TW: sexual harassment, infidelity

Wow, what a beginning! You don’t really expect a story about a wedding to start off in such dramatics. The time jumps start off a bit bothersome bc you want to find out what’s going on, but it was honestly enjoyable after you get further into it because you get so much background information in between the present day situation. I loved how she had such a firm support system, despite it being smaller, and how different they were. Her mother is quite the character and I’m sure we‘ve all known a Vivien (who can’t be single to save their life and unfortunately drags her kid through the muck of it all). We discover that Audrey is experiencing a bit of a soulmate conundrum hours before she is set to say “I Do”, after a boy from her past happens to appear at the rehearsal dinner. Throughout Audrey’s past and present, everything eventually reveals what happens when you get stuck in a cycle of “ What If?”
I won’t ruin all the excitement, so just know that this story is beautiful and deep and kept me waiting for the next happening!

Thanks to Putnam Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinion!

I’m in love with Sophie Cousens’ writing - her books make me feel like I’m sitting outside a café on a crisp and sunny fall day with a PSL - just me? I doubt it. She has the perfect balance of sweet and cozy contemporary romance and a more broad fiction, incorporating stories with a bit more weight to them. I also always love the back and forth timeline, getting to piece together present day and the events that led to this disastrous wedding weekend.

Audrey had such unique relationships with everyone in her life, and the book gave us a look at all of them. Her mom, her older-brother figure/nanny, her best friends, and her fiancé. Each had their shining moments where they might have been skipped over in other stories.

Overall, a gentle and delightful love story!

I have really liked Sophie's books and Before I Do was no exception. This story of Audrey's past and present relationships seems straightforward when you start the book, but there is much more going on behind the scenes. You get her story of love and life in dual timelines. Sometimes a moving timeline can get confusing and feel disjointed, but the back and forth between present and past in this book gives us so much depth and insight into all of the characters. But the characters are so great. The found family is heartwarming. I love the depth that I get in Cousens' romances. My friend Kari calls them "romance with heft" and I like that for this book.

If you have picked up Beth O'Leary or Lindsey Kelk on my recommendation, you definitely want to check this out as well.

I have to say, I really loved the journey of this love story. For a solid chunk of it, I was so torn in this love triangle, finding such lovely qualities in both of the main men of the story.

Josh is the guy that is so easily likable by everyone. He’s handsome in a classic, Abercrombie man way, and he has a heart of gold. Fred, our dare devil, had me itching for more of that wild card, exciting love that he brought to the story.

Our leading lady, Audrey, had me wrapped around her finger. I loved that at times she wasn’t reliable and had issues with being flighty and not knowing where her heart really belonged; Cousens did such a wonderful job of helping her character grow. I really loved getting to know Audrey, and I ended up really really rooting for her.

Overall, I recommend this novel to anyone who loves lost loves reconnected, questions of whether soulmates really exist, complicated family matters, and some really quick wit.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley @netgalley and Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

At the beginning of this novel, I was convinced that I knew the outcome of what was possibly going to be a well-versed romance about star-crossed lovers. I’m glad I was wrong.

Audrey is a polar opposite of her soon to be husband, Josh. She flits from job to job trying to find something that fits and Josh is the stable one. After fate possibly intervenes by re-introducing someone from her past, she wonders if her “What-If” guy (Fred) is right for her and not Josh?

Told in bits of her life before and up to the I Do and featuring both Josh and Fred, along with her roommates and mother, we stumble along with Audrey to figure out just who is right for her and make her happiest.

I loved how Cousens wrote this book. I really loved “Bad Jeans Josh” and how he went from being forgettable to being the groom. I was surprised at the amount of twists this book has and thought the ending was satisfying. I’ve added the other Sophie Cousens to my TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC. This book is out today!

"

I have always lived to look up. Astronomy helps us understand where we are from and where we are going. It teaches us humility...I have been privileged to see further and further out into space, capturing images of...millions of stars...not one has outshone the love of my life."

The question in Before I Do by Sophie Cousens, who is quickly becoming an auto buy romance author for me, is who is the love of Audrey's life?.

