Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

7 reviews

samw0327's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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meredith_williams_'s review

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I came very close to giving up on this book because I thought I knew where the story was going within the first 100 pages and I was very put off by my assumptions. I’m glad I persevered because my predictions were very far off and the whole book ended up taking me by surprise in the best way. It was laugh out loud funny and deeply endearing. Sophie Cousens writes romcoms in the truest form and I will continue to read what she writes! 

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readingwithmeredith's review

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


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wildflowerleahg's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

(In the tune of Sondheim) 
I'm not well
So I'm not getting married
You've been swell
But I'm not getting married
Clear the hall
'Cause I'm not getting married
Thank you all
But I'm not getting married TODAY 

Somewhere between a 3.5 & 4.0

I’m a huge fan of Sophie’s work, but I’m still struggling to decide how much I liked this. 

Let’s get this out of the way, Josh is a gem and Audrey  needs therapy. I enjoyed her in the present but my goodness girl you also need a hug. 

It’s a cute story, but many times while reading this I asked myself, “why am I reading this!!?!?“I personally was able to predict most of this story? But yes, if you want a well written story this is a good one.

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arthur_ant18's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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chloelj27's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

After seeing Before I Do on the shelves and reading the synopsis, I was pulled in and had to grab a copy. This is the first book or Sophie Cousen’s that I have read, and while I liked it, I wasn’t blown away.

The idea of the storyline was an interesting one and if you are into a love triangle type of trope, then this would be suited for you. I loved the way we were given two timelines - past and present - but all relating to different relationships Audrey had. It gave a bit more of an insight to the present day choices and thoughts. 

As for the characters, I found a lot of them hard to connect with. While I did like some characters, I thought they could have had more to them and the connections felt as though they lacked chemistry at times. Despite Audrey being the main character, I feel she was the hardest for me to grasp a liking to and my opinion always swayed back and forth with her. 

I really enjoyed how all throughout the book we were never sure who Audrey would choose until the last moment. In my opinion, Audrey made the right choice and I loved how the ending played out. 

One thing I really loved about this book is that it is not just a book about romance. It’s a book about self discovery, building and mending relationships as well as accepting the past and moving forward.

Overall, this is a book that didn’t take my breath away but there were still many moments of romance, humour and reflection which I liked. Would I reread this book? Maybe, but it wouldn’t be at the top of my list to do so.

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alisonreadsitall's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A big thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Audrey is a flighty, head in the stars kind of woman, and Josh is a down to earth, sweet & constant man who brings out the best in Audrey. Audrey and Josh are about to get married, but bad omens continue to surround the wedding day until the biggest of omens makes Audrey rethink if Josh is really "the One." Enter Fred, "the One who got away", who shows up as Josh's sister's plus one to their wedding. Will his presence unravel the wedding, or will they persevere?

I think this is my personal favorite of Sophie's works! I went through all of the emotions in this book: I teared up, laughed a ton (Granny Parker was a blessing), and even got angry. I was a BIG Josh fan, and didn't care much for Fred. Josh deserved so much better than what Audrey put him through! The supporting characters also had some drama of their own, which kept things interesting. I couldn't deal with Audrey's mother, and actually rolled my eyes multiple times from her dialogue. 🙄

 I love the multiple timeline aspect, as it kept me engaged and trying to guess the final ending, I appreciate that the author allowed us to look deeper into those "What If" questions surrounding love that we all face at one point or another. While I didn't agree with everything that Audrey did, I did end up loving the ending of this book!

Tropes: meet cute, opposites attract

CW: panic attacks, sexual harassment, infidelity

This book comes out on October 11, 2022! 

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