"Before You Say I Do" by Sharon Ibbotson is a captivating romance that delves into the complexities of love and commitment. The story revolves around a couple on the brink of marriage who must navigate unexpected challenges and self-discovery. Ibbotson’s writing is engaging, with well-developed characters and a thoughtful exploration of relationship dynamics. The novel skillfully balances emotional depth with moments of lightness, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy romance with a touch of introspection.

First off, thanks to NetGalley for gracing me with this gem, because I feel like this book was such a refreshing take on the second chance romance trope.
8 years ago, Ari had a beautiful whirlwind romance with a handsome stranger named Tom after being stranded in a Reykjavik airport. They fell hard and fast, and if Tom hadn’t returned to the US, their future would have been very different. As it was, Tom left, giving a fake name, and Ari soon after learned she was pregnant. Now, years later, Ari has flown to the States to plan a wedding for a wealthy bride only to discover her Tom is the groom! Cue the drama! Told in both Ari and Tom’s points of view, we see how they finally communicate (more or less) about the past, and find a way to co-parent. Because this is what makes this different – it’s not just a quick “Yay we’re a happy family, everything is perfect!” conclusion. There’s talk of lawyers, custody, and how to build a relationship that was shattered. Of course, there is still a happily ever after, but it doesn’t feel unbelievable.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading Before You Say I Do, and I hope to read more of Ibbotson’s books in the future!

Imagine having a whirlwind romance for six months. Unfortunately he needs to return home for his sick father, promising to return, but he doesn't. Eight years later all you have of him is a playing card and the daughter he doesn't know about. Then you learn he's the groom for the wedding you're planning.

This book had so much promise with such a great premise, but it felt like reading treacle. It took so long to get anywhere and there was too much telling, not showing.

I found myself skipping so much of the book as I was waiting for Ari and Tom to finally see each other, and it doesn't really happen until halfway through. There was also wasted chapters delving back into their past romance which didn't really serve much - we already know how they met, they clearly had a wonderful time and he withheld information about himse - let's get back to the present day fallout. It needed more action to really drive the story forward and also more character development. I also found too much time wasted with the inner thoughts of Marnie, Tom's mum.

Lots of promise, I would read another Sharon Ibbotson book, but I hope perhaps she changes editors, someone to help guide her character and plot development.

Thanks to Joffe Books/Chock Lit and NetGalley.

Ari and Tom met at Reykjavik airport when their flights were delayed and it was love at first sight. They enjoyed a romantic trip around Europe until Tom had to return home to the USA.

Eight years later Ari has been hired as a wedding planner for the upcoming society wedding of the year in New York. All is going as planned until Ari meets the groom……

This was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed. There are multiple points of view and flashbacks throughout.

This would make a great beach read and is perfect for fans of second chance romance, holiday romance and love at first sight.

Thank you NetGalley and Choc Lit for providing me with an advanced copy.

Ari and Tom met in Europe and spent a magical time together, helping each other and being there when they needed someone. After six months, Tom had to return home, promising to come back for Ari. However, he never did. And Ari is not the only one he abandoned, for she later found out she was pregnant. Ari kept hope alive, thinking he would return for her. Eight years later, their paths cross again, not in the best circumstances. Tom is getting married and Ari is the one planning that wedding.

My biggest fear with this book is the reason Tom left and did not contact Ari during those eight years; if he is the male lead, that reason had to be important enough and fair for both parties. I will not talk about that in the review, but I do have to say that I loved everyone’s behavior and reactions to Ari and Tom, they were so much fun to read, especially when they were still figuring it out and could not openly talk about it. And I have to say that I enjoy how everyone positioned themselves about it.

Similarly to this, is Tom’s story, particularly his past, and why he did certain actions, like going abroad in the first place and not going back for Ari. We do get some explanations but it would have been nice to have these further explained. His relationship with Sasha is another aspect that could have been improved; for we rarely see them together and even less be a couple. Having Sasha’ been more involved or caring’s character been more developed, we would have cared more for her, her situation and her role during the planning of the wedding and its revelations.

One part that surprised me about their story is how long it took for them to reunite again; I liked that the author dragged that meeting, for if they met again and talked everything out in the first chapter, it would not have been as fun, but it took longer than I thought or would have liked.

With a book with this premise, flashbacks were inevitable, and the author was quite smart as to when and how to introduce them, as well as she did for the change of pov. I thought I would not enjoy the flashbacks as much, because I wanted to see what was happening in the present, but they were really important to the story, and though I wanted certain flashbacks to happen, I can see why they were not in order.

I loved the family dynamic that Ari has with Sebastian, Luis and Reine and talk about their family. Ari and Sebastian’s sibling dynamic is great, and quite inspiring, for Sebastian was kicked out when he came out to his parents and Ari, instead of doing the easy thing and staying home, she stood by him, and their relationship is truly amazing, but surprisingly, I loved Ari and Luis as well; Luis is Sebastian’s husband, and the love these three have for each other is fantastic. Sometimes it was difficult to say who was actually related to Ari, if Sebastian or Luís, because their bond is so strong. The three of them are always there for one another. And, of course, them three taking care for Reine was great and I liked seeing those family scenes with them, because they were so wholesome.

A little note about Luis is that he speaks Spanish and sometimes he uses it in conversation, especially with Reine, and though I appreciate it being thrown in smoothly, and the grammar was good and natural, I think it would be good to include a translation next to it or as a footnote for people that do not understand it, because it is not just a couple of words.

⭐️ Secret Pregnancy
⭐️ Second Chance
⭐️ Multi POV
⭐️Love At First Sight
⭐️Wedding Planner
⭐️Flashbacks
⭐️ Single Mom
⭐️ Angst

The book is a fun rom com with the feeling of being a hallmark movie. Before You Say I Do follows Ari and Tom, their meeting/romance 8 years ago and then present day with Ari planning Toms wedding (to another woman). I do wish that the Spanish had translations.

Before You Say I Do is a gut-wrenching, heart breaking romance that caused me to shirk my adult responsibilities in order to finish the story because there was never a place that I felt satisfied with where the story was headed to put it down.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked! The characters are so lovable, especially the FMC’s brother and brother-in-law. The author has a knack for weaving past memories into current events, enriching the story and deepening the emotional connection. The story beautifully weaves the tropes of found family, second chance love, and single motherhood, making you root for the main characters every step of the way.

🌟 Definitely recommend this heartwarming read! 🌟

Thank you to netgalley for providing me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

STOP what you think this book was about because it surprised me in the BEST way.

With a sprinkle of 'The Wedding Planner' I laughed - the banter of Seb and Luis and Stella. They were my favs and if i could be a fly on the wall and listen to them 24/7 i would.

I cried - when Tom met Reine MY HEART.

But what i loved beyond the lovable characters and exquisite banter was the writing style. It was beautifully descriptive, the plot unpredictable and the way the characters fell in love and we discovered how they fell in love to gein with was not cliche or cheesy, a territory rom coms can slide into at times. It captured the best of 2000's rom coms essence and i really hope this becomes a film in the future because i would watch it.

This was wholly refreshing and i LOVE a full circle moment where they end of the book ties in easter egg we saw mentioned at the beginning.

Loved loved, loved this.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Before starting my review, I must admit that TikTok, Sabastion is portrayed by Alan Cummings as the Host in Cabernet in my heat. The accent mannerisms and hair mostly.

Now for the review: I loved this book more than anything I've read this year. It's the first book that had me laughing out loud and loving every character except Sasha. It's more than a rom-com; it's about all types of love, such as friendship and family.

What a good contemporary romance!! I definitely love a good second chance romance! This book will have you full of emotion so make sure you have a comfy spot and a box of tissues while reading. I only knocked off a star because I felt like it could have been shorter, there were a lot of flashbacks that maybe didn’t need to fully be there. And then I am sad I missed most of Luis’ dialogue because I do not know Spanish 🥲 I took a few courses so I was trying to piece it together and I think I got the gist. Other than those two things, I really enjoyed this read and am looking forward to more from this author!

It's an actual comedy. That’s the only way to say it. It’s a farce in nature, with hilarious comedic timing that I could see perfectly in my head.

The gasps of the characters even when they weren’t written were like watching a soap opera.

It was a little rough in areas, like this was HUGE MISCOMMUNICATION TROUPE which makes me want to scream at the characters and pull my braids out.

The times in the past were swoon-worthy they were so obviously in love, that it made the miscommunication much worse. I wasn’t a huge fan of the time jumps especially the last one!

The side characters are what made me giggle more than anything. Sebastian and Marnie are SO FUNNY, plus Luis.

Mein Leseerlebnis

In dem romance Buch steht eine zweite Chance im Mittelpunkt des Geschehens. Die Details zu den Umständen dieser zweiten Chance und auch der vergangenen Beziehung zwischen den beiden Hauptcharakteren sind dabei durchaus frisch und außergewöhnlich.

Ich habe mir von dem Roman eine heitere, flotte Liebesgeschichte erhofft, so ganz haben sich diese Erwartungen leider nicht erfüllt.

Die Geschichte fühlte sich teils etwas sperrig und nicht ganz so leicht wie erhofft an. Das betraf sowohl den Schreibstil als auch die Ereignisse in dem Liebesroman. Darauf aufbauend habe ich mich sehr schwer damit getan, in einen guten Lesefluss zu kommen.

Da ich mit dem Helden zusätzlich nur wenig anfangen konnte (ich fand sein Verhalten teils zum Kopfschütteln), habe ich nach gut zehn Kapiteln beschlossen, das Buch nicht zu beenden.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mit einer zweiten Chance für ein ehemaliges Paar mag, für den könnte “Before you say I do” einen Versuch wert sein.

Achtet beim Checken der Leseprobe auf den Schreibstil und vor allem darauf, ob dieser sich für euch einnehmend anhört.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This book was a miss for me. I ended up DNFing it at about 30%. I’ll try reading it again later on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC.

Tom, an American and Ari, an artist from the UK meet at Reykjavik airport when the volcanic ash cloud shuts the entire airspace. They fall in love and start travelling Europe together but Tom never tells Ari anything personal about himself. One day he flies back to the US in a hurry to see his dying Dad but promises to come back for her. He leaves no address though, and only an incorrect phone number. So when Ari discovers she is pregnant she can't tell him, and brings up her daughter Reine with the help of her brother Sebastian and his husband Luis.

Seven years later Ari and Sebastian have a successful wedding planner business while Luis designs wedding dresses. They are hired for a high society wedding in which the groom turns out to be her Tom who had given her a false surname. Now all the secrets and lies threaten to come tumbling out. Why did Tom never come back for Ari? She was certainly waiting for him, all hopeful and doe-eyed.

I hate the misunderstandings and miscommunication trope with a passion. No one is that dense. Making the reader sit through pages of delusions and wrong conclusions when they know they are nonsense is just frustrating. The book could be half the length without it. They could have saved themselves years of heartache! Are we meant to think, awww, how romantic?

As for Tom, I couldn't connect with him at all. The author works overtime to spin him into a good guy but it's quite clear the red flags are there. When he first sees Ari "his mouth watered at the sight of her." That's just ewww. A woman is not food! He's a total tool for lying to Ari about his rich family, abandoning her for two years, coming back, misunderstanding things and not even trying to clear them up, then going back to a woman he doesn't love and jerking her around. I don't like Sasha but she doesn't deserve that. He calls his brother crazy - look at your own life, Tom, and stop running away! No wonder his every second word now is "sorry".

The men in general are too judgmental about everything, from Druids to London City Airport (the best airport in London!) though Luis and Sebastian are exemplary co-parents to Reine. Unfortunately, their gayness is stereotyped by Sebastian calling everyone darling and Luis collecting Barbie dolls.

There is lots of advanced Spanish spoken by Luis to Reine and not translated which is very off-putting to the reader and rude to the people in his company who don't speak it.

There are too many flashbacks only indicated by italics in the middle of chapters, and oh, all the angst! The end just really drags with no real development and is unsatisfying when it finally arrives.

Thankfully, there are the women. Marnie, Tom's mother, is a super sharp elderly matriarch who can't knit for toffee but you can't refuse her offerings, Reine is a lovely, observant little girl who has everyone wrapped round her little finger, and stern photographer Stella terrifies Tom who she calls "Jawline" while loving his daughter, "the small". She documents every fallout with her camera and then falls in love with the Druid brother. Without them and their antics the story would fall flat on its face.

Read if you like wedding planning and second chance romances with outrageous side characters. Skip if you don't like selfish liars.

