I absolutely loved this book! Easily a 5/5 star read that I couldn’t put down. This book is released July 11, 2023. Thank you Julie Soto, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This book had some really fun and cute moments! It wasn't overwhelmingly enjoyable and there were times where I was ready for it to be over, but I had fun watching this chemistry develop.

This book was a bit of a mess. I enjoyed Elliot, and the wedding setup was interesting, but the whole thing fell apart quick.

Ama was intolerable in both flashbacks and present. She steamrolls everyone and was absolutely insufferable. I hated her the entire book and didn't want her to end up with Elliot.

The wedding plot was also relatively poorly planned out. It was okay at the beginning and I was interested to see the conflict with Whitney, even though Ama was too obtuse to see it coming, but the whole wedding fell to shambles plot wise and it just seemed like everything came out of nowhere. It was a bit of a ridiculous ending.

The steamy scenes also made me cringe very very hard. I hated every moment of them, it was so unrealistic and just full of weird word choices and terrible dialogue.

I enjoyed Julie's fanfiction and I still like her writing in general, but this book was a hot mess. I'm super disappointed by it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC!

This was really damn good. “Forget Me Not” is emotional and thoughtful with a sprinkle of angst thrown in for extra emotional damage. Plus it actually made me laugh aloud several times which most books don’t make me do. A thing about this book that I really enjoyed that surprised me was the dual perspective. Personally I’m not a fan of dual perspectives in romance novels as I think it kills the tension. But what Julie Soto does here which the dual perspective is clever! it actually helped build tension, and I felt like I got to know both Ama and Elliot really well by the end of this book. They felt like real people. Also the spice? Very nice 👀

I haven’t read Julie’s Dramione fanfic but I’m a huge fan of her Reylo fanfic and I’m thrilled to see another talented writer get their art out there for the world to enjoy.

Side note—who is gonna play Elliot in the television adaption?? !!!!

Thanks so much to Netgally for a advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Hands down, this book is easily one of my fave romances of the year & will continue to be so long after 2023 has ended. Just like Ama’s event planning skills & Elliot’s floral arrangements, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵 is a win for me across the board & is nothing short of beautiful.

One of my favorite parts about this book is how the characters are written. Even in moments where their feelings are obviously complicated or uncertain (whether it be about each other or regarding other factors), Ama & Elliot are both such strong leads, each carrying themselves with a natural, quiet confidence— because they know who they are at their core. Elliot may not be an “Alpha Male” – or even fall under your “standard” MMC mold, tbh – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t or won’t go after what he wants. Ama may be straight-forward in both work & play, yes, but she is also still a dreamer; she is kind and hardworking and warm. Their personalities really do shine here imo, and it made their love story & individual arcs all the more believable to get behind/root for.

The duel POVs/sliding-doors chapter structure is also utilized really well here, w most of Ama’s POV being set in the present & Elliot’s in the past, and did a great job of keeping the slow-burn tension/intrigue alive regarding the reason for their past fallout.

Lastly, I appreciate the underlying discussion here of what it means to be in a marriage. To be in love. Because everyone is different. Not everyone wants marriage or kids or a house in the suburbs.... but that doesn't mean they aren’t open to love, to commitment, or even to change. Which is why I loved how & where the story ended. Because I really do believe that, so long as two people continue to choose one another & are willing to meet each other halfway, we all can find our own little piece of forever.
——— •

🔖 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (𝟏/𝟐): Big shoutout to @thatswhatnatread for featuring this book on her page some months ago— your review inspired me to apply for the ARC and I was so excited when I got approved!!! • bc fr, this is the ✨EXACT✨ type of 𝑮𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒚 𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒕-𝑩𝒐𝒚 x 𝑮𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒚-𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 romance I never knew I needed but have been waiting for deep down 🥹 like PLEASE *𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩!𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴* 🫡 • similar to when I read the ARC of “The Bodyguard” last year, I’m honestly so upset w myself for waiting so long to read this • the truth behind the extinct flowers 😭😭 stop, my heart • 💌 also, I now want a man to make me a personalized bouquet bc just… wow 💐 • the “horse girl encountering real horses” scene/meme took me tf out omg lmao 🤡💀 (#IYKYK) • finding out Ama is a Taurus makes so much sense narratively lol (and I say this as someone who is a Taurus Moon, so) • does it really count as a “third-act breakup” if it happened in the past? lol I think not! • the side characters were fun & all unique in their own ways; out of all of them though, I loved Jackie & feel like we def got to know her more as a person than we did Hazel (though she was great too!)

🔖 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (𝟐/𝟐): The sense of humor & heart woven throughout this entire book is right up my alley honestly, I laughed out loud so many times & obviously I can’t share any quotes until after pub day but just— trust me, it’s f*cking funny 💥💥 • And if you enjoy romcom films, I really do think you’ll love this book; the whole story really is a vibe, all the classic romcom tropes are featured here center stage & it all just comes together so fluidly/effortlessly— the workbench scene in Ch. 15 *alone* is pure GOLD (and no, it’s probably not what you’re thinking either lol 🍩 that’s what makes it so great)

Tears. In my eyes. I can’t stop crying help me something is wrong.

Forget Me Not was excellent. A beautiful story with a hot, intense, passionate, and incredibly moving romance. The prose swept me away from the first paragraphs, and the characters kept me hooked. Ama is so relatable, driven, and stubborn. Elliot is grumpy and reserved and, my god, the most loyal man ever. I ship. I ship it so hard.

This book also had my favorite third act. Ever. Of all the romance books I’ve devoured over the years. Exciting. Nerve wracking. Probably the reason I’ll need therapy asap. I LOVED IT. There really is so much to be said for the beautiful relationship, both past and present, that fills these pages. Julie Soto’s craft is impeccable. The voices of Elliot and Ama were so distinct. The pacing was incredibly tight. And Ama’s job was one of the most interesting I’ve ever read.

Also the sex was hella hot and I’m not ashamed to say that. 🥵 Five standing ovation stars to a romance that should be on everyone’s TBR. Now please someone pass me a tissue and give me the sequel or a spin off or anything!!!!

While overall I did love this story, it was a little difficult for me to get into and to start to really like the characters. Elliott gives Ama flowers that mean immaturity and resentment the first time they actually meet. I didn't understand this and found it incredibly rude when he didn't even know her at that point. I'm assuming it was to tie on with Whitney constantly insisting Ama be professional, but it immediately made me dislike him. Thankfully, I was able to get past it, but I still don't see the point of him doing that. Ama also drove me pretty crazy. I've never liked nor understood when a character has a particular hang up because of their parent, especially someone as strong and smart as Ama. It didn't make sense and if that was what the author wanted Ama's flaw to overcome then it would have been better for it to stem from a previous relationship, not from her crazy mother's experiences. Other than those two things, I liked the story enough to still rate it 4 stars, which is very rare for me. Usually, if I don't like the characters, I can't enjoy the story very well. I loved their careers, how creative Ama and Elliott were, and how they came together as a team. There were some good steamy bits too. I really think most romance readers would enjoy this one!

Smh @ me forgetting that one of my most anticipated summer releases has been tucked away on my Kindle this whole time! ANYWAYS:

Forget Me Not (FMN) follows Ama, an up-and-coming wedding planner that’s hired to plan a wedding of a famous influencer, which can either make or break her career. The only caveat: working with Elliot, a florist with whom she’s worked a lot with in the past and also her ex-boyfriend(ish).

FMN is told in dual POVs (Ama in the present, Elliot in the past), which I always love because but I felt that something was missing when I was reading Elliot’s chapters of how he and Ama initially got together. I thought it happened out of nowhere? I also thought one of them came off as a bit selfish, so I didn’t really feel emotionally invested in their overall relationship. I think this is the first book where I was interested in the characters jobs more than their relationship? The wedding planning role seems incredibly high stress, but to see such creative plans come to life must make it worthwhile. It reminded me of one of my favourite rom-coms, The Wedding Planner (one of Jennifer Lopez’s best, don’t @ me). I understood Ama’s need to want to handle everything on herself; to prove that she can make it as a wedding planner on her own and step out of the shadows of her former employer. I love that the MMC had such a non traditional job as a florist and that he’s such a grump. I’m always in awe of people who can create such beautiful floral displays and bouquets (I was very inspired to sign up for a floral arrangement class for beginners; it’s been on my bucket list for a while now so nothing like some fictional inspiration to get ya going!). I also learned a lot about flowers from this book! Had to Google every new flower that was mentioned to get a strong visual for all of the bouquets and floral structures that were made for the wedding.

Thanks @ netgalley for the eARC. Sorry I’m a million years late

This is another case of don’t judge a book by its cover. I wasn’t going to pick this book up because this is a really terrible cover, but after hearing good things on Twitter and finding out this debut author already has a television series deal in the works for it, I decided to see what the fuss was all about. And I’m really glad I did.

This is a grumpy/sunshine, second-chance romance with dual POVs and timelines. The FMC narrates in the present day with the MMC’s POV mainly in the past from when they first meet right up until the big break up before the beginning of the book. Not only does it help the reader get to know each of them, but it also builds the tension between the two so, so well.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner, who doesn’t believe in marriage. This is mainly due to her mother’s relationship history and 16 marriages. But she does have a great relationship with all of her ex-step-siblings and even hires them to work for her. Her best friend is another ex-step-sibling and their relationship is pretty fabulous. Ama doesn’t have a degree but realized where her gifts and passion lay and got a job right out of high school working for the premier wedding planner in Sacramento. She moved up the ranks pretty quickly, before going out on her own to find success. Her only issue, which really isn’t an issue per se, but is pounced on repeatedly by her former boss, is that she gets too close to her clients and vendors.

Elliot Bloom is the owner of Blooming, a florist who met Ama when he is just a man taking care of his ill father and taking over the family business. He’s the grumpy in this grumpy/sunshine relationship. His “flowers are better than people” resonated with me and even though he’s grouchy, irritated, and crude at times, I liked him immediately. I’m glad readers were able to get his perspective as their relationship was developing, mainly because during the present-day scenes he’s so quiet and standoffish. I don’t think this love story would have worked any other way.

Ama and Elliot are brought together again when a popular social media influencer and her fiancee choose Ama as their wedding planner, with Elliot already being contracted as their florist. The two haven’t worked together since their break-up, which as you can imagine, creates lots and lots of angst. I kind of liked being thrown into their established relationship, only getting glimpses into what happened years prior in interspersed chapters and watching them slowly but surely figure out a way to work together. There aren’t a whole lot of lovey-dovey scenes between them in the present day, the big heart-to-heart and reconciliation comes at the very end after something BIG happens at the wedding. But it worked for me.

This is 100% an open-door romance, and the scenes between the two are hot, hot, hot. Ama is the aggressor and I don’t think Elliot knew what to do with her at first. Don’t worry though, he figures it out. The main issue in their conflict arises from fear- fear of falling in love and defining the future. Elliot wants more, and Ama runs when he asks for it. I really loved the ending and HEA. I thought it was a perfect fit for this couple.

I am impressed by this debut author, highly impressed. I’m already looking forward to her next release. But for now, I recommend everyone who enjoys these tropes to put this one on your TBR.

4.5

I'm obsessed!!!!

Okay, lots of things came together to make me love this book so so much. First of all, it is a grumpy/sunshine second chance romance. Two of my very favorite tropes pulled together to create the perfect amount of angst.

Our MCs, Ama and Elliot, are a wedding planner and a florist, respectively. So.... They can't really get away from each other. They have done their very past for the past three years since their breakup, until a high-profile wedding shoves them back together.

Though Ama loves weddings, her mom has been married so many times that she knows marriage or even a real relationship is not for her. Enter grumpy, broody, secretly sappily romantic Elliot and all bets are off. Kind of.

This book is not only dual POV (which I love), but it also uses flashbacks to help tell the story of Ama and Elliot's past (which I LOVE). I was hooked by the angst we get in both POVs, the past build up and breakdown of a relationship, and the current awkward tension and longing both the characters are feeling. Most of the past is Elliot's POV where we get to see him quietly pining for Ama and being soft for her but also very confused by her. In the present, we see more of Ama as she grows into herself and figures out how to let herself want what she wants in romance and in life.

This book is steamy and fun and there are a ton of moments of caretaking by Elliot that made me soft and gooey inside.

My only critique is that I think Ama turns herself around too quickly in regard to her romantic ideals. I think it would have been great if we found out she had done therapy in the years they were apart and that she didn't just up and switch things to get her man. I know it was a long time coming and she had lots of time to think but it all felt like it happened in the last ten percent of the book.

