This novel should be the new standard for second-chance romance books: the backstory, the tension, the yearning, the inside side jokes, the heartbreak and the personal growth. In their relationship Ama is the one to initiate things between them which was really refreshing, getting to be in Elliot's head and seeing how he feels (overjoyed, overwhelmed, all the feels), was so refreshing compared to most romance novels which feature a male whose the initiator and the more confident one.
Dual POV, Dual Timeline, second chance romance, Julie Soto delivers a novel full of chaos and the glowing warmth that comes from being seen for the person you truly are.

Forget Me Not was such a pleasant surprise! It's a second chance romance between a wedding planner and a florist. I honestly wasn't sure I'd like this one because there were some minor hiccups in the beginning that annoyed me. But the delicious romantic tension and chemistry made up for these minor flaws.

This is everything that I love in a second chance romance. The chemistry, the tension, and the angst gave me so much life 🤌🏽 Elliot's flashback POV is EVERYTHING. I loved being inside his head and seeing how he fell for Ama. He pined for her so much and he was so reluctant and grumpy about it. It made me laugh and swoon at the same time 😂 I love it when the sunshine character brings out a different side to the grumpy character 😂 I lowkey wish the entire book was told from his POV, but I love that the present was told from Ama's POV because it really highlighted the awkwardness after the break up. Especially since she's the one who broke his heart.

I personally didn't care much about the wedding planning stuff. It all went over my head. But I did love the beautiful discourse on flowers. What I like the most about this book is that the author really capitalized on the themes and tropes of her story. She didn't let anything go to waste. There was ample discussion on the significance of Elliot's tattoos, to the point where they almost felt alive. I also love that flowers were the focus of many scenes, including intimate ones. All of these things elevated the romantic tension, angst, and intimacy between Elliot and Ama. The only thing missing from the romance is an open discussion on compromise.

I highly recommend this one on audio. The narrators were perfect. I can't wait for more books from this author!

This book is a second-chance romance between a wedding planner and a florist and Soto did a great job telling Ama and Elliot's story through alternating past and present chapters. Having worked countless hotel weddings, I'm always hesitant to try a wedding-themed book, but this was absolutely delicious. There were flowers and career goals and awkward moments, plus angst and wistful longing. Ama's a bit of a people-pleasing mess and I loved her. Elliot's a grump... or is he? The fanfic behind this is subtle if you're not looking for it, but it's a delight either way.
There's also a sapphic relationship front and center as Ama guides her first celeb couple through their wedding process. I will definitely be reading whatever Soto puts out next!

I listened to this book early on audio thanks to Hachette Audio. Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton nailed it, as usual. Excellent pairing of voices to character temperament and a smooth transition between POVs.

For extra fun, check out the lingerie set I made and paired with this book on Instagram.


***

Content Warnings: emotional abuse/manipulation from past boss, past death of parent, MC's mom has been married so many times it's caused MC damage

There's nothing like starting a book and finishing it less than 24 hours later. And that's exactly what happened with me and FORGET ME NOT. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I couldn't leave Ama and Elliot until I knew everything. Now - with that said - this book is more about the characters than the plot. Honestly, not a whole lot happens, but with jumping from the past to the present you're able to see all of the character development and how each character has changed in the five years covered in the novel.

Things I liked:
The male MC is a florist. And that is one of the hottest professions in romance novels to me (probably only beaten out by baker). And not only is he a florist - but he got into the business reluctantly and made it his own.
It's dual POV - as all good romance novels should be.
I am obsessed with all of the different flowers mentioned that I've never even heard of.
The tattoos.

Things I didn't like:
I wish we'd seen both perspectives in the past and the present. I would have loved seeing more from Ama and Elliot.
That's it.

Honestly, just do yourself a favor and read this book. It's spicy, it's funny, it's romantic, it's about two people coming together. You're gonna love it.

Read if you like:
The Wedding Planner
27 Dresses
Second Chance Romance
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Also, I just finished reading/listening to Forget Me Not by @juliesotowrites and it was such an amazing second chance romance between a commitment phobic wedding planner and a grumpy florist!💍💐

Ama Torres is a wedding planner who has just gotten a chance to work on the wedding of a famous influencer and this would definitely boost her career. But, the problem is that she'll have to work with her ex - Elliott, who has been chosen by the brides as the florist. Talk about tension 👀

The story is told in dual povs with Ama's chapters in the present and Elliott's in the past. And I think this worked out very well because it made me curious to know more about what happened between them and Elliott's pov shows us how hard he fell for Ama. At first he's so grumpy and rude(sometimes grumpier than an MZ hero lol) and I was like, well how does Ama like him? But he's such a softie actually! He does so many things for Ama and he always has her back(even when he's heartbroken)🥺

Ama's mom has been married more than a dozen times so it shouldn't be a surprise that though she loves planning weddings, she doesn't believe in a lasting love for herself. Meeting Elliott does change things for her, but I guess she needed more time? The latest wedding brings them back together and has her facing her fears again. The chemistry between them was off the charts!🔥 And I actually love how dedicated both Ama and Elliott were when it came to their work!
I liked the brides - Jackie and Hazel too but I feel like they never addressed how Hazel was letting her influencer stuff take over this wedding or how Jackie felt about that?
Anyway, I loved the writing and the romance in this one(can't believe it's a debut novel!) and the audiobook was equally fantastic with both of my favorite narrators - Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton!
This one comes out on 7/11 so make sure to check it out if you're in the mood for a fun and emotional second chance romance!❣️✨

Read if like enemies to lovers who have a history - slow but - flashback. Grumpy Sunshine

Now listen, typically I don’t like flashbacks in books. You get Ama and Elliot’s backstory, while getting present day. So it’slow burn, but also spicy?! The spice is great (the flower pedal scene … so good). “I want to love what you love. Even if it’s extinct.” Swoon. Ada and Elliot are the perfect opposites for each other. I loved what we end up finding out about Elliot’s tattoos , and i personally loved the story behind Ada’s career and personal life decisions. Overall, it was cute read I really enjoyed.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

5 🌟 I loved this book. I found this debut novel well written, well paced, and it kept me reading and engaged.

Ama and Elliot have a second chance at a great love. Ama a wedding planner, who's watched her mom get married and divorced 16 times, loves what she does but doesn't believe in marriage and relationships. Elliot a brooding, grumpy florist who took over the shop when his dad passed, is bringing his architect ideas to the design, and wants to marry the girl.

They are thrust back together after almost 3 years when Ama is hired to do a high profile influencer wedding that already had Elliot contracted for the floral. Will they get a second chance at love?

I liked the format of this novel. We get present day in Ama's view point and Elliot's view in the past telling the tale of what happened between them. At the end I was left hoping and wanting more of this cast of characters. There was so much more to them that could be explored and stories to tell. Like can we get to the bottom of Ama's mother's love life?! I mean, girl, stop marrying literally every man who shows you affection.

Can't wait to see what more comes from this author!

● Book Review●
• Name: Forget Me Not
• Author: Julie Soto
• Genre: Romance
• Rating: 3.75 ⭐️
• Release Date: 6/11/23
.
.
.
●Thoughts ●
This book is bingeworthy and one of my most anticipated romance for June! Imagine meeting your ex at a job and it's to work on a celebrity's wedding 🫣. Literally this book was such a fun read here he's the grumpy florist and shes the wedding planner! This book has a dual POV and this book did not actually hook me right away but as we got more deep into chemistry between Elliot and Ama, I was like okay I am enjoying this! I wish this book did have character depth but it did lack in that sense 😭😭😭. But overall, it was a fast paced and a spicy read!!!
.
.
.
● Tags ●
#bookreview #forgetmenot
#romancebooks #romancerecommendations #juliesoto #bookish #bookstagram #booktok #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #books #foreverpub #netgalley #grandcentralpublishing

I don’t know why it took me forever to pick this book up, but I couldn’t put it down once I did. This was a fun and beautiful second-chance romance.

Ama is a wedding planner, and Elliot is the local florist. It kinda reminded me of “The Last Five Years” a little with how the story is told. Ama tells the story from the present, while Elliot tells it from the past… so there are dual perspectives.

Their chemistry was amazing, as it should be, given they had a previous relationship. I loved the tension between the two, but there were times when I just really wanted to shake Ama. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand why she felt the way she did, but ugh… it was heartbreaking. On the other hand, I loved Elliot from the beginning. I’m a sucker for grumpy.

I enjoyed Soto’s writing style, although I will say it took maybe a chapter or two to get used to it. But what made it brilliant was she used Elliot’s perspective to give you some context and backstory to their relationship. That was pure genius to me.

This was genuinely just a feel-good, good time. I think it would make an excellent film, and I would love to hear this as an audiobook!

