Before I Do is a sweet, exciting, and joyful read!

Audrey is about to get married to Josh but is feeling a bit frazzled. Her mother has been married five times and
has taken over wedding planning. Years ago, a horrible man wished Audrey bad luck and hoped she would never be able to fall in love and live happily every after. As things go awry on the wedding day (cue a dead bat falling from the sky), Audrey wonders if they are bad omens. Will she be able to say “I do”?

The chapters go back and forth from the present to as far back as 17 years prior to the wedding day. There is an air of mystery throughout much of the story, as set up by the prologue. I was truly not sure what would happen and was pleased by the conclusion. I found Audrey to be lovable and relatable regarding her generally terrible taste in men and self-doubt. The cast of supporting characters, especially Audrey’s friends Clara and Hillary (who also provides great comic relief), help add to the cozy atmosphere of the novel.

I adored Sophie Cousens’s Just Haven’t Met You Yet and think Before I Do is even better. Recommended to fans of charming British rom-coms and readers who enjoy Mhairi McFarlane’s and Beth O’Leary’s writing and Sophie Cousen’s other works.

Thank you very much to Putnam Books for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I'm so thankful for the ARC of Before I Do coming out Oct. 11, 2022. I really enjoyed her last book, Just Haven't Met You Yet, especially the humor.

Before I Do is about Audrey and Josh preparing for their big wedding with the help of families and friends and their stories of love and loss. The story mainly follows Audrey's journey leading up to her wedding. I found humor in all of the disasters surrounding the wedding and couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out.

Audrey loved astronomy and I especially liked when she shared about her passion for stars. Josh's work planting trees and for clean energy was very sweet. I also liked Fred's idea of The Insomniac's Almanac, full of things to do alone after dark.

I really enjoyed this book and once hooked in, couldn't put it down. There was a lot of depth to the story and I really loved the ending.

Thank you Sophie Cousens, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

I really really enjoyed this book! It was super cute! The characters and storyline were pretty brilliant!

On the eve of Audrey's wedding to Josh, a strange man appears on the arm of her future sister-in-law: the man that Audrey met for a date that seemed earth-shattering. Already unsure as to whether she should marry Josh, Audrey rehashes her romantic history, all the while braving bad omen after bad omen. Will she finally say "I do"? And if she does, will she be saying it to the right man?

I wasn't sure what to expect from Before I Do, because I didn't know how the premise would avoid making all of the characters unsympathetic. But Sophie Cousens more than exceeded my expectations, taking Audrey on a journey of reflection and self-discovery that was alternately romantic, profound, hilarious, and heartbreaking. For quite a while, I wasn't sure who Audrey would or should pick -- and once it became obvious, I was deeply committed in that pair finding their happy ending.

This is a great bittersweet contemporary romance that explores longterm love in all its forms. I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If Sophie Cousens wants to release a book each year, I’m here for it! I enjoyed this one just like I enjoyed the past two. I particularly liked the growth of the main character and the ending.

This book has me hooked after the first page! I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what happened next. I loved the back and forth timeline. The characters and their friendships were so sweet and endearing. It was such a creative storyline and overall I just really loved this book! This is definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this arc!

I really liked the format of this that jumped back and forth between the present and the main character’s past with Josh and with Fred. It’s written in a way that makes all of the characters feel likable and real. I felt very invested in Audrey’s decision and thoughts leading up to her wedding ceremony. I will be keeping an eye out for Sophie Cousens in the future!

Sophie Cousens is an author who has become an automatic to-read for me!

I loved Before I Do. The prologue was amazing and had me on the edge of my seat for sure! I loved the moment in time that Cousens chose to have the prologue. The plot was very creative - not at all a trope. And I loved Audrey's flashbacks intermingled with the current events. I could not put this book down! Also, I wasn't sure whether I was pulling for Fred or Josh - usually I have a clear favorite!!! And still I was very VERY satisfied by the ending - it was better than I imagined.

If I had one teeny critique, I was getting Josh mixed up with one of his friends with a similar name. I had to do a couple double-takes to remind myself which was the fiance and which was the friend.

All-in-all, I loved this book so much!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sophie Cousens doesn't disappoint with this gem. As always, captivating, pulled me in and made me not want to stop reading. Her books are always a smashing success and leave me wanting another one. Please never retire.

Watch my Amazon Live interview with Sophie here: https://amazon.com/live/broadcast/0cf22701-5107-4c8e-8b3a-ddeefbed4789?tag=erinmbransco-20&linkCode=ilv&ref_=social

Sophie Cousens can do no wrong.

Audrey is about to marry her fiance Josh when Fred—the man she spent one perfect, exhilarating day with six years ago—appears at her rehearsal dinner as Josh's sister's date. Audrey hasn't seen him since that day they spent together, right before the weekend that changed her life. Fred's reappearance, as well as a series of freak disasters leading up to the "I do"s, makes Audrey question whether she's making the right decision marrying Josh. What if the universe is trying to tell her something? What if all the "bad omens" are a warning? What if she's meant to be with Fred?

This was a wonderfully-written novel about the seductive and destructive power of "What if?"
I found the story to be engaging, believable, and so honest.

If you like Sophie Cousens's other work, you will like this. Would absolutely recommend this book.


*I will say, if you can't stomach stories where there is a "love triangle" element—although that isn't exactly what this is—or stories that jump back and forth in time, then this book might not be for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've read This Time Next Year and Just Haven't Met You Yet, both of which I loved by Sophie Cousens. I had hit the 10% mark, I KNEW Before I Do would be a five star read for me.

It's been a while since a book has made me tear up and this one definitely did especially with the letter Audrey receives from her father. This book is filled with bittersweet and heart-felt moments.

I loved reading the back and forth timeline of Audrey's spontaneous meeting with Fred, the Photo Booth Boy, and her husband-to-be Josh. The love between Audrey and Josh is precious in this opposites attract story. I had my own doubts of what Audrey would do in the end but it all came together nicely.

Sophie Cousens is an author I look out for when I'm pre-ordering books and I'm always excited for the next adventure.

5 stars