This book jumps around a bit in the timeline. And while the characters were fun and lively, I did not find myself connecting very much with the main character at all.

It was cute. It was bingeable. Granny Parker is awesome. Some of it was so ridiculous 🤷‍♀️ Not my fav of this authors but it was cute and parts made me laugh. I was team fred for awhile but I also think he might be a lil coo coo. The whole plane thing where people were team Audrey or Josh was so ridiculous though but I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the best Sophie Cousens book yet, and I've officially decided that Josh is the perfect book boyfriend.

Audrey is set to marry Josh. Sweet, kind, patient, funny, perfect (even in his bad jeans) Josh. And their wedding day arrives and everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Including Fred showing up as the date to one of their guests. Who is Fred? Fred is they guy that Audrey thought was "the one who got away". His arrival on top of the chaotic wedding weekend has Audrey second-guessing everything she thought she knew, and whether or not her life is on the correct track and if Josh truly is the man she's meant to be with.

This was wonderful. It bounced back & forth between timelines, which give us insight on why Audrey is the way that she is, and the supporting characters were absolutely perfect and added so much to the story. Hillary had me laughing out loud before the first chapter had ended, and I'm desperate for a best friend like Clara. And Audrey. Audrey is the best kind of protagonist. She's a little annoying and frustrating, but still likable. She makes mistakes and learns from them, and once she realizes what she truly wants, she doesn't let go of it without a fight.

I did not like this very much at all. While I usually like time jumps back and forth in a romance, they didn't work at all here. It never really felt like the book knew who it wanted to cheer for, so both couple option felt lackluster. Combine that with most of the characters being bland, this wasn't a successful read for me.


I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

3 Stars Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is not your typical contemporary romance or rom com. When Audrey is about to marry Josh, her “one that got away,” Fred, shows up for the wedding and she begins to wonder “what if.” As things go wrong at the rehearsal and the ceremony, Audrey questions whether Josh is really “The One.” The book goes back and forth between the past and present, showing how Audrey met Fred, how she met Josh, her mother’s previous marriages, and more of what made Audrey who she is. I’m not a fan of books that go back and forth between different times and this one was a bit hard to follow, especially since the stories in the past didn’t even unfold linearly. It was also hard to root for Audrey because she was pretty self-focused (though I wouldn’t necessarily say she was selfish) and didn’t treat Josh well once she started having doubts about their wedding. I’m glad the book ended the way that it did though.

What a sweet book!

I read this on my beach vacation and didn’t want it to end!
Held my attention right from the start!
Not my first Sophie book and won’t be my last!
Love her writing style !
Thank you to NetGalley!

I really enjoyed it. Audrey was a great character. However, I didn't love the back and forth of the time lines. But that is just me, i get confused haha. But otherwise I really enjoyed everything about this book.

This book kept me guessing until the end! I really had no idea what the outcome Audrey was going to have regarding her romantic relationship(s). The end was adorable and it was a great way to end the book. I love the focus of Audrey’s love of astronomy and the stars. The author tied a lot of the story into constellations and the stars and I loved those details! This a solid, fun read. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin/GP Putnam for providing a digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story of Audrey and all of the wonderful and horrible events of her young adulthood she carries inside her like an old carpet bag is one of love, of fantasy and of hurts. Vignettes of her past in three different frames describe the contents of her carpet bag and the whys of her emotions on the eve of and her wedding day. Emotional on many levels, very well written, and interesting characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I Do had me so confused about which love story to cheer for every other chapter. I found myself understanding the confusion and pull to the past. The truth is a love story of the ages can be whatever the author wants but, I have to say I enjoyed this ride from start to finish. Sophie Cousens has a gift of making you question what your choice would be.

I absolutely loved Sophie Cousens' latest book, "Before I Do" and fully believe you will too. If you are a fan of women's fiction, chic lit or literary rom coms, then this is definitely the book for you. The characters are fun, funny, and wonderfully crafted, the story flows beautifully, even though it switches back and forth between time periods, and the overall plot is entertaining, enjoyable and truly gratifying. I particularly loved the friendships between Audrey and Hillary and Audrey and Clara, and the ever-growing bond between mother and daughter. I must admit, I am a sucker for books involving weddings, especially set in fabulous European destinations, so this book had me hook, line and sinker. But, even if that's not your cup of tea, Before I Do promises to be a light and pleasurable read that is certain to entertain.

Rating: 4
Laughing Score: 3
Crying Score: 1

Before I do is such a fun book. Sophie Cousens is the queen at navigating multiple timelines! She did it again in this one and did not miss. I loved getting to know Audrey’s past while seeing how she was navigating her present.

I loved this book from the start, I thought it was funny and consumable, and I just found myself blowing through it over the weekend. After a series of unfortunate events, Audrey finds herself on her wedding day questioning EVERYTHING. The part of this that felt real was her conversations with her friends. I’ve had a variety of these conversations with my friends, multiple times, and Sophie really nailed it.

I was team Josh the entire book, phew, to be loved by a man like Josh! What a treat that must be lol. I felt like the third act conflict was THE MOST natural lead-up to a conflict, and I didn’t mind it, even though it broke my heart a little.

The ending was a bit different and had a different tone than the rest of the book, but I needed the HEA because I just needed things to be right for Audrey and Josh.

Lastly, this book made me realize how I need to look up at the sky more. Are any of you into astronomy and star gazing?

This is my first book by this author.

I really like the idea of the story, but sadly the back and forth, the different timelines, I just couldn’t settle on a favorite.

Too many people mentioned right at the beginning got me confused as we jumped right into chaos.

This wasn’t my cup of tea.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an electronic ARC of this book.
Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date: October 11, 2022

Sophie Cousens has done it again. Before I Do tells the story of Audrey and her journey to find love. Her wedding day is filled with ‘bad omens’, and she is debating on what to do.

I went into this nervous there would be a love triangle, but thankfully, I was mistaken. This is a closed door romance and explores the relationships of the main character throughout many years.

If you loved Cousen’s Just Haven’t Met You Yet, you’ll for sure love Before I Do!

I remember randomly picking up This Time Next Year at a Target before I started my Bookstagram account and fell in love with the book and will forever be a Sophie Cousens fan.

Her newest book is another delight. Audrey is flighty. She doesn’t plan anything. She lives in the moment. Her fiancé is the exact opposite. Josh is very organized, stable and rooted. As their wedding weekend commences, everything starts to go wrong. Including Fred, a man Audrey thought might be her soulmate, showing up to her wedding. Is Josh really the one? Or is fate intervening?

There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, as well as swoony moments. I kept going back and forth on which guy I thought should be with Audrey. I couldn’t decide - just like Audrey.

If you need a sweet bingeable romance that is also thought-provoking about fate and love, then pick up this one

I just love a good story about the “what-ifs” and this story is just that. The story focuses on multiple time lines all focuses on Audrey and Josh’s wedding and everything that leads up to that day. Audrey is a wonderfully complex character who is set to marry Josh, the opposite of what she would have ever imagined for herself and she can’t help thinking what about the guy who got away? When that guy randomly shows up at her wedding she questions everything.

This book was so well done with the complexity of the characters and the relationships they all have. I loved Vivian, Audrey’s mom who was perfectly imperfect.

Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for allowing to read this advanced copy of this book. #netgalley

I love a good timeline jump and Sophie Cousens is brilliant at them. Most timeline jump books I’ve read have one starting point, usually the end of the relationship, and jump back and forth between the good times and the current timeline. In showing how Audrey got to this point in her life, not only leading up to the wedding and after she’s supposed to be married, provides a fuller picture to how Audrey became who she is in the present.
The struggle Audrey faces of who she was versus who she’s become, in the face multiple bad omens exacerbating her already cold feet and the realization that being a work in progress is not a bad thing, is a timeless issue multiple people can relate to no matter their age.
I was so excited to read this book, having already preordered it and anxiously waiting for her next book, and I thank Netgalley, Sophie Cousens and Penguin Group for providing me an ARC!

I was already a fan of Sophie Cousens before reading this book, but BEFORE I DO has solidified me as a "super fan." I absolutely loved it. If I had to use one word to describe this book, it would be CHARMING. But I can't stop at just one, so I will continue with DELIGHTFUL, WITTY, ROMANTIC, HEARTWARMING. I could go on. At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure if the wedding would happen or who the reader was supposed to root for as the love interest, but I made my choice quickly thereafter and would have been heartbroken if it turned out differently. Have no fear: the happy ever after was PERFECTION. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella who want the charm but perhaps slightly less silly, I highly recommend this book!!

This was everything I love in a rom-com. Adorable characters, the best of circumstances, and the rollercoaster of life. I have been a fan of Cousens work in the past and this one is definitely one of their best!

Before I Do was not a typical romance story, but I absolutely loved it. The story opens up with a wedding disaster, and then takes us back to the hours and years before the wedding. Audrey is marrying Josh, but as the wedding creeps up her doubts start to rise. And then enter Fred, Audrey's "what if?" This was not a love triangle, but more of a deeper look into the things that hold us back and make us wonder. I loved the characters in this one, even the secondary characters were well-written and added a level of depth to the story that I enjoyed. This book took the reader on a journey with Audrey, and sometimes she was frustrating and you wanted to be like "get it together!" But, that's real life and made me love the novel even more. This is definitely my favorite Sophie Cousens novel so far!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.