In this non linear romance Audrey's story starts with her stumbling out of a church in a wedding dress where something has gone horribly wrong. From there we go back one day before she is to say I do to Josh and then we go back 6 years where she fatefully has the best meet cute with Fred involving an old time photo booth. As each chapter goes back to different pivotal moments we learn about her relationship with each man but more importantly we learn about Audrey's relationship with her self, her doubts, her fears, and her dreams.

One of the most influential relationships for Audrey is with her 5 time married mother, her part in the end of each of these marriages and a really creepy encounter with her Mom's would be husband Benedict that made my skin crawl.

Audrey does love Josh but when his sister walks into the rehearsal dinner with Fred, who she hasn't seen in years, Audrey can't help but wonder is this is fate telling her there is a different path in the stars for her.

There is humor, there is romance, but I found this story is about a little girl missing her Dad, reaching for the stars and learning to follow her heart before saying I do.



I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was giddy when I saw that Sophie Cousens had a new book coming out. She has quickly become one of my favorites. Before I Do is the story of Audrey and starts out on Audrey’s wedding day when she is racing out of the church and there is chaos all around. From there, Audrey’s story is told in a nonlinear time line of before and after the wedding, explaining how she got there. And it is absolute perfection. This is romcom at its finest. It has themes of Serendipity in it where Audrey spends a day with random boy years before but they could not find each other in the years that followed but then Audrey meets her current love and her life goes in a different direction. I laughed so much in this book. These characters are hilarious with such witty banter and clever jabs. It is heartwarming and sweet and the pieces all fit together like a perfect puzzle. Pub day is tomorrow and you need this book in your life.

This was the perfect rom-com to distract me from the chaos that always surrounds me this time of year!! Did I feel like it was a believable "wow this could actually happen" kind of love story, nope! But in ways that made it so much better. It was an escape from real life! A love story that made me laugh, cry and question destiny. I also questioned exactly how the story would end, which added to the fun of reading it.

Audrey is about to marry her opposite, sweet Josh. He is exactly what she needs, but there are no fireworks between them. As the wedding day gets closer, Audrey begins to question if Josh is really the one. When Josh's sister shows up with her date, Fred, Audrey's "What if" guy, that she met 6 years prior, Audrey begins to wonder if fate is intervening. It doesn't help that everything that could go wrong on her wedding day, actually goes wrong. Is it all just a coincidence or should Audrey not walk down the aisle?

Before I do by Sophie Cousens is my favorite Sophie Cousens book yet! Audrey is about to marry her fiancé Josh when Josh’s sister shows up to their wedding with Fred, Audrey’s one that got away. Through the twists and turns leading up to the wedding and flashbacks, you learn more about Audrey and Josh’s relationship and the day Audrey met Fred. I loved the characters and the story kept me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I devoured the first 60% of this book Saturday morning while heading to NJ, and I finished it as I started my trek back to MA Monday afternoon, on the NJ to NY train portion. I previously enjoyed the author's Just Haven't Met You Yet, and her debut, This Time Next Year, is on my TBR bookshelf at home. Before I Do is a sweet and humorous romance that takes place over the course of the days/hours leading up to MC Audrey's wedding to Josh with flashbacks to some of their dating history along with her experience with her mother's many suitors and her previous perfect date with Fred, who she hadn't heard from or seen since - until he walks in as her fiance's sister's wedding date! In addition to this, there are a number of bad omens that make Audrey question her decision(s). I'm not always a fan of shifting timelines, but I felt this was done really well in Before I Do! I think if you're a romance fan and enjoy reading about wedding settings, you'll like this one. I liked it, especially the last ⅓ or so, and I'm looking forward to reading Cousens' first book in the near future. Thanks to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It's available today, 10/11.

My first read by Sophie Cousens and I must say I enjoyed it. You know what they say, a cute rom com a day keeps the stress away. This book was just what the doctor ordered. It was charming, feisty with of course comedy and romance. A great read

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

I loved this one. I was a little wary of the plot since I just got married 10 days ago and was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it, but I was so pleasantly surprised. This is the second book I've read by Sophie Cousens, and I'd have to say that each book gets better than the last. Audrey was such a relatable, flawed, REAL character - despite her misgivings, you rooted for her and I loved her and Josh's love story. There was also a great cast of side characters who added to the story, each in their own way. This one kept me on the edge of my seat through out and I even got a bit teary-eyed at the end. Highly recommend for any romance fans!

