This book was perfection! Was it tropey? Yup. A smidge predictable? Of course. But it was these things in all the right ways and had enough freshness to make it not feel stale or repetitive.

I loved how there were small details interwoven throughout the book that end up playing a big part later. There was never a point where something felt unnecessary or gratuitous. It all connected and complimented the characters and their arcs.

Speaking of characters, I LOVED this dual POV. Each POV is told in a different timeline. Hers is the present and his is when they first meet and date. It gave such a unique insight to how they affected one another then and now. It also left enough mystery about him in the present that I wanted to know more while also giving me enough insight that I felt like I did know more.

The spice was very surprisingly spicy. Idk why I thought it might be tamer. It was vanilla but far from dull or sparse. I adored every bit of it.

The best part was I also adored all the side characters (or hated them appropriately) so there was never a moment I felt I was having to put up with any sort of interaction.

Highly recommend and I will be re-reading!

Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, second chance romance, "i can't stand you but I'm gonna take care of you", he falls first, she finally comes into her own badassery.

3.5 ⭐️ but rounding up to 4-stars because it was enjoyable and I read it quickly

"She may not need to define long-term, but to me, forever sounds nice.”

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ sacramento setting
✨ wedding centered
✨ she’s an upbeat up and coming wedding planner who doesn’t believe in long term relationships
✨ he’s an tattooed asshole and the best florists in town, but he doesn’t do casual hookups
✨ forced proximity
✨ co-workers to lovers
✨ second chance romance
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ he falls first
✨ “I hate everyone but you”
✨ so much tension
✨ witty banter
✨ size difference
✨ 3/5 spice
✨ dual pov
✨ dual timeline: flashbacks are in his pov
✨ lgbtq rep
✨ tw: death of a parent (past, off page)


My Thoughts:

As a fan of Julie's Dramione fanfics, I was eager to read her first traditionally published book - and it did not disappoint! This was such a fun, sweet, and sexy story that I know many will fall in love with.

What I liked:

The second chance romance portion was done extremely well. I'm not usually a fan of this trope, however, it made perfect sense why Ama was so reluctant to marriage and ended her relationship with Elliot. I also understood Elliot's hesitation to Ama, but absolutely adore his continued commitment of love to her even though she rejected him in the past.

Writing in dual POV and dual timelines was a good move. I loved seeing how they fell in love the first time from Elliot's POV and their second chance from Ama's POV. This really let the reader understand the characters - their reservations, fears, hopes, and dreams.

The wedding planning premise and having both Ama and Elliot a part of the wedding industry was so much fun. Weddings are exciting and the perfect opportunity to bring people together. There were already so many stressful elements to planning the wedding, but then add Ama and Elliot's tension and you've got so much drama and angst. It was a wild ride!

Jackie and Hazel, whose wedding Ama was planning, were great characters that never overshadowed the MCs. Sometimes side characters can play too big of a role in the story or they can be annoying, but Jackie and Hazel did, and were, neither. They were perfect and added just enough drama to make things interesting.

The overall writing was well done. I really loved Julie Soto's use of prose. She also writes stories and characters that you feel attached to but she does so in a way that's easy to read and follow along.

I liked Ama but I loved Elliot. This man, with his grumpy attitude and tattoos, is the epitome of falling hard and never moving on. But I loved how he didn't just fall all over Ama the second she came back into his life. Instead she had to earn his trust back. And seriously, his tattoos, while lovely by design, have such beautiful meanings behind them. 💕


What I didn’t like or understand:

During sex scenes, there was a lot of pulling or moving her panties to the side. That's not a bad thing but I'm confused why that was done so much instead of just taking or ripping them off. I guess it's really the fact that it happened so often that I noticed is the problem. Maybe remove those panties one or two more times in the story.

How is Elliot so skilled and suave with sex when it's said he's only asked four people out (and who knows if he's even slept with them)??? If I misunderstood this about his character, please let me know.

The timeline sometimes felt too jumpy. I get Ama and Elliot only see each other when they meet for wedding stuff, and the wedding planning happens over the course of a few months, but the story often jumps ahead weeks which was jarring. I kept wondering what they were doing during that time. Nothing? I guess for both the flashbacks and present, it would have been nice to have more scenes in between instead of summarizing what happened over those weeks while they didn't interact.

