Before I Do
I’m grateful for the ARC invitation, but perhaps I wasn’t the best guest for this wedding!
Audrey’s wedding day to kind, devoted Josh has finally arrived, and besides her micromanaging, marriage-challenged mother, dead bats falling from the chapel ceiling, clothing mishaps, and an unforeseen situation with the reverend - among other things - there’s also a “ghost” from her past who’s shown up unexpectedly as her soon to be sister-in-law’s plus one …
Fred. Also known as ‘Photo Booth Guy’, and the one Audrey suspects may be her soulmate.
Six years ago, Audrey found a photo strip of him that he’d left behind at the tube station booth. On a whim, she left behind her own strip of photos, hoping this stranger would come back for his and find hers. As fate would have it, one magical, adventure-filled day it seemed all her beloved stars aligned to bring them together. So why is she standing with a different man now, ready to begin her life with him, and is fate intervening to prevent her from making a mistake?
It’s up to Audrey to figure out if true love is a matter of destiny or choice.
First let me say that I ADORED Sophie Cousens’ last book I Just Haven’t Met You Yet. She showed then, and again with this one, that she knows how to both embrace and poke fun at the tropes so prevalent in this genre, which led to some fun meta moments. Her writing is on pitch and thoughtful, balancing serious ideas, like family trauma and the nature of love and commitment, with a light-hearted touch. It will likely resonate with anyone who’s been in a relationship, married or not, and there were so many points I related to.
Here’s where I struggled: Fictional couples’ I DO’s are something I DON’T enjoy much!
Apparently, I can’t handle wedding-centric books, or at least not ones involving dysfunctional people. It’s not fun for me to watch people be stressed out and flailing as a whack-a-mole of problems pop up around them. My biggest issue, though, is that I just never emotionally connected to Audrey, Josh or Fred, or her mom, Vivien, so I didn’t feel very invested in how things played out. I also found the epilogue a bit eye-rolly and cloying.
Cousens is a wonderful author whose books I’ll continue to devour happily - this story was just not my perfect match. Most of my reviewer friends loved this, so please check out other reviews before deciding! It’s a solid story - I may just be a wedding Grinch!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 3)
Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and author Sophie Cousens for this digital ARC to honestly review. This is now available.
Audrey’s wedding day to kind, devoted Josh has finally arrived, and besides her micromanaging, marriage-challenged mother, dead bats falling from the chapel ceiling, clothing mishaps, and an unforeseen situation with the reverend - among other things - there’s also a “ghost” from her past who’s shown up unexpectedly as her soon to be sister-in-law’s plus one …
Fred. Also known as ‘Photo Booth Guy’, and the one Audrey suspects may be her soulmate.
Six years ago, Audrey found a photo strip of him that he’d left behind at the tube station booth. On a whim, she left behind her own strip of photos, hoping this stranger would come back for his and find hers. As fate would have it, one magical, adventure-filled day it seemed all her beloved stars aligned to bring them together. So why is she standing with a different man now, ready to begin her life with him, and is fate intervening to prevent her from making a mistake?
It’s up to Audrey to figure out if true love is a matter of destiny or choice.
First let me say that I ADORED Sophie Cousens’ last book I Just Haven’t Met You Yet. She showed then, and again with this one, that she knows how to both embrace and poke fun at the tropes so prevalent in this genre, which led to some fun meta moments. Her writing is on pitch and thoughtful, balancing serious ideas, like family trauma and the nature of love and commitment, with a light-hearted touch. It will likely resonate with anyone who’s been in a relationship, married or not, and there were so many points I related to.
Here’s where I struggled: Fictional couples’ I DO’s are something I DON’T enjoy much!
Apparently, I can’t handle wedding-centric books, or at least not ones involving dysfunctional people. It’s not fun for me to watch people be stressed out and flailing as a whack-a-mole of problems pop up around them. My biggest issue, though, is that I just never emotionally connected to Audrey, Josh or Fred, or her mom, Vivien, so I didn’t feel very invested in how things played out. I also found the epilogue a bit eye-rolly and cloying.
Cousens is a wonderful author whose books I’ll continue to devour happily - this story was just not my perfect match. Most of my reviewer friends loved this, so please check out other reviews before deciding! It’s a solid story - I may just be a wedding Grinch!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 3)
Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and author Sophie Cousens for this digital ARC to honestly review. This is now available.
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