A friend lent me this book as she wanted to see what I would think of it. Now, if I am honest, I would not have read this book without her passing it on to me. I think it would probably just have passed me by as not one of my first-choice picks. However, once I started reading ‘Before I Do’, I did find it rather hard to put down.
This is the story of Audrey, who is about to marry Josh. This should be the happiest day of her life, but the night before her wedding, in walks Fred, the photo booth guy, a blast from the past – and Audrey’s life is thrown into disarray. Are the signs telling her that she should call her wedding off, and maybe Fred is the real love of her life? Or is Fred just a memory of what was – and not what should be?
This book is a joy to read, there is so much warmth and humour in this book but with a rather serious undertone. It really explores the impact that the past can have on our future. Especially when the past becomes romanticised, and we have so many people around us telling us what we should think, what we should do and exactly how they think things should be.
The characters are beautifully created for the reader. They are really brought to life, and as the book is set around the day before and day of a wedding, you will definitely find someone you know amongst the characters. A personal favourite for me was Josh’s grandma, reading her Jilly Cooper novels, observing all that is going on and passing her cutting remarks about everything – but you know that she has a good heart underneath it all, just nobody is quite good enough for her grandson.
So, if you like a humorous story, with a heart and some serious observations, then this is a book for you.