This may be one of my most favorite romance covers. I love the colors, the tattoo, that neck grab, the artistry; it’s so beautiful.

I adored this so much. Ama has recently branched out to become an independent wedding planner. She gets chosen to plan for one of the biggest influencers and builds an incredible wedding from nothing. She has some insecurities about not being good enough and is worried that she crosses the professional line getting too close to the bride because her previous boss was a cold planner. But Ama is so warm and a breath of fresh air with the most creative design ideas that you can’t help but love her and her energy.

Elliot is grumpy and broody and inherits his family’s flower shop, but he also has an architect degree, so he has a way of creating absolute masterpieces. The imagery in which he describes bouquets and dance floors and walls of flowers, you can clearly picture this enchanting pieces.

The relationship between these two is like a hurricane, they crash directly into each other when they were least expecting it, have a messy history and then hopes to a second chance after working together again for this big wedding. The chemistry they had was amazing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥

Really cute grumpy sunshine. Ama and Elliot’s relationship is adorable and complex. The story of a wedding planner falling for a florist is really cute and I found myself also falling in love with all the interesting side characters. Really enjoyed the Author’s writing style and pacing was even. The moving back and forth from past to present with each MC was really appealing. Solid 3.5-4star read.

I absolutely loved this one! Ama is a wedding planner that doesn't believe in marriage, while Elliot is a florist that does. I loved the dual POV and dual timeline to show their story. It was such a quick and easy read, but I didn't feel like I was just powering through to power through. It hooked me right away!

This is a cute, semi spicy, second chance romance that I highly recommend! I'll definitely be reading whatever Soto releases next!

The SECOND this book was announced, I preordered it, and then I got the opportunity to read an ARC?!?!? I was in tears. I have been needing to add a new grumpy sunshine romance to my tbr, I couldn't say no. Can we also acknowledge the cover? Amazing. 10/10.

After reading the ARC, I can say it lives up to all my hopes and dreams. It was funny, fluffy, angsty, and just so sweet. I absolutely adored the characters and the story. This book is getting added to my list of annual rereads.

I can't wait for when this releases so I can see everyone going feral over Elliot because he will be everyone's new favorite book boyfriend.

If you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood or fluffy grumpy x sunshine romance, I would definitely recommend.

Ok this was INCREDIBLE! My favourite romance read of the year so far. As soon as I finished it all I wanted to do was flip back to the first page and start again.

The set to me was fairly unique, I haven't read many romances about a wedding planner and a florist, but the way this comes together makes me think there is an untapped market here.

Ama is our lead and she is incredible. She is passionate and headstrong. I loved her flare and individuality. Elliot is delightful. He was reserved and grumpy without being a bully or mean. It was so clear how much he loved Ama and missed her.

The way the story is laid out is perfect. The present is told from Ama's POV, and the past (about three years earlier) is told from Elliot's. It was so easy to love him because of how much he loved Ama and was devoted to her. Telling the past from Elliot's perspective was so smart because it allowed us to get to know who he was as a person and his genuine affection for Ama without sacrificing the present Elliot's hang ups with Ama.

I already preordered a finished copy and will be bringing it in to my store.

Small critiques/Sensitivity things
Early on in the book (first chapter I think), Ama is talking about drinking a lot of coffee and decides to refrain because she doesn't want to seem like a "junkie". I personally wouldn't ever use that in my vocab. It's dehumanizing.

And then for me, personally, the reality TV plot line didn't add much to the story. I was glad for that because reality TV isn't my thing so it didn't take away from my enjoyment. But it felt unnecessary lol.

LOVE. New favourite romance. I was sold the moment I saw that it's grumpy sunshine with a wedding planner and a florist, but the COMMITMENT ISSUES REALLY SPOKE TO ME. So much to love.

I listened to most of this on audio, which I don't normally do for romance, but I think it's going to be my new thing because I feel like I AM these characters now.

The third act conflict was painful but totally made sense and I WILL be preordering a physical copy of this!

Forgot Me Not by Julie Soto was so much better than I ever expected. Ama, a wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage or commitment, and her ex, Elliot, a florist, must work together in this grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance on a high-profile wedding to give their clients their dream day. The story was beautiful, the writing was fantasy, and I just know it'll be one of my favourite books of the year.

This book is dual POV with flashback. Something I thought that was so well done is that the flashbacks are specifically from Elliot's POV, while the present timeline is Ama's. Despite this, we still get to know Ama's thought's on what happened in the past as she reflects on memories and what happened between her and Elliot that lead to their break-up. The banter in this book between Ama and Elliot was fantastic and so funny. I lived for the sweet and more tender moments between Ama and Elliot, and could't wait to see them as they worked together and sparks started flying again. I was rooting for them the entire book and ended up devouring the book in a day because I could not put it down.

