This book was full of stunningly delicious tension and I LOVED it.

Alex’s story reminded me a lot of the movie Whiplash. He was constantly being pushed to be better, do better, create more and finally hit a wall and felt like he needed to leave his life behind and create a new one. He always believed in Gwen’s potential.
We live to see a man OBSESSED and boy was this man obsessed.

“‘Look, I don’t know what you want from me, but—‘
‘Anything.‘ Black eyes looked down on her, and he took a shaking breath. ‘Everything.’”

I loved the two of them coming together to create something beautiful and both of them creating their own families and paths forward.

There was some conflict/ a third act breakup that was a little frustrating. The pacing felt a little weird in that moment and they both did need to individually go on their own journeys to come back together but it felt a little rushed? I can’t put my finger on it but I didn’t love it.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I really loved this book and it gave me all the feels!! As a musician this book had me hooked.. the way music was depicted was magical and emotive.

Not only did we get a spicy/tension filled/passonate love story between two classical string instrumentalists (grumpy cellist rockstar/sunshine violinist prodigy), but we also got to dive into the world of families/mentors/musicians dynamics from multiple perspectives and the pressure that comes along with it the music industry.

This books was beautifully written and I would highly recommend!! I’m so glad this was my first ARC ❤️

I mostly enjoyed the first half of this book for the romance, the tension and the musical passion! but the second half quickly became smut over plot. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

a rivals-to-lovers romance with the main characters playing across from each other in the same orchestra? yes please.

ok, first up i adore an obsessed mmc. alex telling gwen that she’s magnificent and being so clearly head-over-heels for her through most of the book is something i loved!

i enjoyed all the music stuff as well. i’m not a musician and never have been, but found that whole aspect of the book really interesting, even if it didn’t actually mean much (anything) to me.

it dragged a tiny bit at around 60/70% but luckily that didn’t last long.

and idk i’m not a gal who loves the third-act breakup but for some strange reason this one worked for me ??? and i am shocked ??

overall, when i forgot that this was originally a reylo fanfic (not a reylo gal either) i had a great time.

I DEVOURED this book! Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Forever publishing! I got this on April fools, but the way I loved this book is not a joke.

ALSO, all opinions are my own of course, and I think that will be evident throughout.

So let's get into it!

This book KEPT MY INTEREST! I wanted to know more and read more, which is saying a lot as I am actively reading three other books oops ahah. I have been in my fantasy era, so I wasn't expecting to fall for this book like I fell for this book. I enjoyed most of it so much!

Things that worked well for me:
-Alex. Enough said, he was great until every readers dreaded third act breakup.
-Gwen as a character. I liked her a lot honestly. She wasn't relatable for me, but she was painted in such a way that I cared about her as a character.
-Gwen and Alex together. It takes a while for them to get there, but when they get there, they are THERE. I love how Alex was not ashamed to say how he felt and what he felt. It annoys me to no end when the MMC is like "no I love you, but I am going to be an ABSOLUTE JERK and you are going to have to guess about my feelings toward you."
-Gwen and Alex composing/creating music together and for each other. This was masterful, it was art and I loved it.
- The side characters (minus Lorenz and Nathan, they can choke and dissipate)
-The world/atmosphere was pretty enjoyable to me. I felt emersed in a good way.
-The plot/storyline was pretty unique in my opinion. I mean, did Julie Soto reinvent the wheel? No. But the whole music storyline and world in a romance book is new to at least me and I liked that. I actually cared about the story and Gwen and not just Gwen and Alex as a couple.

Things that did not work well for me...
- Third act breakups or pauses are always going to be a no for me. Quite frankly, I would not have been able to be in a relationship with someone who was so easily willing to choose a career for no contact with me. I thought Gwen and Alex were so cute together and their relationship felt amazing, until we got to the third act breakup that was not really necessary at all?
- Some scenes were not normal to be honest. When you are creating orchestra music/composing pieces (or really actually any music involving the cello and violin) please like let's keep our clothes on? It felt like a defilement of music to be honest. Like if I am playing an instrument (which I can't really, I can BARELY play the piano) if someone tried to pull any of the things Alex (and Gwen) did I would be like NOPEEEEEE.

Overall, I would recommend this book when it releases because it was an enjoyable ride. I did take one star off for the ending and weird scenes mentioned in what didn't work for me. But I loved this book and can certainly say I want more Julie Soto books!
4/5 for sure!

Forget Me Not was one of my top books of 2023 so the second Not a Love Song was on netgalley I had to start it immediately. This book was so good. The angst, the longing, the tension!!! Julie nailed the perfect rivals to lovers scenario with the setting. I will say I wasn’t as completely obsessed with parts of the story as I was for Forget Me Not, for that reason it was only a 4.5 star read for me. But I enjoyed it so much and I can’t wait to see what Julie’s next book will be!

I loved Julie Soto's other book but this one wasn't 100% for me. I thought the insta love/attraction was too dramatic and I wasn't a fan of the sexualization of the music/instruments. also when I read it was Reylo fanfiction...I am just not the audience for that! but you if love reylo then youll love this!

I really enjoyed this book! I love when the main characters have such passions for what they do in life like Gwen and Alex had. I do wish we got a little bit more perspective from Alex in the beginning like his inner thoughts when we first heard Gwen play at the wedding. It felt a bit lopsided in the beginning. Also their relationship felt a bit rushed once they got together. Overall I definitely enjoyed and would recommend!

I so loved everything about NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG! I was immediately engrossed in the world of it. The intensity and buildup tension between Gwen and Alex/Xander was impeccably undeniable and so believable. I appreciated the roundedness, emotional depth, and authenticity to the characters and the storyline. Yes, the story revolves about music, an orchestra and symphonies, but the writing itself has sense of musicality to it in a lyrical and rhythmic way, making for a beautiful read. The book made me admire cellos that much more... once you read it you'll know. I loved all the discovery that happens to Gwen and Alex individually and together as they navigate their own careers and who they are to each other. First time reading this author's work, and I'm off to go read her other book! Looking forward to reading whatever the author grants us with next!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Rivals to Lovers
“What do you want?”
Unequal Social Status
Banter

All the stars for Julie Soto! Not Another Love Song was a breath of fresh air and exactly what I needed in my life. Alex and Gwen were perfect in every way and I fell in love with them as they fell for each other. The development of both characters unfolded so beautifully and the supporting characters were written with such care, I couldn’t help but to be engrossed. I loved their language through music and even without being a musician myself, the way that they communicated resonated deep in my soul. Everything about this book was beautiful and touching and I preordered the paperback immediately. Thank you so much, NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one early.

4.25 stars 🌟 finished this in 8 hours and it was so so good!!! this couple was so intense and they loved each other so deeply, which i loved seeing in the music they composed together 🎻🎼❤️‍🩹 i liked their connection and every time they were together you could literally FEEL the tension, especially at the beginning 🙈 i liked this a lot but the ending brought the rating down a bit! nevertheless, this was wonderful and i’m so glad i got the chance to read it early

a special thank you to netgalley, forever publishing, and MOST IMPORTANTLY julie soto for releasing this arc early in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Julie Soto for "Read Now" and auto-approval I got to read this book early!
'Not Another Love Song' is such a fun read. Great character development and plot line. I enjoy a HEA that dives into a lifestyle/culture so interesting and all-encompassing.
I know very little about classical music or composing but was fascinated by Gwen and Alex's similar and so different experiences as child prodigies. In this book, they don't describe in the moment composing as improvisation but it reminded me of Dr Charlis Limb's TED talks and Kennedy Center talks on neuroscience and musical improv.
Also fun to get little glimpses of characters from Julie Soto's book 'Forget Me Not.'

I received a copy of Julie Soto’s first book, Forget Me Not, via NetGalley before it was published, read it in a single sitting, and was obsessed. And then I devoured this book in less than 48 hours and now am again am obsessed. I’m convinced that I will read ANYTHING Julie Soto writes. Anything. I don’t know how to explain it. She nails the romantic angst, frustration, misunderstood LI. Also I adore every single side character. How does she always get me like this? The spicy scenes were chef’s kiss, the way she used music, sound, and musical terms to create tension, emotion, unspoken dialogue, intimacy, it was just so good. She made me feel like I know more about music than I realize. And yeah maybe I cried a little when I finished the book.

Absolutely fantastic book! I loved every moment of it. It is so much like the original Reylo fanfic, but even MORE great. I really enjoyed reading about the characters, and how a cello fell in love with a violin ❤️ the romance was top tier and the spicy scenes were fun to read too!

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto infinity stars/5
out July 16, 2024

Quick review:
absolutely perfect, wouldn’t change a thing, so good I’m out of my book slump 😭 This book is EVERYTHING.

Long review:
Okay, if you’re someone who knows me in real life, you know how obsessed I am with Star Wars and specifically Ben/Kylo Ren and Rey. (Spoiler I cry every time Ben Solo dies) This is absolutely relevant because THIS WAS MAGICAL thank goodness for reylo trad published books and thank goodness for Julie Soto.

I was invested from the opening author note of “thank you, and May the Force Be With You.” (I think you know why based on my disclaimer above)
Some of my favorite components: The chemistry between Gwen and Alex/Xander Thorne, the dynamics of the relationships between Eva/Mabel/Alex/Nathan, the compelling history and experience of Alex, and the lyrical writing!

I adored this book and will immediately be pre-ordering so I can read whenever I want.

A few favorite quotes:
“..Not a love song. And he believed it for a few weeks.”

“ It’s melancholy. I think it puts you exactly in the mood it intends to.”
‘’Oh, so sad, melancholy boy,’” she teased him in a deep voice.” *IMMEDIATELY GIGGLES*

And of course the ending line.

Thank you for the best April fools day gift @netgalley @readforeverpub @juliesotowrites

PS: today I learned Julie wrote one of my favorite fanfics of all time and now I’m going to go reread.

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#notanotherlovesong #juliesotoauthor #juliesotowrites #books #bookstagram #bookish #booksbooksbooks #netgalley

I recognized Julie Soto's name from her popular book Forget Me Not that was all over social media last year... but I never read that book because a wedding planner/florist romance didn't appeal to me.

After reading this book I will be rectifying my mistake because I want to read every word this woman writes. Not Another Love Song pulled me in with it's unique premise about musical prodigies but I never expected it to make me FEEL so much. I fell in love with so many of the characters and at different points while reading I cried and laughed out loud.

If you love a good romance with some spice you will definitely be satisfied with this book - but be prepared to experience so much more than that. I loved the peek inside the world of performing in an orchestra and did not expect the story to have so much depth and such vivid supporting characters. Loved it!

A lyrical romance that you’ll read in one sitting!
Reylo fanfic
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy/Sunshine
He falls first
Workplace romance
Musicians
Found family
Lots of sexual tension with a payoff
Also… If you’ve read Forget Me Not, you’ll enjoy the cameos with Ama and Elliott.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is my most anticipated book of the year and it did NOT DISAPPOINT. I was feral from the first until the last lines because OH MY GOD was this incredible.

Not Another Love Song is a fun enemies to lovers story focusing on violinist, Gwen, and cellist Xander.
I flew threw this book in about 8 hours and it was just a thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish! A few highlights for me: the enemies to lovers tension was top notch, he falls first and he falls HARD, the inherent romance of two people making music together is just wonderful. It was really fun to see a few tie-ins with Forget Me Not and there's a teeny nod to Taylor Swift at the very end that absolutely made me week. So excited to continue reading anything Julie Soto puts out!

No Another Love Song? More like “Not Another Book to Obsess Over.”

This wonderful book is saturated with angst. And in the brilliant words of Julie Soto, boy was I “ Ready. For. A. Meal.” I devoured it and now I’m ready for seconds, thirds.

Here we have two of our generation’s greatest musicians duking it out in NYC’s Manhattan Pops Orchestra. Gwen is the diamond in the rough who is ready for this next chapter in her orchestral career. Alex is the rogue cellist with the sexiest alter ego. But together they make music that transcends time and space.

I’m eternally grateful to NetGalley & Julie Soto for early access to masterpiece. May Julie keep writing stories as beautiful as Fugue No. 1.