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.

I picked it up for the cute cover, and I was not disappointed. It is weird to say I enjoyed the pacing? Because I did. I felt like it flowed so well that I was shook when the book was over. It was super cute as well! I liked that the story was able to fully immerse me. I love love loved the FMC.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for the year and it did not disappoint!

Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. After watching her mother get married one to many times, she comes to the conclusion that marriage isn’t something she’s interested in. Enter Elliot, the grumpy florist that she has to work with for an upcoming wedding and also the heart she broke a few years back.

I loved these characters so much. And the second chance romance was fabulous. I’m always a sucker books that are based around wedding planning and I think the setting was perfect for this story. I wasn’t expecting it to be as spicy as it was but I’m not complaining! I do wish we could’ve seen a little more of their relationship in present tense.

If you love a good second chance romance with a grumpy man and lots of tattoos then I highly recommend picking this one up on July 11th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the e-arc!

Ooo-weeee I needed a sultry, smutty read with a lot of heart and this fit the bill COMPLETELY.

The dynamic between Ama and Elliot was pure fire, the kind that blazes everything in its path. They used to be a thing, like THE thing, but she broke his heart. Now, years later, the two have to work together and the tension is palpable.

Ama is an up and coming wedding planner, but Elliot met her when she was just an assistant to another wedding planner. He is a florist, strangely enough, covered in tattoos and grumpy as hell. Ama NEEDS this wedding to go perfectly so she can make a solo name for herself in the business, but working with Elliot after their history is making her head spin.

Her two brides, a fantastic couple, see the tension between them and want to push them together, but like her old boss used to warn her, Ama is determined not to get too close to these incredible women. Not only does Ama have to deal with the pain of reuniting with Elliot, she is dealing with the roadblocks that her old boss may or may not be throwing in her path. Add in a camera crew following the wedding and a whole list of things that could go wrong… recipe for disaster or the possibility of something more?

This entire book made me swoon. The back and forth between Elliot and Ama was delectable. We get two pov, Ama now and Elliot in the past, which was a really fun way of getting the whole story. I adored these characters so much and really hope that some of the secondary characters get more in the future.

I was initially drawn to this book by its stunning cover, and I'm delighted to say that the story inside is equally captivating. Although I usually have trouble with flashbacks and timeline jumps, this book kept me engaged throughout. The alternating perspectives between Elliott and Ama, along with their past moments, enriched the narrative beautifully. If you enjoy tropes like grumpy sunshine, I highly recommend this great read. It's a gem that deserves a spot on your TBR pile! 3.5/5 but rounding up to 4!

This was a really fun and unique second change romance! I truly enjoyed this debut by Julie Soto. I thought it was so unique how she had the present chapters in Ama's view and all the past chapters were in Elliot's viewpoint until the very end.

Read this for:
- Second chance
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Dual timelines in past and present
- Celebrity wedding planning
- Lots of stepsiblings
- Lots of donuts
- He is GONE for her

Ama Torres has got her big break to plan a celebrity wedding in her town of Sacramento. The only problem is that she has to work with her ex-boyfriend Elliot who will be the florist for the wedding. Coming from the past Ama has, she does not do relationships because she cannot trust love.

Elliot is the ultimate grump but underneath his brooding exterior he is such a cinnamon roll. He is so gone for Ama from the beginning and it's adorable to witness his inner thoughts because as tall and big and broody as he is, he is not self confident or assured.

The two are forced back together after having a relationship with one another that didn't end on good terms. You get to peel back the layers of their past relationship while learning about how they are interacting in the present. It seamlessly worked for the story and felt easy to follow.

This read was fun, engaging, and had some great spice included. I also was laughing out loud during several moments of this book. I really loved the ending. I thought it was super cute!

Thank to Forever and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book took me by surprise. I did not expect to be so obsessed with this book. The structure of the story is incredibly intentional, making the reading experience immersive and impactful. Ama’s story arc is relatable and touching, her struggles with long term commitment, aspirations for success, and attempts to step out from the shadow of an abusive mentor were things that made me root for her and feel for her deeply with every chapter. Elliot’s story arc had a chokehold on me like no other. I am officially obsessed with that man. This book is perfection and I cannot wait for more from Julie Soto.

I appreciate for getting this ARC in advanced.

Unfortunately this was a book I had to DNF because I had no interest into reading so much about wedding planning. The small tidbits of the relationship I did read read great, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough reason for me to continue with the book.

5 stars. I REALLY liked Forget Me Not, and I’m absolutely stunned that this is a debut. Second chance romance is normally hit or miss for me, and I also typically don’t like when a book features multiple timelines. But I loved the romance and loved the flashback scenes. I really liked both Ama and Elliott as characters and was firmly rooting for their HEA. I also really liked the secondary characters and am hoping that maybe some of them get their own books. This was def a steamy read (which isn’t necessary for me but I do prefer), so don’t go into this thinking it’s closed door. It’s not. I also loved the “wedding planning” backdrop of this one. It was a fun setting. I thought the writing was funny but also emotional at points. And all in all, I really enjoyed this. And I can’t wait to see what comes next from Soto!

Thank you so much to Soto, Forever Romance, and Netgalley for the advance copy. This is my honest review.

I absolutely love the chaotic wedding planning setting for romances/rom-coms. It's an avenue for hilarity, drama and all the feels and 'Forget Me Not' by Julie Soto definitely factors all that in and more. A great debut!

'Forget Me Not' is a second chance romance between Ama, a wedding planner that doesn't believe in marriage and florist Elliot. Ama and Elliott first meet while they're planning a wedding and they get together not too long after. When Elliott wants to take their relationship further and put a label on it, Ama decides to put a pin in it and breaks up with Elliott. They reunite when Ama is hired to plan a huge influencer wedding and the soon-to-be married couple want Elliott in charge of flowers. So Ama and Elliott are now forced together to make this wedding go off without a hitch and try to keep things easy between them. Problem is that they both still miss each other.

Ama and Eliott are so lovely together. I loved the easy attraction between them, the friendship, and the banter. Elliott is so head-over-heels and goofy when he was initially crushing on Ama. She teases him mercilessly and brings him out of his shell. She helps him have bigger dreams for himself and he helps her gain confidence in her skills. They like each other so much and they're so supportive of one another. Even post-breakup, Elliott ALWAYS has Ama's back. What I"m really saying is that Eliott is now on my list of book boyfriends.

I absolutely loved Ama's development throughout the story. Being a small business owner is difficult. Being a small business owner planning a massive influencer wedding while dealing with your ex (who is the love of your life) and unexpected crises every 2-3 business days is a lot. By the end of the story, my girl Ama was taking charge, putting people in their place and leaning on her friends and family for support. It made me happy to see that develop naturally throughout the book.

I thought some of the smut scenes felt a little OOC sometimes, but it doesn't necessarily take away from the story or the main characters' connection overall. I think their romantic confession and make-up felt a little bit rushed. I wish the author spent a little bit more time showing the pair go on a date to reconnect. The epilogue did make up for it though!

This was such a fast and steamy read! Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. I will say that I didn't expect this to be as steamy as it was!

Overall, a great read and I really loved the characters!

I had gotten away from reading romance because I felt like they were all starting blend together. However this was a surprising treat and I really, really enjoyed it. The premise was different, I enjoyed the characters, and I discovered that I love second chance romance! Will be recommending to my romance and new adult readers.

An utter delight, this romance will have you swoon from all the best tropes: grumpy + sunshine, he falls first, workplace dating, all the spice, wedding disasters, to second chances.

I love how we see the blossoming relationship between ambitious wedding planner Ama Torres and florist, Elliot Bloom, whose heart Ama breaks two years prior. Fast forward to the present, where both Ama and Elliot are contracted for the same wedding (gasp). As we continue to move from two years ago to the present, we walk this tight rope with these two characters, wondering if their relationship is salvageable for a second chance.

If you want to be smiling from ear to ear with the warm fuzzies, be sure to grab a copy of this irresistible story.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

I had to DNF this book at 56%. I didn’t really like the main character Ama. But the kicker was the back and forth of the story. I really wish it had been a “3 Years earlier” type of situation because at the beginning, I was confused about the relationship between Ama and Elliot. The back and forth between timelines just didn’t work for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for providing an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

When optimistic wedding planner Ama Torres is paired with her broody florist ex, Elliot, on the wedding of the year, they realize that weddings (and love) don’t always go exactly as planned.

Forget Me Not was a fun, interesting read. The Reylo/fanfiction bones were still definitely there, so fans of that pairing + fan-fiction in general might find some of their favorite set-ups here– Ama is sunshine-y and slightly chaotic (and slightly annoying?); Elliot is broody and reserved and head-over-heels for Ama. The story is told in two timelines: their initial relationship/eventual fallout and their reunion two years later. I wouldn’t say there is a ton of relationship growth in the current timeline; instead, readers see them rediscovering their lost love, owning why they reacted the way they did to their initial conflict, and recommitting after time apart. I found myself totally sucked in to Forget Me Not and am really looking forward to future books from Soto. I think our patrons who enjoy contemporary romance will really like this one, and I think it will make a good fit for our collection. 4 stars