Ama, was such a strong and smart MC. I love seeing her plan this dream weeding despite all the setbacks. I love getting to see her overcome various struggles and express vulnerability when it came to what she wanted. And Elliot, grumpy yet extremely sweet Elliot, he has my whole heart. The book also contained many incredible side characters, like Jackie and Hazel, the couple getting married, whom I found perfect and loved. I also loved Ama step-sister and hope we'll see more of her.

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

This was such a fun book. It had a lot of influence from fanfic, which I appreciated. I love a good fanfic trope. This one had a bunch of my favorites: grumpy/sunshine, second-chance romance, flower shop, mutual pining...

It was so well-written, with witty humor and very relatable characters and situations. The characters were also very unique and felt real. There was a lot of millennial humor, which I really appreciated. I am a millennial, I suppose, so that makes sense. I loved Ama and Elliot. They were such a good couple, and it was so satisfying when they slotted so seamlessly together in work and in their personal lives. They made each other better which always makes for the most satisfying romance.

There was a lot of sex, which would normally have been way too much for me, but because of the rest of the book being so good I can forgive that. (Yes, I realize I'm probably in the minority here). Just be warned. There is... a lot.

I absolutely adored that Ama has a cat name Lady Cat-ryn de Purrgh. Also that said cat is a menace and really lives up to her name. And I laughed so hard when I got to the Four Seasons joke. It was so unexpected.

Elliot's tattoos were perfection. I cried when Ama saw his latest one, even though I was expecting it. Actually, I teared up in a lot of places. The mutual pining was painful and exactly what I like in a romance.

I was hooked from the very first sentences and flew through the book in two days because it never let me go. Ama and Elliot were just so wonderful and so relatable.

I LOVED Jackie and Hazel Renee. They were the perfect couple to center the wedding planning around. Ama was so competent and good at her job, especially when working with Elliot. And Whitney was deliciously terrible. Her comeuppance was absolutely brilliant.

I am impressed that Julie Soto included her actual AO3 username in the 'about the author' section, instead of leaving it at "Yes, I write fanfic" which is what authors usually do. (And even that is new, being proud to write fanfic instead of ashamed of it.) I'm glad things are shifting and fanfic is starting to be recognized as a legitimate form of writing and not something to hide. But still. She's brave and I admire that.

Overall the book was brilliant and in turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, as all the best romances are. The cover is gorgeous and fits the characters so well. Just excellent all around.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing an early copy for review.

It’s been a long time since I devoured a book in less than 24 hours, but leave it to a fanfic author to craft the perfect romance to keep me up late at night and laying in bed late into the morning to finish this masterpiece. I adored every second of it. My only complaint was finishing it and having to leave behind Ama and Elliot. It left me craving iced coffee, sweet dough, floral tattoos, and more time with my new favorite couple. Cheers Julie, and congratulations on the success that is sure to come your way!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was very lucky to receive an arc for this book, so thank you Julie Soto and Netgalley. I was drawn to this book primarily because of the cover (it’s just so beautiful to me) and i was so happy that i was able to read it sooner than expected

The story picks up with our main female lead, Ama, being asked to plan one of the biggest weddings of the year, which could become her big break into expanding her wedding planning business, not knowing ahead of time that she’ll be working with her ex boyfriend, Elliot, the florist for said wedding. The book goes from past to present, Elliot’s pov focusing on their past, how their relationship started, and how it unfortunately ended & Ama’s pov continues the story in the present, how they’re reunited, and how the manage to work together despite their history.

I found myself really enjoying this book. Once i started, i couldn’t seem to stop. Reading their past relationship, how they easily understood each other and were drawn to one another from the very beginning was what easily got me hooked. One of my favorite storylines throughout the book was when they would watch the other do their job and create something so beautiful, that they evidently fell in love with each other over and over again.

It was so easy to fall in love with this couple, especially Elliot, because no matter how much Ama broke his heart and despite their history, he was still willing to take any step to help her out when she needed it most, defended her when she couldn’t herself, and believed in her abilities despite her having self-doubt. I specifically loved how Ama trusted Elliot during the wedding process, not having a single ounce of doubt in his talent and knowing that whatever he created, it would be something beautiful and unforgettable.

One thing I will say it I wish we could’ve gotten a scene with Elliot just expressing his hurt and how broken he was during the aftermath of their break up to Ama, I think it would’ve strengthened the book more as a whole. I also wanted more scenes of them after finishing the wedding but that’s mainly because i love fluff.

oh hell yes 🔥🔥 i freaking adored elliot and ama. ama is a complete badass wedding planner & elliot is an unreal florist. their second chance romance was unlike no other. it was so fun to see ama’s whole vision of a wedding come together from start to finish. i really liked that her POV was present and elliot’s POV was their past. just enough spice too 🌶️

“Her eyes meet mine, and I know she’s remembering the same. I don’t look away, trying to show her that I kept it for the memories of her. That I could never get rid of a piece of her.”

Ama and Elliot. She’s a wedding planner that doesn’t believe in marriage or commitment and he’s her grumpy, florist ex. They haven’t spoken in years after she broke his heart and now they’re working on a wedding together.

💐READ IF YOU LIKE💐:
- dual POV
- she’s a wedding planner, he’s a florist
- grumpy x sunshine
- second chance
- floral tattoos
- workplace romance
- flashbacks
- he falls first and hard
- “i hate everyone but you”
- forced proximity
- high-profile wedding
- banter & sarcasm
- donuts are her love language
- sacramento setting

cw: commitment issues, death of parent, divorced, mention of lung cancer

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced copy! Forget Me Not is available on July 11, 2023!

Agh, what a fun, sexy, and quick read! I had a great time with this book... right up until the very end.

This book is told in past and present timelines, with Ama always narrating the present, and Elliot always narrating the past. I always enjoy a dual timeline book and this was no exception. As the reader you're always just getting prepared for what went wrong in the past to know the full story. I LOVED being in the past, especially from Elliots POV where we can really see how much he loved and care for Ama. I absolutely adored this couple together. This man was definitely giving boy obsessed. There were also some very steamy moments in this book that I was not expecting, but I'm certainly not complaining! They were SO good. Ama and Elliot have serious tension and chemsitry.

I enjoyed the present in Ama's POV as well, especially once we actually got to the wedding that her and Elliot have to work together. The months preparing for the wedding were fun to, but nothing compared to the big day. The antics that ensue were so fun to read about. I couldn't put the book down at that point - so addicting! There were also some lines and scenes that had me laughing out loud.

My main complaint comes with the ending. There's something that happens literally in the last 5% or so that I felt was so unnecessary and too big of a 180 for the character to do. And not only was that action weird, it's also the OTHER character's RESPONSE to that action that also had me confused. Both characters acted in a way that I felt was not really in line with how they had been the previous 90% of the book.

Even with that criticism, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a quick, addicting read! Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC.

"I want to love what you love, even if it's extinct."

Ama Torres is a wedding planner... that never wants to get married herself. She's lived her whole life going to her moms various weddings, and it's impossible not to have grown a love for the chaos that comes into planning the wedding parties. Ama was born for weddings.. just not her own.

Elliot Bloom would not have picked flowers... but somehow they picked him. When he inherited his family's flower shop after his father passed, he didn't expect to have Ama in his space all the time. There was a lot he didn't expect to happen. Like falling in love with her, proposing to her, losing her, and finding a deep appreciation for these flowers he's surrounded by.

After their "relationship" ended, Ama did what she could to stay away from Elliot's business, but it's hard when you run in the same circles. Now she has to suck it up and work with him after two years, because it means landing celebrity clients that could take her business to new levels.

___________________________________________

I am not typically a fan of fanfic vibes, but this one just drew me in and I knew I had to give it a shot. A grumpy florist x sunshine wedding planner is a dream I didnt know I had come true.

I really enjoyed that this story was set up with not only dual POV, but also past/present story telling. The biggest thing I wish we got in this book, is more of them interacting in the present. I definitely preferred all the past scenes because that's where we got to see them grow and connect. Julie Soto does a great job of getting you to connect with with the characters feelings. I understand exactly why Elliot was a broody, silent, grumpy character and Ama was closed off, flighty, and noncommittal. I really enjoyed their characters, and loved to see that they did grow after being apart for a couple years.

This book had some great scenes, I loved all of Ama's chaotic wedding planning, and Elliot running the flower shop. It created a very vivid world for readers to jump into. I could 100% visualize the flower shop and Ama's little working corner. All the details like donuts, yellow gatorade, and THE TATTOOS make this such a fun read. I'm already a sucker for a tattooed mmc, but Elliot, and his flower ones?! That's swoon material.

This was honestly a fun read. I wanted a little more present, a little more communication, but I'm glad I read it overall. I can see fanfic readers really enjoying this, or even people who don't care for/are unsure of fanfic vibes, this is a good little dip into that. The sex scenes in this were honestly great, minus the dirt... or is that just me?

So much stress, heartache, passion, bantering, and cute moments in this book. I recommend if you enjoy a second chance romance, grumpy x sunshine, two broken main charactersread.

Thank you Netgalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-4.25 stars

I could not put this book down and ended up reading it in less than 24 hours. Second chance isn’t a trope I normally navigate towards, but I absolutely adored Forget Me Not. I loved the dual POV alternating between Elliot (past) and Ama (present). I really liked how Elliot was a florist and worked in a creative field. I feel like a lot of books always show the male lead in a more traditional job, so I really enjoyed his passion for flowers and arranging.

