BEFORE I DO

A bride-to-be has her wedding derailed when the man who got away shows up at her rehearsal dinner.

Audrey and Josh are a case of opposites attract. Audrey has always been dreamy, creative, and unsettled, still searching for her ideal career. Josh, meanwhile, is a practical planner with a responsible job. She loves winging it, while he never met a spreadsheet he didn’t love. He’s just what Audrey needs. Or so she thinks, until Josh’s sister shows up to their rehearsal dinner with Fred, a man Audrey had an exhilarating day with six years ago. Fred was fun and spontaneous, and Audrey fell for him instantly—but he didn’t show up for their next date, and she never heard from him again. Audrey starts to wonder if Fred’s appearance at her wedding is merely a coincidence or a sign from the universe that she shouldn’t get married. When things keep going wrong, it seems like Josh’s Granny Parker might be right when she insists that they’re bad omens. Alternating between a present-day countdown to the wedding and significant moments from Audrey’s past, Cousens explores the moments, meet-cutes, and mistakes that led Audrey to her wedding day. Cousens puts a clever spin on the standard rom-com trope of the love triangle featuring a steady, predictable man versus an exciting, unpredictable man. Although the plot hinges on Audrey's wedding, 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.