-dual POV (then/now flashbacks)
-second chance romance
-strong female lead
-wedding planner and tattooed florist
-surprisingly steamy

While I didn’t LOOOVE this, i found myself bored at time and thinking get to the point. But I still recommend to all the romance lovers out there.

Wow! I was not expecting to get pulled in to this story like I did.

Ama is a young wedding planner, striking it out on her own after working under one of the biggest and best in her area and helping her mom plan her numerous weddings.

Elliott is an architecture student turned florist after his father leaves his floral shop to him after his passing.

Elliott is the brooding, doesn't say much type. Ama is outgoing and always down for a sugar rush as long as it doesn't have peanuts involved.

Of course their crosses path and an immediate attraction is formed, but Ama doesn't do long term and this leads to an ultimate rift.

After years of avoiding each other, they come together for one of the biggest weddings of the year and the tension is high.

Great for fans of steamy contemporary romances.

4.5/5

I’ve been a fan of Julie’s Rights and Wrongs Fanfiction series as Lovesbitca8. I could not contain my joy when I found out she had a book coming out. A lot of people will be able to love and discover her writing. She has the perfect mix between complex loveable characters, fun plots, and some spice. Her writing is easy to read and never feel laborious. I hope for many other books to come. I can’t say one thing constructively except that I wanted more but I think it’s perfect as is. I can’t wait to hand sell this book and connect with customers. I don’t often get to staff pick books because they are obscure and we don’t have a lot but this one I can feel confident in doing so.

Okay wow. I saw this recommended for people who love Roy Kent and Elliot filled ever Roy filled hole in my heart. I loved this story deeply. I cried like a baby at the HEA and I am already preordering a copy to put right up on my favorites shelf. Nothing but love, read this asap.

"In mythology, Amaryllis fell in love with a - man who loved flowers..."

Ok, can we just have a moment for the cover real quick? Because that is exactly why I needed to read this book and now own it...since spoiler: I loved it!

I couldn't believe this was a debut novel! A second chance romance based in Sacramento between a sunshine wedding planner, Ama, and grumpy cinnamon roll florist, Elliot, who's all bark but no bite especially when it comes to Ama. Did you know that Amaryllyis means "to sparkle?" had to google that one and I would definitely agree with our heroine's personality. She truly a spunky go getter who was passionate about her job and obsessed with donuts. I would describe Elliot has a grumpy hero that definitely wears his heart on his sleeve that notices ALL THE details. The chemistry was palpable and the floral references had my heart SWOONING (esp towards the end iykyk!!!).

Read if you like:
• Dual POV
• Past and present timeline
• Second chance romance
• Grumpy (cinnamon roll) x sunshine
• He falls first & hard
• Spicy scenes (hey my girl takes the initiative and it's in HIS POV... which was so different and fun!)

I would have loved to seen more of Elliot in the present POV and a few chapters of them actually together. I wish there was a bit more of them towards the end together because I would have read another 50 pages of them... just being them. Overall, a sweet spicy second chance romance that will definitely be joining my shelves. I will definitely be reading more from you Julie!!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - publishes 7/11/2023!

“A wedding is not a marriage. Marriages will never be perfect. They’re always a work in progress. But weddings? Weddings are just a moment in time, striving to be perfect. Let me make you a perfect moment, Eloise.”

I really loved our two MC's: they were unique and so enjoyable to read about and because of them, this felt like a fresh spin on wedding romcoms for me. Plus the moment I picked this up I was hooked, the writing is so easily digestible and I found myself needing answers about things that happened! (This is me trying not to spoil anything)

I enjoyed the dual POV's a lot and the different timelines were a nice way to execute the second chance romance trope as well. I think the only thing I would have loved to see was Ama grow to move past things more in the book. There was a lot of focus on wedding details, but I think if there was more focus on Ama wanting to move past things instead of not believing the signs of a potential reconciliation between her and Elliot, that would have helped me feel even more for the couple. But overall I really had a fun time reading this and i'm eager to read whatever Julie Soto writes next.

So if you are looking for a wedding planner romance read with a different take then this is a fun book to pick up!

4/5 ⭐

My biggest mistake with this book was starting it at 10am at night. Because you *KNOW* I didn't sleep. So I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC, but I'd also like to hold them responsible for the bags under my eyes this week.

Holy wow I am in love with this book. GIVE ME MORE JULIE SOTO. An angsty florist with flower tattoos? A boss babe wedding planner with a big heart? I absolutely devoured this book, and I know it's one I'll re-read many times to come.

Buy the book. Do it. Thank me later. Also do not blame me when you get the urge to get a flower tattoo ASAP.

“You may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had ‘everything’ with me.”

Elliot Bloom is the grumpy yet secret retriever I never knew I needed. He must be protected at all costs, especially against family heirloom bathtubs.

“I have five rules for planning a successful wedding. (Lies. I’m sure there are more, but if I said, “I have seventy-six rules—sit back,” I think I would have lost you.)”

It’s been a while since a book had me in a chokehold, so much so that I stayed up wayyyyyyy too late reading. I simply couldn’t put this down. I was so invested in Hazel & Jackie’s wedding, I had to know WHAT Ama did to walk away from Elliott and I NEEDED more of Elliot’s POV chapters that show us just how far gone he was for Ama.

“A wedding is not a marriage. Marriages will never be perfect. They’re always a work in progress. But weddings? Weddings are just a moment in time, striving to be perfect.”

I loved the push and pull here of the tension filled present with the steamy and lust filled past. What I often dislike about second chapter romances is that we often don’t get enough of the first go around to feel invested in rekindling the past vs treating it as a new relationship. With Forget Me Not, that wasn’t the case. I could not only see how Elliott fell for Ama and lost himself in their passion, but also see how Ama began to embed herself into his life, into a joint life, without even realizing it. It was organic and sweet, even as it blatantly contradicted her purported stance on relationships.

The steam was a pleasant surprise and I thought was used well to advance the intimacy and romance, not just thrown in for entertainment. I will say I didn’t ultimately get the point with Ama’s mother and her marriages, her one statement towards the end about it doesn’t really make sense to me but..oh well.

This was such a great time and felt like a breath of fresh air in a way that’s hard to explain. It takes some of my favorite parts of all those wedding planner and wedding movies, but adds in a soft male vulnerability that I find it often lacking. I can’t recommend this enough and the audiobook was a true joy to listen to.

Forget Me Not is the perfect grumpy sunshine book. It got me out of a reading slump with its dual POV chapters that alternate between past and present.

It follows Ama, a wedding planner, and Elliot, a florist, who are working together on a star wedding. There are flower references, dramatic moments, and heart wrenching ones too.

Wow what a stunning debut!! As a fanfic reader (not a reader of Julie Soto's work though) I really love how more and more fanfic authors are being traditionally published. They just get it done.

This book has a lot of what I don't like in books. It's a second chance romance with a dual timeline and yet everything worked so well here. Having Elliot's chapters be the past and Ama's being the present I think is what made it work for me.

This book was ridiculously readable. I did not want to stop reading it. And when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about when I could get back to reading it. It was easy to fall into the story and root for the characters.

My only complaint was I didn't like the ending entirely. My qualm witch second chance romances is I rarely believe the couple has overcome their differences and will last and Julie Soto didn't entirely make me believe they resolved their past issues. SPOILER - Ama just basically is suddenly fine with a relationship? I just wanted more from both of them on this front.

I also adored the wedding(s) setting(s). Seeing Elliot and Ama work together was *fire emoji*. Them orchestrating the wedding at the end was iconic. I love seeing a couple where they work well together and bring out the best in each other and Elliot and Ama do just that.

Overall, I really loved this book and had a blast reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-Arc in exchange for a honest review.

Listen if there’s one thing about me, if a Dramione or Reylo fanfiction author writes it, I’m going to read it. Not to mention this is the author of The Auction (IYKYK).

I was so swept away by this romance book I managed to read it in less than a day. I knew I would devour this one and that exactly what happened. Told from both perspectives and flashing back and forth between now and the past I was hooked from the beginning.

I don’t always love second chance romance but I was obsessed with the grumpyxsunshine vibes and the PINING. Oh man, so much delicious pining - I loved it.

The main characters were great and I loved the side plots and other storylines as well. I could tell there was some Reylo and Star Wars inspiration but that’s a good thing for me, I eat that up.

If you’re a romance reader I highly recommend giving this one a go and I can’t wait until her next book!

Calling all my second chance romance girlies 🌹 Forget Me Not is a swoony, quick, sometimes stressful (weddings, sigh) and spicyyy read that I think you'll enjoy 🥵 Probably not as angsty as others, but satisfying nonetheless. Plus that cover art? Just gorgeous!

The wedding planner/florist aspect was really interesting to me. I loved the way the author chose to show dual POVs with Elliot's chapters set in the past and Ama's chapters set in the present. Elliot was the silent broody type that falls first (be still my heart!), whereas Ama was the complete opposite (and also one of my least favourite FMCs lol). She was too selfish for my liking, but I guess the heart wants what the heart wants. Though I totally understood Ama’s hesitation towards committing to “forever” given how she grew up.

All in all, I can’t wait to pick up Julie Soto’s next book! I’m here for it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great debut! I was really hoping this was going to live up to the promise of that GORGEOUS cover and the stellar recommendation from Ali Hazelwood, and it definitely came pretty close. Told in a mix of flashbacks and present day, we see the strained relationship of these former lovers as they work on the wedding of a lifetime together - she as the wedding planner, he as the florist. Juxtaposed with scenes from the early days of their relationship, we can see all the ways they've broken each other's hearts. I loved the "he falls first" and black cat vibes. Elliot is such a sweetheart of a man, who would've gladly handed his heart over to our heroine if only she'd let him. The depth of feelings between them was immediately apparent, and I loved digging in to see how it all unraveled. It's upbeat one minute and heartbreaking the next, with contrasting tones that give it such a dynamic feel. I was rooting for these two to find their way back together, and this debut had me hooked the whole way through.

The story follows Ama, a wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage. Her mother has been married so many times that Ama now thinks of weddings as great parties, and she does her best to make them special. Ama has been building her own business, and she's presented with a fantastic opportunity - a high profile wedding with a budget unlike any she's dealt with before. The only catch? The happy couple has already selected their florist, and it's the man who stole Ama's heart a few years ago. Ama and Elliot haven't spoken since their devastating breakup, and working together is sure to stir up some complicated feelings... but how can they say no? It was through work that these two connected the first time around, and teaming up again is a recipe for disaster.

The writing pulled me in immediately, and I was desperate to figure out what went wrong with Ama and Elliot's relationship the first time around. I'm selective about the second chance romances I read, but it was clear from the start that these two have not gotten over each other. Elliot is this quiet, artistic, flower-obsessed boy, and his devotion to Ama was clear from the start. I loved him so much. Ama makes a great character as well, though I was a little upset with her for toying with my guy, lol. They are obviously perfect for each other in all ways but one, and that added some tension and conflict. I do think the first half was stronger than the second - the wedding is as much a character as the main couple, and I definitely could've used more scenes of them connecting in present day. That sort of got lost with all of the wedding content. But that would really be my only complaint; this was a very strong debut, and I am excited to see what's next from the author. Well worth a read.

I love Soto's Dramione fan fic so when I learned she was writing a novel, I was very excited. This was sooooo good! I read it in one sitting. I loved everything about it. I will purchase this for my library.

Okay obviously if you can’t put a book down and finish it in one day it’s gotta be a 5/5 right?

I absolutely loved this book more than I expected. A heroine with commitment issues? Felt to the core, she just like me fr.

The tension between the 2 characters keeps you on the edge of your seat. Elliot is such a character to simp for


Things I loved in this book:
-The dual POV (hers in the present his in the past)
-Second chance romance
-Grumpy male who’s lowkey a simp
-Forced proximity
-The ending quote LOOOVED IT MAN

Thank you Net Galley for this eARC I love you! You

First of all I read this in 2 days, but the bulk of it I devoured in like 3 hours. I couldn’t do anything else and nothing could distract me.

I seriously relate to Ama. Her mom has been married so many times and she has just lost the concept of love and happily-ever-after, and while my experience isn’t that, I did lose that concept for a while (maybe still? Where’s my Elliott??) Ama uses this experience to become a wedding planner, even though she has lost the appeal to love for herself she loves planning perfectly crafted weddings and receptions for everyone else. And Mr Grumpy himself, Elliot, is the florist. 🙃

Julie writes romance scenes so well. And I like that she makes me feel part of the story, almost as if I’m a friend hearing the story over a few drinks.

If you like grumpy sunshine, friends to enemies to lovers, open door romance, and comedic banter, consider picking this up.

I’m so grateful to Julie Soto and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy.

Some books are just fun to read, and this was one of them. For me, that's what I most want out of a romance. I don't need believable, I want FUN! This title feels like an excellent beach read. The stakes are low, and the romance is hot. Miscommunication is my least favorite plot device, but it's handled well and is pretty believable of the characters. I didn't find Ama to be the most relatable (she certainly plays fast and loose with her allergies!), but I enjoyed her anyway. She's a whirlwind of a character, which made her fun to read about. I wanted more of her siblings, but maybe their is potential for their stories to happen in future books. I definitely wouldn't mind revisiting these characters!

I love everything about this book! The mechanic of having one person in the couple each narrate a different timeline worked really well for me. I definitely need more Julie Soto in my life, and I can't wait to read more! I'm also ready for my physical copy to annotate favorite parts!

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I LOVE IT.

This will definitely be a favorite book of the year. It was perfect in every way. The characters, the plot, the banter. 10/10. A+. I absolutely loved the dual POV with one of the POV being in the present and one being in the past. It added to much tension and made me love the characters even more.

THIS IS A MUST READ OF 2023.

Julie is a new to me writer, though I have heard of her fanfictions before. I really loved her style of writing, and this book was just so enjoyable. I loved the dual timelines and how each timeline was a different perspective. I felt like I got to know each character really well. I think my only complaint was the past timeline from Elliot's POV had me a little confused because Alma in the past didn't seem to match with Alma's POV from the present timeline. I just couldn't see Alma doing the things she did in the past. I just felt there was a disconnect there with her character, though I loved both Alma past and Alma present either way.

I don't think this was as steamy as the descriptions made it out to be, but it is still an open door-work place- second chance romance and I think so many people will enjoy this one!