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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: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual harassment, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Abandonment and Violence
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Cancer, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Death
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: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual harassment, Vomit, Medical content, and Violence
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: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Medical content, 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: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Cancer
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: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. Thus, no stars doesn’t indicate that the book wasn’t worthy of any starred system. It just means I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Happy reading! Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
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:
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. I’m not saying it’s a proven method to know if they’re going to make it, but…the brides with the loveliest engagement stories are the ones I haven’t done twice.
“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.
That would require sacrificing a bit of my brand, which up till now has been Millennial Modern Affordable with a personal twist.
I’ve 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. Don’t worry—I 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 problems—but even then, I think that if we could all just sit down and have a donut, things might get better.
“We like it tight!” Jackie gasps. “And that’s not a sex thing! That’s just something that came out of my mouth!”
flowers are infinitely better than people. Because you can find a person’s ratio of light, water, and attention, and it still won’t be enough. For flowers, it’s enough.
I don’t 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 mother’s husbands are the ones with kids who need job experience.
I’m addicted to my phone. One day we will have support groups for this—our backs curved like croissants, our thumbs twitching with the need to swipe, all blinded from the blue light.
If there’s one thing Elliot Bloom is not, it’s casual.
“Well…” I hesitate. “She 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.”
“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Jackie says. “Gotta love the Greeks. All that unrequited love and sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?” a deep voice resonates. His hands are hard at work at a bouquet without our notice. “He didn’t want her, so she carved herself into something he liked, something he wanted.”
I feel that golden arrow now, carving, carving.
“Of course, you would identify with the man,” Jackie scoffs. It’s supposed to lighten the mood. I force my lips upward.
“What the fuck is on your lips?”
She blinks quickly, and then reaches up as if I’ve told her she has a mustache. “No, I mean…” I sigh. “Is that some designer shit? Is that why it doesn’t get messed up when I’m kissing you?”
“It’s Hazel Renee,” she says, simply. As if that answers it.
“I don’t give a fuck who it is. I want you to look debauched when I’m debauching you.”
She’s saying the most insane things—things that only get whispered to you in dreams.
I had a good childhood, so it’s not like I’ve never received an excellent present before. But it’s the surprise from someone who knows you on a level no one else will—someone who’s opened up your chest and fit themselves inside.
There’s 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 leave—at 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 you’re going to be an artist—get 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.
From the author's note & I love this lil reflection!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
4.75
Smart, sexy, and (dare I say?) Reylo-coded, this wedding planner contemporary romance juggles questions of self-worth and workaholism while also balancing a dual-timeline/dual-narrator structure. Spicier than my usual fare (5-6 moderately explicit scenes), but clearly I enjoyed it regardless!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Forget Me Not was a whole lot of sex and not a whole lot of anything else.
If you're looking for tattoo fetishes, dirty talking, and pretty toxic bully-love-type situationships, this will be your jam.
If you're looking for a really good plot with character development and depth, this will most definitely not be your jam.
I was in the second category and found myself pretty disappointed with this book. It started off really interesting and I found myself intrigued by the wedding planner who didn't believe in love, the second chance romance with the florist, etc. However, as the story progressed, I found myself more and more frustrated with just about all of the characters involved - even the secondary ones.
I'm sure that the dual POV was meant to endear you to the characters a little more and help you understand what was going on in their heads - primarily with Elliot. Rather than endear me to him, it just made me really upset with his refusal to communicate instead. The only thing he had going for him was his ability to sense when a woman orgasmed by sensation alone...
Don't even get me started on how much I disliked Ama. She's selfish, self-satisfying, and so incredibly dense that I wanted to scream at her pretty much from the get-go. In addition to all of that, there's literally no character development for her so by the end of the book, she's just as infuriating and mindless as she was at the beginning. She's so inconsiderate to everyone around her, acting as if the world revolves only around her needs and wants and it's really angering.
I truly want to find something good to say about this book so I will say one thing: the actual wedding planning portions were interesting. Learning about the different elements that took place to make Hazel and Jackie's wedding happen kept my attention. It's a bummer that's really the only thing that stood out to me.
If you're looking for tattoo fetishes, dirty talking, and pretty toxic bully-love-type situationships, this will be your jam.
If you're looking for a really good plot with character development and depth, this will most definitely not be your jam.
I was in the second category and found myself pretty disappointed with this book. It started off really interesting and I found myself intrigued by the wedding planner who didn't believe in love, the second chance romance with the florist, etc. However, as the story progressed, I found myself more and more frustrated with just about all of the characters involved - even the secondary ones.
I'm sure that the dual POV was meant to endear you to the characters a little more and help you understand what was going on in their heads - primarily with Elliot. Rather than endear me to him, it just made me really upset with his refusal to communicate instead. The only thing he had going for him was his ability to sense when a woman orgasmed by sensation alone...
Don't even get me started on how much I disliked Ama. She's selfish, self-satisfying, and so incredibly dense that I wanted to scream at her pretty much from the get-go. In addition to all of that, there's literally no character development for her so by the end of the book, she's just as infuriating and mindless as she was at the beginning. She's so inconsiderate to everyone around her, acting as if the world revolves only around her needs and wants and it's really angering.
I truly want to find something good to say about this book so I will say one thing: the actual wedding planning portions were interesting. Learning about the different elements that took place to make Hazel and Jackie's wedding happen kept my attention. It's a bummer that's really the only thing that stood out to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship