First of all let’s talk about the cover. This U.K. cover is not it, it would actually put me off buying the book but the US cover is one of my favourite covers of the year so far, I love it!

Forget Me Not is a second chance romance following our FMC, a wedding planner and the MMC a florist. It is told in Dual POV and past/present timelines, with Ama’s POV in the present and Elliot’s POV in the past.

I loved the premise of this book and was really excited to read it and while there were some parts that I did like, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. I wasn’t really invested in the romance so I wasn’t rooting for their second chance, I also didn’t really like Elliot which didn’t help. I did enjoy the wedding planning aspect of the book though and I liked Ama.

I would read another book by this author, I think this one just wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was going to be.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Sunshine x Gump, second chance romance, in dual POV/timelines? Sign me up!

I really enjoyed this, despite Ama being.....dumb af for no reason at times, and it had quite a few of my personal pet peeves in books/characters - so an unfortunate reader thing rather than a flaw of the book itself.

This book's dual timeline of Ama's pov in present day and Elliot's being in the past leading up from when they met to current day was the best, however you are very much in the dark for how detailed the sex scenes are (too detailed for me personally...I don't need that much detail, it always just makes it come across weird and cringe...give me great lead up and fade to black).

A really good dual timeline, sunshine/ grumpy second chance romance novel that I just couldn’t resist reading in one sitting. Well written story, looking forward to more from this new author.

This book has been massively hyped, so I was a bit nervous to read it. But it was honestly fantastic, the perfect romcom. Would definitely recommend.

A wedding planner is forced to work with her ex, whose heart she just broke. Chaos will no doubt ensue! I loved the concept of the present tense being in Ama's POV and the flashbacks bwing in Elliot's POV. It was something i hadn't experienced before and that added a unqie twist to the story. I also enjoyed the fact that most romances have some inevitable 'third-act drama' that usually results in a temporary breakup. This one didn't however, as that break up has already happened. This too kept things fresh in a very saturated genre. Plus, we get the grumpy-sunshine trope which is a favourite of mine, but the natural chemistry and banter this couple had really added to it. I found myself chuckling throughout the book, and it meant the character's story and relationship felt more genuine and realistic which i enjoyed. Heartwarming and romantic, while also funny and charming. This really breathed some life into the romance genre, and I cant wait to see what future books julie soto writes

Overall Score: 5/5

Character Development: 4.5/5
Plot: 5/5
Readability: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5

I could not put this book down and I'm so annoyed I waited so long to pick it up. I'm also shocked this is a debut novel for the author because of how well written it was.

What I Liked:
◉ The characters - I loved our FMC and MMC. They were complicated and interesting characters, and their relationship development felt so natural. I may be developing a slight kink for stoic and grumpy florists... will report back.
◉ Dual POV - I loved having POV's from both our characters. Having the flashbacks from our MMC POV was genius and made me enjoy them a lot more (not usually a big fan of flashbacks).
◉ The plot - it was basic and yet I was fully invested.
◉ The writing style & pace - the story had a good pace (even with flashbacks which can sometimes make the story feel stagnant) and the writing style was enjoyable.

What I Didn't Like:
◉ The side characters felt like the weakest area in this book - felt like they could have added that extra oomph (yes, that is the technical term).

I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was so fun and cute and emotional and omg weddings are so stressful even reading about them! I’m excited to read more from this author (I’ve read her fanfics to death at this point) and I hope we get something in the same world that can have cameos from these two (maybe Xander the cellist?)

The one thing for me that held me back a bit from 5⭐️ was that the Ama from Elliot’s POV seemed almost disconnected/different to the Ama we get to know in present day and it was almost hard to reconcile the two.

I’m pretty sure this will end up as one of my fave reads of the year - too effing good. Here is everything I loved about it:

- the dual timeline narrative with ONLY Elliot’s POV for the past - it was killing me as it edged closer to finding out what the hell went wrong all that time okay

- the depiction of their relationship blossoming in the plaza was just so sweet, but at the same time VERY spicy

- the grumpy sunshine dynamic - Elliot is the grumpiest of grumps that ever existed in a romance novel with no real reason for it other than he doesn’t like people, and I am here for it

- the villain storyline - deliciously dramatic and satisfying

- Ama’s character development by the end - so heartwarming 🥰

Overall things to expect:

- wedding planner and florist
- second chance romance
- dual timeline
- grumpy x sunshine
- she doesn’t believe in marriage
- he falls first
- he hates everyone but her

The only reason I read this book was for my book club and that the author has a well-known presence in the fanfiction community. And guys, before you go, oh no gross fanfiction, believe me when I say I used to be one of those people, but after I read my first fanfiction, I was hooked.

Well, anyway, about this book. I'm mad at Ama's mum. And felt so bad for her that she thought about weddings the way she did even though she was a very talented wedding planner. The chemistry between Elliott and Ama was great, and it does feel like a proper slow burn but at the same time doesn't. Writing was also great, easy to follow (what I really need nowadays because this girl gets confused very easily).

Peace out

Thank you for my eARC of this book. I loved the premise and wanted to love it but didn’t gel with the characters at all. Unfortunately I didn’t finish

Ama is a wedding planner who never wants to get married. Elliott is a florist. They used to be lovers but haven't seen each other for 2 years. Thrown together planning a wedding, will they rekindle their romance? Great holiday reading.

Nice, cosy romcom with no real angst. I loved grumpy Elliot and the flawed but sweet and determined Ama, and their interaction together was everything I wanted.
I'm personally not keen on going back and forth with the timeline in books and it did affect the pacing and flow of the book for me (this is very much a personal issue for me though and not necessarily reflective of the book as a whole).
One thing this book desperately needed, though, was more romance. It heavily features the wedding planning aspect of events, which is a really enjoyable read, but leaves the romance more than a little lacking.
The ending is adorably sweet, which I loved. 😍

I enjoyed this romance. A good summer read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This debut novel is a quick, easy entertaining and fun read. Good for holidays and when you want something lighthearted to read. I enjoyed reading this book and will look out for more books by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not the type of person who’s planned her future wedding on Pinterest, I have no idea what my dress will look like, etc. At least, I wasn’t before I came across this book. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down; I walked into people on public transport while reading, I nearly burned my dinner while reading and cooking at the same time… how else do I explain I was hooked??

Romance novels are a fine art; the pacing can often flag, but the author’s reveal of the characters’ relationship demise early on (without spoilers) was like emotional catnip — I was desperate to know what would happen with Ana and Eliot! And who would finally take Whitney down! I adored that for once, the gruff, attractive guy was the one desperately heartbroken and pining over a woman who wanted something casual, not the other way around. Not sure what that says about my “down with the patriarchy” mood, but let’s not read further into it.

Also hugely notable is the amount of research the author did into flowers for this story; everything was so well described and I found myself desperately googling Queen Proteas. Can I send the bill for my wedding to Julie Soto as the inspiration for it all?

I loved the wedding industry angle. But overall this was too much for me - too much sex, too brazen and maybe too American. I like a PG romance rather than x-rated sex. I didn't get all the US pop culture references or language. The characters were spikey - Ama a boss bitch and Elliott whose "brand is rude". The writing style was spikey too, with a lot of bad language - which I'm not necessarily adverse to but felt it was often just for the sake of it. So definitely a bad match rather than a bad book.

Wonderful! I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait for more from this author! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this title.

JULIE SOTO - FORGET ME NOT

RATING:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 out of 5.

REVIEW:
As a publishing debut, the story of Elliot and Ama is one that truly captured my heart. I recently realized, I LOVE grumpy/shy male main characters and Elliot was prime example for the species. He rather preferred the company of his own and his beautiful flowers, than human interaction. His quiet determination and protective streak made him a loveable puppy in my eyes, which given his cool exterior was a delicious duality.
Ama was sunshine personified, her dreams and the sheer determination with which she achieved them was admirable. As the FMC, she had a strong contrasting feature: she was awedding planner, who did not believe in love, thanks to her mother’s unique way of handling marriages. After all, as she liked to say, marriages are not perfect, but weddings are just a moment in time, striving to be perfect. So when she barged in on Elliot, the grouchy florist expecting him to collaborate on a perfect wedding, it was hard to imagine a few months later she would barge in on his heart, break it and never see him again.
Up until she had to. I enjoyed this version of a second chance romance. There was no maleficent reason for breaking off the relationship in the first place: Ama and Elliot simply couldn’t see the same path – for whatever fault on their part.
As two years later faith threw them into each other’s path again, with both of them having trepidation and unresolved issues dating back to their breakup, both of them guarded their feeling with steel. The tension of rekindling and the gamble of letting in someone again was deliciously supported by the dual timeline, which did not drag out the story unnecessarily. I distinctly enjoyed the last few chapters of the book with the epilogue topping off the wedding cake beautifully!
If you want to read about a grumpy romantic and a vivacious pessimist, you should check out Forget Me Not!
TROPES FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE:
- grumpy MMC/sunshine FMC
- second chance romance
- mutual pining
- opposites attract
- grumpy-shy MMC
- it’s always been you
- meet-cute
- contemporary romance

This is a delicious debut romance, I completely devoured it and I'm more than a little bit in love with Elliot (can't imagine who wouldn't be after reading this honestly).

I really loved the sense of magic and imagery around the flowers and the wedding designs, I'd never really considered wedding design, wedding planning is often in media as an organisational role, but the author did a really great job of showcasing the creativity of the job. And I loved the way that Ama and Elliot brought the best out in each other, creatively. I've not read many romance novels which explore that concept and I really enjoyed it.

I do think the pacing was a tiny bit off, once Ama and Elliot were together in the past their relationship escalated from (incredibly hot) sex to more serious without much explanation, and I'd have loved more of that. I'd also have loved more insight into Elliott's POV in the present day. But these are minor things compared with the overall delight of the book.

Absolutely adored this book! Read it in one sitting. The chemistry between Ama and Elliot was palpable. I am already looking forward to Soto's next book!