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.

There’s not much I can say besides I LOVED it. Ama was so frustrating to read about from Elliott’s POV at certain points (I think I maybe resonate with Elliott’s general grumpiness lol) but I liked how neither of them were perfect. Getting to read all about the wedding planning and seeing Whitney get her slice of karma was so rewarding! Can’t wait for the next Julie Soto book!

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK. I am an event planner and seeing the ins and outs of event planning written out so well made me so happy! I am honestly not really a second chance trope lover but holy shit this was done so well. I loved every single second. I could not put it down! It’s steamy and technical with event planning and it’s everything I needed! I can’t wait for this book to come out and to share the love with everyone!!!

You have no idea how HAPPY I am that my first time EVER reading an ARC, is by one of my favorite fanfic writers, @juliesotowrites who is now a debut author, so please don’t mind me and my excitement, I am thrilled for this privilege.

Forget me not is one of those books that keep you entertained from page 1. The witty banter these two characters have is hilarious and the overall tension is just delicious. I love a grumpy mmc like no other, so this one was a winner for me; I honestly could not put it down. It’ll also make you love flowers, even if you didn’t care for them before (like me).

What to expect ?

*grumpy/sunshine
*second chance
*enemies to lovers
*opposites attract
*dual POV
*past and present timelines
*HEA

THANK YOU THANK YOU @netgalley

Thank you so much to Forever Pub for an advance copy of this!

I have kept seeing early buzz for this mid summer release and was super excited when I got approved for this.
If you love weddings, second chance romance, grumpy/sunshine, dual timelines - this is your book!

"Marriages will never be perfect. They're always a work in progress."

Ama Torres is a wedding planner who has a vision and a passion for crafting the perfect wedding for all the couples that come her way. She is involved from the very beginning and executing what clients want. She worked under a very esteem wedding planner Whitney Harrison and learned all about the business until she branched out on her own. Ama didn't really grow up with the best example of a "perfect" marriage as her mother had been married more times than one person should but hey to each their own. But seeing her mother float in and out of relationships makes Ama not want to be committed. Enter Jude. Jude works at a local flower business that was started by his father. They would run in the same circles and same weddings and one night, one kiss changed it all. There was a conflict that arose that broke them apart and as you read you piece together what happened to make them become enemies and why they are forced to work back together like old times.

This was told from dual POVs and dual perspectives which I thought was very interesting. Ama's POV was told in the present whereas Jude's was told from the past. Jude is the epitome of a grumpy character. He was moody and man of a few words right from the start which made me intrigued. Ama was sweet, ray of sunshine who also was such a boss and in control. I really respected her and the business that she built from scratch. Always catering to her clients over her own needs.

The spice in this was whewww! I was not expecting it! It was crafted so well and definitely made me blush. I had also paired this with the audio (courtesy of Libro fm) and Teddy Hamilton can do no wrong when it comes to narration. He was the perfect narrator to get the tone of Jude across.

My only critique was I wish we could've gotten some of Jude in the present time and I wish we got more from the ending once they reconnected. I just loved them together and selfishly wanted more and more.

Bravo to Julie Soto for a stellar debut!

One of my favorite quotes from this book was from Jude early on when talking about how flowers were better than people: " They only need light, water and attention. But it's not as simple as that. Because you need to know how much light, how much water, how much attention. But if you can get it right - if you can crack the code - flowers are infinitely better than people. Because you can find a person's ratio of light, water and attention and it still won't be enough. For flowers, it's enough."

4.5

This was so much better than I expected it to be!

Amaryllis (Ama) is a wedding planner who just landed the most high profile wedding of her career, which is great expect the brides want to work with Blooming flowers…as in Ama’s ex-hookup-not-boyfriend.
Should be fine, right?

Ama Torres is the wedding planner of your dreams. You want a horse-drawn carriage at your wedding? No problem. A completely renovated and transformed venue? You got it. The best damn flower arrangements you can ask for? You’ll have to see the brooding and gorgeous Elliot Bloom for that.

There’s the wedding that will outdo all weddings, planned by Ama, for the brides Hazel and Jackie. We see the entire venue come to life through Ama’s imagination and with the help of Elliot, it’s a blooming success.

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Second-chance Romance

I think this book might be perfect? The narration slayed me with the outright sexual tension between the broody Elliot and the perky Ama. The plot was killer and the steam was perfectly timed - it didn't feel like there was ever a sex scene just for the sake of it. This is a great second chance romance in that there are NO miscommunications! Their initial breakup made complete sense to me, but wasn't ultimately something that couldn't be worked past in time. So when they're thrust together for the wedding of the century? Yeah, something was bound to sprout. Also flower tattoos are a kink I never knew I had, but between Beckett in Lovelight Farms and Elliot Bloom... it's canon now.

I'm hoping that the moody cellist we see at the end is a setup for another wedding themed book, because I'm not done with Ama's stepsiblings yet. Julie Soto, you killed it girl.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to LibroFM for the gifted ALC*

FORGET ME NOT is a second chance romance between Ama, a wedding planner that doesn't believe in marriage and florist Elliot. Ama is running her own wedding planning business after leaving a job with a more established wedding planning company. She's hired for a high profile wedding that takes a life of its own. Her clients already hired Elliot, not knowing their romantic past. I loved that the past was told through Elliot's POV because we get to understand the complicated feelings he has about taking over his family's flower shop. It also softens him a little because he is generally outwardly rude. And it gives us so much context as to why there's so much tension between them. In their first go around, their romance went from zero to sixty despite Ama's insistence to keep things casual. In the present, while its apparent they both still care for each other, it takes longer for them to confront their feelings and readers are the real winners of their journey. This books gives you all the drama of wedding day stress and joy while delivering a sexy story about two people who, deep down, are real romantics.

.

Forget Me Not was a great debut novel. I am familiar with Julie Soto's fanfiction writing and it felt just as gripping as her stories, I remained curious as to what was going to happen next. This one had two main tropes: second chance & grumpy vs, sunshine. I don't really enjoy second-chance romance, but I love grumpy vs. sunshine.

Soto did a fantastic job making Elliot the perfect grumpy male lead. I really enjoyed him as a character and I liked that we got some chapters through his POV. I think having all of his chapters as past time jumps didn't really serve the story, I think it made it seems a bit dragging. I wish that maybe some here and there could have been past time jumps or inserted flashbacks and then the rest present day.

I really enjoyed the plot of the story, it takes place within a few months and centers around a wedding of a high-profile influencer. Ama is a great main lead, her character flaws are clearly laid out throughout the book and resolved by the end.

The ending I found was a bit rushed. About two chapters or so from the end there is a conflict and then there was a rush to wrap it up into a HEA. I wish that was flushed out a bit more.

I have to admit, it took me a bit to really get into this book. Not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but I struggled some to find a flow with the back and forth timelines. That said, I flew through the last 40% when things really ramped up with the major wedding that was being planned.

Things I loved:
-The plot revolving around the wedding industry. It felt fun and fresh, and it provided endless different scenarios of low stakes outsider drama and opportunities for Ama and Elliot to be thrown together.
-Ama’s style of wedding planning. It was very obvious that she really cared about her clients and truly wanted to know them as best as she could to bring their dreams and visions for their wedding day to life.
-Elliot and his quiet demeanor with the understated ways he would show up for Ama. Even in the present timeline when they’re not together, it’s clear he still cares deeply for Ama and he wants to support her.

Things I didn’t love:
-The limited positive interaction between Ama and Elliot in the present timeline. So much of what we see of them together is in the past. I think finally getting some real moments between the two of them in the present is what helped speed things up for me toward the end.
-The tv show covering the wedding. It paid off in a couple satisfying moments, but overall it felt unnecessary when there was already a lot going on surrounding the main wedding in the book.

This ended up being a lighthearted, fun, and unique read that I enjoyed very much.

I enjoyed the wedding planner vibes because I am a lover of weddings. I think the fact that the female MC is someone who has been in a family of someone who is constantly getting married and then failing, it brings an interesting experience to the character.

When I heard that Julie Soto, aka lovesbitca8 aka author of some of my favorite Dramione fanfics, was having her publishing debut, I couldn’t add it to my TBR fast enough! When I was blessed by the book gods, aka Forever Publishing and NetGalley, with an ARC of this beauty I literally screamed.

And let me tell you, I ADORED EVERY PAGE!

A second chance romance between a grumpy, delicious, tattooed florist and a sunshiney wedding planner with forced proximity AND a splice of forbidden/workplace?! Told in dual POV, including flashbacks that kept you turning the page?! What’s not to love?!

Elliot is everything - I immediately fell in love with his soft guy heart under all that grump. He’s also just the sweetest and constantly showing up for Ama. Ama is a spit fire and I couldn’t be more obsessed with her. She made me want to revitalize my dream of being a wedding planner. And don’t get me started on the side characters!! Mar, Jackie, Lady Cat-ryn… all incredible!

I’m already hoping her next book is a sequel because I need more Elliot and Ama in my life.

I don’t have an explanation for this, but I feel like this book is going to be The Love Hypothesis of 2023.

This is grumpy/sunshine, wedding planner and a florist, quiet grumpy tattooed hero. I enjoyed the book! I love the angst of a second chance romance. Not too much angst in this one though.

This book has so many tropes that people will love:
-Second chance romance
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Interesting careers to read about, as she is a wedding planner and he is a florist! A grumpy florist, what a delightful combination. Her career isn't just an interesting background that's barely explored, it is a major part of the story.
-A strong setting, as Julie Soto lives in Sacramento and the book takes place in Sacramento, and it really comes to life.

Ama is a wedding planner who is hired to plan a wedding for a celebrity couple. They have a few things that they're set on, one is to have her as a planner, the other is to have Elliot as the florist. The problem is that Elliot is her ex, and she's dreading working with him, but she also really wants and needs this wedding.

The book has dual perspective, with Ama's perspective being about what is happening now, and Elliot's being what happened in the past when they were together. While this was an interesting idea, I felt that it really ruined the flow of the book, as so much of it was focused on the past which made it harder to understand why they were able to work past their issues and get back together. It also hurt the flow that we didn't get to see either one's perspective on the other timeline, so it made everything feel very one-sided despite the dual perspective. I think it would have helped the flow more if we had more time at the end with them as a couple.

Forget Me Not is Julie Soto’s debut. This contemporary romance contains second chance romance trope, takes place in the wedding planning industry, strained relationships, and small business life. Ama Torres loves planning weddings but has decided that marriage is not for her due to her mother's history. Elliot is a florist who inherited his father's flower shop but is not passionate about it. When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding where Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers, their complicated history and obvious chemistry put their hearts and livelihoods in jeopardy, especially with the interference of two brides and a reality TV film crew. I liked the plot of the book, but the execution was lacking. While Ama's present-day perspective was interesting, Elliot's character development in present day seemed to be lacking. Ama's behavior and her admiration for her ex-boss, Whitney, were also irritating. Although Elliot's past POV was helpful, it would have been better if this was shown as flashbacks in both perspectives instead of just Elliot’s. I felt that the ending was too rushed. Ama and Elliot’s present-day chemistry seemed forced and not well-developed. The reason for their past breakup and present day reconciliation didn’t make sense as to how they planned to move forward or resolve their issues. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book and wasn’t my cup of tea.

I requested this book on the cover alone. 😍 But when I did read the synopsis and it was about a wedding planner, I got really nervous. I’m a former wedding planner and I’ve read zero books about wedding planners that were actually somewhat accurate. 😂 But bravo to Julie Soto for actually doing her research and talking to planners. We appreciate you. 👏

Short Synopsis:
Wedding Planner Ama books the wedding of her dreams - a high profile wedding, high budget, amazing couple. But the catch? She must work with her florist ex, Elliot.

My Thoughts:
I loved the first third of the book. The flower installations, the wedding planning, the mystery of the second chance romance. I had a hard time connecting to the second half of the book though. It was more steam than plot and that turns a book quickly for me. I felt like I didn’t get to know anything about Elliot except he’s a florist architect. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Read if You Like:
💐 Weddings
💐 Second-Chance Romance
💐 Steam. Lots of steam.
💐 Men with Tattoos
💐 Grumpy/Sunshine

Short synopsis: Ama is hired to plan the wedding for a high profile client, and the florist they’ve picked is her ex Elliott.

My thoughts: The audio was so well done on this! I loved how well they sounded together, and I’m a sucker for multiple narrators when his/her perspectives are involved.

I thought Ama was such a strong character, knew what she wanted and just fought for herself! Elliott was swoon worthy, and just so perfect in so many ways! I really enjoyed seeing each of their sides of their story.

The wedding planner/florist was such a fun element. I enjoyed the behind the scenes into both, and from what I know about wedding planning it seemed fairly accurate!

Read if you love:
* Weddings
* Large budgets
* Flowers
* Second chance romance
* His/her perspective
* Flashbacks.

Thank you to @libro.fm for the free ebook, the audio was so well done! And to @forever for a copy of the e-book! Publication date is set for July 11, 2023.

Forget Me Not is a second-chance romance between a wedding planner and a grumpy florist who have to work together on a high-profile celebrity wedding years after they broke up.

This book was so entertaining, I finished it in less than 24 hours. I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope in this book, I thought it was really well done. I also really enjoyed following along with the beautiful wedding that took place in this book, I could picture all the flowers and the way everything was set up so clearly in my head while reading.

This book follows a dual timeline, with Elliot’s POV being mainly in the past, and Ama’s POV being mainly in the present. This was the only real issue I had with this book. I would’ve loved seeing more of Elliot’s perspective in the present timeline and more of Ama’s perspective in the past timeline. I think it would’ve made it easier to believe in their love for each other. This didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed reading this book, but it is why I didn’t give it a higher rating.

Overall, I had such a fun time reading Forget Me Not! If you love second-chance romances and the grumpy/sunshine trope, you NEED to read this!

What a wonderful, second chance love story from Julie Soto. I love this trope and this story is one of the best executions of it I have read it quite some time.

I loved the vulnerability of Ama and Elliot demonstrated throughout. The dual POV and alternating timeline was such an effective narrative device for their story and was terrifically deployed. Their chemistry was palpable and had me smiling from ear to ear.

Be warned, you will need to have access to donuts because you will be craving them by the time you finish this book.

Thank you Grand Central and Net Galley for the opportunity to review and read this story! We are excited to bring in Forget Me Not to our store and look forward to what Julie Soto does next!