“Nothing’s over until you stop fighting for it.”

This is the story of Audrey who is getting married but having a serious case of cold feet when “the one that got away” turns up the night before her wedding.

I thought this was a cute and realistic romance that explores the doubts that come along with any relationship and how sometimes the what ifs of our past can come back to haunt us.
An enjoyable quick read in which I really felt for the main character and just wanted her to find her happily ever after.
I recommend you pick this one up!

All the stars for anything Sophie Cousens writes. Before I Do is one of the most unique romances I’ve ever read. Told in dual timelines, this love triangle comes to a head the night before Audrey and Josh are set to exchange vows. Fred shows up and all of a sudden Audrey wonders what her life would have been like if she and Fred had had more than one amazing day all those years ago. Audrey’s angst broke my heart, as she tries so hard to make everyone around her happy. But is she finding her own joy? I love an intricate complicated romance and Before I Do fits the bill. It kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This book was adorable. It really made you think “what if?” regarding things like fate and omens. I didn’t think that the “omens” were over the top, they felt completely realistic.

The author described Audrey perfectly in a way that explained why she would see random bats, traffic, or a messed up cake as a sign that she shouldn’t get married.

I was for sure team Fred and I think he didn’t get the end he deserved. In fact, he was treated like a nuisance and borderline weirdo at the end and that made me a little sad.
I hated Audrey’s mother and Audrey keeping such a strong relationship with her actually explains why Audrey is so bad with her own trauma and relationships. This probably wasn’t the authors intention, but it ironically came across as realistic. I mean her mom didn’t even unconditionally believe that she was inappropriately touched (at 22 years of age) by her creepy bf. Vivien is a terrible person and (realistically) that would rub off on Audrey and I think it did.

This FMC probably won’t be for everyone, but she’s realistic and maybe that matters more than likability?
4/5 stars

"Before I Do" is a charming and wise novel about what-ifs. When she was in her early 20s, Audrey spent one magical day with a guy named Fred, and then never saw him again. Years later, even as she gets engaged to another man, she still keeps a strip of photo-booth shots of Fred in her wallet.

As Audrey and her fiancé Josh are getting ready to tie the knot, a series of wedding-day disasters makes her question whether or not she and Josh are truly meant to be. He's a planner, she's spontaneous; his idea of a good time is planting trees to help the environment, while Audrey loves to stargaze, though her dreams of becoming an astronomer fell through when she failed her exams. When Fred turns up at the wedding as Josh's sister's plus-one, Audrey is forced to reconsider everything that led up to the present moment. Every other chapter gives us a glimpse of Audrey's past as she contemplates her future.

"Before I Do" is a romcom which also deals with some serious themes; Audrey's father died when she was a little girl, and since then her glamorous mom Vivian has cycled through several husbands and lovers, making Audrey wonder if she's genetically predisposed to never be able to settle down. The book's ending manages to be hilarious, unpredictable, and absolutely perfect.

I loved this book. I liked reading Audrey's background story. I liked reading about her day with Fred and also how the relationship with her fiancee evolved. Also i think this is such a related story in the sense that most people have had a "What if" person, and i think its so easy to romanticize that relationship and i found this book just very relatable over all. Side characters were great as well.

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Before I do from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adore Sophie Cousens and feel like Before I Do is an excellent show of her growth as a writer. Before I Do gave me Rebecca Serle/The Notebook/My Dark Vanessa/Firefly Lane vibes while somehow managing to not be all over the place style-wise. Cousens makes these tropes work together seamlessly. She is telling the reader numerous stories without it every feeling scatterbrained. It’s there, everything, all the pieces that bring the main story together.

Josh/Fred’s moments with Audrey through the first half of the book are equally compelling. I am in love with one man in one chapter but then fall for the other in the next. This invested me in the love triangle. I didn’t know who to root for until I did, then I leaned HARD into him and was sobbing with Audrey on the floor of her bridal suite.

Benedict’s moments made my stomach turn. I wanted to hide, I wanted to vomit, I wanted to cry. These chapters got dark, but brought depth to the characters and helped me to understand why they made the choices they made. It also was an excellent tool to use for showing the many complicated layers of Audrey’s relationship with her mother.

Overall, beautiful book but I don’t know if I consider it a rom com like the cover art might lead the reader to believe. Instead it is much more than that. I hope readers appreciate what Cousens has done here and the depth of storytelling she has achieved.

Audrey - Josh - Fred.... talk about a love triangle.

Love triangles typically aren't my thing and I found myself growing ever annoyed with Audrey. And the more I got to know Fred the less I liked him. I will say; however, I was pleased with how this book wrapped up and ended.

The timeline writing for this one was very unique.

In my opinion, Sophie Cousens can do no wrong. I love her quirky spiraling meet cute love stories and Before I Do continues her streak of delivering great books. I loved Audrey. I love the introspection of fate and the way the dual timelines overlapped to paint a broader picture. A great book. I think it may be my new favorite by her.

2.5 stars. It was good enough to read until the end but I only liked it, I didn't love it.

I initially enjoyed getting to know the main characters as well as part of Audrey's backstory. I also liked some of the wise and beautiful things the author wrote about love, marriage, and long term commitment. I also loved Josh.
Although Audrey's choices and behaviors became more understandable as the story went on, it didn't make me like her any better. I thought her mother was awful and never really warmed up to her at all. Also, it was pretty clear what was going to happen after Fred appeared. I usually enjoy formula stories and familiar tropes but, I think because I didn't feel connected to the characters, I only found this book to be mildly enjoyable.

This was not quite the romcom I thought it would be based on having Sophie Cousens' Just Haven't Met You Yet fresh in my head. That book was a classic romcom, while this book felt a lot heavier to me. I think *reading the synopsis* may have prepared me better for this story--but where's the fun in that?!

What worked for me:
Sophie Cousens is such a cinematic writer. Every book of hers feels like it needs to be made into a movie. So many funny scenes! The chaos and disasters belong on the big screen!!
Some of the themes and important parts of Audrey's life really sneak up on you. I didn't mind changing my mind about her character several times throughout the story. She has a selfish, shallow side in some of the flashbacks and even in the present, but the way her history unfolds gives the reader so many layers. It was actually pretty amazing to see how the person she was before she met Josh and the person she was during her wedding week came to be--especially when it came to freezing up when things go wrong, and trauma-induced panic.
Side characters! Hillary is such an awesome character. I loved Clara and Miranda too. And we get some close friend love stories that were fun to read about too.
Occasionally the side character dialogue and dynamics reminded me of reading a Mhairi McFarlane book! (Always a good thing!)

What didn't work for me:
It isn't this book's fault that it was heavy to me. I'm not even sure if that will just be a me-thing, or if another reader will also find a lot of this book sad. This book was partially about having doubts about the person you are about to marry, and doubting marriage completely, and whether or not there are soul mates, etc. It depressed me! I felt sad for this couple and it took about 90% of the book before I was sure who I was rooting for. I had hunches that they were on the right path, but never a certain feeling that carried me through the reading experience.
Dual timelines are always hard to sell me on. I can handle some flashbacks, but when I am being thrown around so many timelines, I start to lose interest and I just feel desperate to know where the story is going --and I stop feeling invested in the past. This book jumped around a lot, so it felt like a bit of whiplash sometimes. Our main character didn't seem consistent throughout the timelines, but by the end, you get a much better understanding of why. I think I would have preferred that the time jumps stopped around the halfway point and then carried forward from there. As it was, the conclusion felt rather jam-packed.

After sitting with all my feelings, I still think this is a great Sophie Cousens book, and I am a Sophie Cousens fan for sure. Do you ever appreciate the book for what it was without enjoying the reading experience the way you wished you did? That's the best way to explain it for me!

Thanks so much Netgalley and Putnam for this e-ARC! All opinions are my own!

I wanted to like this, but I actually hated it. Wishy-washy character that let themselves be swept along don't resonate with me. Also the idea of not being sure about your husband during the build up to the wedding gives me a heartache for Josh. I didn't finish the book but I did read the last couple of chapters and the end was ok.

Loved it but not as much as This Time Next Year and Just Haven't Met You Yet. Everything that could go wrong at a wedding occurred for Josh and Audrey. It all started during their rehearsal. No one wants a dead animal to fall on them in a church. i would have killed Lawrence after his lasso incident. I'm surprised Audrey didn't have a concussion for the amount of times she fell and hit her head. Granny Parker definitely didn't help with her constant talk of bad luck omens. I had mixed feelings about Audrey. At times I liked her, other times not so much. She was so indecisive about everything. At times it almost seemed like she didn't care enough about something to make decisions, like her wedding. Also, who she was going to choose- Fred or Josh. All those bumps on the head must have caused her to have a lapse of judgement. Josh was the perfect guy. She hardly knew Fred. Audrey romanticized her time with Fred. I'm not even sure how Josh fell in love with her. She wasn't even nice to him during the times they met. It wasn't until he had a girlfriend that she became interested in him. Audrey didn't have a good role model for relationships. Vivien was married five times and was constantly on the hunt for another man, while she was married. Loved all the characters in the book, especially Miranda, Clara and Hillary. Audrey and Hillary had such a great relationship. From the start I couldn't wait to see what had Audrey running out of the church. Since paramedics were showing up, I figured someone must had died. With all the bad things that happened surrounding her wedding, a death wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Josh and Audrey should have just eloped from the start.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Enjoyed how the book alternated between the past and present. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

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

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Before I Do. Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite authors, and I loved this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: October 11, 2022

I was really intrigued by the plot line of Before I Do. Right before her wedding, Audrey's "one that got away" shows back up in her life, and truth be told, all hell breaks loose with her internally. She is an emotional wreck, doubting herself for her decisions over the course of several years, feeling guilt over costing her mom every marriage (she feels like), and being indecisive about what it is she truly wants. While Audrey felt these emotions in the extreme, I think everyone can relate to having doubts about major life decisions. We've all felt them, suffered through them, and come out on the other side. Audrey is no different, and because of that, I think it makes her a really relatable character. She also goes through an unwanted attention situation with one of her mom's boyfriends, and the doubt and insecurity she feels as a result of that situation follow her for much of her young adult life. Did she misread the situation? Did she overreact? Questions she asks herself for years, and it isn't until her wedding that Audrey and mother set things right between them by unveiling the guilt they are both carrying over the same situation. The mother/daughter bonding between these two was spot on, and I loved that Audrey had the support of her stepfathers after her dad's death. The story really highlighted a bit of a found family theme at times.

And Josh...perfect perfect perfect Josh. Was he too perfect? Maybe. Was he a really good guy at heart? Yes, and I loved him. Sophie Cousens sold me on the sexiness of steadiness in Josh, and I bought everything she sold in this book! Josh is the guy we all dream of - a truly nice guy (washboard abs don't hurt with what I can only imagine is a Lucious head of chocolate brown hair) who waited patiently for Audrey to be ready to date him. She is flighty where he is steady, she is go with the flow and he is studious internet researcher and planner. They work. She brings light to his levity. When Audrey hurt him in this book, I felt like I hurt because I knew his love for her was sincere. I am down for everything Josh related.

I also loved the chaos of Sophie's grand gesture to get Josh back in this story. It reeked of The Wedding Singer during the plane ride in the best possible way. I kept waiting for Billy Idol to make an appearance (IYKYK). Overall, though, the grand gesture Sophie put together was better than anything I thought of. It was so inherently Josh that I knew he would have no choice but to take her back.

The side characters were also wonderful! I thought Hillary was hilarious and would have loved more about him. When he thought the breast pump was a coffee maker...classic.

I just loved this book. I could not put it down once I started it. I love how Sophie Cousens doesn't really place at the beginning of a story, but she places you at the best point in someone's life it feels like. It's like you know you're only here for a short portion of the rest of their life, and they continue to live on after the pages of the book are complete. Preorder this one! You won't be sorry.

TW/CW: unwanted sexual contact, gas lighting, pornography, adultery

I'll definitely be reading more from this author and her unique storytelling!!
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 2/10

Summary:
Audrey gets cold feet when a past 'what-if' romantic interest turns up unexpectedly the night before her wedding.

it's giving

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Review:
I was in suspense this entire book!! The multiple plot lines are brilliantly woven, revealing just enough information to provide context for the next scene. It's done amazingly.

I was unfamiliar with Sophie Cousens' writing and was pleasantly surprised that this was more literary fiction than a genre romance. It was also very lyrical and descriptive while being laugh out loud hilarious at times. It feels like one of those early 2000s/late 90s rom-coms that you can watch over and over again. . The pop culture references to other rom-coms are great.

The author takes you through Audrey's memories and feelings, and I have to praise Cousens for shaping my view of each character as the plot progresses.

Vivien is such a gem in this. She surprised me so many times and tbh is a queen. As is Granny Parker. Honestly would read a whole book about those two alone.

While this wasn’t my favorite Cousens novel, I can appreciate the intricacy of the characters and plot. Her writing is still magical but the love triangle just didn’t do it for me.

Romance lovers, get ready for this one. It has it all. Delightful characters, laugh-out-loud moments, tears.

Audrey is getting married. This books starts out right in the heat of the wedding preparations. It’s only a day away. There are possible omens, annoying family members, hilarious characters, and lots of glorious drama. At the same time, there is an alternating timeline to Audrey’s past. Something deeper. We get to see her path of self-discovery and how she got where she is.

I loved this book. It’s so incredibly romantic, funny, sentimental, all the adjectives. It’s my second Sophie Cousens novel, and I can’t wait to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced copy.

Before I Do is the third book by Sophie Cousens and the second book I have read by her. Do you have a “what if?” person? Someone who came through your life in the past and isn’t around anymore but part of you always wonders what if things were different? For our main character Audrey, that person is Fred, a man she met in the cutest of meet cutes six years ago and spent one amazing day with only to never see him again. Now Audrey is getting married to her longtime boyfriend Josh, who is her opposite in almost every way. He is very clean and down to earth while Audrey can be a mess with her head in the clouds. When Fred unexpectedly comes back into her life the day before her wedding, Audrey starts to wonder if it is a coincidence or something more?

I really enjoyed this book. I like the way Cousens structured this book where we have flashbacks to the past and really get to see how Audrey met and interacted with both men. You can really feel the tension while reading this book. Honestly for the first two-thirds of this book, I did not know what Audrey was going to do. I could have seen her going with either guy! Cousens uses the flashbacks to really make the reader like both men.

Audrey has a lot in her past that she has to unpack throughout this novel. Her mother has remarried multiple times, making the sanctity of marriage seem irrelevant. She has also struggled to really figure out what she wants to do with her life.

I loved the cast of side characters. I feel like each person felt real instead of just being used for filler. Audrey’s best friend is a recent mother and I felt like I could really relate to her.

I can see why people would not like this book though. Audrey is not the most likable character in the world. I’m not someone who always has to have a super likable protagonist-I’m fine with them being just regular people. But I could see her character really getting on some readers nerves.

I’m giving this book a 4.5 star instead of a full five star because the last third of this book had some cartoonish elements to me. After everything leading up to it felt very true to real life and the struggles real people face, it just felt silly at times. I did like the way Audrey’s story came together in the end though.

Okay, I am a little conflicted with this one. The beginning is magnificent. Cousens truly knows how to pull you in. I couldn’t read fast enough to learn what would unfold. Ultimately, and why it definitely deserves at least four stars, is how well-written the entire book is. I could picture everything in my mind and every chapter had me wanting more.

The drawback was…. I didn’t like Audrey. I really didn’t understand why Josh fell in love with her or wanted to marry her. It’s not about her job or anything else, but she didn’t really appreciate him. At all. For years. I guess I needed more of a reason to understand why he chose her. I didn’t like Audrey’s excuses for her behavior. She was selfish. It wasn’t trauma, it was selfishness.

Fred? What did Audrey see in him? He had Peter Pan syndrome. It wasn’t adventure and spontaneity, it was recklessness and immaturity.

I can’t even touch on her mom. Oy.

Clara and Hillary were enjoyable characters and both I would want as friends. Side characters were also well written. I liked them better than the main.

Anyway, despite my feelings on some of the characters, this is a GREAT book. Sophie Cousens is talented and I love her wit, I will always want to read her stories and I recommend everyone else who enjoys this genre to do it too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book started out really strong - the intro hook was fantastic and the choice to flip between timelines worked well for the first half of the book. The end was where things went a bit pear shaped.

I struggled with the likability of the characters for the majority of the story. I felt like Audrey hid behind her trauma to justify behavior that memorializes the "what if" relationship with Fred.

Josh came across as the consolation prize love interest for the majority of the book - I think I honestly would have believed an ending where Audrey decided not to get married at all (rather than the weird, corny, and out of character finish that we got).

A solid 3/5 for me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy for review via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you for the advanced preview of this book! Before I Do is complex, multifaceted, and an awesome read. Written in a unique back in the past/up to the present format, the story was easy to follow and built with just enough anticipation and excitement to keep the reader engaged and hungry for more. What I loved is that this story was not perfect and it was very realistic; outside of a couple incidents that were VERY outlandish, I felt like this could’ve been the story of one of my friends. I can’t wait to read more from Sophie Cousens.