I needed this couple to plan my wedding! If you are looking for an 2nd chance romance and a Grumpy/Sunshine book then this is what you want.

Ama was the cutest wedding planner who just always seems to be in over her head! She worked under a witch of a boss for years and finally decided to break off on her own. While trying to meet vendors under her own company, she stops by a floral shop call Blooming. This is where she runs into Elliot or should I say truly notice him for the first time. Now Elliot has had his eye on Ama from the day he had to start helping his father in their family run floral shop. His father was ill and Elliot stepped in to help him with weddings and running the shop. Elliot eventually inherits the shop around the same time Ama starts her friendship. They work together on a few weddings and the sparks fly. The only problem is that Ama doesn't believe in happily ever afters! This book rotates between their past and present relationship.

I loved watching their relationship grow and I loved that Elliot was shy and awkward, but also attentive. It shows that now every guy in the book has to be the outgoing one. His small gestures and willingness to assist showed Ama how much he truly cared about her. Such a cute love story and that ending had me cheesing but intrigued at the same time!


I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this free Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of Forget Me Not in exchange for an honest review.

I already knew going into this book that I was a fan of Julie Soto's writing style. As an avid fanfic reader, I am well acquainted with her previous works online. So I was very pleasantly surprised in seeing her growth as a writer when her talent is showcased with a traditional publishing lens.

I am not usually a huge fan of second-chance romance, so I did go into the story itself with low expectations, more so for my enjoyment. It's hard for me to believe people can come back together after being broken up for years. The story has to be done well for me to believe it, and thankfully, this was done well. I do think a lot of this was because we get a strong sense of who our FMC is before we are introduced to our MMC. I think it was smart to not introduce him right away. I do also like that his pov is mainly done in flashbacks. So we get to see what happened to them previously while our present is with them reconnecting.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I think the pacing was great. I loved the focus on wedding planning. It brought so much more depth and tension to the characters by having them work together for a common goal. There was so much angst I wasn't expecting. Both of the characters were likable in their own ways and blended well together. Definitely grumpy sunshine vibes from their first interaction until the end.

“Why begin, when it will end?”

I was creepy-smiling throughout this whole book. It was funny, sad, and spicy, everything I look for in a romcom!

“I think this is where I’ll die. I think I’ll just lie down and wait for death. He can use me to fertilize the flowers.”
This book is about Ama, a wedding planer who doesn’t believe in weddings, and Elliot, a florist who likes flowers more than people. Honestly, same, Elliot.

“And I almost hope there was someone after me, someone who broke him differently. Because I’m not worth three years of someone’s life.”

Ama is reasonably traumatized about weddings considering her mother has been married, what, 16 times!? I DIED reading that LOL

Elliot’s internal monologue is super funny, it was a highlight of the book for me!

“I wonder if she’ll look up The Language of Flowers and figure out I just told her, You are immature and I resent you. Go away.”

He was blunt, awkward, sometimes (most times) rude, but underneath was a little gooey center of amazing-ness. He reluctantly took over his father’s flower shop after he died but learned that all they really needed was water, light, and attention.

“Flowers are better than people.”
“Yes, Dad, they are,” I say to the empty shop.

This part hit me so hard! Don’t worry, I wouldn’t say this is a spoiler, you know it’s gonna happen.

“There are exactly four of his flowers that are still kicking, ones that I brought to his funeral when I thought he’d maybe like more flowers than people there.”

Elliot was a really great character for me. I loved his personality, his sassiness, his love for flowers and architect, and how he worked passionately and tirelessly. But his anxieties also spoke to me. Some were big and some were tiny ones that you’d never expect to be bothered by, and yet, you are.

“I posted a picture of a deconstructed floral arch ten minutes ago, and I’m already checking on Twitter to see if Instagram is broken. After five minutes, I finally get a set of likes. But because my self-worth is now intrinsically tied to this picture, I’m thinking of deleting it, then myself.”

Elliot’s clear romantic awkwardness is what completely won me over in the end. It was adorable and I love him. He is so rough but loving, ugh, I could gush all day. Here are some quotes.

“There’s no room inside of her, but I fuck her like I belong there.” More spicy quotes at the bottom!

“I’m Cynthia, Ama’s mother.” Well, fuck. “Hi, good. I mean, good to meet you.”

“But I don’t know how to make it happen other than just…hanging around. I’ve asked out exactly four women in my life, and statistically, I’m not great at this.”

“Did I just kill her with a peanut butter donut?” “Sir, I’m sure she’s not dead.”

“Nice to know you can keep a cool head under pressure.” I feel like today was anything but “a cool head under pressure,” but I guess we’ll leave that between me and Josephine, the 9-1-1 operator.

The past and present (and when you realize WHY the past times are so specific!!!) blend really well together. I’m not normally a fan of different timelines, but this was done so well! Ama and Elliot’s back and forth, their banter, their interactions, their work, it was so well done. I was laughing out loud at some parts, and like I said above, I found myself just smiling crazily at some parts. Funny parts, awe-moments, spicy parts, all the parts.

“His hair is long again. He has half of it tied back, out of his face. I called it a man bun once, and he gave me the silent treatment for the rest of the day.”

The ending was so great and I think it was just what Ama and Elliot needed, and it showed a lot of growth on both of their parts.
. . . .

This review was basically a little fan-girl essay, so sorry if it wasn’t helpful but definitely read this book!

“Are you fucking kidding me with this car?!”
“It’s drivable! It’s fine!”

There is exactly one thing that would have made this book better and it was if her car had broken down when Elliot was in it, just so he could rub it in her face! IYKYK

“After cleaning up the mess as best I can and returning to my car, every single warning light turns on—more than usual. Apparently my tires are flat, my oil needs changing, and my window washer liquid is low. The only thing going for me is the needle pointing to a half tank of gas, but even that is questionable with the low fuel indicator glaring at me. As my engine putters, I consider just how bad it would be to drive twenty blocks in a car that is clearly screaming for death.”

One final thought, to leave you all on a high: Elliot’s love for Ama is top shelf. That’s all.

“I nod. I agree. I listen. But I’ve accepted the fact that I just drove fifteen miles at two thirty in the morning to squeeze into this bathtub and listen to Ama wheel-spin. It’s fine. I may fall asleep, slip under, and drown. But it’s fine.”

Some spicy quotes:

“You can help me set up sparklers,” she says in a silky voice, as if sparklers means something else entirely. “Is it really setting up sparklers? Because you know how I feel about you needing an assistant—” “I mean, come back and I’ll fuck you in your truck.”

“What’s wrong?” I grip her hips. “Fucking god, Elliot,” she whimpers. “I forgot how big you are.”

“You’ll have to forgive me forgetting,” she says, reaching forward to finger the button at my collar. “You were in those skinny jeans and that plaid shirt. It made you look like a missionary come to save my filthy soul.”

I love a good grumpy main man! And Elliot is the definition of grumpy and Ama is the perfect sunshine to his grumpy. Ama was born to be a wedding planner and florist Elliot was ment to be her perfect balance. This was a perfect fluffy (which I LOVE) romance with drama. Second chance romance and grumpy, sunshine are not my go to tropes but oh my word! This was fantastic! And I can't wait to recommend this to everyone!!!

A talented wedding planner who doesn’t believe in weddings…a florist whose last name is Bloom; what a set up for an entertaining story of two who were once in a relationship and now meet up again.

Since Ama and Elliot are both hired to work for an influencer couple who are getting married, they are back in contact. Will things go better this time? Will the wedding they work on be a success? Read this one to find out.

Publisher’s Weekly notes that there is a fair amount of cursing here. I don’t know that this will bother many readers but just in case…Otherwise, here is a light read that many may enjoy. Recommended for fans of second chance romances.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I am a sucker for a reality tv adjacent setting, brooding love interests, and strong independent MCs so this book was basically catnip for me. Ama is a wonderful MC -- a wedding planner who is the daughter of a woman who has been married (and divorced) almost twenty times? Absolutely yes. And Elliot the grumpy florist is extremely swoony.

This is a lovers to enemies to lovers situation and it's so well done. The cause of their enmity is slowly revealed over the course of the book and while the conflict that caused the break is a little underwhelming I thought the slow reveal was A++. I just really wanted to know wtf happened between them!! The story is told in two timelines -- the current day as Ama plans the wedding of a celebrity influencer and her fiancee (who happens to be childhood friends with Elliot) and the recent past as we learn how Ama and Elliot met, fell in love (against Ama's will), and broke up.

The plot line with Ama's old boss felt a little melodramatic and (tiny spoiler) it was just very clear to me that she was evil and sabotaging Ama from the very beginning. The confrontation at the end didn't really feel super cathartic for me personally but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book overall. I'll definitely read Soto's next book!

I absolutely adored this one! This second chance romance had my in a grip and I couldn’t put this down. I loved the juxtaposition of a commitment-phobe wedding planner who is a bubbly ray of sunshine and a grumpy florist who is gone for his girl.

30/10 would IMMEDIATELY read again. And again. And again. And then again ten more times. God DAMN this was an incredible story of love and romance and finding each other again. SO GOOD.

Meet Ama and Elliot.

Ama is the wedding planner of my dreams. She learned from a big name and branched out into her own, super successful smaller wedding planning. She loves the planning, but marriage itself? Not her deal. After watching her mother marry over and over again, Ama doesn't think marriage is for her.

Elliot Bloom is a floral architect. He's taken over his fathers shop and uses his architect degree to create amazing things.

Once they worked together and sparks started to fly until Ama ended things. Now, working together on the wedding that could make or break their careers, they have to learn to put the past behind them and to think of the future.

This slow burn romance will have you smoldering and wondering when these two will just give into it all. I'm a sucker for wedding books and I think you will be too!

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5

Is this book gonna win a Pulitzer?.... NO but it was a damn good time.
The plot and structure of this book is so engaging I had a hard time putting it down. The dual timeline mixed with dual POV was done in a way were I almost forgot all the obvious faults in the details in my desperate need to find out what was going to happen next.
Ama was a bit annoying and honestly there was some slightly outdated misogyny disguised as feminism, some of the lines were absolutely second hand embarrassment worthy, and the MCs were underdeveloped but THE PLOT that had my attention from about page 10. If you go into this no thoughts all vices I think it has potential if I was rating this book on how fun and entertaining it was I'd give it a 4.75 ⭐️ however if I was rating it on the actual like literary merits or whatever its be somewhere in the 2s so I'm compromising with that 4.5 ⭐️

If you're worried about this being reylo:
If you know it you'll see it but if you don't you won't. There are little Easter eggs but nothing big/too distracting

This was such a sweet book omg, when I was reading it and listening to music The Only Exception by Paramore came on and I felt like that song was Ama and Elliot. The side characters, and Ama's many, many ex-step-siblings were so fun to get to know and the love story was just the perfect romance for the summer. I can honestly say going into it I wasn't sure what I would think of it since it's a second chance romance and usually i'm not a big fan however this? I couldn't get enough of oh my gosh it was so good. (updating my review once it's out because I have so many thoughts & don't want to spoil!!) anyways this was the perfect read for me wedding planner & a florist falling in love? sign me up anytime

thank you Netgalley for the arc!

After spending a number of years under the tutelage of Whitney Harrison, Ama Torres started up her own wedding planner business. Ama was successful with the smaller boutique weddings. But landing a big name would certainly boost her image as well as reputation.

As if all the stars were aligned in her favor, Ama was contracted with big name influencer and cosmetic guru, Hazel Renee to plan her wedding along with her finance Jackie Nyguen. The only catch was that Ama had to utilize Blooms — her ex (Elliot’s) floral design store. A bit of a dilemma since Ama and Elliot didn’t part ways on good terms.

Forget Me Not is a wonderful second chance romance that knocked my socks off. The novel features great characters, some bubbling with personality, and other characters that you would love to hate.

The story unfolds through dual points of view. Through the lens of Ama and Elliot, I got to experience each characters temperament, and perspective. I was amazed at how author Soto managed to capture a male’s (Elliot’s) point of view so expertly. The dual timelines just added depth and context to the past and present narrative. I really got to learn how Ama and Elliot’s relationship evolved.

There were some tense and tearful moments. But everything came together so seamlessly, especially with the well timed plot twists. However, I didn’t expect those explicit hot and steamy episodes and some readers may be put off by them.

Overall, Forget Me Not was a fun and enjoyable read worthy of 4.5 stars rounded up.

I received a DRC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Wow. Wow. Wowww. ABSOLUTELY blown a way by this outstanding debut. Huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review. I immediately pre-ordered need this book on my forever shelf!! Obsessed with our MMC Elliott and our darling FMC. Great unique story, interesting side characters left me wanting more.. hope there is a bonus epilogue and or book 2.... OBSESSED!!!!!!

Favorite Debut of 2023!!!

I went into this book with high expectations because of the cover alone, which was maybe my own undoing. This book did not hit the mark for me. I found the main female character to be annoying, and realistically I could not see them actually getting back together and staying together. I love our male main character, and the writing was fun as well. I loved the characters’ job and found that to be interesting. I’ll pick up the author’s next book regardless though.

Cute, spicy, intriguing and a great time! Great book to spend your time with and interesting plot. The cover is also stunning!

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
Narrators: Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub Date: 7/11

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is an absolute gem of a book that had me hooked from the start! It's like magic happened between the pages, and I couldn't put it down.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner extraordinaire, and she's determined to give her clients the perfect weddings they've always dreamed of. Her own views on marriage are a bit jaded, thanks to her mother's multiple failed marriages, but she believes in the power of love and celebrations. When she's hired to plan a high-profile celebrity wedding, she finds out that the florist contracted for the event is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Elliot Bloom. Cue the fireworks!

