I loved this cover; however, I struggled to read the story. I might not be in the mood for "the one who got away" turned up the night before your wedding trope. I kept picking this one up and putting it right back down. Hints, my super late review. I might have liked it more if it wasn't a closed door. I am a fan of Sophie Cousenes, but the trope of this one just wasn't for me. It could be because I don't believe in marrying someone who isn't your soulmate and the fact that the trope was the one who got away... I don't know because the book is well written, and I know some people who fall in love with it, but it just missed the mark for me. It's just a personal preference and should be taken with a grain of salt. The what if gives me too much anxiety.

Thank you for the ARC, i did purchase this book as well. I have a love-hate relationship with it, ok.

We love multiple timelines! And romcoms that explore multiple aspects of the characters lives! It makes the end romance feel all the more effective at the end. This was a cute and fun story. And the cover is amazing!

I could've sworn I already shared my review on this one... Either way! I enjoyed this "missed connections" trope a lot! Sophie Cousens always does a fantastic job writing and I love the timelines of this story. Cold feet, questioning choices and the "what if" thoughts make for a completely lovely read.

A heartwarming rom-com with all the feels. Love, loss, redemption & second chances. Told in an alternating timeline of past & present using the before I say “I do” as the reference point.
Audrey & Josh appear to be the perfect couple…ready to make the ultimate commitment. When their wedding day turns into one disaster after another not to mention the one that got away (or at least in Audrey’s mind) shows up as a wedding guest things really begin to spiral downward.
Good writing & characters with a slow build up kept me wanting more.
I recommend this one for anyone that enjoys a fun rom-com! Thank you #NetGalley, #Before I Do, & Penguin Group Putnam GP Putnam’s Sons for this ARC. My honest review is voluntary. This book is now available. 3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️’s.

It pains me to say, cause I truly have loved Sophie Chosen’ me book in the past, but this was a DNF for me. I couldn’t find a way to connect with Audrey and found her one sided and with hardly any romance. I made it until 25% until I skimmed the rest of the way. I’ll continue to follow this other even though this was a miss for me. Thanks for the arc Netgalley

I was lucky to get an advance copy of Before I Do by Sophie Cousens from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. LOVED IT! :) This was such a fun read and made me wish I would have received an invitation to this wedding. Sophie Cousens has been added to my list of 'must read' authors from now on!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Sophie Cousens book and I really enjoyed it, I don't want to give spoilers away in my review but it really was not what I expected for a contemporary romance. This is a book about finding yourself, about the crippling self-doubt that can occur in your late twenties, and reconciling your past with your future. I was not sure if I was a fan of the multiple timelines at first, but I think it made perfect sense to tell Audrey's back story in such a convoluted order. Sophie Cousens had me laughing, rotting for her characters, and reflecting on my own life all in 380 pages.

This one was so/so for me. I really love Sophie Cousens and her previous books but this one kind of missed the mark for me. The characters weren't that likable and I found myself a little annoyed. Overall 3/5 stars for me.

This was a really cute read, but felt a little dysfunctional at times. I didn't love Audrey's character and couldn't understand some of the decisions she was making. The ending also felt a bit rushed to me. Overall, I enjoyed it though. Than you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

I liked the book but I hated the main character. I think she was incredibly unfair to Josh (her fiancé). Justice for Josh!

There are times where you only read a third of the novel and it’s enough to leave a lasting impression. This was one of those times. If I had to describe this book with two words, it would be these: “yikes” and “frustrating.” From the first page, this story carried endless story construction issues. Additionally, it was difficult to connect with Audrey as the main character. That connection failure was largely due to her negative attitudes and her habits of treating people poorly.

I’m going to open my review with a discussion about the main character, Audrey. Once again, I find myself saying that trauma and mental illnesses are not excuses for being awful to other people. It is exhausting to see that “plot” appearing, time and time again, in contemporary romances. It is a triggering plot-line to see, but it’s also a plot that character’s rarely take accountability for. And that was the case in this novel.

The lack of accountability was a general theme for Audrey’s characterization. Much of that was driven by Audrey’s “emotional arcs” and “emotional reactions.” Her emotional arcs and reactions never made much sense. Take, for example, the chapter during the rehearsal dinner. There was a moment where Josh was checking in on how Audrey was doing, and she snapped at him, telling him to stop saying she looked “stressed and pale and crap.” The anger in her words felt like it came out of left-field, as the earlier interaction was nothing but amiable. That was a failure of set up for Audrey’s emotional state. Emotions, much like plots, need to come in arcs. They have to crescendo and decrescendo in a logical sequence; Audrey never once had that, and I was often confused about what I, the reader, needed to be feeling in a given moment. But with that one conversation, it cemented for me how desperately I didn’t want to be in her head.

There is a reason why Audrey didn’t work as the main character—the story construction was weak. As far as writing style goes, it was empty and carried no emotions; but, there was a lot of telling instead of showing. That phrase stands true for the characterization, descriptions, and emotion writing. Frankly, I’m a reader who doesn’t care what another character is wearing. But I would like to know what their emotions and body language is telling the main character, and how their backstories got them to the current moment. The novel lacked all of that.

