🎻 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝗪 🎻⁣
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𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨 by Julie Soto⁣
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Y’all, I’m going to make a very bold statement right now.⁣
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I firmly believe that this is the best romance of the year and quite possibly my favorite book of the year. I am obsessed. 😍⁣
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Julie Soto has mastered the Reylo fanfic game in my book. I was absolutely enthralled by the author’s intro note, alone, and then I promptly DEVOURED this book. Who knew a first violinist and first cellist romance could be so freaking hot?! 🥵⁣
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The characters are amazing, the plot is on point, and the spice is hotter than a ghost pepper. 🌶️ This book seriously has it all. ⁣
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I’m a huge instrumental music fan, so it was nice to turn on my reading playlist and just let it go. Somehow, it felt like it always managed to sync up with the story perfectly. It made for quite the reading experience. ✨⁣
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If you loved Soto’s 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵 like I did, just know that this one is even better. I didn’t think it was possible.⁣
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Thank you so much to @readforeverpub for my galley!

Wow wow wow. Julie blew it out of the park with this one. Amazing. Simply ethereal. Now I want to learn how to play the violin AND the cello. Also!!! Can we talk about the character appearances from her first book?! LOVE. Also the cello scene?! Stop. Obsessed. 5/5

I am loving the dynamic between Alex and Gwen! I like that they were both admirers of each other, even before getting to know each other. Although our hero is not the best at communication and sends mixed signals (sir, please), I loved seeing the two characters get to know each other and connecting through music. I haven't read another book quite like this yet. If you're a fan of Forget Me Not, I think you'll love this new title by Julie Soto!

This one was good. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers relationship. There was tons of tension and the author did a great job with writing the chemistry between Gwen and Alex. It did feel a little too insta love for me though once they got together. overall the story was good and kept me entertained.

This is my first experience with Julie Soto’s writing and I’m hooked. She made the music come to life in this one and that’s coming from someone who played the flute for 7 years. Her prose was magical and intense which kept the story flowing.

Gwen is a lovely female main character with enough depth and flaws to make her feel real. Her background with her mother and grandfather was tragic but her relationship with Mabel and music made it worth it. Alex is the IDEAL male main character. He had an in depth background but was clear with his intentions and wants with Gwen.

Their tension was constantly coming off the page and I was eating it up. It started as a kind of enemies to lovers/little bit of a bully romance. Then it morphed into an unconscious want that turned into a tension filled need. The scene with the cello is all I’m going to say but it was SPICY🌶️ When they played music together there was so much tension and chemistry and you could truly feel it like you were in the room.

Jacob and Declan were the perfect comedic relief side characters and they had so much depth for side characters. I liked how they highlighted the different struggles between a protege that was classically trained and one that was trained later in life. The dualities between Gwen and Alex and Nathan and Ava were interesting to see. The ending was truly beautiful and made me tear up. The ending quote “It’s about a cello who fell in love with a violin”🥹

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was perfection. No notes. Xander/Alex and Gwen's chemistry was off the charts, loved the steam but also their relationship and compatibility. They are both music prodigies but their lives and paths could not be more different from each other yet their music does the speaking for them at times.

Cannot say enough about this one and will need a copy for my forever shelf!

Julie Soto is absolutely killing it. I have loved both books by her so far. Not Another Love song was stunning. The two characters were so well fleshed out and had depth. I could practically hear the music from the pages. The yearning between the two characters had me squealing. I absolutely loved this book. Looking forward to more from this author!

4.25

wow loved this! when I read forget me not, I was thrown off by the third person POV as I try to avoid those, sorry not sorry. but I could NOT put this book down!!

the tension between Gwen & Xander was scorching!! & oh so hot. I never knew playing a strings instrument could be hot. my jaw was in fact on the floor. I am a rockstar romance hater, & I loved this one! julie had me giggling and kicking my feet bc omg!!!!!

the cover is also one of my favs!! I think it encompasses one of my fav scenes so well!

this was not quite a 4.5-5 star read for me bc I feel like it wrapped up quicker than I would have liked. I just wanted a bit more, but it was still really good! I also love seeing cameos 👀 that’s all I’ll say on that!!

tropes:
rivals to lovers
rockstar
music prodigies
boy obsessed

thank you NetGalley & forever pub for an early copy <3

I was so excited for this book after reading forget me not and Julie did not disappoint!! I had a blast from start to finish and I’m completely in love with this man

5⭐️!!!
3🌶️

There was not a single word in this book that I didn’t like… it was complete and utter perfection.

ALEXANDER FITZGERALD, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!!!!!

I loved the infrequent dual POV, all of the music talk and terms, and the fact that this book started as Reylo fanfiction.

This was my first Julie Soto book but it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book for my personal library, and I’ll be sure to recommend it to both my followers and literally everybody that I know.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Julie Soto for the chance to read and enjoy this advanced copy.

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.