Ama having a bit of an imposter syndrome made sense, however, she seemed a bit too naive at times and that annoyed me.

I'm confused how Elliot went from grumpy asshole to a sweet guy who would do anything for Ama. The grumpy sunshine dynamic is really highlighted at the beginning of their relationship and then once they're reunited but are estranged, however, I would have loved more insight into Elliot and why the grumpy mentality towards Ama changes (more inner dialogue I suppose).

While I like Elliot, I don't feel like I truly understood his character well. Who is he besides a florist/designer? Also, why is he so grumpy? Is it because some girls made fun of him when he was younger (as was mentioned)? If so, why did that make such an impact? I need a meaningful reason as to why he's grumpy.

I also think, overall, I would have liked for things to have gone deeper or explained a bit more. For example: Why did Ama even like Elliot if he was such a grumpy asshole? Why did Elliot like Ama if he thought she was annoying? Is she really just THAT special? If so, that's some heavy 'pick me' energy. I think a lot of the depth that was missing could have been shown more during the flashbacks, and possibly, by adding some of Ama's POV to the past and Elliot's POV to the present.

What can I say about Elliot Bloom🥹 I really enjoyed this story and how the present was told from Ama’s point of view and the past from Elliot’s. It was a fresh take on a dual timeline second chance story!

Elliot was the perfect cinnamon roll hero! His countdowns and his behavior throughout🥹 he’s precious and I completely see why everyone is falling hard for him!

Ama was such a fun character in this book! I wish we got to see her thoughts transform a little more at the end of the book but I loved her and Elliot’s story!

Pick this one up y’all. It’s so cute and great for summer! I did receive an early copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Forget Me Not is the DEBUT NOVEL from fanfic writer, Julie Soto! I was so surprised to find out this was a debut novel and you can tell that Julie has a lot of experience in the writing department as this book was excellent! I loved how this was told with a dual POV and dual timeline. It was fun to see how what happened in their past relationship led to where they are now.

I really loved Ama and Elliot! They were such an amazing duo and had so much tension in the present that I was dying for the past POVs to find out what made them act this way. Ama is such a strong lead and so confident in her work. I really enjoyed all the wedding planning elements in the book and it made me want to plan a wedding! It was SO frustrating (in a good way) as a reader when she would doubt herself based off her ex-boss’ judgement and I LOVED how that came full circle in the story. I really enjoyed her character development.

Elliot was the perfect grump. Rough on the outside, soft and squishy on the inside. Honestly, I need a MMC with rare flower tattoos from now on. He was quiet but so thoughtful and only a little quick off the mark 😉 I really appreciated how much of his POV we got to understand his character in depth. I need all romances to be dual POV, it really is elite.

I loved how this story developed and how the plot was laid out. The dual timeline and POV was so good for keeping the reader engaged and I really flew through it. I loved all the special details within the wedding planning for Hazel and Jackie. It was so descriptive and I felt like I was going along planning a friends wedding! I also thought this was visually descriptive for the floral arrangements/custom pieces and it was one of the few books that I could really picture the setting!

Overall a super cute debut novel with a nice dash of spice on top!

ⓣⓡⓞⓟⓔⓢ
-Second Chance Romance
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Dual POV
-Forced Proximity
-Enemies/Exes to Lovers

4.5/5 Stars

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, however; the ending went WAY too fast for me. Forget Me Not follows Ama and Elliot through planning a wedding that will enhance both of their careers. During the book, we go from present day to historic landmarks of their past relationship. There was a lot to build up to the HEA and once we received it, the book was over. I was disappointed we didn't get to relish in their bliss for very long.

I will recommend this to romance readers. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forget Me Not is a delightful romance novel that takes readers on a journey of love, redemption, and second chances. Set in the vibrant world of wedding planning, the story revolves around Ama, an ambitious and talented young wedding planner, who finds herself reluctantly partnered with her grumpy ex-boyfriend, Elliot, a skilled florist, on the most high-profile wedding of her career.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each carrying their own emotional baggage that adds depth to their interactions. Ama's drive and determination are evident from the start, and her passion for creating unforgettable weddings is infectious. Meanwhile, Elliot's guarded nature and undeniable talent in floral design make him an intriguing and enigmatic character.

The wedding planning backdrop adds a unique twist to the narrative, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the glamorous and often chaotic world of event management. The attention to detail in describing the wedding preparations and the intricacies of Ama's job adds depth and authenticity to the story.

The only minor criticism is the pacing. It took me a bit to get into this book, but about half way in I was hooked. If you're in the mood for a second chance at love, Forget Me Not should be on your reading list.

I received an ARC from Forever and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Forget Me Not involves a determined wedding planner and a grumpy florist who have worked together crafting custom weddings, which led to them also working together in the bedroom. & Alternating chapters from Ama's POV in the present with those from Elliot's POV in the past, the book provides backstory about their past relationship through the lens of planning a particularly lavish wedding for a celebrity couple.
The book's setting is Sacramento, CA, where the author grew up. While I knew nothing about the city before reading this, I loved that the city was so prevalent that it felt like a character in the book. I hope the city's tourism department is aware of how well it is marketed here. Overall, a very great read

Overall this was such a sweet read. I did feel however it was a slow burn. The author was allowing us to slowly fall for the characters past relationship while also falling for the present. Towards the middle I almost DNFed the book but I'm glad I pushed through and finished it. This book is such a good example of how our childhood traumas can effect our adult lives and relationships.

This book was an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the way the story was told from both Ama and Elliot’s points of view. I loved both characters, they were so cute! Elliot was just my favorite though… his crankiness, his frankness, his kindness with those he loves and his vulnerability. I LOVED the way flowers were incorporated into the story… if you haven’t noticed, I’m obsessed with flowers & trees.

This book just had all the little things that add up to make a really cute story. I highly recommend it for all my romance lovers.

This book is delightful! I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ama and Elliot, loved the writing and just had a blast. The dual timeline was so fun to read, and it was done beautifully. Cannot recommend this one enough!

I have seen this book everywhere so I knew I had to check it out. This book follows a wedding planner who needs to work her ex that is a florist and the guy whose heart she broke for her next wedding. It was hard to get into this book for some reason but I knew I just had to give it a chance with all the hype I have been seeing. The storyline was pretty good but I have to say that it was a generic, typical one. The pacing was off throughout the book with the beginning being slow and the ending being rushed. I enjoyed the setting and also seeing the different career paths of each character. There were great conflicts in the book that kept me hooked on the story along with the dual timeline/pov of the characters. I thought the perspectives were different and enjoyed it.

The main characters in this book are Ama and Elliot. Ama is an event planner and I enjoyed her character. She grew so much throughout the book and I loved getting a visual of her career. Elliot is a florist but let me say he was okay for me. I was often confused with his character as he was a mixture of too grumpy but sweet. He did have a good character development which was great for his story. There were some minor side characters in this book but none who truly captured my attention to call a favorite. I did enjoy the romance of this book which is steamy and filled with chemistry. Sometimes I still don’t understand how they got together but I also see it. This book has second-chance love, grumpy x sunshine, and forced proximity.

The ending was rushed but still not a bad ending. It was a pretty good book but I was honestly hoping for it to be amazing with me seeing it all over Instagram. I will still read more of Soto’s books in the future as I see she might have some great stories. I recommend checking this book out if you love Elana Armas and Helena Hunting.

This was such a great romance! Forget Me Not follows Ama, a wedding planner in Sacramento, who is attempting to undertake the biggest wedding of her career. Only catch, she has to work with her ex (AKA the one who got away), Elliot. After watching her mothers 16 and counting marriages fall apart Ama decided long agao that relationships just weren't for her. Elliot, however, makes her question everything she thought she knew about love and relationships, but in order to have a real chance with him she has to get over her own hang-ups surrounding relationships and let Elliot in past a surface level connection.

Forget Me Not was a refreshing romance. It happened over two timeliness, the before the break up and the modern day. It allowed us to live their first time falling in love along side them, despite knowing it was all going to fall apart, you couldn't help rooting for them anyway. The current day was more frustrating. It was just really hard to watch Alma constantly get in the way of her own happiness. The ending was just so great and I'm so glad Whitney finally got her comeuppance as well! Will definitely be picking up any future books by Soto.

I loved this book and if it wasn't for those pesky kids, sleep and work, would have devoured this in one sitting.

Julie Soto created a world that felt real and not cutesy as sometimes happens with weddings. I loved how the story of Ama and Elliott and their backstory naturally was told. I especially love how we weren't given all the answers up front. It made the read 1000% more enjoyable to have the backstory unfold along with the current storyline. Having a duo narrative can be a bit annoying but the author walks that fine line were I felt hungry for each characters voice and it wasn't jarring to switching back and forth either from timeline or character POV.

I will say the ending felt a little rushed and could have been fleshed out a bit more, but that's just one girls opinion and maybe I just wanted to spend more time with these characters. I will miss these two and this world.

This book this book this book 👏 do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

📖 Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
Rating: all of the stars
Genre: contemporary romance
Format: ebook
Length: 352 pages


✨Read this book if you enjoy: ✨
💜second chance romance
💒 weddings
🔥 slow burn
🌶️ open door
☀️ grumpy sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley, forever publishing and Julie Soto for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

SUMMARY
Ama loves to plan weddings which is ironic seeing as how she never plans to actually get married. After landing the wedding of the year, things are looking up for her small business. Until she finds out that the happy couple has chosen the one florist she has spent the last two years trying to avoid, Elliot Bloom.

This is a PSA that I am in love with this book and Elliot is going to be your new book boyfriend. This man is on another level. This is Julie Sotos debut novel and it is STUNNING and absolutely worth your time.

I really liked this. It follows exes wedding planner Ama and floral designer Elliot as they are thrust back together on influencer Hazel Renee's wedding. Ama's mother has been married 15 times and has destroyed her faith in marriage, but Elliot is a relationship guy (thus their relationship's demise). We find out what exactly happened via angst ridden dual POV, dual timeline writing, and even though you can kind of see where it's going, it's none the less wrenching.

Things I liked: the characters, the grumpy tattooed hero, the constant reference to donuts, the wedding stuff (surprisingly), the mid twenties coming of age, coming into confidence of Ama, the spice.

Things I didn't like: not much! Would recommend to any fan of the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I loveddddd this book!!! The characters are wonderful and I loved reading their story. I would recommend this book to anyone!

I got approved for this arc right before pub date, but now that I’ve read it this is one of those books that you have on kindle and absolutely must have on your shelf too.

Ama is a wedding planner. Elliot is a florist. They’re exes and they are forced to work together on a high profile wedding Ama is tasked with planning.

Ama??!! I love her character. I want to be her, or at the very least be her best friend. She’s confident and funny and successful and girl bossing so hard. This is one of my favorite FMC I’ve read all year.

And who doesn’t love a grumpy MMC who owns a florist shop and has his secret cinnamon roll moments for the FMC?! I loved Elliot. And I’m really glad we had some of his POV, especially from the past, so he had more dimension.

I loved the writing in this. I will 100% be checking out Lovesbitca8 on ao3, because I feel like I need to consume everything ever written by Julie Soto now 😅🫶

Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, second chance romance, tension, forced proximity

3.5🤍✨
I expected more but it was a very light and entertaining read, I highly recommend it, the story was very smooth, it's nice to pass the time

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is an excellent debut romance novel. It checked off several boxes including well developed relationships, witty dialogue, and great plot that adds to the romance. I know Julie Soto's writing from dramione stories, so of course it came as no surprise that this book is very well written.

The characters are all unique and have good motivations. I've always liked the back and forth of time jumps, so that was appreciated. Second chance romance is so weird sometimes because you gotta make the break up both reasonable and salvageable, and that's what Julie Soto succeeded at. I thought the reason why Ama and Elliot broke up originally was pretty justified. And I thought Elliot's anger at the whole thing even several years later totally made sense.

The one thing that brought the rating down a star was Elliot before the breakup. I totally get being upset over having to leave college a year before getting your degree because you have to take over a business, but sometimes he just seemed rude for no apparent reason -- and nobody really called him out for it.

But aside from that, the language was engaging, the romance was believable, and the book overall was very funny!

Thank you @readforeverpub for the ARC copy and the finished copy! I loved it and I know everyone else will too!⁠
⁠
Five fantastic stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁠
⁠
You should read Forget Me Not if you love:⁠
🥈second chance romance ⁠
🌧️ grumpy x ☀️sunshine ⁠
⏳️ duel timeline⁠
💒 wedding disasters⁠
🌶️ spice galore ⁠
⁠
This is easily a favorite of the year! Pick it up asap y'all!!