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before I Do is out TODAY, October 11!!!

How do you know that you are marrying THE ONE? That’s the question Audrey is pondering on her wedding weekend as one thing after another goes wrong. And when the man who was her “What if?” guy arrives on the scene as her sister-in-law-to-be’s date, Audrey’s questioning of whether fiancé Josh is the right guy for her kicks into high gear. Are Audrey and Josh meant to be? Does she believe in fate?

This is the third novel I have read by Sophie Cousens, and I feel like her writing just keeps getting better and better.

In Before I Do, she adeptly weaves together multiple timelines, revealing how Audrey’s past, upbringing, and family life have influenced and impacted her mental health, sense of self-worth, and current indecision. The novel is full of moments that cause your chest to constrict, sweet moments, heartwarming moments, and some heartbreaking moments, too.

Weddings, in general, can have emotions and stress levels running high, and as the novel progressed, I wasn’t sure if my blood pressure or anxiety levels could take another “bad omen” over Audrey's wedding weekend. Thankfully, I had faith that things would turn out the way they were supposed to be in the end—although, admittedly, I was itching to turn to the last page partway through the novel to make sure that was going to be the case.

This is not quite a 5 star read to me for a couple of reasons—one chapter that had some elements that I didn’t particularly enjoy, that I felt were unnecessary or like they disrupted the flow or the tone of the novel—and revealing the other would reveal a spoiler. That being said, both of the things I didn’t exactly love did add some comic levity to the novel, and I would hop on this emotional roller coaster and read it again.

If you are in a book club, make sure to check out the Before I Do Reading Group Guide included in the back of the book for thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion questions.

I received an advance copy from Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Oh, fate. Audrey really thought she had it all with Josh. Although they were polar opposites, their relationship was safe and stable. As the wedding day approaches, she starts to wonder if Josh is truly the one she's supposed to marry. Insert Josh's sister and her date, Fred, who happens to be Audrey's "one that got away". Things start to happen that day that has Audrey wondering if perhaps fate is telling her she's making a huge mistake.

I love, love. I love fate and destined lovers. I love the idea of the stars aligning and that people are destined to be together. So when I read this book, you know this was going to be good! I really enjoyed this one. It would be the perfect romance novel around Valentine's day.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I really found this book enjoyable! It follows the life of Audrey. Yes, you could say she a bit "shattered" in life, but I did feel a connection to her character. If I am honest with myself, I too, have NO clue what I am doing in life! That's why I liked the fictitious Audrey from the start of the novel! I liked learning about the love/hate relationship she had with her Mother. It provided great insight on why she did many of the "questionable" things that she did. To me it was more than just what "crazy" things happen to Audrey before she marry Josh. It was more about Audrey discovering her true self and accepting her flaws & all!

The writing style, in my opinion, read like a movie!?! I could envision the characters, which made me enjoy the story more. Yes, it may have been slightly "cheesy" towards the end but I enjoy the escape of "cheesiness".

I do recommend reading because you just might have more in common with Audrey than you may have originally thought?!?

OMG… this book! I laughed. I cried. I laughed again. I cried again. And I smiled - A LOT. It’s funny and heartwarming and a little heartbreaking, and overall, a wonderful story about love and paths not taken and where we end up when we chose to follow what or who we love.

Audrey is a twenty-something about to get married. We’re literally catching her as she’s walking out of the church, but we don’t know if she is or isn’t married. All we know is something happened and she’s in shock. Then we jump around in time, from seven years “before I do” to hours before. We learn about her current love Josh, the man she was about to marry, and the man she thought was her soul mate, Fred, who she hasn’t seen in six years. We learn, in bits and pieces, how she found a photo strip at a train station photo booth seven years ago of a handsome stranger who left a message- “I WILL FIND YOU”. She in turn left him a message back - “I AM HERE”. A year later, having constantly thought about him, they see each other across a train platform, and proceed to have an intense connection spending the day together. But when they make plans to spend the next day together, Fred fails to show. Audrey is disappointed, and while she eventually moves on, she keeps the photos in her wallet and still thinks about him from time to time. Over the ensuing years, she meets Josh through her roommate. At first, they don’t get along. She thinks he’s uptight and can’t remember his name, calling him “Bad Jeans Josh” and he thinks she’s a little flaky, but is secretly smitten. As they are forced to spend time together, after a while they develop a friendship based on mutual teasing, and eventually they get together.

All’s going well until the day before the wedding, when they start getting omens - a dead bar falling out of the ceiling at the church, unrelenting rain, an unfortunate lasso incident, and then worst of all - Fred shows up as Josh’s sister’s date. And he’s intent on making his presence known. He stills believes Audrey to be his soul mate and that their reunion was fated, and is unwilling to give up. This causes Audrey to develop doubts, and as we continue to jump around her memories with her, we begin to understand why, why she might not believe what she has with Josh is real or that she deserves to be happy and loved by a man as good as him. Why she’s still holding on to the idea of Fred after just one day. So who will she chose?

I read this in just one day. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. The jumps in the timeline just kept me turning the pages as the suspense built. Like the author’s previous books, this tugs on the heartstrings while making you laugh and cry. The cast of characters is well written - Hillary is my absolute fave side character - and the non-linear timeline kept the story moving along and really reveal the critical info mat the right time.

Title: Before I Do
Author: Sophie Cousens
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Before I Do" by Sophie Cousens

My Assessments:

'Before I Do' was quite an engaging, unexpected contemporary romance. We find Audrey contemplating which one she wants to marry...Josh or Fred? The story will leave one wondering 'who is your soulmate, and what if? The author did an excellent job of telling the story in alternating timelines that will keep one's interest throughout the read. Miss Audrey was quite a complex character being 'liable, witty, and relatable,' to say the least. After finishing up the story, one will conclude that Audrey finally came into her learning to appreciate what she had.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been in a book slump for the better part of last month. The worst part about book slumps is that you never know what kind of book will inevitably pull you out of them.
Thankfully, Before I Do by Sophie Cousens was exactly the sort of book I needed to force me out of my book hangover.

Before I Do is a mostly, lighthearted story that tells the story of Audrey’s search for love over three distinct timelines. Audrey’s search questions the validity of soul mates versus life partners. Cousens takes the reader on a journey through Audrey’s current romantic engagement and the events of her one-day romantic fling. The story ultimately leads Audrey down the path of choosing between the two. The third storyline juxtaposes these relationships with Audrey’s entanglement in her mother’s various marital affairs, and I loved how unique that angle felt from other romance stories with similar tropes.

This is my favorite of Sophie Cousens’ books and one I’ll recommend to so many. All of the timelines converged together to create a wonderfully cohesive book about the varying definitions of true love. Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Cousens, and Penguin Group Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review and, most importantly, for pulling me out of my latest reading slump.

I read 88 pages of this before realizing I just don't care what happens to these characters. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't terrible, just not the story for me. I can see how some people are going to love it though so I recommend checking out those reviews before you make up your own mind. Sometimes you just have to know when to let something go.

Happy Pub day to Sophie Cousens for releasing another great contemporary romance! This story follows Audrey and Josh, just days before their wedding. But fate seems to interrupt their wedding plans. Let's just say a lot can go wrong in a few days including a run in with an old flame from years ago. Can Audrey and Josh survive this disaster of a start to marital bliss?

Sophie Cousens is a phenomenal writer and great at story telling. I loved the way she wove in the past and present and gave you all the emotions between her characters. There is a love triangle in here but it was well done and I was here for the ride.

My favorite thing about this book was the constant slapping of destiny in the face. All this talk of fate, coincidence, and "signs" made me wonder where Sophie was going to go with the story. The ending wrapped up so beautifully and so perfect. Way to go Audrey!

I think my only issues with this book were some of the themes. I'm not much of a fan of a love triangle so close to "I do." I understand cold feet but there were tons of doubt from the MC which I didn't like. Plus everything that happened to her felt a little "cringy" to me mainly because my own engagement was rocky. So I think my own personal experience interfered with my take on the book.

That being said, I think this is a book that people will love. And I will continue to read ALL of Sophie's books!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the early copy. All thoughts and words are my own.