I absolutely adored Julie Soto's first book, so much so that I recommended it to everyone who would listen. I will dutifully read her books from here on out.

That being said, this one was just a tiny bit of a miss for me. I loved the characters, the musical concept, the pining. The steam was even top notch! But I do feel like the overall conflict was just a little bit lacking. The way the MC never pressed for more details about how all of these people in her life were connected was frustrating and left a lot of details on the cutting room floor. Also it doesn't make a lot of sense that she was apparently the world's best violinist but... didn't know it? I am all for being humble but give my girl some confidence! You can recognize your greatness while also admitting how much work it really took to get there.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! There was just a dip in the middle I feel could be remedied. Easily another romcom smash.

Julie Soto is a genius. I absolutely devoured this book. The romance. The chemistry. The spice. I was completely sucked in by Gwen and Alex’s love story. I also really enjoyed the way the music played a role in this book. This book had me thinking about who or what holds us back and influences our decisions, what it means to have the support of people you trust and care about, and the power of knowing your full worth. This book is for sure going to be a top book of the year for me.

This is 4.75 rounded up!! I DEVOURED this book. I went in with no expectations and not having read the summary, just vibes. I loved Gwen’s character, I loved the duality of Xander/Alex, and I enjoyed the pull between the role models in their lives. Few things hit better than a MMC POV sprinkled in throughout. I wouldn’t be surprised is parts of this have mixed reviews but for me it was great. I can’t wait to put this on my bookshelf as soon as I get my hands on the physical copy.

How do I even start about this? I was lucky enough to get a ARC and oh my god!

I love music

This book reminded me of how wonderful music is and how it makes you FEEL! Reading about these characters who have dedicated their lives to music and playing their instruments was amazing. God the recording studio scene was 🥵I have never wished I knew how to play an instrument more than after reading this book. Highly recommend!

Not Another Love Song is a romance centered around the first violinist and the first cellist of an NYC orchestra. I have to start this review off by saying that I have never read a romance book set in the orchestral world before and it was really interesting for me to read about! It’s clear that Julie Soto did quite a bit of research to prepare for writing this book. I was fully immersed and it made for a fast-paced book that I enjoyed and rated 3.5⭐️. The main characters were quite young- 23 and 26- and it was very apparent in their naïveté. They navigated their musical career with choices I felt were befitting of their age, so if you’re interested in reading a more mature love story with complex characters, I don’t think this would be a fit for you. However, if you don’t mind two horny young professionals, it’ll be a great fit!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! This is my honest review.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Character Development: ♥️♥️♥️♥️


This was a very beautiful love story. I really enjoyed the musical element to it all and how the music was used to tell the story too. This was wasn’t as funny as I was hoping though. Much much more serious of a story. I wished we had more time with some of the side characters. I loved Jake and Declan!

It was hard at first to figure out how these two feel I love outside of just the music. Months and months go by in this story but we don’t see very many conversations between the two characters.

The spice was spicy but also just a little boring. Like each science was kind of the same and it was a lot of describing but the characters need to talk more during that spice.

I absolutely loved the ending. The resolutions to many of the conflicts were great. I felt really happy for all of the characters by the end.

Over all I did truly love this story. Beautifully written and the musical element was gorgeous.

The way this book consumed me is unbelievable I literally finished it in one day. I was BLUSHING SO HARD I SAW RED. Who knew that music can be both secy and romantic. I’m at a point in my life where I want to become a musical prodigy just to have that tension the mmc and fmc had. It was so ANGSTY, TENSION FILLED, PHENOMENAL story. I cannot recommend this enough, this was a complete step up to Julie Sotos other work “forget me not” which was another amazing work by her. But this book? I want to see it on TV.

I'm really not sure what to say about Julie Soto's sophomore novel. It got to me on such an emotional - yearning level. I started it at 9 pm the date I received the ARC, thinking I would read a few chapters before falling asleep. I ended up finishing the book at a little past 1 am. I have a 4:30 am alarm.

You see the illustration on the cover? yeah, it's an actual scene in the book. and oh boy, was that a good scene.

Bonus - little nods to the Forget Me Not gang.

I really enjoyed Julie Soto's debut but i LOVED Not Another Love Song. I can not believe how much I enjoyed this book! I did not think that a romance in am orchestra would pull me in as much as it did. The charcters were so interesting and felt very fleshed out. I figured out pretty quickly that this was going to be a book written for me. The dynamic between Gwyn and Alex was so good to watch evolve and see flourish by the ending. I loved every second of it and can not wait to tell everyone about how great it is.

5/5 ⭐️

Wow holy cow Julie really did the damn thing with this one. Not Another Love Song is a story of two people yearning to find their places, and they end up finding eachother. In this story you have our fmc Gwen, the orphaned violinist who was taught by sweet grouchy Mabel, grow from being this timid people pleaser to someone with a newly grown backbone. Did she frustrate me from times? yes, but i can understand her running away from goodbyes trauma issues so it was an easy to get over being annoyed.
Alex/Xander is that type A music prodigy all band kids wished they could have been growing up. He dealt with his struggles of feeling "enough" throughout his teen years until he had enough and became 'Xander Thorne' to let go and know he was the best at what he did. This man had me giggling with his words and how he expresses his love to Gwen, even though i wanted to throw hands in the beginning of the book not understanding his feelings for her until they were explained 😅😂

These two come together so beautifully, and the music they create with one another had me teary eyed multiple times. I absolutely adored this couple and the ending made me so fulfilled.

