Before I Do Review:

I was so excited to receive an ARC from Putnam Books! With that being said i have received this ARC for an honest review.

Read if you like reading about:
💒Weddings
👨‍👩‍👧🎭Family drama
😕😊Complicated relationships
💕 Love
🌐Duel timeline

TW: Please message me. There is a few scenes that would be rough to read.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Aubrey is getting married to Josh. Josh is a planner. Aubrey is a free spirit, go were the wind blows her type. Opposites attract, until an unexpected guest shows up to their wedding that has Aubrey second guessing whether getting married to Josh is the right call. This book is told from two different timelines. One in the present as a countdown to the marriage and the other is flashes back to Aubrey's life and events before the wedding.
This book kept me wanting to read more and more! I had to find out how it ended. My only wish is that we would have understood better who this guest that shows up to the wedding is. It seemed like there was not a whole lot about them.

DNF at 15%

I tried to dive into this book, but I couldn’t get into the writing. It’s told from a 3rd person narrator which dissociates you from the action and the emotion a bit. From what I experienced, the characters all felt a little silly to me. There was too much info-dumping and backstory interspersed in the dialogue when you are trying to get to know the characters, the setting, the stakes, and the writer.

This book was not for me, but it may be for you!

*I received an eARC of Before I Do from NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 20%. As much as I wanted to give this book a fair shot, I just don't think it was for me.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style and I particularly don't think that the third person point of view did this story any favors. I think I would have connected with the characters more if I read the story from their perspective, but they felt distant and inaccessible and were very bland. I also get annoyed with inherently fickle characters and Audrey is about as fickle as they come and I just couldn't stomach the idea of reading her go back and forth over whether she should marry Josh when we all know how this story ends...

There's not much else I can say about this book, having only read 1/5th of it, but life is too short to read books that you don't connect with and I did not connect with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam - G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely adorable! I think going in I expected it to be good but it definitely blew a lot of my expectations. Easy book to recommend and will be rereading!

As a fan of Sophie Cousens I was excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book and I am SO happy I did! I really enjoyed this book!

This book follows Audrey as she gets ready to walk down the aisle to the love of her life, James... err Josh. But is he really the one for her? Is there someone from her past that might be a better fit? Are all of the bad things that are happening on/around the wedding day a sign that Josh may not be the one?

While, at times I wanted to grab Audrey and SHAKE HER, I do think - especially given her history with relationships - her second guessing Josh makes a lot of sense. I love the way that the story wrapped up and how Aundrey ended up finding her way in the end.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Does everyone have a fantasy of another life? What could have been?

This is my second read by @sophie_cousens and I devoured it. From the first page I was hooked!
Audrey is getting married to “bad jeans Josh.” It’s the night of their rehearsal dinner and in walks Fred, a man Audrey met 6 years ago and disappeared without a trace. There are a few bad omens and Audrey starts to wonder if she is marrying the right man.
Immediately the supporting characters of this story are so endearing. Clara, Audrey’s best friend, is quirky and loveable. So is Audrey’s nector (nanny/actor), Hillary and her mom, Vivian really grew on me. The story transitions between past and present and I absolutely love this writing style. It gave so much backstory and painted a very vivid and relatable picture of Audrey and the person she is now. It also allowed me to become so invested in who Audrey chooses. I could not turn the pages fast enough but also did not want the story to end!
This is not your typical rom-com and why I love Cousens books so much. There are also themes of family dynamics, trusting yourself and mental health.
I would add this to your TBR and highly recommend

Sophie describes this book as a jigsaw puzzle in her acknowledgments and I think it is a fitting description. Audrey’s story has so many pieces, some fit together perfectly at first glance and others don’t without closer examination.

Audrey has her head in the sky, she hops from path to path in her 20s, dabbling in many different careers. She meets Josh and he is so unremarkable to her she cannot remember his name. They’re true opposites. He is firmly down to earth. They’re imperfectly perfect for each other.

But when it comes to their wedding day, they’re bombarded with bad omens and Audrey’s past catches up with her. Happily ever after seems impossible.

Sophie Cousens’ writing is impeccable as always.

Sadly, this one was just not for me. All of the characters were just a bit too quirky for me to relate to anyone. I’ve never been a fan of love triangles so that could have played into my overall opinion a bit.

If I had to choose a favorite character, I guess it would be Josh… But even he was rather odd,and unrelatable for me. Sophie was downright annoying and so we’re just about all of the supporting characters. Fred was a downright weirdo.

Ultimately, this is one of the few times when I would give a book 3 stars or less. However, I am sure that for people who like outrageously quirky romcoms, this one will surely fit the bill.

This is so not what I was expecting! I am ashamed to say this is my first book by this author, but it’s easy to see why I see her books online so often!!

I thought I knew where this story was going to go after the first few pages, but boy was I wrong. It has different POVs, and I was laughing so hard at some points.