I ADORED the ending though oh my god.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!! I would recommend this to all the romance lovers and all the fanfic loverssss!!! I can't wait for more from Julie Soto!

This book was funny, had a good supporting cast, was fairly romantic and definitely spicy. I think it should've gone a little deeper with Ama's relationship issues. I liked the dual first person perspectives and thought that both Ama and Elliot's narrative voices felt distinct and tailored to their characterizations. It's dual timeline as well (Ama tells the present and Elliot tells the past), which I usually wouldn't enjoy. But it was a unique and engaging way to flesh out the second chance romance without having to get too expository.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5


Tropes:
Boy falls first✔️
Second chance romance✔️
Forced proximity✔️
Dual POVS/ Dual Timelines✔️
Grumpy/Sunshine✔️


Honestly… when it came to Forget Me Not, I TOTALLY judged the book by its cover. It’s what reeled me in (besides a Latino Author last name) &. I’m so glad I did.
Pretty early on, I knew that this book was going to HURT so good & that their reconnection was gonna be AMA-ZING, AND. I. WAS. NOT. LET. DOWN! I cried, I ACHED, I fxckn LAUGHED at their inner thoughts..

I loved the DEEPER, hidden meanings sprinkled throughout the book; from Elliot's floral tattoos to Ama's namesake, etc.. It was like little surprises & pieces of that fictional character in where I said "stoppppp! omg that's too fxckn cute!!! 🥹" or "gahhh that's why?!!!! 😩"

The way the story was broken in Before and Present? PERFECTION. CHEF'S KISS! 💋
I didn't want their story to end, I fell for Ama & Elliot. I DEVOURED it & could've gladly kept on going.

I'm hoping this isn't the last of Ama & Elliot!

I'm never that person who declares a book as the 'best book/read of the year', but damn I'm about to do that.

Forget Me Not had me hooked from the very first chapter & not for a single minute was my attention diverted to anything else; I finished it in one go.

This was such a fresh take on second chance, grumpy×sunshine romance that will leave you in awe. I especially loved the fact that the present chapters were from Ama's POV & and the past were from Elliot's.

I think it's rare when books make you feel like you, yourself, are experiencing all the emotions like the MCs. I loved the intensity of the romance; the beginning, the middle & the end.

Elliot & Ama were perfect together. I adored Ama's ambition, confidence, & her sugar-loving sunshine personality. Elliot was a stern grump who, when opened up to someone, gave his everything. Along with the romance, this story had some amazing sub-plots & wedding shenanigans that a cherry on top.

Can't get over this for days to come. A MUST READ.

<i>Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.<i>

First off, I have loved Julie's writing since I stumbled upon her fanfiction and when I heard she was writing a book to be traditionally published I was over the moon excited!

Forget Me Not is a second chance romance about a grumpy florist and a hard working, lovable wedding planner, Ama, who gets the chance of a lifetime to not only plan her idol's wedding but also know that it will give her the exposure her business needs. The only catch is she has to work with her ex, Elliot Bloom.

The cover is immaculate, the dual timeline / dual POV is scrumptious, and I was completely feral for Elliot Bloom. The characters were lovable and dynamic and their conflict was perfectly messy and complicated.

There were moments that I laughed out loud, tangibly felt the character's pain, and flat out giggled.

I am really looking forward to the future works of Julie Soto and so excited for this book to get in reader's hands.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year and I liked it but I didn’t love it for a number of reason. It had so much potential and only some of it was used which is an absolute bummer.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Forget Me Not. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, and I absolutely loved it!

First off, I just love the way Julie Soto writes. I fell in love with her writing in her Dramione fan-fictions, and this story about Ama and Elliott worked its way into my heart quickly! I'm a sucker for a second-chance romance, and I really enjoyed the way this story combined the present day perspective (Ama) with the past day perspective (Elliott). It was really well done to see how they fell in love through Elliott's eyes and how Ama realized her mistakes through her own.

Second, I really liked Elliott in this story. He was such a faceted character! He showed so many emotions, and I personally enjoyed reading a male MC who was unsure at times, wanted an emotional connection, and was not your typical macho-male lead. Even without those postering male characteristics, Elliott was the man, let me tell you! He was the epitome of cool in my book!

Overall, this was a 5⭐️ romance for me! I enjoyed everything about it, and I could not put this book down!

Rating: 5⭐️

𝔸𝕣𝕔 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨
𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕄𝕖 ℕ𝕠𝕥
𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕚𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕥𝕠
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

•𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘖𝘝/ 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴
•𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺 𝘹 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦
•𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴
•𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺

Thank you to Julie Soto and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I still can’t believe this is a debut novel! It blew my socks 🧦 off!

The story follows ambitious California wedding planner Ama, who has recently gone out on her own. A HUGE influencer / actress wants Ama to plan her wedding- which will explode her business if everything goes right. The only stipulation? The florist, whom Ama refuses to work with, is her quiet, moody, breathtakingly tattooed ex boyfriend.

What went wrong? Why can’t either of them truly move on to other relationships? Can they work together to make this wedding happen? You’ll have to read and find out…

The steamy, undeniable charged energy between Ama and Elliot had me at their first interaction. The way Soto weaves the dual timelines and POV kept my heart racing each page. Allowing for personal and collective growth for both MC’s was beautifully done!

Some of the wedding stuff seemed way over the top, but 🤷🏼‍♀️ some of the side characters were incredibly annoying but it added to the plot for sure

special thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC!

GOD i would read anything julie soto would be gracious enough to write. a grocery list. a check list. a sentence on the back of a tissue i. do. not. care.

as a...lets just say ENTHUSIASTIC (and not obsessed or borderline crazy) fan of julie's fanfiction works and SPECIFICALLY The Auction, reading this was a no-brainer and just as good. i love, love, LOVE elliot and the grumpy x sunshine dynamic he had with ama. and on top of it, i'm just simply a sucker for wedding-based romances and this one was no different.

i am SO excited to read more from julie and keep supporting her outside of ao3 now :') just go ahead and add this to your reading lists now!!

Forget Me Not has all the ingredients for a great rom-com but it didn't come together for me. The withholding of key character information until the last 20% of the novel made it hard to root for these characters—they seemed to be doing things only because the plot required—and the rest of the novel couldn't make up for this big gap. Romances live and die on their characters, so this was a major sticking point.

What I did love: the deep dive into wedding planning. Seeing these characters delve deep into their jobs and passions was really fun, and I wish I could have seen what their characters are like outside of those jobs.

To be clear, Forget Me Not is enjoyable enough that I don't regret reading it, but I wish the structure and characters had been revisited. There was a lot of potential in this book, and I wish the finished novel lived up to it. As it is, it's a fun book for a reader who's craving a fluffy rom-com.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an early review copy of Forget Me Not. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of one of my two most anticipated books of the year!!

I have been OBSESSED with Julie Soto's writing for a few years now (her HP fanfic is GOD-TIER and some of my favorite writing, traditionally published or not, that I have EVER read), so saying that I was ~excited~ to read Forget Me Not was the understatement of the century.

Luckily, Forget Me Not exceeded every single expectation I had and more. Elliot and Ama are an incredible couple, and I'm obsessed with the plot. I'm not usually one for second-chance romances, as they're typically based on miscommunication (one of my least favorite tropes), but I love that Forget Me Not doesn't go that direction -- Ama and Elliot's previous breakup was entirely logical, based on where they both were in life at the time, and there was no miscommunication between them at all.

My only even POSSIBLE criticism was that I wanted more -- a bit more of Elliot's POV in the present timeline (as I LOVED his past timeline chapters) and more chapters of them as a couple. Then again, I could read 100 pages of them doing absolutely nothing -- not even speaking to one another -- without complaint because I loved them so much, so I am probably an outlier on that one.

Forget Me Not is absolutely my romance book of the year, and will probably end up being my book of the year overall. I cannot wait for Julie Soto's next book (in 2024!!! AHHHHH) and literally screamed at the news that Forget Me Not has already been optioned for a tv show, so here's hoping it happens!!

If you like spicy scenes with plot purpose, hot men utilizing flower language, second chance romance without miscommunication, grumpy x sunshine, dual POV, and two interweaving timelines, READ THIS BOOK. TRUST ME.