I love me a good second chance romance novel and I was really excited to read this book. The story started off strong and held my attention, but I felt the ending was rushed. I wanted more time with Elliot and Ama as a couple after they reconnected.

I absolutely adored this book! Ama was such a strong character and to see her overcome so many challenges was great. Elliot was the perfect "I hate everyone but you" hero. I don't normally enjoy duel timelines but I felt like it really worked well here and I even found myself enjoying the past storyline more than the present which is rare for me! This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it definitely solidified Julie Soto as an autobuy author for me.

Biggest of thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever Romance, and NetGalley for sharing this advanced reader copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Received an ARC of this from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing!

First of all, I think this is the fastest I've ever read an ARC from the second it hit my inbox. Julie Soto started as a fan fic writer (lovesbitca8) and this is her debut novel! It features a sunshine wedding planner whose mom has been married 16 times (yes, you read that right - <i>sixteen<i>), and a grumpy florist.

This book had me laughing out loud, and had me hooked from the very first chapter. I will say - if you're anti wedding industry (or, stressed about planning your own wedding) this probably isn't the book for you as its plot and characters heavily revolve around all things wedding.

The characters are well developed, interesting, and endearing. I'm so excited to see what Julie Soto writes next!

NetGalley blurb:
"A wedding planner and her grumpy ex must work together to plan a celebrity event in this deliciously spicy and funny novel from fanfic sensation Julie Soto.

Ama Torres is an optimistic wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage. But weddings? They’re amazing. Elliot Bloom is a brooding florist who hates owning a flower shop…until a certain bright-eyed, donut-loving workaholic shows up at his door.

Once upon a time, they collaborated on events by day, and by night, Ama traced the intricate flower tattoos etched along his body. Then Ama shattered his heart and never spoke to Elliot again.

Now they’re working on an event that could make or break both of their careers—except neither of them has gotten over what happened two years ago. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. But as the wedding takes on a life of its own, Ama and Elliot are about to discover that some things can survive a complete catastrophe . . .

Smart and hilarious, Forget Me Not is about two people giving themselves—and love!—a second chance."

If building a "Forget Me Not" bouquet you'd use a Now & Then story format as the base. Your focal pieces are akward & intense Elliot and ambitious & determined Ama. Support them with touches of workplace romance, second chances, competence kink, "I don't believe in forever", and icebreaker donuts. Gather it all together and finish with a love letter ribbon to hometown Sacramento.

I loved Ama & Elliot's past & present story. From Elliot we see how they met, fell in lust and in love, irritated eachother to near death, and supported the other's dreams. The pure comedy of his grumpy being outmatched by her sunshine was such a joy to read.

In the present, we follow Ama building her business as a wedding planner. Her thoughtfulness towards clients though doesn't often trickle down to herself. She was too busy coordinating Big Days for others that she didn't recognize her own happily ever after when she had the chance. It'll take work, and a bit of forced proximity, for Ama to set aside her fear of forever.

I laughed so hard and ugly cried my way through this read. If I could toss the bouquet, I hope you catch the same feels I did when reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Forget Me Not is a sweet and a cozy read packed with drama, navigating relationships, and of course weddings. As someone who manages social media for a wedding planner, this was such an anticipated read for me.

What I loved about this was the present day narration from Ama’s point of view. Her independence and grit really starts to shine. I wished I had either her perspective from the past or Elliot’s from the present day. The set up was an interesting dynamic but left some views unsaid. The overall plot really got me but left me wanting more in terms of romance and relationship. All of the juicy bits were left for the last quarter of the book and while it held my attention, a better balance could’ve pushed this over the edge. With that being said, had this been marketed more as women’s fiction and less of romance, specifically hinting at the second chance trope, this would’ve been a knockout. Definitely more of a personal perception issue versus the content of the storyline.

I’d recommend this read for anyone looking for some small business women catching their big break, those who enjoy the ambiguity of romance as a theme, or someone wanting an entertaining and quick read.

Mark my word, Forget Me Not will be one of the top romances of 2023. While this is my first Julie Soto, it won’t be my last (::currently stalking her fanfics while I anticipate her next novel::).

The cover is what initially drew me to this novel, it is such a beauty and I knew I would need to know more about these characters. But as beautiful as the cover is, the content is even greater. We have a wedding planner, a tattooed florist, and a second chance romance…this is a recipe for success.

But what makes this book unique is the creative narrative timeline and how it comes full circle and the butterflies you feel for this couple.

I can’t wait for more of you to fall for Ama and Elliot’s love story.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️
Two words: Grumpy. Florist.

Elliot was such a little grumpy marshmallow I love him. I really admired Ama as a character too and her band of ex step siblings.

As someone who’s from Sacramento it was really cool reading a book set there from someone who you can tell genuinely loves the city. For me personally it was missing that little spark to make it a full 5 stars but it was still a very nice and cute short read :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me a copy for review!

When I first saw this cover, I knew I had to read this book. They are such a gorgeous couple and I just needed to know their story.

Ama is a wedding planner, who is all about the party, but her mom who has been married an obscene amount of times has soured her from believing in forever. Her ex, Elliot, is the definition of “looks like he could kill you, is a cinnamon roll.” When they are forced to work together when her clients tap him as their florist, sparks fly and old feelings resurface.

This book is HOT and their chemistry is off the charts. You can’t help but root for them to get their stuff together and realize that they are meant to be. I loved this book so much and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it comes out in July!

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

THIS BOOK!!!! This romance was so sweet and it had me feeling a roller coaster of emotions throughout! Readers know that something happened between Elliot and Ama, but we are made to wait while the chapters time jump from past to present until it’s finally revealed, Elliot was such a great male lead and I just loved his caring nature. His flower creations sounded amazing and I loved his passion for it. I also really enjoyed learning about the different flowers and the thought behind his work. I had complicated feeling about Ama but as more was revealed about her past, I really came to find an understanding for her and why she was so guarded. She was so talented at her job and it was really nice to see her find her voice later in the novel. There were many times I laughed aloud and the steam in this one felt just right! So grateful that I had the opportunity to read this one early and to be part of the Fable book club, it was so much fun!! I will definitely be recommending this romance to other readers!

Will this be my favourite book of the year? Definitely a contender!! Ama and Elliotts story of second chance romance was beautifully written. The chapters about their past from Elliott’s perspective added so much to his storyline and you got insight into what he was thinking/ going through. Cannot recommend enough!

Wow! I think I’ve found a new favorite book. From the witty writing to the steamy scenes it was perfection!!!

Meet Elliot a grumpy flower shop owner and Ama and up and coming wedding planner. They have a past (although we aren’t sure what) and admittedly now avoid working together at all costs…. Until now.

Forced proximity? Check.
Sunshine x Grumpy trope? Check.
Second chance romance? Check.
Steamy scenes? Check. Check. Check.

Julie is a master at her craft and is sure to make you laugh out loud and feel all the feel within a matter of minutes. Can’t wait to read more from her!

I was really excited because I have read this authors work previously. And when I found out they had a published book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it… however, this didn’t have any of the magic and pull that their other work did. From the first page I did not have that pull to keep reading it. I wasn’t feeling the characters, nor the story or any aspect of this book. Disappointed:(

Wow this was an addicting romance from Julie Soto! Second chance romance is definitely one of my top romance sub-genres because of the angst, tension, and pining that comes between the two main characters, and Julie Soto did not fail to deliver any of these with Ama and Elliott. I was on the edge of my seat scrutinizing every single one of their interactions during their wedding planning collaboration, and I really enjoyed the dual POV as well. I thought the storytelling was so unique in the way that most of the time, Ama's POV was in present-day and Elliott's POV was in the past. I feel like this allowed us to see two different sides of each character, and really added to their development. I also found the recurring personality traits among each character--such as Ama's love for donuts and Elliott's procedure of making a symbolic bouquet for each customer that walks into his shop--really fun. The wedding planning aspect of the novel was also super interested and made me so invested in Hazel and Jackie's wedding even though I don't know the first thing about weddings.

I'm curious to know if Julie Soto has more books planned in this universe and if so, which characters we'll be following next! Definitely pick this book up if you're a fan of second chance romances!

100/10. I was instantly drawn to this book because of the cover because look at them?! but I literally devoured this book so quickly you would’ve never known i’ve been in a reading slump for 4 months. This was the most perfect slowburn second chance romance. & when i say slowburn, i mean it.

Ama is a wedding planner who recently started her own business after working for a raging bitch named Whitney. She books her first high profile wedding and the couple has a non-negotiable florist, Elliot, they want to use. Who just do happens to be Ama’s ex? fling? tbd.

This book is super well-written, it does have a very wattpad fanfic read to it (which is not a bad thing at all!!)It’s defiantly more witty millennial humor but not the cringey inserting pop culture kind. Which was great especially considering i’m that wierd inbetween of Gen Z and Millennial. It really sucks you into the story so we’ll. The need to know how this wedding plays out, and ESPECIALLY why there is this weird tension between Ama and Elliot and how their story years prior led to now.

It’s been a mintue since i was staying up late when i had to work super early because of a book so that really says something. It was amazing, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Talked about self confidence, breaking generational thinking. So well done.

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever for the opportunity to read this eARC. ❤️

Wow. This book left me a little speechless, which doesn't happen often, as my close reader friends would know.

This is probably the most romatic and perfectly imperfect story I have EVER read. And it's probably my dreams came true in book form. I can't even write this without getting weepy. It was very special, deeply emotional and personal for me, because of my years if experience with wedding planning, flowers, setting and my true view of 'marriage' and 'commitment' and how much I related to EVERYTHING. Like, literally, EVERYTHING. At the 4% mark I was already telling my friends to pre-order and how it felt like someone wrote a book about my life, almost.

Forever/Grandcentral, thank you for the ARC!!
You made my day - and my year, as in July I will be deep in wedding season and a half-functioning human and I probably won't be able to read it then. :( (I hope international release date is the same though, as I will need a physical copy and keep it as my bible.) Also, if you want an unbiased opinion of this book, maybe ask someone else? I'm too obsessed and 'in' it to keep it objective, I don't think I ever connected so much with a story and the characters.

But beside my personal connection, Forget Me Not is all around awesome. From the dual POV and dual timelines, to the heroine's voice, the wedding adventures, the second characters, the vibe, the spice - everything, superb.

This a very well written, well balanced, realistic, quirky yet emotional story that I'm sure a lot of Romance (RomCom) readers will love. Ali Hazelwood's fans will eat it up! It's going to be the next phenomenon and I'm grateful to get a first look at it. It's addictive, beautiful and has the most gorgeous settings, hilarious characters and intense feels. You get a second chance romance story with all the angst, questions, love and insecurities that tie these two lovelies together. It's dual POV, so get ready for the Then and Now it all its raw, heartfelt and at times awkward glory.

Also, Julie, mind if I steal some of these wedding ideas? I'll give credit. And discounts. And I'll even make my florist take a pic with the book when it comes out, with his tattoos and studio on display. :D

*review links to come closer to the release date

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

As someone who has loved Julie's writing for a long time, ao3 dramione reader here. I went into this book with high expectations and I was NOT disappointed! If anything I was blow away by how much I loved this book. I could gush about it for hours, I am not even sure how many highlights I have in my kindle for this book but it was quite a few! There was many things to love about this book starting with the fact that it has two of my favorite tropes...grumpy/sunshine and he falls first. I am sucker for those, throw in that he is a moody, tatted florist and completely in love with the cute and lovable wedding planner....I was sold immediately. Elliott is one of my new favorite book boyfriends and he reminds me a little bit of a certain blonde book boyfriend *cough Draco* that I know Julie loves but he stands on his own as a top book boyfriend in my opinion. The amount of chest pains I had while reading this was insane, so many feelings both good and sad. These characters have been through a lot and while I have never been through the same things, the way they responded to the trauma and dealt with everything was so relatable. In short this book gave me tingles and anxiety, both in the best way so you should go preorder this book asap!
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Oh my goodness!
Never in my life would I thought that I’d be this IN LOVE with a florist. Elliot with his gosh darn TATTOOS and the meanings behind them 😍. Also, can we talk about how absolutely beautiful the name Amaryllis is???!!!!!
I absolutely love a grumpy/protective/ hostile main man!
But I love how Ama doesn’t take anything and will get what she wants 😍
Honestly can’t wait for the next book because I also love a good proposal story;)

This was absolutely delightful! I was lucky enough to get an alc of the audiobook and I read it in just about 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the premise. A wedding planner and a grumpy florist she is forced to work with, except they’re exes. I also really liked the format where Ama was telling their story in the present and Elliot was telling them story from the past until they met at the end.

I loved the wedding planning aspect and seeing how Ama out the wedding together. This was a little steamier than I was expecting but I was here for it! I also loved the narration and it was so well done.

I can’t wait for more books from Julie Soto!

Julie Soto is my favorite author ever. Period.
She knows how to write longing SO WELL. I was obsessed with Ama and Elliot and their tension from their first 3 “sentence” phone call. Elliot is the perfect grumpy but smitten book boyfriend and Ama is so relatable and witty and such a girl boss. I love reading about a love that supports and encourages and makes each other better. Julie was able to fit that into this story so well. This story was the perfect balance of funny, witty, and emotional. So many fluffy feelings. It’s early in the year, but I have no doubt that Forget Me Not will for sure be my favorite read of the year. Julie Soto has a number one fan in me forever.

This book was so cute! I love the grumpy : sunshine trope. I also love all things weddings so this was so fun. I read it in a matter of hours and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.