Thank you again NetGalley and Forever books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion ♡

An enemies-to-lovers romance set in an orchestra?!! I think Julie Soto wrote this SPECIFICALLY for me!!! Started this on a plane ride and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Loved everything about this book!

I really liked Forget Me Not by Julie Soto so I was so excited to read her new book, Not Another Love Song. I loved this one even more. I connected more with the characters and felt like they had great chemistry. I think it was such an interesting take for the characters to communicate romance better through music instead of words. There were some really beautiful moments described that I think will stick long after. I’m looking forward to more from this author. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed Julie Soto’s previous work and I was very excited to read Not Another Love Song and it did not disappoint. This was such a unique love story that was just so well done. The chemistry between Gwen and Alex jumped off the page. Highly recommend.

Forget Me Not was a favorite of 2023 but this one still managed to surpass it and cement Julie Soto as one of my favorite authors. I had little to no interest in orchestra going into this book and now I’m obsessed. Amazing story, very well researched and completely swoon worthy.

Julie Soto has done it again! As a big fan of her fan fics, I came in with big expectations for a great read and was not disappointed. She really knows how to build a world around the characters she creates. In this case, I found myself fully engrossed in the NY orchestra scene, almost like pulling the curtain was pulled back on their real lives. You feel invested in their story and are of course rooting for them! I enjoyed the bits of mystery about some characters pasts, and of course the ROMANCE! Always respectful, always so sexy! All this book needs is a companion soundtrack (suggestion: play the songs as they are mentioned to set your reading mood!) and a snuggly corner to read in. Hope you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did. I am already waiting for Julie's next book!

It's hard to talk about how much I loved this book without talking about myself, but I'm going to try. I loved this. I loved how obviously gone Alex was for Gwen from the very beginning. I loved the found family element. And that cello scene
But man, I loved watching them fall in love. Sharing a love of something like music brings people together in a way that Giuliesotowrites was able to articulate so well. It changes you, that love, and you're never the same. So grateful l was able to pick up this ARC. Can't wait for others to read it when it comes out in July!

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto was such a refreshing romance. It was really well written and story that had a unique voice.
I think this will be enjoyed by most!

"Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto offers a delightful blend of romance and music, making it a captivating read for fans of both genres. With its innovative characters and unique premise, the novel provides an engaging storyline that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. Soto skillfully weaves together themes of love and passion against a backdrop of musical inspiration, creating a truly enjoyable reading experience. Overall, "Not Another Love Song" is a perfect choice for romance enthusiasts looking for a fun and refreshing tale!

Gwen Jackson is content with her music career. As a violinist in the Manhattan Pops orchestra, she feels at home. She is surprised when she is offered the First Chair position but happily accepts. Cellist and fellow Pops musician Xander Thorne has been wanting that position and he doesn't hide the fact that he doesn't think she deserves it. As Gwen and Xander get to know each other, it's clear that they have an undeniable chemistry, on and off the stage.

I am utterly amazed by this book! Julie Soto's writing is flawless and she tells a story that will suck you into the music world. I am not a musician and I have not had the pleasure of going to professional orchestra performances. This book has made me an orchestra fan, without ever having seen one. Soto's research for this book must have been painstaking, but it was worth it because the attention to detail in this book is astounding.

What I loved most about this book was that Soto weaved music with emotions seamlessly. The passion that Xander and Gwen had for creating moved me. I had never thought violins and cellos could be sexy, but HOT DAMN!!! There was a sensuality to their playing that had me thrumming with excitement.

I was intrigued by Xander's story. There were so many layers to his history and who he was as a person and I enjoyed how Soto peeled back those layers, little by little. I couldn't have been more happy for him to have found happiness with Gwen after all those years of being lost in other people's expectations.

This is a remarkable book that is a 2024 MUST READ!!!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
3.5 ⭐️

I'm going to start by talking about what I enjoyed the most— I really liked how the author put care in their careers and it was not just a background in the story. I don't personally know much about music or the instruments they play but you can feel that it wasn't just there for the sake of being there, it was either something the author already lived or put a lot of care in researching (in this case we know its the former because of the notes). I admire it even more because I know a lot of romance readers wouldn't care if it was there just for the background, and for this reason I think it might not please some. But it did please me.
However, as much as I enjoyed this part of the story, I felt like the first part of the book focused too much on it at left the romance a little behind for later to focus more on the romance and I feel like that shoud have been more balanced out. I felt like they deserved more development before things started happening between them, they needed to have interacted more.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience, I like Julie's writing, I liked the characters and the couple had chemistry (something I'm finding hard to find in romances lately). I feel like if the next books does not have the issues I had with this, she could become one of my favorite romance authors!