I’m a huge Sophie Cousens fan and Before I Do was no exception. I loved that the ending wasn’t exactly what I expected. Cousens also changed my mind along the way in who I wanted Audrey to to end up with, which is pretty unusual for me. At times, Audrey could be unlikable but I think she came out as a better person. I will definitely be reading more of Cousens in the future. She always makes some pretty unique situations and I never am bored with her writing!

This was a cute book. I love the way it went back and forth between the present and the past. The characters were likeable and although the plot wouldn't likely happen in real life it wasn't that far-fetched.

I have learned through my many years as a bookworm that the “what if” plot device is used a lot and not always successfully. I usually avoid this plot device because it just seems pointless to live in the past wondering “what if” instead of embracing the present and living life to the fullest. In Before I Do, engaged to be married Audrey is faced with a major “what if” on the night before her wedding when her future sister-in-law shows up with the man Audrey spent a wonderful day together six years ago and never saw again…until now.

I was drawn to this story because, unlike other “what if” plots, this one really intrigued me. Audrey and Fred had only one day. Just one. They made plans to meet up the next day and he never shows up. Audrey never receives a call from him and she is unable to call him because the numbers are smudged and she can’t make them out. I’m not sure she even knew his last name, come to think of it. What happened to Fred?!

Over the next six years, Audrey moves on; sort of. She meets Josh whose name she can never remember and keeps calling him James. They eventually get together and everything seems perfect and right on track for a happily ever after…until Fred shows up. Now, Audrey is filled with doubt about herself, her relationship, her future. Instead of talking to Josh about her fears, she bottles it all up until she is walking on glass. It doesn’t help when bats fall from the belfry onto Josh’s grandmother, the wedding dress tears, the bride figurine decides to take a suicidal leap from the top of the cake and the vicar has a heart attack during the wedding ceremony. It certainly seems like the universe is trying to tell her something, doesn’t it?

I liked Audrey and thought she was intelligent and certainly mature enough to manage this mess like an adult. Other than to entertain me, what other reason could there possibly be for her to allow this chaos to take over what should have been the happiest day of her life? This story is told in flashbacks to the past allowing the reader to see what Audrey experienced and how she met Fred, meeting Josh as well as giving the reader insight into the relationship she has with her mother, who turned out to be quite a surprising character for me.

I personally never warmed up to Fred and couldn’t understand how Audrey could be rethinking all of her life’s choices based on one day with one man instead of the several years she has built with Josh. Even with all of Audrey’s insecurities and indecisiveness, I found this story to be heartwarming and I was eager to see how it all would play out.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I haven’t read anything by this author before and am wondering why. I really enjoyed her voice and writing style. She creates characters that I found easy to relate to and could easily see myself being friends or family with. I wanted to help Audrey through this mess, but we all know this is the kind of situation one must face on their own.

I highly recommend this story to fans of the chick-lit and women’s fiction genres, as well as readers who enjoy stories with characters with real-world problems and lives. I look forward to reading more by this talented author.

In depth look , past and present day of a couple who should be celebrating thier beautiful wedding day , gets interrupted by the past. What to do when fate roars in on the day you think your marrying the love of your life and then the one person whom you havent stopped thiking of for years happens to show up.i liked that the story parrelled from early days to present day then to after the wedding day , it was a good story .

6 years before I do Audrey met Fred.
3 years ago before I do she met Josh.
20 minutes before I do the world is ending.

Or at least that’s what it feels like to Audrey in Before I Do by Sophie Cousens. Now, Audrey must decide if she is making a big mistake or if there is more to love than fate.

What I liked: I thought the way this book was written was so clever. This book is written with three very clear timelines. The way it’s written makes you feel like Audrey and how you can’t decide high suitor to root for, it by the end it is very obvious who our main character should pick. I thought this book was so well written. It was witty, it was serious, and just a joy to read.

To keep in mind: There is a slight plot of a love triangle, but it was not your traditional YA triangle so it didn’t bother me so much.

Sophie Cousins does not disappoint! I love all her books and this is no exception. I really enjoyed how witty and smart the characters were written and the whole concept of 'what if?'. I felt that the plot was strong, which is sadly rare these days, and the book kept my attention until the end.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens
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As her wedding day approaches, Audrey can’t help wondering if her fiancé, Josh, is the one. As things go wrong on the wedding day, Audrey starts remembering one perfect day with “picture booth guy”.
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What I liked:
-I loved how this story was organized! It alternated chapters between present and past.
-Several of the past chapters were Audrey observing her mothers many relationship. I appreciated this because how we perceive relationships growing up definitely impacts us. I thought that plotline was handled SO well. And the last conversation that Audrey had with her mother in this book was so great. 💜
-The letter from Audreys dad. 🥺😭
-The flight to Ibiza. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣(Team Audrey!)
-I adored how this book wound up being NOT what I thought it would be and it made me love it even more!
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4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 another fantastic read by Sophie. This Time Next Year is still my favorite, but I really liked this one a lot.

What happens when one thing could change the trajectory of your life? What if?? You go through life and boom! Your what if is standing right in front of you at your wedding rehearsal. Audrey is getting married and at the night before her wedding she sees Fred. The guy she spent a day with and fell for immediately. Is this a bad omen? Audrey is getting marrie to Josh and a series of events happening the day before her wedding makes her think if she is doing the right thing. Audrey and Josh’s meeting or meetings weren’t as noteworthy. This books take on a love triangle was neat. The book was just ok for me. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was missing for me. It was a cute book just not as connected to it. There are quite a few time hops in this so you get to see how the past influences the present. The twist wasn’t what I thought was going to happen and Audrey does resolve herself. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This light romcom is a little cheesy, but sometimes that’s good, yeah?

I’m not a huge fan of love triangles so this was a bit difficult for me. But I liked the dual timelines and how everything came to a head the night before the big wedding. Audrey’s struggle was relatable and realistic. The angst she feels is palpable.

A good romcom go pick up if you need a light read.

An utterly amazing and romantic read that answers the eternal question of “what if” that many of us ask. The protagonist is about to marry her lovely boyfriend and yet is bothered by the memories of a previous love whom she encounters yet again in the day prior to her wedding.

Before I Do is another enjoyable rom com from Sophie Cousens. Her writing is so easy to read and they are a perfect summer read. There's something so fun about books with the "one that got away" trope. This one is no exception. I was rooting for Audrey the whole time!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Audrey is about to marry her forever, Josh. They seem like an unlikely pair - complete opposites - but they are happy and use their differences as a strength of their relationship, not a weakness.

Josh's sister shows up to the rehearsal dinner with Fred. Who is Fred? The guy that Audrey has always wondered if he was the one that got away. Fred and Audrey spent one day together and then never reconnected again. Could this be a sign that she should not marry Josh? After Audrey sees Fred, everything, literally, starts going wrong with the wedding. In a back and forth over time, the author weaves a story and it hard to put down.

I loved the multiple timelines throughout the story and the "what if" moments. This had a Serendipity feel to it. Will she chose the stable relationship or the "what if" she met 6 years ago who she had an amazing time with?

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting premise but fell a little flat to me. There were definitely parts I enjoyed, including the moving between the timeframes, but the characters were not super likeable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC of this novel. I have ended up reading all of Cousens's work and it always is a bit different which I appreciate. I will admit that Audrey was a bit annoying at times and stuck in her own head but that girl desperately needs some therapy! Josh was always very calm and sweet and just a tad snarky so a good match for Audrey but how did he not push her to be more of a team? I am glad by the end they seemed to commit to resolving their issues and truly communicate and the epilogue was extra adorable. I do not know how memorable this will be but I did end up reading about 65% of the book in 2 hours before bed so it was good for the moment.

I had high expectations since I had enjoyed a previous book by Sophie Cousens. Sadly I did not like this book. I did not have a connection with any of the characters. I wasn’t a fan of how the book keep going back and forth from present day to flash backs so much. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Another great book from Sophie Cousens!

I really enjoyed Before I Do. I love how the author did past & present to bring the 2 stories together of how we initially find Audrey on her wedding day. Some parts of this book are incredibly funny and others just make your heart swell. The writing is great and I loved the story and characters within it.

If you’re looking for a fun read I would highly suggest Before I Do, or any of Sophie Cousens books!

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in return for an honest review***

I needed a book to get me out of a reading slump, and boy did this one succeed! The night before Audrey's wedding to Josh, her what-if guy shows up at her rehearsal dinner on the arm of her sister-in-law. Fred, the guy she spent one amazing day with six years ago. It sends Audrey into a spiral, causing her to wonder if it's a sign, if Josh isn't her soul mate, if she shouldn't be marrying him. Everything that could go wrong does...

Told in multiple flashbacks--from six years ago, her day with Fred; to meeting and dating Josh; and to present day--this book is classic Sophie Cousens. She is a master at beautifully and clearly weaving together multiple timelines to tell a cohesive story. It also, like previous books, examines the role of fate in romance, and asks us how much of a role it should play. And the book keeps you guessing in the best way--who should and does Audrey end up with? Josh? Or Fred? I think this is Cousens' best novel yet, with each getting stronger and stronger. I highly recommend this read!

Thanks to Putnam for my eARC and my finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This is a great book for fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it!

I enjoyed this RomCom, Before I Do by Sophie Cousins. That said, the leading lady, Audrey drove me crazy. While she was likeable and her reasons for her particular brand of dysfunction were understandable, I was screaming at her through my Kindle to MAKE BETTER CHOICES!! This is one of those stories where there is sort of a love triangle theme and in order to work it out, someone has to be made to look bad. Why can't authors write these books where everyone is fairly decent, if a bit flawed, but the leads are just forced to MAKE A CHOICE rather than someone's last minute bad actions easily making the choice for them? I want to see something more realistic in my romcoms. I laughed throughout the book at cute and funny mishaps. I hated Audrey's mother's repeated mistakes as a mother and in her personal life. In the end, though I do not think the ending was what should have happened if this were a real-life situation, I was overall happy and uplifted by the book.