Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this absolutely adorable story! The journey the main character, Ama, makes throughout the whole book was endearing and relatable. I also absolutely loved the way the present day was written from Ama's point of view and when it jumped to the past, it was written from Elliot's point of view, it added a unique flair to the story. After reading the book, I don't like the title or the cover all that much, but I would completely suggest this book to my friends!

I'm a little sappy mess at the end of this book. Julie Soto has made such a fun sunshine/grump love story set within the wedding industry (with a tattooed male florist and a donut-obsessed wedding planner!) It's second chance, it's patience and waiting, it's near-death moments that are lowkey funny, it's watching a stoic guy pine, it's an woman finally getting to stand up for herself, and it's dual POV. What more could you ask for?

Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Alright, this turned out pretty cute.

I had a feeling I would enjoy it, as I have read Fan Fiction works from this author in the past. Diving into her first Trad Pub book was a delight.

Elliot and Ama are forced together again two years after the end of their ill-fated relationship. It was bound to happen, as they both work in the wedding industry. We don't know what first pushed them apart but we can see how they are effected by proximity at the present time. Through Elliot's flashback chapters and Ama's present day chapters, we piece together what tore them apart and see if they will be able to find their way back together.

I loved the pining, stoic hero. Elliot just stole my heart right off the bat. With his curt answers and floral tattoos... I was hooked. I was worried about how I would feel about Ama, as I was pretty sure what broke these two up and I wasn't wrong. That type of situation would normally put me off the heroine. However, Ama was just so likable to me. She works so hard and so genuinely cares about the couples she works with... I was really rooting for her.

The thing that kept me from completely going all in was how much "past" we saw. Especially because I'm still not sure how they got together in the past... and what changed for the future besides the hero caving on his wishes... but... whatever.

Anyway, this was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to more from this author.

This book has no right to be this good! I went in thinking this would just be another cute love story with two characters who aren't together when they should be and I was blown away by their story.

In another life, I always wanted to be a wedding planner. I get to plan events through my job, but not weddings. I absolutely loved getting to fall into the world of a career I wished I could do. While the love story was great, I think I liked that part the most. I could picture every detail of the extravagant wedding and all the gorgeous florals and I just wanted to dive into the book to be there in person!

As far as the characters and love story goes, this book had a lot to give. Ama is that wedding planner that doesn't believe in marriage, doesn't want the commitment, and can't fathom having a boyfriend, let alone a husband. Elliot is the quiet florist that believes in true love and knowing when you've found the right person. Obviously these different beliefs create quite the drama in their relationship.

This was a great debut and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future!

A readable, bingable contemporary romance with plenty of angst and drama.

The wedding business side of the story actually was interesting to me, and usually I do not like getting bogged down with the nitty-gritty details of a character's job. But I was so invested and I loved picturing the wedding designs and all the flowers, decor, etc.

There were a few funny moments I appreciated (like the callback to the Four Seasons Landscaping).

Great miscommunication and resolution as well.

Forget Me Not exceeded my expectations! It always feels amazing to enjoy an anticipated novel. 4.25/5 starts to this beautifully-written 2nd chance romance! Many thanks to Forever Publishing for approving me to read FMN early. The book releases on the 11th of July; in a week. Forget Me Not should be on your radar now if it wasn't before. :') Also, I suggest not reading the Goodreads synopsis, because there's a spoiler about the reason why the couple broke up the first time (like I said, it's a second-chance romance) in the blurb. :))

Julie Soto killed it with the Wedding Planner x Florist storyline! I'm a floral aesthetic girlie, so reading a romance book about design, flowers, weddings, and cozy vibes brought me back to life. Ama and Elliot's chemistry was off the charts. The way they complemented each other was just so.... perfect. They flourished each other's visions for the wedding they were planning together - LIKE JUST HOW FREAKING ADORABLE IS THAT.

Another thing that I loved about Forget Me Not was the dual POVs. We get Ama's POV for the present timeline and Elliot's POV for the past timeline (before they broke up). I loved seeing how different incidents from the past reflected in the present. It was heartbreaking to see what lead to their eventual breakup the first time. I felt so incredibly sad for Elliot, who had a rocky exterior but was secretly such a softie! His story and personality made me love the book even more. Seeing Ama grow and realize her true potential was such a treat too! Oh, I should mention this before I forget - Julie Soto's writing style is incredibly addictive and easy to get into. I loved how she added a humorous touch to random conversations between different characters.