Wedding planner Ari Lightowler doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after. Her job is to create the perfect magical wedding for demanding brides and not to think of her own loss. So when she is invited to plan the upcoming ‘society wedding of the year’ in New York she arrives at the sprawling estate to meet the happy couple. However, the groom is Tom Somerset, her long-lost love and the father of her child. Eight years ago, Ari and Tom had a whirlwind romance, only for Tom to have to rush home to New York. He was meant to return but he never did and so Ari never told him that she was pregnant.
This was a unique story, with two characters forced to face what happened to them several years ago. This second chance romance did have plenty of sadness, particularly given how the outcome of their story could have changed. My one major struggle was in the inclusion of the Spanish dialogue without understanding its true context.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advanced copy of Before You Say I Do. I’m going to get right to the point, I LOVED THIS!! From the characters to the unique plot everything about this I loved.

Before You Say I Do follows Ari and Tom, their meeting/romance 8 years ago and then present day with Ari planning Toms wedding (to another woman). I enjoyed the flip flop between past and present and I really enjoyed the way it was done here as the past really gave insight to what was happening in the present.

As mentioned above the characters were amazing, Sebastian, Luis, Reine, and Marnie were my favorites!! The dynamic between Sebastian and Marnie had me audibly laughing at points. The only character I wasn’t fully in love with the whole time was Tom. Fort eh first 60-70% he was intolerable at times but the last 40-30% you could see his character development.

The only issue I had with this book was the random Spanish dialogue splattered throughout. It was just a bummer that they were not translated after the dialogue occurred.

I wished there was maybe one more chapter or even an epilogue to just give us readers a little sneak into the future and how things played out. Overall, I would really recommend this!!

3 ⭐️ 1 🌶️

Read As An Arc

👰🏻 Secret Pregnancy
👰🏻 Second Chance
👰🏻 Multi POV
👰🏻 Love At First Sight
👰🏻 Wedding Planner
👰🏻 Flashbacks
👰🏻 Single Mom
👰🏻 Angst

Okay, to start off I just want to say that this is such a Hallmark read but also meeting Modern Family? Once you read it, you will know - no spoilers!

Our FMC Ari, and MMC Tom — let me get this out there first — I love trash tv… and these characters gave me Vanderpump Rules vibes, who also happen to have the same names???? Similarly, they got the chemistry, but that emotional aspect is what I do not understand, making them feel underdeveloped characters. But seriously, VPR vibes with Tom beating around the bush and Ari just somehow always there for him, waiting.

Depending on your sense of humour, the supporting characters brought that for me. Especially Sebastian and Luis (Modern Family vibes) who are like the perfect pair in this book personally. Would definitely read a story about them if written.

The multi pov I am here for all day and everyday! But why does Tom’s mom have a part in it? This is the part that went over my head and couldn’t wrap my head around because this is about Tom and Ari. No third wheels please. Without that this would be a 3.5.

What would’ve made this book a 4? The ending. The ending fell short. THE HEA!!!! This needed more detail, more depth, more chapters? Something! I felt that I had read this entire book waiting for the perfect HEA for Tom and Ari only to be let down. This had me more sad compared to when Tom left Ari and was MIA.

This may be a possible flaw for other readers not for myself personally. There are phrases in Spanish being used, and for myself, I understand it, so I had no issue with this. But… thinking of others, this may take away from their reading experience if they have the need to look it up and translate it rather than reading on and being engaged. If this is not a big deal for anyone, then this is something not to worry about, this is just a consideration.


Overall, this starts off as sad that turns into a fun and enjoyable book with a great second chance for love. They also have the cutest little girl, which gives more of a reason to give this book a chance.


Instagram Post



* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc! — www.joffebooks.com

Before You Say I Do" is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching romance that captivated me from start to finish. This second-chance story, told from multiple perspectives including Tom, Ari, who falls deeply in love with Tom during her year abroad. Forced to return to the U.S. due to a family emergency, Tom leaves Ari with a non-working phone number and, unknowingly, a baby. Years later, Ari is planning a wedding for a social media influencer and her fiancé…Tom( Yes the same one ) . Chaos ensues when Tom discovers he has a child.
Just so you know this was told from multiple POV ( not dual ) Though some aspects didn't resonate with me, overall, it was a compelling read , be sure to have tissues nearby tho

I couldn't really get invested with the characters, I mean, who acts that way? But I stuck with it. The author didn't make it easy with constant flashbacks, some added to the story, many didn't. I had to force my way through them by the end. And, what's with all the Spanish dialogue? I hope I didn't miss any important bits to the story in there. And the ending was pretty much what I expected, no twists there. Except, did the wedding dress ever turn up? Did it turn up in time?