The description of the book made it sound interesting but it wasn't. She was supposed to be hung up on a guy she met years ago and spent one day with but it was very obvious that she was never going to leave her fiancee. The book also talked a lot about the trauma her mom gave her but we never really got a resolution to that so why was it included?

I received an arc through netgalley.

This is a fun romp of a wedding day gone wrong with lots of time jumps. The main characters are likeable and relatable and believable and the book is well-paced. Largely a coming of age without being too heavy handed. Would recommend.

This is my third Sophie Cousens book and she has cemented her "automatic one-click" status with this one!
I think almost everyone has a "the one that got away" in their life, and Audrey comes face to face with hers the night before her wedding to "bad jeans Josh".
The story is told with multiple time lines which reveals to the reader so much more about Audrey's back story, her relationship with Josh, and her ultimate "meet cute" with the one who got away - Fred. The backstories, coupled with disaster upon disaster of back luck prior to the wedding, leaves you guessing as to how it will all end - and who, if anyone, will Audrey end up with.

I love the combination of laugh out loud moments, tender moments, and exasperating moments as Audrey's wedding approaches. I loved this story and this mix of quirky characters.
5 stars for this one!
Thank you to Sophie Cousens, NetGalley, and Putnam Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Before I Do releases on October 11th 2022.

Before I Do screams Sophie Cousen’s in all the best ways!

Short synopsis: On the eve of Audrey’s wedding, she runs into her “what if” guy and on top that, she is faced with a bunch of bad omens. Audrey starts to question whether fate is preventing her from making a huge mistake or whether destiny is just playing tricks on her.

Thoughts: Sophie Cousen’s always does a great job writing nonlinear timelines and building up angst within a romance and this book was no exception. I loved Audrey as a main character, the wedding setting and how the drama was not included for the sake of it but because it made sense with the story. Cousen’s also did a great job balancing the over the top/ silly moments with the more serious topics.

Read if you are interested in:
-Stories that question fate and “what if”
-Nonlinear timelines
-Wedding settings
-Love triangles
-Family drama

Thank you Putnam for the ARC and PRH Audio for the ALC!!

I fell in love with Sophie's writing when I read This Time Next Year in early 2021 and also absolutely loved Just Haven't Met You Yet published later in 2021. Before I Do was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year and I enjoyed it - so much so that I finished it in one (kinda long) sitting. Just couldn't put it down!

Although I highly anticipated this one, I was also tentative to read it given the concept - something happening on the eve of her wedding to make our main character question her marriage, something that seemed to involve a man from her past. I don't like love triangles AT ALL, but I was willing to put that aside as I enjoyed the author's past work and trusted that she would spin it in a positive, rom-com worthy way.

Ultimately, this is a story about if who you love and marry is serendipitous fate or something you choose. The reader follows Audrey's story through three timelines - present, 3 years ago and the start of her relationship with her fiance, and six years ago meeting "the one who got away." This timeline helped me piece together Audrey's state of mind for the present and also created Audrey as a fairly relatable character. There were some lovely side characters, Granny Parker, Audrey's BF, and Nactor, Hillary.

Sophie excels at blending together tough life circumstances with humor and insight. There's hard moments to read about here, especially with Audrey's relationships with her mother and her mother's various husbands as well as Audrey's dilemma and indecision regarding her love life.

“What would you do if ‘the one that got away’ turned up the night before your wedding?”

This was my first Sophie Cousens read, and it definitely will not be my last. I’ve already added her other works to my TBR list. The story and the characters were very well developed. This book made me laugh, cry, and really think about the concept of soulmates and what is meant-to-be.

Audrey is a dynamic main character with lots of baggage, some self-esteem issues, and complex relationships with those around her. The flashbacks and alternating timeline were a welcome way to delve into what made Audrey tick and fleshed out her relationships with those important to her, beyond just Josh and Fred.

While there is a romance aspect to this story, (I mean it is set at Audrey and Josh’s wedding) I’d say the real story is Audrey finding her way and learning more about herself. She had such great development- from being naïve, flighty, and indecisive to knowing exactly what and who she wants. The undertone through the story was that you don’t need to have your life all figured out by a certain age, and those who you think have it all together really don’t either.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam Books for the advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

I was a little indifferent about this one in the beginning. The events felt a little too cheesy and slightly ridiculous. But halfway through my opinion started to change. I become a lot more engaged in the story and what was unfolding. The multiple timelines added a layer to the story that I really enjoyed. In the end I was quite pleased with how everything turned out.

This book jumps around a bit in the timeline. And while the characters were fun and lively, I did not find myself connecting very much with the main character at all.

It was cute. It was bingeable. Granny Parker is awesome. Some of it was so ridiculous 🤷‍♀️ Not my fav of this authors but it was cute and parts made me laugh. I was team fred for awhile but I also think he might be a lil coo coo. The whole plane thing where people were team Audrey or Josh was so ridiculous though but I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the best Sophie Cousens book yet, and I've officially decided that Josh is the perfect book boyfriend.

Audrey is set to marry Josh. Sweet, kind, patient, funny, perfect (even in his bad jeans) Josh. And their wedding day arrives and everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Including Fred showing up as the date to one of their guests. Who is Fred? Fred is they guy that Audrey thought was "the one who got away". His arrival on top of the chaotic wedding weekend has Audrey second-guessing everything she thought she knew, and whether or not her life is on the correct track and if Josh truly is the man she's meant to be with.

This was wonderful. It bounced back & forth between timelines, which give us insight on why Audrey is the way that she is, and the supporting characters were absolutely perfect and added so much to the story. Hillary had me laughing out loud before the first chapter had ended, and I'm desperate for a best friend like Clara. And Audrey. Audrey is the best kind of protagonist. She's a little annoying and frustrating, but still likable. She makes mistakes and learns from them, and once she realizes what she truly wants, she doesn't let go of it without a fight.

I did not like this very much at all. While I usually like time jumps back and forth in a romance, they didn't work at all here. It never really felt like the book knew who it wanted to cheer for, so both couple option felt lackluster. Combine that with most of the characters being bland, this wasn't a successful read for me.


I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

3 Stars Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is not your typical contemporary romance or rom com. When Audrey is about to marry Josh, her “one that got away,” Fred, shows up for the wedding and she begins to wonder “what if.” As things go wrong at the rehearsal and the ceremony, Audrey questions whether Josh is really “The One.” The book goes back and forth between the past and present, showing how Audrey met Fred, how she met Josh, her mother’s previous marriages, and more of what made Audrey who she is. I’m not a fan of books that go back and forth between different times and this one was a bit hard to follow, especially since the stories in the past didn’t even unfold linearly. It was also hard to root for Audrey because she was pretty self-focused (though I wouldn’t necessarily say she was selfish) and didn’t treat Josh well once she started having doubts about their wedding. I’m glad the book ended the way that it did though.

What a sweet book!

I read this on my beach vacation and didn’t want it to end!
Held my attention right from the start!
Not my first Sophie book and won’t be my last!
Love her writing style !
Thank you to NetGalley!

I really enjoyed it. Audrey was a great character. However, I didn't love the back and forth of the time lines. But that is just me, i get confused haha. But otherwise I really enjoyed everything about this book.

This book kept me guessing until the end! I really had no idea what the outcome Audrey was going to have regarding her romantic relationship(s). The end was adorable and it was a great way to end the book. I love the focus of Audrey’s love of astronomy and the stars. The author tied a lot of the story into constellations and the stars and I loved those details! This a solid, fun read. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin/GP Putnam for providing a digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story of Audrey and all of the wonderful and horrible events of her young adulthood she carries inside her like an old carpet bag is one of love, of fantasy and of hurts. Vignettes of her past in three different frames describe the contents of her carpet bag and the whys of her emotions on the eve of and her wedding day. Emotional on many levels, very well written, and interesting characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I Do had me so confused about which love story to cheer for every other chapter. I found myself understanding the confusion and pull to the past. The truth is a love story of the ages can be whatever the author wants but, I have to say I enjoyed this ride from start to finish. Sophie Cousens has a gift of making you question what your choice would be.

I absolutely loved Sophie Cousens' latest book, "Before I Do" and fully believe you will too. If you are a fan of women's fiction, chic lit or literary rom coms, then this is definitely the book for you. The characters are fun, funny, and wonderfully crafted, the story flows beautifully, even though it switches back and forth between time periods, and the overall plot is entertaining, enjoyable and truly gratifying. I particularly loved the friendships between Audrey and Hillary and Audrey and Clara, and the ever-growing bond between mother and daughter. I must admit, I am a sucker for books involving weddings, especially set in fabulous European destinations, so this book had me hook, line and sinker. But, even if that's not your cup of tea, Before I Do promises to be a light and pleasurable read that is certain to entertain.

Rating: 4
Laughing Score: 3
Crying Score: 1

Before I do is such a fun book. Sophie Cousens is the queen at navigating multiple timelines! She did it again in this one and did not miss. I loved getting to know Audrey’s past while seeing how she was navigating her present.

I loved this book from the start, I thought it was funny and consumable, and I just found myself blowing through it over the weekend. After a series of unfortunate events, Audrey finds herself on her wedding day questioning EVERYTHING. The part of this that felt real was her conversations with her friends. I’ve had a variety of these conversations with my friends, multiple times, and Sophie really nailed it.

I was team Josh the entire book, phew, to be loved by a man like Josh! What a treat that must be lol. I felt like the third act conflict was THE MOST natural lead-up to a conflict, and I didn’t mind it, even though it broke my heart a little.

The ending was a bit different and had a different tone than the rest of the book, but I needed the HEA because I just needed things to be right for Audrey and Josh.

Lastly, this book made me realize how I need to look up at the sky more. Are any of you into astronomy and star gazing?

This is my first book by this author.

I really like the idea of the story, but sadly the back and forth, the different timelines, I just couldn’t settle on a favorite.

Too many people mentioned right at the beginning got me confused as we jumped right into chaos.

This wasn’t my cup of tea.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.