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.

4.5/5⭐️

Audrey is marrying Josh in 3 days. They are total opposites as he is grounded and stable and she has her head in the stars (literally, she loves astronomy). But she begins to have cold feet when his sister shows up to the wedding festivities with Fred (Audrey’s “what if?” guy), who she had one amazing day with 6 years ago. Is Fate trying to tell her something or is it just nerves?

This was fun but also a good treatise on how we sometimes put things from our past on a pedestal rather than taking off the rose-colored glasses. And sometimes those past over-the-top memories can sabotage our future hopes. Enjoyable story.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the free early arc of Before I Do for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Well, that’s uncomfortable!

What would you do if, at your engagement party, your fiance’s sister brings your first love (and the one that got away) as her date?

At twenty-two, Audrey met Fred after finding his photo at a photo booth. The instant she finds his photo she’s intrigued, and then, she leaves photos of her own in the same photo booth, hoping he’ll find them and somehow, he does. When they meet, they have one perfect day together.

Then Audrey meets Josh, “Bad Jeans Josh” as she refers to him and though she has absolutely no interest in him, they keep being thrown together, and then all of a sudden it happens. Sparks Fly.

As Audrey is about to marry Josh, she starts having doubts. Is it Fred or Josh she wants to be with? Cue the drama!

Before I Do was a smart, witty, and interesting read. While the character of Audrey frustrated me at times, I enjoyed this novel by Sophie Cousens and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam - G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the arc via NetGalley.

I can honestly say I didn’t know how this book would end! A sweet story, with multiple timelines to keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I had an idea about where this story was going. I was wrong. What I really loved about this book was the character development. I didn’t like Audrey much at the start— or rather, I found her difficult to relate to. Once her back story unfolds, it makes so much sense. I love that this wasn’t predictable. It was such a heartwarming read.

I feel like Sophie Cousens wrote a book that I had been thinking about for a while. Not the same exact book, but a similar one. Of course, she wrote a book much better than I could. I enjoyed it because it was a subject that I enjoyed. Audrey was a character that I found endearing yet, frustrating at times.

The whole concept of what if on your wedding day. I loved how she formulated the story, weaved in past and present, different story lines, and kept the reader engaged at the same time. The humor made me chuckle at a couple spots in the book. Audrey’s inner dialogue kept the reader smiling.

It did take me a tad to get into the book since it is written in third person. I am a fan of first-person point of view personally, but it won’t make me drop a book if it is written in third person.

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I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Before I do from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, thanks again!

I LOVE Sophie Cousens writing. She can honestly do no wrong. I was truly intrigued by the synopsis and was curious on how everything would play out. I was pleasantly surprised. I can appreciate how intricate the storyline was because it was all over the place but in a very organized way.

Love triangles are hard for me to grasp on because they give me second hand anxiety. Besides that, this was a fantastic book and I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s thoughts when it is released!

“Nothing’s over until you stop fighting for it.”

This is the story of Audrey who is getting married but having a serious case of cold feet when “the one that got away” turns up the night before her wedding.

I thought this was a cute and realistic romance that explores the doubts that come along with any relationship and how sometimes the what ifs of our past can come back to haunt us.
An enjoyable quick read in which I really felt for the main character and just wanted her to find her happily ever after.
I recommend you pick this one up!

All the stars for anything Sophie Cousens writes. Before I Do is one of the most unique romances I’ve ever read. Told in dual timelines, this love triangle comes to a head the night before Audrey and Josh are set to exchange vows. Fred shows up and all of a sudden Audrey wonders what her life would have been like if she and Fred had had more than one amazing day all those years ago. Audrey’s angst broke my heart, as she tries so hard to make everyone around her happy. But is she finding her own joy? I love an intricate complicated romance and Before I Do fits the bill. It kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This book was adorable. It really made you think “what if?” regarding things like fate and omens. I didn’t think that the “omens” were over the top, they felt completely realistic.

The author described Audrey perfectly in a way that explained why she would see random bats, traffic, or a messed up cake as a sign that she shouldn’t get married.

