Julie Soto has done it again with another great love story!

In her second novel, we meet two string musicians-violinist Gwen Jackson and cellist/rockstar Xander Thorne-whose chemistry on and off the stage is undeniable. As co-workers in the Manhattan Pops, Gwen and Xander have played music together. Gwen manages to fade in the background, so it takes Xander a year to really notice her. When Xander finally does, he criticizes Gwen's technique and shows even more hostility after she gets promoted to first chair, a role that he secretly wanted. Gwen proves herself, and soon Xander can no longer deny her talent nor his attraction to her.

Gwen might have had some qualms about her new role, but she is a definite go-getter and has proven herself deserving of first chair. Meanwhile, Xander was giving Hannah Montana vibes with his two lives as a Pops member and a rockstar. There is no denying he's a talented musician. These two might be rivals fighting for center stage, but as a duo, they make beautiful music.

What to expect:
> He falls harder
> Musical references
> Family drama & found family

Not Another Love Song was immediately captivating and worked as a slump buster for me. I absolutely could not put this down and read it in 24 hours!

Gwen is struggling to make ends meet while working as a musician for the Pops orchestra and doing side gigs to pick up extra cash.

Xander is an aloof cellist in the same orchestra and also the lead musician in a band, Thornes and Roses.

The book focuses on both of their careers in addition to the relationship development. It was a refreshing pace and I enjoyed hearing about the orchestra and Xander's band. This book felt very unique and was a great break from the typical romance storylines that have been over done.

I’ve never used the dictionary feature of my kindle more than I just did reading this. I bet this book will be very cute for the music girlies but it is not for the general population. The depth in which this book goes into describing the musical pieces had me nodding off and wanting to skim through a lot of scenes. I really liked Gwen’s character though so it’s truly a bummer the plot was so niche.

This book is a true performance! Standing Ovation! No notes on the sheet music for this book!

Starting with a preface from the author, where we get a glimpse into the mind of a writer and the source of inspiration, we are enchanted with this lyrical journey between two musical prodigies. Both from different walks of life, they find themselves seated at the pops orchestra together with undeniable chemistry. I did not want to put this book down. The slow burn, the beauty in the artistry of music and composing. (THAT CELLO SCENE!)

I put ear buds in and listened to classical music and had literal goosebumps at times!
5 stars! I demand an encore! Julie Soto - I am a fan. This is one of those reads where you wish you could read it again like it was the first time.

Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Julie Soto for a copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review! Grab your copy on July 16, 2024!

4.75 stars!

Tropes: Secret identity, Rockstar MMC, Violinist x Cellist, Forced Proximity, workplace

Obsessed with this book. My love for music and books really converged and I’ll be fixating on these characters for the foreseeable future.

A mini rundown because once I get into my feels, no one but me will know what’s going on: Xander and Gwen are both part of the Manhattan Pops Orchestra - have been for the past year- but only meet when she books a gig to play the cello at his friend’s wedding. The only problem: she plays the violin. Fortunately, Xander, a famous rockstar who- despite being First Cellist for the Pops - has no idea she exists, swoops in for the rescue with a cello for her to borrow. Things kick off with Xander's comments about her choppy renditions at that wedding, a hostility that grows into something gorgeous, with bumbling meetings and cello scenes to sweat out. When the Pops want her as First String in the orchestra - a position Xander has been waiting on for years- tension kicks up, oh, five or ten notches. Publicity dramas and secrets run interference as best they can. It’s super hot and it’s fun as hell.

So anyways, my thoughts:

Xander is a dreamboat and a half - he was so sweet, and also kind of a dick sometimes so he hit that spot in my brain that goes “book boyfriend for life.” His chemistry with Gwen was out-of-pocket good. I was hysterical every time they were in the studio together- screaming, crying, throwing up.

Gwen was so special. Her character growth hit hard with me and she has taught me things about picking careers that I didn’t know I needed. And her and Mabel!!!! I love found family so much but they hit differently. The dynamic was something else.

There was just something about this book and these characters that was so beautiful to me and I can’t describe it in words that would mean anything to anybody but Gwen and Xander, honestly.

P.S.: I cannot wait for The Cello scene to drop - the world isn't ready

From the first chapter I just knew this was going to be one of my favorite books. Actually, let's back up to last summer, at an author event, when Julie said the next book she was releasing was about a violinist and a cellist who were enemies and because they had direct line of sight sitting across from eachother, they had to look at eachother while leading an entire orchestra as first chair violin and first cello at each concert. That premise alone just grasped me and became one of my most anticipated books of 2024. And now I want to scream about this everywhere!

