This was my first book by Sophie Cousens and I really enjoyed this book! Audrey spends one incredible day with Fred who she thinks is her destiny and soulmate. Thinking he feels the same, she waits for him for hours the next day only to be ghosted. Time goes by and she falls in love with Josh. Josh is sweet and dependable and the opposite of Fred. They date and get engaged and on the night of their wedding rehearsal dinner, Josh's sister brings her new date, Fred, to their festivities! Audrey immediately goes into a tailspin as she tries to figure out if this is fate, a sign that her slight uneasy over her marriage is more than that, or if she should stick to her plans and marry good, dependable Josh. There are lots of supporting characters who give the story depth and help move it along and overall, I think the best man wins!

Loved this story of wedding chaos and how much of a hand fate plays in our lives. The characters were well written and well developed, and the story was at times both heartbreaking and hilarious. Another enjoyable, fast paced read by Sophie Cousens.

I enjoyed this book a lot. While reading it, I kept thinking how much it was like a puzzle. The layout and the pieces the author gave you at certain times were very intentional. So I was delighted when I finished the book, and the first line in the acknowledgments section referenced a jigsaw puzzle. The book as a whole held my attention and I was happy with how Audrey’s character grew and the choices she made in the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of “Before I Do.”

I love Sophie Cousins’ books. She always manages to tell an unconventional but still heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking love story. I enjoyed Audrey and Josh’s story very much and love how the author always fleshes out the supporting characters so well. I would not be surprised if this one gets adapted into a film.

I’ve adored everything Sophie Cousens has written before so I was so excited to see her new release Before I Do. Audrey is hours away from marrying her down-to-earth fiancé Josh when his sister shows up to their rehearsal dinner with the guy who got away—Fred, a man Audrey met six years ago and immediately fell for. Suddenly, she’s questioning everything, especially after thing after thing keeps going wrong leading up to the big I Do. Told in flashbacks of years leading up to the wedding and in the time leading to the wedding, it was beautiful written and these flashback chapters helped so much, adding to the pacing and story in such effective ways. I loved the friendships in this and how they all added to Audrey’s story. The exploration of her relationship with her mom was so lovely and her friendships were so quirky and fun. It reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s After I Do, and I loved how the idea of fate and soulmates were explored in this. Josh and Fred were such interesting foils for Audrey and were both so intricate. I did feel like it took Audrey a while to really communicate but I loved her journeys and she just felt like a very real, genuine character looking for her way in the world. Cousens has such a stunning way of writing an emotional read that is heartwarming with a signature happily ever after and Before I Do is no exception. It is charming and sweet and makes you think too. Definitely would recommend!

I was so excited to preview Sophie Cousens newest book and it did not disappoint! I loved the build up to the romance and the banter between the two characters. This was a sweet and fun romantic comedy that proves that this author can do no wrong!

I was so excited for this one and heard great things from other reviewers but sadly I was disappointed in the story not the writing.

I just had a very hard time liking Audrey and her actions the entire time. There were so many red flags with her relationship with Fred. Not to mention red flags with her, her insecurities and past issues that were constantly being brought to her mind making her freak out.
Josh was way too good to her.
However I loved the ending.

First I want to say the cover was super cute and the blurb sounded amazing! The intro with Audrey at the church had my gripped by the neck, but that slowly faded. The chapters were pretty short which was nice but the back and forth before was not my favorite thing. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters and just really getting into the story

Picture your wedding day, and every possible thing that could go wrong goes wrong, Like the only other person you've loved showing up the day before your wedding.

Audrey is unpredictable, and Josh, her fiance, is a planner. They are about as opposite as opposites can be. But they work and are about to get married. Of course, life has a way of throwing curveballs at people, and unexpectantly the man she thought could be her forever shows up at her rehearsal dinner. She finds herself questioning all her life choices. That's when everything starts to go wrong. Are these bad omens? Should she stop the wedding? Sophie does a great job weaving humor into all of her stories. However, I do think this is my third favorite of her books. I would read This Time Next Year and Just Haven't Met You Yet, first.

I’m caught up in a whirlwind of emotions after finishing this book. My heart was all in on this roller coaster of a ride, as I traveled alongside Audrey through her past, her present, and her future. Before I Do was fraught with the most complicated feelings; love, doubt, hopes, fears, and a whole lot of what-ifs. The author did an amazing job of presenting all of the possibilities, all of the sincerity, all of the complex choices Audrey had been making throughout her life. None of it was easy, a lot of it was sad, but there was no way to get to the end of this story without experiencing it all.

ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (infinity)
New addition to my top reads of the year! Don’t miss out on this hilarious romcom that poses the question: what if?

💜 Audrey is marrying her love Josh when literally everything goes wrong with their wedding, including the sudden appearance of Fred—her one that got away.
Here’s what I loved:

💜 The humor. This book is hilarious at parts. Some of the wedding disasters had me laughing out loud and don’t get me started on the balcony serenade (just wait for it!).

💜 The love triangle. I’m a sucker for a good one. I found myself rooting for each man at different times during the novel.

💜 The structure. This novel jumps around in time, giving you lots of backstory for Audrey. In her author’s note, Cousens admits to spending a lot of time mapping this book out and you can truly feel that as you read. Every story is perfectly placed.

💜 The characters. Audrey is lovable even with all of her flaws. I adored Josh from the go. But it’s the side characters that make the book so memorable. There are some great secondary plot lines that give the book a whole new side.

💜 Cried ugly tears. Anyone who knows me knows that I love a book that can get me to cry or gives me reader’s anxiety. This one did in a few places. The story has some very heavy parts (TW: SA) and Audrey’s anxiety just pours out of the pages. But Cousens did find a good balance between the humor and series notes.

I’m begging everyone to read this book when it comes out. I’ve read a lot of books this year and this one shot straight to the top of my list! It has heart and humor and everything you need in a wedding gone wrong book!

Release day is October 11th!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of Before I Do by Sophie Cousens in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited when I saw that Sophie Cousens was coming out with a new book. I’ve read This Time Next Year and Just Haven’t You Yet, and I adored them both (5⭐️ and 4.5⭐️, respectively.)

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. Despite getting Audrey’s backstory, I just didn’t feel like what happened in her past was reason enough to let someone she had one date with years ago to confuse her so much on her wedding day. Neither of the romances made me feel very good, though I did start to warm up to one couple in the last 25%.

But it seemed like Audrey wasn’t ready to be with either Josh or Fred, and maybe should have been given some time to focus on herself. In a way, I felt like this was more of a coming-of-age story, rather than a romance… but there wasn’t a lot of self-work or growth. It made me not want to root for either love interest. And it didn’t help that none of these characters were particularly likeable.

On top of all that, this storyline was incredibly slow-moving while also being pretty chaotic- basically, not a whole lot happened but there was a lot of drama. You may like this story if you enjoy books that explore family drama, over-the-top situations, and if you don’t need a lot of romance or character growth.

This book was written in varying timelines of the protagonist, Audrey’s life. I enjoyed reading about how all of her choices led her to her Happily Ever After. The book did start off slow, but after I made it about halfway through, I needed to see how the story ended. The ending was completely satisfying and wrapped up the story so well. I could honestly see this being made into a movie. If you are looking for a feel good romance, then you should definitely pick this one up on its release date (10/11/2022).

Pub date: 10/11/22
Genre: romcom
In one sentence: Opposites Audrey and Josh are getting married, but Audrey's cold feet get positively frigid when her "what if?" guy Fred shows up with Josh's sister.

I love Sophie Cousens' books, so I had to read this one! The plot structure reminded me a bit of This Time Next Year in that we see flashbacks to Audrey, Josh, and Fred's lives at various points to learn how their relationships developed. Audrey's indecision annoyed me a bit at the beginning, but I grew to love her and understand her dilemma in wondering if she and Josh were really meant to be. I also enjoyed that the story was more focused on Audrey and her wants/needs than just her relationship with Josh.

If you enjoyed Cousens' previous books and/or you like non-traditional romcoms, give this one a try!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the exploration of destiny and soulmates. Whether someone is meant to be—or not—and reading into happenings as signs. In Before I Do, we’re slowly, and perfectly, led through Audrey’s journey of discovery. Multiple timelines don’t always appeal to me, but in this case, I think it was beautifully done. The process allowed us to understand Audrey, and kept us guessing, in a way I don’t know could have happened quite as well in any other format. Parts of this book felt like a great romcom movie and the humor was a wonderful complement to the tougher subjects. All in all, a great read.

PLEASE NOTE: This is posted on my GoodReads currently and will be posted to Instagram and Amazon closer to its publishing date. Thank you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Before I Do” by Sophie Cousens
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5... 2.5?
✈️ to: England
TWs: sexual harassment, anxiety, infidelity

"Before I Do" is a story about what happens when your what-if guy shows up at your wedding and makes you doubt your supposed-to-be-marrying-tomorrow guy. It's chaotic, a lot messy, infuriating, occasionally endearing, and ultimately not for me.

My main issue with this book is that the majority of it is just a bit... boring and I didn't get a sense of the main character's (Audrey) personality until the halfway mark. Most of the characters felt a little bland.* The supposedly dreamy what-if guy is anything but and I was frustrated that Audrey was so swayed by him.

✨𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: While I do enjoy a big romantic gesture dance number (ala Mamma Mia), not even that could overcome the annoyance I felt with Audrey's indecision.

*Except for grandma Parker. She and her romance novels and bad omens could never be dull... Ok, Hillary the nactor (nanny actor) was also pretty great.

I have loved every one of Sophie Cousens’ books, and Before I Do was no exception! Cousens writes romcoms in such a heartfelt, beautiful way, and I always end up rooting for her characters and their HEAs. In this one, it really posed a dilemma because I liked both Josh and Fred! The multiple timelines made these characters all the richer and more developed, and I just adored this entire read!

I can’t wait to read more from Sophie in the future!

Love, love, loved!
This made me laugh, it made me cry. I felt so invested in the character’s story and the outcome. I enjoyed all of the characters so much. It resonated on so many levels.
Brilliant! Well done!
If you enjoyed Sophie Cousens’ other books, I think you’ll enjoy this one too.
Easily one of my new favorite authors.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam Books for sending this book for review consideration.

Similar to her last two novels (“This Time Next Year” and “Just Haven’t Met You Yet”), Cousens explores themes related to destiny vs. choice; what we think we need vs. what we really need; and timing. “Before I Do” is well written and has depth to it, but there’s not much character development for anyone but the main character and the overall story doesn’t feel well rounded.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed Cousens’ prior book Just Haven’t Met You Yet, a quirky fun read so was excited to receive an ARC thanks to NetGalley. The first page is a quote from Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance,” so I was really looking forward to another fun quirky book. This book opens with a wedding. And then the book goes back and forth between the days leading up to the wedding and several years before when she met someone e for one day and fell in love and didn’t see him again - until the rehearsal dinner as the date of someone else. Just my kind of fun romcom. There are parts in here that seem to take a long time getting to. And many different timelines between past, way past, present. I loved the astronomy references which made it fun to read about. All in all another solid book from Cousens.