I enjoyed this one so much more than Soto's first novel! I couldn't put it down, and when I did have to, it's all I thought about at work. Her writing has improved along with her story telling. I really felt like I could almost hear the music they were playing.
The beginning was a bit slow but in all I enjoyed the pacing! I absolutely need more Musical Rivals to Lovers tropes now.
The characters were relatable and fresh.

This book was such a delightful surprise. The two main characters, Gwen and Xander, are both professional musicians but came into their positions in ways that couldn’t be more different despite both being in the same philharmonic orchestra. It has rivals to lovers vibes and the tension between these two is palpable. The musical descriptions are so lush. Although I know almost nothing about any of that I was totally swept away by the writing in those scenes and it really made me feel things (and I’m not just talking about that one cello scene)! The angst is perfect without being over the top. The spice will have you sweating and booking tickets to the closest philharmonic orchestra. Gwen might not have always made decisions I agreed with but I appreciated that she wasn’t a pushover. This book really had everything I didn’t know I needed and I immediately preordered a physical copy. Five stars all the way.

Thank you to Julie Soto, Forever Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Soto always knows how to deliver exquisite tension, explosive chemistry, and strong FMC.

And yes, the cello scene is HOT, but I would argue the violin scene is hotter, IYKYK.

I found myself absolutely enraptured by this, at several times giddy and kicking my feat, at others….quite hot and bothered. I loved how this was grounded so beautifully with two musicians and it’s clear Soto did her research in capturing the industry as well as the music. I felt the music come alive off the page and could feel the dance between Gwen and Xander as they played together.

Xander’s POV chapters gave us just enough of a glimpse into his character, giving us a viewpoint that helps us see behind his mask an bit and see how he falls so deeply for Gwen. I do wish there were more of these as I do feel there was just a bit of a disconnect with how Xander first behaves and then how he actually is and believes in the Xander persona later on. Looking back at the early interactions with Gwen, I’m not sure I see how they’re the same character.

That brings me to the one quip I have about this which keeps it from being a 5 star read. With this and Soto’s previous book, Forget Me Not, I’ve noticed that Soto is skilled at giving us characters with complex emotional backgrounds and issues. She knows how to dig deep with her characters to expose their vulnerabilities but also make them relatable or at least accessible to readers. With AMA it was her commitment phobia (perhaps tied to her mother’s many marriages), for Gwen it’s the loss of a family and the desire to know where you belong. These are great facets that add dimension to the story, yet I find that Soto doesn’t often stick the landing with pulling the healing and self awareness needed to pull the needle through on these facets for her characters. With Gwen especially, what she really wants out of music is also something that’s hinted at throughout, and tangled with her desire for stability, but I didn’t find at the end that I still really understood how she saw her talent and art and what she wanted with it. It just feels a bit unfinished now that she’s fallen in with Xander, which while sweet, feels like it made her development take a back seat.

This is also felt with Xander who often wanted friends yet in the end, we don’t know if he’s left them behind or whether those bonds survived as strongly — why leave them with that same shit contract if so? Also, it’s not really explored WHY Xander wants first chair, there’s a tie to a late uncle sure, but we don’t see what that relationship with his uncle meant to Xander and how it was so different from his relationship with his mother and step father.


Lastly, I know this is marketed as musical rivals to lovers but I’d argue that Gwen and Xander are never rivals. They’re never both jockeying for first chair in some competition, it’s more that Xander is well established while Gwen in the diamond in the rough rising star. I think having a clearer expectation would help going in to this.

Overall, I still throughly enjoyed this and highly recommend this! I can’t wait to see what Soto writes next.

I'd love to thank Forever Publishing for gracing me with this eARC for my review and original thoughts of this book.

Y'ALL, JULIE SOTO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

This book is every music lover's ode to romance and what it could be between two musical prodigies. I, of course, cannot speak from an orchestra girl's perspective (I was in band and marching band.....not as tense and broody as orchestra), but whewwwww this was fantastic!

Gwen is our FMC and has been playing the violin since she was 11 and has been playing for the Pops for four years. Her favorite band of all time is Thorne and Roses, a rock-esque orchestral group that is head up by Xander Thorne (because, duh!). She never thought she'd meet him at a wedding of all places, not to mention the opportunity to play his cello (per bride's request) during the ceremony.

Xander/Alex is our incredibly sexy/broody/wickedly talented MMC. Not only can he absolutely slay on the cello to an orchestral movement (hello child prodigy), but he is also a ROCK STAR (and front man) cellist. When I say he is everything, I mean this man is just e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

These two, while incredibly opposite seeming, are actually two sides cut from the same cloth which makes their chemistry absolutely electric.

If this doesn't entice you to read it, maybe these will help:
- Found Family
- Reylo Fanfic based (Kylo Ren and Rey from Star Wars)
- Feel the music moment
- TENSION
- Rival to Lovers
- Spice, need I say more?

