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fiwwa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i'm not even joking when i say movie producers call julie soto's agent RIGHT NOW for movie adaptation license. this is what i imagine when i think of books that feels like early 2000s romcom movies. it was hot, it was funny, it was the perfect portion of drama and comedy!! amalliot's bickering and banters got me cackling yet the second chance romance angst makes me ache sooo bad. i love it when the grump in grumpysunshine is the type of person who never loves anyone before her and can't love anyone else after her *screaming*
ps. the myth is right after all, amaryllis do fell in love with the man who loved flowers ;)
pps. i need to see elliot's tattoos.
ps. the myth is right after all, amaryllis do fell in love with the man who loved flowers ;)
pps. i need to see elliot's tattoos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
victoriaorgana's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s a second chance romance and GAH how much do I get annoyed at those
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Gaslighting
kfmcf's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Am I mad it's yet another Reylo, absolutely, but at least it was less obviously in the past timeline.
Speaking of the past timeline, that was the stronger aspects of the book to me. I loved the MMC's POV. He was so awkward and goony and it really showed their chemistry and what they both needed from each other. I missed that in the present timeline - I felt that we really didn't get any time with them together in the present and feel the draw of them coming back together. I did think having the timelines have one POV respective to each of them was a fun choice that was done well.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the cartoonishly evil villain. It was predictable and added a phony tension to the last act of the book.
This is so nitpicky - but I'm so picky about covers. Why do they both look so sickly. The color choices of purple and green, love, great, totally fine. But the characters are grey. why.
Overall, I still had a good time with this one and will keep an eye out for future Julie Soto's.
Speaking of the past timeline, that was the stronger aspects of the book to me. I loved the MMC's POV. He was so awkward and goony and it really showed their chemistry and what they both needed from each other. I missed that in the present timeline - I felt that we really didn't get any time with them together in the present and feel the draw of them coming back together. I did think having the timelines have one POV respective to each of them was a fun choice that was done well.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the cartoonishly evil villain. It was predictable and added a phony tension to the last act of the book.
This is so nitpicky - but I'm so picky about covers. Why do they both look so sickly. The color choices of purple and green, love, great, totally fine. But the characters are grey. why.
Overall, I still had a good time with this one and will keep an eye out for future Julie Soto's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
rickireadss's review against another edition
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
⚠️: injury/injury detail, death of parent, grief, gaslighting, toxic relationship (FMC & boss), cancer, sexual harassment, vomit, medical content, abandonment, violence, slut shaming
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Vomit, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence and Abandonment
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Ama is a small-scale wedding planner who offers personal touches. When she has the chance to work with a huge social media influencer and finds out that Elliot Bloom is the only florist the couple wants, she almost passes. Can she overcome her past and be a professional for the job of her dreams?
I had mixed feelings about this one. I started it on audio and decided it wasn’t for me (my big issue was a slight midwestern accent voiced on a person who was supposedly born and raised in Sacramento, CA; I’m picky, okay? And I’m not a cheetah listener like some of y’all nor do I want to be). Anyway, when I picked this up again in print several weeks later, I almost didn’t finish it again, but I was able to skim to the 38% point quickly and kept going to the finish line. Here’s what didn’t work so well for me:
The romance. And this is a romance book. I didn’t mind the workplace aspect or the grumpy-sunshine trope (and this one is GRUMPY: “Rude is Elliot’s brand”), but the “big reveal,” avoiding the subject of what happened 3 years ago is frustrating to me in any book. Add to that the number of skipped scenes and the commitment-averse, no-strings plot in the past timeline and this just wasn’t a winner for my taste.
Here’s what held my attention: the wedding planning, architecture, design, and creativity; Ama’s strange relationship with her step-siblings (her mom had been married 16x!); and the dual POV and timeline. Some readers would have preferred that both voices were set in the present, but I thought reading Elliot’s thoughts from the past was a brilliant way to frame the story. Finally I loved that this was a love letter to the city of Sacramento and to hometowns in general (the author says that over 70% of the locations in the book are real and she was intentional in making Ama someone who never had to “get away” from home to make something of herself). Overall, not a rave review, but this one had its moments.
To modify this to closed door, skip parts of chapters 13, 16, 18, 20, and 33. Yikes!
I had mixed feelings about this one. I started it on audio and decided it wasn’t for me (my big issue was a slight midwestern accent voiced on a person who was supposedly born and raised in Sacramento, CA; I’m picky, okay? And I’m not a cheetah listener like some of y’all nor do I want to be). Anyway, when I picked this up again in print several weeks later, I almost didn’t finish it again, but I was able to skim to the 38% point quickly and kept going to the finish line. Here’s what didn’t work so well for me:
The romance. And this is a romance book. I didn’t mind the workplace aspect or the grumpy-sunshine trope (and this one is GRUMPY: “Rude is Elliot’s brand”), but the “big reveal,” avoiding the subject of what happened 3 years ago is frustrating to me in any book. Add to that the number of skipped scenes and the commitment-averse, no-strings plot in the past timeline and this just wasn’t a winner for my taste.
Here’s what held my attention: the wedding planning, architecture, design, and creativity; Ama’s strange relationship with her step-siblings (her mom had been married 16x!); and the dual POV and timeline. Some readers would have preferred that both voices were set in the present, but I thought reading Elliot’s thoughts from the past was a brilliant way to frame the story. Finally I loved that this was a love letter to the city of Sacramento and to hometowns in general (the author says that over 70% of the locations in the book are real and she was intentional in making Ama someone who never had to “get away” from home to make something of herself). Overall, not a rave review, but this one had its moments.
To modify this to closed door, skip parts of chapters 13, 16, 18, 20, and 33. Yikes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting
starlitpage's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
takarakei's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
- he owns a flower shop
- she's a wedding planner that doesn't believe in marriage
- dual pov,
- dual timeline, second chance romance
- narration *chefs kiss* Teddy Hamilton is 🔥
Since this book is told in past/present, I would've liked a bit more of the present in terms of the second chance part of the romance. Elliot has my whole heart.
you may think everything ends one day, but you haven’t had everything with me
*Note on diversity* side characters are diverse. MCs are planning a gay wedding for the whole book.
3.5/5 🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer, Medical content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
courtneyb_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.25🌟. I loved this romance. It was beautifully written with characters who are flawed but it made them so much more relatable. I enjoyed the dual POV/timeline- Ama’s present POV mixed with Elliot’s past POV leading up to “The Wedding” was both refreshing and smart. I loved both character’s development. I enjoyed the side characters- they helped move the story along without being too much.
Highly recommend. Especially if you like:
- Second chance romance
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy/Sunshine vibes
- Wedding industry backdrop
- Spice!
- Angst & tension.
- Dual POV & Dual Timeline
- Fun banter.
What made it NOT 5stars:
- I felt like the ending (the resolution/ the HEA) was rushed. Like the hurtful things said between the two MC’s…it just kind of went away for the HEA.
- Also, present day Ama and past Ama felt different- past Ama seemed bold, present day Ama was more reserved and less forward. I know she grew up a bit but it felt off.
TW: Manipulative boss. Death of a parent. Gaslighting. Sexual content (spicey). sexual harrassment scene.
Highly recommend. Especially if you like:
- Second chance romance
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy/Sunshine vibes
- Wedding industry backdrop
- Spice!
- Angst & tension.
- Dual POV & Dual Timeline
- Fun banter.
What made it NOT 5stars:
- I felt like the ending (the resolution/ the HEA) was rushed. Like the hurtful things said between the two MC’s…it just kind of went away for the HEA.
- Also, present day Ama and past Ama felt different- past Ama seemed bold, present day Ama was more reserved and less forward. I know she grew up a bit but it felt off.
TW: Manipulative boss. Death of a parent. Gaslighting. Sexual content (spicey). sexual harrassment scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault