This was delightful. I really enjoyed the violin/cello/orchestra aspects of it. The characters were well flushed out, and reminded me a bit of Ali Hazelwood’s writing. It was more than just romance, which I enjoy. I like reading about flawed characters, and this one definitely had them. I will be picking up more of Julie Soto’s works in the future.

This releases July 16th, 2024
Thank you to Forever Books for the ARC!

Music is the window to the soul, as they say. And if that phrase doesn’t sum up Gwen and Xander’s relationship, I don’t know what does. 

Reading this book made me realize the only thing I know about musical instruments and orchestra is that I enjoy listening to beautiful pieces composed by musicians. (LOL) There were so many terms and phrases integrated into the story that complemented it beautifully, even to someone who isn’t familiar with their meaning. Julie Soto wrote a story that describes the playing of instruments to the page impeccably.

Tropes that make an appearance:
- Slow burn
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- He Falls First
- Rivals to Lovers
- Workplace Romance
- Opposites Attract
- Groveling

Many romance novels on the market revolve around similar themes, so when I found out there’s a book coming out with the plot revolving around two string players, it piqued my interest from the blurb alone. I was sold based on the fact that it’s something I haven’t read before. Not Another Love Song will be one of the top romances of summer 2024!

Thank you to the publisher; Forever - Grand Central Publishing, the author; Julie Soto, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will.

The pacing got rushed toward the end, especially compared to how slow burn it was in the beginning but otherwise I loved the classical music premise, loved the chemistry between the two characters, I feel like Alex was such an interesting character and honestly I would read a whole book just on his backstory; While I don't think Julie Soto's writing is the best by any means, she writes in such an addictive way. The chemistry is always off the charts and they're quite steamy books with the perfect mix of heart and angst

Not Another Love Song is an exceptional story about two musicians who reluctantly fall in love. It is intense in every way, and all of them good, in my opinion. I read an interview with the author comparing Xander to Kylo Ren and I could not get that out of my head- again, in a good way. There were moments where it was a little out of my reach as far as the music talk, but I got the gist. Lol. Julie Soto is definitely a must read for me at this point, however I am not a huge fan of the cover art. If the cover is a turn off to you, push through it because it’s worth it. Rounded up from a 4.5. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Julie Soto can do no wrong! I loved this book. If you have read Forget Me Not by Julie, this one is loosely connected through Ama (the wedding planner), who hires Gwen and her best friend Jacob to play for a wedding in Sacramento. When Gwen arrives to the gig, they realize that there's been a miscommunication, and she plays violin.. not cello. Since she needs the money and it cost a fortune to get there as it was, she agrees to play cello if someone can provide her one. Who comes to deliver one.. but Xander Thorne.. an incredibly talented but arrogant cellist. When Xander figures out that they actually play together in the same Pops orchestra, he takes a special interest in her.

As a musician myself, I ate this book up. That being said, if you have no interest in the musical world, I wouldn't pick this up. We spend a lot of time with both Xander and Gwen as they play together in gigs, in private, in orchestra rehearsals, etc. It's the foundation of the story.

I really loved both characters, and thought the third-act conflict worked well and was realistic.

I’ve heard a ton of great things about this one. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite do it for me, but please hear me out because I think a lot of romance readers will still really enjoy this one!

NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG follows Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne – two string players who fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in a spicy and emotional romance. I loved that the author thought of this story after attending an orchestra event and she had seen how the seating arrangement of the two first chair musicians could make for an interesting and spicy romance opportunity if they were to get involved. And she’s not wrong!! This is a classic example of grumpy sunshine / enemies to lovers and the tension that builds between the two is exhilarating. I enjoyed learning more about orchestra life since I wasn’t familiar before reading and I think it made for the perfect romance setting.

I’ll be honest, the romance seemed to come out of nowhere for me. Xander is an asshole and unbearable 45% of the book and I feel like there’s not enough conversation or buildup between the characters before they jump into getting steamy. Their romance just felt off to me from start to finish and I was never truly rooting for them. At one point, I seriously didn’t even think they’d end up together, given how Xander acts the whole time. As a die-hard romance reader, this just didn’t live up the hype for me personally, but I still enjoyed the orchestra/music component, how Gwen and Xander grow as musicians and people and learning more about their upbringings (completely different but bonded by one special person).

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the advanced digital copy! NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG is out July 16!

When I first started this book I was getting the vibe that it was going to be just like Check & Mate but with violins instead of chess. And while yes, they do share a lot of similarities. Luckily for me, my initial assumptions were not fully accurate. While the overall theme was slightly similar, rivals to lovers, he falls first.. Not Another Love Story just had so much more going on for it, probably because it’s not YA… Anyway, I ended up really enjoying this story! So many of the lines later in the story gave me all the feels and had me kicking my feet in glee. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up enjoying this story and flying through this fun little read!

I absolutely just fell in love with this book. The characters, the story, the tension, and the writing. Julie is a wonderful author and she absolutely crushed this book. I literally did not want to put it down! Gwen and Xander had me hooked from almost the very first page. Who knew playing music together could be so hot? Certainly not me. While I really enjoyed Gwen, Xander had my heart. Seeing how his story revealed itself, getting the cello suite chapters in his POV? Please. I was a goner. This book was perfection and exactly what I needed. I already can’t wait for the next book. Julie has solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me.

This book was absolutely a joy to read. I went in knowing next to nothing about violins or cellos or orchestras but I was immediately so invested in this world.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe this story - it feels like there are no “in between” scenes, if that makes sense? I loved following along as each piece of the story unfolded. After finishing it, I considered an immediate reread, and will be reading more of Julie Soto’s work asap (this was my first time reading her writing).

I adored Mabel and the way she conveyed so much but said so little. She deserves to be mentioned 💛.

As someone who lived in NYC, I found the little references to the city to be clever! It felt like I was reading about the actual place, written by someone who had also lived there, and not a fancy movie version of the city.

Never have I felt so irritated at having to do anything other than keep reading a book than when I hit about 20% into this one!! I stayed up late reading multiple nights in a row and could barely put the book down even when my eyes would start to blur from being so tired. There should be some sort of special category because this deserves more than 5 stars ⭐️. In case you couldn’t tell, I would recommend it BUT clear your schedule (so you don’t have to put it down)!

Thank you Netgalley and Julie Soto for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to read this new book from Julie Soto after so loving Forget Me Not last year. This one’s got grumpy/sunshine, rivals to lovers and found family tropes and is my favorite romance so far this year!

It opens with a scene that had me laughing. Gwen is playing the music for a wedding where Xander is the best man and she is mortified when he arrogantly critiques her performance. She, shocked, realizes he doesn't recognize her. He is surprised when she tells him they've been sitting across from each other all year, playing for the Manhattan Pops! Then, to top it off, Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the Pops, a position Xander has secretly coveted for years. Xander thinks they gave it to her because she is beautiful and that will sell tickets but the more he hears her play the more he finds himself fascinated by her. This is Kylo and Ren inspired and is so fun!

Gwen is an orphan who lived with her grandfather until he passed away. She got her training from Maggie, a music shop owner who recognized her natural talent. Gwen stumbled into Maggie’s shop when she was eleven and Maggie started giving her violin lessons. Gwen made extra money playing in the subway and it was there she was discovered, when she was seventeen, by Ava, the first chair of the Pops! Gwen has now been with the Pops for four years and loves it. She adores the sound of the orchestra when all the instruments come together as one and the musicians feel like family to her. 

Xander is a musical prodigy who grew up in a family of musicians and had his first standing ovation when he was three. He dropped out of Julliard to play cello with a popular electric strings rock band called Thorne and Roses. Xander also plays for the Pops because he wants to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and become the conductor. But he shows up late to rehearsals, rolls his eyes at the song choices, and never speaks to anyone except the conductor and now Gwen. He is also a composer and when he is with Gwen, she inspires him. When they run into each other at a taco stand and go back to his place to eat tacos, they end up playing music together in his recording studio (in his apartment) and it gets very spicy! It’s sensual the way they share their passion and love for each other through their music. I will never think of playing instruments the same after reading this book!

Their chemistry onstage is off the charts and people have begun to take notice. There is a talent agent interested in her and both Xander and Mabel encourage her to be watchful that she isn’t taken advantage of. This adds drama to the book but it worked for me. Meanwhile, Xander’s agent for Thorne and Roses is afraid that Gwen is distracting Xander. Gwen worries that even though the Pops love her now, if ticket sales were to fall, would they replace her? They both are trying to make decisions about their careers but the only things they are sure of is their shared passion for each other and their music.

Readers who like spicy romance with musicians won’t want to miss this one. It’s special to see Ama and Elliot from Forget Me Not make appearances throughout the story. The supporting characters are caring, sweet and funny and I hope to see more of their stories in Soto’s future books. I loved this book and odds are good, it will end up being my favorite book of the year.

I really enjoyed the book. It had me INVOLVED. I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way too late finishing it. The spice was good. There were some issues for me, sometimes the musical descriptions were a bit much for someone that loves music but doesn’t know shit about the technicalities. I liked how Alex was obsessed with Gwen and her music but looking back the relationship seemed surface. All music and sex, no depth. They barely talk to each other, ever. While you’re reading, you’re so engrossed, it doesn’t even matter but after I finished, I felt like I got Twilight’d. Very enjoyable ready though and good vibes. I’d recommend giving it a go.

4.25 stars!
This was so good I want to reread it immediately. Julie Soto has a way with words and characters and everything she touches turns completely bingeable. The way this utilizes music to carry the story is perfect and the characters felt so real and their chemistry was on fire. The only slight criticism I have was this story could’ve used a stronger external plot to carry it forward but even without that I still couldn’t put it down.

First and foremost as a former orchestra kid I loved reading about the orchestra. I wasn’t ever good by any means but we all dreamed about the possibility of playing in a fancy orchestra right?? And my high school teacher even had his own band semi similar to Thorne and Roses! But Julie knows how the write a good book! And this time it was written through the use music which was beautiful. Gwen and Alex were so complicated but their love for music and for each other were simple, it was everything around them that made things so complicated. I would also do anything to hear the music they made together. ANYTHING.

I loved so much about this book. Gwen and Xander first and foremost were magic. How they played together, how easy it was, how they challenged each other. They also had FUN. And that was something that was missing from Gwen’s love of music. I also LOVED Mabel. LOVED. I was also a huge fan of Ava. I was happy to see her story come full circle at the end. The last two chapters made my heart so HAPPY, and the epilogue was perfection.

I’m gonna be honest it KILLS me that this was in third person. And it’s not because it wasn’t written well, because it was! And while I could still FEEL the story through Gwen, I wish it was in first person so I could have felt MORE. I DO like how Julie writes a sneaky dual POV though. She did it with Forget Me Not and I was happy to see it here again! I would have loved more of Xander though. I was DESPERATE to be inside his mind. His little chapters were not nearly enough for me!

I also thought there were too many villains. It all made sense for the story do not get me wrong, but I was frustrated that they had SO MUCH working against them. And of course everyone got what they deserved and I was grateful for that.

And lastly!! I LOVED seeing Ama and Elliot so much 🥹 they are my favorites and I was so happy to see them. And maybe a VERY LITTLE sneaky peek at who is next in the Julie-verse?!

Thank you SO MUCH to Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto might be my favorite romance ever. Gwen and Alex both have incredible depth of character and their rivals-to-lovers chemistry sizzles off the page. This book is SEXY. I loved every minute of the story, especially chapter 10. Iykyk. I found Julie Soto after my book club read her first novel, Forget Me Not. And I texted them immediately saying they needed to read this one next. This book has cemented Julie Soto as an autobuy author for me.

"Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto is a delightful rollercoaster of emotions, weaving a tapestry of love, music, and self-discovery. Soto's writing sparkles with wit and charm, effortlessly drawing readers into the lives of her relatable characters. From the first page, you're swept away on a journey of heartbreak, healing, and ultimately, hope.

At its core, "Not Another Love Song" is a celebration of the transformative power of music. Soto beautifully captures the way melodies can mend broken hearts and ignite passions. Through her protagonist's journey as a budding musician, she explores the cathartic nature of creativity and the profound connections it fosters.

With its irresistible blend of romance, humor, and heart, "Not Another Love Song" is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of love—and the music that accompanies it. Soto's debut is a triumph, leaving us eagerly awaiting her next symphony of words.

I enjoyed this like I knew I would! (But let’s be real this is essentially reylo fanfic confirmed so of course I devoured this in 2 days😅)
Right from their first meeting these two had me in a chokehold!! Seeing Xander (who is also Alex) pine after her and consistently fuck it up bc he doesn’t know how to say “hey You’re amazing and I’m obsessed with you” without being rude and misunderstood made the angst that much better.

THE CELLO SCENE!!!🥵 well technically there are many in this book but once you read YOU’LL KNOW. Oh my god one of the best scenes that had me blushing and definitely one you just can’t forget ever reading!! Anytime these two played together the tension and admiration of each other was so evident and Julie’s words make you feel every moment of it.

Gwen is a talented violinist and so driven who deserves so much more than she’s gotten out of life and seems to be standing in her own way a lot of the times.
Xander is a grumpy cellist, musical prodigy/legacy and so so complicated who seems to be the only one that helps Gwen realize she has so much more potential and is settling based on the fear of one day losing it just as she’s lost a lot in her life already. Though they clash due to different life circumstances they seem understand each other’s musical minds in a way no one ever has.

I loved Julie Soto’s debut Forget Me Not and I’m so glad to have gotten for this one bc the wait was killing me and boy she delivereddd. I loved seeing some of those characters appear a few times in this book making me want to reread again lol

Julie you’ve done it again and I will read anything you write.
This book will pull at your heartstrings,have you not wanting to put it down and listening to Yo-Yo Ma wishing these characters and the music they create together were real 😭

Got an ARC and finished it in one night. Julie Soto is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. I loved Forget Me Not but this one did NOT disappoint. A bit more angst and so so good.

Also: the. Cello. Scene. 🥵

5⭐️! I didn’t know the cello and violin could be so HOT 🥵 but hot D A M N! I flew through this book it was SUCH a good read. Beautiful, haunting, intense, hilarious. It was everything! You MUST pick this up when it comes out.

If Julie Soto writes it… I’ll be reading the kindle edition, own the paperback, and will probably purchase any limited editions. That’s how much I trust her writing, especially after this gem of a steamy, gorgeous romance.

Hot dang! Her words, the premise, the setting… This book is a 5-Star read that I will likely re-read before it’s even released.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
Reylo vibes. Enough said. *purrrrr*

The setting. I can’t listen to orchestral music now without thinking of certain scenes.

The cameo. The SACRAMENTO GAME in the HOUSE!

The banter and burn and SPICE. It’s DELISH! Witty, LOL type funny, sooo sizzly.


FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Made for each other. Pockets in her heart that had been carved out by two different cancers and were still left vacant by Mabel and Jacob. She moved her lips over him again, begging him to fill those voids.”

“I don’t have a cat,” Gwen said glumly, stabbing at her ice with the straw. “You should get one. This aesthetic you’ve got going on is really starting to say Cat Lady.”

“It felt like yearning and hope and decaying dreams all in one piece. She felt as if the tears escaping her eyes were just like the melody pushing past her fingertips, no longer needing her anymore. They told their own story.”


I would absolutely recommend this book and any and all Julie Soto books forever more. If the cover doesn’t convince you, just TRUST. You need this book in your life.

Thank you Julie Soto and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I’ve already pre-ordered the paperback 😛

Such a fun romance! Set in NYC in the professional orchestra scene, this has all the dramatic musician vibes, a lot of steam and chemistry, and a fascinating cast of supporting characters.

Although billed as an enemies-to-lovers, it doesn’t have any actual anger, feuding, or the back and forth one would expect from that. It has plenty of angst, but the characters are just in a mild miscommunication the first part of the book.

I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what comes next!