"I need to be in your orbit in some way..." - Alex

Huge fan of "Forget Me Not" so this was one of my most anticipated new releases of the year and it did not disappoint! Gwen and Xander were both complex, and loveable characters in their own right but together they were fantastic. I love how the story handled how we bring past trauma with us into our relationships and did so in such an authentic and honest way. I was rooting for the characters so hard but each misstep and bad decision felt understandable in a way that made me love the characters even more. Finished this book in one day and immediately pre-ordered a physical copy!

Julie Soto out here making me adore her books 🥰
First with a wedding planner and florist and now she’s out here having me read about a violinist and cellist and I never thought a story could be so hot 🥵

I ate this book up, the tension was giving!! I couldn’t put this book down and I wanted more!! I really appreciated that this story was unique and different from my typical romance stories and I loved seeing the music and orchestra aspect and the feel of being in New York. I would’ve liked there to be more at the end and little more fighting and groveling with Gwen and Xander, it did feel a bit too insta lovey and wanted more chemistry build up beside music, but overall this was a fun read and I’m glad Alex found his muse and they made beautiful music together 💕

4.5⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the ARC

OMG! I almost read this entire book in one sitting since I could not bring myself to put it down. From the first moment we get to see Gwen and Xander interact with their music, I was hooked! Even as someone who does not know much about musical instruments and orchestra, I absolutely was blown away by the description of their performances and how the music was intertwined with the relationship development throughout the story. Another Reylo fanfic 10/10 for those who love a grumpy, obsessed main guy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Julie Soto for the ARC. And yes, I ran to the site when I saw this was available for request!

Wow, this was a masterpiece. The tension? The pining? The drama? The musical references? It was all just perfection. This was so different and unique and the premise was a spectacularly written twist on academic rivals to lovers. There was so much yearning, but it worked so well. I loved how Alex fell in love with Gwen for her talent, which is so often overlooked in favor of looks when it comes to romance books. I loved all of the side characters and how each and every one of them played a part in Gwen and Alex's journey. Each character was complex and dynamic and they were flawed, but this made them more relatable. The cover is absolutely GORGEOUS and basically depicts - in my opinion - the best scene in the book. The tension and yearning in this book certainly leads to some incredibly hot spicy scenes, especially their first time together. I think this was so well depicted and so in tune with both characters and how they felt during that particular moment in time, and I just cannot get over how good it is. It was so magical to be in those moments with them when they were playing - whether together or separately - and I think Julie Soto was a genius for the way in which she wrote these scenes. What a beautiful story that uses music to tell its tale!

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book! Will definitely pick up more from Author Julie Soto. I took up playing violin during the pandemic as an adult, so it was fun to see a romantic story centered around string instruments in NYC.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of "Not Another Love Song" by Julie Soto out July 16, 2024.

I LOVED "Forget Me Not" by Julie and so I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this book and was so excited for a chance to read an advance copy! This book did not disappoint. It was so enjoyable- I had been in a reading rut and I devoured this book. I made myself take a break just so I could savor it a little longer. And the cello seen.....ifykyk.

This is a must read for fans of romance, especially if you liked her first book. Julie Soto has definitely become an auto buy author for me!

First, thank you for allowing me the opportunity of reading this early. I truly enjoyed this one, and happy to provide a few thoughts on the experience. Frankly, it was life altering listening to orchestral covers while reading this book. And yes, I'm starting violin lessons this week don't @ me (not joking). I thought this book was exceptionally original. Soto knows romance and she does it well.

She is surely an up an comer, with two books on her resume now. She is entering the chat with Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry. I'm ready for the next book, Madam.

My chief complaint is that this book was TOO short. I think there could have been more yearning, more stakes, more personality, more plot with an upped page count. And it got to a point where the spice felt almost like filler.

Also, where did Mei go. And why was there a Mei and Mae. My ADHD cannot handle that. And lastly, Every time I saw the name Lorenz I wanted to correct to Lorenzo. [ENTER HERMONIE: ITS LEVIOSAAA NOT LEVIOSUHH]. This is an exceptionally nit picky comment, I know. One respectfully submits these grievances for thoughts. Ms. Soto, bestie, please don't do make me do these mental gymnastics with the characters in the next book (which must be a preorder, unless one receives an ARC again *hint hint*).

Hope you enjoyed my PhD level review. By this time next week you can review me playing twinkle twinkle little star on my violin.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I keep reading Julie Soto’s books after long travel days, but I can’t get enough. I absolutely loved “Forget Me Not,” so I had high expectations going into her sophomore novel.

I’m a huge classical music fan, though I cannot play a note or read music. It was so fascinating reading how the sausage gets made, so to say, and I wish I could hear the songs Alex and Gwen composed IRL.

I’ve been gravitating more towards books that have some other third act climax beyond the classic third act breakup, but this one PAINED me to my core. I needed more than just six chapters of Alex’s POV to sustain me (also I LOVED how his sections were Cello Suite 1-6 - such a fun interlude!).

Ultimately giving this 4.5/5 stars because I cannot in good conscience give a Reylo fanfic 5 stars.

