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

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Debut novel from one of my favorite fanfiction authors (known as LovesBitca8 on AO3). This one is a second-chance romance between Ama, a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in commitment, and Elliot, a florist who took over his father’s shop. The present-day chapters are told from Ama’s perspective, with past timeline chapters told from Elliot’s. In the present timeline, Ama has booked a high profile wedding that could elevate her career but has to work with Elliot on the florals, even though they haven’t spoken in about two years. In the past timeline, we get to see how they meet and get together, and it’s absolutely delightful reading Elliot’s self-deprecating awkwardness and internal monologue. In both timelines, we get to see Elliot’s gruff, but caring nature, and that he’s a total sap. (Think Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls, but younger and hotter, but still wearing plaid). This book had all the best emotionally written lines and you can feel Ama’s angst in the present day even if you don’t quite understand where it all went wrong. Amazing book and I’m super excited for more people to read it.

When I first read the premise for this book, it immediately intrigued me. The story and the tropes reeled me in. I literally read this in one sitting because I was so invested in Ama and Elliot, individually and as a couple.

I love when romances secretly tell a coming-of-age story. It was so satisfying seeing Ama become more confident in herself. I really enjoyed her journey and her character.

Elliot bloom. I swear I fall in love with every fictional man I read. Well, maybe not every single one. I loved his character. You get to see his grumpy exterior fade away when he lets Ama in and it’s the most beautiful thing.

I love that this was dual POV and that we got see both of the main characters' perspectives. It gives the story purpose and meaning. Ama and Elliot have great chemistry. There was angst and tension. Julie Soto delivers great spicy scenes in this. I do wish we got to see more of their emotional connection or just the emotional side of their relationship.

This isn’t just grumpy x sunshine but it’s also a second chance romance. I thought the alternating timelines was well done and I didn’t get confused at all.

I enjoyed the wedding planner and florist part of the story. It was interesting to learn about the industry and it made for a great setting in this book.

I do think that the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the book was slow in terms of pacing but the story definitely picks up as you keep reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fun read and I liked both main characters a lot. The wedding themes were so enjoyable and I thought the book was well-written! I liked the now and then feel as well.

Knocking off one star only because some aspects were a little cheesy.

I had to stop reading this book at 54%. The main characters have only interacted at most 3 times, and have said enough to each other to fill up maybe a full page. There is no possible way that enough work to be put in for a good second chance romance.

I don’t care about these characters enough to keep going with this one.

Yessssss. This book was everything I wanted. I really thought it was going to be super lame and cheesy (not a big fan of wedding centered romance books) but was so surprised! There was some real depth here and moments I genuinely got into my feels. It's weird but I could really envision everything described and the character arcs were believable.

Side note I love how much the author pays homage to her fanfiction start in the acknowledgements.

If you want a book like the 2001 Jennifer Lopez film, The Wedding Planner, with a bit of a twist, this book is for you! Ama Torres gives the EXACT wedding planner vibes as JLo in this movie, and as someone who loves The Wedding Planner, of course I loved this book!!! Also, Whitney gives me Jane Fonda from Monster-in-Law and that's all I have to say...

This second chance romance, with a dual timeline AND dual POV, tells a really deep yet fun and light story of a wedding planner (who never wants to be married) as she gets the wedding opportunity of a lifetime BUT she has to work with a florist...who is her ex...

I loved the format of this book! I usually don't comment about formats and the way things are written but I LOVE the anticipation created for the reader because of the fact that all throughout the book, Elliot's POV is flashbacks! We, as readers, cannot get a read on how Elliot is feeling about Ama in the moment AND we're also trying to piece together where everything went wrong! I also loved that while there is a happy ending, it is kind of open ended so we can imagine what we think will happen with Elliot and Ama!!!

"Forget Me Not" is a debut novel that gives readers a second chance romance storyline. Ama and Elliot spent months together, not labeling their time together, enjoying the moment. That is until Elliot pushes Ama for more, bringing their budding relationship crashing down. When the duo is tasked to work together to plan a wedding, they are forced to face their past.

I really enjoyed Elliot's chapters and POV but struggled with Ama. I found her to be robotic and a bit cold. Her lack of interest in love and HEA dates back to her mother's inability to commit, but I feel like she uses that as a crutch and as a reader, it gets old. I don't always need a leading lady with hearts in her eyes but a little softer character works better for me.

Is there anything that gives us more of that sweet, angsty tension than being extremely hung up on your ex, the one that got away, only to be thrown back together for work? Just in time for wedding season comes Julie Soto’s Forget Me Not, a second-chance romance set in the world of Sacramento wedding planning.

Ama Torres is the best wedding planner in the business - whether or not she’s willing to admit it. She gets close to her clients and uses her people reading skills to gauge out the perfect wedding day. Her skills are so well-regarded, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is asked to plan the wedding of a celebrity influencer and her politically-connected fiancée. The publicity surrounding the big day is exactly what Ama needs for her budding boutique business, and will give her the opportunity to expand. But because her clients want the best of the best, that means working with local florist/craftsman Elliot Bloom.

Who also happens to be Ama’s ex. And things did not end well.

The story is told from Ama and Elliot’s points of view, with Ama narrating the lead-up to the big wedding, and Elliot’s perspective occupying the flashbacks that show their first meeting, blossoming romance, and eventual heartbreak. This device works so, so well at keeping the tension running throughout, with the reader never quite sure what both of them are thinking in the moment, immersing us in the mystery of having someone and losing them without ever knowing why, or coming face to face with someone you still love, usure if they still love you.

There’s something deeply compelling in the way Soto writes the two of them reflecting on and yearning for the other. There’s an all-too-visceral heartache there that remains as a persistent thread throughout, manifesting in the little ways they show that they still care for one another as they each go through their own respective professional crises.

With a setting that feels so grounded and real, and characters whose inner conflicts and relationships have a healthy dose of authenticity to them, Soto skirts dynamics that might have otherwise felt played out. Ama is upbeat, but never naive. Elliot is broody but not rude. There’s a natural kindness to them both that will have you rooting for them to make it work.

Forget Me Not hits shelves July 11. Special thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the advance copy for review purposes.

I dove into this book one night, not expecting it to grab ahold of me like it did. I could not stop reading! I stayed up til 3 am and then spent the next day finishing the book. NO regrets!!

“Forget Me Not” is the cutest and funniest light hearted romcom that I’ve read in a while. Elliot and Ama had so many touching moments that pulled at my heartstrings and also made me laugh. I loved that I could imagine every moment very vividly in my mind. I preordered a physical copy for my bookshelf because I will be reading this one again!

5 stars!! Highly recommend if you enjoy the contemporary romance/romcom genre and any of the following:
🌸 Second chance romance
🌸Grumpy/sunshine characters
🌸Well written/placed spice
🌸Time jump storytelling
🌸Dual POV

Thank you so much to @netgalley @readforeverpub & @juliesotowrites for the opportunity to read and review an ebook copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun read! I know Julie Soto is a popular fanfic author, but I hadn’t read anything by her before this. Safe to say I plan to keep an eye out for more of her work.

Ama is a wedding planner who has just landed a celebrity wedding that could, if it goes well, launch her small business into the big leagues. But this exciting opportunity is dampened by the fact that her clients have chosen her ex to be their florist. Now Ama and Elliot have to work together on one of the biggest projects of their careers while pretending that things didn’t completely and devastatingly blow up between them a few years ago, and all with a television crew, Ama’s old boss, too many ex-siblings to count, and the ghosts of their pasts running circles around them.

The wedding provided such an interesting sandbox for the story to play in. It’s really fun when a romance story utilizes its parameters well (Soto had to come up with reasons for the florist to be involved in so many aspects of the wedding, and the whole venue situation was convincing for this) and this one did just that, though some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding planning was a bit exaggerated.

This book featured lots of tropes (grumpy/sunshine, dual POV, past & present timelines, second chance romance) but still felt grounded and didn’t rely heavily on tropes to do the heavy lifting a plot should.

Though it is dual POV, the present timeline was narrated entirely by Ama and the past by Elliot, and I think it would have been interesting to see both timelines from both characters’ POVs, so we could see each of their growth. This isn’t necessarily a weakness of the book, but just something I would be interested in. As is, having one character narrate each timeline created a nice contrast between them.

I found the backstories & motivations of each character solid, but found some of their personality descriptions a bit one-note. Elliot was grumpy but open to love and Ama was sunshine but a commitment-phobe and that’s all there is to say there really.

Speaking of Ama’s commitment issues: it felt a little hard to believe that she was perfectly happy being in a relationship as long as they didn’t officially label it a relationship. It would have been more believable if she had been resistant to any progressions that implied they were doing more than just hooking up but gradually warmed to them, rather than everything being fine until Elliot did The Thing that implied labels and she freaked out.

Overall enjoyed!

This book and I didn't hit it off like I had hoped. The premise seemed like a light and cute read, but something about it just seemed disjointed. The characters were difficult to fall in love with and the storyline had a choppy feel to it for me. I wanted to like this book and with the wedding planning and all it looked up my alley, but it just wasn't for me. Hoping others find it enjoyable, but this one fell flat.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Synopsis: Ama Torres adores her job as a wedding planner but isn't exactly sold on the whole marriage thing. After all, her mother has been married more than a dozen times. Nevertheless, Ama is determined to make her couples' big day a roaring success. So, when celebrity duo Hazel and Jackie approach her to plan their wedding, she's both ecstatic and nervous. Little does she know, they've already enlisted Elliot Bloom as their florist – the very guy whose heart she broke. Now, it's not just their careers on the line but their tangled emotions too. And if that isn’t complicated enough, the two brides are playing matchmaker for Ama and Elliot, completely unaware of their shared history.

Read if you like
- second chance romance
- grumpy/sunshine
- workplace romance (she’s a wedding planner and he’s a florist)
- past/present timelines

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this second chance romance and thought it was a perfect summer read, especially as wedding season is starting! In this book not only do you get a great romance, but you get a glimpse into the wedding world, which is such a fun and different setting for a workplace romance. I also love how this was set in Sacramento and how the story transports you there. I also loved imagining the wedding, as well as all the florals Elliot was putting together.

Forget Me Not has dual POV, with most of the past chapters being in Elliot’s POV and most of the present being in Ama’s POV. There are amazing side characters, especially the two brides Jackie and Hazel. I loved them both and their relationship. This was also spicier than I anticipated which was a nice surprise!

There are still so many feelings between Elliot and Ama, and it is so clear that Eliott loves with his whole heart. I loved seeing the way he loves Ama. I wish we got a bit more about how they’re feeling in the present beyond work conversations and the wedding they are working on. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and felt a little under developed, which is why this isn’t a five star read for me. I also would have loved to get a bit more of Elliot’s personality beyond his career and relationship with Ama.

That being said, I still very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it, especially for anyone who enjoys second chance romance! I think this is Julie Soto's debut novel, and I'm excited to read more from her!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Forever publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

When a wedding planner and florist who just happen to be exes are forced to plan a high profile wedding together... things are about to get complicated, especially because of the way their relationship ended... but could this be a second chance at romance? Ama Torres loves her job, she loves giving people the perfect wedding, despite the fact that she doesn’t believe in marriage herself. Elliot Bloom is a brooding florist who hates owning a flower shop, except he’s grown to love it.... and then his entire life is turned upside down when a very bright-eyed, dout-loving workaholic shows up at his door and steals his heart. Ama doesn’t do serious relationships, Elliot is firmly in the “forever” kind of relationship, yet what starts off as some light flirting soon turns into hook ups at weddings, to dates and working together and possibly something more..... yet the moment it does everything crashes, and now years later they have to face each other again and all the old complicated feelings come bubbling back, but can they make it work a second time? Will they want to give it a go again? This book was giving me gender switched “he’s just not that into you” Jennifer Aniston’s and Ben Affleck’s characters. Ama doesn’t want a serious relationship after seeing her mom go through 16 weddings and divorces, she so deeply believes that all relationships end and that if you get married it would end. Elliot wants nothing more than to be in a forever kind of relationship, he wants marriage, he wants a serious relationship despite his parents divorcing. They both have different perspectives on relationships, yet they both know there’s something between them and can’t help but fall for one another. Yet while being in a “relationship not relationship” and Elliot asks for more, Ama runs and now they are forced to see each other again and face the fall out of their relationship and where they stand and how they feel about each other now. While this was a good book and I did love seeing both their perspectives on their relationship, I just kind of wish there was more. We get to see Elliot’s pov from mostly the past about their relationship while Ama’s is all in the present. The book essentially ends with them finally getting back together but thats like exactly one chapter before the epilogue and I kind of wish there was more going on, more about how they’re handling being back together, more discussion on what exactly happened leading to their breakup and how they see their relationship going, and getting more moments of them actually still being in love with each other and such. It kind of just abruptly ends and I wish there was a bit more. Overall it was a cute second chance romance and I would definitely recommend it for people who enjoy that trope! I loved Elliot as a romantic lead and I enjoyed seeing how chaotic but adorable Ama was. I loved the flowers in this story and had fun with it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*