Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite romance authors; she writes such beautiful stories with flawed main character that intertwine love and life. Cousens has a really wonderful way of making romance a key part of the story without having it be the only thing that matters to the characters.
Her characters are always at odds with some other part of their life that ties into romance. It makes the story more real, more relatable, more raw and she does it with style, with high emotions, eccentric side characters and humor.
I will read anything Sophie Cousens writes and one of her more recent novels, "Before I Do" is no exception.
I had an ARC of Before I Do but never got around to reading it until now; jokes on me because I loved it!
Publisher's Summary
Head-in-the-stars Audrey is about to marry down-to-earth Josh. Though they are polar opposites, they have a healthy, stable relationship; Josh is just what Audrey needs. 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."
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 humor?
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 humor?
My Thoughts
Audrey was not my favorite character; I found her to be grating and ungrateful...she had this beautiful, wonderful boy who worshipped her and she was ready to throw it all away for a 'what if'. Though, I can't say I blame her...
Josh and Audrey seemed awfully mismatched and you're lead to believe that everyone feels the same. Audrey is a free spirit while Josh is very rigid; she likes to be carefree while Josh likes order. She is grumpy, he is sunshine. While I agreed with that description for most of the book, there were times where I wanted the other to compromise for the sake of their relationship. It all felt too difficult and like it wouldn't work.
So when Fred shows up to the wedding, you're rooting for Audrey to leave Josh and run away with her 'what if'...but are you really? As usual, hi jinx ensue and things happen...that I simply cannot reveal without revealing the entirety of the book so you'll have to read it.
My emotions throughout the novel were up and down; I was rooting for so many different outcomes and it's probably the one romance I've ever read that I didn't know where we would end up. I didn't even know where I wanted it to end up; was Audrey better off alone? With Fred? Would she stay with Josh? My mind changed a million times as new information was revealed!
The entire book takes place over the course of a few days, before, during & after the wedding while also having a dual timeline to see Audrey's past, how she met Josh, how she met Fred and it provides insight into why she is the way she is.
I found her relationship with her mother & past stepfathers to be fascinating and integral to the book, it was something I was not expecting to be so fond of because it feels very superficial at the start.
There was so much good in "Before I Do", so many plot twists, interesting characters and arcs...it made me laugh, cry, cringe. It was excellent in so many ways and if you need a book to just make you feel something, Before I Do will be that book!
xoxo
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