Member Reviews
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 Amaโs event planning skills & Elliotโs floral arrangements, ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ต 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 confidenceโ because they know who they are at their core. Elliot may not be an โAlpha Maleโ โ or even fall under your โstandardโ MMC mold, tbh โ but that doesnโt mean he doesnโt or wonโt 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 Amaโs POV being set in the present & Elliotโs 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 arenโt 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.
โโโ โข
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๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ (๐/๐): Big shoutout to @thatswhatnatread for featuring this book on her page some months agoโ your review inspired me to apply for the ARC and I was so excited when I got approved!!! โข bc fr, this is the โจEXACTโจ type of ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐-๐ฉ๐๐ x ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐-๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ romance I never knew I needed but have been waiting for deep down ๐ฅน like PLEASE *๐ช๐ฏ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ฉ!๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด* ๐ซก โข similar to when I read the ARC of โThe Bodyguardโ last year, Iโm honestly so upset w myself for waiting so long to read this โข the truth behind the extinct flowers ๐ญ๐ญ stop, my heart โข ๐ also, I now want a man to make me a personalized bouquet bc justโฆ wow ๐ โข the โhorse girl encountering real horsesโ scene/meme took me tf out omg lmao ๐คก๐ (#IYKYK) โข finding out Ama is a Taurus makes so much sense narratively lol (and I say this as someone who is a Taurus Moon, so) โข does it really count as a โthird-act breakupโ if it happened in the past? lol I think not! โข 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!)
๐ ๐
๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ (๐/๐): 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 canโt share any quotes until after pub day but justโ trust me, itโs f*cking funny ๐ฅ๐ฅ โข And if you enjoy romcom films, I really do think youโll 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/effortlesslyโ the workbench scene in Ch. 15 *alone* is pure GOLD (and no, itโs probably not what youโre thinking either lol ๐ฉ thatโs what makes it so great)
Tears. In my eyes. I canโt 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 Iโve devoured over the years. Exciting. Nerve wracking. Probably the reason Iโll 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 Sotoโs craft is impeccable. The voices of Elliot and Ama were so distinct. The pacing was incredibly tight. And Amaโs job was one of the most interesting Iโve ever read.
Also the sex was hella hot and Iโm not ashamed to say that. ๐ฅต Five standing ovation stars to a romance that should be on everyoneโs 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 thatโs 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 sheโs 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 Elliotโs 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 didnโt 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 Lopezโs best, donโt @ me). I understood Amaโs 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 heโs such a grump. Iโm 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; itโs 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 Iโm a million years late
This is another case of donโt judge a book by its cover. I wasnโt 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 Iโm 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 MMCโs 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 doesnโt believe in marriage. This is mainly due to her motherโs 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 doesnโt 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 isnโt 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. Heโs the grumpy in this grumpy/sunshine relationship. His โflowers are better than peopleโ resonated with me and even though heโs grouchy, irritated, and crude at times, I liked him immediately. Iโm glad readers were able to get his perspective as their relationship was developing, mainly because during the present-day scenes heโs so quiet and standoffish. I donโt 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 havenโt 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 arenโt 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 donโt think Elliot knew what to do with her at first. Donโt 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. Iโm 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: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ 5/5
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ 2.5/5
Tropes:
Boy falls firstโ๏ธ
Second chance romanceโ๏ธ
Forced proximityโ๏ธ
Dual POVS/ Dual Timelinesโ๏ธ
Grumpy/Sunshineโ๏ธ
Honestlyโฆ when it came to Forget Me Not, I TOTALLY judged the book by its cover. Itโs what reeled me in (besides a Latino Author last name) &. Iโm 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!!! ๐ฅน" or "gahhh that's why?!!!! ๐ฉ"
The way the story was broken in Before and Present? PERFECTION. CHEF'S KISS! ๐
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, grumpyรsunshine 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 didnโt 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 5โญ๏ธ romance for me! I enjoyed everything about it, and I could not put this book down!
Rating: 5โญ๏ธ
๐ธ๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ
๐ฝ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ โ๐ ๐ฅ
๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐
4.5/5 โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ
โข๐๐ถ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐/ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด
โข๐๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐บ ๐จ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ ๐น ๐ด๐ถ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ
โข๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ด๐ต๐บ, ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด
โข๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐น๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐บ
Thank you to Julie Soto and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I still canโt believe this is a debut novel! It blew my socks ๐งฆ 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 canโt either of them truly move on to other relationships? Can they work together to make this wedding happen? Youโll have to read and find outโฆ
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 MCโs was beautifully done!