The moon, the sun, and all of the stars ♾️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book has turned me into a crow. I will only be screeching, cawing, and coveting shiny things from now on 🐦‍⬛

Translation 1: AGHHHHHHHHHHH 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Translation 2: JULIE SOTO MAKES ME BELIEVE IN LOVE!!! AND MORE THAN THAT, SHE MAKES ME BELIEVE IN REGULAR ROMANCE NOVELS THAT ✨DON'T✨ HAVE FAERIES IN THEM (MY PREFERRED CUP OF TEA!!! 🧚‍♀️☕️)

I mean this book is just so cute!!! The whole thing is musical. It's immersive. It's emotional. It reads like a symphony! How did she do that??? I was so moved.

Not Another Love Song was written for musicians and artists and feelers and overachievers and romantics and New Yorkers and lovers of a good crossover episode and those who have heard of Cotton Eye Joe.

The knowledge that this started off as Reylo fanfic was just 😮‍💨🤌🏻👨🏻‍🍳 wonderful context. The love story feels authentic, even when it moves quickly, because I know these characters (they are me) and they are emotional as HELL and when they fall they fall HARD. It was beautiful. I was completely swept away. I felt that the conflicts and the pacing made sense for them specifically, even if some things weren't necessarily logically sound. Love isn't always logical. Especially in the beginning.

The characters are vibrant and warm and authentic. Even the side characters!!! Especially the side characters!!! They pulled on my heartstrings more than the main characters did sometimes!!! (NO hate for the main characters, they were FLAWLESS, I'm just a softie for found family, okay?) One of my only critiques of Forget Me Not was a lack of dimensionality in the side characters, but Julie Soto really blew it out of the water with this one! They were complicated and real and believable and I CRIED BECAUSE I LOVED SEEING THESE LITTLE SWEET GUYS HAPPY 😭😭😭😭

> Side Note: Why does this have a July release? It honestly could have popped off as a holiday book, js ✌🏻 But I'm glad it didn't!! And I sure am glad that Forget Me Not made me believe in love, and had me chomping at the bit for Julie Soto's next book, because if someone told me Christmas was mentioned in this book...🥶 I would have evaporated probably, anyway this has super cozy vibes!
>> Side-Side Note: NO this is not a Christmas book don't let me ruin it for you!!! I am a hater!!! Christmas is just mentioned and I hate when Christmas and romance combine because I'm actually just 3 small Ebenezer Scrooges in a trench coat 🥸

I'd just like to also take a moment to recommend this book to all Swifties as well. You'll get it when you get it 😉🫶🏻

Have I said enough? It feels like enough.

It's currently 4:12 AM. This is what I did to myself to finish this book tonight.

Umm read this book when it comes out in July or you WILL be hearing from my Declan 😤

I wanna put a quote from the end SO BAD 😭 I'll just suffer alone until July 🥲

Julie Soto has quickly become one of my automatic reads. I loved her first one and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one and it did not disappoint. She can write a slow burn tension that is so so good. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for a the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201627074

I'm 100% blaming this book for my lack of sleep! It was so good that I couldn't but it down and ended up staying up wayyyy to late so I could finish it!😂 I was not only OBSESSED with the tension and chemistry between Gwen and Alex/Xander BUT I also LOVED the uniqueness of the situation/setting/professions of the characters! The fact that both MCs are classical (and a lil not) instrumentalists and get to make music, explore their pasts and futures, etc. together is SO sweet! I mean there are also SO many cameos of Ama and Elliot from Forget Me Not too which is GREAT!

No matter what words I try to use to convey how much I enjoyed this book, it will not convey the greatness and how much I actually loved this book! It was ABSOLUTELY amazing and I cannot wait to see all of the hype for this on bookstagram!

Thank you so much to Forever for an early copy of this GREAT book!💖

wow. This book pulled me in from the beginning. I loved the callbacks to the Forget Me Not book, this feels like a Julie Soto Multiverse! The tension??? To die for. The way the characters were fleshed out was so well written and I enjoyed their plot. Xaden and Gwen are literally interconnected!!!! also I really enjoyed the amount of spice in this book!!! It was written in well, and the plot stood strong throughout. Cannot wait to read more of Julie’s books.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is officially an auto read author for me! If you want similar vibes to ‘Forget Me Not’ but with music instead of flowers, grab this one! There are also Easter eggs and character cameos from forget me not!

Overall this was super cute! I loved the music themes as a former band nerd. I liked the competitive nature between the characters. Xander, the MMC was such a tease and there was a LOT of build up. Definitely some spice and open door scenes but not a heavy focus of the book. Teasing, tension, banter, and angst are definitely the authors specialty.

This book delivers for me. There’s a great balance of drama, mystery and intrigue, as well as romance, swoon angst, will they/won’t they and, of course, spice. I loved it.

Wow! Best romance book I’ve read in a while. Absolutely phenomenal! Loved everything about the book it was such a fresh of breath air.

YEARNING. That is the theme of this book and good god was it incredible. The way Julie Soto writes just speaks to me and I find little bits of myself in each of the characters in a way that makes me so deeply invested in the story. The way the music and love story was discussed in this book was down right beautiful and tugged at my heart constantly. I love a man who is just absolutely yearning for a woman and I love a woman trying to find her path in the world. This book is definitely landing itself as one of my favorite reads for 2024