What a second chance romance! It had everything you could want in a book when it comes to that trope - spice, banter, sunshine/grumpy! This would make a great beach read for those looking for a new one to read.

This was such a perfect book to read while I was on vacation. A wedding planner and a reluctant florist can't stop themselves when they're thrown together to plan a very public wedding.

I love Ama's drive to be successful! She is so easy to root for and I enjoyed reading her inner struggles with loyalty. She is very good at her job, and her clients love her. That said, she has some issues with her old boss who she thinks she owes a lot of her success to. I like how this was handled because Ama has some great qualities including her loyalty and her friendliness. It helped mold her into a complete person for me, not just a character on the page.

Elliot is of course rugged and dreamy, hiding his sensitive side. He reminds me of a Roy Kent (in the best of ways) and I like how he reluctantly takes over the flower shop from his father, leaving his dreams of being an architect behind. What does this mean for himself, his identity, his future? It's a common but well explored struggle of staying true to yourself while also fulfilling family obligations.

The pace moves quickly and the storyline, while predictable, is charming. I love love love all the flower language. From what Elliot gives Ama at the beginning of the book to how they play unspoken meanings through the story, it really added a sense of whimsy and romance. There was light humor and some spice, which kept the story moving and had me invested in the characters early on. And the writing was spot on. It cast just the right balance.

I don't want to say it was just another romance book. It did feel a little heavier, more substantial to me than a beach read, but I did read it on vacation and happily read it when I had some quiet time. I would recommend reading it before summer is out... and having a book on the meaning of flowers nearby so you can enjoy!

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

Okay I definitely understand why so many people love this one! This was an easy to binge read, perfect summer romance. I loved their story and I was definitely rooting for them from chapter one!

Ama is a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage and Elliot is a reluctant florist. They have immediate intense chemistry but something happened to make them avoid each other for the last two years. I liked the layout of this one, with Ama telling her point of view from present day and Elliot explaining how their relationship began.

I do think it had potential for a bit more character development. The wedding she was planning was explained in such detail, too many in fact, I think I could put on this wedding without a hitch. But not a lot of details about either of their lives outside of work, I kept wondering about Elliot, like does this guy have any friends? Those aspects are just me being picky though.

Overall this was a sweet, steamy, and captivating romance and I will be reading the next book from the author!

Thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for my ebook copy!

4.5 ⭐️ * rounded up for platform rating purposes
3 🌶️

READ IF YOU LOVE:
• Second chance romance
• Grumpy/sunshine
• Forced proximity
• A MMC who is protective, but only for *her*
• Dual timeline
• Dual POV

💭 BOOK THOUGHTS:
This is a new favorite! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forever Publishing and author Julie Soto for a copy of this book so that I could provide my honest review. I’m immediately grabbing a physical copy for my shelves. ‘Forget Me Not’ was a delightful and absolutely beautiful story with a lot of heart. I adored the main characters and enjoyed that they were so well-developed. The dual timeline really drove the plot and the added drama created by an elite wedding was incredibly fun and kept me wanting to read more! I am completely obsessed with Elliot and have so many tabbed and highlighted sections of his POV that the entire book is nearly covered. That grumpy, soft cinnamon roll of a man needs to be protected at all costs! The spice was toe-curling and the swoony romance had me grinning from ear to ear. All the feels for this one and I cannot recommend it enough! Add this one to your shortlist TBR and read ASAP!

This was such a good debut! I loved the second chance romance, dual POV and timelines, but I just didn’t completely connect with Ama (though I admired her determination and ambition). The spicy scenes were really well written and I appreciated that they were from Elliott’s POV. I initially started this on audio but preferred and connected more with the e-book (though I did love Elliott’s narrator who really perfected his brooding, grumpy personality). Also, I’m super obsessed with this beautiful cover!

\\\\\ 4.5/5 \\\\\

THE STORY | Ama Torres just got the biggest wedding planning of her career. This will give her business national exposure, she cannot let this opportunity pass. The only hic is... she has to work with her grumpy ex, Elliot, who's been contracted to design the flower arrangements for this wedding. How will she survive being close to him again? And without anyone knowing about their past, Ama must make this work and be professional.

MY REVIEW | I don't know what to say. I'm not even sure I understand myself right now. Cause believe me, I was sooooo into this book! But there is a part of me that hates Ama (sorry!). And I cannot understand how I loved the book so much while I was so disgusted by some of the things she did. I'm not okay.

Let me start by saying that I freaking loved the writing of this one. The back and forth between past and present were so well done and I loved the fact that we were with Ama in the present and with Elliot in the past. It was such a great way to learn more about these characters and at the same time I was wondering what was going on in Elliot's head during present time, and as I got to learn more about him from the past, I could guess (and it broke me okay!!).

I don't really enjoy love at first sight or second chance romances, and these are both in there, and I still loved it. It was just so nicely done, the things that usually bugs me weren't there and it flowed nicely! I'm a sucker for funny "crazy" little thoughts in books, you know when a character just says something and you cannot help but laugh out loud because you can relate and even if the situation is not the best, it is said in the best way ever. I live for these types of sentences in books! And there were so many in there. And in between all these funny thoughts, you get the most emotional, beautiful things said and done by our MMC. I swear, this man. UGHHHHHH, Okay so let's switch to why I love him so much...

The first time we got a glimpse of Elliot, it was love at first sight for me. He is this stoic, very cold character, but inside he is just so insecure and thoughtful and you immediately want to protect him. He's such a precious character. The more I got to know him, the harder I fell. He is so so so freaking sweet and maybe it didn't help that for some reason I cast him as Noah Sebastian in my head (obsessed with this man already soooooo).

I will NEVER NEVER NEVER forgive Ama for making him cry. NEVER. The way she acted with him was so selfish, so not okay in many ways, she was BAAAAAAD. But she was still a cute quirky character but I'M MAD AT HER. But I still loved the story. (you get where I'm at in my head: I make no sense!!!!)

I feel like you can tell my love for a book by how messy my review is, and I'm sorry about that. Let me just say that before ending: Julie Soto is such a great discovery for me and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. Do yourself a favor and give this one a try!

Thanks to the author and Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ama is a wedding planner in Sacramento trying to make a name for herself after working for a high end wedding planner, Whitney. Elliot is a florist trying to make a name for himself after dropping out of architecture school to take over his dad’s florist shop. Ama is hired by a celebrity makeup artist, Hazel and her fiancée, Jackie. Everything is going well planning until they want Elliot to be the florist. Ama and Elliot have a past, but it didn’t work out. Will they get a second chance romance or will working together be a disaster?

Multiple POVs and different timelines always keep my interest when reading. This was cute with some spice sprinkled in! Thanks Net Galley, Julie Soto, and Forever Publishing for the ARC!

I think this may be my favorite book I've read this year. Ama is a wedding planner/designer. She was originally working for a larger wedding planning company before deciding to leave and start her own business. She books the biggest wedding of her career. One of the brides, Hazel Renee, is a famous influencer with millions of followers, so if the wedding goes well, it would be a life-changing for Ama. However, she debates canceling when she finds out the brides want to book her ex, Elliot as the florist.

The author incorporated both of their POVs and two timelines (past and present) to show how they met, got together, and broke up, while also telling the story of how they plan Hazel's wedding together. I love the creativity they each show when they're working on their designs. This book also has lots of spice, so keep that in mind. I think without it, the plot can stand on its own. I enjoyed trying to figure out how Ama and Elliot broke up and seeing all the drama that builds up to the wedding.

Good for those who love friends to lovers, second chance romance, grumpy sunshine, and weddings.

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto 💐

Ama is a wedding planner and with her mom having been married over 15 times, she's had plenty of experience with weddings. However, she's decided she never wants to get married. She's amazing at her job and has connections with a ton of vendors to plan the perfect wedding. There's one vendor she stays away from though, the florist who also is her ex Elliot. Ama gets hired to plan a celebrity wedding and they request for Elliot to do the flowers for their wedding. As it is too good of an opportunity to turn down, Ama and Elliot are forced to spend time together for the first time in 2 years as they work on arranging the wedding together.

I love a dual timeline for second chance romances and this one was unique to where Ama was the POV for the majority of the present timeline while Elliot was the POV for the majority of the past timeline. It was like reading two different stories from how different their personalities were and how they experienced their relationship. Elliot was the very quiet, grumpy flower shop owner who I ended up really liking. I wanted more of him! Ama I am kind of eh feeling about, but given her history with her mom and past job I get why she behaved the way she did.

I didn't realize this book was a much of a slow burn as it was! I didn't mind it too much cause I love a good slow burn, but I needed a little more romance in the present timeline for this to be a 5 star for me. I felt like all the romance was in the past timeline until the very end. And to be honest it felt like two different books, both Ama and Elliot seemed so different in the past timeline from their current timeline selfs. Plus dialogue was lacking in the present which is what always helps me be convinced of the chemistry between two people in a romance. If this were longer and more fleshed out it would have been perfect.

All that to say I still really enjoyed this! The dual timeline plus second chance plus fun setting and plot made for a really enjoyable read!

Tropes:
❤️‍🔥 slow burn
⏳ dual timeline
✨ second chance romance
💐 workplace romance
🌤️ grumpy (him) / sunshine (her)
🤫 secret tattoo

dual POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

First and foremost I am a HUGE Julie Soto fan. I first discovered her writing on ao3 and when I found out she published a novel I requested a copy IMMEDIATELY. Now I will admit I am not the worlds biggest second chance romance lover. But Julie managed to make me love Ama and Elliot so much. I loved how Ama took charge at the beginning of their relationship. I mean that scene in the back room with the rose petals…I may never recover. I loved how the second Ama had an allergy attack Elliot was already planning on how he would make his entire house wheelchair accessible if she were to become paralyzed. I don’t know why but an allergy attack might be my favorite form of hurt/comfort. The third act disaster of the bathtub incident was very comical and exactly what the book needed. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for her Dramione works and this book was a great debut into traditional publishing.

A wedding planner heroine and a florist hero start with hookups during the reception and slowly become more, then heartbreak ruins everything until they have to collaborate on an influencer’s wedding. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, Elliot was so quietly intense and Ama was the perfect blend of capable and competent while having a believable weak spot. The cover is gorgeous and really fit the vibe of the book.

I didn’t love the plot device of keeping a secret from the reader - for most of the book, we don’t know what causes Ama and Elliot’s heart-shattering breakup, especially when they clearly both feel so strongly for each other. However, the external plot was engaging and the side characters brought some much needed relief from the intensity of Elliot and Ama’s bond.

As another plus, the visual descriptions of the flowers and wedding locations were stunning, it was so much fun to imagine Elliot’s beautiful creations and the spaces Ama designed. Overall, really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author!

There us a lot of wedding planning in this book and I felt it completely overwhelmed the love story. The middle was very slow.

I struggled to connect with these characters. I did like how independent and driven Ama was, but Elliot was just really rude to everyone the entire book.

I liked the supporting characters a lot.

This was such a terrific second chance romance and a FABULOUS debut novel by Julie Soto! Ama and Elliot have brilliant beyond brilliant chemistry and tension that is so sizzling hot, I think I burned myself while reading this book. But in all seriousness, this is a novel that will make you believe in second chances and true love. I love the dual timelines and the way we see a couple ACTUALLY work through their feelings. AHHHH, SWOON.

3.5 stars. Great second chance romance with a solid plot. Very spicy. Grumpy sunshine trope with these characters who I loved. I read this in one day at the beach. I loved this story.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I scooped this up off of NetGalley just because I liked the cover and I love the depiction of the male main character. I am pleased to say I absolutely LOVED this book!

We meet Ama, who is establishing her own wedding planning company and she ends up landing a social media influencer's wedding. The catch is that her new clients are insistent on using "Bloom" as their florist, which happens to be ran by Ama's ex, Elliot Bloom. Ama and Elliot have a troubled past and we get flashbacks of when Ama and Elliot first met leading up to what happened between them throughout the book.

Elliot is the GRUMPIEST character within a sunshine/grumpy trope I have read in quite some time and I loved every second of him! It was so cute watching Ama and Elliot's initial relationship develop, along with their second-chance connection. Aside from the relationship plot, I also really enjoyed seeing Ama excel at her wedding planning and all of the challenges she faced within that aspect.

This would be one book that I would love to read again, and may own in multiple formats (paper, audiobook, etc). If you're into contemporary reads with some open door spice, consider this your recommendation to give Forget Me Not a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy.

This was such a cute book. I am really enjoying the trend of fanfiction authors moving into traditional publishing. There is something about a story created by someone who also writes fanfiction that I just really end up enjoying for some reason. This book was a great romantic read. I don’t tend to go for second chance romances, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I enjoyed going back and forth between Ama and Elliot at the start of their relationship to present time where they are no longer speaking but are forced to work together. I also liked both Elliot and Ama as characters, and the wedding planner plot was really interesting. I would definitely recommend this book and am looking forward to other books by Julie Soto.

I am so glad I got to be introduced to this new author and I’m glad because this was an excellent read! The start was a bit slow with some build up but let me tell you…it was worth it at the end. Ama and Elliot’s chemistry is unmatched and his grumpiness?! We all know it’s a façade because he has such a sweet and gooey center. The dual timeline can be a bit much but once we’re caught up it flows so nicely. Thank you for an amazing arc!

I adored this book. I even bought a physical copy of it which is rare for me because I usually am not the type to buy books a lot esp after I read it. It is one of my top reads of 2023! Amazing book.

This was one of the best romance books I have read in a long time! I absolutely loved this entire story. Elliot is the perfect book boyfriend and the meanings behind his tattoos are beautiful. I cannot get over how much chemistry Elliot and Ama have with one another, especially when they are working on a wedding together.

There were a lot of moments in this book that I was just swooning over like Ama's name, the meaning behind Elliots tattoos, and I absolutely LOVED Elliots POV. Between the romance, the wedding drama, and the parts that kept me laughing, I could not put this book down.

Definitely the perfect summer romance read, especially if you love a good balance between plot and spice. I cannot wait to read more by Julie Soto!

This book!! This is what second chance romances are made of. There is not a single thing in this book I would change. Easy easy 5 stars!! Romance book of the year!