This book had so much angst. I was rooting for them the whole time and felt what they were feeling. My heart was breaking for Elliot as he settled for every tiny piece Ama would give him. Add in his strong and silent, and sweet but only for you demeanor and I was a goner for him.

I cannot rate this book less than 5 stars because it enthralled me and I had to finish to see what happened. We wait so long to see what happened in the past and I thought that was really unique. As much as I loved this one, I would have loved it even more with some more dialogue between Elliot and Ama in the present and some more chapters of them being happy. The ending wasn’t tied up in a neat bow, but there relationship was nontraditional from the start. I really hope future Ama is able to work through her feelings because I think her mom left her with a ton of quiet baggage and would have loved to see her work through some of that.

I hope we get Mar’s story next because her character was great and I need life updates from Elliot and Amama.

Thank you so much to Forever for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*will post on social platforms closer to release date.

A sweet slow burn with a satisfying ending. Elliot and Ama were relatable and well-fleshed. The pacing of each newly-revealed detail was well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Julie Soto's Forget Me Not is a book I won’t be forgetting any time soon—I loved this so much! Ambitious wedding planner Ama Torres is getting the break of her career doing a high profile wedding—the only catch is the florist the couple has chosen is her ex, the silent and brooding Elliot. It’s told in the dual perspective, with Ama’s POV in the present and Elliot’s POV in the past when the two met and first dated. This story is emotional and spicy. It’s sweet and endearing, Elliot is quiet and brooding and sexy and is so protective of Ama, even in their breakup, and Ama is all sunshine and hope. She is so ambitious and vulnerable and I loved the balance of these two leads. Their voices are so distinct and lovely and their chemistry so real. I wish there were more moments of them in the present timeline, but the story builds beautifully. There is so much love and heart in this story. And the side characters are all so wonderfully developed. It is a perfectly crafted, emotional and sexy second chance romance and I just didn’t want it to end!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Forever and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this ARC, It’s been a while since a book was so perfect that it made me cry when it was over because all I want is more.

Julie Soto is an author I've known longer than I've known her name, and that is something special all on its own. When she announced her debut novel I screamed at pretty much everyone I could about this book and how excited I was for it. She is one of the most talented romance authors of this generation, and I am thankful to have been given an early look.

Forget Me Not was a brilliant take on a contemporary romance, where rather than bouncing between Ama and Elliot in present day, scenes in present day were her POV while the flashbacks were in his. I think this shift in perspective made it refreshing and exciting to experience so something unique.

Most Contemporary Romance's build up to the expected third act breakup, while Forget Me Not instead brought us back in time to a breakup that has already come and gone. To say I loved this factor was an understatement. It felt like I didn't have the anticipation of the breakup to come, and I knew things could only get better from where we began. I was able to look at the story with pure hope and go on the journey with them, and have no lingering dread.

I've talked a lot about the story and the writing, but the characters themselves perfect--grumpy sunshine personified. I couldn't make it a chapter without bursting out laughing from their banter. Bits of humor were scattered throughout, from forcing your step sister to call your ex, to an almost death by peanut butter donut, and don't get me started on Ama's car. So many infinitesimal memorable moments have compounded, and I can say with confidence that I can't imagine this book having any competitors for my favorite book of the year.

This is Julie Soto's debut, and if this is where she starts, I can only imagine how far she will take us. Brava.

I will not easily forget Forget Me Not by Julie Soto. It was such a wonderful second chance romance, and I loved every page. (Thank you very much to Forever Publishing for my advance review copy and Libro.fm for my complimentary audiobook.)

Ama, a wedding planner, lands the wedding of a lifetime—a huge social media influencer and her fiancée are getting married and want HER to take care of it all. The only problem is that the florist they insist on using is AMA’s ex, and it did not end well.

The story is told from dual perspectives—hers and Elliot’s—and dual timelines—the past and the present. This opportunity will change both of their lives, giving both their careers the exact exposure they need—but can they set aside past hurts in order to focus on their future?

Julie Soto has created such a beautiful story. I honestly can’t believe this is her debut romance. It’s definitely going to be a favorite of 2023..

I accidentally stayed up way past my bedtime to finish Forget Me Not, and I don’t regret a single minute.

This book is phenomenal. Second chance romances are a top trope for me, and I especially love when authors write dual POV with one persons perspective of NOW and the others in flashbacks. I find it adds layer upon layer to the story and it is utilized so well in this book.

The chemistry between Ama and Elliot was electric and you could feel it from their very first interaction. I loved watching them fall in love, and then fall apart, through Elliot’s eyes and I loved watching how they came back together through Ama’s.

This book is also surprisingly steamy and obviously I’m here for it. I loved how assertive Ama was with Elliot in those moments, how unafraid she was to take what she wanted. It served as a great juxtaposition to how she was in her day to day, especially in regards to Whitney.