The story was rushed after the 70 percent mark, which took away some of my enjoyment from reading the book. I wanted Elliot and Ama to have more scenes together too - so that's the explanation for my non-5-star rating. Other than these two aspects, I loved the book wholeheartedly. I cannot wait to read more from Julie Soto! Eagerly waiting for her next novel in 2024! :')

Another one that I’m not exactly sure how I felt about it. On one hand, there’s nothing I like more than forced proximity, and when that forced proximity is two people forced to work with their ex on a high profile wedding, yes please.
I think what fell flat for me is how Ama let her experiences with her mother influence how she herself felt about wedding and relationships, instead of her own experiences with Elliot. I think I might have enjoyed this more had we gotten more of Elliot and Ama together in the present, overall I still thought this was a cute read.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me an advanced digital copy in exchange for review

“No one should have to wait for happiness a second longer than they have to.”

Hello slow burn.
Hello unforgettable MCs.
Hello incredible supporting cast with rep 👏🏼
Hello background story on self worth, professional gaslighting, and how we put trust in people that never had our best interest at heart.
Hello book I was told was a romcom but it’s not. It’s so much bigger than that.
Hello life lessons that end with broken feet and a horse meme.

Thank you @lambsbooks (forever grateful 🥹) for reviewing this and telling me I would love it. I ran over to NetGalley thinking I was too late to get an ARC but requested it anyways… and here I am, feeling all the feels over a wedding planner whose mom has been married 16 times and a florist who’s also an architect and somehow still struggles to understand Instagram (don’t we all?! 😂)

Hit preorder. Hit it now. Julie Soto is going to explode. And I’m here for all of it. 🖤🙃

What’s inside:
🖤second chance romance
🖤slow burn
🖤grumpy x sunshine
🖤opposites attract
🖤dual timeline
🖤dual POV

Adult. 5 stars ⭐️

I don't know if it's because I'm currently planning a wedding or not, but this book was everything for me. It's the 31st book I've read in 2023, but I think it shot up to my favorite for the year. Ama is incredible, Elliot is incredible, the setting is incredible, and the sex isincredible. And you're telling me this is a debut book from Julie Soto?! If that's the case, she is going on my automatically read list. Very exciting to see what she writes next.

He's counting backwards....

Elliott Bloom is a florist who tattoos rare and extinct flowers on his body. He counts the days., minutes, from moments of his and Ama's relationship. Spanning years, past and present, we are quickly immersed in wedding planner Ama and florist Elliott's relationship. They are both very self aware new adults, adulting. Fresh and a more accurate take on a leading man and leading woman. Elliott is great, sensitive and emotional, and Ama channels The Wedding Planner perfectly.
Recommend.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner in Sacramento. She spent years working for the towns biggest event planner (Whitney Harrison) before starting out on her own. She specializes is smaller, very personalized weddings. A big name cosmetic influencer with her own brand asks for Ama to design her wedding to a local girl. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If she can pull this off it will secure her future. The only catch is they insist a friend, Elliott Bloom for floral design. Elliott is fantastic at what he does but Ama and he were involved for six months and it didn’t end well.

I was at first put off by the moody, broody Elliott. But Sotos writing and his story arc won me over. I’m not a tattoo person and Elliots made me swoon. The chapters count down to the future wedding and intermix with the story of Torres and Blooms first meeting and their relationship then. Ama's story seems more straightforward I don’t want to spoil anything by sharing specific details. But I love that she gets big moments. I absolutely believe in Ama and Elliotts HEA.

I love that the author flips the script whether it is during their first moments of intimacy and continuing to who says I love you first. The book surprised and delighted me. I’m in the minority by not loving the cover. It gave me vampire vibes. But it is striking and memorable. I will look for whatever Julie Soto writes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (4.5 Stars)

Forget Me Not is everything I had hoped it would be. An up and coming wedding planner/organizer is forced to work with her nemesis, who happens to be a wedding florist? Sign me up. Julie Soto’s writing style is intoxicating and you can’t help but be fully invested in both her characters and their stories. I love the history between the MC and the love interest and I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope. As it is one of my favorite tropes to read in a book, I absolutely devoured it in this story. I would highly recommend picking this up to my customers and my coworkers. Another romance for the win! I would definitely pick up this author’s future releases.

Forget Me Not is a delight. Florists, wedding planners, and disasters strike. It's perfect for fans of second chance romance, work place romances, and grumpy meets sunshine. I ended up reading this in a few days I was so in love with Ama and Elliot. There's nothing better than a grump who is super protective of you. It's a character type I will never get over. So Forget Me Not is a charming romance which also examines love and commitment.

This book was cute! I found it to be an easy, entertaining read that I consumed in a few hours and I’m happy I did so. It was well-written and the characters were interesting and unique.

Descriptions: emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Premise:
-Ama Torres is a fairly new wedding planner in the Sacramento area in California
-She often enlists her ex or current step-siblings in her work, as her mom has been married 15 times
-Ama used to work for Whitney, a renowned wedding planner & has doubts about measuring up to Whitney
-Ama's first-person POV is told in the present
-Ama scores the wedding of the year of influencer/beauty connoisseur Hazel & her fiancé Jackie Nguyen (Jackie is from the area & always dreamed of getting married at the local rose garden)
-Elliot Bloom is the owner of Blooming, a florist in the area and has taken over since his father's passing
-Eliot's first-person POV is told in the past, starting with about five years ago and provides the backstory as to why Ama & Eliot no longer speak
-Eliot & Ama navigate working together & being around each other again for the first time in over two years

Thoughts:
I am so glad I never read premises because this was an absolute delight! I'm ecstatic to have found another new local author to support (I'm from the SF Bay Area). Ama's backstory & upbringing was unique, as I haven't met anyone whose parent has been married that many times; thus, Ama's feelings towards marriage and commitment made sense and made me feel for her. I can only imagine how that shapes and impacts you when it comes to romantic love especially.

The wedding planning aspect of this was an absolute romp; I used to work for a party rental service and my favorite clients were the wedding planners. It was magical to see their visions come to life, and Ama's passion and enthusiasm for her clients' big days were fleshed out so well. Her well wishes were evident in how badly she wanted to cultivate the perfect wedding day to represent each client. Even though she never saw herself getting married, she took reverence in these weddings and that was something so admirable in Ama that I think we can all take a lesson from!

Eliot on the other hand, was so rude for no reason in the beginning. It took me a bit to warm up to him but I guess that was the point hahaha. I enjoyed reading the scenes of him sharing the stories behind each of his six tattoos, and similarly to what I respected about Ama, Eliot is so clearly passionate about his work. I don't know much about flowers but Eliot's excitement rubbed off on me! I want to know more about all of these flowers now! Who am I?!

I appreciated the millennial angst in not knowing if you could ever measure up to your mentors, and the way this is displayed in the uncomfortable power dynamic between Ama & Whitney. The fact that Whitney tells Ama she needs to be "more professional" is such a boomer x millennial conflict, and I think many of us can relate to this. As someone who continues to learn about anti-racism, intersectional feminism and abolition theory, I've pretty much thrown the boomer idea of "professionalism" out the window. It's antiquated and tired. Yet, I can empathize with how Ama wants to run her business, with care and a personal touch. What Whitney interprets as unprofessional makes Ama feel guilty and second guess herself as a wedding planner. Ama's willingness and enthusiasm in getting to know her clients only provides an even more intentionally planned day for them. Ama's clients end up with a day that feels intimately theirs, rather than a cookie cutter Instagram-worthy wedding that screams copy & paste.

Anyway, I will absolutely read more from Julie in the future & I can't wait to see her on tour this weekend!

Tropes:
-second chance
-forced proximity
-grumpy x sunshine
-opposites attract
-workplace romance
-main character scared of commitment/doesn't believe in it (& changes her mind hehe!)
-sneaky public rendezvouzs!

Representation:
-child of divorce
-child of parent who passed away
-lesbian side characters

Steam: 2.5/5 -- a lot of fun tension and great steamy scenes!

Quotations that stood out to me:
I can always get a good sense about a couple when I ask about their engagement story. I’m not saying it’s a proven method to know if they’re going to make it, but…the brides with the loveliest engagement stories are the ones I haven’t done twice.

“A wedding is not a marriage. Marriages will never be perfect. They’re always a work in progress. But weddings? Weddings are just a moment in time, striving to be perfect.

That would require sacrificing a bit of my brand, which up till now has been Millennial Modern Affordable with a personal twist.

I’ve been trying to set clearer boundaries. The line of professionalism with the clients and the vendors has always been my weakness. I love getting to know people and finding out what makes them happy. But blurring the lines always gets me into trouble. Always.

I decided to break from the millennial stereotype when I stopped renting. Don’t worry—I still spend $6,000 a year on avocado toast. They let me keep my membership card.

There is nothing in the world that cannot be solved by the first bite of a perfect donut. I am, of course, excluding serious world problems—but even then, I think that if we could all just sit down and have a donut, things might get better.

“We like it tight!” Jackie gasps. “And that’s not a sex thing! That’s just something that came out of my mouth!”

flowers are infinitely better than people. Because you can find a person’s ratio of light, water, and attention, and it still won’t be enough. For flowers, it’s enough.

I don’t believe long-term commitments like marriage work out, but I do believe in love. It can be fleeting and undependable, rarely long-lasting, but I do believe it exists.

My favorite of my mother’s husbands are the ones with kids who need job experience.

I’m addicted to my phone. One day we will have support groups for this—our backs curved like croissants, our thumbs twitching with the need to swipe, all blinded from the blue light.

If there’s one thing Elliot Bloom is not, it’s casual.

“Well…” I hesitate. “She stood in front of his house every day, carving a golden arrow into her heart. On the thirtieth day, a crimson flower sprouted from her chest. And he finally noticed her.”
“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Jackie says. “Gotta love the Greeks. All that unrequited love and sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?” a deep voice resonates. His hands are hard at work at a bouquet without our notice. “He didn’t want her, so she carved herself into something he liked, something he wanted.”
I feel that golden arrow now, carving, carving.
“Of course, you would identify with the man,” Jackie scoffs. It’s supposed to lighten the mood. I force my lips upward.

“What the fuck is on your lips?”
She blinks quickly, and then reaches up as if I’ve told her she has a mustache. “No, I mean…” I sigh. “Is that some designer shit? Is that why it doesn’t get messed up when I’m kissing you?”
“It’s Hazel Renee,” she says, simply. As if that answers it.
“I don’t give a fuck who it is. I want you to look debauched when I’m debauching you.”

She’s saying the most insane things—things that only get whispered to you in dreams.

I had a good childhood, so it’s not like I’ve never received an excellent present before. But it’s the surprise from someone who knows you on a level no one else will—someone who’s opened up your chest and fit themselves inside.

There’s a flower in my chest, just now starting to meet sunlight, finally blossoming.

Growing up, it was a truth universally acknowledged that Sacramento was a place to leave—at least in my experience. The theater was in New York. The beaches were in LA. The culture was two hours west in San Francisco. And what even was CSU Sacramento? I grew up surrounded by people who agreed that Sacramento is a great place to raise a family, but if you’re going to be an artist—get out. And I did. But like most Hallmark love stories where a city girl must return home from New York and learn to love her hometown roots with the help of a rough and rugged carpenter or mechanic or boatswain, I came home to Sacramento. And that boatswain, for me, was Forget Me Not.
----From the author's note & I love this lil reflection!

This book was a lot of fun! I don’t normally enjoy the grumpy sunshine trope, but this one felt different.
Ama is a wedding planner who runs her own business. When she is approached by a celebrity to design the wedding of the year, she’s absolutely shocked and excited. That is, until she finds out that she will have to work with her ex.
Elliot is a florist with experience in architecture. After his father’s death, he reluctantly takes over the family’s floral business. When he realizes that his architectural experience can be used to his advantage, he slowly begins to love what he does. His amazing floral displays make up for his lack of manners.
Ama and Elliot haven’t spoken since they split three years ago. Now the two must find a way to work together and create a wedding that could make or break their careers.
I loved the characters in this book and the way the author describes the scenery and floral designs made me feel like I was watching a movie. The only negative thing I could say is that I wished there was a little more of Elliot’s experience in the present (the book has multiple timelines with Elliot’s POV as the past). Overall, this book is a must read for romance readers. I highly recommend it!

