Scan barcode
a_libra_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
mj_86's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship
Minor: Medical content
lauraelovesbooks'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
5.0
Having his chapters set in the past and hers in the present? Perfection
Julie Soto has quickly become an auto-read author for me
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
skillyillian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
readwithria'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? It's complicated
4.0
This book was so fun! I initially wanted to wait to read this until after my wedding, but the plot didn’t give me any nightmares or budget envy. Instead it showed me Ama, an amazing wedding planner, and her second chance with Elliot, the grumpiest floral designer in the world.
I really loved the characters, the dual timeline, the weddings, and the chemistry between Ama and Elliot. I loved how he took care of her, how they set, maintained, and self-adjusted their boundaries, and how they made each other sparkle.
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next from Julie Soto, she’s definitely getting added to my list of auto-buy authors. 4 stars
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
chris_reads'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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical content, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual harassment
zias's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Medical content
corncake's review against another edition
2.75
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
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.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent
Minor: Medical content and Alcohol
-Second Chance Romance -Sunshine Girl Boss Meets Grumpy Tsundere Boy -Dislike to Lovers -No Slow Burn. -Immediate Attraction -"Toxic Relationship" content warning for Ama's ex boss.amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident and Classism