While at the rehearsal supper before their wedding, Josh's sister shows up with someone from Audrey's past. This gets Audrey wondering if Josh is really her true love or is she supposed to see what might have happened with Fred, is fate giving her a second chance? Things start to go wrong during the wedding and it gives Audrey and Josh a chance to think about if they are doing the correct thing. A fun story that gets you thinking about different possibilities. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This is a new-to-me author, so I didn't have any specific expectations going into the book. It was a very entertaining story and I had a great time reading it. When Audrey and Fred meet, their connection is instant, and they have one unforgettable day together. When they plan to meet up again the next day, he never shows up. Well, now it's six years later and Audrey is all set to marry Josh. Then Audrey is thrown curveball when Josh's sister arrives with none other than Fred as her date. Audrey is stunned. Is fate playing games with her? She begins to doubt whether her marriage to Josh should happen or not.
The story was entertaining and well-written and kept me engaged all the way through. The characters were well-developed and interesting, and I enjoyed their witty dialogue. The author did a really nice job of weaving an emotional but fun story. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by this author.
My thanks to Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

On the night before Audrey and Josh - two polar opposites - are meant to be married, Audrey is blind sided by the reappearance of someone who changed her entire life.

When Josh’s sister brings her date Fred to the rehearsal dinner, Audrey has already met him. During the course of a brief day long fling, Audrey fell head over heels for Fred, only to be broken hearted when their romance fizzled as quickly as it started.

Fred’s reappearance the night before her wedding sends her down a path of confusion and treachery, as Audrey begins to wonder if she’s mean to marry good, stable Josh or if fate is trying to intervene at the last minute.

I really enjoyed this one! I’m not a huge fan of the whole last minute wedding issues trope, but Sophie Cousens does a great job at tracing the “what-ifs” through character interaction and plot lines.

Thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Sophie Cousens

Read If You Like:

+ Second Chance Romance
+ My Best Friend’s Wedding
+ Family Drama

Once I started reading, I couldn't put down "Before I Do" by Sophie Cousens. This romance started off by reminding me of the film Amelie with its adorable photo booth meet cute. Then the novel took some unique turns as Audrey's relationship with Josh is put under the microscope while she experiences cold feet right before her wedding. The comedy is spot-on with one scene making me cry I was laughing so hard! I highly recommend "Before I Do" to all romantic comedy fans!

Audrey's set to marry good guy Josh who she's been friends with for years. Leading up to the wedding it seems like everything is going wrong from falling bats & clothing mishaps to her supposed soulmate who she had one magical day 6 years ago showing up with her fiancé's sister. Is it fate that he's shown up for the wedding or just a coincidence?

Pining after a guy you knew less than 24 hours, 6 years ago seems unrealistic to me. Maybe it was due to the lack of chemistry between Audrey and Josh and she just was looking for a way out. Either way, it was very entertaining and drama filled which kept me reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I've always reallyyyyyyyy enjoyed this author and with good reason!! She writes some great books that make you laugh but are also the sweetest filled with all the warm fuzzies!!

The concept of this book is different and I really liked that and needed it. The way it jumps back and forth in the time line makes the story flow so well and I really enjoyed it!! The characters were great and i cant wait for more from her!

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 an overall cute story that kept me guessing where Audrey was going to end up and with who. I got mean girls vibe from her, so she wasn’t my favorite, especially after she used her past experiences as an excuse for her behavior and that’s all. Josh was just a sweetheart and deserved more. The timeline got a little confusing and made it drag a bit, but other than that, I really enjoyed. Will definitely be picking up her next book.

Audrey has never quite decided what she wants to do with her life. Josh is down to earth and steady, the exact opposite of Audrey and they fit together perfectly.

The night before their wedding, Josh's sister comes to the rehearsal dinner with "the one that got away". As Audrey questions if Josh is really the one, she also starts to question if Fred's appearance is more than a coincidence.

I loved this sweet and unusual love story. It is a must-read for anyone who loves Sophie Cousens or romances about weddings.

I am still processing how I felt about this book. It definitely gave me emotions ranging from swooning to angry. I liked the beginning, was annoyed during the middle, and loved how the ending played out.

It was well written and the characters were well built.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a twisty romance.

4.25 stars!

Really enjoyed this one! A romance that was refreshing because I didn’t know which man Audrey would end up with. I enjoyed the multiple timelines. It started a little slow for me and I initially had a hard time keeping all the characters straight. But once I got 1/4 into this book I flew through it! Loved how Cousens tied this book together.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for so generously providing me with an advanced reader copy!

I have picked up this book many times, yet I cannot seem to find myself intrigued by the story. No matter how much I try the characters have fallen flat in my eyes.

This cheeky little romance was self-aware, heartwarming, and relatable. As someone who recently got married and faced moments of questioning despite deep love for my husband (which I believe to be normal as anyone approaches a major life change), I put myself in the main character's shoes. Despite having lived her emotions, Sophie Cousens did an amazing job of illustrating for the reader exactly how she felt. An immersive story, I felt like I was walking down the streets of London, in the pews of the eerily cold church, and sitting in traffic on the A303.

I'm not normally a romance girly and occasionally even a good romance can send me into a slump. But this one, likely due to the relatability, had me unable to put it down. Give me more Sophie Cousens, her charming way with words, and her endearingly annoying characters!

Unable to review at this time. Will review at a later date. I'm cleaning up my netgalley in order to review 2023 books. This book sounds delightful and will read once fully caught up on my account. Thank you for this opportunity! I look forward to reading this book!

This wasn't excellent, and it wasn't horrible. It fell firmly in the middle for me as a sweet, tropey escapade. I didn't love it but didn't hate it either!

Solid 3.5/5


I wanted to love this book but for some reason I just don’t.

I really liked the main character, Audrey, she really comes full circle and it’s great to see her grow up during the book. The book itself is set the day prior to her wedding and then flashes back to different times in her life. The man that’s her what if? Shows up to the wedding. I think maybe if the book was faster paced I could have liked it more. There’s just something missing from it

I loved this story. The wondering who’d she end up with. Did it end the way I thought? No, but it ended exactly the way it should have!

This book was so much deeper than the lighthearted romance I expected. It is complex, leaving you questioning if there's such a thing as fate and that special one...I enjoyed all the characters individually and the way they were all together .I got this as an arc

5 stars for Before I Do!

This is my second Cousens book and I much prefer it to “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” but I can totally see the parallels between both books. Cousens loves to write about the mythical magical “perfect man out there” scenario.

Before I Do does a great job is flashing between the past and the present. I really enjoyed the character development of Audrey as we see glimpses of her past and her relationship between her mother, her future husband, and the “maybe perfect guy for me”, Fred.

I most enjoyed the classic British humor and Audrey coming to terms with what she wants in life and love.

I HATED Benedict and the interactions with him made my skin crawl. Which only goes to say how great of a writter Cousens is. I loved the last half of the book and how it added a touch of humor back into the heavy book. The airplane shenanigans, backup dancers and viral video were such a relief. Lastly, Granny Parker was the star of the whole book and you can’t change my mind!

This book is a perfect book for anyone who loves a good self discovery book with a hint of overcoming your fears and trauma.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this one!!! The back and forth from past to present was a fun way to reveal things and (without giving spoilers) I found myself liking one love interest more and desperately hoping she would end up with him (spoiler: she did). It was fun and cute but not something I’m going to remember for a long time but will definitely recommend

This book is about the doubts and questions (the “what ifs” in some cases) that can come to mind as one gets married. The book had some good comic and some insightful moments. My problem with reading this book is that the timelines skipped back and forth too much. I found it confusing to follow. The story line itself was fun; it just became too frustrating to keep segments straight. I do thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review..