"Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne, two musical prodigies, embark on a captivating journey in 'Not Another love Song.' While Xander was born into classical music royalty, Gwen's talent was nurtured by a kind shop owner. Their paths collide when Gwen, mortified after Xander fails to recognize her despite working together, finds herself both furious at his arrogant critique and drawn to him.

This book masterfully weaves a tale of yearning, with complex characters that evoke deep emotions and garner reader empathy. The tension between Gwen and Xander is palpable, leaving readers holding their breath with every interaction. Soto skillfully navigates this tension, leading to beautifully poetic and spicy scenes, even finding a way to make a cello provocative.

Despite the angst, the book maintains a lightness through banter and levity, offering a perfect balance of depth and joy. Witnessing Xander thaw for Gwen is a heartwarming experience, leaving readers with a sense of fulfillment and love.

In conclusion, 'Not Another Love Song' is a captivating read that will leave readers with a full heart and a newfound appreciation for the power of music and love. Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing the eARC."

Obsessed is an understatement. This love story was beautifully written. The pacing was perfect. I could not put this down. I loved that we got Gwen’s perspective primarily and then a few chapters in between from Alex’s perspective.

I really related to Gwen & Alex with their constant feeling of needing their work to be “perfect.” The insecurities that Gwen felt were so relatable and real. I loved that their friends and family/found family picked up on their perfectionism and consistently expressed how they were perfect just the way they were.

The music - granted that we cannot hear anything or pull up the exact song they were playing - I could FEEL it. As someone who spent years in a choir & playing instruments, I loved how descriptive the text was, like I could follow along on the page. I didn’t realize quite how sexy music could be again until I read this book. ALL of the feels. Such a beautiful story, I want even more of Alex & Gwen.

I also loved how Ama and Elliot from “Forget Me Not” were included in this. I’m so glad I read FMN first. The crossover of love stories was so cute. I am hoping that the story we are getting in 2025 relates to a particular band member & a particular photographer from the wedding…but I could be wrong and also will devour any love story from Julie Soto!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

Is it too late to start learning violin at 32? Asking for a friend.

This was super entertaining. Violinists and cellists are near and dear to my heart, so it was really fun to read a book focused on those two professions. I was much happier this time around with JS's formatting. Forget Me Not was a little jarring with the FMC's POV in the current timeline and the MMC's POV in the past, so this was a much smoother read.

I really liked Alex, though I feel like he was whipped real fast and so they weren't "enemies" for very long. But it was still nice to see somewhat of a progression to his character throughout the book. For the most part, I thought both main characters were a pretty good match but their relationship seemed a little fast?

Wasn't so invested with Gwen; I feel like she was ignoring a lot of red flags once she was first chair, and that's always really frustrating to read, and because of all that, I'm not sure how I feel about the third act breakup, though I guess the way it was done made it easier for them to come back together because it was basically both of them admitting they were idiots for different reasons, so it felt a bit better after that.

So overall really enjoyable because I love the subject matter and then of course my personality for the foreseeable future is going to be Lindsey Stirling/Tina Guo music ❤️

4.5 ⭐️

I am already planning on re reading this book because I LOVED IT. The start was a bit slow and it took a bit of time to get into it but once it grabs your attention it gets so good. I was sweating and salivating over the chemistry and banter between Xander and Gwen. I was also very interested and invested in the musical aspect, even though I usually tend to get bored but that wasn't the case with this one. Highly recommend

As a former band kid, this book really hit home for me. It’s beautifully written, hits all of the romantic comedy marks, and had an amazing ending. Alex is my new favorite book boyfriend.

I could not put this book down! I read the original story Food of Love and I was so happy to see how this beautiful story was rewritten and made to an original novel. Definitely in my top books for 2024. The Spice was excellent! Thank you Julie!

Wow. Idk where to start. I’m a musician so this book was everything I’ve wanted in a romance. It’s my first Julie Soto book but definitely won’t be my last. The chemistry of the main characters is off the chart. And I was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy of a lot of back stage/rehearsal scenes. I read this book a month ago and I’m still thinking about it. The pacing was perfect and the book was addicting, I wanted to stop everything to finish. Highly recommend

This book was such a fun read! I’ve always been fascinated by the strings. I used to love going to Severance Hall and watching the orchestra. We usually spent Christmas down there watching them perform. The string section has always been my favorite. And while my violin career was very short, I do remember taking lessons at a young age.

The concept of this book is what drew me in. We all know I love an enemies to lovers with high angst book. It was so fun to read this book & watch Xander & Gwen go from hate to love. And Xander is such a cocky bastard. Like we get it, you’re good 😂 But then he’s drawn into Gwen’s orbit.

I love Mabel in this book as well as Jacob. Honestly all the supporting characters were fun. Two people I don’t love? Nathan & Lorenz. Hard pass on both of them! I’m so glad we got to see pieces of Alex shine through & that he working things out with his mom.

Music being such an integral part of this book & watching work through the composition was fascinating. I don’t know all of the technical terms they used, but I know enough to get the gist. But overall, I really enjoyed this book!

I give this book 5 stars. I was hooked right from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. The cello seen!!! Need I say more!!

I enjoyed Forget Me Not by Julie Soto, but felt like it didn't entirely live up to its potential. It did give me high hopes for her next book, so I was excited to read this, and I had such a good time!

I loved that we got to see the main characters together so much. I love a romance that really zeroes in on their connection, one where you get to spend a lot of time with the couple. I thought their dynamic was really intriguing and it worked really well. Their chemistry felt palpable. However, I do feel like the book ended when the couple was still in the initial stages of their attraction, and I felt like they still needed a lot of time to get to know each other beyond their initial attraction. It's probably just personal preference, but I love seeing the steps after that, of the attraction deepening, on the page, so I did miss seeing that a little.

I loved how much the music was interwoven into the romance though. Their passion for music jumped off the page, and I loved Xander/Alex realizing she was the only one who was on his level.

Xander coaching Gwen playing his cello was so inexplicably hot, like I was OVERHEATING reading about it. Which is not something I thought I’d ever say about a strings rehearsal. Maybe if I’d had a Xander, I would have stayed in orchestra instead of quitting after four years.

Thank you for the ARC!

This book was a bit of a whirlwind experience for me; I started off vehemently against liking this book and I found it slow to begin, then once I actually got into it I really started to love it, and then it went downhill for a reason I can't quite place.

Some points I really did not like: third person point of view. Normally I'm all for it but in this case I found that it made it confusing specifically when the narration would go into flashbacks; this made it hard to keep up when the scene was taking place. I also didn't like that for the most part, Alex would start speaking abruptly (my exact note mid-reading: someone needs to put a bell on this man), it just made his dialogue incredibly awkward. He was also an asshole (excuse my french) in the beginning of the book and I was genuinely confused as to whether or not I was supposed to root for him or not. (Totally off topic but Alex playing for the white house at age 5 was entirely too ridiculous for me to wrap my head around, is this actually a thing that happens??) I also didn't like that the reconciliation at the end felt rushed. Alex and Gwen didn't seem to really talk about all the things that led to their blow-up.

Things I did like: the third-act breakup. Okay, I didn't like the breakup BUT I did like that it was a valid reason. The pair genuinely did need to talk about their different wants in life and while I am an avid hater of the third-act breakup, I liked that it made sense to the couple and didn't feel like it was added just for the drama. This actually reminded me of one more thing I didn't like about the story: the lack of communication between the characters. All I'll say about that is, if you say you're in love with each other, I just think some communication is in order, but that's just me. I also need to mention the fact that their love was so abrupt? You could definitely tell the chemistry was THERE but the way they actually got together felt incredibly abrupt to me; like one second he's an asshole, and the next he needs to have her. But back to the things I did like: the chemistry was insane (the "I need to be in your orbit" love confession, likeeeee). My note while reading was literally: that man is HUNGRYYYYY. So at least they have that going for them?

Writing this review out, I'm noticing that I have a lot of things I didn't like but as a whole this book was thoroughly entertaining. I liked the fact that there wasn't some overarching problem like a lot of books have. At least to me, this book felt like we were being taken along for the ride, which I find much more enjoyable than knowing that there is a problem just around the corner, if that makes sense. Overall, everyone in this book needs therapy and Mabel and Ava need to become a thing (I fully thought that was there big falling out even after the falling out had been revealed).

Thank you for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies from different backgrounds, who find themselves competing for center stage. Tensions between her and Xander escalate; however, despite their initial animosity, their respect for each other's talents sparks a passionate chemistry.

While the romance and chemistry between Gwen and Xander WAS evident, it felt a abrupt and unrealistic.
The stereotypical villain antagonist is what hurt this book the most, it makes the whole plot disjointed.

Wow! This book is incendiary, angsty perfection.

After reading Not Another Love Story and Julie Soto’s previous book, Forget Me Not, I’m convinced that she’s an absolute master at romantic chemistry. I found myself smiling almost every time Gwen and Alex were on page together.

Alex/Xander may very well belong in the book boyfriend Hall of Fame, and Gwen is inherently likeable, something that’s not always a given for career-minded female protagonists.

Beyond the chemistry, there is so much to love about this book:
- Great side characters (Jacob! Mabel! Ava! Ama Torres cameo!).
- A unique dual POV structure. (This also made me smile.)
- A believable enemies-to-lovers plotline (although, like so many books in this trope, the enemies to lovers part is mostly one-sided. It’s clear very early on that Xander is completely gone for Gwen).
- The music. I’m not a musician myself, but my mother was a violinist, and this book brought back many warm memories from my childhood.

(One last, small thing that has no bearing on the actual book – I really enjoyed the ‘Disclaimer’ at the beginning. It’s always nice when the author shares a little bit of their process.)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Ahhh I loved this so much - it was my first ever Julie Soto book and I loved the characters so much. It was an easy read with the perfect amount of spice/chemistry and actual plot.

This book was so amazing! The chemistry between the two MC’s was off the charts and omg the tension!! I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for everything unfold. That cello scene was chefs kiss!! This book was literal perfection!!

Holy cow, this book was perfection! @juliesotowrites can do no wrong in my eyes!!

Gwen, a prodigy violinist in the Manhattan Pops, takes a side gig to perform in a high profile wedding. At the last minute, it is discovered that the bride meant to hire a cellist, and not wanting to disappoint anyone, Gwen transposes the violin sheet music to cello in her head as she plays.

Xander / Alex, a groomsman in the wedding, and first cellist in the Manhattan Pops, doesn’t recognize Gwen from the orchestra, and insults her musical abilities. Shortly after, Gwen is offered first violin in the Pops - the most prestigious position in the orchestra.

This romance is full of pining! Just imagine two rivals staring each other down on stage during a whole performance.. and it’s Kylie Ren / Rey vibes.

And the cello scene… the cello scene is everything. IYKYK.

I was also a huge fan of the author’s prior book, Forget Me Not, and enjoyed the Ama and Elliot cameos. After reading this, I think it’s safe to say the next book will feature Dom and Mar’s story 🥰

Five ⭐️ for me 💕💕💕

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub 🫶🏻

4.5 stars

I read this book as an ARC.

This book was just a delight. The characters in this book were so tangible in this book in a way that I really like. Seeing the journey the two main characters went on didn't feel stereotypical or rely too heavily on tropes.

This is a nice, quick easy romance to read that you can't help but have a great time with.

5/5 ⭐️

MISS JULIE SOTO - you came and took my world by STORM. You are one book away from being an auto buy author if not for your covers alone (I mean, gosh LOOK AT THAT THING) but because your storytelling makes me want to WEEP (in the best way possible).

I mean the unique plotline to the chemistry between the two mains ugh you spoiled the world with this one 🤍

4.5 stars.

Gwen and Xander meet at a wedding where she’s been hired to perform. And it’s magnetic from the moment they speak. The chemistry between Gwen and Xander was addicting to read. It definitely has some actual spice, but honestly just reading about Xander’s low key obsession with listening to Gwen play music was enough to make my stomach flip. It was that well written.

I enjoyed not only the romance, but the character development. Julie Soto wrote such an amazing story, with characters that have emotional baggage that carries through into their actions now.

Also, thought this book had the perfect blend of dual narration. Primarily from Gwen’s perspective, with chapters here and there from Xander’s.

This book was hard to put down.

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