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hazelgirl21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
condls27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent
catsandmetaphors's review
5.0
Forget Me Not is a dual POV, dual timeline, grumpy-sunshine second chance romance sprinkled with humour, doughnuts and plenty of spice. The dual POV and timeline were done masterfully and I loved how the past relationship of Ama and Elliot bloomed (pun absolutely intended) and then crashed, leaving both of them heartbroken.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Medical content
catsandmetaphors's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Even though Forget Me Not is her debut novel, Julie has been one of my favourite authors since 2019, when I stumbled upon her AO3 catalogue. It was such a proud moment to hold her first published novel in my hands.
Forget Me Not did not disappoint. A dual POV, dual timeline, sunshine-grumpy romance sprinkled with humour, commitment issues, and plenty of spice.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Medical content
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Forget Me Not is equal measure swoon, steam, and sweetness. Plus humour, donuts, tattoos, and did I mention steam.
Thank you to Read Forever for my gifted copy for review!
Ama Torres is a wedding planner, newly on her own in business and constantly seeking the perfect vision for her clients. She's grown up around weddings with her mother having been married 16 times.
Elliot Bloom inherited the Blooming flower shop from his father, and his creativity sets him apart in the industry. As does his attitude.
The story is told through current-day Ama, who has landed a career-making account for the famed Hazel Renee wedding, as well as Elliot three years prior during his and Ama's "unlabelled thing".
Forget Me Not could have been the typical grumpy/sunshine, but it's beyond that. It's not often I get so invested in rom-com characters.
I absolutely loved this book and will be singing author Julie Soto's praises - recommended!
For release on July 11.
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Sexual content
hannahmichele5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Premise:
-Ama Torres is a fairly new wedding planner in the Sacramento area in California
-She often enlists her ex or current step-siblings in her work, as her mom has been married 15 times
-Ama used to work for Whitney, a renowned wedding planner & has doubts about measuring up to Whitney
-Ama's first-person POV is told in the present
-Ama scores the wedding of the year of influencer/beauty connoisseur Hazel & her fiancé Jackie Nguyen (Jackie is from the area & always dreamed of getting married at the local rose garden)
-Elliot Bloom is the owner of Blooming, a florist in the area and has taken over since his father's passing
-Eliot's first-person POV is told in the past, starting with about five years ago and provides the backstory as to why Ama & Eliot no longer speak
-Eliot & Ama navigate working together & being around each other again for the first time in over two years
Thoughts:
I am so glad I never read premises because this was an absolute delight! I'm ecstatic to have found another new local author to support (I'm from the SF Bay Area). Ama's backstory & upbringing was unique, as I haven't met anyone whose parent has been married that many times; thus, Ama's feelings towards marriage and commitment made sense and made me feel for her. I can only imagine how that shapes and impacts you when it comes to romantic love especially.
The wedding planning aspect of this was an absolute romp; I used to work for a party rental service and my favorite clients were the wedding planners. It was magical to see their visions come to life, and Ama's passion and enthusiasm for her clients' big days were fleshed out so well. Her well wishes were evident in how badly she wanted to cultivate the perfect wedding day to represent each client. Even though she never saw herself getting married, she took reverence in these weddings and that was something so admirable in Ama that I think we can all take a lesson from!
Eliot on the other hand, was so rude for no reason in the beginning. It took me a bit to warm up to him but I guess that was the point hahaha. I enjoyed reading the scenes of him sharing the stories behind each of his six tattoos, and similarly to what I respected about Ama, Eliot is so clearly passionate about his work. I don't know much about flowers but Eliot's excitement rubbed off on me! I want to know more about all of these flowers now! Who am I?!
I appreciated the millennial angst in not knowing if you could ever measure up to your mentors, and the way this is displayed in the uncomfortable power dynamic between Ama & Whitney. The fact that Whitney tells Ama she needs to be "more professional" is such a boomer x millennial conflict, and I think many of us can relate to this. As someone who continues to learn about anti-racism, intersectional feminism and abolition theory, I've pretty much thrown the boomer idea of "professionalism" out the window. It's antiquated and tired. Yet, I can empathize with how Ama wants to run her business, with care and a personal touch. What Whitney interprets as unprofessional makes Ama feel guilty and second guess herself as a wedding planner. Ama's willingness and enthusiasm in getting to know her clients only provides an even more intentionally planned day for them. Ama's clients end up with a day that feels intimately theirs, rather than a cookie cutter Instagram-worthy wedding that screams copy & paste.