If you like lots of sex and dirty talk, this book is for you. If your looking for a romance where the characters actually get to know each other beyond physical attraction and they connect in meaningful, enduring ways while also improving and growing from their life experiences, then I’d recommend you look elsewhere. .
I found I didn’t connect with a single character in Forget Me Not. However, Ama and Elliot were my least favourite, and they were the most important. Ama was self absorbed, pushy, and insecure throughout the whole book. I kept wondering when she’d realize she wasn’t mentally healthy and seek professional help. Sadly, that realization never came. Any “growth” in her character came so fast and unexpectedly that it was unbelievable. Elliot was the stereotypical, brooding “hero”. He never talked, took all the selfish stuff Ama dished out, and allowed her to manipulate him. It felt like any connection between Ama and Elliot was purely surface and physical.
On a positive note, the wedding planning and the peek into the language of flowers were interesting to learn about.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#ForgetMeNot #NetGalley

A story of second chance romance, forced proximity. And flowers. What could go wrong? With this one a try, it is romantic.

FORGET ME NOT captured me from the very first pages! A perfectly-paced second-chance romance that kept me enthralled the entire time. The chemistry between the characters crackled off the pages!

✨ARC review ✨

Forget me not by Julie Soto 💐
out July 11th

Easily one of my favorite books I’ve read this year! 🥹

Wedding Planner Ama has to work a wedding with her Ex who is the florist. How bad can it be?!

This story has it all - second change romance, Grumpy/sunshine, and he falls first! 😍

The dual timelines and POV will keep you cheesing one minute & the next wanting to smack a few characters 🙈

You will not be disappointed! I hope to see more from these two in the future. I loved these characters!

Thank you readforever pub & NetGalley for allowing me to read an e-copy of this ARC! I can’t wait to read more from this author. 🫶🏼

Julie Soto's debut novel, "Forget Me Not," proved to be an enjoyable read! I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was her first book. If you're searching for a captivating story about second chances in romance, this one is a perfect choice. The characters Ama and Elliot are both delightful, and I particularly appreciated the alternating perspectives in each chapter. I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars!

Overall a 2.75 star read. Each chapter is from the main characters point of view and goes back and forth between past and what's happening now which I'm not a fan off. Overall an okay read. She's a wedding planner but doesn't believe in weddings. He wanted to marry her...


***************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*************************

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Libro.FM for the early audio copy. Smart, sexy, and (dare I say?) Reylo-coded, this wedding planner contemporary romance juggles questions of self-worth and workaholism while also balancing a dual-timeline/dual-narrator structure. Spicier than my usual fare (5-6 moderately explicit scenes), but clearly I enjoyed it regardless!

This second chance romance really tugged at my heartstrings. The dual POVs in which Ama's POV is in the present and Elliot's in the past really built the story SO well. We see Ama's heart on her sleeve as she has to interact with Elliot again after their break up years ago and through Elliot's POV, we see his insecurity and love for Ama in their budding romance. Elliot stole my heart - he's gruff and grumpy but the way he falls for Ama killed me.

I also loved seeing Ama's passion for wedding planning - being in her shoes as she would get inspiration made me understand the way Ama's mind works. Her and Elliot also worked so well together professionally (and as a couple!!!). I only wish there were even more Ama and Elliot moments in the present! Otherwise, it was a charming read!

Thank you Read Forever Publishing for the advance copy.

I absolutely love romances and rom-coms but every once in a while, one completely misses for me. Unfortunately, Forget Me Not is a miss.

I kept hoping it would get better especially with all the hype all over social media. At 62%, I can no longer endure the torture that is Ama (she’s pushy in flashbacks and yet, insecure in the current) and have chosen to not finished.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Forget Me Not by Julie Soto!!

This was a lovely debut novel. The banter and angst was phenomenal. Ama and Elliot had amazing chemistry. And it was a great quick read. There's a few things that stopped this from getting 5 stars though. It was very detail heavy with the wedding planning. I'm not a huge wedding person. So to me, it seemed a bit overkill. I really needed more interactions with Ama and Elliot. We mainly got scenes between them through flashbacks. The main conflict between the two was also a little frustrating. It could have easily been solved with a few therapy sessions. ( I realize that is the same with 99.9% of romance books, but still)

Despite the quick ending, I still highly recommend this book. I'm for sure keeping an eye out for any future Julie Soto books.

Love reading this so much! Ama and Elliot had great chemistry and the added stress of working together on a major event was a great way to build the tension. I found myself rooting for everyone in this book except Whitney. A wonderful read with just the right amount of angst and stress.