Think your wedding day was stressful? It's got nothing on Audrey's, who's struggling to get to her "I do." She sees everything as a bad omen--from falling bats, to torrential rains, to a reverend's heart attack. Is she really meant to marry Josh? They're so dissimilar, after all. Perhaps the biggest sign of all is when the biggest "what if?" in her life reappears: Fred, the one who disappeared from her life six years ago after the most magical first date in history.

Now, at the altar, Audrey has to make a decision--does her heart truly belong to Josh, with whom she's promised to build a life? Or should she see if Fate has a different plan for her, in which Fred is really her soul mate.

I just love Sophie Cousens's books. They're full of goofy, loveable heroines and the stoic men who love them and tackle heavy topics while keeping everything light and fun. And while Just Haven't Met You Yet remains my favorite of her books, I couldn't put this one down either. The cast of supporting characters is fabulous and the story flows smoothly, even with the multiple timeline format.

I'm eagerly awaiting this author's next book--special thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for letting me read this one through NetGalley.

Before I do
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/11/22
Author: Sophie Cousens
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 3.93

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Audrey is about to marry Josh. Romance should be unpredictable and fireworks. So, when Josh's sister shows up to the rehearsal dinner with Fred, Audrey's What If? guy--the man she met six years ago and had one amazing day with--Audrey finds herself torn. Surely Fred's appearance the night before she is due to get married can't be a coincidence. And when everything that could go wrong with the wedding starts to go wrong, Audrey has to ask herself: Is fate trying to stop her from making a huge mistake? Or does destiny just have a really twisty sense of humour?

My Thoughts: The story was narrated in third person with alternating timelines, which provided little clues on how they got here. The characters are well developed, have depth, are multifaceted, and are emotional. Josh was extremely likable. Audrey could be likable depending on the chapter and then on the flip side, you wanted to question her decisions, this was likely to her personal baggage, but still, it just felt like she was so confused and insecure and this transposed onto everything she did. The author’s writing was a delight, it was complex, well rounded, witty, creative, flowed so well for this book, and made you feel like you was on this emotional rollercoaster in a good way. I did enjoy how the book ultimately ending, it was a feel good ending. This was a very good read and the first book in awhile that played on my emotions, so much so, I felt the “book hangover.” I would highly recommend this book coming out later this year in October.

I've enjoyed Sophie Cousens last two books immensely. If you are a fan, this one feels more like This Time Next Year. Also, it feels like a Mhairi McFarlane novel, so fans of her will be happy. It goes back and forth, and it's written wonderfully because you can see the character growth/ changes between both. It hooks you from the prologue, and leaves you guessing what will happen. With a great variety of side characters, and a brilliant way of description, I recommend this one for anyone who loves romantic fiction!.

Its Audrey Lavery's wedding weekend and she's freaking out. Just a little. Ok. A LOT. You see, things aren't going quite like she had planned. From cake jumping plastic mini brides to a not so well reverend, she's starting to question everything about her life and her relationship with her fiancee Josh. Just when she's finally calmed down and started to enjoy her day, her future sister in law shows up with a date thats a true blast from her past. Fred. The man she spent one perfect day with six years ago and never heard from again. Suddenly every mishap becomes a possible sign from the universe. Should she be marrying Josh? Or is Fred showing up out of the blue a clear sign that her heart isn't entirely his?

This book is literary PERFECTION! From the descriptions of just how Audrey felt to chapters showing important moments through her life with Josh, you get a complete picture of not only how Audrey could ever feel this way but also the things that happened throughout her life that brought her to her to this exact moment in time. Not only was Audrey and Josh so very well written and fleshed out, secondary characters also had such strong and realistic stories of their own. This is hands down my absolute favorite read of the year so far, and my new favorite Sophie Cousens novel. Five BIG huge glowing shiny stars!!

❤❤❤❤❤/5

Thank you to Sophie Cousens. NetGalley, and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Audrey and Josh are polar opposites who are about to get married. Josh is stable and reliable while Audrey is unpredictable. Audrey starts to wonder if she should really marry Josh but when Josh's sister brings a guy from Audrey's past from to the rehearsal dinner she starts spinning even more. Audrey is a big believer in fate and feels that Fred showing up could be fate pushing them together. I thought it was cute, but it did not grab my attention like previous books by Cousens.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin-Putnam for the ARC of Before I Do.

I Ev’s at School so intrigued by the synopsis of this and sadly I just couldn’t stay interested in the story or the characters. The two lovers that MC was torn between were cliché and I didn’t enjoy how the finance was portrayed as a wet blanket.. it all felt very predictable.

I did like how the story flipped back and forth almost as memories. The writing was strong but the details didn’t catch for me.

A sweet, romantic book. Enjoyed the lovely story and the characters. Thank you for letting me review this lovely book.

I loved this second-chances novel. It's not often we get to explore the "what ifs" and I enjoyed every step of this adventure. A great read for any ocassion!

I loved Before I Do! Amazing story!
This book had my heart torn in the beginning, but towards the middle I was in one camp. I admittedly had to turn to the end to make sure I was OK with the ending and good to move forward. Which, thankfully, I was! I think we all question what ifs that it makes the what is sometimes hard to see. Audrey's story is relatable to everyone. 5 stars!

This book was a roller coaster. I thought it was gonna be one of those “she was about to marry the wrong person but the right person appeared right before her wedding” but NO it was so much more.

This book is about a woman in her late twenties figuring out life and love as she goes. And that believing in destiny doesn’t help, you have to go and work for what you want.

When I started this book I thought maybe Josh was a prick that’s why Audrey was having doubts. But as I went on reading I realized that Josh was actually the best male character I have read in a while. Like I fell in love with him okay 😭 I miss Josh already. And Audrey… yeah I have complicated feelings about her. Before the wedding day timeline she seemed like someone with strong opinions, someone who would go and get what they wanted but in the wedding day timeline she felt so… different?? She was so insecure and confused and her focus wasn’t on the wedding at all. I know it was due to all her emotional baggage but it still wasn’t fair to Josh like I swear Josh I’ll treat you better. And Fred… yeah let’s not even talk about him, my eye twitches.
The side characters, Hillary, Clara, Paul, Granny Parker and Miranda were people I absolutely adored. And while the other side characters like Audrey’s mom yeah I have nothing to say about them cause if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.

There was so much to Audrey’s story and my heart broke for her. The plot had me at the edge of my seat. I had no idea where the story was going or which guy Audrey was about to end up with. And that made it even more fun to read.

This third person POV book with different timelines and some really hilarious moments mixed with the author’s ability to manipulate the reader’s feelings was a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book. And it had the most satisfying ending. However I think it would’ve been a lot better with more diversity cause why are the majority of them Edward Cullens (straight and pale)

I read and enjoyed This Time Next Year and was excited to have access to the ARC of Before I Do. It did not disappoint! This was a fun read with characters I was routing for throughout. I loved the chapters alternating between the past and present. I was trying to guess who Audrey would end up with, but wasn’t certain through the very end. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for access to this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC!

Sophie Cousens writes such a great novel. I always enjoy her characters and found this one no different.

A love triangle. A wedding. Doubts around a wedding?! I loved the way the story unfolded and was so pleased with the final chapter and epilogue.

I’ll say this wasn’t my favorite of her books, but a solid 3.5 stars for sure.

After a whirlwind romantic day with a man she meets through a photo booth, Audrey never hears from Fred again. Fast forward several years to her wedding day to Josh, several bad omens occur and her “one that got away” is Josh’s sister’s plus one to her wedding. This sweet love story will take you on a story that blends timelines in a masterfully executed way.

The story of Audrey and Josh will have you wanting to look up at the stars and reminisce on your own love stories. As paths cross and eccentric family members enter the story, you’ll be sucked into this beach read of a love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great book that parallels soul mates with the power of choice. It is so well done and I loved the journey Audrey took us on to learn for herself what she believes.

*spoiler*

“I think love is a seed. We choose to plant it, nurture it, and at the end of our lives, if we end up with a glorious old oak tree, with huge branches and plenty of shade, then that's on us, not the cosmos."

Thanks NetGalley for the copy. My opinions are my own.

This was such a great story! After reading Just Haven’t Met You Yet and This Time Next Year, I was excited to read the latest release by Sophie Cousens. Of these three books, I think this one was my favorite! As with her previous works, there are similar themes of fate, timing in relationships, and the idea of having a soulmate.

I loved the dual timeline and mystery like feel of this book. As we learn more about the main characters’ back story, we get to understand the reasoning behind her thoughts and feelings. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how her story would end up. I think this is the kind of story that is best to go in as blind as possible to get the full experience! Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book in 3 words: Heartwarming. Ponder. Honest. 

Audrey is about to marry Josh, just as the one-who-got-away shows up as a plus one. Being pulled in many different directions, and chunks of history, Audrey must choose her future.

I adore how Sophie Cousens writes from a timeline standpoint. It feels like the flashbacks aren't there just to further the story but they pack a punch and hit at just the right times. Some books are written in multiple timelines and it's completely unnecessary, but that isn't the case for Before I Do. 

The whole concept of "What If" is what drives the story. Fred, the blast from the past, is quite the polarizing character and I can't wait to see what readers think of him. I'll keep my thoughts about Fred to myself but Josh is such a great contrast to Audrey. I loved how realistic this felt... I related a lot of this to my own relationship where we're quite different In some key ways. I love how Cousens put this pair together and wove their story throughout the timeline. Also, Josh is a greattttt book boyfriend. 

Before I Do also touches on some heavy issues and while difficult to read, they're important. All in all, this book has substance, charm, and makes the reader think. I recommend.

I was given the opportunity to read this book early and this opinion is my own . I did not really enjoy this book. I went into it thinking it would be a good book, but the love triangle trope is just not for me.

This was a DNF for me. The timeline jumping all over the place wasn't for me. I might have to try it again in the future, but for now it didn't hold my attention like the authors other books did.

This is the love story of Audrey and Josh - it's written with multiple time lines which give the reader a fuller understanding of who they are and how they got to the "I Do" part of the story. It is light hearted and fun with underlying sage advice on love and marriage and life. I found myself laughing out loud at some scenes which made the whole thing an enjoyable read.

Before I Do was a delight to read. It had big With Love From London vibes - jumping through various timelines and parallels between mom and daughter to paint a picture of the bride-to-be you meet in the prologue.

As you gain context for her life, not-so-subtle undertones of Audrey’s perspective of her mother’s love life give credence to the uncertainty she has on the eve of her wedding. What is love? What makes it work? Who should you choose to be with? These questions plague Audrey as you dive deeper into both hurtful and life-giving experiences she’s had.

Cousens beautifully uses the night sky as an anchor in the midst of weaving characters, timelines, and personal revelations.

No character in this book is perfect but it was written pretty real and believably. An overall enjoyable read, written with intentionality (and I imagine a pain-staking editing process!)