This was a pretty solid 3 star read (which is fine! There’s nothing wrong with a 3 star book). I thought it was an interesting take on fate and soulmates and I really liked how we got to go back in time a little bit to see glimpses of Audrey’s life before the wedding. I didn’t really connect with Audrey at all and I didn’t like the Epilogue, I thought it was too far in the future for me. But I think I would recommend this to a friend, as long as they aren’t looking for something that’s really going to wow them. Maybe a quick read from the library!

This was ok. It was never really a mystery who she’d end up with, but the drama involving her mother was the real center of the action. This was more coming of age and less romance, which is fine, just not quite what I thought I was getting, also, the best friends drama was annoying

Sophie Cousens has a way with words and the way she uses them creates characters you really care about. This book is written in multiple time lines as we follow Audrey and Josh meet and plan their wedding. So many things go wrong as Audrey struggles to find her true sole mate. This book started slow for me. I had a hard time warming to Audrey and wondered what kind, steady, lovely Josh saw in her. Then, bit by bit, by flashing back to earlier years I learned what made Audrey so reticent to fall in love. There are some dark themes in this book and at times I wondered if I would call this a romance novel but, in the end, the book is about love. I would highly recommend all three of Sophie Cousens books and hope she is busily working on her next.

I flew through this one! I really enjoyed the jumping timelines. With the prologue I had no idea how this one was going to turn out. I was team Fred through most of the book, but then changed at some point. I couldn’t decide how exactly I wanted this one to end. I loved the different supporting characters in this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book for an honest review. Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite authors and an automatic must read for me. So I was thrilled to be able to read this early. With other authors, jumping back and forth between past and present timelines can be confusing, but that is not the case here. Instead it allows us to get to know Audrey and understand the doubts she starts to experience on her wedding day to Josh. When she unexpectedly sees Fred, the guy she’d met 6 years prior and spent a “perfect” day with, it throws her because she’s always wondered what happened to him. Fred reappearing allows Audrey to evaluate her own feelings for Josh and also her own relationship with her mom.
I cannot recommend this book enough!!

“Before I Do” by Sophie Cousens was about Audrey and is the universe trying to send her a sign before she walks down the aisle with Josh. The book cleverly bounced between past and current time. You learn about Audrey’s past of dealing with all her mothers marriages that may be taking a toll on her relationships. You go back into the past when she met a guy on a whim who then shows up at rehearsal as a plus one. Could fate be trying to tell her something. But yet there is Josh the groom and how their relationship began not so exciting but maybe the safe choice for Audrey. I really loved this book. The time shifts and the quirky stories that all tied together. I was routing for Josh the whole time but is he the one for her? Are there soulmates? Audrey is bound to find out before she says I Do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Fun, Quirky, cute yet heart wrenching rom com that is worth the read!

#julesbookshelf #arc #beforeido #sophiecousens #romcombooks #bookstagram #netgalley #goodreads

Sophie Cousens refers to Before I Do as a jigsaw puzzle. Using her analogy, she has put all of the pieces in place to create a beautiful picture.

It’s the story of a young woman who suddenly has another chance with the might-have-been from her past. Unfortunately, timing being what it is, she’s about to marry someone who loves her very much … and as she has to keep reminding herself, she loves him too.

Through near and far flashbacks, Cousens tells the story of Audrey’s love interests, how she met them, how she lost them, and how she found them again. The flashbacks can get confusing so readers have to check the chapter headers to stay in sync with the story. Worth it? Absolutely.

Watching our flawed heroine work through her choices, pay the price for her mistakes (and her ego), and grow as a result was delightful. I won’t tell you the ending but I promise you that I was completely invested and unsure of how things would end. Literally, I was so nervous that Audrey would make the ‘wrong’ choice that I had to put the book down and walk away.

Oh yes, I picked it back up again! And I’m glad I did. The ending is wonderful and there’s a side character who absolutely steals the show. Now, I have to read all of her books and I can’t wait!

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is scheduled to be available on October 11, 2022.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning! The characters were adorable and I loved their love story. Even with the rotating timelines in the story, it was easy to follow.

Before I Do turned out to be such a surprising read. Audrey is a lovable character who is so incredible but so unsure of herself. I like how the chapters alternate between Audrey’s wedding day and events of the past. I had no clue how the plot would turn out until the end. Excellent read!