The chemistry between Ama and Elliot is undeniable, and it's clear to everyone except themselves that they still have feelings for each other. Throw in two meddling brides, a reality TV crew, and a horrible ex-boss, and you've got a recipe for chaos and hilarity. The story is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, heartwarming scenes, and a healthy dose of steamy romance.

I absolutely adored Ama. She's a ray of sunshine, even when things get tough, and her commitment issues are relatable and endearing. Elliot, on the other hand, is a grumpy florist with a guarded heart, but you can't help but fall for his charm. Their complicated history adds extra tension and excitement to the story, and I couldn't wait to uncover their past.

While there were moments that frustrated me, like the insufferable influencer bride and the lack of information about Ama and Elliot's past, these elements only added to the overall intrigue and kept me hanging on every word.

Julie Soto's writing style is superb. The story is brilliantly structured with time stamps and alternating between past and present, creating a whirlwind effect that perfectly complements the rollercoaster of emotions Ama and Elliot experience. The dual POVs allowed me to understand both characters deeply and root for their happily ever after.

The spice in this book is off the charts! Soto masterfully balanced the sizzling romance with a tantalizing slow burn, making every interaction between Ama and Elliot electrifying. And let's not forget the flower tattoos that add a touch of sexiness to the mix.

Teddy Hamilton is one of my favorite narrators, so I was excited to go back and forth between the book and the audio version. I think he captured Elliot’s grumpy personality perfectly.

Overall, Forget Me Not is a sensational read that will warm your heart, make you laugh, and leave you with a big smile on your face. Julie Soto has created a delightful romantic comedy that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone in need of a feel-good book.

Thank you so much to Forever for my physical copy and to libro.fm for my free audiobook!

There's no greater feeling then when one of your highly anticipated books for the year is as good as you were hoping it to be.

There was something I really enjoyed about this book. It was very easy to read and I felt attached to the characters right away.
We following Ama, a wedding planner who lands the wedding of her dreams to plan and design. The only problem is, the florist is the one company she no longer works with. Ama has loved weddings since she was a kid, seeing as her mom has gotten married a whopping 16 times. While she loves to plan weddings for everyone else, she knew her future never included one.

The story follows and Now and Then format with alternating POVs of Ama's in the present and Elliot's in the past. I'm not going to lie, I almost enjoyed Elliot's POV even more so than I did Ama's. I loved seeing them come together and how all the "Ins" in Ama's POV were formed. I'm also just a sucker for a tattooed bad boy who is down bad for his girl, I'm easy that way. Ama's POVs were a little tougher for me to read, because I wanted almost more interaction between her and Elliot. I understand that everything between them was very stilted, but it made it hard to see them come back to one another when I felt like I didn't get to see that in her POVs? Like talking outside of the work scenes.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. It was a light read that I absolutely devoured in one day. I cannot wait to see what Julie puts out next.

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ok, first off, I just have to say that I LOVE the setting. I don’t live IN Sacramento, but I live close enough to know the area very well. It was really fun to have a connection with the locations mentioned in the book!

Throughout, I love the witty conversations, and found myself grinning like a loon and laughing on many occasions. But there were also plenty of times I held back tears. I loved the FMC’s strong and independent personality…that is, UNTIL is prevented her from getting her happy ending. (But it’s ok, because it happened in the middle, so we know it WASN’T an ending!)

I truly loved this book! It is a perfect example of two broken people, who have worked hard at navigating life as it has been dealt them, figuring out how to live fully!

It isn’t often that I finish a book and think, “There’s absolutely nothing I would change about this story!” But that’s exactly how I felt at the end of this book.

Another thing to note, is that the story features side characters of a same-sex couple. The representation is well done!!

Julie Soto’s Forget Me Not has elegant, readable prose, emotional heft, and sizzling moments of steam. I read it straight through and I’ve been thinking about it ever since I put it down. This felt like the first book of a lifelong reader relationship. Marry me, Julie Soto Literary Universe!

This is a second chance/grumpy-sunshine/ he falls first romance.
Elliot and Ama have been broken up for a couple years by the time this book takes place. Hes a florist and shes a wedding planner. They have both been hired by a highly successful makeup influencer for the *wedding of the year* Both main characters were quite likeable and i love a wedding storyline.
Elliots POV was mostly from the past, while Amas was from the present. It helped build the story to get to where we are today. Elliot is the silent strong broody MC. Ama is a commitment-phobe looking for a good time. (to be fair her mom has been married many MANY times)
I loved the angst, the spicy parts were *chefs kiss* It was just a good, witty, funny, enjoyable book. I requested this book after Ali Hazelwood raved about it all over social media, and read it in one day on the beach.
I cant believe this is a debut book. I will be looking forward to reading all of Julie Sotos books from now on. Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC