Before I Do

By: Sophie Cousens

Narrated by: Emma Sidi

A heartwarming and playful novel about the ones we love and the ones we lose by the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year

What would you do if 'the one that got away' turned up the night before your wedding?

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?

©2022 Sophie Cousens (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of Reader's Digest's 30 Most-Anticipated Books of 2022

"Cousens puts a clever spin on the standard rom-com trope of the love triangle….The true heart of the story is about her struggle with her past and whether she’s willing to create a new, more honest future for herself. A charming and surprising take on a classic love-triangle formula."—Kirkus Reviews

"Cousens…charms with this witty and emotionally rich story… [and] enhances this lighthearted rom-com with some truly touching moments as the authentic characters grapple with tough decisions. Readers will be especially drawn to Audrey, a woman unafraid to chase her own happiness and face challenges head-on. This is sure to charm."—Publishers Weekly

"The perfect feel-good book."—Reader's Digest

Lead character and her scapes.

Delightful read. Loved the characters and voices, the scapes and adventures. Recommend for nice summer read.

Way too long

This story had an interesting concept but by the time it ended, I didn’t like the female character very much.

I enjoyed the book but

I enjoyed the book, the characters and the story line. But for the first time ever, I wish I could be a book editor. I think I would have enjoyed this book more without all the back-and-forth back-and-forth in time line. I think there could’ve bigger chunks and less back-and-forth.

Not as I expected

Downloaded on a whim at seeing it on a book end. Different than the normal “boy meets girl” story line. As the main character finds herself tangled between 2 love stories - I hoped she’d choose one but expected her to choose another. I was pleasantly surprised.

*************Possible Spoiler**************

In a day in age where shiny and new wins out over old and reliable, instant zings of lust are sensationalized over a slowly building love - I was so happy to see this book show the value in tried and true.

The nuggets of truth such as you can be loved even if you don’t feel complete, or that in imperfection and in differences you can still love. Forgiveness and taking time to understand verses writing people off was a pleasant surprise.

Very well written

I enjoyed from beginning to end. The narrations were so good, it was as if I were there.

The disjointed timeline was different but it worked!

The characters were human and made mistakes, but everything turned out the way it should have. It was refreshing and unique and quite interesting to hear.

Great story. Better than expected.

I really, really enjoyed this story. It was one of my free books from the ‘Plus’ catalog In Audible.com so that made it even better! It had me thinking “what’s going to happen next” the whole time. There were funny moments too and the characters were great. I felt like they were my friends and that I was right there with them. I encourage you to read this for a story that will make your heart smile.

Cute

It was a cute story—a light and somewhat predictable rom-com. The narrator was great.

Terrible main character

The overall story was ok, but the weak main character took away from the enjoyment. Give her some backbone, please earlier in the story. She did not deserve Josh or Fred. We are team Josh!

Great story!

This story sounded so much like mine. Looking for something more when I had it all…😢. However the end was excellent! I wish it were my story!