💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This book was super cute with the perfect amount of non cringy spice. Julie Soto really can write a scene that gets you all in the feels. If you have read this one then you know the exact scene I’m thinking of! There is a lot of music talk, which for a person who knows nothing about music (me🙋🏻‍♀️) can go over your head a bit, but it did not takeaway anything from enjoying the story. I loved all the characters, especially Mabel! And the chemistry between Alex “Xander” and Gwen was jumping off the pages. Sign me up for every book that Julie Soto writes from here on out please!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Rivals to lovers
👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻Forced proximity
☀️Grumpy x sunshine
🎻Musical prodigies
🌶️Steamy
📈Character growth
🎭Family drama
🏡Found family

🎻𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🎻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E : “𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝒾𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒.”

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Julie Soto for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Julie Soto is officially a must-read for romance fans. Love her characters, the fascinating worlds behind their professions, and that tension building! The spice is spicy.

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite books of all time!!!!!!!!! I truly loved everything about this- the tension, the angst, the plot, the TEA!!! "Forget Me Not" was one of my favorite book of 2023, so I have been highly anticipating this one and it gave me EVERYTHING!

Alex is the hottest man I have ever read about and I'll die on that hill. An angsty cello player, yes please!! Gwen is so incredible and I truly love her. BUT GWEN AND ALEX TOGETHER??!!? Absolute perfection. The way Alex is completely obsessed with Gwen had me screaming and kicking my feet. I really really loved the orchestra setting, with them sitting across from each other as first chair violin and cello. All of the music talk made really did make me want to go see a live orchestra. I loved how they talked to each other through their music. The scene with his solo and her joining in honestly had me in tears, it felt that beautiful.

Julie Soto - the author that you are!!!!!!!!! I will read ANYTHING this woman writes. Thank god she has a background in fanfic and i can now binge that.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review. Best arc of the year!!!!

Obsessed with this in every way.

The enemies to lovers hits so hard in an orchestra setting, who knew??

Every beat was well played (pun!) and the romance and build up was 10/10, no notes.

Just impatiently waiting for Julie’s next book!!!

Ms Julie Soto has got to be the queen of writing the hottest people, I swear it.

When I tell you I was foaming at the mouth for both Gwen and Xander omg?! I do not know if I want to be them or be with them. The tension was absolutely crazy; the chemistry was coming right off the page! Literally felt like I was holding my breath during certain moments because the tension had me going that insane.

Okay but on a different note, I loved the careers of both Gwen and Xander and how they were both thoroughly explored. While I am not a musician myself, it felt like Julie knew and studied this world to get it just right. This book quite literally had me wanting to quit my job and become a violinist. I'm sure that's a reasonable course of action, no? I also loved the NYC setting. I love when cities feel more like characters in the story rather than a one-dimensional setting.

There was one piece of the book that I felt went a bit fast, but other than that, I truly loved this story. Cannot wait to see what Julie does next!

4.5 stars!! This books started off a little slow but once it got going I LOVED it!!! The romance was SO good! There was an insane amount of tension that the slowburn really hit. The spice moments between them were so HOT! 😩 The love declarations were also everything and more. The way Alex was just utterly obsesssd with her from the first time he heard her play was the cutest.

I also loved how there was a major focus on character development. They pushed each other to find the best possible version of themselves and to stop living for others approval. This was shown through their career and I loved how they both left what was comfortable and pushed for what they truly wanted.

**big thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with the arc of this book**

3.5⭐️

I wanted to love this book so so much, especially since I flew through the first book but honestly this one didn’t have me.

At first, I honestly considered DNFing this book, I just couldn’t get a grasp on it. I thought maybe it was the musical politics of it, I’m not knowledgeable on those types of things but after about 20%, I found it a lot easier to read.

this book became easy to read, pretty quick - just like the first one. I wasn’t super attached to this one, but I did enjoy the story. The way Xander/Alex was an absolute douche to her - really turned me off and I know it’s probably part of the “enemies to lovers” vibes but it just made it so hard for me to see their chemistry and become deeply invested in them.

Overall, I do think the story was really good and the characters were definitely likable (Alex delivered with time). It was enough to keep me reading, I found myself wanting to pick up the book regardless of how much I liked it AND the spicy scenes were absolutely SPICIN’ and also the cover?? Lowkey love!!

I think Julie's writing is so easy to read, her format is perfect - I will say, I wasn't a fan of the longer chapters but once I was invested in the story - it was easier to tolerate for sure

I would recommend this book absolutely

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6495882439

I loved this book even more than Forget Me Not! Clearly because I stayed up till 4am to finish it!

It gave me an insight into the world of orchestra, which was so cool and interesting.

It made me wish that I had attended a concert at Carnegie Hall during my NYC birthday trip.

The foreplay with musical instruments was so hot! 🔥

And the nod to Taylor Swift at the end! 🙌🏻 💀☠️💀

I hope this book gets optioned too as it would make a great movie!

The biggest thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of this masterpiece. WHEW. This story. Gosh I am still reeling from the love, the music, the tension, the growth. It was such a treat. Julie has written these characters flawlessly, allowing them to complement one another as a violin complements a cello. I fell in love with Gwen. I swooned for Alex. I melted at their love story. It was such a joy to peek behind the curtain and see the love and loss of classically trained musicians. Julie has conducted a masterpiece with this book. Every sentence flows like a symphony. Every page like an encore. Every chapter, like a pause in the music as you try to catch your breath. I will be inviting so many people to read this book and get front row seats to the artistry of Julie Soto!!

4.5 stars rounded up.

First of all, this cover artist deserves a raise.

Second of all --- DAMN. This book was taut, fraught, and freaking HOT!

Gwen is a twenty two year old violin star who stumbled into playing by chance and found solace in music when her mother and grandfather passed away, leaving her without family at a young age. Xander Thorne is the stage name for a musical prodigy and son of one of the greatest violinists to play at the Manhattan Pops. The two are set on a crash course when Xander joins the Pops hoping for a shot at first chair -- and Gwen is shockingly given the position.

Gwen isn't sure that this is the dream she had for herself, but she isn't in a position to turn down any sort of job security. The two continue to glare and stare at one another from their perfectly opposed positions within the orchestra but neither can deny the pull they feel towards one another. Once they get past the bumps of their initial meeting(s), they realize that together they create something special -- on their instruments and as romantic partners. But both will have to decide where their true dreams lie and if being together is a part of that dream, no matter what the cost.

This was SEXY and lyrically beautiful at the same time. Julie Soto is a new favorite! I only wish we got more than a view snippets of Alex/Xander's POV because that man can PINE like no one's business.

Great plot, great characters, and music that you could practically feel as you read. A masterpiece!!

If you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood-MMCs that fall in love with the FMC at first sight (or first musical note in this case), brood a lot in a hot way, and treat the FMC as equals even while basically worshipping them, you will love this book! Xander and Gwen have unbelievable chemistry, and, even without knowing anything about classical music, I was able to feel the tension and emotions in their musical scenes together. I also loved that the barriers between them actually made sense in the plot and it wasn't just frivolous miscommunication to create discord. The characters were well-developed enough that both of their perspectives during conflicts made sense. This book has made future books by this author instant-buys for me!

This is my second Julie Soto book. I read Forget Me Not last year and didn’t love or hate it. I thought I would give this one a go and see if I lIked it better. I loved the story between the two main characters and the unique storyline of two music prodigies that were similar in so many ways. I was loving everything about the banter, the peer dynamic, and the “hidden” identity take on Alex’s character. Everything was going so well, I knew I needed to prepare myself for the inevitable third act conflict. Third act breakups are usually a given but it was really hard for me to get past the reasons that led to the breakup. I didn’t feel like it made sense for how the characters relationship had been written and felt like it was just there for the sake of having a conflict right at the end. Overall, it was a decent read and had potential to have a higher review but I couldn’t get past the reasons for the breakup.

Man I loved the tropes so I really wanted to like this book but it just didn't work for me. The professional rivals part was very compelling but unfortunately the emotional pacing was all off. They don't trust each other for a good chunk of the book and then suddenly they start sleeping together with no provocation? I could have looked past that if our hero wasn't continually telling the heroine who she was supposed to be. I get that he thinks she's talented but when everyone else in the story also has strong ideas about what she should do with her career it didn't read like support it read more like control. I've seen some other really positive early reviews so it seems like this book has found its crowd. If a high heat, rivals to lovers story sounds like your jam this might be a great book for you. It's just not for me.

I loved Julie Soto’s previous release, Forget Me Not, and was very excited for the opportunity to read this book. It did not disappoint! I was very interested in the characters and loved the backdrop of the symphony. Already looking forward to the next release from this author!

I devoured this book in one sitting. The tension, the longing....I couldn't put it down. As someone who use to play the violin, this book was especially wonderful! Julie Soto made me the feel the music our main characters Gwen and Alex were making. A truly swoonworthy delight!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC!

Being that this was my first book by Julie Soto and my first time reading about a violinist and cellist, i’d have to say it was pretty interesting!

I found Gwen and Alex to be enjoyable main characters. Gwen was a cute character. She was a bit awkward at times but gave me very sunshine vibes. She was also a people please which can sometimes get irritating when reading but I can also sympathize and relate to her. Alex was also great, I liked how we got to see him learn that he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone other than himself.

Gwen and Alex’s relationship was done so well. Their chemistry was great and while I felt like the rivals to lovers aspect was a bit quick it was still good.

Sometimes the music conversation in this story could get a bit boring and confusing but overall Gwen and Alex had a beautiful story and I am very grateful that I got to receive this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I can’t believe I just finished what has to be the best book of 2024. I’m absolutely shocked by how good this book was. I just finished it and I’m ready to pick it up again. Only Julie Soto could make the orchestra sexy.

Gwen Jackson is a violinist in the Pops Orchestra and on the weekends to make ends meet she plays weddings with her best friend Jacob. Due to a scheduling mix up she’s asked to play the Cello instead of the violin and catches the eye of Xander Thorne, member of rock band Roses and Thorne and fellow member of the Pops Orchestra. She’s embarrassed when he doesn’t recognize her and critiques her playing. When she’s offered the first chair, a seat Xander has been chasing, the tension between them grows but they can’t stay away from each other. When Pops Orchestra is in need of PR to increase sales Gwen and Xander end up spending more time together where they bond over their love of music. As they begin to explore their connection, their different upbringings and futures they see for themselves threaten to tear them apart.

The slow burn was SO REAL with this book. I was unable to put it down until some of the tension was relieved, I was hooked waiting for some sort of relief and BOY did it exceed my expectations. I loved seeing Gwen grow as she became more confident in herself and her abilities and open herself up to Xander. Although Xander only had a couple of chapters throughout, they were expertly executed and gave us a glimpse into who he is and his motivations. Now when I tell you that man was down bad, he was DOWN BAD. He fell first and harder and never got up.

I don’t know anything about reading, writing or playing music but it seems Julie did extensive research, I was so enthralled I found myself googling terms and researching the techniques and songs she mentioned. I loved that aspect and it allowed me to learn something new! I also just love any story set in New York, I feel like it somehow makes it more romantic. Julie Soto has solidified herself as an auto buy author!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I need to start by saying a book has not made me scream, cry, throw up, giggle, kick my feet, and drool like this in so long. Maybe never? All I know is this book is next level. The angst between Xander and Gwen from their first official meeting made me tingly and my roommate ask me why I was consistently blushing. One word: YEARNING. Oh sweet baby jesus did Xander BURN for Gwen and make it plenty clear. The cello scene in his recording studio? The creation of Fugue No. 1, Unaccompanied and then the progression to Accompanied? Nobody speak to me for 10-20 business days while my heartbeat returns to normal. And yet it was so gentle and sweet; their love was so pure.

I loved Forget Me Not (Julie's first book) but Not Another Love Song has joined the ranks of god-tier romance. Will be buying the tangible copy as soon as I physically can.

“If he admitted that entire symphonies had unfurled in his mind when they played together. . . It felt like the music wouldn’t be his anymore.”

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

Another great book by Julie Soto!! This book is electrifying, with good chemistry with the main characters and good plot development. I also loved the cameos from Ama and Elliot! The attention to detail, specifically with all the components of an orchestra, musicians, music itself was amazing.

The only critiques I would have is that I feel the last 15% of the book was slightly rushed in terms of tying up plot points, as well as the ending not being as satisfying as I would have liked it to be. However, the ending does give room for more possible development of Gwen and Alex’s story in a future book.

I have a prediction that the next book will be about Mar and Dominic, but only time will tell:

“Gwen watched as Dominic shook hands with Elliot, and then tried to say hi to the photographer, with little luck. She introduced herself to Gwen as Mar, Ama’s best friend, and pointedly ignored Dominic as he stood directly next to her with puppy-dog eyes for the next forty-five minutes.”

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Julie Soto. Her writing always makes me FEEL.

This book had me giggling and gasping and kicking my feet and angry and so so happy. It’s insane how beautifully she wrote not just the story itself, but the intimacy. The way Julie Soto is able to capture non-sexual intimate moments is just so fucking powerful.

Every scene that included Xander and Gwen simply playing music were some of the most sensual scenes I’ve ever read.

I will talk about Julie Soto until I die. FMN was my favorite romance of 2023 and NALS is so far my favorite of 2024.