Hours before Audrey’s wedding bad signs keep happening and then her fiancé, Josh, sister shows up and her wedding date is Audrey’s “what if” guy from many years ago. Is this a sign she is marrying the wrong guy?

The chapters are told from different points of view – right before and after Audrey’s wedding, her whirlwind with Fred, and finally meeting and dating Josh. They Cousens wrote really gives the reader a full scope of Audrey character development and why she made the choices she did.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it, it makes one think about fate/timing/moments in our life who have made us into who we are today.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for gifting me this ARC for my honest review.

“You know me…” she said with an evasive smile.
“I don’t actually.” He paused, then tilted his head to one side. “Though, whenever we meet, I think how much I’d like to.”

If you decide to read Before I Do for romance then you'll get a little. What you will get a lot of is our main character, Audrey, struggling with the questions of of destiny versus conscious choice on her wedding day-- not exactly the most opportune time to begin questioning all your life choices.

Before I Do jumps back and forth in time. The present timeline is Audrey's bad omen-filled wedding day to Josh (dead bats, near-death by strangulation, an old flame turning up). The wedding is messy. And the past timeline is all the events that have led up to the wedding day, all the choices she made going back six years. Audrey as a character is flawed-- a bit selfish, flighty, and disorganized. Audrey has also had some unprocessed trauma and mother issues which leads her to doubt and second-guess the meaning of love.

I really liked Before I Do, although it's not my favorite Sophie Cousens' novel. I liked that it wasn't a typical romance. Marketed as a love triangle, it's really about woman who needs to take charge of her own destiny and take ownership of her setbacks.

It took a minute to get into this book. At least every chapter swings back and forth in time, sometimes a chapter had two different times in it, (like 1 year ago and then today), Before I caught onto the cadence of the book, I got a reading whiplash for two starts. Once I got into the the book and understood the different timings, I enjoyed the storyline. Audrey and Josh are soon to be married. During the book, we read about her past and experiences that make her love the way she does, and in turn, what makes her fearful of love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Sophie Cousens for allowing me to read this book in advance.

5/5 ⭐️

I freakin’ looove @sophie_cousens & this book!! It tackles a very real, human experience: the what-if. As someone who’s often second guessed myself because of what-ifs, I’ve learned to live by the phrase “a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.” And this book. Y’all. It truly dives in to the conflicting thoughts that happen when confronted with situations from our past, “bad omens,” and possible second chances.

Plus as someone who’s planning my own wedding, I felt the main character Audrey’s stress and can understand how easily it is to reconsider all your life decisions when everyone is giving their opinions about it.

Also, as someone who’s tried a few different career paths, I loved Audrey’s professional growth and how she was supported while figuring it out. It mirrors my own life, which happened a lot & I mention quite a few similarities in this review.

I want to spoil the ending so bad because I have so many thoughts and want to talk all about it BUT I won’t. Just know when I tell y’all I was rooting for the way it ended 🙏🏻 mmm I’m so happy about it.

Please DM me when y’all read it so I can chat about this one! I’ve never had so many “wow this chick has so many of the same thoughts I’ve felt” moments in a book. And now I’m searching out a Greek vacation too. Because my life is now influenced by this book. Or my life is just so similar that it feels influenced. Idk but I know I love it.

Thanks to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. This review is 100% honest & my own. Pub date: 11 October 2022. Go out and buyyyyyy it! Preorder it!

Before I Do is my first book by author Sophie Cousens.

It's Audrey's wedding day, but things aren't going to plan, not least because 'the one that got away' has come as her future sister-in-law's date to the wedding. Told in flashbacks and rolling forwards from the wedding rehearsal, Audrey has to decide whether she wants to marry solid dependable Josh or take a chance on Fred, a man she had one date with six years earlier.

I like this book okay. I'm not sure what was missing, but it felt like something was. I didn't love it or hate it.

before I do by sophie cousens!!📖💒💕
★★★★

the plot:
imagine the one that got away, lost to time and circumstance, shows up again in your life - but he’s a plus one at your rehearsal dinner aka it is the night before your wedding to someone else. sos!

the story starts with audrey, running out of the chapel on the day of her wedding. as we go back and forth in time, we learn more of why and all about the emotional baggage carried by audrey from different shaping times of her life. we learn about fred, her “what if” guy; but we also learn about josh, her fiancé. the past is revealed parallel to us getting closer and closer to the wedding and wondering what will happen. it’s an emotional rollercoaster and a PERFECT romantic comedy.

my thoughts:
I LOVE THIS BOOK.🥰😭🫶🏻 it is truly a quintessential rom com. I felt like I was watching a movie as I read. in fact, please consider this my formal petition for the world to make this into a movie! it reminded me of a few things: runaway bride, one day in december, and bridget jones diary - aka some of the very best things.

at the halfway point, I was so torn on who I wanted audrey to end up with…the love triangle was MASTERFULLY done which added a lot to the story.

I loved the glimpses into different times and I appreciated the short chapters - I felt like it never dragged, and I was more curious how it all fit together than anything else.

all in all - I squealed, I laughed, I cried!!!! I felt all the things and I loved it.

thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. it was a dream of mine when I started this account to get a copy of a book I was looking forward to reading, before it was released so this really was a dream come true🥰🥰🥰

& thank you sophie! you get rom coms and I love you for that. this time next year was one of the first books that got me into reading again in 2020, so thank you two times.🤍🤍

I was invested in this story from the beginning. The falling in love. The questioning and doubting. The happy ever after! It is so relatable! Can't wait to read more by Sophie

How much of true love is fate? It’s Audrey and Josh’s wedding day and all of their family and friends are gathered for the big event. But when someone from Audrey’s past shows up, she begins to wonder if fate is intervening.

Like everything Sophie Cousens writes, I really enjoyed this book. Her characters re imperfect people, and she makes them so human and relatable. While I wouldn’t consider this to be a funny book, there were several times that I laughed out loud. I could easily see this book being turned into a movie.

Thank you so much to netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with an advanced copy of Before I Do in exchange for an honest review.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5)

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Don’t be fooled by the cover of this book - this is far deeper than a typical rom-com or simple romantic book! The book centers around Audrey and Josh on their wedding day but flashes back to Audrey’s childhood and years leading up to the wedding date. This books asks the question: what if? What if we took a different path in life? What if we didn’t get off the train at the right station one day? What if we don’t marry the one? This book is incredibly light-hearted but I found myself getting teary eyed at the end ❤️❤️ This is a very sweet gem of a romance novel.

Thank you Net Galley and G.P Putnam for an eARC of Before I Do in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #beforeido #sophiecousens #arc #whatsemilyreading #booknerd

This was the best Sophie Cousens’ book yet! It alternates timelines between past and present as we get introduced to the main character and her love interests. Audrey has to decide on her weeding weekend if she’s going to go through with it and marry Josh or believe in all the bad omens surrounding the event that could possibly be telling her this is a mistake.

This book was a roller coaster, I was back and forth so many times regarding which love interest I wanted Audrey to choose, Josh or Fred. In the beginning, after reading about how Audrey and Fred met and their magical day together, I was sure I wanted her to choose him. But then, I started reading about how Josh and Audrey met and how wonderful he is for her and I changed my mind. I really didn’t know up until 80% of the book who she was going to choose and who I wanted her to choose.

I didn’t connect much with Audrey because she’s just all over the place, not knowing who she is and what to do with her life. I felt for her and how confused she was, all over the place. But that’s just me because I have a very different personality than her. I started liking Audrey more in the last chapters of the book. Despite that though, the story was so good, I love that the author was able to keep me guessing the end of the book and my feelings about the MCs so many times.

This was not your typical romcom, reminded me of One True Lives by JTR, and I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I read by Sophie Cousens. I read her book 'This Time Next Year', but I liked 'Before I Do' even more! It's Audrey's wedding day, but as she prepares to marry her fiance, Josh, she begins to wonder if he's the one for her. They have a caring, stable relationship, but she doesn't feel the spark that she is looking for or expecting. Her mother has been married 5 times, and because of this, Audrey begins to question whether marriage is right for her. When her' what if' guy shows up at her wedding, she wonders if it is a sign for her to think twice about her marriage.

I really enjoyed the story because it went back and forth between different years, and it showed different parts of Audrey's relationship with her mother, Josh, and her 'what if' guy, Fred. It was interesting to see how these relationships changed over the years, and I liked learning about these changes through the use of flashbacks.

With some books that I have read lately, I have had a hard time rooting for the main character, but I was definitely rooting for Audrey in this book. It was such a powerful story about figuring out what you want out of life. Audrey was looking for what her thing was going to be. She went to school for different things, and she had many different jobs, but she had to go on a journey of self-discovery to figure out what she really wanted out of life.

This was a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun story about finding yourself and never giving up on love. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC of 'Before I Do'.

I loved everything about this book. The way it was structured going back and forth between different times of the main characters life without being hard to keep straight. This may be considered a rom-com book, but there is a lot of wisdom in the pages. The characters are so fun and likeable. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

3.5. This was a cute romance that alternates chapters between “before her wedding day” and “after her wedding day.” The main character, Audrey questions her decision to get married and pretty much everything in her life. Audrey is an impulsive, young, adventurous woman - I found her character at times irritating, but overall I enjoyed how she figured it out in the end. I loved the rest of the characters, especially the witty banter between them. I found the novel light, funny and one of the best endings for a romance that I have read in a long time.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Cousens always writes such lovable characters, and this book is no exception. While traditional "romance" novels always end with a happily ever after, this book was interesting because it wasn't immediately obvious what that HEA would entail. The timeline was woven masterfully, bringing in past elements at just the right moments. Sweet and funny, this is a great feel-good book.

Spoilers Ahead!

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Audrey is about to get married. Then her "what if" guy walks through the door of her rehearsal dinner on the arm of her future sister in law. From there, she is sent into a spiral that makes her question everything leading up to the point. Does marrying Josh even make sense? Was she fated to meet Fred (her what if guy) again? She starts to wonder if a decision she made would have made her life completely different. It all has to mean something, right?

The reader is taken back and forth between the current events of the wedding day and then back in Audrey's past through events in her life that led her to her wedding day. She puts a ton of emphasis on Fred and all of how they seemed so perfect for one another and how if not for one event, they would've had this fantastical life together. It was hard for me to personally connect to Audrey, though given she went through some hard times with her family, her indecisiveness and games really made her unlikeable for me at times. I really felt for her fiance, Josh, and his whole resilience in the story, weathering all of her up and downs and lack of focus. It shouldn't take losing someone/a relationship to know how great it is. I honestly don't know if I really think Audrey deserved the HEA she got. She really had a lot of growing up to do and while she FINALLY got there....the story just kept emphasizing that point. Team Josh all the way.

2 stars ⭐️ ⭐️

Not my cup of tea. To me, this book was just one big soap opera/anticlimactic mess. Now, that’s not to say there weren’t some positive aspects to be found….. but in general I didn’t care for it.

Audrey is engaged! But is she happy about it? That remains to be seen. See, she met Fred years ago and they had a wonderful afternoon together! Talking, jumping off Ferris Wheels 🤔, dancing in the park etc. But then, Fred disappears from her life and she meets and starts dating Josh. Josh is a pretty decent guy, but I must say… I didn’t like how their relationship was established, or that Audrey decided she was interested once he had a girlfriend and was so jealous right off the bat. I mean, she could barely remember his name at first. Anyways, fast forward in their relationship to their rehearsal the night before their wedding when Fred shows back up, bats fall from the ceiling, wedding dresses rip, and every other character seems to be having a personal breakdown. Are these all bad omens pointing Audrey to rethink her wedding?

I honestly didn’t like Audrey. She spend the whole book on the fence. Dreaming about ‘what ifs with Fred,’ questioning whether she and Josh were too different, not knowing her own mind and heart. All in the span of 24 hrs. I get it….. wedding jitters and all. But she really annoyed me. Josh was a great character. He was kind, sensitive and sweet. Fred was just…… strange. Throw is a mommy best friend, lots of step fathers and one crazy, promiscuous mother and you have an ensemble of craziness and chaos.

This book was anticlimactic to me. Why throw in such a big emotional stepping stone for Audrey (in the form of Fred) and have her stew over it for so many years just to have it figured out I. A page or two. I feel like my emotions were wasted.

On the plus side…… Audrey had some growth. She figured out what she wanted and needed and went for it. But to me, that’s the only redeeming quality of this story.

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

Spontaneous Audrey is about to marry Bad Jeans Josh. Josh is kind, stable and safe, but as the wedding approaches and everything seems to go wrong, Audrey wonders if she’s making the right decision. The night before the wedding, her “what if” guy shows up, and Audrey starts to question everything.

This is such a fun, lighthearted book! Audrey drove me a little crazy at times, but both guys were so well written that I was cheering for each of them at different times throughout the story. The side characters were also likable; I especially enjoyed Clara and Hillary, Aubrey’s best friend and former nanny. Although I’m not usually a fan of third person narratives, the multiple timelines counting down to the wedding, as well as filling in the sweet background story of how she met both Fred and Josh, really kept things interesting. The mother/daughter relationship and its impact on Audrey’s decisions also added depth to the story. Plus there was the extra bonus of being set in England!

Do opposites attract and balance each other out? Or would two completely spontaneous people be a better match?

Sophie Cousens’ previous books were already on my TBR, and I’m definitely going to have to bump them up on the list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before I Do releases soon on October 11th! Special thanks to Netgalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing an ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Love this author so was excited to see where this one went (even though I hate love triangles with a passion). It was an interesting read with plenty of interesting characters which left you guessing as to which path Audrey would go down (3.5 stars)

Opening with what is quite possibly my favorite meet cute of all time, <i>Before I Do</i> starts out really strong, though it did feel like the set up for a rom com, rather than a romance that delves into the internal struggles of a woman. I really liked that Audrey is sort of a 'difficult woman' in that, while she's somewhat quirky with her "head in the sky", she's not a manic pixie dream girl by any means. She's relatable and flawed rather than an idealized trope of a character. Cousens does a great job honestly portraying what it is to be conflicted, caught between the 'what if' fantasy and the imperfect, sometimes boring reality of a 'good guy'. I also really liked that I had a completely different expectation for where the story was going as <spoiler> it definitely would've followed a different romantic trajectory had this been the rom com it seemed to be setting up from the beginning</spoiler>.
While I think the concept was stronger than the execution-- following a character across several strands of time is certainly ambitious-- it's an enjoyable and thought provoking read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

“I don’t know if anything is ‘meant to be,’ certainly when it comes to love. There could be a million versions of us out there in the multiverse, where none of this worked out. Aren’t we lucky that we get to live in the world where it did?”

After spending one adventurous day with Fred, the “photo booth guy,” Audrey never sees him again… until 6 years later on the eve of her wedding. Photo Booth guy, the one that got away, shows up as a guest of the sister of the groom. Everything that could go wrong with the wedding does go wrong leaving the bride to wonder is this a case of cold feet or are these signs that it wasn’t meant to be? What if he would have shown up for their date 6 years earlier would she be marrying down-to-earth “Bad Jeans” Josh or was Photo Booth guy the one she was truly meant to be with?

I enjoyed this book, it was a quick, light read but it did take me a bit to get into the style as the timelines jumped from past to present to future. The last quarter of the book which mainly took place in the present kept me turning the pages to find out who Audrey would end up with. This was my favorite of the 3 books I’ve read by Sophie Cousens.