The orchestra setting was just so refreshing. Set against the Manhattan Pops, an orchestra in New York City, Gwen is now the youngest first chair violinist ever, something she is incredibly nervous for but also extremely thankful for. She doesn't know exactly why Alex Fitzgerald, this amazing prodigy celloist, who also goes by Xander Thorne and by the way is the lead cellist in a rock band, Thorne and Roses, doesn't like her. The negative remarks he makes about how she plays is insulting, which doesn't help add to her nerves as she now has to sit across from him as he scrutinizes every move she makes.

The tension is on fire in this book. The strings vibrating off the page, you could feel it in your bones. Who knew a cello could be so sensual. The passion, the nerves, the excitement, so much yearning for the other, felt like you were right there in story as the two of them created beautiful compositions together in many ways than one. I loved both these characters so much. Adversary strings to lovers. All the little things Alex did to push Gwen to be a better musician and the way he was just himself. They both tested eachother and saw things the other couldn’t see about themselves.

I love stories that are set in the music industry. This story was different from others I've read in that both the FMC and MMC were both musicians. Each trying to find where they fit in the industry, with music mentors who think they know what's best for each of them, stringing them one way or another. We get both the rock star and classical music scene and I’m here for both.

A first person's book on Gwen's POV was the way to go, keeping the MMC as this mysterious and moody musician, adding to the tension throughout the book. We do get a glimpse into Alex's perspective, as seen throughout his solos if you will, placed in brief intervals throughout this dance of strings we are reading, giving us just the right amount for his thoughts to shine.

I read this just as Taylor Swift's latest album came out, and as the those new melodies were floating in my head, I was picturing they were Gwen and Alex's melodies singing to me. I couldn't help but chuckle at the slight nod to Taylor at the end. I loved that Ama also made an appearance from Julie's first book! After Julie's first book, she was an auto buy author for me, and this one exceeded my expectations. The way she can just write romance stories that grip you, having the perfect balance of plot, spice, and character development. Not Another Love Song is definitely going to sit with me for a long time as one of my favorite books, and will be a love song I want to revisit over and over.

A very very thank you to Net Galley and Forever for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Such an amazing read. I was sucked in from the moment I I picked it up. The chemistry was phenomenal and I think I’m gonna have to start playing an instrument soon ;))

As cliche as it sounds, Not Another Love Song hits all the right notes!



String players, Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne, fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage

What a pleasant surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed this read. With earnest characters, a thoroughly engaging musical plot, and spicy scenes that had me hot, bothered, and giggling, I couldn’t get enough of Julie Soto’s Not Another Love Song after loving her Forget Me Not.

One thing Soto continues to do is write great characters. Plus dual POVs so we get to fall in love with them both! I immediately loved Gwen Jackson. She’s fought to get where she is, to belong, and her striving for her dreams is admirable. Despite a tough deck of cards, she’s loving, thoughtful, and funny. We would not doubt be friends. On to Xander…Soto does grumpy/tortured men turned into total simps for these women SO WELL!! And you love them almost more than the FMCs! Not only did I love Xander groveling and being totally infatuated, his storyline is so well done. His past is complicated, his feelings about it are also rightly complicated, and reading him figure it out and reveal more and more of his true self was totally engaging. And them together!? LOVED!!They both felt individually realized with their own hopes and dreams and missteps and rejections. I was rooting for both or then some.

As for the plot, I was fully engaged from start to finish. I didn’t think I’d care about professional musicians but I found myself totally enthralled with their world and politics and dynamics. The drama in this is so good. You really can’t guess the ending. Like duh a HEA but how will their relationship look like? What will their careers turn into? Such great pacing, twists, turn, and reveals that made this one a fun, nuanced rom com that I’ll no doubt return to again and again.

And I’d be amiss to not mention the great side characters and banter between them all that softened the edges of this read. The found family and how it develops is so good. These side characters and how they’re all intertwine will bury their way into your heart.

Pick this book up. You won’t regret it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my free electronic advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read For:

Celebrity Romance
Musical Protégés
Grumpy x Sunshine
Found Family

The cello scene 🤭🤭🤭 being ON the cover???? 5 stars alone for that innovation. Besides that, I loved that this was an emotional love story and that we came along on Gwen and Alex's journey to escape the toxic relationships around them and forge a new path. I was rooting for them the whole time and could relate to many of their dilemmas. Julie Soto is an insta buy for me after Forget Me Not and Not Another Love Story

Everyone else can stop trying this is the MY FAVORITE romance book I have read this year and boy howdy it’s gonna be hard to top 😤

Okay so I read Forget Me Not via audio a few months ago and I thought to myself “why tf aren’t we talking about this more???” and so when silly lil Julie Soto opened downloads for this ARC on APRIL FOOL’S DAY I ran my ass to NetGalley to get it.

