I love the exploration of destiny and soulmates. Whether someone is meant to be—or not—and reading into happenings as signs. In Before I Do, we’re slowly, and perfectly, led through Audrey’s journey of discovery. Multiple timelines don’t always appeal to me, but in this case, I think it was beautifully done. The process allowed us to understand Audrey, and kept us guessing, in a way I don’t know could have happened quite as well in any other format. Parts of this book felt like a great romcom movie and the humor was a wonderful complement to the tougher subjects. All in all, a great read.

PLEASE NOTE: This is posted on my GoodReads currently and will be posted to Instagram and Amazon closer to its publishing date. Thank you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Before I Do” by Sophie Cousens
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5... 2.5?
✈️ to: England
TWs: sexual harassment, anxiety, infidelity

"Before I Do" is a story about what happens when your what-if guy shows up at your wedding and makes you doubt your supposed-to-be-marrying-tomorrow guy. It's chaotic, a lot messy, infuriating, occasionally endearing, and ultimately not for me.

My main issue with this book is that the majority of it is just a bit... boring and I didn't get a sense of the main character's (Audrey) personality until the halfway mark. Most of the characters felt a little bland.* The supposedly dreamy what-if guy is anything but and I was frustrated that Audrey was so swayed by him.

✨𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: While I do enjoy a big romantic gesture dance number (ala Mamma Mia), not even that could overcome the annoyance I felt with Audrey's indecision.

*Except for grandma Parker. She and her romance novels and bad omens could never be dull... Ok, Hillary the nactor (nanny actor) was also pretty great.

I have loved every one of Sophie Cousens’ books, and Before I Do was no exception! Cousens writes romcoms in such a heartfelt, beautiful way, and I always end up rooting for her characters and their HEAs. In this one, it really posed a dilemma because I liked both Josh and Fred! The multiple timelines made these characters all the richer and more developed, and I just adored this entire read!

I can’t wait to read more from Sophie in the future!

Love, love, loved!
This made me laugh, it made me cry. I felt so invested in the character’s story and the outcome. I enjoyed all of the characters so much. It resonated on so many levels.
Brilliant! Well done!
If you enjoyed Sophie Cousens’ other books, I think you’ll enjoy this one too.
Easily one of my new favorite authors.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam Books for sending this book for review consideration.

Similar to her last two novels (“This Time Next Year” and “Just Haven’t Met You Yet”), Cousens explores themes related to destiny vs. choice; what we think we need vs. what we really need; and timing. “Before I Do” is well written and has depth to it, but there’s not much character development for anyone but the main character and the overall story doesn’t feel well rounded.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed Cousens’ prior book Just Haven’t Met You Yet, a quirky fun read so was excited to receive an ARC thanks to NetGalley. The first page is a quote from Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance,” so I was really looking forward to another fun quirky book. This book opens with a wedding. And then the book goes back and forth between the days leading up to the wedding and several years before when she met someone e for one day and fell in love and didn’t see him again - until the rehearsal dinner as the date of someone else. Just my kind of fun romcom. There are parts in here that seem to take a long time getting to. And many different timelines between past, way past, present. I loved the astronomy references which made it fun to read about. All in all another solid book from Cousens.

This charming book surprised me. While it had the incredible meetcutes and quirky characters (a sassy grandmother is always on my romance bingo card) I expected, it also had some really poignant moments about love, familial misunderstandings, and what it takes to make a marriage work. It’s light but not frothy- on a popcorn to steak spectrum, I’d consider this one a PB&J sandwich.

This was the absolute SWEETEST book. It’s big on the “what if” moments that all of us have had at least once in our life. Audrey is a prime example of how your family really does play a role in how you view things/situations. I loved loved LOVED Josh. I’m not going to lie, this book had me on my toes until the very end while I was waiting to see what was going to happen! I’ll definitely be reading this one again and again!

Sophie Cousens has been one of my favorite authors! I surprisingly hadn't read anything like this before and really enjoyed it. The differing timelines helped really paint the picture of the one that got away and Audreys conflict. It was emotional and a page turner.

I love this book so much.