When it comes to the plotting, it was confusing. I’m a reader who doesn’t mind a timeline that jumps around frequently, but I do mind when the set up does not support that timeline jumping. That was the case here. Audrey would often lament about Fred being the person she “fell in love with” in one day. But that statement never carried weight, which, in turn, never made me care for whatever Audrey was thinking about. That was due to the scenes depicting that “romance” happening chapters after a statement about Audrey’s love-feelings was made. Again, if the set up had come before emotional statements were made, the impact would have been there.

Additionally, there was a failure to provide enough backstory for all of the characters—excluding Vivien, of course. Much of the backstory failure was a result of the failure to properly set up the plot. For all of the jumping around of the timeline, we never received enough backstory set up to support whatever it was Audrey was struggling with in a given moment. Most of the characters were on the page, but had a blank slate behind them. In general, I just wanted more from all aspects of this novel.

I’m not a reader who relishes abandoning books. I try my best to push through them and figure out what was wrong. But in the case of Before I Do, there were too many “writing don’ts” preventing me from finishing this book. There were simply too many story construction issues that made it a worthy read.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was a pretty good read. It was quick and had super cute moments. I’d read it again! My daughter loved hearing about this one, too!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC! This story was overall enjoyable, and the love triangle was an interesting storyline. I like “right place, right time” stories such as Audrey finding the photo book pictures and taking her own for Fred. Where things got a little messy for me was Audrey jeopardizing the dream relationship/fiancé/almost husband she had! My jaw almost dropped when she realized that Fred was not the one for her after obsessing over him for so long. I had a little secondhand embarrassment for Audrey in that sense. Thankful that she made the right decision, but man it was a rollercoaster getting there.

Sophie Cousens does it again! What I expected: bride returns to previous flame, leaving undesired man at the altar. What I got: SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS! Audrey's story, her internal monologue, her uncertainties and back-and-forth resonated so much with me. This is the type of book that you are thankful for - not only is it a beautiful story, but it can create some clarity in your own life. Highly recommend. Thank you G. P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC.

Struggling with how to rate this.

Overall the book had such an intriguing premise. And the story could have gone in so many ways. The last part of the book was definitely my favorite part of the story

I loved the astronomy bits woven in but i really really didn't love the main character. She felt very very selfish. I did love the "supporting" cast if you will

Meh. It was fine.

Audrey was a really hard MC to root for. I’m not against a difficult MC, but it was a looooooong time before she realized why she made some of the decisions she made and held onto the “idea” of Fred. The back and forth storyline and flashbacks with time with Fred and her mother drama was maybe too much. And the whole time we have Josh who gave her zero reasons to doubt their relationship and he stayed strong and faithful all throughout. And in the last 10% of the story she realizes her errors (wait-does she???) and begs to have him back. Josh, my boy, you deserve better.

I can’t even imagine reading this book with my eyes, the audiobook saved me!

Dear Epilogue- 😩😩😩 we didn’t need you.

I picked this for my book club and EVERYONE loved it so much!
Have you ever had a perfect day, never to see that person again? Do you dream of the one that got away? This book is your fantasy come to life.

Audrey is hours away from marrying her down to earth fiance Josh, when Fred shows up. The one guy she constantly thinks about as the one that got away? Is this a sign she shouldn't marry Josh?

I loved the premise! I loved being pulled in a million directions and by the end of it, I felt as confused as Audrey did on who she should end up with. I feel like in most romance books, you know immediately who is gonna end up together, so I loved switching it up and being genuinely surprised by what was coming next.

I feel like it's SUCH a relatable debate most people worry about once it's time to settle down, and I know everyone of my friends felt like they related to it in some way or another.

Overall, Sophie Cousens NEVER misses. She is such an auto-buy author for me, and if you love romances, I can NOT recommend this book enough!!

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part of me loved this book. I like the interwoven plot lines and the "mystery feel" of coming to understand the background. On the other hand, I never felt like I deeply knew the characters. I felt like even at the end of the book, they remained shallow acquaintances and caricatures of themselves. It made the book drag far longer than I felt necessary. Overall, it was a cute story and had a good moral to it. A warm hearted chick-flic book, but not a literary masterpiece.

Sophie Cousens' writing has the ability to absolutely draw me in and captivate me. I'll admit this book had a slow start for me- I was not entirely sure if I wanted to cheer for Josh or Fred, the photo booth guy. Around halfway through, though, I was absolutely gripped by the story and finished it all in one sitting.

Audrey is about to marry Josh, the love of her life. But then Fred, the one who got away, shows up the night before her wedding, sending Audrey into a tailspin. Audrey has to figure out what's important to her - the thrill of something new or enduring love.

A good but not great story I had high hopes would receive the praise I wanted to give it. It was interesting enough but not a favorite of the month.