This is going to be a lot of people’s read of the summer! It’s grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, second chance romance and a lot of fun!

Ama is a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage. When she gets the client of a lifetime whose social media presence could skyrocket her career it seems too good to be true. Of course, the client insists on working with a florist that Ama has a history with.

Julie Soto’s characters are so lovable, and the pacing of this story was great. Also, the execution of dual timeline/dual POV was seamless. There is a lot to like about Forget Me Not, I had multiple laugh out loud moments and the romance was authentic and interesting.

“I want to love what you love - even if it’s extinct.”

I am telling you right now, this is going to be one of my top books of 2023. I loved it so much I want it injected into my veins. I want the cover of this book made out of a flower wall. I want to dance with it on the rooftop of an abandoned building. I want Elliot…just, like, in general. It was just so good.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner who has just landed what could be her big break - the wedding of a major influencer/actress. Unfortunately, the couple is already set on a florist - Elliot Bloom, Ama’s ex. With a chance too good for either to back out, Elliot and Ama are forced to work together for the first time since their break up. Will their relationship blossom into what it once was? It’s a second chance romance - what do you think? Of course it does.

I loved these two so much. I am always a sucker for grumpy/sunshine, and I loved this one especially. Within the flashbacks we see all of Elliot’s walls break down as Ama works her way into his heart. In the present we see Ama struggle as she craves the old normal.

Speaking of past and present: If you are a musical theatre nerd who likes The Last 5 Years, might I recommend this book and its similar format without all the overwhelming toxicity of the relationship. With Ama’s POV we get the present, and with Elliot’s we get the past. You’re able to see what went wrong and how, while also seeing them try to manage being around each other now in the aftermath of it all falling apart. It’s such a great method for dual POV and I loved seeing them in love contrasted to them struggling to be around each other.

I could go on for so long )and I will to all my book club friends who I am already begging to read it), but please. Please read it. It’s so good. Give this book the love it deserves.

Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, second chance romance, forced proximity, dual timeline, dual POV, flower shops, slow burn, hot man with flower tattoos and few words, woman with a tooth as sweet as she is and too many words, cat with a literary pun name, if you don’t take care of yourself I will, sex everywhere but a bed (genuinely I’m not sure if these two ever actually had sex in a bed….)

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is a swoon worthy romance revolving around wedding planner Ama Torres as she organizes the dazzling upcoming wedding for viral influencer, Hazel Renee & her bride, Jaqueline Nguyen…did I forget to mention that she must partner with her ex, once love of her life & florist, Elliot Bloom because that happens too?! This story is sure to captivate any romance fan & maybe even make you want to plan a Pinterest wedding.

The author does an incredible job of creating such picturesque environments where the reader feels like they are apart of this story. The wedding planning aspects were just incredible. I gained a new found respect for the intricacies of wedding planning but also an appreciation for the beauty of flowers, especially rarer ones. Elliot was such a unique hero with his broody nature but also the deep well of his creative side that flowed naturally onto the pages. His love for flowers was very attractive & made for a character with depth. I also loved that the heroine was such an ambitious & career driven woman. I love seeing woman in power succeed & reap & enjoy the benefits of said success.

The passion for their careers, their talents & their love is next level & makes the reader ache for them to get together. The flashbacks to the past as their story is unveiled little by little slowly paint such a lovely picture.

I can easily see this being one of the hit romances of the summer.

If anyone is looking for their next romance, I would recommend not forgetting to add Forget Me Not to your list!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the gifted arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I have been looking forward to this book/audiobook for months. I have heard such good things about it, so it bums me out that I didn't enjoy it more.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner and has the opportunity to plan her biggest wedding yet--one that will get her name out there. If she can pull it off in seven months. Of course, the brides only want to use the florist that she does not and will not work with anymore--owned by her former boyfriend, Elliot.

This is in dual POV. Ama is in the present and Elliot's is in the past. I am not a big fan of back and forth of past and present, and this was throughout the whole book. I had no idea what their problem was with each other until the very end, which annoyed me. The wedding planning with the brides was interesting, but it took up a majority of the story. I didn't feel that we got to know Elliot that much. I did like how he did show he cared about her still in the present regarding her car issues and then, later, stepped up with the whole day-of wedding.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for an advanced readers copy. Thank you to Libro FM for an advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.