I was for sure team Fred and I think he didn’t get the end he deserved. In fact, he was treated like a nuisance and borderline weirdo at the end and that made me a little sad.
I hated Audrey’s mother and Audrey keeping such a strong relationship with her actually explains why Audrey is so bad with her own trauma and relationships. This probably wasn’t the authors intention, but it ironically came across as realistic. I mean her mom didn’t even unconditionally believe that she was inappropriately touched (at 22 years of age) by her creepy bf. Vivien is a terrible person and (realistically) that would rub off on Audrey and I think it did.

This FMC probably won’t be for everyone, but she’s realistic and maybe that matters more than likability?
4/5 stars

"Before I Do" is a charming and wise novel about what-ifs. When she was in her early 20s, Audrey spent one magical day with a guy named Fred, and then never saw him again. Years later, even as she gets engaged to another man, she still keeps a strip of photo-booth shots of Fred in her wallet.

As Audrey and her fiancé Josh are getting ready to tie the knot, a series of wedding-day disasters makes her question whether or not she and Josh are truly meant to be. He's a planner, she's spontaneous; his idea of a good time is planting trees to help the environment, while Audrey loves to stargaze, though her dreams of becoming an astronomer fell through when she failed her exams. When Fred turns up at the wedding as Josh's sister's plus-one, Audrey is forced to reconsider everything that led up to the present moment. Every other chapter gives us a glimpse of Audrey's past as she contemplates her future.

"Before I Do" is a romcom which also deals with some serious themes; Audrey's father died when she was a little girl, and since then her glamorous mom Vivian has cycled through several husbands and lovers, making Audrey wonder if she's genetically predisposed to never be able to settle down. The book's ending manages to be hilarious, unpredictable, and absolutely perfect.

I loved this book. I liked reading Audrey's background story. I liked reading about her day with Fred and also how the relationship with her fiancee evolved. Also i think this is such a related story in the sense that most people have had a "What if" person, and i think its so easy to romanticize that relationship and i found this book just very relatable over all. Side characters were great as well.

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Before I do from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adore Sophie Cousens and feel like Before I Do is an excellent show of her growth as a writer. Before I Do gave me Rebecca Serle/The Notebook/My Dark Vanessa/Firefly Lane vibes while somehow managing to not be all over the place style-wise. Cousens makes these tropes work together seamlessly. She is telling the reader numerous stories without it every feeling scatterbrained. It’s there, everything, all the pieces that bring the main story together.

Josh/Fred’s moments with Audrey through the first half of the book are equally compelling. I am in love with one man in one chapter but then fall for the other in the next. This invested me in the love triangle. I didn’t know who to root for until I did, then I leaned HARD into him and was sobbing with Audrey on the floor of her bridal suite.

Benedict’s moments made my stomach turn. I wanted to hide, I wanted to vomit, I wanted to cry. These chapters got dark, but brought depth to the characters and helped me to understand why they made the choices they made. It also was an excellent tool to use for showing the many complicated layers of Audrey’s relationship with her mother.

Overall, beautiful book but I don’t know if I consider it a rom com like the cover art might lead the reader to believe. Instead it is much more than that. I hope readers appreciate what Cousens has done here and the depth of storytelling she has achieved.

Audrey - Josh - Fred.... talk about a love triangle.

Love triangles typically aren't my thing and I found myself growing ever annoyed with Audrey. And the more I got to know Fred the less I liked him. I will say; however, I was pleased with how this book wrapped up and ended.

The timeline writing for this one was very unique.

In my opinion, Sophie Cousens can do no wrong. I love her quirky spiraling meet cute love stories and Before I Do continues her streak of delivering great books. I loved Audrey. I love the introspection of fate and the way the dual timelines overlapped to paint a broader picture. A great book. I think it may be my new favorite by her.

2.5 stars. It was good enough to read until the end but I only liked it, I didn't love it.

I initially enjoyed getting to know the main characters as well as part of Audrey's backstory. I also liked some of the wise and beautiful things the author wrote about love, marriage, and long term commitment. I also loved Josh.
Although Audrey's choices and behaviors became more understandable as the story went on, it didn't make me like her any better. I thought her mother was awful and never really warmed up to her at all. Also, it was pretty clear what was going to happen after Fred appeared. I usually enjoy formula stories and familiar tropes but, I think because I didn't feel connected to the characters, I only found this book to be mildly enjoyable.