All the feels for Sophie Cousens’ new book Before I Do! This book was lighthearted and pure fun! She is becoming one of my favorite authors for rom-coms! Read this one when you are looking for something sweet and fun!

I have enjoyed all of Sophie Cousens books so I wasn’t surprised that I liked this story. Told in alternating time lines, which I usually do not care for, it does work in this book. The main character, Audrey, has lots of baggage and it all comes to a head on her wedding day. She has much to work through. Her friends are great secondary characters. I wanted to put her mother over my knee, she was no role model. The guys were both likable. I turned page after page wondering how things would work out in the end. Overall I recommend this book.

Trigger warning: infidelity and divorce, excessive baggage and indecisiveness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Audrey is preparing to marry Josh. Josh is very stable, so stable that Audrey is questioning her decision. She sees the guy who once set off all the stars for her before the wedding, and now Audrey is left with quite the dilemma. The entire plot is a light treatise of fate vs. just live. Sophie Cousens weaves an interesting, light, refreshing plot,

I did receive an advance copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for early access to this novel.

I loved this romance book so much. I found the character's to be entertaining, and they held my attention. Despite the situation that the main character is in, you still like her and root for her to choose what is best for her. I wasn't quite sure which decision she would end up going with in the end.

Many times I felt sympathy for all characters involved. I enjoyed the flow of the chapters, and in this book I didn't mind the time skip back and forth as much. As I read it felt like we were getting pieces to the puzzle by going back in time.

This book was perfect to rotate in with the other books I was reading at the time. It is fun, light, and quick read. I had already preordered it for a friend after I finished reading it. So as long as you like romance novels, I would recommend this book.

What would you do if your “what if” man shows up the night before you are scheduled to get married?
Audrey is just about to marry Josh when Fred (the person she met 6 six years ago and shared an amazing day with) shows up at the rehearsal dinner leaving Audrey to question all her decisions and panicking at the thought of getting married.

Before I do is very well written. The format of present and past really makes you invested in both men in Audrey’s life. The buildup was so emotionally compelling b/c you really didn’t know who Audrey was going to pick or if she was even going to choose a guy. Both the men were so different from each other but they both seem so perfect for Audrey. I loved both men until I got to the ending.

I sat on this review for a few days b/c I had a really hard time rating this book. Although, I did enjoy it for the most part I did find Audrey to be a little infuriating. The ending was a little murky for me with not having a real resolution to her past trauma and just ended to clean. I needed something a little stronger.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is a "Runaway Bride" will she or won't she novel. I loved how the story went back and forth to give insight to everything leading up to the wedding and why Audrey may be getting cold feet. While this is a romance book and it definitely how that feel at times, I wouldn't necessarily say the sole focus is this love story or the two stories we are reading. Cute story in some places but this author has definitely written better.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. I saw someone compare this to My Best Friends Wedding and immediately requested it. The premise of the book is interesting with the bride having an unexpected run in with " The one that got away" and her questioning things the night before her wedding.

Where it felt flat for me was, Audrey. It seemed to me that she had no interest in actually marrying Josh from the get go. She didn't seem excited to get married and if she is immediately questioning everything when a guy she spent one day with shows up, then its pretty obvious she isn't ready to get married or at least not ready to marry Josh. Which made me sad because I really liked Josh.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines and also the premise of mourning a life you didn't live, of acknowledging the what if. What frustrated me was that Audrey dwelled in the what if instead of actually living her life. She allowed others to rule her life and was content to just sit back, but then complained about being frustrated with how things turned out.

Most brides have a moment before the wedding where they think "What the heck am I doing?" There are several unusual events leading up to the wedding that increase Audrey's apprehension based on events from her past. These add up to a series of calamities that surround this sweet love story. Sophie Cousens deftly moves from different times in Audrey's life to establish the vast experiences that impact her view of marriage. I thoroughly enjoyed Before I Do and recommend it to anyone looking for a chaste love story.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Because if you're going to commit to anything in this life, shouldn't it be love?"

Before I Do follows Audrey, a soon-to-be-bride, in the hours leading up to "I do" when all of a sudden her "what-if" guy from years past shows up at her wedding of all places. Feelings are jumbled and questions arise as she begins to feel overwhelmed by the potential outcomes that could have occurred if she had made different decision in the past.

I liked how the book switched between time frames, showcasing moments from both the present and the past. Getting to see these different time lines allows the reader to see the characters' backstories, how they have grown, and how they're lives could have been different.

This is my second Sophie Cousens book and I really enjoyed how she ties this idea of "fate" into her stories, adding this sort of psychological (that's the best way I can describe it lol) aspect to the story as the main character deals with some internal struggles. Although this plot element can definitely lead to some frustration with the characters at times when they struggle to communicate their feelings, I think that when well-done, as in this book, it makes for such an interesting read and adds a lot of depth to a story. It left me intrigued to know how the story would pan out and very invested by the end!

This book was just such a fun, interesting read and I liked that it was different from the recent romance books I have picked up, offering a bit more depth and even suspense at times. I would definitely check this book out if you have previously enjoyed Sophie Cousens' books or stories like Normal People!

Sophie Cousins is a must read for me. I love her unique stories because I never quite know how they are going to end. This story touches on fate, romantic love, family and friendship. The dialogue was witty and I liked the way each chapter told a different part of the timeline to keep the plot moving. This was a smart, sweet and romantic novel that I recommend! Out October 11.

