Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of Before I Do. This is the story of Audrey who is about to get married, only for her sister-n-law to bring her “what if” guy from her past as her reception date. This stirs up a lots emotions and what ifs. The story gets a bit jumbled because then it segues in to many different storylines: Audrey’s relationship backstory with her fiancé, another storyline with her mother, and another with the what if guy. To be honest, it almost lost me in the middle because it was all over the place. And while I enjoyed how it ended, Audrey was a selfish character who was difficult to root for.

On the night before Audrey and Josh’s wedding day an unexpected guest arrives, Fred the one who Audrey things got away. So begins Before I Do by Sophie Cousens. Audrey begins to look at her relationship with Josh and other members of her family and starts to question if she is making the right decision. I loved this book couldn’t put it down! I really enjoyed all the characters in the book especially Audrey and could really relate to all the doubts and what-ifs she was facing. All in all I will definitely recommend this book when it is released! I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a digital arc of Before I Do in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The main character Audrey is set to marry Josh until an old fling, Fred, shows up at her wedding, causing her to question fate. The book is set up to read in a sequence of chapters that rotate between “present moment” and “past event”. This made the book even more enticing bc the author did a good job hooking you into what was happening presently only to throw you back before the wedding to give you insight. I sought this book out only bc I was sure it would address some of the questions that come with making a decision that could / should last the rest of your life. The author did a nice job tying in astronomy and the theory of other universes into the story line without it going beyond a comprehensible point for someone who has no background in this. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, I found myself sneaking away little moments in my life just to get another chapter in.

For someone who does not read a lot of romance novels, I adored this book because of its relatability. I would venture to guess most people have had the two relationships Audrey has in the book; a committed relationship with the reliable guy and the quick, fleeting romance with the mystery guy who leaves you wondering if they are the one who got away. I loved reading the back and forth in Audrey’s mind and Cousens had me so conflicted throughout that couldn’t decide through the book who I wanted her to end up with. An excellent ending and lots of great quotes for life and love that I so wish I could quote in this review. I’ll have to come back and update this review after it’s release to share my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars! ⭐️

Another excellent romance from Sophie Cousens that explores the concept of fate and the one that got away. Audrey is about to get married only to find her 'what if' man, Fred, turning up at her wedding. Told in a series of flashbacks, this story delves into the question of who we're meant to be with and the one that got away.

I love how Sophie Cousens writes compelling stories about fated romances. This love triangle had me guessing and on edge the whole way through wondering who Audrey would ultimately decide was the man for her. Great on audio narrated by Emma Sidi and recommended for fans of Lia Louis. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @PRHAudio for a complimentary audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Quirky, quick read. Audrey and Josh are getting married. Follow them through the adventure from before they say I do to the big moment. Full of laughs and crazy wedding chaos. Fun read, love the characters!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Cousens and G.P Putnam’s Sons (an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC) for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Holy multiple timelines, Batman! This book was so much fun. I enjoyed the supporting and main characters quite a bit. However, the time shifting due to the multiple timelines made the book a bit difficult to read. If I put it down for a bit, when I picked it back up I had to go back a couple pages to see where we were in time. That complexity took some of the enjoyment out of the book for me. In the author's comments, she said she had post-it notes to help her keep track of each timeline, and frankly, I think that would have helped me too! That being said, I liked the story quite a bit, but wish the structure would have been simpler.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. I appreciate it !!

First off, you gotta read Before I Do by Sophie Cousens, immediately. It truly had me on a rollercoaster of emotions, and the relatability of the characters and how things that happen to us or the decisions we make ultimately shape us into the people we are, for good or bad. Who hasn’t asked themselves “What if?” and thought about how different their life could possibly be based on one decision? Sophie Cousens does an excellent job of portraying the dual timelines and allowing us as the reader to get a better sense of the characters backstories and the decisions that have led Audrey to start questioning everything on the day of her wedding. An unexpected guest turns up who Audrey spent a wonderful day with years before she met Josh (her fiance) and starts a spiral of if she’s making the right choice by marrying Josh and what if? The supporting cast of characters (Hillary, Clara and even Granny Parker) were all very delightful and helped to foster Audrey's growth throughout the book.

Sophie Cousens is definitely an instant buy for me and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Sophie Cousens and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Before I do. This was quite the clever book. I really enjoyed reading it and all the amazing characters. Saying something like I do is such a defining moment in your life. There are so many what if’s and what could be or will be and just overall decisions to be made. It’s not unusual to have cold feet but when so many things are thrown at you all at once you can’t help but wonder.

We meet Audrey who is on the precipice of saying I do to Josh; someone she didn’t expect would grow on her. She still has thoughts about someone she spent an amazing day with just also happens to show up at the wedding. We go through the events from her past while also going through evens before and after the wedding. It’s all really entertaining to watch all these things happening to Audrey.

You never realize exactly how many different defining moments you may have in your life but it’s the choices you make that bring you to the present and your future. I don’t want to delve too much into it because then I’ll just be giving the book away, but it was perfect. Things really worked out the way they were supposed to, maybe there really is something in the stars.

I can undeniably say that I would absolutely read another book by Sophie Cousens. The story flowed gracefully and kept your attention throughout. You can’t always have a happy ending but sometimes things seem to work out the way they are supposed to. Not everything needs to be grand, sometimes simpler is better. I truly liked the book.

I loved this book! I've thoroughly enjoyed the other books Sophie Cousens has written, so I wasn't at all surprised by this, but seriously... I LOVED THIS BOOK. It had so much going for it: a solid plot told in alternating timelines, a main character I liked and wanted to succeed, and a love triangle without an obvious choice.

4.5 stars. What a surprising read! I loved it.

The story is a single POV, but multiple timelines. The way the story jumped around in time actually worked really well. It kept me in suspense for most of the book in a great way. It kept me locked in and invested emotionally.

The main and supporting characters were all unique and very well developed.

When finally all was revealed and resolved, it was a lovely and satisfying ending.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance copy.

Do we base love on fate or choice? This is the question Audrey will ponder before she marries Josh. Is she having a case of cold feet…or is the reemergence of someone from her past making her question everything.

I enjoyed the dual time lines in this story. It was the perfect way to showcase all the events that lead to Audrey’s wedding day and the many “what ifs”. This story is full of chance meetings, fate and serendipity. I thought it was all cleverly pulled together and had a great cast of secondary characters. I also love that Audrey is into astronomy (which she gets from her late father) and finds peace from the stars.

Audrey and Josh are opposites in every way. Audrey is a free spirit who doesn’t have a set job or a plan for her life. Josh has a very orderly life with to-do lists, a good job, and a plan for the future. They meet on many different occasions over the years but never date until they both wind up at the same table at a mutual friends wedding.

There are many back stories that contribute to the person Audrey is and after finding out all she has been through, I came to understand and empathize with her. I absolutely love Josh, he is a genuinely kind person and so in love with Audrey. This book has lots of emotion, humor, and a poignant look at how the choices we make in life determine our future.

“If you’re going to commit to anything in this life, shouldn’t it be love?”

Many thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Audrey is engaged to marry Josh, but at her rehearsal and dinner afterwards, a few things make her question if she should go through with it. Could the falling dead bat in the old church be a bad omen? What about the ‘el lazo’ ritual that Audrey’s latest stepfather did that resulted in a bad case of rope burn on Audrey’s neck at the dinner? Is it possible that her “what if” guy is her true destiny? Might the possibility of her mother’s multiple marriages and divorces making her question commitment? Or quite possibly is it her “what if” guy showing up at her rehearsal dinner as her fiancé’s sister’s date? Written in the present and past to fill in answers to storyline questions, Before I Do keeps you reading to find out if Audrey marries Josh or becomes a runaway bride

Let’s talk characters. Vivien, Audrey’s mother, loves the spotlight so much that her reality doesn’t tell her that this is her daughter’s special day. She doesn’t even realize the current stepfather, Lawrence, is someone Audrey doesn’t care for yet he is sharing the task of walking Audrey down the aisle at Vivien’s insistence. We all know a Vivien in our lives and she’s annoying as hell and anything you try to say to help her understand that she isn’t the star at a certain point in time falls on deaf ears. Then, there is Clara, Audrey’s best friend and voice of reason. You could say she know Audrey better than the person who gave birth to her. Talking her off a ledge, helping her sort out the dilemma in her mind, creating diversions when needed, and more than likely willing to help you burying a dead body if needed, Clara is the type of friend we all need.

While I enjoyed watching the development of her relationship with Josh, I hit a point about 2/3 of the way through where I felt my eyes glazing over. I was ready for all the “problems” that kept happening prior to the wedding to deter the ceremony from happening/finishing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own.

#netgalley #arc #beforeido #sophiecousens #putnambooks

The MC in this book, Audrey is flighty and a bit self centered. This made it difficult for me to care for her throughout the story. The storyline jumps back and forth in time dragging it out longer than needed. As the story progresses we see how Audrey became who she was. The story wasn’t bad. I just had a difficult time investing in it.

Audrey is about to marry Josh when the hours leading up to her wedding start dissolving in to chaos. Who should turn up, but Fred, the man she spent one wonderful day with and never saw again. Audrey starts looking back at her life and wondering if she’s made the right choices.

This book was such an interesting take on realistic couples. It was so nice to see the flaw in each of Audrey’s relationships and in Audrey herself. I found myself wondering how it would all resolve in a way that felt complete and I really feel like it did in the end.

4.5 stars

After reading the synopsis, I was initially hesitant to try this novel because I was afraid there would be a love triangle. I'm so glad I trusted the magic of Sophie Cousens writing and gave Before I Do a chance. Audrey does have decisions to make in the novel, but there isn't a "triangle" like you might be imagining and the heart of the story is about her personal growth and journey.

I loved the discussions about destiny/fate versus choice. Haven't we all wondered at one time or another what the path not taken would have looked like? I know Audrey will be a very polarizing character for some readers, but I really sympathized with her struggle to find her way. Do I agree with all of her decisions and actions? No. Can I understand her confusion? Yes. The questions and realities that Sophie Cousens brilliantly addresses, like the ups and downs of marriage and having kids, the day to day monotony of "life's admin", whether two very different people in a relationship can make it work, felt so honest and relatable.

Some of the situations in the novel are definitely over the top (the airplane LOL), but I laughed so hard and loved the different pop culture references (Gone with the Wind for the win!). It was a great balance between those moments and the more serious topics in the book (please see CW's). The secondary characters were an absolute delight and ride or die Clara and Hillary were a highlight of the book. Granny Parker was also such a hoot! The multiple timelines were a lot to keep track of and juggle, but I thought it worked really well to reveal what happened between all of the characters. I especially loved the evolution of Josh and Audrey's relationship and how much they both grew and changed, but also stayed the same. Josh was such a steadfast adorkable cinnamon roll, that it's no surprise that I fell madly in love with him.

I do wish that Audrey's trauma would have been more properly addressed in the book. There was a lot to unpack from her past and her relationship with her mother. It was such a huge part of her development and I felt that it "resolved" very quickly. Audrey's character arc was ultimately very satisfying though and the ending and epilogue brought tears to my eyes. Before I Do is a story about all types of love - romantic love, the love of friendship, of family, for yourself, and the love it takes for forgiveness.

CW: parental infidelity, divorce, death of parent (past), grief, FMC is assaulted and is subjected to inappropriate/threatening behavior by a secondary character (past), emotional trauma, heart attack (secondary character, on page)

Note: closed door/fade to black, there are mentions of MC's dating/kissing OW and OM before they start dating, FMC is kissed by OM (not reciprocated, but she doesn't pull away immediately)

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This is one of my favorite authors and once again she does not disappoint. I loved the going back before I DO to tell the story! A great quick read!

Stopped reading this book halfway through. Sophie Cousens is a great writer and I really liked This Time Next Year. I just couldn't enjoy the plot in this book which is my own fault - the description clearly states that this is about second guessing things before a wedding. I just can't get past the main character lying and holding back truths, especially since she has experienced what an unfaithful marriage can do to mental health.

That being said, the book definitely draws you in and I think it's a great read for anyone who likes romances and doesn't mind a love triangle.

4.5 ⭐ Sophie is the QUEEN of cute, funny, and easy to read rom coms! Will definitely be one of my go to comfort reads!

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing who Audrey would pick until the very end. There was a lot of depth to Audrey's life and the events that impacted her. I recommend this book to anyone enjoying a good fate/rom com book.