Such a satisfying, binge-able read. Perfect for a cozy day in!

As a fan of This Time Next Year, I was so excited to dive into Sophie Cousens’ new title.

The story grabbed me right away and I was torn back and forth whether to cheer for Bad Jeans Josh or Photo Booth Fred.

The last 20% or so was a bit chaotic and hard to follow, but I’m assuming that was intentional to make me feel as overwhelmed and confused as the main character during this part of the story.

Overall a good story about appreciating the steady things in life.

3.5 rounded to 4. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I loved the first half of this book, but I couldn’t stand Audrey being such a fool!!!

Prepare yourself for another Sophie Cousens adventure. What would you do if you if the one that got away shows up before your wedding? In Before I Do you find out what Audrey does when Frank shows up with her future sister in law.

Told through a number of time jumps, Before I Do, centers around Audrey before her wedding day to Josh. One of many problems ensue prior to the big day, but the biggest is her future sister-in-law bringing a guy from Audrey’s past.

While Audrey was incredibly frustrating, the author had a great way of giving you little pieces here and there to show exactly why she is the way that she is. I loved learning about her life, but would have liked her story having more professional intervention with her trauma. Fate is a big factor in this story and ultimately liked the way it ended for each of the characters. #TeamJosh

Thank you for this e-book in exchange for this honest review. This one releases 10/11!

📚Read this if you like:
⁃ The Notebook
⁃ Strangers to lovers
⁃ Love and Other Words

My ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️

I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is about @sophie_cousens’ books that make them the perfect cozy night read. Her newest book, Before I Do, is out next week and is no exception. I was hooked trying to anticipate the ending because I felt it could go either way (One True Loves by TJR vibes). Her writing beautifully captures feelings I expect everyone has experienced at some point when it comes to a major life decision (am I making the right choice? What if x,y,z had happened?) and does so in a charming British setting. It’s endearing romance with substance which is right up my alley. As always, thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So many of the characters in this story rubbed me the wrong way, especially the main character Audrey. What she feels heading into her wedding is not good and made me feel so uncomfortable. Even before Fred, a man from her past, shows up and really throws her for a loop. The timeline going back and forth from the past, right before the wedding, and the wedding day itself just felt like too much. Then there were so many characters to keep track of too. I hate to say I just couldn't get into this one.

A sweet journey through the world of love and what ifs . . .

This was my third Sophie Cousens book. She has a penchant for flipping between timelines. This one was a little too much for my taste, and probably the only reason it went down to four stars for me.

The characters were endearing, the journey, very real. To those that have ever wondered what if, or if you were making the right choice in life, this is the book for you.

I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars!! This was such a cute book! The author kept me wondering the whole time and I even laughed, out loud, a few times while reading! The main characters were Audrey, Josh and Fred. Audrey is unsure of herself and her choices, always doubting herself and seems bit self centered at first. Josh is loving, lovable, reliable and so sweet, I really wish I had a Josh of my own! Fred was unpredictable and was a bit “out there” but seemed fun, carefree and a bit selfish. I loved the epilogue and was relieved to read a book where the main female character didn’t know what kind of career she wanted and didn’t have all her sh*t together, since that makes me feel like I’m not alone in that after all - I’m 36 and still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up! Haha! This was a really enjoyable romantic comedy, triangle love story, AND second chance romance that I’d definitely recommend, especially if your looking for something that’s a light, funny, romance that keeps you guessing the whole time and gives you hope in second chances and growing as a person. There were more serious parts to the book but I really loved the lighthearted banter between all the main and secondary characters and all the bad omens on the wedding day - really, how could you NOT have doubts after all that?! I throughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading this author again!
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

Such a great book! I enjoy everything Sophie Cousens writes, though. Her books are such sweet and escapist reads. Highly recommend!

Audrey is what some might call a late bloomer. She hasn’t found the thing in her life to steer her ship towards, yet she’s found many things that have piqued her interest. Now, on the cusp of getting married, she’s thrown a curveball, and his name is Fred. Can this man, whom she spent one day with 6 years ago, undo everything she’s built with her soon-to-be husband, Josh?

I always close a Cousens book feeling incredibly satisfied with how she closes a story, and Before I Do is no exception. When an author talks about theoretical physics, I get happy feels. And while that plays a minor role in the book, when Audrey spoke about her belief in multiverses, I knew she would become my best friend. I understand her uncertainty. Not everyone has a person in their past who has stolen their breath, even if for only a day. It’s normal to think about ‘what if,’ especially when such a momentous day turns so disastrous.

Cousens wrote in the afterward how difficult it was to write dual timelines. I feel she wrote them well. The characters were a lot of fun, even Vivian, who was often irksome, but she was that way to everyone, so it worked. This is a fun read that will make you laugh a lot. Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam, for sending this along.

It didn't hold my personal interest but I can see it being an easy 3-4 stars with the general audiences.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.