This might be my favorite Sophie Cousens’ book so far! Audrey is caught between past and present when a person from her past unexpectedly shows up at her wedding festivities. From there, we jump from timeline to timeline piecing her life together as she grapples with what is meant to be and does fate really exist at all. I was left guessing how it was going to end and which direction she would choose and it did not disappoint. I loved the characters (as always, she creates the best ones!) and the message was really beautiful.

I would read Sophie Cousens’ grocery list. Her stories are immersive experiences. “Before I Do” raises thought-provoking questions and challenges your conception of love. I loved this book (I binged read it) and am eagerly anticipating her next work!

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an arc of 'Before I Do' in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book took me on a WHIRLDWILD of emotions! From smiling and laughing out loud with the characters to crying actual tears for them, I simply couldn't put it down. This novel by far exceeded my expectations and made me fall in love with Sophie Cousens' writing even more.

'Before I Do' is a story about the nuance of choice and how oftentimes we let the notion of having an infinite amount hold a certain degree of power over us. On the day of Audrey's wedding, a past lover shows up unexpectedly making her doubt the man she's about to marry. Could this be fate? Overwhelmed by the omens that keep occurring leading up to the ceremony, we go back in time between chapters to learn about how the past is playing such a significant role in the present.

One of my biggest takeaways from this book is that it's easy for us to mourn the lives we aren't living. It's easy to wish we'd developed other talents and said yes to different offers, however we can't tell if any of those other versions of ourselves would have been better or worse because we can only live the life that we are currently leading. There was so much to Audrey’s story and this book took me in a completely different direction than I thought it was originally going. The plot had me at the edge of my seat not knowing which guy Audrey was going to end up with. Completely unrelated but I absolutely loved every character in this book, it was very clear that each one was written thoughtfully and with so much detail. The grandma in particular stood out to me the most, I loved seeing her pop up throughout the book. I usually am not one for 3rd person POV books however it was written so well it didn't bother me at all.

One thing I think that should be noteworthy is that I believe there could've been more diversity amongst the characters and a slight TW (panic attacks, sexual harassment) proceeding the first chapter but overall this book was phenomenal and I recommend it to all my romcom lovers!

I absolutely freaked out when I got approved for an ARC of Before I Do, @/Sophie Cousens’ latest novel. Before I Do is one of my most anticipated releases for 2022. Both of Sophie Cousens’ other novels were highly rated from me and her newest was no different.

What if the one that got away showed up at your wedding? This is the question that Audrey, the novel’s almost-bride protagonist is wrestling in the few days leading up to her wedding. Audrey has met her match, Josh is mister-perfect, Prince Charming, and her opposite in almost every way. When he asked her to marry him, it was a no brainer, but she couldn’t get those lingering thoughts of Fred out of her head. Fred and Audrey had an off-chance meeting and missed connection that she has thought about for the past six years, and now he’s at her rehearsal dinner. So, what should she do?

This book brought me to tears and had me cracking up all at the same time. One thing I love about Cousens’ stories is the chaos in the plot but also in the lives of her protagonists. Audrey is easy to relate to because as much as the reader has no idea what she should do, she doesn’t either. You feel like you’re living in the story with her, trying to make this decision that could alter the rest of her life.

The side characters in this story provide some of my favorite comic relief that I’ve seen from a rom-com in a while and I enjoyed Hillary to no end. Audrey’s relationship with her mom adds to her story as well just making her journey toward love all the more difficult but also special. There’s no shortage of love of laughs in Before I Do and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt and fun romance!

Special thanks to @/netgalley @/putnam and @/Sophie Cousens for this advanced copy! Pub day is October 11!

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers. I enjoyed this book and the way the timeline jumped back and forth. I thought it would be confusing when I started the book, but intimately I did think it contributed to the storytelling. I found the book hard to get into at first, but after about 25% in, I was fully
Invested in Audrey and the men in her life.

"Love changes us, there's a metamorphosis. Everyone I've loved has changed the shape of my heart."

One day until Audrey and Josh's wedding, should be nothing but wonderful leading up to the happiest days of their lives, except it's a long string of bad luck. Dead bats are the least of Audrey's worries when her what-if man from an unforgettable day seven years ago shows up at the rehearsal dinner as her SIL's date. Audrey starts to question everything, including whether or not she's marrying the right man in just a days time.