🥰really liked
🤟unique love triangle, moving timelines, a wedding
📚 Beth O’Leary
🎶Magnificent by Oh Wonder

So I didn't necessarily love Before I Do, there were things I liked about it and it was a pretty solid 3⭐️ for me.

What would you do if the one who got away turned up the night before your wedding? That's what this book is about. Audrey is about to marry sensible Josh but has always been a little bit of a unpredictable girl. So when her future SIL shows up with Fred as her date, her what if guy she starts to question is fate trying to tell her something...

I loved Josh but didn't quite like Audrey. I thought there were a lot of funny scenes in this book but I felt like Audrey was almost too immature to me. I hated that she was questioning everything after one day she had six years ago. This had love triangle vibes to me that I just couldn't shake the whole book.

I know more people have really enjoyed this book so me being more meh on it, is just a me thing.

I'm really sad that I didn't love this book. I loved Sophie Cousens' previous works, so I assumed I'd love it just as much, but sadly I didn't.

I will preface this review by saying that I didn't finish it. I have a rule of giving a book to 30% before I completely DNF it, and that's where I left off. I found it difficult to care about the MC's romances with her current fiancé and past flame when I genuinely didn't care about her as a character.

I thought her fiancé was a little lackluster, and it's hard to pull off a "who should she choose" romance when one of the love interests is generally unlikable from the get-go. I've read other books with the "fiance vs. the one that got away" trope, and I've usually enjoyed them BECAUSE I was rooting for both love interests to find their happily ever after, and for some reason this one just didn't hit the mark with me.

I'm giving it 2 stars—I didn't finish it, but I do think there's an audience will appreciate what I could not. The writing is good, the character's emotions are relatable, and the transitions between the past and the present flow easily.

Easily one of my top reads of the year! Fans of TJR's One True Loves will absolutely devour this!

Characters to fall in love with and an ending that will keep you guessing. Often these what if type stories end up being extremely predictable, but with this book it was definitely not the case! Loved the wedding trope and all the truly laugh out loud moments!

Coupled with Sophie Cousens writing, this is sure to be a huge hit!

This was a really interesting book! I don’t think this specific trope/plot is for me, but I really enjoy Sophie Cousen’s writing style. If you like this trope then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book!

4.5 stars rounded up!

When I read the description of this book, I was a little nervous. Two guys, one she’s marrying tomorrow and one she’s spent one day with but can’t get out of her mind? This can’t end well. But it did!

It’s a real comedy of errors as everything that can go wrong on Audrey and Josh’s wedding eve and wedding day DOES go wrong. Audrey is understandably shaken by the chaos and wonders if it’s the universe telling her not to go through with the marriage. With help from a quirky cast of family and friends, Audrey must confront her past and decide which path to choose.

I’m not sure how to share my love of this book without spoiling the ending, but I’m comfortable saying that both love and logic win out. The book jumps around in time a lot - not just back and forth, but all over the place - and it works really well. I’ve seen this type of non-chronological narration in a number of books lately (new trend???) and I really love it as a way to create a deep connection between the character and the reader that’s impossible to do if you’re just jumping between two fixed points in time.

I can’t recommend this story enough if you’re looking for a romcom with a unique plot and real substance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC. I purchased a print copy myself after reading and loving it.

This book was so full of heart, emotion, connection, loss and humor.

It's so interesting how your upbringing and surroundings can impact the person you become, good or bad. There are so many big life moments that bring everything to the surface albeit joy, fear, doubt, anxiety. This can just ruin the enjoyment of a big moment but it happens to us all.

This book runs on multiple timelines to show us the what if guy, the one she was to marry and the trauma. We all have experienced some kind of trauma first or second hand that makes things hard to process.

This was so sweet how letting go of the old you, the one that was hurt and growing into the new you, older, one that has made mistakes and survived.

Also, so many "bad omens" happened that felt like signs against the wedding. Her Dad had passed away, I would have rationalized it was my Dad playing tricks lol. But I'm a wackadoo.


Thank you putnambooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was so fun! And who HASN'T played the 'what if' scenario in their head?! This read fast and I loved the chapter lengths (not too long). Will absolutely read more of her work!

Before I Do unravels in multiple time lines before and after Audrey's wedding. Audrey and Josh are about to celebrate the happiest day of their life when all these crazy things begin to happen. We then follow on a journey to learn how they met and about the one who got away.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the chance to review this ARC.

This book had me in my feels!

So many emotions and feelings with this one.

I could easily see this as a movie. It has a very interesting premise.

It was an overall great read!

What do you do if your dream guy shows up on your wedding day, do you still say I do?

Audrey is getting omen after omen that her big day may not be what she hoped for. As someone who studied the stars and has had an interesting experience with love… perhaps these signs are worth listening to. Audrey's father was her rock, her best friend, he showed her the magical things the sky held even when he was ill. Audrey's mother is a hopeless romantic, it is quite a humorous aspect of the story at times. Many husbands with many stories that follow, Vivien has a love for theatrics and putting on a show. Audrey has been through a lot and learned plenty on the way. Now it is her big day and she has a big decision to make.

Josh seems like a lovable guy, he is sensible and grounded, the proper choice. Audrey loves him but is she ready to settle down and play it safe?

Fred is wild and free, a man with a camera and a lot of passion. Similar to Audrey, he has experienced loss and dramatic life changes. They are quite similar and bring out each other's rebellious sides.

Should Audrey play on the safe side or play with fire?

This novel jumps timelines quite a lot but it is all fairly easy to follow. Lots of names and connections to remember but once again written very well! The ending will throw you for a loop!