I had trouble breathing for a large portion of this novel. I laughed out loud (I know people say that to be funny or exaggerate or whatever but I ACTUALLY did), I gasped in shock, and there was one scene that was so hot I had to put down my pint of Ben and Jerry’s and go walk around for a while afterwards.

Apparently I’m into smutty Reylo fanfics now oops. Adam Driver types always wear Henleys and it always works. I was not expecting to add an auto-buy author to my list but godDAMMIT Julie Soto is firmly on it now 🫡

Go preorder it now I am SOOOO serious!!!! Idc that I read it for free…I have already purchased a pre-order copy because of this week’s damn BN sale 🎻 I would bake Julie Soto a bunch of cookies and make her a million iced vanilla lattes if I ever get to meet her and have her sign books for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Forever Grand Central publishing for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a (maybe too) honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

This was a really fun easy read. I got in my head a bit from the note at the beginning saying it started as Reylo fanfic.

The chemistry between Gwen and Xander was okay. Sometimes it felt like they had a ton and other times like they didn’t have any at all. Overall great read.

I truly loved Gwen and Alex, and how their story unfolded. The scene that inspired the cover was absolute perfection, one of my favorite things I've read in months. I love a rivals-to-lovers story, and the YEARNING in this one was so good. I loved their tension.
What makes this book shine is Julie's way of truly capturing a setting. As others have attested, I know only so much about the lives of classical musicians. She truly helps us understand what these characters' lives are like and why they are so passionate about what they do. The way she writes about music is lovely, which makes this book stand out in a sea of romances that don't delve into their characters' lives and motivations in the same way.
I think this could have been a five-star book for me, but it was just missing something. I liked the glimpses of Alex's POV, but I wanted to understand his backstory and motivations a little more. The third act conflict also felt rushed.
Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The tension was sizzling hot and the banter was so good. I was kicking my feet and squealing while reading this book. I had a great time reading it and as a mood reader, this is the most important thing. To make it more of an immersive experience, I played the songs mentioned during different scenes. 10/10 recommend. I’m hoping the stories in this world will continue so we can see where they are in the future!

The only thoughts I have for this book are loud screeching sounds and keyboard smashes. OBSESSED. The TENSION. The YEARNING. The PASSION. The MUSIC. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book and I need to hold it in my hands and read it again and again. I truly mean it when I say that I devoured this book and could not put it down. Had to stay up until 2 am to finish it and immediately wanted to reread it when I was done. Gwen and Xander 4ever. I will read anything that Julie Soto writes.

There's something about the way that Soto writes that makes it impossible to put her books down.

I really love when authors cameo characters from previous books in new works. It makes me happy.

This was a great second book from Soto and I can't wait to see what else she writes.

This story was so well written and offered a unique plot with realistic characters. The author really goes into detail when describing the classical music scene as well as the music itself, which I know must have took time and effort to pull off. I have read a lot of romance novels, and the characters and tropes can become so redundant, which is why I appreciated this story so much.

I'm at a loss for words to express my feelings about this story. Having the opportunity to read it not once, but twice, feels incredibly fulfilling. A few years back, I stumbled upon a little online community where I came across a fanfic called "The Food of Love." That story lingered in my mind, and now, I've had the chance to experience it all over again, as if for the first time. "Not Another Love Song" exceeded all my expectations and then some. The characters felt fresh and authentic, which is rare for me when it comes to contemporary romance. I found myself utterly engrossed—I couldn't put it down. One thing's for certain: I'll eagerly devour anything Julie Soto writes.

Wow, this book was amazing. The longing and sexual tension is so palpable throughout the plot. The cello scene!? Come on now. I’ll never be able to look at a cello the same way again. I also enjoyed this story because it was (in my eyes, at least), a unique take on a romance story that I previously had never thought about before, and I’ve attended many concert hall performances. The banter and jokes were also on point. Julie Soto does a great job of making Xander and Gwen to be both complex characters on their own and weaves a beautiful love story intertwining the two.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early! As someone who grew up in orchestra, I really enjoyed the music aspect of this book.

The writing was beautiful and I could practically hear the music described on the page.

A enemies to lovers trope with LOTS of chemistry. I felt the plot slowed a bit for me at times but really enjoyed the book.

I am so happy I received my copy of "Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto. I love her first novel, "FORGET ME NOT," and I can't wait to see Gwen and Xander's story. Truly enemies to lovers with spicy. Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing).