Thank you Forever and NetGalley for this ARC

This is a typical romantic novel with its fair share of clichés and predictable plot twists. While the writing style is engaging and the characters are relatable, the storyline lacks originality. The protagonist, while charming, fits the mold of the typical romance novel fmc: quirky, independent, and searching for love in all the wrong places. The love interest is equally predictable, with little depth beyond being the perfect match for the protagonist. Despite its flaws, the novel does have its moments of humor and tenderness. However, readers looking for something fresh and innovative may find themselves disappointed by the lack of originality. Overall, Not Another Love Song is a decent read for those seeking a light-hearted romance, but don't expect anything groundbreaking or memorable.

This book was absolutely perfect. I'm very much not a music person, but the experience of playing violin and cello came through beautifully in the story, and Gwen and Alex's romance was gorgeous and hot hot hot. Can't wait for more freedom Julie Soto!

One of my favorite romances of all time!!! Utterly brilliant. Diabolically sexy. Gut wrenchingly romantic and insanely, UNBELIEVABLY horny. As soon as I finished this book I turned back to page one so I could start it over from the beginning. Begging every romance reader in my orbit to read this immediately 🥹👌😩🩷

wow. okay. this was gorgeous. i really enjoyed forget me not and was super excited for this but was not prepared for how much i was going to ADORE IT!!! head over heels for this book!!!
i was def worried going in because i do not know much about music/orchestra other than my brief stint at playing the violin very poorly for 2 years in elementary school? and i feared it would hinder my reading experience but NOPE NOT AT ALL. like why am i kinda pissed off i’m not a child protege violin player???

anyways this story was great!!! gorgeous beautiful amazing!! it made me feel so many emotions SOOO DEEPLY!! and so consistently!!! from the very very start of the book i was hooked and i was texting my friends and screaming about how much i was obsessed with this. at least once a chapter i felt the urge to scream or cry or giggle!! i was GRINNING at my kindle multiple times. the chemistry was off the charts!! IT WAS HOT AS HELL!! and all the different plot and familial dynamics were so interesting and added a lot to the story. genuinely had such a great time reading this (even when i wasn’t having a great time and wanted to scream and pull out my hair and i felt like my heart was about to pound out of my chest).

i will say, i did briefly debate not giving this 5 stars for twoish reasons.
1. i felt like (as much as i LOVED THEM to pieces and love them together) gwen and alex could’ve communicated more! i felt like there were a lot of conversations they could’ve had that would’ve added a lot to the story that just weren’t there??
2. third act breakup was really irritating me and in hindsight it all kinda made sense but alex did really make me a little weary with his actions/one specific action and i still don’t really love that

BUT! in the end i was smiling so big and my heart was so warm and happy and fluffy that none of it mattered. and i mean i already said it but this book truly made me feel so many feelings! so incredibly deeply! and i felt so immersed in the story that i have to give her all her stars. absolutely gorgeous. julie soto killed it.

**thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever pub for the ARC in exchange for a review!!**

I went into this book with high hopes as I loved Forget Me Not, and Julie Soto did not disappoint. Initially I was a bit apprehensive about the orchestra plot line, but was immediately swept up into the story of Gwen, Alex/Xander, and the Manhattan Pops. I love a dual POV romance, and the ratio of Gwen’s chapters to Alex’s was just right! Julie Soto’s spicy scenes are elite. She writes the exact amount and type I enjoy. I will be recommending this book to my romance book club and all of the Reylo fans I know!

THIS BOOK GETS ALL THE STARS FROM ME 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The absolute trance this book put me in. Like getting carried away by a song. It was absolute perfection, I couldn’t put it down, and I never wanted it to end. This book is my Roman Empire and I will never shut up about it.

This is one for the musicians and music lovers. It’s about an incredible, self-taught violinist looking for her place in the professional world, and a musical prodigy, Julliard-dropout turned cello rock star looking to change his future. This book has so much heart and is, at its core a story about family, belonging and finding confidence to walk your own path.

Xander Thorne is truly a man obsessed and he had me obsessed right along with him. The rivals to lovers is perfect, Xander is down bad and Gwen can’t help but be pulled into his orbit. And the tension??! THE TENSION!! Pulled as taught as a violin string. I honestly felt the flow of this book mimicked a music piece which was just so fitting.

I loved that this story not only had me BLUSHING and squealing, it was also more than just the romance. Gwen’s story and her search for belonging reminds us of the importance and validity of found family. Xander’s story shows us you do not have to follow what is expected of you to be successful. There is so much to take away from this book, I guarantee you’ll find something to love about it.

WOW. I won’t lie, as someone who hated band in school I wasn’t sure how much I would love a story following a violinist and a cellist. I am now ashamed that I ever doubted Julie for a second because as always, it was impossible not to fall in love while reading. I loved learning and feeling through Gwen’s eyes and watching her character evolve. I absolutely adored the character development. The plot had everything I wanted, unexpected turns, laughs, spice (of course), and a story that felt like the music its main characters played. Highly, highly recommend this!!!

Thank you to Julie Soto and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I devoured this book. I had to force myself to stop once it hit 1 am and finished it as soon as I woke up.

Not Another Love Song is a Rivals-to-Lovers, workplace romance that follows Gwen and Xander through their musical journeys.

I absolutely loved this book. The tension between the main characters was exquisite, I couldn’t put my book down. The storyline was captivating and I love how Gwen and Xander had separate yet intertwined conflicts.

This is a spicy book; let me tell you, it was ART. In a couple of chapters, my jaw was completely unhinged because of how artfully music was incorporated into spice.

I’m currently looking for a copy of Forget Me Not, I desperately need more of Julie Soto’s writing.

This beautiful book hits shelves on July 16th, 2024. I strongly recommend this one to everyone, especially my musically talented romance fanatics.

As someone who played the cello for a decade and dreamed of being first chair for an orchestra, this book was everything little me dreamed of (and the scene with Ruby?!🥵) The pacing of the book was perfect - not too slow to bore me but not to quick. The romance was spot on and believable (no cheese anywhere to be found). I devoured this book in less than 2 days and cannot wait to read more of Julie Soto!

We all deserve an Xander who will remember our coffee order and SHOW us his love, rather than spewing nice pretty words (granted Alex also did that but his actions were to die for).

OMG I love this book so much! This is my first Julie Soto book but won't be the last. The chemistry, the banter, the emotional depth, you could feel it between these characters. I am not musically inclined but the details, the descriptions, the interweaving of it all - I felt it. I loved it! This was a great read and thank you so much for the ARC!

I LOVED Julie Soto's last book, Forget Me Not, about a somewhat chaotic wedding planner and her florist love interest who never talks. Somehow, despite the not talking, they both captured my heart, and their chemistry really lifted off the page.

Now, when I saw the premise of her next book was dueling musicians, I was very excited (also...the cover my god). It being a Reylo inspired story at this point is neither here nor there for me. It's clearly become a common inspiration for romances, and I've liked a lot of these, so I feel like I can't be judgmental of where people get inspiration.

Now that being said, while I have no problem with the source of the inspiration, I think it's possible that this being a Reylo inspired story may have contributed to the lack of fully realized character development, which is ultimately what led me to rate it 3 stars.

On its face, this book should have it all. The characters are young and talented and have...goals I guess? He is hot, she is also hot. However, this didn't really translate to true character development and any real chemistry for me, despite the sexy scenes. While I think fanfic can be a great inspiration, there still needs to be more on the page. We need to get beyond "She's Rey and he's Kylo" because otherwise, it is just fanfic. Unfortunately, these characters did not. I couldn't really discern what either of them wanted. Even though I was excited for the music storylines, ultimately it became incredibly chaotic because there was so much going on here (truly...a lot), and our FMC in particular was still a mystery to me by the end of the book. What does she really want? Unsure.

Ultimately, while Soto is a solid enough writer, and her work will no doubt continue to draw a lot of fans, this book didn't really quite come together for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for my early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I love you..." "Both parts of me love you. All of me"

Gwen (fmc)
Alex/Xander (mmc)

I think Julie Soto has become one of my auto buy authors becase she's just that captivating with her writing. Forget Me Not was one of my favorite books and I'm very happy to say that this book was also really well written.

This story follows Gwen and Alex who are rivals and both musicians. From the beginning you could tell there was a spark or something between them. It was so good to see it expand through the book. Gwen is very easy like and we connect to her as we get more of her POV. I did love Alex (Xander) as well, you can tell that he's boy obsessed. This book had a lot of musical terms and revolved around it but it was easy to follow and the romance was there.

Really good book, but Forget Me No might still be my favorite.

This is my first Julie Sotobook, I saw it on Abby Jimenez insta story and she was raving about it and thought good for Abby good for me, it got me from the beginning me and held on for the entire book. . I love Gwen and Alex i hope there will be more in this story i would like too enjoy their story again. first book by Julie Soto, but it won't be the last

My review was written on good reads. I’ve attached the link but I’ll also copy paste it below this.

WOAH ROMANCE AND MUSIC IN ONE BOOK. YES PLEASE 😌😉😍

I really enjoy Julie Soto’s writing style and loved Forget Me Not by her. Once I saw that this book was written based on music and love, as a former violin player myself, I just had to read it! I was able to connect with the characters and the background on the book on so many levels, so I will say that if you do not have a personal music background or in this case string instruments, it may be a little difficult to connect with the story. But if you loved Forget Me Not, you’ll be happy to hear some of the familiar names in this book. The romance is here and there’s some spicy moments 🌶️😍 for those who enjoy this also. I truly think this book will be loved by many especially those who enjoyed the first book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this AMAZING ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gwen and Xander’s story sucked me in immediately and I had a hard time putting this book down! The third-act breakup made a lot of sense and I really like the way it resolved. I didn’t know much about orchestras prior to reading this and that part enthralled me as well. I liked the presence of Ama from the author’s first book, I like when books can be read standalone but have some interconnectedness.

Julie Soto does not miss.

Gwen is a violinist that meets Xander, a world-renowned cellist in not so optimal circumstances at a wedding. Xander is grumpy, brooding, and terse. They realize they work together elsewhere, and will have to work closer together in the future. Gwen and Xander's journey is enemies to... Well, you will see!

An ode to music, composition, expression and love. Soto knocked this one out of the park.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so angsty and gave me so many feels. Xander is desperate to have Gwen in his life, and Gwen has trust issues a mile long and doesn't trust his intentions. She doesn't give herself enough credit, and maybe Xander gives himself a little too much. But together sparks fly. Having Xander's mom be someone Gwen respects and is a mentor to her career is a nice twist since it takes a minute for her to reconcile the Xander's mom with someone who is making things happen for her in her career. But is it what she wants, or what she thinks she is supposed to want?

Julie Soto does it again! Fans of Forget Me Not will enjoy this book (peep the cameos) and I can say I was among the crowd. I wish I had more knowledge of music bc I was somewhat lost with the constant references to arpeggios and the like. I was pleasantly surprised to see there were some Alex/Xander pov which I found helpful to understanding him bc I thought he was a massive jerk to start. The spice was good and I enjoyed the way things wrapped up.
Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was my first Julie Soto's work and truly, this was actually pretty good and a great introduction to Julie's writing. The music elements in seamlessly with the romance element and made the ubiquitous romance setting (the classic NYC backdrop) into something less overdone and more unique. The romance elements, too, were well done. That said, my main issues with reworked fanfics are the thinner character development and relationship building than I would've liked to see, as most authors can simply rely on the original/canon material. Having gone into this knowing full well it is a reworked Reylo fanfic may have distorted my view and, in retrospect, I’ve definitely attributed characteristics (physical or otherwise) or expectations or even personalities to the cast of characters that were not explicitly set out in writing. If we could spend more time with developing more unique and fully-formed characters (especially with the main couple whom we spend most of our time with) further away and more distinct from the original source material, this would’ve been an even better book and has full potential to stand well alone on its own merits.

I'm excited to see what else Julie has in store for readers. It works well as a follow up to Julie's earlier work but equally well as an entry to Julie's writing.

3.5 stars ~ first off, thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with the e-arc of this book!

i want to preface this by saying that i absolutely loved soto's debut, forget me not. it's still a book i think about often. i had such high hopes for her second book, but something just felt off for me. i'm not sure if it's because i didn't understand the orchestral lingo or what, but as much as i wanted to love it, i just couldn't :(

the beginning chapters were a bit rough for me - i love that we got to see gwen's mental health struggles, but i felt that the writing of it made it feel emotionless until about 20% in. again, this may have had to do not really understanding how orchestras operate, so it took a while for me to catch up,.

i understood both character's pov and liked seeing their character growth, but i felt like their chemistry wasn't established until after they got together. the later chapters were great, but i do think that alex/xander got away with some rude tendencies with gwen, who just brushed it off instead of it actually being addressed. same feelings with the third-act breakup and how i understood why things happened, but i felt there was no problem-solving for the relationship.

to leave off with some positives though! the spice was SPICING and i really did like the plot of it after understanding how orchestras work. i've been in a bit of a rut when it comes to spice, a lot lately have just felt *meh*, but soto really knows how to write good spice scenes! and the plot twists and everything really kept me in it for the long haul, i think the plot was beautifully thought out and intricate and was a nice pace throughout the book.

overall, i wish i loved this book but i can't wait for julie's book!