Before I Do had one of the best meet cutes that I have read.

Audrey is twenty four hours away from marrying Josh. While these two lovers have little in common, what they do have is a smooth relationship. To others viewing on the outside, they are a match made in Heaven. But is Josh really the one for Audrey?

Audrey critically starts considering this when Josh’s sister brings Fred, what could of been Audrey’s true love. Hours leading up to the marriage, things start going off key and not as planned. Could this truly be fate stopping Audrey from making the biggest mistake of her life before saying i do?

Sophie Cousens delights in Before I Do, a novel that asks readers if they are truly letting fate lead their love choices. I enjoyed the time jumps that Cousens inputted throughout as they allowed me to see why Audrey made the choices that she did. I definitely was rooting for one man over the other as the book progressed and was not disappointed with how everything was wrapped together in the end.

This book is a classic beach read kind of book.

A very easy read, not too many characters and the storyline is simple and quite predictable.

All in all the book is good but not really for those who read a lot, probably good for someone who doesn't read a lot or has lost their reading mojo.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I am a huge huge fan of Sophie Cousens and have read all her previous books. I was really looking forward to this one coming out and hoped I’d love it as much as all the others.

However, I just could not get into this book. I tried and tried and tried again but to no avail. In the end, I read the end first and still wasn’t enamoured. This is really strange for myself as usually I am hooked at her books. I think it was more me than the book and I did enjoy parts.

I was hooked from the prologue but what follows after was not engaging. I struggled to understand the plot as the timeline was messy going back and forth and not really having foundational context. I didn't feel interested in any of the characters as they were pretty basic and if they had somewhat of a personality the author made sure you knew what it was by writing a detailed paragraph on it. Ultimately I lost interest due to the flow and the lack of interest in the characters.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I've enjoyed Cousen's previous books, so was pleased to have the opportunity to read this. This was an enjoyable read and I liked Audrey's character. The moves between time periods were written well, and the story was well-paced and entertaining.

I really enjoyed both of Sophie Cousens’ previous books, so I was really excited to get stuck into her new one. I’ve had it for a while but I’ve had so many other books to prioritise recently. However, Before I Do has never strayed far from my mind and I’m delighted to say I’ve finally read it!

Audrey is about to marry her polar opposite Josh but she is having doubts as to whether he’s the one for her. Then Josh’s sister turns up to the wedding with none other than Fred, a guy that Audrey had a wonderful date with six years before, and then never saw again. As several wedding things start to go wrong, Audrey starts to wonder whether Fred’s surprise appearance is the biggest possible omen that she shouldn’t be saying ‘I do’ to Josh.

Audrey has trauma in her past that she never really dealt with in a healthy way. We learn about this and get some understanding of why Audrey is the way she is. She is flaky, indecisive and incredibly anxious for the majority of the book but it’s all explained, giving the reader a full 360 degree view of her character.

Josh is a complete sweetheart and I wanted nothing but the best for him. However, if you like your heroes complex, brooding and ‘interesting’, you probably won’t be as into him as I was. There were times in the narrative when I didn’t know how things would end for him and I was nervous he wouldn’t get his happy ending. I kept my fingers tightly crossed throughout the rocky patches!

While I enjoyed Audrey and Fred’s meet-cute, there was something about Fred that put me off. I knew he wasn’t right for a woman ready to settle down, which Audrey clearly is. Perhaps if they had continued dating years before, they would have been at the same stage of life by the time of the wedding and it would have worked. However, their separation has caused them to walk different paths and they’re now in different places. I really didn’t know which guy Audrey would choose but I had a great time rooting for the one I wanted!

I loved the amount of eccentric hilarious characters in this book. Josh has so many quirky women in his family and Audrey has her loveable ‘nactor’ (nanny who is also an actor) Hillary. They are where a lot of the subtle humour comes from and they were so well realised. I fully believed that all of the characters were real people, so they were so easy to laugh and cry with.

Fearing commitment is a central theme of the book. It’s what Audrey battles with for the entirety of the plot, even before Fred turns up. It’s a classic trope in wedding-based rom-coms but I loved how Cousens explored it from all angles within Audrey. I also adored how it was done with a degree of humour too, which is quite a rare occurrence, because it’s not ultimately a funny topic.

Audrey’s mum Vivien is an interesting character too. She is on her fifth husband but clearly has some unfinished business with men from her past. Her mother’s casual approach to marriage and bad luck with men is undoubtedly a big trigger for Audrey’s insecurity and anxiety. She also has an air of the overbearing mother about her, meaning Audrey often expresses frustration with her. I really loved that this eased over time though and that I got to see Vivien in a warmer, more vulnerable light.

Before I Do is a funny, heartwarming rom-com with themes of fate, commitment and true love. Sophie Cousens is great at writing authentic characters, ship-worthy romances and stories that you can relate to. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

A fun book to read, full of witty repartee and interesting family characters. Unlike a lot of rom coms it is not at all predictable and you have to keep reading just to find out what happens in the end.

I love this book so much!! Sophie is a truly fantastic author and this is quite possibly my favourite book yet. I’ve read all of Sophie’s books and I can safely say, she’s an author who always delivers.

Sophie has a witty tone when she writes and it’s just perfect. I was instantly pulled into this one and unwilling to put this down. This resulted in me devouring the entire book in just one sitting.

There are so many “what ifs” that fill the pages of this book. It’s an aspect I think many readers will connect with and relate to. However on occasions, I’ve had a wish to throttle Audrey.

This is a book filled with laugh out loud moments. I have found myself chuckling as I’ve read this. Sophie has pulled me into the pages and I’ve felt as though I’ve watched the events play out.

Before I Do, has been the comfort read I have been craving. It’s left me smiling but also needing more books by Sophie to read.

This is a book I could easily imagine on the big screen and I would definitely be watching it. The only negative about devouring Sophie’s books is the wait ahead for the next one.

Before I do is a brilliant read and one that I cannot recommend enough. Sophie is a fantastic author and this is a book worthy of all the stars.

Before I Do is one of my fav romance reads for 2022. Audrey and Josh are getting married but a series of mishaps (or omens) occur that give Audrey the jitters. And when a face from the past turns up, she enters a tailspin of what ifs.

As we go back in time, we relive one amazing day that Audrey has with Fred.

And we also watch her and Josh fall in love.

Every character in this wonderful book is awesome and add so much to the story of one woman's journey to her true love. I got all the feels from Before I Do and it rescued me from a reading slump. Fully absorbed and engaged, heart filled with joy. What more could you ask for?

Before I do

What a pleasure it was to read this book - doubly so because I had just finished a book which took 2 months to plod through (I’m not a person who gives up - I always hope the next page will bring the book together

From the beginning this book ‘had me’. Some of the characters were quirky but real. Sometimes I wanted to knock their heads together, but there were enough ‘normal characters to keep it from being unbelievable.

I was really sad to come to the end of this book. It’s the second I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more.

Sophie Cousens is an author I always get excited about when I see a new release, this one didn’t disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Thin is a nice, light eom-com of a book.
It goes on for quite a long time and the whirl of timeliness are frustrating but there are a few funny bits in it.
Audrey is quite likable if dense and as her wedding gets neatr things take a turn for the worse.

This is the third book I’ve read by Sophie Cousens and just like the ones before it didn’t disappoint. I’ll admit it did it take me a little while to get into the book but once I warmed to the characters I really enjoyed it. This story is told over multiple timelines which take us back and forth up until Audrey and Josh’s wedding day. The story has likeable characters and is the perfect easy read if you’re wanting an escape.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this book.
There is something about Sophie Cousens books that as soon as there is a new one I have to read it!
My usual go to genre is thriller however this year I have been drawn more to contemporary fiction and romance.
I really enjoyed this one yet again and couldn't put it down!
Audrey was a bit all over the place and sometimes I despaired at some of the thoughts and choices she made, it seemed like she was never happy with what she had!
But it was funny and a light hearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Sophies books are lovely, easy reads that are addictive, looking forward to the next one!

A love story with some twists and turns. You meet some interesting characters along the way,some who don't always endear themselves ti the reader! But ultimately it's about the couple due to marry, and about love and how it isn't always as straightforward as you might hope.

This is an amazing read, set on a few time lines which you get used to very quickly but also gets you desperate to find out what happens next on every one of them.
Great characters, interesting lives, twists and turns that had me guessing right to the end!! A brilliant reflection on how moments in your life can affect you for years. Some great issues flagged and exposed, the realness of vulnerability and expectations.
Audrey is getting married to Josh!! (I was worried about starting a book where it is meant to end!!) Is Josh the one? The love of her life? What catastrophe happened at the altar?! No spoilers from me …..
A joy to read, fun, romantic, frustrating, toe curling, and really very sensible!
It’s a five stars from me, I so enjoyed reading this book and savoured every page! Hugely recommended!
Thank you Netgalley for the early read, I loved it!!

I'm not usually a fan of love stories but decided to pick this up as a change of pace from my usual crime thriller. I'm really glad I did as I loved the story from start to finish. It was a nice easy read with some great characters in it and I would definitely read more by this author. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Enjoyable and engaging. I love a story told from different characters' points of view, male and female and this was a good, light-hearted story.

A beautifull written story and a real page turner. When everything started to go wrong with the wedding it made Audrey ask herself if she was doing the right thing. It was really funny at times and the characters were all very good. It really was unputdownable.

2.5 ⭐️

Audrey is getting married to Josh, but on her wedding day and the day before, all is going wrong. There’s many bad omens, the biggest being the appearance of Fred at her rehearsal dinner. Fred was Audrey’s what if guy, who she met and last saw 6 years ago. As the days go on, the story takes us back into Audrey’s past, when she met Fred and why she has certain ideas and feelings about love and marriage for herself. Audrey had to decide if she’s going to marry Josh or go with Fred, the one or the who got away.

I didn’t really love this, it was a somewhat enjoyable read, and funny at times, it did keep me reading. I think the issue comes in Audrey, I really didn’t love her or connect with her. I found her to be very immature and selfish, just all over the place, which is fine, it’s just not for me. I didn’t feel the connection between her and Josh and really don’t think they’re right for each other. The Fred aspect plays such a small part in the story, so does the general romance, I don’t feel like I got the story I was sold. This story primarily goes back and forth between Audrey debating on marrying Josh, and going back into her past life with her mother and her many marriages. I didn’t mind Audrey’s friends but her mother drove me insane. She’s a horrible, horrible person. What bothered me especially was that Audrey took all her mothers mistakes upon herself, as if it was her own fault, which didn’t make any sense to me. I couldn’t stand her mother and the forgiveness there. I feel like in the authors last three books, there’s always a major issue with the mother that I really dislike, the mother is always the “bad guy” and I really wonder what that’s about and why it’s included. I didn’t mind Audrey’s friends, but they were also selfish, especially on her wedding day making it all about themselves! This is definitely my least favourite from the author. It took me a bit to get through and I just didn’t get it or connect with it. It really isn’t a story about choosing the right guy at all. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.