Some of the wedding stuff seemed way over the top, but ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ 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 charactersโthey seemed to be doing things only because the plot requiredโand 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.
Forget Me Not is like bubbly champagne, instantly captivating me with its dual narrative and delightful grumpiness. The inclusion of flower names resonated with me, although the combination of baby's breath and roses felt outdated. While the pacing and writing style were enjoyable, the middle of the story became repetitive, and the connection between Ama and Elliott in his chapters felt lacking. The reasons for their breakup remained unclear, and the reliance on Ama's UID as a justification for not using condoms seemed odd. However, Elliott's character shone in the third act, defending Ama fiercely and making the last few chapters truly delightful.
โธ 4.5 โญ๏ธ
"And he was right. [Flowers] only needed light, water, and attention. But it's not as simple as that. Because you need to know how much light, how much water, how much attention. But if you can get it rightโif you can crack the codeโflowers 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."
It took me like one chapter to get hooked.
This was so much fun, quick paced and angsty, once I started I couldn't stop. I haven't read any of JS fanfics before so I had no idea what to expect but obviously I wasn't disappointed lol.
I'm actually not the biggest fan of second chance romance but this one was so well executed.
Both of our MCs โ Ama and Elliot โ are well fleshed out and relatable, I was rooting for them from the start and my heart was breaking for each .
I feel like I mention this in almost all of my reviews now but not only do I love and appreciate a dual POV in shorter books I think they are essential if we wanna get to know both MCs better.
I adored the dual POV here and I love that we get Ama's POV in the present and Elliot's POV in the past. Seeing Ama through his eyes created a very interesting contrast and reading the spicy scenes through the male perspective was refreshing, I was very pleasantly surprised.
FMN is also surprisingly steamy but obviously Iโm here for it. If this isn't you thing though you've been warned.
The chemistry was electric, the tension between them - palpable.
There's no miscommunication drama, their initial break up makes perfect sense and is due to some very big differences that the characters need overcome and the development is great.
(Side note: I can see why someone may wanna call this enemies-to-lovers romance and he-falls-first, it may seem that way but I disagree. There're no enemies here, the main couple doesn't hate each other. It's a second chance romance and their relationship doesn't end well the first time so when they are forced to work together a few years later, there's a lot of tension and unsaid words between them, and sure Ama suspects that Ellliot hates her, he definitely doesn't try to give her another impression, but there's just a lot hurt between them. The he-falls-first I disagree with because even though he's probably the one to realize that he loves her first and he falls harder I think Ama is the one who likes Elliot first. She mentions that she notices him and is attracted to him when he doesnt even know what she does or her name. She's the one who takes the initiative too.)
This was just everything I look for in a rom-com and I really hope we get to see it on big screen (JS just sold the rights for adaptation yay ๐ค)
If you love second chance romance, grump/sunshine trope, forced proximity, Hallmark movies but better, Ali Hazelwood's writing style I definitely recommend giving this a chance!!
Can't wait for JS's next book!!
P.S. if the next book is about Xander imgonnadie
eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is the kind of contemporary romance debut we donโt see often. I read about 90% of it in a day and just couldnโt put it down. I am a sucker for a second chance romance told on two different timelines, and that was particularly well done here. Elliott and Ama had really amazing chemistry and I loved seeing both of them grow (bloom you might say). Elliott is the grump to Amaโs sunshine and I loved his quiet intensity through the entire book. My only complaint was I wanted more of them together in the present but man the ending/epilogue was great.
Content warnings: Elliottโs dad died of lung cancer in the past; Ama has to defend herself from an unwanted come on in the beginning of the book
I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride - by choice.
๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ต opens with Ama landing the hottest wedding of the season. It could essentially prove to be the highlight of her career but there are threats at play - namely, her former florist and her heart.
With a past, they'd both rather never speak of - Ama and Elliot have to work together for the opportunity of a lifetime, if only the sparks flying off of them don't almost wilt all the florals.
- ~ -
Ama lives with her heart open for weddings but she's strictly never going to be the one standing at the altar... until he comes along.
I can't lie, Elliot is the gruffest of all grumpy heroes yet also the sappiest of them. The way this man threw open his soul for Ama had me squealing - limbs in the air and all.
This book was the perfect combination of spicy, angsty, sweet, emotional and sugary donuts. I loved getting to live in Ana and Elliot's heads and the tid bits about all the different flowers was my favourite.
Ps. I'm kinda sad Forget Me Nots (the flower) didn't make it onto the cover or the story.
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4.43 / 5โฉ
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ (๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ) ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐จ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ช๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฑ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฅ. ๐๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ.