Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Forget Me Not

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

12 reviews

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I borrowed this as an ebook from the library during a recent trip (I do love a romance read for a plane ride - they're light and quick and easy, which is exactly what I want under those circumstances), but didn't have a chance to get to it. I always overestimate how much reading I'll get done during a trip! Anyhoo, I kinda forgot about it, but when it auto-renewed, and I got the email letting me know, I was like "it's a sign!" and decided to start it right then.

Ama Torres is a wedding planner who loves weddings, but isn't so sure about marriage (seeing her mother married voter a dozen times will do that to a person). She's great at her job though, taking pride in creating the perfect fit weddings for her couples. Elliot is a florist who never really wanted that, but inherited the shop from his father and is making it his own. When a celebrity couple hires Ama to plan their wedding, the exposure is exactly what she needs to bring her small business to the next level. But there's a (not so) small problem: they're also set on using Elliot's business for flowers. And they don't know that Ama and Elloit have a history. One that they're both trying to recover from, but can't manage to stop thinking about. Between that, a film crew following them around, Ama's condescending ex-boss, and the grand scale of the wedding in question, the two are dealing with some very real personal and professional challenges.

Alright look, I, too, love weddings. I’m a sucker for the unbridled love and fun and dancing, so I’m here for this framework. And honestly, it delivered on the fun and love, though with a side of drama, instead of dancing. I am also a sucker for a good grumpy-sunshine match and Ama and Elliot deliver that bigtime. Elliot was all gruff and mumbly and tattoo-ed (a point Ama and I definitely agree on as attractive; and in this case especially so because the theme - extinct flowers - was so perfect!). And Ama was a short ball of energy and enthusiasm that threw Elliot off adorably. Loved them. And, with the dual POV, I loved experiencing them through both their own eyes and each other's eyes; the differences were heartwarming. Speaking of the dual POV: I loved the way Soto used it. The dual timeline approach, with Elliot telling about their first meeting and falling for each other, while Ama tells her story in the present tense, allowed the classic "third act breakup" trope to be present, but in a unique way. That really worked for me because I am, quite honestly, very over the fabricated reasons for that breakup. This way, we got to see both characters through their genuine "falling for the other person" and "realizing it's forever" moments, even though they happened on different timelines. Hats off to Soto for that.

Now, I will say... I get Ama's relationship issues (a hesitation about marriage with a mom who has gone through it so many times is obvious baggage). But, Elliot? Like, why his internal monologue was “I'm terrible at this” or “I'm not cool enough” never made sense to me. I kept waiting for a reveal that would explain it and never got one. Maybe just general low-confidence, and that's fine as a reason, really, but it was just never clear enough for me. However, in the end, I loved the actual finale for Ama and Elliot's relationships. They each made an emotional compromise for the other to put them, together, as a first priority. It allowed for a not-too-perfect-to-be-real ending, and was such a sweet way for them to actually change the "side" they were on, as far as providing this thing was forever/how important that was to them.

As for the rest of the plot, it was solid. There was tons of wedding planning drama that kept things interesting. There were a lot of moving parts and, while they maybe weren't all necessary to include (I don't think), I was definitely entertained. The wrap-up of a couple of those pieces coming together - Ama's toxic ex-boss and the filming of the reality show for the famous wedding - was so good. I love an appropriate comeuppance, especially for a bitchy fancy lady who is fake AF, and Soto's conclusion there was incredibly satisfying and tidy. Sort of related, I am so here for the message that you can be “unprofessional” by arbitrary/old-school standards and still be a fantastic success. I feel super strongly about that IRL. If you're good at your job, and you're personally comfortable with your boundaries, then who the hell cares what you look/dress/act like? And if it doesn't involve someone directly, then what right do they have to comment? Ugh. Anyways, it was great to see it claimed here by Ama in general and as a final “middle finger.” A last comment: I'd like to voice full-throated approval for the Ama's cat's name: Lady Cat-ryn de Purrgh. Combining puns and Jane Austen? Yes, please.

This was a solid, if not standout, contemporary romance. I enjoyed it.

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

"Everything is starlight for millennia."

"There’s a flower in my chest, just now starting to meet sunlight, finally blossoming."

“There’s no perfect someone for everyone. There’s just promises and weddings. One can be broken. The other—” “Is just a party,”

"You were my first relationship, and I’ve grown up knowing that you don’t only get one. But…I only want one.”

Content Warnings

corncake's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

2.75

This is for people who love romance books, and all their tropes.

It's something fun and easy-to-read, with decent pacing and a good dose of salacious content for booklovers who enjoy spice with their romance.

However, I did not love this book. I was entertained for the week I read it, and I didn't hate the writing...but the characters and their romance personally fell super flat for me.

To me, this was The Wedding Planner meets a fix-it fic of 500 Days of Summer.

It's sad because the beginning of the book had me hooked. I am a sucker for a character who knows how to do their job super well - and you could tell Ama knew her s***. I loved getting to know our heroine in those beginning chapters - how she operates her business, her relationships with her ex/current step-siblings, and her "I'm gonna make this happen" attitude.

Ama was a hardworking, empathetic girl boss with an ironic reason for becoming a wedding planner - and I loved the book for that. Sadly, as the story went on, I felt as if we lost a lot of that beginning Ama characterization to compensate for a romance that felt unbelievable (and not in the good way).

This was a second chance romance, but I have no idea why Ama and Elliot wanted to get back together. They clearly wanted different relationships

(even ironically by the end of the book in what I imagine was supposed to be a "cute" and "funny" ending/new beginning for our couple)

, had no chemistry together outside their sex scenes, and barely spoke with each other in the "current timeline" of the story to make me believe they were still in love.

Mutual pinning can only go so far. I need something more to sell me on their romance and why they even like each other. I believe they are great business partners, but they definitely need to see other people in the romance department.

I hope to read other books in the future by this author in hopes that I find one that lands for me. Unfortunately, the main couple and their boring relationship are what made me disinterested in this love story.

Content Warnings

amy_in_the_city's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

A second chance romance (?) between two people that don't belong together and should seek out therapy instead. It feels like it was written by one of those people who consider 500 Days of Summer a rom-com and wrote a fix-it fic for the main characters to end up together despite wanting different things. Ama clearly tells Elliot she doesn't do relationships. That should have been the end of it. She strings him along a bit, but he also lets himself be strung along because he doesn't believe her when she says "no relationships."

So much time was spent on the wedding planning plot and describing all the details and to-do lists that there was no time left for the romantic relationship or for character development in general. There were two chances to show them falling in love (past and present), but I never really felt they were in love. The past timeline mostly seemed about lust. They had sex a lot, but they didn't really have any conversations where they get to know each other in a way that makes their "love" believable. I couldn't tell you anything they like about each other besides he likes her ass and she likes his tattoos. They have maybe two conversations in the present timeline and neither show them falling for each other again.

Ama was pretty immature. I spent most of the book wondering why she never saw a therapist to deal with her feelings about her mother's many divorces and how that affects her views on relationships. You would think she would have sought out a therapist after her outlook on relationships ruined what she had with Elliot the first time but apparently not. Other than her relationship hang-ups and her career goals, she didn't have much of a personality.

Elliott was just kind of a jerk. Repeat after me: "grumpy" does not equal "being rude to everyone you're not currently banging." His first scene with Ama when she was trying to discuss a business opportunity and he was just negging her nonstop was not cute. It was also dumb as a business owner to be needlessly rude to a potential client. His inner thoughts were funny at times though, and I liked the general idea of him in theory.

A lot of reviews praise the steamy scenes but something about them felt off to me. There were some beautifully written lines in here about love but unfortunately, they felt out of character when the romance was so underdeveloped.

Content Warnings

rickireadss's review against another edition

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4.25

this is probably the best dual timeline story i've read. i really liked how in the present, it was all ama's pov but the past was all elliot's pov. it just made the story better in my opinion. i also really liked the whole wedding planning aspect - like it was just a fun time. i also loved all of ama's ex-step-siblings and wish we had more on-page interaction between them. i honestly had a great time reading. it was funny, it was hot, and it made me tear up a few times ngl.

⚠️: injury/injury detail, death of parent, grief, gaslighting, toxic relationship (FMC & boss), cancer, sexual harassment, vomit, medical content, abandonment, violence, slut shaming

Content Warnings

middle_name_joy's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

sydapel's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

So I knew that this was from a fanfiction author but I had no clue until I read the acknowledgements that it was an author I have read and adored (Dramonie fans, rise up). I'm really happy Julie Soto is writing original stories, and I don't think this was a bad book by any means, but it's painfully obvious it's her first time working with characters she's created. All of the elements of a good story are here, but something felt missing from both Ama and Eliot in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. However, I really did enjoy the flashback/flashforward way their relationship is revealed!

Content Warnings

sariereads's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

singingshooter's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really enjoyed the different character perspectives and the jumping between timelines and the spice.

Things I didn’t like are a spoiler though

I did think the end where they got back together was rushed and I didn’t like that Ama was now giving Elliot a hard time about not wanting to get married. Also really not sure how she eats doughnuts all the time, but good for her 😂

I am glad that Ama was able to realize that she isn’t her mother and what we got Elliot’s POV on how much he loved her and wanted to commit

Content Warnings

shector1's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring relaxing tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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