, or maybe (with the ambulance arriving) he had a heart attack at the altar instead. What evolves is an at-times confusing jumping-back-and-forth between the day of the wedding (with its many mishaps seen as bad omens) and the couple of decades previous: her relationship with Josh over the past four years, her almost relationship with Fred, her What-If Guy from the Baker Street Tube Station seven years before, and her and mother’s relationship since she was small, as her mother cheats on Audrey’s father before divorcing, then takes up with a series of men, one that puts Audrey in a dangerous situation and drives a wedge between her and her mother.

The way the book blurb and intro set it up, we expect the groom to be Mr. Wrong, and Fred, the What-If Guy, to be Mr. Right-All-Along, so we can all sit back and watch it play out. But that’s not how Cousens writes her plots. There’s this nebulous area, a space where the reader is left floating in air as they try to grasp which team to land on, Team Josh or Team Fred. Once enough time is devoted to Josh, it becomes obvious--and then we wonder why Fred is even involved in the first place.

If we take this as a literary romance and not count on the traditional tropes, then we can see the characters and their history with Audrey for what they are: the background of a woman fearful that, given her history and said series of wedding mishaps, she’ll wind up just like her serial-married mother, if she even deserves a shot at happiness--marriage or career-wise--at all. The usual plot device of the wedge between the main couple is resolved in a most peculiar way that made me feel like we took a sort of Mamma Mia interlude, but overall I really liked the book a lot. A solid read.

Audrey is getting ready to marry her love and best friend, Josh, when her “what-if” guy walks into her rehearsal dinner as the last-minute date of her sister-in-law. Suddenly, she is thrown into a spiral of doubt, and the bad omens just keep coming, from dead bats in the chapel to the bride topper falling off the cake. (Or did she jump?!) As she reflects back on the season of her life in which she met Fred versus the evolution of her relationship with Josh, she must decide – was she led to this moment by fate, or did she get off the wrong track years ago and is being offered a second chance?

I found the pacing in the first half of this book a bit boring but was ultimately sucked in as Audrey looked deeper and deeper at her past, not just at her relationships, but also at her own personal journey. I was so-so on Cousen’s debut, This Time Next Year, but really appreciated how she wrote about growing self-awareness and growth of 20-somethings in the midst of learning how to be adults and found the same here. Audrey is doing some deep internal work, and it ultimately leads her to some profound realizations about love and relationships, and the hard work and effort that they require, especially in the mundane moments of life. In the end, I thought Cousen’s wrote beautifully about the reality and beauty of long-term relationships, and the last few chapters had me laughing out loud multiple times. I was so satisfied by Audrey’s choice, and also felt so grateful for my own husband after reading! All in all, I will continue to keep my eye on Cousen’s work and recommend her to others. {Trigger warning: Sexual Assault}

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

(DNF at 33%) I really thought this would be a fun read, but it was not for me. The idea of someone's "what if" ex showing up as a guest at the wedding is so fun. But I could not connect with the story or the characters. I didn't find them exciting or engaging, and I was bored. I hope other people enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me.

While I felt BEFORE I DO lulled in the middle a bit, I absolutely adored it! I love the bouncing timeline, which gave us more insight into Audrey's journey, from Fred to Josh. I think everyone has what-if's in there lives, whether that is relationships, career choices, etc., but I loved this exploration of turning back the clock and exploring a past decision.

This was beautifully written, had a thoughtful ending, and felt real (without being over the top cheese). Sophie Cousens always makes me feel this way and truly has you rooting the couples and characters she creates.

Another winner from Sophie Cousens. It took me a bit to warm up to Audrey but I ended up loving her in the end. I thought this book was witty, heartwarming and well written.

Since this came out in the fall, I sort of assumed it’d be a holiday romance but for those of you looking for a break from all the sparkle, this will be the perfect fit. It examines the age old question of “What If” when it comes to lost loves.

Audrey is stunned when a familiar face shows up at her rehearsal dinner, the night before her wedding. Years ago, she spent a blissful day with Fred, sharing a connection that was unlike anything they’d experienced before. But he ghosted her and she’s spent years wondering what happened.
The story is told in flashbacks between Audrey & Fred and how Audrey later meets & falls in love with Josh, her fiancé. I loved seeing the progression of Audrey & Josh’s relationship as a backdrop to her rethinking everything the day before/of her wedding.

Another delightful story by Sophie Cousens! Loved this one and so enjoyed the story, highly recommend!