I enjoyed this book and got a lot more from it than expected. The characters were fantastic, but it really unpacked all the possible doubts than anyone would have before they say, “I do.”

The main character, Audrey, seemed to be easily swayed and also deflated by people in her life until she finally figures out what she wants. It is very ironic how her wedding day seemed to be about everyone else and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

The writing cadence shifting back and forth from present to past made it more interesting.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I will definitely be checking out the authors other books!

WHAT A BOOK!

Who hasn't had the one who got away, and wondered about this exact situation? There was even an XKCD comic about it.

Amazing book, I loved it

5 stars, absolutely no question about it.

Damn, what a ride. This book started off with a bang and it kept me hooked the whole way through.

Let's start with the characters: They were all nuanced and SO well developed.
Vivien was such a wonderfully complicated mother. Seeing how she shaped/carried herself throughout each of her relationships and how Audrey experienced it was a great way to show how it affected their relationship through the years as well as how it affected Audrey on a fundamental level.
We got to see Josh through several different lenses as Audrey's perception of him changed throughout the book - not just prior to their relationship, but even during the days preceding the wedding/during the wedding/and after. We really got to know him as a multidimensional character and got to see why he and Audrey complement each other so well.
Getting to know Fred started of as the meet-cute to end all meet-cutes. The reader is caught up in the whirlwind that is Fred just like Audrey was. It's so easy to fall in love with him and see him as "the one that got away" and root for him, especially in the beginning. Slowly, we begin to see the "what if" that Fred represents as exactly that - a fantasy.
Audrey, my sweet nervous wreck of a bride, I sympathize with you. The way she was written as a character was fantastic. As the reader, I was firmly on her side throughout the book. I felt her highs and lows, her complete lack of surety during the big moments, and the way she felt adrift in her own life. Was she flawed? Absolutely. She was selfish, flighty, and wasn't ready to accept the "why" behind her hesitation in marrying Josh. But that, paired with the way the book was structured, made her a relatable (if sometimes unreliable) character. Something I loved about her progression (thanks, Granny Parker) was how she finally took ownership of her flaws and actively worked to address them in order to fix her relationship.

Structure: I LOVED the way this was written, jumping between time points and giving us context that way. It was a great way to show her whirlwind with Fred, the natural growth of her relationship with Josh, and the other events that shaped Audrey along the way. I think that if it had all been given chronologically, it would run the risk of feeling overwhelming/stale at times.
The way the story was written also had me questioning things along the way. Who would she end up with? Is Josh the love-match we think he is? Is Fred?? And my favorite - WHO did Josh take on their honeymoon trip?? (Because yeah, f*ck Harriet) I knew where we would end up but the "how" of it was unclear and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Favorite takeaway from this book: There are hundreds of ways that things could have worked out and hundreds of reasons why they didn't and holding onto that doubt is a sure fire way to ensure you end up miserable and living in the past.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an arc of ‘Before I Do’ in exchange for an honest review.

Audrey is less than a day away from marrying the love of her life, Josh, when a blast from the past shows up! Old fling Fred randomly shows up and completely throws off Audrey and causes doubt in her choices. She is now reminiscing on every decision she has made when it comes to Josh and Fred, and she’s wondering if she has made any right choices in her life.

This book took me on a wild ride. I felt so many things all throughout! There were twists and turns and so many surprises. The prologue was incredible and absolutely hooked me. I also really enjoyed the flashbacks going back and forth from the past to the present day. It really helped me with connecting to each part of Audrey’s life and how that may have impacted her on her wedding day. Sophie wrote this in a way that makes it seem like each man is perfect for Audrey, and at the same time they’re completely not. Audrey kept going back and forth, she’s wondering if either man is right for her. There was also background on her mother, whose choices make clear that she didn’t provide Audrey with a good example of how to choose the right man. No wonder she’s confused! I also really resonated with Audrey with the way she was wishing she had a different life. It’s very relatable. Sometimes we can get swept away with the idea of something, and it can be hard to accept what is!

I enjoyed the themed of fate and chance. It’s intriguing to wonder what things in life we actually make happen and what things are simply meant to be for us! I also enjoyed the message of ~ you are worthy of love whether you are put together in life or not ~ I loved that so much! Sometimes I feel like I need to have everything right in my life for me to feel even ‘ready’ for something to start. But honestly, who’s ever ready?

Audrey is about to marry Josh, but she keeps thinking about the "what-if's" from 7-years ago when she "met" Fred at a photobook. Audrey and Fred shared one magical day together, with the hopes of many more, but fate tore them apart and they never had their chance. All those years go by and he walks into her rehearsal dinner with her future sister-in-law, throwing her state of mind into a tail spin.

I love Sophie Cousens. Her books always rope me in and keep me turning the pages. This book was no exception. The timelines jump from present day Wedding, to 6/7 years ago when Audrey met Fred (and was dealing with her Mom's current relationship), and the last 4 years since she's met Josh. You start thinking one thing about each character, and rooting for certain ones, but as the story continues it goes down paths you didn't expect. I really was rooting for Audrey and felt she was relatable as she was flawed.

When NetGalley approved this book I literally dropped all the books I was reading and made this a priority. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the e-Arc!

Before I Do is available 10/11/2022!

A big thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Audrey is a flighty, head in the stars kind of woman, and Josh is a down to earth, sweet & constant man who brings out the best in Audrey. Audrey and Josh are about to get married, but bad omens continue to surround the wedding day until the biggest of omens makes Audrey rethink if Josh is really "the One." Enter Fred, "the One who got away", who shows up as Josh's sister's plus one to their wedding. Will his presence unravel the wedding, or will they persevere?

I think this is my personal favorite of Sophie's works! I went through all of the emotions in this book: I teared up, laughed a ton (Granny Parker was a blessing), and even got angry. I was a BIG Josh fan, and didn't care much for Fred. Josh deserved so much better than what Audrey put him through! The supporting characters also had some drama of their own, which kept things interesting. I couldn't deal with Audrey's mother, and actually rolled my eyes multiple times from her dialogue. 🙄

I love the multiple timeline aspect, as it kept me engaged and trying to guess the final ending, I appreciate that the author allowed us to look deeper into those "What If" questions surrounding love that we all face at one point or another. While I didn't agree with everything that Audrey did, I did end up loving the ending of this book!

Tropes: meet cute, opposites attract

CW: panic attacks, sexual harassment, infidelity

This book comes out on October 11, 2022!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC of Sophie Cousens’s Before I Do in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s begin with a synopsis. It’s the night before Audrey is supposed to marry Josh when Fred, the “one that got away,” unexpectedly shows up to her rehearsal dinner. This occurrence, as well as other things that go wrong through out the day leading up to and day of the wedding, she is thrown into a tailspin of doubts. Is Josh who she is supposed to marry or is fate telling her otherwise?

This book is told from Audrey’s point of view throughout different times in her life: her history with her Fred, her history with Josh, her history with her mother’s many husbands who have been in her life and how they have affected her, and, of course, present day. These timelines of these stories are mixed chapter by chapter. I loved reading all of the stories. It helped to explain why Audrey was struggling so much with what she should do with her future. The relationship between Audrey and Fred and also between Audrey and Josh were night and day. While reading the book, I struggled with who I thought she would and should end up with. I thought Cousens did a fabulous job showing the true struggle real life can throw your way with decision making and also how people internalize situations they think they are responsible for. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it, along with the other books by Sophie Cousens that I have also read including this Time Next Year and Just Haven’t met You Yet.

#SophieCousens #BeforeIDo #Romance #ContemporaryFiction
#Fiction #Weddings #Doubts #TheOneThatGotAway
#WhatIf #OppositesAttract

This book is adorable!

Audrey and Josh are an unlikely couple…polar opposites that have some how made it to their wedding day. There are so many mishaps leading up to the big day that Audrey starts to question if it’s just a run of bad luck or fate trying to change her path? It makes her question everything…and on top of everything “the one that got away” shows up at her rehearsal dinner…oh dear!

This was such a fun read! Romcom perfection!!!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this opportunity!

I’m a sucker for rom-coms; especially, in the summer. The plot was cute & I loved the ending. While this one did not disappoint, it wasn’t my favorite by Sophie Cousens. It’s a light, easy binge read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let me preface this review with 2 things:
1. I love Sophie Cousens' books
2. I hate cheating/infidelity being romanticized in stories

That being said, I did love this newest release from Sophie. Without giving too much away, I was uncomfortable part way through this book, wondering how she was going to wrap things up, but ultimately I loved how it came together.

We meet Audrey after she has just run out of the chapel in the middle of her wedding. Unsure what preceeded this, the story unfolds in alternating timelines including present day during her wedding and in the past (jumping around to different critical points in time).

The gist is this: the night before her wedding - Fred shows up. Six years ago, she had one magical day with Fred and then they just seemed unable to find their way back to each other. However, she is on the cusp of marrying Josh, a down-to-earth guy who no one thought was really head-in-the-stars Audrey's type. Is Fred's arrival a sign? Whether or not it is, it sets off a reaction in Audrey where she is questioning if she is doing the right thing. While Fred's arrival is the impetus for pushing her there, we soon learn that her mother's ongoing infidelity and failed marriages, as well as Audrey's emotional baggage are much more at play than anyone realized.

This is a story about love, loss, family and destiny.

This was a good read. While it wasn't something I would usually choose for myself, I found myself enjoying the story. I have some patrons in mind already, so I'm going to purchase a couple of copies for the library. I think it'll be well-received in our collection.

How many of us have ever wondered what happened to “the one that got away?” Expert author Sophie Cousens delights fans with her most recent novel Before I Do, with this very question with several added twists slipped in. It is the eve of her wedding and Audrey is about to marry Josh. Josh is delightful, kind, successful and an excellent match for Audrey. But, when her past shows up to her rehearsal dinner, Sophie can’t get rid of memories. Her brief encounter with Fred was filled with fireworks and excitement, but then he left without a word. I really love books that explore the reality that one life might have several paths to happiness, but it took me a while to get into Audrey’s story. About half-way through, I was hooked and, without giving anything away, felt very strongly that Sophie’s writing led Audrey on a realistic path. I’m excited to discuss Before I Do with friends in October 2022.

A sincere thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC REVIEW*

3.5 stars

I usually have trouble with books that go back and forth between the past and the present, but I found the first half of Before I Do to be easy to understand (...second half not so much). I enjoyed reading about every "bad omen" before Audrey's wedding day, her love story with Josh, and her encounter with Fred many years ago. I will say the plot line of her mother and her various husbands did not interest me in the slightest.

I started to have trouble keeping up when we made it to the wedding day. So many things were happening and all of the stories of the past were finally interacting to the point I was struggling to make sense of it all. I found I was not fully in the story because I was trying to keep track of every crazy turn of events. It was also here when characters I liked started to annoy me as their true colors were coming out (i.e. Fred and even Audrey).

I found the end of the story to be very sweet and satisfying (but I am definitely still #Team Josh). If you like books that have multiple storylines and switch from past to present, this is a story packed with drama.

Thank you so much to Sophie Cousens, NetGalley, and Putnam for the eARC of Before I Do.

Audrey and Josh seem to be the perfect couple and are leading up to having a perfect wedding day. When Josh’s sister, Miranda, shows up with her new boyfriend, it sends Audrey into a frenzy. Fred and Audrey met 6 years ago through a photo booth, and Audrey has thought about the “what-ifs” ever since. Will Audrey and Josh make it, or will Audrey decide to run off with Fred, who she once believed was her soul mate?

This was such a cute story, and I absolutely love everything Sophie Cousens writes. So excited for everyone to be able to read this one!

This is my second Sophie Cousens book, the first being This Time Next Year, which I LOVED. I really enjoyed Before I Do. Audrey is at a crossroads when the day before her wedding a man from her past shows up. Is she meant to marry her fiancé, Josh, or is she meant to be with the man from her past, Fred? I fell in love with both Audrey and Josh. In my opinion Josh and Audrey were prefect for each other. I loved the flashbacks which gave us a glimpse into how their relationship Blossomed. As for Fred, I wasn’t a big fan of his. I found him to be a bit selfish and self centered. Overall a quick and fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite writers! I was first introduced to her after I read her other novels, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR and JUST HAVEN'T MET YOU YET. Her newest novel, BEFORE I DO is just as good as the others. I was in love with this book immediately in the opening prologue. Cousens opens her story with the bride, Audrey, running from the church, barefoot and sporting a red lump on her forehead. How could I not read on to see how this would all end?!?!? Audrey spends so much time going back and forth between who she once was and who she has become. Of course, she needs to do a lot of thinking before she gets her life headed in the best direction for her. For me, the real love of this novel came in the last few chapters with the challenges and misunderstanding between Audrey and Josh. So many different questions arise but the most important questions revolve around love, marriage and creating a solid team. Cousens does challenge the reader to follow multiple timelines in her novel but it really is not an issue as long as the reader focuses when reading. If you are a true romantic at heart then this romance is for you. This book is definitely worth reading!

Audrey had met the one during a perfect whirlwind day…and then lost him. Years later Audrey is getting married to Josh when this near stranger turns up at the wedding. The wedding itself is a mess, and it seems that anything that can go wrong does—even the bride cake topper manages to take a jump off the top of cake onto the floor. It seems that there are signs everywhere pointing that she should reconsider the wedding. Josh is different from her and in some ways her opposite. But her stranger is so much like her—is he the one she is supposed to marry?

The author explores some interesting questions as Audrey determines her fate. For example, would a twist of fate had changed who she married? Could she have married anyone else in the room if the circumstances were right? Is there a force pulling us to the right person, or is it only chance? She also touched on the idea that sometimes we put love on hold until we get ourselves sorted and why this approach is problematic.

I loved this book, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely worth the read—and read it with a pack of Chipsticks (which can be found on Amazon for the U.S. readers).

Before I Do is a dual timeline story, going back and forth from the 24 hours surrounding Audrey’s wedding and years in her past leading up to this day. The experiences in her life leading to the wedding day along with the events on the wedding day give you insight to how Audrey is thinking and why she’s questioning things leading up to her walk down the aisle. The storyline gave some fun twists and turns as unpredictable things happen in Audrey’s life, and I enjoyed seeing how the timelines intertwined to create this story. I have enjoyed every book I’ve read written by Sophie Cousens, and this is no exception!

I very much enjoyed this book, I laughed out loud plenty of times while reading. While reading this book you have a preconceived notion about how it will end and I'm glad to say I was wrong. I very much liked the ending. This would make a great beach read.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.
Cousens does an incredible job of creating what I thought would be a basic love story into a journey of self discovery and vulnerability. Throughout the entire book, I did not know exactly where it would go, so I was constantly reading for more. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Audrey find herself and what she wants in life through the ups and downs in the book. Despite going through nothing similar to what she does in the book, I found myself relating to her feelings and struggles. I also found myself inspired by her solutions and wisdom. Bravo to Sophie Cousens - I am obsessed with this book.