In Before I Do by Sophie Cousens, It’s quite normal for any bride-to-be to have a few doubts just 
before she says “I do”, right? At least, that’s what Audrey is telling herself. Because as she and her fiance Josh get closer to the big day, she wonders how anyone can truly know how the person they’ve chosen is their forever. Especially after watching her mother–an actress with a flair for drama–get married and divorced multiple times over the years. Audrey does know one thing for sure: she loves Josh. Hoping that will be enough to overcome her wedding day jitters, she trods on, determined. But it seems fate has a few tricks up its sleeve as one thing after another goes wrong at the venue. Then her long lost “what if” guy, Fred, shows up and it all goes sideways.
“What if it’s a sign?” Audrey said…
“A sign of what?” Clara frowned in confusion.
“That Josh isn’t the person I’m supposed to marry.”
“Please! Of course you’re supposed to marry Josh! What, you’re going to run away with your what-if guy from years ago, just because he shows up at your wedding–with someone else?”
The fact that Fred is unexpectedly at the rehearsal dinner is confusing enough for Audrey. But to be there with Josh’s sister? It’s too much. And so are the many memories that come flooding back of her perfect day spent with Fred–and the horrible days spent after that when Audrey’s family life fell apart. Unsure if this is a sign from the great beyond or just a weird coincidence that’s making her cold feet worse, she’ll have to sort out her true feelings for Josh and Fred and figure out which direction to choose. Audrey only hopes that whatever decision she makes will be the right one and that they don’t all get hurt in the process.
‘Perhaps love was not about finding a jigsaw piece to fit you or a mirror to reflect you, it was simply about finding another human being who made your heart sing.’
Before I Do took wedding hi-jinks to the Nth degree and incorporated a complicated love triangle that even had me waffling over who the heroine should choose–something I should have expected with Sophie Cousens’ smart writing and the wild, emotionally-charged journeys she takes her readers on.
‘Was there some guiding force pulling her toward the right person, or was it just a giant game of chess with a billion different outcomes?’
Trigger warning: View Spoiler »
I always expect a lot of twists and turns as well as unique characters when I read a Sophie Cousens novel. And Before I Do certainly had both. With its multiple timelines all woven together, painting a picture of our heroine Audrey’s life up through the present day, this was one story that had my heart all in knots. To say she was having a tough go of it trying to keep her wedding running smoothly is putting it mildly. But thankfully, Cousens infused some lovely humor into the mishaps that plagued the rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner, and the day of the wedding that will most definitely put a smile on your face.
It was when Audrey’s “what if” guy from her past, Fred, showed up unexpectedly at the rehearsal dinner that it went even further to shambles. As their history was revealed, scene by scene, I began to understand why Audrey wasn’t able to let go of her one perfect day with Fred. And why she was so confused about what it meant as her wedding was seemingly falling apart, one predicament at a time. It did take until a little over halfway through the book before I made a choice as to which hero to root for, Fred or Josh, (I’m Team Josh!) which is unusual. I can usually decide right away. So fab job to Cousens for making Audrey’s relationships with *both* guys seem worth the effort.
QOTD: If you’ve read any romances with a love triangle, do you find yourself cheering on one character over another right away? Or do you take time to decide?
Book Info:
Publication: October 11th 2022 | G.P. Putnam’s Sons |
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 humour?
Hooked By That Book
This is on my list.
shygirl19748
It’s definitely a story with *all* the emotions you can think of piled on–with some humor to balance. Enjoy!! 🙂