I don't usually love when books jump from the present to the past every chapter but Sophie Cousens wrote this so well. I was so invested in both the past and present and loved the way it was easy to follow along.

I especially enjoyed all of the astronomy references as I too wanted to get into the field but the math part was just too difficult for me to master. I love that Audrey was able to learn to love herself despite not being on the same timeline as her peers, it's a good reminder that everyone moves at a different pace.

Adding an excerpt of my favorite part of this book. I need to print this out.

“I call bullshit on what you are saying. I don’t like this narrative that’s crept into books and films. This idea that you are not worthy of love until you have your life sorted out, that you need to be sure in your career, completely mentally stable and happy before you can be loved. I fucking love you, whether you’re a work in progress or a finished article. So should Josh, and so should you.”

Audrey had rarely seen Hillary so animated. “Do you really want to live in a world where only the sorted people get to be in love?”

So funny enough I could have used this for a Cannonball 14 bingo because of the constant discussion of stars, who knew. But seriously though. This is the third book by Cousens I have read and they just keep getting better. Potential romance readers may be worried about the plot of this one and if this will work for them, but I promise you it will. It was lovely the whole way through. I called it a chaotic romance and it really is. And you are going to not like parts of Audrey sometimes, but you are going to be rooting for her while you read. I thought several times while reading this book that some characters were saying a lot of things I wish I had heard/known when I was younger. 

"Before I Do" follows Audrey who is about to marry her fiancée Josh. Audrey feels a bit "off" the night before their wedding and wonders if this is what she really wants and can she and Josh make each other truly happy. Audrey is shocked when Josh's sister brings Fred "one who got away" to the rehearsal dinner and Audrey is left floored about whether this is a sign that means the wedding is a mistake. The book goes back and forth to a time before the wedding and the time after. 

So Audrey is a bit of a mess. And there's good reason she is we slowly find out. Outside of her mother's multiple marriages, she's still reeling from an incident when she was a young woman which left her feeling guilty. And now that Fred, the first man who ever made her feel "something" is back before her wedding, she wonders if that is a sign she's about to make a big mistake. You may want to shake Audrey while reading, but there's reasons why she feels the way she does, and why she feels so off. An amateur astronomer, it feels as if Audrey is constantly giving up her dreams and has watched all of her friends, even her mother, continue to couple up. Part of her feels the push/pull of that. But we also get to see the many times she met Josh through the years and how he ended up being someone she wanted to be with. The story of Audrey and the story of Audrey and Josh was wonderful to read. And it was great to see an acknowledgement through other characters about how hard marriage is and how often it sucks. 

The writing was great and I laughed a few times while reading. Seriously the night before the wedding had the most messy stuff happening outside of Fred. I would have probably opened a bottle of champagne after the dead bat incident (you have to read it).

The pace actually works for this. Cousens does a good job of setting up points in time by saying X hours, days, months, years before Audrey is supposed to say I do. 

The ending was great I thought. You don't get the in between stuff, but almost the entire story in the end.

Audrey is a bit lost, struggling to find what she wants to do with her life. Her story is told through multiple timelines and introduces us to Josh, her type A fiancé that she once nicknamed ‘Bad Jeans Josh,’ her mother and her mother’s many love interests, and one special day spent with Fred from the photo booth. When Fred turns up on the day of Audrey’s wedding, she begins to question her relationship, love, and the role that fate plays in it.

I loved this book! It would make such an amazing movie. Audrey is not always likable, but she is real and relatable in her indecision. The book really makes you think about alternate realities and how the choices we make shape our future. I also really appreciated how Josh is portrayed in a realistic way. So many times, main characters seem too perfect, but Audrey, Josh, and Fred are all flawed and likable in their own ways. The ending chapters were sweet, laugh out loud funny, and the perfect way to tie up Audrey’s story. I’d recommend this book to any fans of rom coms- you’ll love this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam, GP Putnam Sons, and Sophie Cousens for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance copy of this book.

I feel like this book was written just for me. As a big 'ol what-ifer, I've probably spent weeks of my life talking to friends and family about our lives could have looked like in an alternate universe. This book gets at exactly this. A long time ago, Audrey meets Fred. They have an instant spark and spend a day together that they both remember for years to come. In the present, Audrey is about to marry Josh when Fred comes back into the picture. She has to grapple with what those two version of her life could have/would be and make a decision. Great characters, captivating plot, and a few laugh out loud funny parts. Highly recommend!

Have you ever wondered how life would have changed if you had made one different decision? Enter Audrey, Fred, and Josh.

With a storyline that jumps from one point in time to another…to another, the reader will explore Audrey’s experiences with love and be left wondering just what will happen before she says I do.

Great romance! Audrey and Josh are getting married. Opposites attract and it is wonderful! But then Miranda, Josh's sister, shows up with Audrey's What If guy. Did she miss out on something? Add in a crazy multi married mom, well meaning friends, and hilarious mishaps that make it seem like this wedding is cursed for a fun time. I can't forget a Yorkshire grandma who reads naughty romances and seems to know much about curses.
Thank you, NetGalley for a stellar choice!

This was a great example of opposites attract and how past trauma can really mess with your mental health. It was equally a great love story and great character growth with a bit of personal triumph mixed in.

Tropes/Features:
• Romantic Drama
• Contemporary Romance
• Wedding Weekend
• Past and Present Timelines
• UK Romance

It’s Audrey and Josh’s wedding weekend, and things don’t seem to be going exactly to plan – add in the fact that her future sister in law’s date is a blast from Audrey’s past / one that got away. Cue awkward moment and what-if wonderings….

This was my first read by the author, but I look forward to more. Her writing style was interesting and well-paced, and I found this British romantic drama read to be one that kept me flipping the pages. The story does have moments of levity too, but definitely explores some heavier topics as well. It was interesting to have the story switch from the current wedding weekend timeline to various flashbacks of Audrey’s past – we get glimpses of her childhood, formative experiences, her relationship with Josh, and her encounter with the mysterious ex.

The story is one that covers not only the love story angle, but touches on bigger questions we all struggle with and family relationships (especially that between Audrey and her mother). The insights we get over time into Audrey and Vivien (her mother) were interesting. Audrey and Vivien both upset me at times with things they did, said or didn’t say --- and don’t get me started on Audrey’s indecision. However, it was all necessary to the story and I did find them real and authentic at the same time. It’s always easier to see things from the outside, in life and in books.

Highlights for me:
• Hillary the nactor (nanny / actor) – I loved him, I really wanted more of him
• Letter from Audrey’s dad
• Flashbacks of Audrey and Josh
• Photobooth story – it was interesting to wait for it to fully spin out

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam for the opportunity to read an early copy!

This was cute! 3.5 stars and for sake of goodreads, I found up! Not my favorite of her three, but definitely a good one. I definitely grew to LOATHE Vivien, and wish that something different had happened there.

Otherwise it was a cute, feel-good read!

This was a story about fate and what’s meant to be and not meant to be and all those possible parallel universes out there.

Audrey, the bride to be, decides to unpack some of the bigger issues in her life during the weekend of her wedding. This obviously does not go well for her.

Josh, the groom to be, deserves all the flowers. He really carried a lot of this book for me, especially the romance aspect. He was pretty swoon, which is why Audrey’s whole dilemma is so frustrating.

The first half of the book was s l o w. It opens with start of the wedding but I was barely interested until the half way mark (with exception of the parts that included Josh). I think this was due to the multiple timelines. But it picks up and I flew through the last half wanting to know what happens next.

I liked this book and would definitely recommend it. It has a satisfying ending and left me thinking about fate and soulmates.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely an interesting read! I absolutely loved the way Sophie Cousens wrote this story, as the writing was beautiful and had a lot of sentimental moments hidden throughout. The chapters capture the moments before and after Audrey's wedding, but also memories from her childhood and the early stages of her relationship with Josh. The flashbacks added so much to the story and I always enjoyed getting to read them, as learning more about the home Audrey grew up in and the memories she had added so much to her character development and I could truly understand why she made certain decisions. Sophie Cousens is such a talented writer and this book definitely proves it. I highly recommend checking this book out!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.