Rivals to lovers but make them first chairs in an orchestra? Okkkkk. I see what we’re doing here! And yep, there’s a cello scene that is very spicy.

This book is full of tension and angst. And the writing felt poetic. I was fully immersed in this world of music and that was my favorite part of the book.

I’m a big fan of Julie Soto’s debut, Forget Me Not, and loved seeing some character crossover in Not Another Love Song.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and another great book from Julie Soto.

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced copy!

Gwen is a violinist and unexpectedly performs the cello at a wedding. Her coworker Xander is in the wedding, doesn’t recognize her, and criticizes her performance. However, Gwen captures Xander’s attention and they quickly become rivals at Carnegie Hall. Their rivalry might become something special if they can manage to create beautiful music together.

First, it must be said that Julie Soto is a talented writer. I loved the way the story is written and the characters are well developed. I must admit that music is not an interest of mine, and the story is very music-heavy. I’m sure it will appeal more to those who aren’t tone deaf and have an interest in orchestral music. However, the storyline was interesting and captured my attention.

Thank you to Julie Soto and Forever Pub for my eARC and the opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Gwen is a self-taught violinist who plays for the Manhattan Pops. Xander was considered a child prodigy and is now a famous cellist. He splits his time between playing with the Pops and going on tour with his band. Their rivalry commences when Gwen is offered a position within the orchestra that Xander was under the impression belonged to him. They develop feelings for each other as they work together, but can they each have what they want professionally and still be together?

Julie Soto’s other novel, Forget Me Not, was one of my favorite books in 2023, so I was very much looking forward to this one. It definitely did not disappoint me. While my musical journey ended with middle school band (outside of taking violin lessons for a few years as an adult – which I highly recommend if you’ve ever been interested!), reading about their roles in the orchestra and composing and playing music was interesting. Both Gwen and Xander had a lot of past personal and professional issues to work through, which I thought were handled well. I liked the tension between them as rival musicians and watching them slowly fall in love. My only issue with the book was that I wish the end were drawn out more. It felt rushed, tying up all loose ends too quickly. I rarely finish a book and want to reread it immediately, but that happened with this one.

Many thanks to author Julie Soto, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of Not Another Love Song in exchange for my review.

Not Another Love Song

4.5 ⭐️

Ohmygosh. This book reminded me of my love for classical music in the best way. I feel like I’m late to the Julie Soto fan club; I’m definitely going to have to go back and read her other books.

I was hooked from the opening scene when Gwen, a violinist, has to play in a wedding on a cello. Definitely not an easy thing to transpose on the fly. Throughout Gwen’s rise to the first chair role in a Pop Orchestra, she and Alex connect at every turn.

Not Another Long Song had me transported into a concert hall and wanting to learn to play the violin. So happy I got to read this one from @netgalley!

I was so excited to get my hands on the next Julie Soto book ahead of its publication this summer!! Not Another Love Song is about two musicians - one with humble beginnings, and one with a lot of support behind the fame - and how they are drawn together by music and attraction. Both working for the fictional Manhattan Pops, Gwen and Xander are thrown together as leaders in their orchestra. I thought the story was rich in detail; I loved learning about the way the Pops was instrumental in Xander's life and how their music careers had overlapping elements. Nothing felt forced - Gwen is naturally talented but not a musical prodigy with no flaws, and Xander is complicated without being broody and unreasonable. The chemistry and dialogue was awesome and there are some spicy scenes which felt natural to the plot. Soto improves upon her excellent writing in this sophomore novel, and I'm happy to say she stuck the landing.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Reading this book made me feel the same way I did the first time I ever watched “Maestro in the Jungle” - where you just immediately get pulled into this immersive whimsical musical world and see the beauty alongside the darker parts of the industry. I cannot believe that this is a Reylo orchestra fan fiction, I am beyond obsessed with it. The relationship development was so well paced and I really only have positive things to say. This blew my expectations out of the water, I loved it!

<I>Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.</I>

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley & Julie Soto for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Rights and Wrong Series girlies KNOW that Julie can write a love story but how fun to read her work on a new platform!!! I was so entertained by this and couldn’t put it down. The coexisting breezy-ness with the tension reminded me of Ali Hazelwood and I can’t wait to read more Miss Julie!!

