This book was incredible. I wanted to rush through it, but savor it at the same time- a sign of a book that just touches your soul.

My brain and my heart couldn’t decide- was I Team Josh or Team Fred? On one hand, Josh was exactly my type. On the other, the magical connection that Audrey and Fred had just couldn’t be denied. Photo Booth Boy and Girl brought together by fate, then and now. I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple timelines, as we, the readers, connected the dots in Audrey’s life story.

A beautifully written, enchanting story that weaves a tale of love, family bonds, second chances and stars that burn bright and but never burn out.

What an unexpected story... you don't always know where you want it to go or who you want Audrey to "end up with" but you will always be drawn into her story.
Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is a lighthearted romance that actually takes on some big questions and themes: do we have on true love/a soulmate? is there such thing as fate or being truly sure about your decisions? do you have to have life figured out before you turn a certain age? can one moment/person change your path forever?

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded; dual timelines worked really well for me as I think looking at the past helped me see more clearly the present story as just one small part of the bigger story of Audrey and her past and future within her present wedding day chaos. I thought the secondary characters were really entertaining and well developed as well, particularly her best friend's story of new motherhood. The use of the past timeline stories helps lead into a strong resolution and ending as well.

My one quibble is that I wanted the story to maybe lean more into what I saw as a defining event that impacted her adult timeline, I thought that was a challenging and really important part of the story that could have been introduced earlier and explained/developed more. Others may disagree and regardless, it is a stronger story for that part of the narrative and I think a wonderful way to move the book into engaging book discussions.

Recommended for fans of this author and for readers who have enjoyed reads this year such as Birds of California, How to Fake it in Hollywood.

Sophie Cousens has quickly become an instant buy author for me! I have read both her prior books and loved them. Before I Do is her best book yet. She appears to be getting only better with time!

Before I Do was a true five star read for me. You can tell how much time and thought went into writing this book. The following are a few of my favorite elements without giving too much away:

1. The character development was fantastic! This is a story that could have caused readers to dislike the main character, Audrey. There are so many times throughout the book that I just wanted to shake her. However, the backstory Cousens gives Audrey, humanized her in such a way that all I could do was root for her happiness(no matter where that led her).

In addition to beautifully rounding out Audrey’s personality, Cousens did a fantastic job with Josh aka James and Vivien. I am a Josh girl through and through! He is so lovable it was hard to watch him endure pain at the hands of Audrey. Vivien was a character I grew to understand and then slowly appreciate. Cousens could easily write a second book about her life surrounding all her relationship drama!

2. The plot was superb! I loved the juxtaposition of telling Audrey’s love story with Josh versus her magical day with Fred. The exploration of fate/ destiny and soulmates/ true loves being real opened so many opportunities for discussion. This is an ideal book for partner reading or book club!

3. The timeline added an element of mystery. As an avid reader it is always fun to see an author differentiate their work from others. Having the story told the way Cousens did kept me on my toes. I couldn’t put the book down as I had to figure out how the pieces fit together. This book will have me thinking about it for some time.

Special thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley.com for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have enjoyed all of Sophie Cousens’ previous books and this one is no different. “Before I Do” is a cute story about a woman who details some insecurities about her impending marriage by flashing back to the times and romance she experienced prior to her impending nuptials. The emotions and self-doubt seemed realistic and again, the protagonist was likeable. I liked this one, 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I couldn’t put either of the author’s previous books down, so I was very excited for this one! It was cute. I liked the structure of the novel - going back and forth in time, all in relation to the wedding. I did want to scream and shake the main character A LOT, but (without spoiling anything), she came to the conclusion I was hoping for/yelling about. And now I desperately want to take pictures in every photo booth I come across.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐟 '𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲' 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?

♡

this book follows 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘆 and the events leading up to her wedding with 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵. six years ago, however, she spent one unforgettable day with 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱. the next time they see each other is the night 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪 𝘥𝘰, but Fred comes as the plus-one of Josh’s sister. —𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐲 & 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

♡

the story is told in 3rd person; beginning with a prologue in the present on Audrey & Josh’s wedding day & the following chapters alternate between flashbacks and to the night before the wedding.

it was a rom-com novel throughout, but also a lot about self-reflection & growth and wondering how the choices we make can change the direction of our lives; making us think 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧? …what-if we had made a different choice in the past & what would that mean for our future?

♡

this is actually my first book from Sophie Cousens and i really enjoyed it! i will definitely check out more of Sophie's novels <3


𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 :)
𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 & 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦!

This book has cemented Sophie Cousens as an auto-read author for me.

I've loved all of her books so far!

This one, especially...I was so emotionally invested in the plot that I flew through it. It's told in multiple timelines, with an element of suspense that I hadn't expected. The story felt authentic and universally relatable. Grab it today!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. I did not love this book. I think the back and forth got confusing; and I feel the main character blamed alot of her behaviors on previous events. Not my favorite.

What do you do when the one who got away shows up at your wedding rehearsal dinner? This is the conundrum that Audrey finds herself in. Audrey is a fly by the seat of her pants kind of gal, and Josh, her fiance, is a miticulious planner. After Audrey's string of non commital men, her friends and family are happy to see her with someone so well grounded. Audrey is happy, at least she thinks she is, but when she sees Fred she doubts everything. Who knows what will happen next.

This book was a delight to read! The premise is what initally drew me in, but once we started going back and forth in time, I was hooked. I love how the story slowly unfolded, but also kept good pace. This is the perfect light read to get you out of a reading slump!

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens was a book I just had to finish. Audrey is suppose to marry her fiancé , josh, in just two days. But once an unexpected character from her past arrives, she’s just not sure if she should. Listen, Audrey at first was a hot mess to me. I couldn’t believe that she was contemplating blowing up her life for…I’m still not sure. I did enjoy all the flashbacks to Audrey’s past because it helped me understand her. The way it was written I couldn’t help but feel empathy for her. Plus I loved all her best friends and how supportive they were. I enjoyed reading this book and Sophie Cousens has won me over again. 3.5 stars rounded to a solid 4!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

As this book opened on Audrey's wedding day, with a wedding that maybe possibly doesn't occur, I wasn't sure that this was going to be the book for me. This book had a high amount of tension around whether or not Audrey is marrying the right person. But as the story unfolded, and your understanding of Audrey and her past grows, I found myself invested in "Who should I be rooting for?" Sophie Cousens handled the multiple timeline, back and forth shifts perfectly! This is a heartwarming tale about navigating the "What ifs" and "What could have beens in life" it is about all kinds of love, not just romantic, but also familial.

In the end, it was heartwarming and devour able. Overall an enjoyable read.

The writing was very good, the past vs. present storyline flowed well together. There was no confusion reading along on my part, brava to Sophie on well established storylines. The writing about the existence of other worlds/us was very near towards having existential crisis myself, as there is so much more we haven’t discovered yet. Audrey’s fears and anxiety’s were felt ver real throughout the book. I love how everything came together for Audrey in the end. Had me there for a bit with Fred, happy that Audrey came to a realization at the end.

TW: sexual harassment, infidelity

Wow, what a beginning! You don’t really expect a story about a wedding to start off in such dramatics. The time jumps start off a bit bothersome bc you want to find out what’s going on, but it was honestly enjoyable after you get further into it because you get so much background information in between the present day situation. I loved how she had such a firm support system, despite it being smaller, and how different they were. Her mother is quite the character and I’m sure we‘ve all known a Vivien (who can’t be single to save their life and unfortunately drags her kid through the muck of it all). We discover that Audrey is experiencing a bit of a soulmate conundrum hours before she is set to say “I Do”, after a boy from her past happens to appear at the rehearsal dinner. Throughout Audrey’s past and present, everything eventually reveals what happens when you get stuck in a cycle of “ What If?”
I won’t ruin all the excitement, so just know that this story is beautiful and deep and kept me waiting for the next happening!

Thanks to Putnam Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinion!

I’m in love with Sophie Cousens’ writing - her books make me feel like I’m sitting outside a café on a crisp and sunny fall day with a PSL - just me? I doubt it. She has the perfect balance of sweet and cozy contemporary romance and a more broad fiction, incorporating stories with a bit more weight to them. I also always love the back and forth timeline, getting to piece together present day and the events that led to this disastrous wedding weekend.

Audrey had such unique relationships with everyone in her life, and the book gave us a look at all of them. Her mom, her older-brother figure/nanny, her best friends, and her fiancé. Each had their shining moments where they might have been skipped over in other stories.

Overall, a gentle and delightful love story!

I have really liked Sophie's books and Before I Do was no exception. This story of Audrey's past and present relationships seems straightforward when you start the book, but there is much more going on behind the scenes. You get her story of love and life in dual timelines. Sometimes a moving timeline can get confusing and feel disjointed, but the back and forth between present and past in this book gives us so much depth and insight into all of the characters. But the characters are so great. The found family is heartwarming. I love the depth that I get in Cousens' romances. My friend Kari calls them "romance with heft" and I like that for this book.

If you have picked up Beth O'Leary or Lindsey Kelk on my recommendation, you definitely want to check this out as well.

I have to say, I really loved the journey of this love story. For a solid chunk of it, I was so torn in this love triangle, finding such lovely qualities in both of the main men of the story.

Josh is the guy that is so easily likable by everyone. He’s handsome in a classic, Abercrombie man way, and he has a heart of gold. Fred, our dare devil, had me itching for more of that wild card, exciting love that he brought to the story.

Our leading lady, Audrey, had me wrapped around her finger. I loved that at times she wasn’t reliable and had issues with being flighty and not knowing where her heart really belonged; Cousens did such a wonderful job of helping her character grow. I really loved getting to know Audrey, and I ended up really really rooting for her.

Overall, I recommend this novel to anyone who loves lost loves reconnected, questions of whether soulmates really exist, complicated family matters, and some really quick wit.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley @netgalley and Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

At the beginning of this novel, I was convinced that I knew the outcome of what was possibly going to be a well-versed romance about star-crossed lovers. I’m glad I was wrong.

Audrey is a polar opposite of her soon to be husband, Josh. She flits from job to job trying to find something that fits and Josh is the stable one. After fate possibly intervenes by re-introducing someone from her past, she wonders if her “What-If” guy (Fred) is right for her and not Josh?

Told in bits of her life before and up to the I Do and featuring both Josh and Fred, along with her roommates and mother, we stumble along with Audrey to figure out just who is right for her and make her happiest.

I loved how Cousens wrote this book. I really loved “Bad Jeans Josh” and how he went from being forgettable to being the groom. I was surprised at the amount of twists this book has and thought the ending was satisfying. I’ve added the other Sophie Cousens to my TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC. This book is out today!

"

I have always lived to look up. Astronomy helps us understand where we are from and where we are going. It teaches us humility...I have been privileged to see further and further out into space, capturing images of...millions of stars...not one has outshone the love of my life."

The question in Before I Do by Sophie Cousens, who is quickly becoming an auto buy romance author for me, is who is the love of Audrey's life?.

In this non linear romance Audrey's story starts with her stumbling out of a church in a wedding dress where something has gone horribly wrong. From there we go back one day before she is to say I do to Josh and then we go back 6 years where she fatefully has the best meet cute with Fred involving an old time photo booth. As each chapter goes back to different pivotal moments we learn about her relationship with each man but more importantly we learn about Audrey's relationship with her self, her doubts, her fears, and her dreams.

One of the most influential relationships for Audrey is with her 5 time married mother, her part in the end of each of these marriages and a really creepy encounter with her Mom's would be husband Benedict that made my skin crawl.

Audrey does love Josh but when his sister walks into the rehearsal dinner with Fred, who she hasn't seen in years, Audrey can't help but wonder is this is fate telling her there is a different path in the stars for her.

There is humor, there is romance, but I found this story is about a little girl missing her Dad, reaching for the stars and learning to follow her heart before saying I do.



I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was giddy when I saw that Sophie Cousens had a new book coming out. She has quickly become one of my favorites. Before I Do is the story of Audrey and starts out on Audrey’s wedding day when she is racing out of the church and there is chaos all around. From there, Audrey’s story is told in a nonlinear time line of before and after the wedding, explaining how she got there. And it is absolute perfection. This is romcom at its finest. It has themes of Serendipity in it where Audrey spends a day with random boy years before but they could not find each other in the years that followed but then Audrey meets her current love and her life goes in a different direction. I laughed so much in this book. These characters are hilarious with such witty banter and clever jabs. It is heartwarming and sweet and the pieces all fit together like a perfect puzzle. Pub day is tomorrow and you need this book in your life.

This was the perfect rom-com to distract me from the chaos that always surrounds me this time of year!! Did I feel like it was a believable "wow this could actually happen" kind of love story, nope! But in ways that made it so much better. It was an escape from real life! A love story that made me laugh, cry and question destiny. I also questioned exactly how the story would end, which added to the fun of reading it.

Audrey is about to marry her opposite, sweet Josh. He is exactly what she needs, but there are no fireworks between them. As the wedding day gets closer, Audrey begins to question if Josh is really the one. When Josh's sister shows up with her date, Fred, Audrey's "What if" guy, that she met 6 years prior, Audrey begins to wonder if fate is intervening. It doesn't help that everything that could go wrong on her wedding day, actually goes wrong. Is it all just a coincidence or should Audrey not walk down the aisle?