This book was infuriating to read, but in a satisfying and addicting way. Cousens takes us through the past, meeting Fred (her what-if man), meeting Josh (her fiancé), and her relationship with her parents. It's one of those stories where you go in and you have no idea what man Audrey is going to choose, but as you hear more of her past, you definitely have a favorite and are rooting for her to pick the right guy and groaning in frustration when she teeters in the other direction. No spoilers, this is just too good, and you haaave to experience all the feelings yourself.

I loved the set up of this book. As frustrating as Audrey was, Cousens did a great job of rounding out her story, and her choices, and thoughts make sense the more you uncover about her past. You can't help but feel for Audrey and understand a little bit why her head has been in the clouds. The ending was perfect, everything that happened needed to or I'm sure readers would be peeved with all characters involved.

A wonderful romance that takes you through the MC's journey right along side her through every stage in life. We got to see Audrey fall in love with Fred, Josh (NOT JAMES!), her friendships with Clara and Hillary, and her relationship with both her parents. A quick read, but very well written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Sophie Cousens for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

↠ 4.25 stars

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an arc of Before I Do. I had a great time reading it!

Before I Do is about a woman, Audrey, who we meet the night before her wedding day. She is going to marry Josh who is a very particular and sweet man. But in walks in Fred, a man who Audrey had one perfect day with years ago. The story is told through flashbacks to when Fred and Audrey first met and when Audrey started dating Josh. As the book goes on Audrey starts to question her relationship with both men and where her fate lies.

Here are my thoughts:

This book had me HOOKED from the first page. I stayed up late reading the ending because I was dying to know what happened (and that's saying a lot because I have a newborn at home and I need sleep!). I read This Time Next Year last year and I loved it so I had high hopes for this book. Sophie did not disappoint!

I loved the main character Audrey. She's the kind of girl you relate to very easily. She has some Daddy/Mommy issues that she clearly needs to work on. I really liked both Josh (the man she is supposed to marry). I just love how the book made it seem like there was going to be something wrong with Josh. Like that would explain Audrey's doubts. But instead, he's just a big lovable, and caring man who may or may not have some OCD tendencies.

The other side characters were funny and endearing. Clara was beyond relatable and Hillary was amazing. Even Granny Parker, who I wanted to scream at during one scene, was someone I wish I had in my corner.

I could write a whole loooooonnnnngggg paragraph about her mother but I won't I'll just say, "Wait until you meet her. She's a trip!"

Lastly, I'm very happy with the ending and couldn't have thought of a better way to wrap it up. I really think Before I Do makes you think about soul mates. I'm not sure if I believe in them but I know that people come into our lives for a reason. and I think Fred came to the wedding that day so Audrey could finally realize who her true love is!

Before I Do is told in the third person with intricately woven multiple timelines which is presented in such a fantastic way!

Audrey and Josh are polar opposites, where Josh lives by lists and planning Audrey is spontaneous and unorganized. In 3 years of being together they get engaged. After a series of outrageous (some quite hilarious) “bad omens” as Granny Parker dubs them events happen and the arrival of Audrey’s “what-if” guys appearance at the rehearsal dinner it has Audrey questioning whether fate is trying to tell her something or if it’s just pre-wedding jitters.

This story had me riding the emotional rollercoaster right alongside Audrey as she tries to interpret her feelings and beliefs. Is love about finding your soulmate or is love about putting in the work, not giving up, and being a team? I felt like I was rooting for different scenarios throughout the whole book and left me guessing the whole way through.

Cousens created depth in the story as Audrey struggles with finding her worth. Her journey was definitely relatable as she unpacks her personal traumas and baggage which allows for her personal growth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review!

Honestly at this point I would read Sophie Cousens' grocery list!! This pulled me in and made me fall in love with the characters so quickly! Absolutely smashed it!!!

This book did not pull me in. I gave it until page 100 before I finally called it quits. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Audrey is preparing to get married, when disaster strikes again and again, including the guy that got away. Is Audrey prepared to get married or will her past come back to haunt her?

This story jumps back and forth between real time and years past, letting you see how everything in her past has shaped her into the person she is today. You see her relationship unfold with her fiance and how a chance encounter led her to carry a picture in her wallet for years and wonder "what if".

A lovely story, that captured my attention from start to finish with incredible laugh out loud moments.