This book was absolutely perfect. The tension and chemistry between Alex and Gwen were insane, and I loved watching their relationship grow so much. Julie Soto did such a great job with the romance in this book! I wasn't a super big fan of Forget Me Not, but I adored this book so much. I loved the setting and the background; I haven't read too many books about professional classical musicians, so I thought this was really interesting! The descriptions of the characters and their connections to the music were great, and honestly, this book made me want to go listen to a live orchestra.

The writing in this book was phenomenal; Julie Soto's writing is so descriptive and flows so well! The plot was very engaging (I read this in under one day), and I wish it was longer than it was, even though I loved the ending, too. The side characters were amazing, and I liked getting to see characters from Forget Me Not as well. Jacob and Declan were really great side characters, and I loved Gwen and Mabel's relationship as well.

Overall, I would completely recommend this book, even if you didn't love Forget Me Not! :)

Julie Soto already was an auto-buy for me, and I feel so privileged to read this ahead of time! First, I must say that the cover is absolutely gorgeous and fits the story so perfectly, down to his caress of her neck and his fingers tapping out the notes. The prose is absorptive, and the plot carries us through seamlessly. Overall, it was a complete pleasure to read. The sexy scenes echo what I loved so much about several other recent favorites Birding with Benefits (Sarah T Dubb) and What is Love (Jen Comfort), where the characters are overtaken by lust during a scene sharing a common interest and the result is HOT HOT HOT. Yet, the writing is exquisitely sensual and melancholy in a way that is completely fitting to Alex and Gwen's story. Just for fun, I was THRILLED to see Ama and Elliot again from Forget Me Not, along with some other Easter Eggs (even TSwift ones)! There was just a hint but now I'm shipping Dominic and Mar, the wedding photographer for her next novel out 2025!

This book is for music lovers. A cellist and a violinist, where he falls first. Both come from different backgrounds, but their love of music leads them to each other. The ending was sweet. .

It took me about 50% of the book to really get into the story. Initially, I found myself looking up definitions for the all the music terminology, but when I just focused on the story, I enjoyed it much more.

In short, Gwen was orphaned and dreams of success and family. Xander(Alex) was born into a musically known family, but wants to find his own path in the music world. By chance, Xander meets Gwen at a friend's wedding, not realizing that they both work for the same Pops orchestra. The tension you feel as they later see each other at "work" is fantastic. When I see a cello and violin, I'll be thinking of Gwen and Xander and the seductive way they played music for each other.

Highlights:
*Found Family- I love how supporting both their circles were for both of our main characters.
*He falls first and hard - I love how vulnerable Alex was.
*Orchestra music references.

3.5/5

This book was soooooo cute. The way their music was used as a love connection was so insane.

This was my first book by Julie and I will be reading her future ones that is for sure.

It’s so sweet, with depth, family drama, deep connection, some spice. I felt so entranced by their story and how both o it main characters have struggled and overcome barriers to come out on top.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advanced in exchange for my honest opinion.

What do you get when a super star cellist and rising star vilionist come together in a rivals to lovers story by Julie Soto? You get a hot and spicy, chemistry filled page turner that you cannot put down - that's what!

The chemistry and tension between Xander and Gwen is off the charts. Damn. Not Another Love Song was so enjoyable - definitely one to read - especially if you like rivals to lovers. I was sold on Julie Soto after Forget Me Not but now there's no question she is a must buy author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

This book was amazing! I loved the characters and the plot was very well written. The writer is very talented and the story was very interesting.

I DEVOURED this book. I’m taking staying up until 2 AM and going to work with a book hangover the next day.
The plot was very fast paced and the characters were super captivating. (Can someone figure out a way i can hug a character? I would very much like to give Alex/Xander a hug 🥺)

If you like angst, banter, were a boy band obsessed teen/adult and found family, this book is for you

Tropes:
☀️Grumpy Sunshine
💕He falls first
🖤Rivals to lovers
🤗 Found family


Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto & Forever Publishing for this E-ARC

Julie Soto did it again. I loved Alex with my whole heart and as a person who loves music, but has no musical abilities some of the scenes she wrote around music physically gave me chills. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this and re-read it/annotate it.

