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Forget Me Not
An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.
He loves me; he loves me not...
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As asmall business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almostperfect�
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father lefthim the flower shop, he consideredit a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there's a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. 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. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot's hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
He loves me; he loves me not...
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As asmall business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almostperfect�
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father lefthim the flower shop, he consideredit a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there's a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. 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. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot's hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2023
2303 people are currently reading
93729 people want to read
About the author
Julie Soto
4books5,117followersJULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,173 reviews
July 28, 2024
second chance romances don’t usually do it for me but this one did!
also the way this book was formatted in past and present chapters was actually insane because i couldn’t put this one down. i literally woke up, read the whole thing, and now im writing this review 😎
it’s funny cuz the brooding, grumpy, and rude mmc owns a flower shop� he’s really just a gentle, soft, and vulnerable man at the core. ugh this man’s love was so gentle and sweet and kind. the way he tried at all times to not like Ama’s personality but really he was falling hard the entire time. i loved that even though this was second chance, the love was always still there for the both of them, like no body just fell out of love😭🫶🏽
“it’s been years, and I can still tell you the number of days since she last needed me. Since I last held her through the night.� eliot STOP 🥲 Nothing and everything was said…and I agree.
my favorite scene was when Ama injured herself and Eliot dropped everything to save the day and HER!! i felt his masculine energy.
also the way this book was formatted in past and present chapters was actually insane because i couldn’t put this one down. i literally woke up, read the whole thing, and now im writing this review 😎
it’s funny cuz the brooding, grumpy, and rude mmc owns a flower shop� he’s really just a gentle, soft, and vulnerable man at the core. ugh this man’s love was so gentle and sweet and kind. the way he tried at all times to not like Ama’s personality but really he was falling hard the entire time. i loved that even though this was second chance, the love was always still there for the both of them, like no body just fell out of love😭🫶🏽
“it’s been years, and I can still tell you the number of days since she last needed me. Since I last held her through the night.� eliot STOP 🥲 Nothing and everything was said…and I agree.
my favorite scene was when Ama injured herself and Eliot dropped everything to save the day and HER!! i felt his masculine energy.
June 12, 2024
I just can't find a second chance romance that works for me 😭 I really tried with this one. The way this one started had me in awe, I was enjoying it so much. But the romance itself is very underdeveloped and weak imo.
The first half had me giggling, feeling the angst and the anticipation of the two coming together kept me so interested. The banter was chef's kiss. The second half fell apart. The only thing I consistently liked throughout the book was the wedding planning.
I would have liked it much more if the characters had spent more time together in the present than in the past. The flashbacks told from Elliot's pov were intriguing but they don't offer anything new. All there is to him is that he is grumpy and had a close relationship with his father, which I liked. Ama, in the present is a completely different person than what Elliot sees her as. It feels like reading about two different women and I didn't get to know both. It would have helped if the step sibling dynamics would have been explored more.
The romance is minimal. Like 80% of the book is circling in the past. When it's time to deal with the present, their issues get resolved suddenly and boom, book's over. The angst in the beginning was really good, I was liking it a lot but there was no chemistry in the present. They don't really talk!! I also found the reason for breaking up dumb from both ends. Firstly, Elliot knew what she didn't want so springing that up on her was wrong. Secondly, Ama was/is too immature for commitment. There is no character growth in her to suggest she might not back out later. Sure, she did take a step towards it but I don't buy it. Also can we talk about the weird sex? It was fine at first but always orgasming to flowers and tattoos?? ALL THE TIME?? Heck no.
The ending was fine by me. It made sense from Elliot's perspective. Like his hurt is valid too. I think these two are the sort who will never last. Given the lack of character growth, in particular Ama's, I don't believe she will stick with it. She will break up multiple times with Elliot, like her mother. There is literally no growth in her suggesting otherwise.
•~•~
Second chance romances usually don't work for me but I have heard good things about this one... And it's on my physical shelf. Going in with a lot of hope 🤞
The first half had me giggling, feeling the angst and the anticipation of the two coming together kept me so interested. The banter was chef's kiss. The second half fell apart. The only thing I consistently liked throughout the book was the wedding planning.
I would have liked it much more if the characters had spent more time together in the present than in the past. The flashbacks told from Elliot's pov were intriguing but they don't offer anything new. All there is to him is that he is grumpy and had a close relationship with his father, which I liked. Ama, in the present is a completely different person than what Elliot sees her as. It feels like reading about two different women and I didn't get to know both. It would have helped if the step sibling dynamics would have been explored more.
The romance is minimal. Like 80% of the book is circling in the past. When it's time to deal with the present, their issues get resolved suddenly and boom, book's over. The angst in the beginning was really good, I was liking it a lot but there was no chemistry in the present. They don't really talk!! I also found the reason for breaking up dumb from both ends. Firstly, Elliot knew what she didn't want so springing that up on her was wrong. Secondly, Ama was/is too immature for commitment. There is no character growth in her to suggest she might not back out later. Sure, she did take a step towards it but I don't buy it. Also can we talk about the weird sex? It was fine at first but always orgasming to flowers and tattoos?? ALL THE TIME?? Heck no.
The ending was fine by me. It made sense from Elliot's perspective. Like his hurt is valid too. I think these two are the sort who will never last. Given the lack of character growth, in particular Ama's, I don't believe she will stick with it. She will break up multiple times with Elliot, like her mother. There is literally no growth in her suggesting otherwise.
•~•~
Second chance romances usually don't work for me but I have heard good things about this one... And it's on my physical shelf. Going in with a lot of hope 🤞
July 21, 2024
as a man why are u wearing skinny jeans
March 14, 2024
4 stars 🌸
This book was fun, full of passion, heart-aching moments between the main characters, and a perfect second chance romance book! I haven't read much in this trope, but this book was so refreshing, and I enjoyed it so much! 🥺
╰┈� AMA TORRES & ELLIOT BLOOM:
Ama � is a wedding planner who's inspired by her mother's weddings and has a small-scale business. She's the best at what she does and has an easy-going personality that warms her way into her clients' hearts. However, she has her own flaws: misunderstood concepts about love and marriage, insecurities from her past job, and a lack of self-acceptance, which made her unhappy on many occasions.
Elliot � this incredibly attractive man with a man-bun 🤭—is a florist and architect. Like Ama, he excels at his work and ideas, doing everything perfectly. He's grumpy, reserved, and closed off by nature, not necessarily liking to be around people. He became a florist after his father died and he inherited the shop. ELLIOT, GOD, HE WAS SO GOOD. HE HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR HER.💞�
He had flower tattoos on different body areas and THE ONE ON HIS HEART: AMARYLLIS. 😭💗
╰┈� THEIR RELATIONSHIP:
When Ama started her own business, she eventually warmed her way into Elliot's heart, and they started doing business together, which developed into something much more meaningful over time, and they fell in love.
Promises scared Ama because they're often meant to be broken, and her mother's perspective on marriages being just parties was etched deep in her mind. Elliot was anything but casual; he wanted FOREVER. One event, one night eventually led to a breakup just because she told him she loved him, and he said he wanted to marry her, but she was afraid that she could never give him what he wants.
When Elliot cried after she broke up with him—my heart ached so badly—ugh, I'm so sad; he's too precious, wth 😭💔 And I can't believe all those years he thought that IT WAS HIS FAULT THAT SHE LEFT HIM, BECAUSE HE COULDN'T STAY CONTENTED WITH WHAT SHE WAS GIVING HIM.
╰┈� FINAL THOUGHTS:
This book was different in many ways; it had the current events in Ama's POV, but all the flashbacks were from Elliot's POV, which actually hooked me to this book. Elliot's first and last thoughts about her were interesting, and his feelings for her were so raw. 🥺
I can't really comment on the emotional attachment because the relationship started purely physical with cute moments, and in the flashbacks, it eventually grew into a lot more. I'm not complaining about that, but when Ama and Elliot started working together, and after Ama realized and told him that she still loved him—he felt conflicted at first and left—but the next day, they got back together for a new beginning! I was hoping that maybe Ama is gonna explain to him why she was conflicted on the day he asked her to marry her and you know, full-on confessions, but there was none. The epilogue was good, and yet it wasn't enough because HE STILL DIDN'T PROPOSE.
If there's another book soon to be published, please, ASAP. 🙏🏻
The present chapters mostly revolved around the influential and famous wedding of Hazel and Jackie—the golden chance for Ama to boost her career—and it actually revolved so much around her business and her own life. Elliot and Ama had so few interactions in the present, but to be honest, the first ones had me so giddy, and I was getting so much tension on their behalf! 🤭
This book was cute, and I would love another book. The fanart on the cover is so, so, so freaking beautiful I can't! 🥵
❝I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
This book was fun, full of passion, heart-aching moments between the main characters, and a perfect second chance romance book! I haven't read much in this trope, but this book was so refreshing, and I enjoyed it so much! 🥺
╰┈� AMA TORRES & ELLIOT BLOOM:
Ama � is a wedding planner who's inspired by her mother's weddings and has a small-scale business. She's the best at what she does and has an easy-going personality that warms her way into her clients' hearts. However, she has her own flaws: misunderstood concepts about love and marriage, insecurities from her past job, and a lack of self-acceptance, which made her unhappy on many occasions.
❝If there’s one thing Elliot Bloom is not, it’s casual.�
Elliot � this incredibly attractive man with a man-bun 🤭—is a florist and architect. Like Ama, he excels at his work and ideas, doing everything perfectly. He's grumpy, reserved, and closed off by nature, not necessarily liking to be around people. He became a florist after his father died and he inherited the shop. ELLIOT, GOD, HE WAS SO GOOD. HE HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR HER.💞�
He had flower tattoos on different body areas and THE ONE ON HIS HEART: AMARYLLIS. 😭💗
╰┈� THEIR RELATIONSHIP:
❝Why begin when it will end?�
When Ama started her own business, she eventually warmed her way into Elliot's heart, and they started doing business together, which developed into something much more meaningful over time, and they fell in love.
❝If you want to move forward with whatever this is between us, you don't have to worry about me backing out.�
Promises scared Ama because they're often meant to be broken, and her mother's perspective on marriages being just parties was etched deep in her mind. Elliot was anything but casual; he wanted FOREVER. One event, one night eventually led to a breakup just because she told him she loved him, and he said he wanted to marry her, but she was afraid that she could never give him what he wants.
❝She said his last girlfriend broke his heart real good.�
When Elliot cried after she broke up with him—my heart ached so badly—ugh, I'm so sad; he's too precious, wth 😭💔 And I can't believe all those years he thought that IT WAS HIS FAULT THAT SHE LEFT HIM, BECAUSE HE COULDN'T STAY CONTENTED WITH WHAT SHE WAS GIVING HIM.
╰┈� FINAL THOUGHTS:
❝His mother says he doesn’t date. Isn’t that sad?�
This book was different in many ways; it had the current events in Ama's POV, but all the flashbacks were from Elliot's POV, which actually hooked me to this book. Elliot's first and last thoughts about her were interesting, and his feelings for her were so raw. 🥺
❝It’s been years, and I can still tell you the number of days since she last needed me. Since I last held her through the night.�
I can't really comment on the emotional attachment because the relationship started purely physical with cute moments, and in the flashbacks, it eventually grew into a lot more. I'm not complaining about that, but when Ama and Elliot started working together, and after Ama realized and told him that she still loved him—he felt conflicted at first and left—but the next day, they got back together for a new beginning! I was hoping that maybe Ama is gonna explain to him why she was conflicted on the day he asked her to marry her and you know, full-on confessions, but there was none. The epilogue was good, and yet it wasn't enough because HE STILL DIDN'T PROPOSE.
❝I love a good proposal story, but my favorite one I’ve heard? Well, I’ll let you know when he says yes.�
If there's another book soon to be published, please, ASAP. 🙏🏻
The present chapters mostly revolved around the influential and famous wedding of Hazel and Jackie—the golden chance for Ama to boost her career—and it actually revolved so much around her business and her own life. Elliot and Ama had so few interactions in the present, but to be honest, the first ones had me so giddy, and I was getting so much tension on their behalf! 🤭
This book was cute, and I would love another book. The fanart on the cover is so, so, so freaking beautiful I can't! 🥵
January 7, 2024
this was cute! i really adored the opening and really felt for both hero and heroine. i wanted to know why they broke up because their tension and chemistry in present day was super palpable.
but, totally just a me thing, this kind of stressed me out? i don't like weddings and i really hated planning my own so reading a book about it wasn't my fave. i did read the synopsis but wasn't sure how much time would be spent on actual wedding planning. answer: literally all of it.
i also think the scenes in the past weren't totally convincing. i almost never think this but i kind of wish there hadn't been flashbacks. i would have liked to just know the reason for the breakup and see them working together and growing closer in the present day. i think because of the flashbacks, not as much was done with these two working side by side idk.
totally interested in more books from this author tho. this is a fantastic debut.
but, totally just a me thing, this kind of stressed me out? i don't like weddings and i really hated planning my own so reading a book about it wasn't my fave. i did read the synopsis but wasn't sure how much time would be spent on actual wedding planning. answer: literally all of it.
i also think the scenes in the past weren't totally convincing. i almost never think this but i kind of wish there hadn't been flashbacks. i would have liked to just know the reason for the breakup and see them working together and growing closer in the present day. i think because of the flashbacks, not as much was done with these two working side by side idk.
totally interested in more books from this author tho. this is a fantastic debut.
September 5, 2023
4.5 stars
a deadly combination that has the power to wreck me?second chance romances mingled with two distinct timelines.
what i find outstanding about 'Forget Me Not' is how the past chapters retracing the protagonists� relationship were mainly recounted from the main male character point of view and how the present chapters were transcribed from the female protagonist’s perspective only.
there were some fragments of their past relationship drawn as memories here and there in the present chapters. the flashbacks ricocheted in the female protagonist’s subconscience whenever she noticed that something has drastically changed in Elliot’s life reminding Ama about a conversation or a specific comment she made that Elliot somehow followed�in someway he trusted her judgment after their breakup.
as the story followed its wake we witness the context in which that conversation happened or why that innocent comment was made in the first place.
with juxtaposing the events and memories i loved how subtly the author played the card of authenticity and realism with their relationship. i cried with Ama in present chapters and ached, hurt for Elliot in the past ones.
i dont want to delve more into details about this book because it was a plaisant surprise to dive into it only knowing that it was a sort of romcom with a wedding planner trying to work closely with her florist, ex-boyfriend.
•~•~•~
joining the train because yall are selling it as the best second chance romance 😋 hope it delivers!!!
� You may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had ‘everything� with me. �
� Because we were. We were forever. �
a deadly combination that has the power to wreck me?second chance romances mingled with two distinct timelines.
what i find outstanding about 'Forget Me Not' is how the past chapters retracing the protagonists� relationship were mainly recounted from the main male character point of view and how the present chapters were transcribed from the female protagonist’s perspective only.
"I almost hope there was someone after me, someone who broke him differently. Because I’m not worth three years of someone’s life."
there were some fragments of their past relationship drawn as memories here and there in the present chapters. the flashbacks ricocheted in the female protagonist’s subconscience whenever she noticed that something has drastically changed in Elliot’s life reminding Ama about a conversation or a specific comment she made that Elliot somehow followed�in someway he trusted her judgment after their breakup.
"Sometimes I feel like she blew into my life like a hurricane and barely left me a second to catch my bearings."
as the story followed its wake we witness the context in which that conversation happened or why that innocent comment was made in the first place.
with juxtaposing the events and memories i loved how subtly the author played the card of authenticity and realism with their relationship. i cried with Ama in present chapters and ached, hurt for Elliot in the past ones.
i dont want to delve more into details about this book because it was a plaisant surprise to dive into it only knowing that it was a sort of romcom with a wedding planner trying to work closely with her florist, ex-boyfriend.
"The idea that she wants to look into the future and still see me is intoxicating. It whispers promises into my chest that she’s making clear she won’t voice aloud.
•~•~•~
joining the train because yall are selling it as the best second chance romance 😋 hope it delivers!!!
April 5, 2024
This is one of the most highly anticipated romance novels of 2023, and it definitely lives up to the hype! The passion, blooming romance, and heartbreaking love story of Ama and Elliott caught me off guard. Of course, two of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers and grumpy meets sunshine - are perfectly blended into their love story!
The "Wedding Planner meets Bed of Roses" storyline is also alluring and captivating enough to make you root for the entire execution!
I have to admit, I couldn't get into the story at the beginning. The main characters didn't spend much time in the same room, and Elliott's backwards narration made me a little impatient. I just wanted to learn their story and more about the characters. I even found Elliott too rude, reserved, and extra grumpy. At first, I thought of giving the book three stars, but in the second half, the pacing picked up, the sparks started flying, and the emotions were all over the place. I literally fell in love with our grumpy hero, who might be a cinnamon bun hiding behind a rough facade. He acted like a knight in shining armor, intervening at the right time to save Ama's day and her career. We finally had a chance to see his kind and caring side.
The story revolves around Ama, a wedding planner inspired by her mother's weddings, and Elliott, who inherited his father's flower business and dropped out of college, giving up his dream of becoming an architect.
Ama finally has a chance to plan the wedding of a famous influencer and her fiancé, which could put her on the map as Sacramento's most popular wedding planner. But the offer comes with a catch: the couple has already hired a florist, her ex-lover Elliott, whom she broke up with two years ago. She has done her best to stay away from the weddings he has worked on so far, but now she has to brainstorm creative ideas to thrive in her career and plan the wedding of Hazel and Jackie's dreams. Can she set her boundaries and act professionally even though Elliott keeps resenting her?
But the sparks between them are still there, and they make an amazing team. Can she give them a second chance and make up for the lost years?
Overall, especially the second half of the book, exceeded my expectations. It was heartwarming, entertaining, and romantic, making me smile from ear to ear!
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The "Wedding Planner meets Bed of Roses" storyline is also alluring and captivating enough to make you root for the entire execution!
I have to admit, I couldn't get into the story at the beginning. The main characters didn't spend much time in the same room, and Elliott's backwards narration made me a little impatient. I just wanted to learn their story and more about the characters. I even found Elliott too rude, reserved, and extra grumpy. At first, I thought of giving the book three stars, but in the second half, the pacing picked up, the sparks started flying, and the emotions were all over the place. I literally fell in love with our grumpy hero, who might be a cinnamon bun hiding behind a rough facade. He acted like a knight in shining armor, intervening at the right time to save Ama's day and her career. We finally had a chance to see his kind and caring side.
The story revolves around Ama, a wedding planner inspired by her mother's weddings, and Elliott, who inherited his father's flower business and dropped out of college, giving up his dream of becoming an architect.
Ama finally has a chance to plan the wedding of a famous influencer and her fiancé, which could put her on the map as Sacramento's most popular wedding planner. But the offer comes with a catch: the couple has already hired a florist, her ex-lover Elliott, whom she broke up with two years ago. She has done her best to stay away from the weddings he has worked on so far, but now she has to brainstorm creative ideas to thrive in her career and plan the wedding of Hazel and Jackie's dreams. Can she set her boundaries and act professionally even though Elliott keeps resenting her?
But the sparks between them are still there, and they make an amazing team. Can she give them a second chance and make up for the lost years?
Overall, especially the second half of the book, exceeded my expectations. It was heartwarming, entertaining, and romantic, making me smile from ear to ear!
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January 23, 2024
Two idiots who wouldn’t know how to communicate if they were given translators decide to start banging even though it’s a terrible idea. She’s a wedding planner who doesn’t know her own mind and he’s a grumpy dick who gets corny tattoos. In case you missed it the first forty-five times it’s mentioned, Ama likes donuts and has a nut allergy that is both deadly and apparently not that bad. Her mother has been married sixteen times and she has never been to therapy; her eyes also sparkle approximately once every four pages. Elliot just wants to be left alone to angrily run his family’s business and I want that for him too. The villain is supposed to be a former colleague but it’s really Ama’s inability to take care of herself. Do not read this book if you are easily annoyed by things.
February 11, 2025
boring.
March 21, 2024
�4 stars 🌸🌺
✎� “I want to know you. I want to know what you like, what you hate–even if it’s me. I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
❀Quick Summary:
One sunshiny up-and-coming wedding planner, one grumpy florist/architect, a complicated baggage-filled romantic past…and a giant high-profile wedding to execute. I’m not worried…are you?? 😅
❀My Thoughts:
I loved this!! 😍
Years ago, I worked as a wedding server/set-up assistant at a local venue and this brought back so many memories (the good, the bad, and the flirty LOL). Forget Me Not is written in a dual, first person POV, with 95% of the MMCs POV set 3-5 years before the present (aka Ama and Elliot’s messy past).
Ama Torres, my girl. I adore this short, spunky lady that goes after what she wants in life! Her own wedding planning business? Done. The hot florist who says a whopping 2 words to her? Reallllllly done 😏. Laughed every time her blinking hazard of a car was mentioned, bc not me being the exact same ignoring every warning my car shouts at me 🫣. Honestly amazed it still functioned! And her growth? I actually appreciated how she held firm to her beliefs in the past, but LOVED when she finally stood up for herself and realized her worth and what she truly wanted. I only wish this wedding was real bc I would have killed to see the actual thing!!
Elliot Bloom, yes, his last name really is Bloom. The way Soto juggled Ama and Elliot’s POVs was unique: we get Ama’s present-day growth and regrets, but Elliot’s past developing feelings and him FALLING FIRST 😮💨👏� This fineee tattooed (side note: I'm obsessed with the idea behind his ink) man shows up for Ama, taking care of her, ensuring the biggest day of her career goes as well as it can, even with all of its hiccups. Was he the definition of a typical idiotic man in the past by not listening to Ama’s CLEAR wishes?? Why yes, of course. Why would we ever expect less?? 😅 But it made their second-chance romance that much sweeter in the end.
❀Would I Recommend?
Do you love a chaotic wedding day? Love hearing about the ins-and-outs of wedding planning? Enjoy a solid grumpy grump and sunshiny sunshine? Then absolutely YES I’d recommend!! I'm so happy my first birthday week read delivered!! 🥰
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・�*
Pre-review:
It’s my birthday week and almost ARIES SEASON ♈�, this better be the best start to my week (and plz help with my slumppp 😩) 🥳🥂🎂🥰💃🏻
✎� “I want to know you. I want to know what you like, what you hate–even if it’s me. I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
❀Quick Summary:
One sunshiny up-and-coming wedding planner, one grumpy florist/architect, a complicated baggage-filled romantic past…and a giant high-profile wedding to execute. I’m not worried…are you?? 😅
❀My Thoughts:
I loved this!! 😍
Years ago, I worked as a wedding server/set-up assistant at a local venue and this brought back so many memories (the good, the bad, and the flirty LOL). Forget Me Not is written in a dual, first person POV, with 95% of the MMCs POV set 3-5 years before the present (aka Ama and Elliot’s messy past).
✎�“Why begin, when it will end?�
Ama Torres, my girl. I adore this short, spunky lady that goes after what she wants in life! Her own wedding planning business? Done. The hot florist who says a whopping 2 words to her? Reallllllly done 😏. Laughed every time her blinking hazard of a car was mentioned, bc not me being the exact same ignoring every warning my car shouts at me 🫣. Honestly amazed it still functioned! And her growth? I actually appreciated how she held firm to her beliefs in the past, but LOVED when she finally stood up for herself and realized her worth and what she truly wanted. I only wish this wedding was real bc I would have killed to see the actual thing!!
✎�“I want you to look debauched when I’m debauching you.�
Elliot Bloom, yes, his last name really is Bloom. The way Soto juggled Ama and Elliot’s POVs was unique: we get Ama’s present-day growth and regrets, but Elliot’s past developing feelings and him FALLING FIRST 😮💨👏� This fineee tattooed (side note: I'm obsessed with the idea behind his ink) man shows up for Ama, taking care of her, ensuring the biggest day of her career goes as well as it can, even with all of its hiccups. Was he the definition of a typical idiotic man in the past by not listening to Ama’s CLEAR wishes?? Why yes, of course. Why would we ever expect less?? 😅 But it made their second-chance romance that much sweeter in the end.
❀Would I Recommend?
Do you love a chaotic wedding day? Love hearing about the ins-and-outs of wedding planning? Enjoy a solid grumpy grump and sunshiny sunshine? Then absolutely YES I’d recommend!! I'm so happy my first birthday week read delivered!! 🥰
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・�*
Pre-review:
It’s my birthday week and almost ARIES SEASON ♈�, this better be the best start to my week (and plz help with my slumppp 😩) 🥳🥂🎂🥰💃🏻
September 11, 2023
“I never wanted someone like this—their body, their conversations, their mind…�
This is one amazing debut! 😍
Second chance romances are my kryptonite. It’s my favourite trope and 99.9% of the time, they work for me and this was no exception. I LOVED it.
What makes this trope even better for me is that they tend to come with past and present timelines and this one included that particular element.
I find that they always add nuance and clarity to the story and I loved seeing their relationship develop then and now.
The present timelines are from the POV of the heroine. The past timeline is where you get to know our hero more.
And let me tell you, what they had was magic! 🥹 Their connection was almost instantaneous.
I like that this took a slightly different spin on the stereotypical. Usually, it’s the man that’s reluctant to be in a committed relationship.
In this case, my baby Elliot, was all in. All fuckin� in. He loved so hard!
But Ama, having seen her mother’s marriages (yes, plural) continuously fail, never saw anything close to a commitment in her future. Her scars ran deep.
But then she met Elliot. 🥰 And whilst things felt different with him, she still couldn’t allow herself to go there.
“Flowers are better than people.�
I loved the weddings shenanigans! I loved the flowers and their added meaning. I appreciated the creativity of it all and loved how much both of those things played an important role in the story without it taking away from the development of the romance and the characters.
I was nervous that the conflict would’ve been too melodramatic or unreasonable, but it didn’t feel that way to me. I liked how the author handled it.
I think I can see myself rereading this. I hope Julie Soto has more books set in this world she’s created. It felt so comforting being here and I really want to see Ama and Elliot again. 😭
*Trigger warnings for loss of a parent through cancer*
This is one amazing debut! 😍
Second chance romances are my kryptonite. It’s my favourite trope and 99.9% of the time, they work for me and this was no exception. I LOVED it.
What makes this trope even better for me is that they tend to come with past and present timelines and this one included that particular element.
I find that they always add nuance and clarity to the story and I loved seeing their relationship develop then and now.
The present timelines are from the POV of the heroine. The past timeline is where you get to know our hero more.
And let me tell you, what they had was magic! 🥹 Their connection was almost instantaneous.
I like that this took a slightly different spin on the stereotypical. Usually, it’s the man that’s reluctant to be in a committed relationship.
In this case, my baby Elliot, was all in. All fuckin� in. He loved so hard!
But Ama, having seen her mother’s marriages (yes, plural) continuously fail, never saw anything close to a commitment in her future. Her scars ran deep.
But then she met Elliot. 🥰 And whilst things felt different with him, she still couldn’t allow herself to go there.
“Flowers are better than people.�
I loved the weddings shenanigans! I loved the flowers and their added meaning. I appreciated the creativity of it all and loved how much both of those things played an important role in the story without it taking away from the development of the romance and the characters.
I was nervous that the conflict would’ve been too melodramatic or unreasonable, but it didn’t feel that way to me. I liked how the author handled it.
I think I can see myself rereading this. I hope Julie Soto has more books set in this world she’s created. It felt so comforting being here and I really want to see Ama and Elliot again. 😭
*Trigger warnings for loss of a parent through cancer*
July 18, 2023
A romance? Where???
I’ve been bamboozled. I couldn’t even tell Elliot liked Ama until like 65% into it. He barely spoke and when he did he was a dick lol
This was like a chick lit book about a wedding planner. Romance felt v subplot and i didn’t buy their romance in the past or present.
Elliot wasn’t likable. Ama was stressed out the whole time and I couldn’t tell you a single moment she was happy. The side characters were fine. The plot consisted of planning a wedding.
I really can’t find much I liked about this. Sorry to all those who loved it. I just don’t understand 🥲
I’ve been bamboozled. I couldn’t even tell Elliot liked Ama until like 65% into it. He barely spoke and when he did he was a dick lol
This was like a chick lit book about a wedding planner. Romance felt v subplot and i didn’t buy their romance in the past or present.
Elliot wasn’t likable. Ama was stressed out the whole time and I couldn’t tell you a single moment she was happy. The side characters were fine. The plot consisted of planning a wedding.
I really can’t find much I liked about this. Sorry to all those who loved it. I just don’t understand 🥲
October 28, 2023
“You may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had ‘everything� with me.�
Second chance romance trope is one of my many favourite trope because of angsty and heart-aching moments between the main characters. While this book lacked on the angst part it had some heart-aching, cute, and funny moments. This also had grumpy meets sunshine and a bit of hate to love trope—both perfectly blended together. This was a great debut novel and I enjoyed Julie's writing and her use of prose. It was simply beautiful, easy and enjoyable to read.
There were two different timelines from both the character's point of view. I loved that Elliot's chapter recounted the past timeline and how they met and how their relationship developed and Ama's chapter narrated the present timeline and how they are going to work together after 2 years of not seeing each other. Both the timelines added nuance and clarity to the story. I enjoyed the past timeline the most and mostly because that's where I got to know more about Elliot and his feelings. The present timeline felt like it was only about wedding planning and Ama stressing over wedding planning. I needed more of Elliot in the present chapters. I wish there was less wedding planning and more attention towards Elliot and Ama's relationship in the present timeline. I felt like was taking a crash course in wedding planning.
� Elliot Bloom
He is a florist who is the the biggest and the sweetest grump ever with his tattoos (i mean look at the cover) and brooding personality but he also had a soft and caring side. I liked Ama but I loved Elliot. He was a reserved person who takes time to open up to people. He fell first and harder for Ama. He always waited for the right time with Ama and then left heartbroken in the end. Elliot was a commitment type of guy who would one day settle and have a family and I hated how Ama broke his heart because of her insecurities about marriages. He helped Ama everytime he could, made sacrifices for her, and did everything he could to keep her with him. How many times I've seen him suppress his own wishes and desires because he only ever wanted Ama. He deserved so much better in this book.
� Ama Torres
Extrovert, funny and sunshine Ama. I loved her passion for wedding planning but at some point her whole personality was "wedding planning" and her longing for Elliot. I wish I got to know more about her character because I didn't feel connected to her the way I felt with Elliot. She had insecurities about marriage because of how her mother got married 16 times and everytime her mother left her marriage it broke something inside her. So Ama never wanted to get married. She loved hearing proposal stories but she never wanted a one for herself. And I get some people had their own fears related to marriage and I completely understand that about her but she always knew what Elliot wanted from her and I liked how she was clear about her insecurities and intentions towards marriage with him. But I hated how she blamed him for what happened to them. Both of them were at fault but for her it was Elliot who broke their relationship not her.
╰┈� Ama and Elliot
Their relationship was more physical and less emotional. It took them some time develop the emotional aspect. There was forced proximity because they both worked together in the past timeline and it added to the tension and spark between them. The had chemistry in both the timelines but I needed more angst in present timeline. Its a prerequisite for a second chance trope! Also Elliot and Ama had very few moments in the present timeline. Most of them were for work or wedding planning.
I loved how Elliot was always there for Ama and helped her everytime. He was a florist but he was always ready to become her assistant to help her out. They never had the same views on the marriages and thats what led to their downfall and it broke my heart to see Elliot crying because he just wanted something more from Ama and she couldn't give it to him. I liked how Ama was the one to make everything right between them in the end and how she accepted her insecurities but was also ready to start something new with Elliot.
The ending was perfect. I liked how there was no Ama and Elliot wedding and how they were both taking their time to date each other and to know more about each other while making up for the lost time. <>But I do wish we get a bonus scene or something for their wedding and happily ever after.>
“Because we were. We were forever.�
� To my sweetest friend Shanayaa,
I had a really great and the best time reading this book with you and obsessing over Elliot—his grumpiness and his tattoos. Thankyou so much for listening to my rants and everything. I can't wait to read more books with you in future 🫶🏼💘
—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
Rn all i can see is that he has tattoos on his forearms 🫠
Buddy reading this with my gorgeous bestieee Shanayaa 🤭 so excited for this bcs its a SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE!??!?!?
Second chance romance trope is one of my many favourite trope because of angsty and heart-aching moments between the main characters. While this book lacked on the angst part it had some heart-aching, cute, and funny moments. This also had grumpy meets sunshine and a bit of hate to love trope—both perfectly blended together. This was a great debut novel and I enjoyed Julie's writing and her use of prose. It was simply beautiful, easy and enjoyable to read.
“I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
There were two different timelines from both the character's point of view. I loved that Elliot's chapter recounted the past timeline and how they met and how their relationship developed and Ama's chapter narrated the present timeline and how they are going to work together after 2 years of not seeing each other. Both the timelines added nuance and clarity to the story. I enjoyed the past timeline the most and mostly because that's where I got to know more about Elliot and his feelings. The present timeline felt like it was only about wedding planning and Ama stressing over wedding planning. I needed more of Elliot in the present chapters. I wish there was less wedding planning and more attention towards Elliot and Ama's relationship in the present timeline. I felt like was taking a crash course in wedding planning.
“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.�
� Elliot Bloom
He is a florist who is the the biggest and the sweetest grump ever with his tattoos (i mean look at the cover) and brooding personality but he also had a soft and caring side. I liked Ama but I loved Elliot. He was a reserved person who takes time to open up to people. He fell first and harder for Ama. He always waited for the right time with Ama and then left heartbroken in the end. Elliot was a commitment type of guy who would one day settle and have a family and I hated how Ama broke his heart because of her insecurities about marriages. He helped Ama everytime he could, made sacrifices for her, and did everything he could to keep her with him. How many times I've seen him suppress his own wishes and desires because he only ever wanted Ama. He deserved so much better in this book.
“I’ve never wanted someone like this—their body, their conversation, their mind.�
� Ama Torres
Extrovert, funny and sunshine Ama. I loved her passion for wedding planning but at some point her whole personality was "wedding planning" and her longing for Elliot. I wish I got to know more about her character because I didn't feel connected to her the way I felt with Elliot. She had insecurities about marriage because of how her mother got married 16 times and everytime her mother left her marriage it broke something inside her. So Ama never wanted to get married. She loved hearing proposal stories but she never wanted a one for herself. And I get some people had their own fears related to marriage and I completely understand that about her but she always knew what Elliot wanted from her and I liked how she was clear about her insecurities and intentions towards marriage with him. But I hated how she blamed him for what happened to them. Both of them were at fault but for her it was Elliot who broke their relationship not her.
“I want to know you. I want to know what you like, what you hate.�
╰┈� Ama and Elliot
Their relationship was more physical and less emotional. It took them some time develop the emotional aspect. There was forced proximity because they both worked together in the past timeline and it added to the tension and spark between them. The had chemistry in both the timelines but I needed more angst in present timeline. Its a prerequisite for a second chance trope! Also Elliot and Ama had very few moments in the present timeline. Most of them were for work or wedding planning.
“Who were you talking about to Jackie?� she asks, whispering. Her gaze flickers over my face. I step forward and reach out to brush my fingers over her jaw. She leans into me.
“Someone I met five years, four months, three weeks, and five days ago.�
I loved how Elliot was always there for Ama and helped her everytime. He was a florist but he was always ready to become her assistant to help her out. They never had the same views on the marriages and thats what led to their downfall and it broke my heart to see Elliot crying because he just wanted something more from Ama and she couldn't give it to him. I liked how Ama was the one to make everything right between them in the end and how she accepted her insecurities but was also ready to start something new with Elliot.
“Sometimes I feel like she blew into my life like a hurricane and barely left me a second to catch my bearings.�
The ending was perfect. I liked how there was no Ama and Elliot wedding and how they were both taking their time to date each other and to know more about each other while making up for the lost time. <>But I do wish we get a bonus scene or something for their wedding and happily ever after.>
“Because we were. We were forever.�
� To my sweetest friend Shanayaa,
I had a really great and the best time reading this book with you and obsessing over Elliot—his grumpiness and his tattoos. Thankyou so much for listening to my rants and everything. I can't wait to read more books with you in future 🫶🏼💘
—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
Rn all i can see is that he has tattoos on his forearms 🫠
Buddy reading this with my gorgeous bestieee Shanayaa 🤭 so excited for this bcs its a SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE!??!?!?
September 29, 2023
This was sooo swoony. Incredibly well written with a fresh, witty voice and deliciously zippy banter, perfect pacing, sizzling steam, and satisfying, touching character growth arcs. Loved it!
August 21, 2023
IF JULIE SOTO HAS ONE FAN, IT IS ME. IF JULIE SOTO HAS NO FANS, I AM DEAD
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told my best friend on facetime "this is five stars, mark my words." is this kylo ren fanfiction???? if it is, consider me changed because WOW.
any book blurbed by sierra simone officially has my stamp of approval, because tell me why this is one the best romance books i've ever read??? SO fast paced and a then-and-now perspective jump that suspended the angst absolutely perfectly. perfect sprinklings of smut throughout. characters who are so believable and easy to root for. (my ONE critique is that this book is just so fast that you don't get to dive **too** deep into the characters, so if that's your thing, it may not hit as hard as you're hoping. but i'm a slut for any book that can wrap it up in 330 pages)
this book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet and giggling. there wasn't a single page of it i didn't enjoy, and that is SO rare for me nowadays. this book was an absolute treat and i am a self-declared simp for any man with flower tattoos.
i didn't even care that the villain in this book is also named whitney. tbh i'd let ama put me out of business too
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told my best friend on facetime "this is five stars, mark my words." is this kylo ren fanfiction???? if it is, consider me changed because WOW.
any book blurbed by sierra simone officially has my stamp of approval, because tell me why this is one the best romance books i've ever read??? SO fast paced and a then-and-now perspective jump that suspended the angst absolutely perfectly. perfect sprinklings of smut throughout. characters who are so believable and easy to root for. (my ONE critique is that this book is just so fast that you don't get to dive **too** deep into the characters, so if that's your thing, it may not hit as hard as you're hoping. but i'm a slut for any book that can wrap it up in 330 pages)
this book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet and giggling. there wasn't a single page of it i didn't enjoy, and that is SO rare for me nowadays. this book was an absolute treat and i am a self-declared simp for any man with flower tattoos.
i didn't even care that the villain in this book is also named whitney. tbh i'd let ama put me out of business too
January 28, 2025
The FMC’s relationship with her ex-boss is just frustrating and honestly makes it hard to respect her. It really ruined my enjoyment of the book. I don’t enjoy reading about female characters who lack a backbone or any sense of reality, especially when it comes to her handling of the groomsman situation. Convincing someone to marry someone they don’t like just because you think it’s your job to get them down the aisle, and then justifying it by saying they can always get divorced later? That’s insane. I almost DNFed this book multiple times. About 75% of it felt like a chore to get through, with only 25% being decent—so you’ll have to decide if that’s worth it for you.
Also, I love donuts just as much as anyone, but the sheer number of times the word "donut" appears in this book is borderline obsessive. If anyone has this on Kindle and can check how many times it’s mentioned, I’d love you forever! (Answer: 64 times).
If you’re reading this for romance, don’t bother. This book is 95% about wedding planning, 4% about their past relationship, and maybe 1% their current one. And I’m not exaggerating.
I don’t usually leave reviews, especially negative ones, but I’m serious when I say skip this book if you’re expecting what it’s marketed to be. Forget Me Not is a fitting title because I’m really trying to forget this one.
Update: Don’t let this review stop you from reading Not Another Love Song. I actually ended up semi enjoying it, even though I had zero interest in picking it up after how bad this one
Also, I love donuts just as much as anyone, but the sheer number of times the word "donut" appears in this book is borderline obsessive. If anyone has this on Kindle and can check how many times it’s mentioned, I’d love you forever! (Answer: 64 times).
If you’re reading this for romance, don’t bother. This book is 95% about wedding planning, 4% about their past relationship, and maybe 1% their current one. And I’m not exaggerating.
I don’t usually leave reviews, especially negative ones, but I’m serious when I say skip this book if you’re expecting what it’s marketed to be. Forget Me Not is a fitting title because I’m really trying to forget this one.
Update: Don’t let this review stop you from reading Not Another Love Song. I actually ended up semi enjoying it, even though I had zero interest in picking it up after how bad this one
July 16, 2024
Sorry for this bland review I feel reviewed out lol
This was a fun second chance romance and it mostly met my expectations on light and sweet so 3.5-4 stars
Ama is a wedding planner—she’s sweet (in every sense, I mean, the girl is obsessed with donuts), she’s hardworking, she’s funny and a literal ray of sunshine everywhere she goes and always makes herself welcome even where she’s not wanted with unquestionable commitment issues that I found myself slightly annoyed by that at times
Elliot is a florist who is anything but sweet to anyone he meets—although he does have a soft spot only for one person. he’s evidently grumpy yet such a softy, he’s brooding, he has tattoos, and he falls first and harder and oddly not shy from commitment. I only wish we got more of his pov
”You may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had ‘everything� with me.�
This was dual pov and alternated timelines between the past that ama and Elliot shared together and the present day. After 2 years pass since they broke up, the past history between them surfaces when ama is hired to plan a big wedding and Elliot happens to be the florist for it so you can only imagine how awkward it would be being forced to work together. Both of them are total opposites but they worked so seamlessly together. When they weren’t at odds with each other—I loved seeing them create magic with their work and be supportive of one another when it came to their dreams. Fun fact: ama is named after a flower but when her and Elliot break up he no longer carries them. Can you imagine the pain??
I also have to commend the author as I was in awe of the descriptive writing in all that goes into the wedding planning process. even with the floral arrangements and I enjoyed imagining it all unfold. Things definitely get steamy between them but it’s not the central focus of the story. There was some drama in it given that it’s a high profile celebrity wedding.
Also, this is said to be an enemies to lovers and I wish that had lasted a little longer as well as getting more moments of their past together to solidify their second chance but nonetheless still enjoyed some of their moments.
I’ve read few second chance romances and can't say this was the best but I’d like to think it was done well enough with the plot that it had and can you believe it’s the authors debut novel and it’s getting adapted into a movie?! Curious how that'd go and more of this authors work
This was a fun second chance romance and it mostly met my expectations on light and sweet so 3.5-4 stars
Ama is a wedding planner—she’s sweet (in every sense, I mean, the girl is obsessed with donuts), she’s hardworking, she’s funny and a literal ray of sunshine everywhere she goes and always makes herself welcome even where she’s not wanted with unquestionable commitment issues that I found myself slightly annoyed by that at times
Elliot is a florist who is anything but sweet to anyone he meets—although he does have a soft spot only for one person. he’s evidently grumpy yet such a softy, he’s brooding, he has tattoos, and he falls first and harder and oddly not shy from commitment. I only wish we got more of his pov
”You may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had ‘everything� with me.�
This was dual pov and alternated timelines between the past that ama and Elliot shared together and the present day. After 2 years pass since they broke up, the past history between them surfaces when ama is hired to plan a big wedding and Elliot happens to be the florist for it so you can only imagine how awkward it would be being forced to work together. Both of them are total opposites but they worked so seamlessly together. When they weren’t at odds with each other—I loved seeing them create magic with their work and be supportive of one another when it came to their dreams. Fun fact: ama is named after a flower but when her and Elliot break up he no longer carries them. Can you imagine the pain??
I also have to commend the author as I was in awe of the descriptive writing in all that goes into the wedding planning process. even with the floral arrangements and I enjoyed imagining it all unfold. Things definitely get steamy between them but it’s not the central focus of the story. There was some drama in it given that it’s a high profile celebrity wedding.
Also, this is said to be an enemies to lovers and I wish that had lasted a little longer as well as getting more moments of their past together to solidify their second chance but nonetheless still enjoyed some of their moments.
I’ve read few second chance romances and can't say this was the best but I’d like to think it was done well enough with the plot that it had and can you believe it’s the authors debut novel and it’s getting adapted into a movie?! Curious how that'd go and more of this authors work
July 24, 2023
”Flowers are better than people.�
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
A moment of silence please for this absolute stunner of a cover. Going into this book, I knew that Julie Soto is a fanfic darling, but I hadn’t experienced her writing for myself. Pleased to report that this was a wonderful traditionally published debut!
The drama behind the celebrity wedding in the present tense, the visuals my mind conjured when the floral meetings were described, and Elliot just being *cough* Elliot were all strong aspects of the novel. I haven’t read many romance novels with a wedding planning setting, and it was fun getting to experience the ins and outs of what goes on behind the scenes, while also seeing Ama and Elliot’s creative genius at play. The narrators for the audiobook are fabulous, and the steam is 🥵 🥵 🥵.
I can’t explain what precisely caused me to keep from giving this a higher rating, but I think it had something to do with the structure of the past vs present unraveling of Ama and Elliot’s relationship and the resulting balance of the relationship dynamics. It takes until about 80% in the book to catch us up to speed fully on the past, and the first half of this I was so on board for.
Without spoilers, once Ama and Elliot begin seeing each other, we only get a handful of moments before things escalate at a rapid speed which causes the falling out to feel� off? I can’t blame Ama for her reaction, even though mine would be the same result for different reasons. I understand the author was trying to show how Ama’s mother’s behavior affected her own outlook on long term relationships and marriage, but the final 20% of the book felt rushed and that everyone began acting majorly out of character with what we saw for the first 80%.
This sounds super critical, but I promise it is not. This was such an enjoyable read and the climax with Whitney was particularly satisfying! If you’re looking for a fast paced read that has some incredible steam and a swoon worthy MMC, give this one a try in July!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
A moment of silence please for this absolute stunner of a cover. Going into this book, I knew that Julie Soto is a fanfic darling, but I hadn’t experienced her writing for myself. Pleased to report that this was a wonderful traditionally published debut!
The drama behind the celebrity wedding in the present tense, the visuals my mind conjured when the floral meetings were described, and Elliot just being *cough* Elliot were all strong aspects of the novel. I haven’t read many romance novels with a wedding planning setting, and it was fun getting to experience the ins and outs of what goes on behind the scenes, while also seeing Ama and Elliot’s creative genius at play. The narrators for the audiobook are fabulous, and the steam is 🥵 🥵 🥵.
I can’t explain what precisely caused me to keep from giving this a higher rating, but I think it had something to do with the structure of the past vs present unraveling of Ama and Elliot’s relationship and the resulting balance of the relationship dynamics. It takes until about 80% in the book to catch us up to speed fully on the past, and the first half of this I was so on board for.
Without spoilers, once Ama and Elliot begin seeing each other, we only get a handful of moments before things escalate at a rapid speed which causes the falling out to feel� off? I can’t blame Ama for her reaction, even though mine would be the same result for different reasons. I understand the author was trying to show how Ama’s mother’s behavior affected her own outlook on long term relationships and marriage, but the final 20% of the book felt rushed and that everyone began acting majorly out of character with what we saw for the first 80%.
This sounds super critical, but I promise it is not. This was such an enjoyable read and the climax with Whitney was particularly satisfying! If you’re looking for a fast paced read that has some incredible steam and a swoon worthy MMC, give this one a try in July!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
April 13, 2024
2⭐️
THE PLOT
Ama is a wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage because of her mother. However, she loves weddings themselves. Elliot is a florist who hates owning a flower shop...that is until Ama shows up at his door. In the past, Ama and Elliot collaborated on projects and became close until Ama broke his heart. Now, they're working on a huge high social-status wedding that could make or break both of their careers. The only thing? Neither of them can get over their past. It doesn't help that the 2 soon-to-be brides are trying to get them together not knowing their history. As the wedding takes on a life of it's own, Ama and Elliot are forced to face their pasts hoping there won't be another catastrophe.
MY THOUGHTS
The Plot: To say I was let down and bitterly disappointed by this book is an understatement. The plot itself was fine; there was nothing special about it. This book has a duel timeline where you're jumping from Elliot's POV from the past and Ama's POV from the present. It truly felt that there was no substance in this book. Even though there was a whole plot that has to do with the huge wedding coming up, it felt like barely anything significant happened. It was a big fluff piece with absolutely little point. There was a lot of pointless information that didn't further the plot and this entire book was so beyond predictable. The only thing I actually liked about the book was the spice. It was written well and it was fun to read! However, that did not make up for the lackluster plot. This was supposed to be a second-chance romance...but they BARELY interacted for a majority of this book. I kid you not Elliot and Ama barely spoke in the present timeline and then POOF a happy ending like LMAOO I'm sorry what??? It made ZERO sense. Although, I didn't have as much problem with the plot as I did the characters. That's a whole other story...
The Characters: Ama was absolutely INSUFFERABLE. I could not stand her character one bit. Her "character development" was half-assed and was written so poorly. She was a walking doormat the entire book while the author tried to portray her as this badass, independent wedding planner. Elliot was barely any better. He was also a walking doormat and had zero personality. The tension between him and Ama at SOME points was okay, but this book is the perfect example of how not to write a second chance romance. He barely spoke a word to her, and when he did, it was this crazy protective, almost possessive, like situations that, again, were out of the blue and sometimes made no sense. Their chemistry felt almost non-existent. I was not rooting for them since day 1. The way Ama and Elliot communicated just felt like children talking. They are grown-ass adults who refuse to be mature enough to have a conversation and that applies to both of them. As if one insufferable MC was bad enough...this book deals with two. 🙄
Overall, don't waste your time with this book. It was a poorly written second-chance romance with barely any present timeline romance. Unless you're ready to read 329 pages of pure wedding talk, a spoonful of spice, and a sprinkle of romance, I'd skip this one and save yourself the time that could be spent reading something else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need me a good second-chance romance 😔🤚🏼💟
THE PLOT
Ama is a wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage because of her mother. However, she loves weddings themselves. Elliot is a florist who hates owning a flower shop...that is until Ama shows up at his door. In the past, Ama and Elliot collaborated on projects and became close until Ama broke his heart. Now, they're working on a huge high social-status wedding that could make or break both of their careers. The only thing? Neither of them can get over their past. It doesn't help that the 2 soon-to-be brides are trying to get them together not knowing their history. As the wedding takes on a life of it's own, Ama and Elliot are forced to face their pasts hoping there won't be another catastrophe.
MY THOUGHTS
The Plot: To say I was let down and bitterly disappointed by this book is an understatement. The plot itself was fine; there was nothing special about it. This book has a duel timeline where you're jumping from Elliot's POV from the past and Ama's POV from the present. It truly felt that there was no substance in this book. Even though there was a whole plot that has to do with the huge wedding coming up, it felt like barely anything significant happened. It was a big fluff piece with absolutely little point. There was a lot of pointless information that didn't further the plot and this entire book was so beyond predictable. The only thing I actually liked about the book was the spice. It was written well and it was fun to read! However, that did not make up for the lackluster plot. This was supposed to be a second-chance romance...but they BARELY interacted for a majority of this book. I kid you not Elliot and Ama barely spoke in the present timeline and then POOF a happy ending like LMAOO I'm sorry what??? It made ZERO sense. Although, I didn't have as much problem with the plot as I did the characters. That's a whole other story...
The Characters: Ama was absolutely INSUFFERABLE. I could not stand her character one bit. Her "character development" was half-assed and was written so poorly. She was a walking doormat the entire book while the author tried to portray her as this badass, independent wedding planner. Elliot was barely any better. He was also a walking doormat and had zero personality. The tension between him and Ama at SOME points was okay, but this book is the perfect example of how not to write a second chance romance. He barely spoke a word to her, and when he did, it was this crazy protective, almost possessive, like situations that, again, were out of the blue and sometimes made no sense. Their chemistry felt almost non-existent. I was not rooting for them since day 1. The way Ama and Elliot communicated just felt like children talking. They are grown-ass adults who refuse to be mature enough to have a conversation and that applies to both of them. As if one insufferable MC was bad enough...this book deals with two. 🙄
Overall, don't waste your time with this book. It was a poorly written second-chance romance with barely any present timeline romance. Unless you're ready to read 329 pages of pure wedding talk, a spoonful of spice, and a sprinkle of romance, I'd skip this one and save yourself the time that could be spent reading something else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need me a good second-chance romance 😔🤚🏼💟
May 8, 2024
CUUUUUUTE
July 27, 2024
The last time I felt this excited over a book I was in middle school, and I also fucked up my sleep schedule, but the need to know will always be more important.
I can't explain in words how majestic this book is, so I'll focus on what I do best: the flaws.
First of all, please remember that the second-chance trope is one of the most difficult trope to nail - in fact, I've only read one perfect book about it. The hazard is to focus only on the past or the present and forget about everything else, and this is exactly what happened here: we see Ama and Elliot’s history while they are forced to work together again, but we don't really have anything in the present. They still love each other so much and can't move on, so they basically start from where they left off.
Which is not really the truth, since Elliot specifically says they need to begin from the start so they can both understand what they want. So I'm still confused about why Ama - the one firmly against marriage - wants to marry Elliot so badly when they could just be together forever without a couple of rings and a piece of paper to prove their union. I guess she wants to give him the thing he wanted most, but now he knows she doesn't want that, so they'll go on like this forever? Idk.
But what drove me crazy were the little details.
For example, we can see the difference between the ideas they have about themselves and how the other person sees them when the narration switches from past to present: Elliot is shy and doesn't know how to talk or move around her, but according to Ama he's just grumpy and doesn't like people; on the other hand, Ama considers herself an extrovert, silly girl who love doughnuts, but Elliot sees her as a determined woman who takes what she wants.
And don't let me start with the tattoos or I'll never shut up.
In other words, this story put me off a reading slump I didn't even know I was having, and I may have found a new favourite author, all in one day!
� 3.8 stars
I can't explain in words how majestic this book is, so I'll focus on what I do best: the flaws.
First of all, please remember that the second-chance trope is one of the most difficult trope to nail - in fact, I've only read one perfect book about it. The hazard is to focus only on the past or the present and forget about everything else, and this is exactly what happened here: we see Ama and Elliot’s history while they are forced to work together again, but we don't really have anything in the present. They still love each other so much and can't move on, so they basically start from where they left off.
Which is not really the truth, since Elliot specifically says they need to begin from the start so they can both understand what they want. So I'm still confused about why Ama - the one firmly against marriage - wants to marry Elliot so badly when they could just be together forever without a couple of rings and a piece of paper to prove their union. I guess she wants to give him the thing he wanted most, but now he knows she doesn't want that, so they'll go on like this forever? Idk.
But what drove me crazy were the little details.
For example, we can see the difference between the ideas they have about themselves and how the other person sees them when the narration switches from past to present: Elliot is shy and doesn't know how to talk or move around her, but according to Ama he's just grumpy and doesn't like people; on the other hand, Ama considers herself an extrovert, silly girl who love doughnuts, but Elliot sees her as a determined woman who takes what she wants.
And don't let me start with the tattoos or I'll never shut up.
In other words, this story put me off a reading slump I didn't even know I was having, and I may have found a new favourite author, all in one day!
� 3.8 stars
November 7, 2023
� 𝟑.𝟓/𝟓 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨
❞� 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩❜� 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩�
This book was a light and straightforward read. It's about a simple plot with a bit of romance and a second chance for love. Elliot and Ama, who lost each other once, still have feelings. They're both afraid of commitment, but they decide to confront their fears for the sake of their emotions and try again.
� 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙩 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢
Elliot Bloom is a character who truly left a profound impact. Despite his outwardly closed-off and grumpy demeanor, which he seems to reserve for most of humanity, there's an exception—Ama. The depth of his affection for her is truly remarkable, and the lengths to which he goes for her are both heartwarming and genuinely touching. He's a character who evokes genuine admiration and sympathy, deserving nothing less than the entire world.
Did i mentioned that he's a florist and an architect who loves what he does even if its ama and he got six tattoos of flowers that are extinct!!! Or that he got a tattoo of amaryllis that's the name of girl and is a flower specie on his chest like right near his heart. Istg i might have cried a little there!
I did notice that Elliot could be excessively reserved, often hesitant to voice his needs even though he wanted to, fearing that it might upset Ama and lead to her leaving him. His love for her seemed boundless, which at times led him to make numerous sacrifices. It's a complex situation, but there are moments when it felt like he bore the weight of the relationship and perhaps didn't deserve some of the challenges Ama put him through.
❞𝙒𝙝� 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙚�
❞𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣� 𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤.� who's crying 😭
� 𝘼𝙢𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨
I'll be real honest i didn't liked her a bit maybe i liked how she was so passionate about her work but other than that i couldn't bring myself to like her at all.
Since beginning she knew that Elliot was a guy who believes in commitments yet she kept playing him around treating him in whatever way she liked and then dumped him when he proposed. And yeah i get it she had her own insecurities m̶o̶r̶e̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶i̶s̶c̶o̶n̶c̶e̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ she saw her mom getting married for several times hence she started believing that every marriage ends up like this and was legit scared of commitments. Although she had feelings for him she kept it to herself and rather than dealing like a grown ass adult she shut herself down and went with flow with resulted in elliot being hurt numerous times.
Another thing i hated about her was that her entire personality was about her work � wedding planning. She didn't had a backbone or something and had shit tons of issues which she kept shutting off rather than dealing with them and in this process hurting people who didn't deserved it.
❞� 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚�
Their relationship initially began with hook-ups, and while that's completely acceptable, it did feel like there was a lack of chemistry or sexual tension between them in many instances. Although some scenes did manage to capture a certain level of heat, a considerable portion felt rather lackluster. Given the second chance romance theme, the anticipation of heightened angst, passionate longing, and more intense desire was certainly there, but it seemed lacking, and this left me somewhat disappointed.
The writing, being the author's debut, was fairly straightforward. The book started on a simple note, making it an easy and enjoyable read. What added to the fun was how it skillfully incorporated different timelines into the story..
Overall, in a nutshell, if you're after a light and uncomplicated second chance romance, this book fits the bill. It's an easy, no-frills read for those seeking a straightforward love story without too much complexity. While it doesn't delve deeply into emotions, it provides an enjoyable and straightforward escape into the world of second chances in love..
❞𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧� 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.�
� 💌 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙧𝙞,
Thank you for bearing it with me lovee! you're such a kind and sweet soul and reading that book with you was a blast! I'm all in for more, ready to rant, rave, and maybe even raise a little hell discussing our likes and dislikes. And oh, swooning over those oh-so-fictional heartthrobs? You bet that's my guilty pleasure!! 🥺💕
❞� 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩❜� 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩�
This book was a light and straightforward read. It's about a simple plot with a bit of romance and a second chance for love. Elliot and Ama, who lost each other once, still have feelings. They're both afraid of commitment, but they decide to confront their fears for the sake of their emotions and try again.
� 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙩 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢
Elliot Bloom is a character who truly left a profound impact. Despite his outwardly closed-off and grumpy demeanor, which he seems to reserve for most of humanity, there's an exception—Ama. The depth of his affection for her is truly remarkable, and the lengths to which he goes for her are both heartwarming and genuinely touching. He's a character who evokes genuine admiration and sympathy, deserving nothing less than the entire world.
Did i mentioned that he's a florist and an architect who loves what he does even if its ama and he got six tattoos of flowers that are extinct!!! Or that he got a tattoo of amaryllis that's the name of girl and is a flower specie on his chest like right near his heart. Istg i might have cried a little there!
I did notice that Elliot could be excessively reserved, often hesitant to voice his needs even though he wanted to, fearing that it might upset Ama and lead to her leaving him. His love for her seemed boundless, which at times led him to make numerous sacrifices. It's a complex situation, but there are moments when it felt like he bore the weight of the relationship and perhaps didn't deserve some of the challenges Ama put him through.
❞𝙒𝙝� 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙚�
❞𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣� 𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤.� who's crying 😭
� 𝘼𝙢𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨
I'll be real honest i didn't liked her a bit maybe i liked how she was so passionate about her work but other than that i couldn't bring myself to like her at all.
Since beginning she knew that Elliot was a guy who believes in commitments yet she kept playing him around treating him in whatever way she liked and then dumped him when he proposed. And yeah i get it she had her own insecurities m̶o̶r̶e̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶i̶s̶c̶o̶n̶c̶e̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ she saw her mom getting married for several times hence she started believing that every marriage ends up like this and was legit scared of commitments. Although she had feelings for him she kept it to herself and rather than dealing like a grown ass adult she shut herself down and went with flow with resulted in elliot being hurt numerous times.
Another thing i hated about her was that her entire personality was about her work � wedding planning. She didn't had a backbone or something and had shit tons of issues which she kept shutting off rather than dealing with them and in this process hurting people who didn't deserved it.
❞� 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚�
Their relationship initially began with hook-ups, and while that's completely acceptable, it did feel like there was a lack of chemistry or sexual tension between them in many instances. Although some scenes did manage to capture a certain level of heat, a considerable portion felt rather lackluster. Given the second chance romance theme, the anticipation of heightened angst, passionate longing, and more intense desire was certainly there, but it seemed lacking, and this left me somewhat disappointed.
The writing, being the author's debut, was fairly straightforward. The book started on a simple note, making it an easy and enjoyable read. What added to the fun was how it skillfully incorporated different timelines into the story..
Overall, in a nutshell, if you're after a light and uncomplicated second chance romance, this book fits the bill. It's an easy, no-frills read for those seeking a straightforward love story without too much complexity. While it doesn't delve deeply into emotions, it provides an enjoyable and straightforward escape into the world of second chances in love..
❞𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧� 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.�
� 💌 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙧𝙞,
Thank you for bearing it with me lovee! you're such a kind and sweet soul and reading that book with you was a blast! I'm all in for more, ready to rant, rave, and maybe even raise a little hell discussing our likes and dislikes. And oh, swooning over those oh-so-fictional heartthrobs? You bet that's my guilty pleasure!! 🥺💕
January 8, 2024
* 3.5 stars💫
February 26, 2024
When I started this book in Chapter 1 - I think I knew I was going to love it right away. It's the kind of book that makes you believe in non-traditional relationship paths and their beauty - when the rest of the world is telling you to get married, settle down and have those 2.5 kids.
Not everyone's journey will look like that - nor do they have the opportunity even to have a chance at that kind of life? Not to mention that, like our main characters, Ama and the deliciously tattooed florist, Elliot - they come from completely different circumstances. Life was slow and sweet for one. Full of love, stability, and meaningful moments. For the other - we see an emotionally turbulent life with an incurable flighty romantic.
It's not perfect rainbows and sprinkles, but there are SPARKLES!! And by sparkles... I'm absolutely hoping you get what I mean: 🌶️🌶️🌶�/5.
It took me exactly 1 chapter to know that I was into something good.. and the rest of the 330 pages to fall in love with Ama & Elliot for 4 days!!
||
Not everyone's journey will look like that - nor do they have the opportunity even to have a chance at that kind of life? Not to mention that, like our main characters, Ama and the deliciously tattooed florist, Elliot - they come from completely different circumstances. Life was slow and sweet for one. Full of love, stability, and meaningful moments. For the other - we see an emotionally turbulent life with an incurable flighty romantic.
It's not perfect rainbows and sprinkles, but there are SPARKLES!! And by sparkles... I'm absolutely hoping you get what I mean: 🌶️🌶️🌶�/5.
It took me exactly 1 chapter to know that I was into something good.. and the rest of the 330 pages to fall in love with Ama & Elliot for 4 days!!
||
June 10, 2024
how disappointing 😭
this has been shoved up my ass front left and sideways, so i thought i’d give it a try and i wish i’d minded my own business
what started off GREAT with a really unique premise and a shot at a second chance romance was told from a past and present pov…but the past turned out being not at all what i expected. 😐 without spoiling, this was a super lust-based relationship with no real development outside of their bantery partnership within their jobs and a very odd situationship because they NEVER get together??? after seeing why they didn’t work out in the past it made sense for them to still not be together presently as there was no solid base for them to grow together as well as them being completely devoid of anything ROMANTIC. which is the whole point of reading a romance book 🤦🏻♀�
this has been shoved up my ass front left and sideways, so i thought i’d give it a try and i wish i’d minded my own business
what started off GREAT with a really unique premise and a shot at a second chance romance was told from a past and present pov…but the past turned out being not at all what i expected. 😐 without spoiling, this was a super lust-based relationship with no real development outside of their bantery partnership within their jobs and a very odd situationship because they NEVER get together??? after seeing why they didn’t work out in the past it made sense for them to still not be together presently as there was no solid base for them to grow together as well as them being completely devoid of anything ROMANTIC. which is the whole point of reading a romance book 🤦🏻♀�
September 7, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK
May 15, 2024
4.25⭐️
🎵“he loves me, he loves me not”�
Okayyyy Elliot I see you, I’m no longer a hater of man buns. When I tell you that the chemistry between our two main characters Ama and Elliot is off the charts I mean it’s a where's the nearest fan I need to cool off immediately kind. The premise of this book is also so fun. All you need to know is that Ama is a wedding planner and Elliot is a florist and they have to work together on a wedding with a budget the size of Texas.
“I want to know you. I want to know what you like, what you hate–even if it’s me. I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
Not only is the romance and chemistry and romance between Ama and Elliot explosive but the actual wedding aspect of the book is so entertaining. This book has a past timeline in Elliot’s POV and he thinks the absolute sweetest things about her. One more thing about Elliot, Ama’s full name is Amarylisis and it happens to be a flower. So, you know what Elliot does? He tattoos it on his body. *I’m dead*
"That's not how it works. There is no falling out of love for people like you and me."
What To Expect:
💐Dual Timeline
💐Dual POV
💐Second Chance Romance
💐Forced Proximity
💐He Falls First
💐Grumpy x Sunshine
💐Coworkers to Lovers
💐Բ
💐Off The Charts Banter & Tension
💐Lots of Wedding Talk
💐It’s Always Been You
"If you want to move forward with whatever this is between us, you don't have to worry about me backing out. You may think everything ends one day, but you haven't had 'everything' with me."
Overall this was really enjoyable and I highly recommend it. Thank you Noi for the recommendation. Bonus Quotes:
"Love is like the wind. It will come and go. Weddings are just a party."
“This time when we kiss, it doesn't feel like goodbye, or a mistake, or something to overthink in the morning. It's just. . . starting.�
“I never wanted someone like this—their body, their conversations, their mind…�
“Flowers are better than people.�
“Forever with Elliot feels different from any other kind of forever. I could ask him if I could have forever without a white dress and a piece of paper.�
----
4.25 stars RTC
"I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct."
--
The MMC is a Florist🌹🌼🌷. Sign me up, hopefully this goes well!
🎵“he loves me, he loves me not”�
Okayyyy Elliot I see you, I’m no longer a hater of man buns. When I tell you that the chemistry between our two main characters Ama and Elliot is off the charts I mean it’s a where's the nearest fan I need to cool off immediately kind. The premise of this book is also so fun. All you need to know is that Ama is a wedding planner and Elliot is a florist and they have to work together on a wedding with a budget the size of Texas.
“I want to know you. I want to know what you like, what you hate–even if it’s me. I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct.�
Not only is the romance and chemistry and romance between Ama and Elliot explosive but the actual wedding aspect of the book is so entertaining. This book has a past timeline in Elliot’s POV and he thinks the absolute sweetest things about her. One more thing about Elliot, Ama’s full name is Amarylisis and it happens to be a flower. So, you know what Elliot does? He tattoos it on his body. *I’m dead*
"That's not how it works. There is no falling out of love for people like you and me."
What To Expect:
💐Dual Timeline
💐Dual POV
💐Second Chance Romance
💐Forced Proximity
💐He Falls First
💐Grumpy x Sunshine
💐Coworkers to Lovers
💐Բ
💐Off The Charts Banter & Tension
💐Lots of Wedding Talk
💐It’s Always Been You
"If you want to move forward with whatever this is between us, you don't have to worry about me backing out. You may think everything ends one day, but you haven't had 'everything' with me."
Overall this was really enjoyable and I highly recommend it. Thank you Noi for the recommendation. Bonus Quotes:
"Love is like the wind. It will come and go. Weddings are just a party."
“This time when we kiss, it doesn't feel like goodbye, or a mistake, or something to overthink in the morning. It's just. . . starting.�
“I never wanted someone like this—their body, their conversations, their mind…�
“Flowers are better than people.�
“Forever with Elliot feels different from any other kind of forever. I could ask him if I could have forever without a white dress and a piece of paper.�
----
4.25 stars RTC
"I want to love what you love, even if it’s extinct."
--
The MMC is a Florist🌹🌼🌷. Sign me up, hopefully this goes well!
August 5, 2023
One of my favorite reads of the year! This was so angsty and I was OBSESSED with this romance. It flashes between the past when Elliot and Ama first meet and start falling for each other. Then, it goes to years later when they broke up and haven't spoken to one another but are forced to work together on a wedding. Ama is a wedding planner taking on her first big client and they insist they use Elliot as their florist. I was so in love with angst and the pining in this book! Elliot was so in love with Ama but they were both so heartbroken over what happened. I usually hate when the breakup reason isn't revealed until much later on, but I didn't mind it in here! I could not stop reading this and the audio was amazing. Seriously, you need to read this one and I can't wait until Julie Soto publishes more!!
August 10, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ but rounding up to 4-stars because it was enjoyable and I read it quickly
"She may not need to define long-term, but to me, forever sounds nice.�
WHAT TO EXPECT:
� sacramento setting
� wedding centered
� she’s an upbeat up and coming wedding planner who doesn’t believe in long term relationships
� he’s an tattooed asshole and the best florists in town, but he doesn’t do casual hookups
� forced proximity
� co-workers to lovers
� second chance romance
� grumpy x sunshine
� he falls first
� “I hate everyone but you�
� so much tension
� witty banter
� size difference
� 3/5 spice
� dual pov
� dual timeline: flashbacks are in his pov
� lgbtq rep
� tw: death of a parent (past, off page)
My Thoughts:
As a fan of Julie's Dramione fanfics, I was eager to read her first traditionally published book - and it did not disappoint! This was such a fun, sweet, and sexy story that I know many will fall in love with.
What I liked:
The second chance romance portion was done extremely well. I'm not usually a fan of this trope, however, it made perfect sense why Ama was so reluctant to marriage and ended her relationship with Elliot. I also understood Elliot's hesitation to Ama, but absolutely adore his continued commitment of love to her even though she rejected him in the past.
Writing in dual POV and dual timelines was a good move. I loved seeing how they fell in love the first time from Elliot's POV and their second chance from Ama's POV. This really let the reader understand the characters - their reservations, fears, hopes, and dreams.
The wedding planning premise and having both Ama and Elliot a part of the wedding industry was so much fun. Weddings are exciting and the perfect opportunity to bring people together. There were already so many stressful elements to planning the wedding, but then add Ama and Elliot's tension and you've got so much drama and angst. It was a wild ride!
Jackie and Hazel, whose wedding Ama was planning, were great characters that never overshadowed the MCs. Sometimes side characters can play too big of a role in the story or they can be annoying, but Jackie and Hazel did, and were, neither. They were perfect and added just enough drama to make things interesting.
The overall writing was well done. I really loved Julie Soto's use of prose. She also writes stories and characters that you feel attached to but she does so in a way that's easy to read and follow along.
I liked Ama but I loved Elliot. This man, with his grumpy attitude and tattoos, is the epitome of falling hard and never moving on. But I loved how he didn't just fall all over Ama the second she came back into his life. Instead she had to earn his trust back. And seriously, his tattoos, while lovely by design, have such beautiful meanings behind them. 💕
What I didn’t like or understand:
During sex scenes, there was a lot of pulling or moving her panties to the side. That's not a bad thing but I'm confused why that was done so much instead of just taking or ripping them off. I guess it's really the fact that it happened so often that I noticed is the problem. Maybe remove those panties one or two more times in the story.
How is Elliot so skilled and suave with sex when it's said he's only asked four people out (and who knows if he's even slept with them)??? If I misunderstood this about his character, please let me know.
The timeline sometimes felt too jumpy. I get Ama and Elliot only see each other when they meet for wedding stuff, and the wedding planning happens over the course of a few months, but the story often jumps ahead weeks which was jarring. I kept wondering what they were doing during that time. Nothing? I guess for both the flashbacks and present, it would have been nice to have more scenes in between instead of summarizing what happened over those weeks while they didn't interact.
Ama having a bit of an imposter syndrome made sense, however, she seemed a bit too naive at times and that annoyed me.
I'm confused how Elliot went from grumpy asshole to a sweet guy who would do anything for Ama. The grumpy sunshine dynamic is really highlighted at the beginning of their relationship and then once they're reunited but are estranged, however, I would have loved more insight into Elliot and why the grumpy mentality towards Ama changes (more inner dialogue I suppose).
While I like Elliot, I don't feel like I truly understood his character well. Who is he besides a florist/designer? Also, why is he so grumpy? Is it because some girls made fun of him when he was younger (as was mentioned)? If so, why did that make such an impact? I need a meaningful reason as to why he's grumpy.
I also think, overall, I would have liked for things to have gone deeper or explained a bit more. For example: Why did Ama even like Elliot if he was such a grumpy asshole? Why did Elliot like Ama if he thought she was annoying? Is she really just THAT special? If so, that's some heavy 'pick me' energy. I think a lot of the depth that was missing could have been shown more during the flashbacks, and possibly, by adding some of Ama's POV to the past and Elliot's POV to the present.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.�
Favorite Quotes:
"Love is like the wind. It will come and go. Weddings are just a party."
_______
"If you want to move forward with whatever this is between us, you don't have to worry about me backing out. You may think everything ends one day, but you haven't had 'everything' with me."
_______
"That's not how it works. There is no falling out of love for people like you and me."
_______
This time when we kiss, it doesn't feel like goodbye, or a mistake, or something to overthink in the morning. It's just. . . starting.
_______
"I miss you," I mutter to the ceiling.
"I'm right here."
_______
"She may not need to define long-term, but to me, forever sounds nice.�
WHAT TO EXPECT:
� sacramento setting
� wedding centered
� she’s an upbeat up and coming wedding planner who doesn’t believe in long term relationships
� he’s an tattooed asshole and the best florists in town, but he doesn’t do casual hookups
� forced proximity
� co-workers to lovers
� second chance romance
� grumpy x sunshine
� he falls first
� “I hate everyone but you�
� so much tension
� witty banter
� size difference
� 3/5 spice
� dual pov
� dual timeline: flashbacks are in his pov
� lgbtq rep
� tw: death of a parent (past, off page)
My Thoughts:
As a fan of Julie's Dramione fanfics, I was eager to read her first traditionally published book - and it did not disappoint! This was such a fun, sweet, and sexy story that I know many will fall in love with.
What I liked:
The second chance romance portion was done extremely well. I'm not usually a fan of this trope, however, it made perfect sense why Ama was so reluctant to marriage and ended her relationship with Elliot. I also understood Elliot's hesitation to Ama, but absolutely adore his continued commitment of love to her even though she rejected him in the past.
Writing in dual POV and dual timelines was a good move. I loved seeing how they fell in love the first time from Elliot's POV and their second chance from Ama's POV. This really let the reader understand the characters - their reservations, fears, hopes, and dreams.
The wedding planning premise and having both Ama and Elliot a part of the wedding industry was so much fun. Weddings are exciting and the perfect opportunity to bring people together. There were already so many stressful elements to planning the wedding, but then add Ama and Elliot's tension and you've got so much drama and angst. It was a wild ride!
Jackie and Hazel, whose wedding Ama was planning, were great characters that never overshadowed the MCs. Sometimes side characters can play too big of a role in the story or they can be annoying, but Jackie and Hazel did, and were, neither. They were perfect and added just enough drama to make things interesting.
The overall writing was well done. I really loved Julie Soto's use of prose. She also writes stories and characters that you feel attached to but she does so in a way that's easy to read and follow along.
I liked Ama but I loved Elliot. This man, with his grumpy attitude and tattoos, is the epitome of falling hard and never moving on. But I loved how he didn't just fall all over Ama the second she came back into his life. Instead she had to earn his trust back. And seriously, his tattoos, while lovely by design, have such beautiful meanings behind them. 💕
What I didn’t like or understand:
During sex scenes, there was a lot of pulling or moving her panties to the side. That's not a bad thing but I'm confused why that was done so much instead of just taking or ripping them off. I guess it's really the fact that it happened so often that I noticed is the problem. Maybe remove those panties one or two more times in the story.
How is Elliot so skilled and suave with sex when it's said he's only asked four people out (and who knows if he's even slept with them)??? If I misunderstood this about his character, please let me know.
The timeline sometimes felt too jumpy. I get Ama and Elliot only see each other when they meet for wedding stuff, and the wedding planning happens over the course of a few months, but the story often jumps ahead weeks which was jarring. I kept wondering what they were doing during that time. Nothing? I guess for both the flashbacks and present, it would have been nice to have more scenes in between instead of summarizing what happened over those weeks while they didn't interact.
Ama having a bit of an imposter syndrome made sense, however, she seemed a bit too naive at times and that annoyed me.
I'm confused how Elliot went from grumpy asshole to a sweet guy who would do anything for Ama. The grumpy sunshine dynamic is really highlighted at the beginning of their relationship and then once they're reunited but are estranged, however, I would have loved more insight into Elliot and why the grumpy mentality towards Ama changes (more inner dialogue I suppose).
While I like Elliot, I don't feel like I truly understood his character well. Who is he besides a florist/designer? Also, why is he so grumpy? Is it because some girls made fun of him when he was younger (as was mentioned)? If so, why did that make such an impact? I need a meaningful reason as to why he's grumpy.
I also think, overall, I would have liked for things to have gone deeper or explained a bit more. For example: Why did Ama even like Elliot if he was such a grumpy asshole? Why did Elliot like Ama if he thought she was annoying? Is she really just THAT special? If so, that's some heavy 'pick me' energy. I think a lot of the depth that was missing could have been shown more during the flashbacks, and possibly, by adding some of Ama's POV to the past and Elliot's POV to the present.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.�
Favorite Quotes:
"Love is like the wind. It will come and go. Weddings are just a party."
_______
"If you want to move forward with whatever this is between us, you don't have to worry about me backing out. You may think everything ends one day, but you haven't had 'everything' with me."
_______
"That's not how it works. There is no falling out of love for people like you and me."
_______
This time when we kiss, it doesn't feel like goodbye, or a mistake, or something to overthink in the morning. It's just. . . starting.
_______
"I miss you," I mutter to the ceiling.
"I'm right here."
_______
October 13, 2023
What I liked:
- The reversal of the typical woman-wants-to-settle-down,-man-has-commitment-issues scenario
- A determined protagonist who has found her calling and is prepared to fight for it
- All the professional wedding planning (for some reason I love reading about people's jobs, no matter what job, like let me read about a plumber's work day and I'll be ecstatic)
What I disliked:
- The relationship wasn't developed at all—they like to bone and good for them but why do they actually like each other?
- They REALLY like to bone (maybe it's just me but I cringe easily at sex scenes and this was no exception, so my daily cringe quota was usually filled within a few pages)
- The ending. As someone who
All in all, an entertaining read that I'm forgetting as I'm typing this (sorry, title).
- The reversal of the typical woman-wants-to-settle-down,-man-has-commitment-issues scenario
- A determined protagonist who has found her calling and is prepared to fight for it
- All the professional wedding planning (for some reason I love reading about people's jobs, no matter what job, like let me read about a plumber's work day and I'll be ecstatic)
What I disliked:
- The relationship wasn't developed at all—they like to bone and good for them but why do they actually like each other?
- They REALLY like to bone (maybe it's just me but I cringe easily at sex scenes and this was no exception, so my daily cringe quota was usually filled within a few pages)
- The ending. As someone who
All in all, an entertaining read that I'm forgetting as I'm typing this (sorry, title).
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