Anyway, I will absolutely read more from Julie in the future & I can't wait to see her on tour this weekend!
Tropes:
-second chance
-forced proximity
-grumpy x sunshine
-opposites attract
-workplace romance
-main character scared of commitment/doesn't believe in it (& changes her mind hehe!)
-sneaky public rendezvouzs!
Representation:
-child of divorce
-child of parent who passed away
-lesbian side characters
Steam: 2.5/5 -- a lot of fun tension and great steamy scenes!
Quotations that stood out to me:
I can always get a good sense about a couple when I ask about their engagement story. Iâm not saying itâs a proven method to know if theyâre going to make it, butâŠthe brides with the loveliest engagement stories are the ones I havenât done twice.
âA wedding is not a marriage. Marriages will never be perfect. Theyâre always a work in progress. But weddings? Weddings are just a moment in time, striving to be perfect.
That would require sacrificing a bit of my brand, which up till now has been Millennial Modern Affordable with a personal twist.
Iâve been trying to set clearer boundaries. The line of professionalism with the clients and the vendors has always been my weakness. I love getting to know people and finding out what makes them happy. But blurring the lines always gets me into trouble. Always.
I decided to break from the millennial stereotype when I stopped renting. Donât worryâI still spend $6,000 a year on avocado toast. They let me keep my membership card.
There is nothing in the world that cannot be solved by the first bite of a perfect donut. I am, of course, excluding serious world problemsâbut even then, I think that if we could all just sit down and have a donut, things might get better.
âWe like it tight!â Jackie gasps. âAnd thatâs not a sex thing! Thatâs just something that came out of my mouth!â
flowers are infinitely better than people. Because you can find a personâs ratio of light, water, and attention, and it still wonât be enough. For flowers, itâs enough.
I donât believe long-term commitments like marriage work out, but I do believe in love. It can be fleeting and undependable, rarely long-lasting, but I do believe it exists.
My favorite of my motherâs husbands are the ones with kids who need job experience.
Iâm addicted to my phone. One day we will have support groups for thisâour backs curved like croissants, our thumbs twitching with the need to swipe, all blinded from the blue light.
If thereâs one thing Elliot Bloom is not, itâs casual.
âWellâŠâ I hesitate. âShe stood in front of his house every day, carving a golden arrow into her heart. On the thirtieth day, a crimson flower sprouted from her chest. And he finally noticed her.â
âOh, thatâs beautiful,â Jackie says. âGotta love the Greeks. All that unrequited love and sacrifice.â
âSacrifice?â a deep voice resonates. His hands are hard at work at a bouquet without our notice. âHe didnât want her, so she carved herself into something he liked, something he wanted.â
I feel that golden arrow now, carving, carving.
âOf course, you would identify with the man,â Jackie scoffs. Itâs supposed to lighten the mood. I force my lips upward.
âWhat the fuck is on your lips?â
She blinks quickly, and then reaches up as if Iâve told her she has a mustache. âNo, I meanâŠâ I sigh. âIs that some designer shit? Is that why it doesnât get messed up when Iâm kissing you?â
âItâs Hazel Renee,â she says, simply. As if that answers it.
âI donât give a fuck who it is. I want you to look debauched when Iâm debauching you.â
Sheâs saying the most insane thingsâthings that only get whispered to you in dreams.
I had a good childhood, so itâs not like Iâve never received an excellent present before. But itâs the surprise from someone who knows you on a level no one else willâsomeone whoâs opened up your chest and fit themselves inside.
Thereâs a flower in my chest, just now starting to meet sunlight, finally blossoming.
Growing up, it was a truth universally acknowledged that Sacramento was a place to leaveâat least in my experience. The theater was in New York. The beaches were in LA. The culture was two hours west in San Francisco. And what even was CSU Sacramento? I grew up surrounded by people who agreed that Sacramento is a great place to raise a family, but if youâre going to be an artistâget out. And I did. But like most Hallmark love stories where a city girl must return home from New York and learn to love her hometown roots with the help of a rough and rugged carpenter or mechanic or boatswain, I came home to Sacramento. And that boatswain, for me, was Forget Me Not.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
emilylovesgoodbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Death of parent
a_rich_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Medical content