Before I Do: a funny and unexpected love story from the author of THIS TIME NEXT YEAR

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A thoughtful and romantic story about the moments and choices that change our lives in unexpected ways…. Audrey was supposed to be torn between these two guys (for some reason), but she has very few interactions with Fred and spends most of the "present" chapters running from Josh. She appears in the Library Reads Hall of Fame, with books that are consistently recommended by library staff. But romance should be unpredictable and full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey’s found herself wondering if Josh really is “The One. Oh, this review is difficult…I love Sophie Cousens as an author but this novel didn’t hit the mark for me as her others have in the past.

From there it follows several timelines: the wedding, Audrey and Josh’s story and a story of Audrey meeting a man named Fred at a photobooth and spending one serendipitous day together as well as her mothers many husbands, one of them being quite abusive. As the wedding gets closer and closer with hours to spare, Audrey can’t stop thinking about the past…and can’t help but wonder if she’s making the right decision to get married. Audrey does have decisions to make in the novel, but there isn't a "triangle" like you might be imagining and the heart of the story is about her personal growth and journey. But romance should be unpredictable and full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey’s found herself wondering if Josh really is "The One. Audrey is about to get married and night before her wedding the guy she had the best day with, turns up with her soon to be husband's sister plus one.Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with an arc of Before I Do in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I really didn't care for the main character, and it's not common that that happens for me when I'm reading. There's also added conflict of everything under the sun going wrong on their wedding day, and it became actually ridiculous just how long that list was. The secondary characters were an absolute delight and ride or die Clara and Hillary were a highlight of the book.I was a little pissed off Audrey because her past baggages and insecurities shadow her vision to see truth lies behind her eyes! Through a series of flashbacks, interspersed with the lead-up to the wedding day, Sophie Cousens captures all of the insecurities, doubts, stresses, and what-ifs of a young woman who's grown up around infidelity. So funny enough I could have used this for a Cannonball 14 bingo because of the constant discussion of stars, who knew. The icing on the proverbial cake (okay, WEDDING CAKE 😉) comes in the form of her soon-to-be sister in law Meredith's plus one at the rehearsal dinner: none other than Fred. Though they are polar opposites, they have a healthy, stable relationship; Josh is just what Audrey needs.