This book was amazing! It was my first book by Soto and now I need to go back and read her previous work. Gwen is a violin player in an orchestra and meets Xander when she plays with a friend at a wedding. Xander is a famous musician but also plays in Gwen's orchestra. Gwen crushes on Xander but falls for his alter ego. Their chemistry on and off stage is sizzling! Of course, there are issues that threaten both careers and happiness and you will have to read it to see if it works out.

I love a book where the male main character falls first and harder than the female character does. This story had so much played through the music and the conflict between the characters themselves and even their families was complicated. They faced a lot and they had to either grow and learn from their choices or face the consequences of those actions. The chemistry I mentioned earlier was intense and it burned through their scenes and in the music they created together.

I wanted more of these characters and I am so grateful to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two musicians on different paths that lead to the same place - inspired, happy and in love. That's the basic premise of Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. But our two MCs are complex and their musical journeys had me enjoying every page to the very end.

Gwen and Alex ("Xandr") are two prodigies with very different upbringings and insecurities: She is orphaned and yearns for stability and a family; He was born into classical music royalty and wants to find his own self outside of his family's legacy or the people who only like him for his music. Circumstances of being in the same orchestra has their paths crossing but their attraction for each other continues to bring them together, no matter how much they fight it.

Told in the 3rd person, mostly from the view of Gwen, this story took me a little bit to get into but once I was in, I fell hard for Gwen & Alex. I didn't realize music could be described so seductively. The love story is fantastic but it's really the self-discovery journey that both Gwen and Alex go on that ultimately had me holding my breath until the very end. There are a few chapters from a 3rd person POV view of Alex that are insightful and I found very unique. It is different from the typical dual 1st person POV that could've easily been done here. I really respect the choices Julie Soto makes and it's overall a wonderful book that fans of her first novel, Forget Me Not, will certainly enjoy.

Tropes & Elements:
🏡 Found Family
❤️ He falls first and hard
⚡️ Rivals to Lovers
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🎻 Music Prodigies

My Rating: 3.75 out of 5 ⭐️

Wowowowoowoowow!!!!

I am a huge fan of Julie’s last book so when I got a chance to read her newest novel I was so excited. If anyone has watched Mozart in the Jungle this gives very similar
vibes and I am here for it.

The chemistry between Xander and Gwen is 🔥🫨♥️😊

Julie does well of crafting compelling backstories for her characters that pull you into the story and keeps you hooked. I read this book cover to cover in one sitting because I needed to KNOW what happens next.

Disclaimer: I just reviewed Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. #NetGalley Thank you!

5/5

oh goodness, she’s done it again.

i just could not, for the life of me, put this down. i ran home (in heels) to read it, i rushed through dinner, and promptly ignored everyone last night while i bulldozed through a good chunk of it. THAT is the magic of julie soto.

god, the tension in this was so good—so palpable, thick in the air, hanging on top of your head kind of heavy—so much so that i thought a string was going to snap. i loved the chemistry these two characters had, and even if i’m not familiar with reylo lore, i (in gen z speak) ATE this up. gwen and alex/xander had me in the palm of their hands, their romance humming through me like a rhythm i couldn’t shake.

there’s also something special about the way julie describes the music process here. i’m not classically trained, by any means, but getting to read how she described the rehearsing and learning process—how music was so intrinsically woven into each of the character’s lives made me so sentimental and soft. i learned how to play guitar at roughly the same age as gwen with the violin—and in a music shop too! julie describes music as muscle memory so well—bringing me back to my teenage years & playing the guitar for hours, starting over each time i got a part wrong. i related to gwen and alex in that way—just that inability to stop until it sounded right; to have the music take over until it felt like second skin to me; a reflex, an impulse.

there’s so many aspects to this book that i wish i could go on and on about—better reserved for a full review closer to pub day (and an excuse to reread, obviously AND ANNOTATE THE HECK out of a physical copy, mostly so i can scream). i can’t wait until this glittering gem of an opus is in your hands; until its melody rings through your ears, too. brb bingeing bach & creep by duomo today!!!!

I received a ebook arc for this right after I finished Forget Me Not. It was just as enjoyable as her first book! The ending was sweet and brought some tears to my eyes. Highly recommend checking it!